The Vanished Phoenix — Part 3
“The Solar Eclipse faction?”
I feigned ignorance as I asked.
“It’s… it’s nothing.”
Kim Mabeob mumbled evasively.
Well, I’m an outsider. It’s not like he’d want to share the Tower’s dirty laundry with me.
“Black Tiger Swordmaster, can you catch a few more Phoenixes for me? My grandfather will understand when he sees them.”
“Of course.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I took down a few more frail Phoenixes.
They tried to hide, but with intelligence no better than that of beasts, the young Phoenixes were easy targets. Hit by my [Stun] rounds, they collapsed one after another.
Kim Mabeob handled the sealing process.
Though he was no longer a proper mage, he could still perform simple seals.
We loaded the Phoenixes onto the Red Cougar and took off.
Kim Mabeob pulled out his smartphone and sighed in relief.
“My grandfather says he managed to shake off the Divine Beast Phoenix. He wants us to meet him back at the Tower.”
“How did he do it? A Divine Beast Phoenix must be incredibly smart.”
“He used a clone.”
“A clone?”
“Yes. It’s a spell that creates a duplicate with the exact same abilities as the original, but only for three minutes. After that, it dies.”
This world truly has all sorts of wonders.
I pushed the throttle forward as far as it would go.
The Red Cougar glided gracefully through the air.
Even at the same maximum speed, the difference between me piloting and Kim Mabeob was night and day.
There was no vibration, no noise—just the smooth sensation of cutting through the air like a gentle breeze as we crossed the Korean Peninsula.
It took about 20 minutes to return to the Sun Mage Tower.
We landed in the Tower Master’s private parking lot.
As I stepped out of the car, the Tower Master greeted us with a wide grin.
“You’ve returned! As expected, Black Tiger Swordmaster, you’re a treasure to our Tower! You’re every bit the future head of Sun Security!”
“The future head? Come on, Tower Master, that’s disappointing. I’m planning on asking for something truly extraordinary as my wish.”
“Tsk, my son has done nothing to impress me. I should’ve had a daughter, not just a son!”
“You’re joking, right?”
The image of Seong Huiyeong’s greedy eyes flashed through my mind, and I shuddered involuntarily.
The Tower Master laughed heartily but then erased all traces of amusement from his face.
His sharp gaze landed on the young Phoenixes Kim Mabeob was unloading.
“You found traces of the Solar Eclipse faction?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
The Tower Master’s eyes glowed like miniature suns.
Beams of light shot from them, scanning every inch of the young Phoenixes.
The Phoenixes, beginning to stir, let out sorrowful cries, but there was no mother to come to their aid.
After a prolonged examination, the Tower Master’s fury erupted as he stomped his foot.
Rumble!
The entire parking lot trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Beep! Beep-beep!
Dozens of luxury cars blared their alarms simultaneously.
“Grandfather!”
Kim Mabeob shouted sternly, bringing the Tower Master back to his senses.
“Ah, I lost my temper for a moment. These damn mana circuits—they always push me into fits of rage. Anyway, I’ve confirmed it. I know who’s behind this.”
“You do? Who is it?”
“Of course, it’s her! That damned woman! I gave her special treatment as the leader of her faction, even turned a blind eye when she broke Tower regulations, and now she dares to go after my head!”
Crack!
Apparently, the Tower Master wasn’t as calm as I’d thought.
His voice grew louder and louder, veins bulging in his neck as he roared with the force of a thunderstorm.
The air vibrated, the sound rattling my eardrums until my head felt like it would burst.
Crash! Bang!
The vibrations shattered the windows of many of the parked cars.
Only three vehicles remained intact: the red sports car, the white SUV, and the black sedan—clearly of a higher caliber than the rest.
The Tower Master shook his hand fiercely.
“Follow me! I’m going to teach that woman a lesson she’ll never forget!”
The Tower Master floated into the air, his entire body engulfed in flames, and shot forward like a meteor.
He flew out of the parking lot, ripped the elevator doors off their hinges, and sped up the elevator shaft at a staggering speed.
I scrambled to keep up with him using aerial maneuvers, while behind me, Kim Mabeob panted and shouted.
“Grandfather! Wait for us!”
Of course, the Tower Master paid him no mind.
Like a mage possessed by flames, his eyes were ablaze with fury.
“Jo Okbun! You wretched woman, get out here right now!”
The Tower Master roared in front of a large door.
I glanced at the nameplate on the door.
[Elder Jo Okbun]
So, Elder Jo.
The very person I had suspected from the beginning was also the Tower Master’s chosen culprit.
The Tower Master grabbed one of the young Phoenixes and shook it violently.
“You dare to keep everything for yourself? At Elder Council meetings, you just sit there pretending to be innocent! Get out here this instant, or I’ll kill you!”
His voice was loud enough to sound like it came from someone who had swallowed a train whistle.
The Elder Chambers were located near the top of the Tower, but his voice seemed loud enough to be heard in the lower floors and even the underground research labs.
Soundproofing magic?
Completely useless.
When an 8th-level mage infused their voice with mana and roared like a lion, nothing could suppress it.
“What’s going on here?”
“Tower Master, is something the matter?”
The doors to nearby Elder Chambers opened, and elderly mages peeked out, their expressions curious.
Younger mages, likely their disciples or grandchildren, also watched with wide, intrigued eyes.
The Tower Master, unable to contain his rage, hurled the young Phoenix onto the ground.
Thud!
The Phoenix hit the floor and burst apart.
“If you have eyes, come and see! Look at what that bitch Elder Jo has done!”
The mages murmured among themselves as they gathered around.
Some cast detection spells.
Others infused the Phoenix with mana to confirm its condition.
Though their methods differed, their conclusions were the same.
“It’s Solar Eclipse magic.”
“There are clear traces of mana theft using fire attributes.”
“It’s very characteristic.”
“But… what does this mean?”
“What does it mean?”
The Tower Master bellowed.
“Do you know where this creature came from? Not the black market, not even from within our Tower! This Black Tiger Swordmaster here tracked down the new Phoenix Valley where the Phoenixes had relocated and brought it back!”
“A new Phoenix Valley?”
“Yes, that’s right…”
“So the sudden disappearance of the Phoenixes was caused by the Solar Eclipse faction?”
“Now that you mention it, Elder Jo hasn’t been seen much at the Tower recently…”
“Many members of the Solar Eclipse faction have been taking extended leaves of absence.”
The mages exchanged glances.
When it comes to intelligence, mages are second to none.
The Tower Master didn’t need to explain anything further—they had already pieced the entire situation together.
“Elder Jo! Elder Jo!”
“Open the door!”
“Come out here!”
“Are you planning to just stay in there forever?”
Without any prodding from the Tower Master, the other mages crowded around Elder Jo’s door.
Some shouted loudly, while others pounded on the door as if they meant to break it down.
But there was no response.
Even the magic spirit managing the Elder Chamber didn’t reply.
“Move aside!”
Finally, the Tower Master, his face red with fury, stepped forward.
Flames ignited in his hand.
With a casual swing, the supposedly sturdy door turned to ash in an instant.
The defensive magic circle inside flared brightly as if resisting, but it melted away just as quickly.
Zap!
Security magic activated.
Flaming bolts rained down from above.
Pillars of fire surged up from the ground as if to incinerate everything.
The Tower Master snorted derisively.
“This is nothing!”
Though it was a carefully prepared trap, it proved futile.
The Tower Master waved his hand, and the entire trap collapsed like a house of cards.
I couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
‘The Tower Master is on another level.’
Thanks to my [Bright Eyes], I could see it.
The mana waves spreading from the Tower Master’s fingertips, infiltrating the spell’s formulas, disrupting its complex structure, and triggering a cascade of failures that dismantled the magic.
It was a technique I could never hope to replicate.
Step, step.
The Tower Master strode into the Elder Chamber.
The space was massive—easily over several hundred square meters—and opulently furnished.
It didn’t look like a workspace at all. It was more like the suite of a five-star luxury hotel.
The magically projected celestial dome on the ceiling rotated slowly, displaying a map of the stars.
At the far end of the chamber, amidst dozens of astronomical telescopes, sat an elderly woman.
She appeared to be in her seventies, dressed in an elegant gray suit.
What caught my eye, however, was the golden hairpin tucked into her chignon.
It wasn’t just its appearance—there was something about the mana waves emanating from it.
The Tower Master plopped himself down on a chair across from Elder Jo.
“You were here the whole time. Why didn’t you answer?”
“I was having tea.”
“What nonsense. Since when did you become so obsessed with tea?”
Elder Jo didn’t respond, instead raising her teacup with an air of elegance.
Judging by the smell and color, it was black tea.
But something about this scene felt off.
At a glance, it seemed like nothing more than a typical standoff between mages, but a peculiar sense of unease tugged at me.
[Marksman]
[Shooting]
[Aim]
[Sixth Sense]
[Insight]
[Focus]
These were the traits I currently had equipped, the same setup I used when hunting Phoenixes.
My instincts were whispering to me—pointing at Elder Jo, the golden hairpin, and the teacup in her hand.
If I activated [Bright Eyes], [Keen Nose], or [Detection], I could confirm it for sure…
But the Tower Master’s presence gave me pause.
Even now, he was pushing to make me the head of Sun Security. Who knows what he’d do if he found out about my trait-swapping ability?
He wouldn’t actually try to dissect me, would he?
Whoosh!
The Tower Master reached out and summoned a dead Phoenix, dragging it toward him.
“Explain yourself.”
He leaned back on the sofa, sinking into a deceptively relaxed posture.
Though his body appeared at ease, the mana circuits visible through my [Bright Eyes] were running at full throttle.
Elder Jo glanced at the Phoenix’s corpse and spoke calmly.
“It was… outside my calculations.”
“Outside your calculations?”
“Yes. Surely you didn’t think I was the only one hunting Phoenixes, did you? It wasn’t just me—all of the proud Elders of our Tower have been capturing Phoenixes. Check their labs if you don’t believe me. You’ll find plenty of Phoenix corpses there. I only followed the trend, hunting a few for mana absorption. Honestly, I’m better than the others—I only absorbed their mana and didn’t engage in full-scale hunting like they did.”
“Hm, hmph!”
“Cough, cough!”
The mages who had followed us coughed awkwardly.
The Tower Master turned, glaring at the assembled mages with an incredulous expression.
“You people… After all my warnings, you still went poaching Phoenixes? How many times did I tell you? The Phoenix Valley is like a goose that lays golden eggs! And you went and cut it open?”
“But, Tower Master, you barely distributed any Phoenixes to us.”
“That’s right. How are we supposed to make do with just three Phoenixes?!”
“We need them for Pyromancers! Do you even know how long the waiting list is? It’s in the hundreds!”
“Still, it wasn’t enough.”
“I understand Elder Jo’s position. Honestly, I’ve taken a few Phoenixes myself.”
“Well, isn’t this something.”
So that’s how it was.
The Sun Mage Tower was capturing Phoenixes, and the Elders were taking even more for themselves, leading to this disaster.
It was a plausible explanation.
Mage greed knows no bounds.
Phoenixes, said to be the closest creatures to the sun among all Divine Beasts, were a treasure trove of research opportunities.
Letting them go without study would practically disqualify them as mages.
I was beginning to accept this when I noticed something.
Elder Jo’s eyes.
They were unnaturally clear, like glass.
Her expression betrayed no emotion—her gaze was empty, almost colorless, and devoid of focus.
Even as she looked at the Tower Master, even as she glanced at me, there wasn’t a single flicker of feeling.
Something was wrong.
The last time I crossed paths with her, she would glare at me with open disdain.
After all, I had killed her disciple. She should be brimming with hostility toward me, possibly even exuding killing intent.
And yet, here she was, unnaturally calm.
Another thought struck me.
For someone who claimed to have hunted “just a few” Phoenixes, the staggering number of frail Phoenixes we’d seen earlier suggested otherwise.
It had to be at least dozens.
In terms of proportion, nearly 5% of all the Phoenixes had been affected.
‘Why would she lie about that?’
Maybe she was trying to buy some time with misdirection.
But the Tower Master wasn’t an idiot.
If he decided to dig into the matter properly, he’d figure it out in no time.
It would only be a question of how long it would take to investigate who had been poaching so many Phoenixes.
The investigation would require a detailed look into who had access to the original Phoenix Valley.
‘Time, huh…’
My head tingled with the realization of something just beyond my grasp.
Tapping my fingers against my thigh, I focused as much as I could.
Equipping the [Focus] trait while hunting Phoenixes earlier had been a game changer.
My mind felt crystal clear, like a still lake, allowing me to grab hold of the inspiration that had been slipping away.
“Ah!”
The recent string of events connected like pieces of a puzzle.
The clash between the Geumo Group’s Chairman and the Tower Master.
The expelled mage returning as a Mage-Warrior.
The excessive Phoenix poaching that even alerted the Divine Beast Phoenix.
And now, the suspicious Elder Jo standing before us.
The Golden Crow.
The Solar Mana Circuit.
Mage-Warriors and Reinforced Fighters.
All of these pointed to one conclusion.
Once I grasped the full picture, I immediately turned to the Tower Master and said,
“Tower Master. That’s a fake.”
“What?”
“It’s a clone. That’s not her real body.”
The Tower Master sprang to his feet as if launched by a spring.
Elder Jo pursed her lips into a faint smile.
“You found out. How?”
“I just heard about clones a little while ago. If I hadn’t, I might not have noticed.”
“The performance was flawless, wasn’t it?”
“Your eyes gave you away. And the Phoenixes, too. I personally checked the Phoenixes we captured, and nearly 5% of them were staggering, clearly weakened by Solar Eclipse magic. That’s when I knew for sure.”
“You checked all of them? How?”
She must have thought I was bluffing.
And to be fair, I hadn’t done a full survey, but she likely assumed no one would suspect the Solar Eclipse faction’s involvement, let alone discover such a high proportion of affected Phoenixes.
The Tower Master bared his teeth and drew his handgun.
“You filthy wench! You dare mock me with a clone? Do you think you have two lives? Do you think it won’t hurt when I blow you apart?”
“Hmph. We’ll see who ends up getting hurt.”
Elder Jo reached up and pulled the golden hairpin from her chignon.
Mana erupted from her in a violent surge.
Veins bulged across her face, glowing an ominous blue, while her eyeballs protruded unnaturally from their sockets.
Just as I had suspected.
The black tea and the golden hairpin were suppressors.
They were tools designed to prolong the lifespan of a clone that could otherwise only last three minutes while maintaining the abilities of the original body.
“Sigh…”
The Tower Master shook his head.
“So you suddenly started drinking tea, huh? Should’ve known something was up.”
The battle ended quickly.
No matter how strong the clone was—on par with the original body—it was only at Level 7.
The Tower Master, a fully realized Level 8 mage and the unrivaled pinnacle of every faction within the Sun Mage Tower, was simply out of her league.
Even Solar Eclipse magic, which could drain fire mana, had no effect on the Tower Master.
Elder Jo crumpled to the floor, her face grotesquely twisted in agony.
“Heh… heh… It’s too late now. I can feel it… The original body is beginning to awaken…”
She was likely referring to an ascension ritual to reach Level 8.
Under normal circumstances, such an achievement would be celebrated and supported by the entire Sun Mage Tower.
But the expression on the Tower Master’s face had twisted into that of a wrathful demon.
“So you’re really going through with it? That forbidden ritual?”
–TL Notes–
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