Chapter 33: Within the Absolute Barrier 

Galico arrived at the King’s residence.

…Hmm?

He furrowed his brow.

The knights and soldiers who should have been guarding the entrance were nowhere to be seen.

Potic must have dismissed them.

Galico expanded his senses to scan the entire residence, trying to discern what was happening.

…!

He was stunned by what he found.

It wasn’t just the entrance—there were no guards anywhere inside the residence.

However, it wasn’t completely empty.

A barrier blocking his senses was in place, located in the King’s chambers.

Could they already be working to lift the curse?

Galico hurriedly moved forward, but then—

Whoosh!

A magic circle appeared on the floor.

Step!

He was forced to stop.

The Absolute Barrier magic circle?

Galico recognized it immediately.

It was a defensive magic circle designed to protect the inner castle in case of an attack.

Why this?

Why activate the Absolute Barrier to lift a curse?

If he had arrived just a moment later, he wouldn’t have made it inside.

Wait.

A sudden thought made him flinch.

Did they know I was coming?

If the barrier was activated to keep him out?

Something felt off…

He had sensed something strange, and now he understood why.

Potic knew about him.

Hah, Prince. You’re too late.

Galico grinned broadly.

He was already inside the barrier.

If he hadn’t made it in, it would’ve been a problem, but now the barrier was meaningless.

I wonder what expression he’ll make.

He anticipated confronting Potic soon and was eager to see his reaction.

Galico strode forward, thinking, I’ll kill them all and pin it on him.

He didn’t know how many were in the chambers, but he planned to kill them all and frame Potic.

No one would believe it at first, but they’d have no choice—Galico would be the only survivor.

At that moment, someone emerged from the barrier.

It wasn’t Potic.

Their aura was weak.

Perfect.

Whoever it was, they could provide insight into the situation inside.

Galico approached them confidently.

But then—

Step!

He stopped in his tracks.

The figure’s appearance caught him off guard: long, voluminous black hair reaching their shoulders, jade-like skin, and a physique robust enough to pass for a knight.

…Gaon?

It closely resembled Gaon, one of the Gardion Tower mages who had come to Raverium.

No, it was Gaon.

No one else could have such a distinctive appearance.

Plus, Potic had gone to meet the Gardion Tower mages—perhaps he had brought Gaon along.

At that moment—

“Galico. You actually came?”

“…What?”

Galico was dumbfounded by Gaon’s casual tone.

How dare he?

Knowing his name meant Gaon knew who he was.

Yet he spoke with such arrogance?

He must have lost all sense of fear.

“Bind.”

Galico cast Bind to subdue Gaon.

…?

But he was stunned when it didn’t work.

A 5th Circle mage?

This meant Gaon was at least a 5th Circle High Mage, possibly even 6th Circle.

I can’t read him…

Gaon’s aura felt like 3rd Circle, but that was clearly a facade.

Given the situation, 6th Circle was more likely than 5th.

Then Gaon spoke.

“Use the Painless Technique first. You don’t want the heart restriction activating.”

…!

Galico was horrified.

“How do you know that?!”

How did he know about the heart restriction and the Painless Technique?

“It wasn’t an elder who killed Breck—it was you!”

Until now, Galico had assumed a Gardion Tower elder had killed Breck.

But it was clear now: Gaon was the culprit.

“Breck?” Gaon tilted his head, then smirked.

“You mean the guy with the Flower of Rimian?”

Galico was speechless.

Stab!

Instead, he drove his mana-infused finger into his chest.

Blood flowed, and a mysterious symbol appeared on his face.

Gaon saw it and grinned.

“Good job. I was worried you’d die from the restriction.”

“Lightning Chain.”

Galico responded with magic.

Zzt!

An electric chain shot from his staff toward Gaon.

Gaon raised his hand with a faint smile.

The chain struck his hand—

Zzt…

And then dissipated.

…!

Galico couldn’t believe his eyes.

His resistance…!

He knew why it vanished: Gaon’s magical resistance was too strong.

How?

Though Lightning Chain was a 3rd Circle spell, its power rivaled a 4th Circle spell.

Even a 6th Circle mage couldn’t nullify it so completely.

There was only one answer.

…7th Circle?

It was unthinkable, but the situation pointed to it.

Gaon’s resistance wasn’t the only clue.

He was far too calm facing a 6th Circle mage, as if nothing could go wrong.

“Great Shield.”

Whoosh!

A protective barrier formed, and Galico began casting a 6th Circle spell.

If Gaon was 7th Circle, 5th Circle spells wouldn’t suffice—6th Circle was the minimum.

He didn’t intend to kill Gaon, only to buy time to escape.

…The Absolute Barrier.

But then he gritted his teeth, realizing escape was impossible.

The Absolute Barrier was active.

He trapped me.

He had thought Potic’s activation of the barrier was a mistake, but it wasn’t.

At that moment—

Whoosh!

A magic circle appeared beneath him, and ice spikes shot upward.

Crack! Shatter!

The Great Shield broke instantly, and the spikes pierced his body.

He was under the Painless Technique, so he felt no pain—just the absence of it.

His internal mana was disrupted, and his casting failed.

Galico couldn’t believe it.

How did the shield…

It wasn’t an ordinary shield—it was a Great Shield.

He had thought it would hold until his casting was complete.

Yet a spell cast instantly, not prepared over time, had shattered it?

Even for a 7th Circle mage, the destructive power was too great for such a quick spell.

Gaon approached.

Galico didn’t resist.

The ice spikes had disrupted his mana flow, limiting him to 4th Circle spells at best, which were useless against Gaon.

“What’s your deal? I never heard of someone like you.”

The Abyss had eyes across the continent, yet there was no information on Gaon.

He was desperate to know Gaon’s identity.

But Gaon didn’t answer.

Swish.

Instead, he grabbed Galico’s shoulder.

Galico felt an energy enter his body, splitting toward his brain and heart.

Before he could question it—

The energy dismantled both restrictions simultaneously.

…!

Galico was speechless, staring at Gaon in a daze.

How…

He knew the restrictions well.

The brain’s restriction activated when critical secrets were revealed, and the heart’s triggered under intense pain.

Moreover, if one was removed, the other would activate.

They were supposed to be unbreakable.

Until now, he had believed that.

He never imagined someone could dismantle both at once—or even know about them in the first place.

At that moment—

“Argh!”

Sudden pain made Galico clench his teeth.

The Painless Technique had been undone along with the restrictions.

Whoosh!

Gaon cast Heal, and the wounds closed.

…?

Galico looked at Gaon in confusion.

Why heal him?

Why remove the restrictions?

Gaon smiled faintly.

“There’s a technique called Bone-Crushing Agony. It’s meant to destroy muscles and bones to kill, but used well, it’s an incredible torture method. No Abyss cadre has ever withstood it. I’m curious how you’ll fare.”

…!

Galico understood instantly why Gaon had healed him and removed the restrictions: to torture him.

“Argh!”

A scream escaped as unbearable pain surged through his body, far worse than before.

Gaon spoke to the writhing Galico.

“Let’s talk in three minutes.”

“Is it possible?” Raize asked Potic.

“Yes, it should be,” Potic replied, glancing at Muratone.

He then asked a question he’d been holding back in Gaon’s presence.

“He crossed the wall, right?”

“Yes, definitely,” Muratone nodded.

…!

Raize was stunned by their conversation.

Crossing the wall meant 7th Circle.

“Then there’s no issue.”

He had been worried because Galico was a 6th Circle mage, but a 7th Circle mage eliminated that concern.

“Yes, the real problem comes after dealing with Galico and the traitors,” Potic said with a bitter smile.

The unknown force, the Abyss, had infiltrated many.

Eliminating them would significantly weaken the Raco Kingdom’s power.

“What about the deputy leaders?” Raize asked.

Galico’s disciples, Bloody and Marin, surprisingly hadn’t been recruited by the Abyss.

But they had followed Galico’s orders.

“If we take them out too, neighboring kingdoms might invade,” Potic said.

If they were too strict, war could break out within a year or two.

“For those not directly tied to the Abyss, a light punishment should suffice.”

“Understood. Do as you see fit,” Raize nodded.

“It’s your kingdom to lead now.”

…!

“Why so surprised? Weren’t you confident?”

At that moment—

Creak.

The door opened.

The three flinched and turned.

They saw Gaon, wearing a deeply satisfied smile, holding Galico.

Galico was in bad shape, drooling with a vacant expression.