A month had passed since Baek Yu-Seol had fallen into a deep slumber. Though concerns for him lingered, those he left behind had no choice but to swiftly resume their daily lives.
Winter break arrived, marking the end of one academic year and the start of a new one.
The third-year seniors graduated and left, while the freshmen transitioned into their second year, welcoming a new Chapter in their lives.
Teenagers took advantage of the winter vacation to take a break from their studies, traveling or returning to their hometowns to rest in their own ways.
Among them, Ma Yu-Seong also returned to his 'family home,' though whether this could truly be called a 'break' was something that warranted some thought.
'The Wailing Cliff, the Black Fortress.'
A grim fortress encircled by jagged, thorny cliffs that resembled prison walls, where black winds howled ceaselessly.
The air was saturated with dark magic, dense and chaotic. Ordinary humans who ventured near would either succumb to corruption or perish under a curse. Lesser dark mages or creatures wouldn't even last a moment, meeting instant death.
Yet, Ma Yu-Seong casually strolled into that cursed place as if he were taking a leisurely walk.
When he reached the Black Fortress, a ghost in the form of a black mist emerged, slithering toward him.
— Prince Ma Yu-Seong...
— The King awaits you...
Following the ghost into the fortress, Ma Yu-Seong ascended its heights and eventually arrived at the throne room.
Though the chamber was aged and rusted, the King's throne stood untouched, as pristine and black as ink.
Seated upon it was a man clad in black armor.
Ironically, despite his overwhelming darkness, his presence felt purer and more vivid than any shade of white.
"What business do you have with me?" Ma Yu-Seong asked in a dry tone.
The shadows around him stirred in agitation, mirroring his displeasure. From those shadows, his 'half-siblings' watched, their fury at his audacious tone barely contained.
Of course, whether they were enraged or not was of no concern to Ma Yu-Seong.
"I called you because I wanted to see my son's face during the break. Surely, as a father, I'm allowed that much."
"The fact that I must see your face during my holiday drives me mad."
The King winced at the bitterness in Ma Yu-Seong's words, each syllable cutting deep. But as he thought of the wounds his son bore due to his own mistakes, he silently accepted the pain.
'He still misses his mother, does he not...'
Dark mages have no mothers.
Although dark mages might have biological mothers who brought them into the world, any sense of gratitude toward them vanished the moment they embraced the darkness.
However, Ma Yu-Seong was different.
He remembered his mother, loved her, and still held her in his heart... And he despised his father, the one responsible for her death.
Such emotions had no place in a dark mage, whose soul should have long since been corrupted by dark magic.
"Now that I've seen your face, that's enough. You said you were curious why I called for you..."
"Get to the point already."
"Your friend, Baek Yu-Seol, was it?"
Ma Yu-Seong's eyes narrowed sharply at the sudden mention of Baek Yu-Seol's name.
"I've looked into him. Recently, he's been bedridden for over a month due to some incident."
"That's not something you should be concerned about."
"Do you know that he's being transferred to a hospital run by alchemists specializing in the study of life for proper treatment?"
Baek Yu-Seol's transfer was a carefully guarded secret, known only to a select few. Yet Ma Yu-Seong had his own network of informants within Stella Academy, ensuring he stayed well-informed.
Before Ma Yu-Seong could question why his father had brought this up, the Dark Mage King continued.
"Baek Yu-Seol has been a persistent thorn in the side of the dark mages, meddling in our affairs time and again. Until now, Stella's protection kept him safe. But during the transfer, when he's out in the open... Do you really think he'll be left alone? Especially when he's completely unconscious and defenseless?"
As the Dark Mage King's words fell, the ground fractured beneath them. Ma Yu-Seong's crimson eyes flared, gleaming like molten rubies.
Those eyes - so strikingly similar to the Dark Mage King's - forced the surrounding dark mages to lower their heads in silent submission.
Trait: [Majestic Aura]
A rare trait said to appear only once every few centuries. At present, it was known to be possessed by Jaime Skalven, the prince of the Skalven Empire. Yet Ma Yu-Seong bore it as well.
A trait that bent the wills of those around him, compelling them to kneel... a mark of one born to rule, a chosen being destined for kingship.
Seeing this, the Dark Mage King smiled silently.
He had never possessed the natural qualities of a king, relying instead on raw power to force submission. But Ma Yu-Seong... if he ever truly set his mind to it...
'By then, dark mages might no longer have to live in hiding.'
The Dark Mage King slowly shook his head.
"My son. Do you truly believe I would do such a thing?"
At those words, Ma Yu-Seong's simmering rage cooled, and reason began to take hold once more.
Of course. The Dark Mage King was not one to handle matters in such a drawn-out or underhanded manner.
It was a matter of his pride.
When he set out to defeat an opponent, he ensured the battle was fought under fair and deliberate conditions.
If his opponent was injured, he would wait until they healed or inflict the same injury upon himself.
If his opponent was unarmed, he would discard his own weapons and fight barehanded.
If his opponent had someone to protect, he would guarantee that person's safety before engaging in an uninterrupted duel.
If his opponent stood alone, he would dismiss all his subordinates, refusing to rely on sheer numbers.
He had never once lost a battle.
The 'undefeated legend.'
From his days as a human to his current life as a dark mage, he had never known the concept of defeat. This led to him being crowned with the title of 'World's Strongest.'
Because he always fought only under conditions that favored his opponent.
"...Then what exactly are you trying to say?" Fresh chapters posted on nοvelfire.net
"That is for you to figure out. It was pleasant to see your face. Stay healthy."
The Dark Mage King's words echoed with finality as he leaned back and quietly closed his eyes.
Ma Yu-Seong rose from his seat and left the throne room, deep in thought.
'It must be the work of the Moon Shadow Church...'
If there was any group likely to target Baek Yu-Seol, it would be them.
Not only had they suffered catastrophic losses at Baek Yu-Seol's hands, but the current transport operation was guarded by Stella Academy's elite knights.
Few dark mage factions in the world possessed the strength, or audacity, to attack Stella's forces and assassinate Baek Yu-Seol mid-transit.
'I can't disclose this to anyone ahead of time.'
Even if he informed the Stella Knights, they would question the source of the information, which would be troublesome. And reporting it anonymously would likely result in it being ignored.
No one would believe him.
Someone else... Someone who wouldn't question the source of his words yet would trust them implicitly. Someone who was determined to protect Baek Yu-Seol at all costs.
Yes, there were such people.
Even with just a moment's thought, more than three names surfaced in Ma Yu-Seong's mind. And if he broadened the scope further, even more faces swirled through his thoughts.
"... This should be enough."
Ma Yu-Seong raised his right hand and opened his palm. Dark mana flickered briefly before crumbling into fine dust.
Even without using it actively, the dark magic within him continued to grow, swelling like an overinflated balloon as he aged. To keep it under control, he had no choice but to continually strengthen his white mana. As a result, by the age of eighteen, he had already achieved the astonishing feat of perfectly mastering Class 5 magic.
And yet, if he were ever to unleash his dark mana fully... Even a Class 6 genius mage, someone with decades of experience, would struggle to withstand his power.
It was an unfathomable reality.
The idea that a teenage boy could rival the strength of Class 6 mages, a feat unheard of in over a thousand years, was so preposterous that most would dismiss it as madness or mockery.