Chapter 115: The Final Cleanup

This would be the last battle.

Once this fight ended, the Tower of Fire could be considered sorted.

As the final one, it had to end well.

Especially, he needed to leave a strong impression on Sillin and the mages under her.

So they wouldn’t even think of doing anything foolish in the future.

‘…Ending it quickly is the way.’

Gaon decided.

To end it overwhelmingly and swiftly.

‘I’ll just leave Hailey alive.’

Of course, he didn’t plan to kill everyone.

He intended to spare Hailey, Vice Tower Master of the Tower of Wind.

The reason for sparing her wasn’t relations with the Tower of Wind.

Like Sinabro and Elgein, it was for ‘interrogation.’

‘Something feels off about her—she probably knows things.’

From Gaon’s view, Hailey was suspicious in many ways.

Requesting cooperation from the Tower of Fire instead of the Tower of Water.

And an outsider like her moving with the Tower of Fire’s high-ranking mages.

Interrogation might yield unexpected information.

Soon, Gaon arrived at the destination.

And he saw it.

Two groups facing off.

Naturally, one was Sillin and her subordinate mages, the other the Tower of Fire high-ranking mages led by Hailey.

“Vice Tower Master Sillin! What the hell are you doing? Saying you won’t attack?”

Hailey shouted in a voice full of anger.

“Are you planning to betray the Tower of Fire?”

“Why is this betrayal? Are we all supposed to die? I need to protect the Tower of Fire.”

Sillin replied to Hailey, then continued with an incredulous face.

“And in the first place, this isn’t something for you to butt in. Why are you stepping up? Are you trying to ruin our Tower of Fire?”

“Hah, insulting my pure intentions like that—do all those with you think the same?”

Hailey shouted toward the mages with Sillin.

Gaon listened to their argument and thought.

‘Definitely suspicious.’

Hailey belonged to the Tower of Wind.

Yet she was acting more loyal to the Tower of Fire than anyone.

It was clearly odd to anyone watching.

‘…Could it be Kurshum?’

Gaon recalled Kurshum.

If Hailey had turned to Kurshum like Sinabro?

Much would be explained.

“If you don’t think the same, come over here. I’ll stand with you!”

At Hailey’s shout, the mages in Sillin’s group began eyeing each other.

Gaon finished his thoughts and decided to step in.

He mobilized Pacheonki to dominate the surrounding space and then crushed down.

He crushed not only Hailey’s group.

Sillin’s group as well.

Of course, the purposes differed.

Hailey’s group to kill, Sillin’s to let them experience his power.

Seeing and experiencing directly were vastly different.

Thud! Thud!

Everyone except Hailey and Sillin collapsed to the ground.

Gaon revealed his aura and spoke.

“Everyone’s gathered here, huh?”

The moment Gaon’s voice echoed.

Fear filled the faces of all except Sillin.

Even Sillin, though not afraid, was full of shock.

Gaon immediately chanted a spell.

“Blade Rain.”

Whoosh!

Upon chanting, a magic circle appeared in the sky.

Blades made of Pacheonki began pouring down from it.

Gaon controlled every blade, sending them all without exception toward Hailey’s group.

Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!

The Pacheonki blades exploded against Hailey’s group mages without missing one.

No mage could block them, and every blade pierced their bodies.

That was the end.

Only Hailey survived.

She lived because Gaon hadn’t sent blades her way.

If he hadn’t paid attention?

She’d have died like the others.

Gaon spoke to Hailey, whose face was full of disbelief.

“Thunder Stroke.”

Crackle!

Upon chanting, a single bolt of lightning struck Hailey.

She collapsed on the spot.

Not dead.

He’d infused just enough to knock her out.

Brush.

Gaon turned his head to look at Sillin.

Sillin said nothing.

She just stared blankly at the dead.

Not just her.

Her subordinate mages also stared silently and blankly at the corpses.

“Sillin.”

Gaon called her.

“Yes.”

Snapping out of it at his call, Sillin swallowed hard and answered.

“I hope I don’t have to visit again for this kind of purpose.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sillin replied, and Gaon smiled brightly before sending a message spell.

[This should make it easy to control them.]

[…Thank you.]

[And I’ll handle Hailey.]

[Yes.]

Ending the conversation, Gaon extended his hand.

Hailey floated up, and he left the scene with her.

As the two departed, Sillin turned around.

She spoke to her faction’s mages.

“Now do you understand what I meant?”

No one answered her words.

But Sillin could tell.

They all agreed.

“We’re heading to the central magic tower now.”

Sillin began walking toward it.

Her faction mages followed.

An empty lot outside the Tower of Fire city.

Two people were there.

Gaon and Hailey.

“P… Please…”

Hailey stammered with a face like death.

“Now… kill… me…”

Gaon looked at her silently.

Then waved his hand.

Slash!

A line of blood appeared on Hailey’s neck, and her head soon fell off.

Gaon waved his hand again.

Whoosh!

Hailey’s body began burning.

Gaon watched her burn and thought.

‘Kurshum…’

As expected, Hailey was a traitor who had turned to Kurshum.

And surprisingly, unlike Sinabro, she was an executive in Kurshum.

As an executive, she knew a lot.

‘So many 8th-Circle ones.’

Officially known demon-aligned 8th-Circle mages were only two.

Urt, Tower Master of Galion Tower, and Akane of Lebrick Tower.

Gaon already knew it wasn’t just them.

Abyss alone had 8th-Circle mages.

But there were far more than he’d thought.

According to Hailey, Kurshum alone had over ten 8th-Circle mages.

Latun and Blash—who betrayed Reudi, betrayed humanity, and founded Kurshum—were also 8th-Circle.

Of course, Gaon wasn’t particularly worried.

He had entered the 9th Circle.

The gap between 8th and 9th was immense.

Honestly, even if ten 8th-Circle mages appeared right now, Gaon was confident he could kill them all.

‘But should I stop by the Tower of Wind first?’

Originally, after sorting the Tower of Fire, Gaon planned to stir up the demon-aligned towers before visiting the Alter Tower.

But hearing about the Tower of Wind made him reconsider.

Most high ranks in the Tower of Wind had turned to Kurshum.

Only five, including Tower Master Winder, hadn’t.

Eventually, Winder learned of Kurshum and civil war broke out.

The problem was that with so many turned, the outcome was decided.

Winder had occupied the central tower’s core and was making a last stand.

But like this, no reversal was possible.

If Gaon intervened?

The Tower of Wind would escape Kurshum’s grasp.

‘…Yeah, Tower of Wind first.’

No matter how he looked, the Tower of Wind seemed more urgent.

Having decided, Gaon turned to look at the Tower of Fire.

‘It’ll be fine, right?’

He’d removed all obstacles in Sillin’s way, including Sinabro.

Chances of problems were near zero.

Gaon turned his attention from the Tower of Fire and spoke.

“Teleport.”

Top floor of the central magic tower in Lude Tower.

Tower Master Mild was silently reading a report.

Disbelief filled his face as he read.

The report was full of hard-to-believe stories.

First, Gaon—who vanished decades ago—was back.

Second, Gaon killed Max, one of the Tower of Fire’s vice tower masters, near Coexistence Zone 15.

Third, Gaon killed Tower Master Sinabro, Vice Tower Master Elgein, and many mages at the Tower of Fire.

And that wasn’t all.

Gaon also killed Hailey, Vice Tower Master of the Tower of Wind.

Brush.

Mild looked up at Silpia—his sworn brother and intelligence chief—who brought the report.

“…This is real?”

“Yes, confirmed from multiple sources.”

‘…Why didn’t he kill Sillin? She was at the tower then, right?’

“Presumed there was a deal. And Sillin was the only one who opposed the war from the start.”

“So he only killed those who supported the war.”

“That’s what I think. And the next in line is…”

Silpia trailed off.

Mild swallowed hard.

The Tower of Fire wasn’t the only one at war with Gardion.

Lude Tower was too.

In other words, Lude was highly likely next after the Tower of Fire.

“…If we stay like this, we’ll die?”

“Yes. If Gaon comes, you’ll surely die.”

Gaon killed the tower master, vice tower master, and countless mages not at a branch but the main Tower of Fire.

If he appeared at Lude’s main tower?

They’d likely meet the same end—near 100% chance.

“Hmm…”

Seeing no hope in Silpia’s answer, Mild groaned.

Then asked.

“Would we live if we surrender?”

A letter came from Gardion Tower not long ago.

In summary, surrender.

At the time, he thought it nonsense and sent no reply.

But seeing the current situation, surrendering as the letter said might be better.

“He won’t kill you. You opposed the war initially too. But the moment you surrender…”

“You think I’ll lose the Tower Master position?”

“Probably. The old fogies won’t stay quiet.”

Lude Tower’s power was divided among exactly four factions.

The other three—besides Mild’s—would very likely use surrender as pretext to seize the position.

“Damn those old geezers—who started the war!”

Mild shouted in irritation.

Then asked Silpia.

“Is there no way to keep my position?”

“That report…”

Silpia trailed off.

Then smiled and said.

“Only I know it. For now.”

“……!”

Mild’s eyes flashed at Silpia’s words.

Only Silpia knowing meant the information was controlled.

In other words, the old fogies in other factions didn’t know about the Tower of Fire.

And weren’t thinking of surrender at all.

“Of course, given the gravity, in a few days one or two will find out.”

“Then we hope Gaon visits within that time?”

“Yes. Once they know, they’ll all push for surrender. And of course, you’ll take the blame for it.”

‘…What if he doesn’t come?’

“Contact him first.”