Chapter 62
Without even a moment to respond, he burst out of the room and ran.
The academy’s dormitory was none other than where Dorothy stayed.
After running and running, Aslan finally arrived at the academy dorm, engulfed in flames.
Several children emerged, some suffering from burns, while others sobbed loudly.
But Dorothy was nowhere to be found.
Aslan quickly sought out anyone who seemed unharmed and asked,
“Excuse me, have you seen a girl named Dorothy? She has translucent blue hair!”
“D-Dorothy? That failing student?”
The boy seemed to know Dorothy, but his expression was one of confusion.
At that moment, another child raised a hand.
“I-I saw her! Dorothy saved me and that kid over there!”
The student, seemingly affected by smoke inhalation, pointed to an unconscious child.
But Dorothy was still missing.
“W-Where’s Dorothy?”
“She went inside to save more kids…”
Without letting anyone stop him, Aslan dashed into the entrance.
He quickly cast flame-resistant magic on himself and raced through the blazing inferno.
Even with the protective spell, the heat was intense.
This fire was no ordinary fire.
‘This is magic.’
Who on earth could have done something like this?
Did someone hold a grudge against the academy?
Aslan, who had never attended the academy, couldn’t know those details.
All he knew for certain was that he needed to find Dorothy.
“Dorothy! Where are you?”
Dodging the debris, Aslan desperately called out for her.
She was still just a beginner in basic magic.
There was no way she could endure this fire.
After searching through the first floor, Aslan suddenly sensed a drop in temperature on the second and third floors.
Realizing that, Aslan sprinted toward that direction with all his might.
“Move aside!”
As he magically swatted aside some fallen debris, blue hair caught his eye.
Amid her hair, which sparkled like frozen strands, transparent skin glinted like ice.
The girl, whose body was half made of ice, was desperately suppressing a fiery magic circle before her with her cold power.
And that girl was someone Aslan knew well.
“Dorothy!”
At Aslan’s call, Dorothy turned her head in his direction.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her face showed confusion.
“A-Aslan?”
She was stunned to see him there, but then just realized her own predicament and felt flustered.
The moment Aslan saw her, he understood.
Dorothy was no ordinary human.
She was, in fact, a spirit.
The presence of a spirit often triggered an instinctual aversion in humans.
Especially in the Igrit family.
The acts of the spirit bound to the first spirit master were enough to be recorded in history.
Thus, spirits were strictly taboo to the Igrit family.
And Dorothy was surely aware of that fact too.
At the moment filled with guilt for deceiving him, various emotions swirled in her mind.
Aslan, on the other hand, felt a deep sense of relief.
Because Dorothy was safe.
Without hesitation, Aslan rushed to her side.
It didn’t matter to him whether she was a spirit or not.
She was the one who had given him his life back.
“Aslan, are you crazy?! Get out of here!”
Seeing him, Dorothy exclaimed anxiously.
Regardless of her current form, she didn’t want Aslan to be in danger.
But Aslan felt just the same way.
“We just need to resolve it!”
“Wait! It’s too dangerous!”
“Dorothy, I’m Igrit.”
Aslan stepped closer to the magic circle.
The heat scorched his face, but he didn’t care as he held out his hands.
Suddenly, glowing magic circles began to appear from his palms.
“Magic is my specialty.”
How ironic it was to say that, considering how tired he had grown of magic before.
But right now, he knew he was the only one who could stop this magic circle.
Dorothy watched in alarm as her eyes widened.
Seeing him step up without hesitation, even knowing he recognized her as a spirit, caused her to bite her lip.
“…Aslan, I’m a spirit. If they see me here, it’ll be a problem.”
It was likely not just a family curse.
At least the Elven King, who cherished the family, would not let Aslan off lightly.
But still, Aslan’s gaze remained steadfast.
“Yeah.”
He simply responded, as calm as ever, that he wanted to be there with her no matter the consequences.
Touched by his sincere words, Dorothy clenched her fists tightly.
“The arsonist used a seed of a spirit to start this fire. You can’t extinguish it with regular magic. And spirits can’t stop it either.”
Using seeds of spirits traded in black markets, a forbidden magic had been created.
This was a magic that forcibly awakened the dormant spirit power within the seeds, igniting explosive flames.
Incredibly powerful, it was akin to a disaster unleashed by forcing the sacrifice of a spirit.
Naturally, the Igrit family was already investigating these kinds of magic users.
And so was Dorothy.
Dorothy was a unique case among spirits, being much closer to a human.
She was a being newly created by the Spirit King’s Forest in response to the evolving world.
Because of that, unlike typical spirits, she understood human behavior well.
Regardless of her evolutionary intentions, she shared similarities with humans and naturally had an interest in them.
Magic, in particular, was a topic that fascinated her.
Thus, she had entered the academy, using the identity of a dead young mage for reasons unknown.
In the process, she realized one crucial fact.
The young mage named Dorothy, whom she had used as her identity, was connected to a group researching spirit amplification magic.
Upon learning of that incident, Dorothy kept a close watch on their activities.
Then, she noticed one of them had gotten caught up with the Igrit family’s investigations and was attempting a terror act, which she had tried to thwart.
At that moment, Aslan finally saw the burning seed within the explosive magic circle.
Indeed, the heat emanating from there was something even Aslan could not decipher.
“I’ll suppress the spirit’s power.”
“I’ll dispel the magic.”
Aslan and Dorothy’s eyes locked.
They both realized simultaneously what they needed to do.
With smiles on their faces, they acted together amidst the roaring flames.
Dorothy’s coldness forced the spirit’s flames down.
In the meantime, Aslan plunged into the magic circle’s disbandment.
The foundation of the magic circle was explosive in nature.
And it was a highly advanced magic skillfully woven together.
The fanaticism of the arsonist was palpable—a crazy lunatic with a deep obsession.
The magic circle had been designed from Ether to ancient Akasha runes crafted from absurdly high knowledge.
‘Damn it, this is such a tangled mess. This must’ve been created by a wizard with at least 5 circles!’
Aslan considered himself merely a 3-circle mage.
The disparity of two circles in skill was staggering.
It was a complex magic circle that bore the ambition of executing this magic at any cost.
So daunting that even just seeing it made Aslan feel dizzy.
Yet his eyes and hands refused to stop moving frantically.
He understood why Dorothy was working so hard to suppress this magic.
If it went off, not only the academy dormitory but the entire area would be obliterated.
Dorothy was aware of that grave reality, which was why she worked with all her might to contain the magic circle.
And that pressed Aslan to be exceedingly careful in unravelling the spell.
He needed both speed and precision.
It felt like walking a tightrope where one mistake could lead to disaster.
Dorothy’s cold air was still pouring in real time.
Although she was managing just fine, she was already overextending herself since before Aslan had arrived.
As evidence, Dorothy was gradually transforming more and more into her spirit form.
The drops of water flowing from the icy skin revealed her limits.
Time was running out.
Aslan felt beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.
At that moment, he regretted having neglected magic for so long.
He’d been showboating with all sorts of fancy tricks, yet here he was struggling to unravel a circle to this extent.
‘Must go faster. More surely.’
Yet still, his hands and eyes relentlessly moved at a frenetic pace.
His willpower poured out until it forced him into a hyper-focused state to unravel the magic circle.
Drip Drop—
So intense was the power of mana flowing into his eyes that blood began to trickle from his eyelids.
His eyes, never blinking once, remained fixated on the circle.
‘Damn it.’
Yet, he painfully felt the shortcoming of his own skills.
“Aslan.”
Dorothy’s voice echoed in his ears.
“You can do it. You’re the one who can teach a fool like me.”
Now almost entirely in spirit form, she continued to raise her cold energy.
“You’re the greatest mage I know.”
Someone believed in him.
That simple fact was enough for Aslan.
His red eyes shone brighter than ever.
It was as if he had studied magic all his life for this very moment.
His fingers began to dance across the intricate symbols as he rapidly unraveled the many magic circles.
The flames intensified, yet Aslan continued to release the magic from the circles.
And then, he arrived at the very last one.
As he reached out, his fingertip touched the magic circle.
Crack!
In that instant, the magic circle shattered like glass.
And with that, whoosh!
The flames around him extinguished in an instant.
Thud Thud—
The sound of parts of the burning building crumbling into ash echoed softly.
Amidst that, Aslan took deep, slow breaths despite the blood trickling down his cheeks.
Aslan’s gaze turned sideways.
Had he overexerted his mana for precision and speed?
His voice was barely audible, and his vision was blurry.
Yet, Dorothy shone clear in his eyes.
Her skin, akin to translucent ice, her eyes sparkling like crystal, and her hair seemingly sculpted from layers of blue ice.
Her radiant smile illuminated her face beneath that ice-like exterior.
“Aslan!”
He had saved her.
That was enough.
In that moment, as Aslan’s consciousness dangled on the edge of darkness,
KABOOM!
The entire dormitory began to rumble.
The flames had taken their toll, and the building’s columns finally gave in to the pressure, collapsing.
The whole dormitory was starting to fall apart.
They were on the third floor.
The windows were too far to escape through.
Especially since Aslan had reached his limits and was now in a state of mana exhaustion.
His fingers hardly moved.
Yet Aslan extended his hand to wrap around Dorothy, and before he could, Dorothy enveloped him instead.
CRASH!
In that moment, the dormitory crumbled with a haze of ashes and smoke swirling away.
Aslan felt the sensation of falling, followed by a deep void.
But there was no impact.
Amidst the wreckage of the crumbling building, Dorothy encased them both in ice, preventing them from being crushed.
But the real issue lay ahead.
“What, what is that?”
“A monster! It’s a monster!”
“There’s a spirit! A spirit’s here!”
Aslan was dimly aware of the chaos around him.
The frightened murmurs of children who had fled to safety and the mages who came rushing in to put out the fire filled the air.
Fear and hostility radiated from their eyes.
“Hostage! They have a hostage!”
The mages cried out, entirely unaware of who had quelled the explosion.
Aslan wanted to shout that it was a misunderstanding, but no words came from his lips.
In fact, it was good fortune he hadn’t spat blood yet.
There was no way he could utter a single word.
Aslan’s eyes hurriedly turned to Dorothy.
They had to run now.
If Dorothy stayed, she would surely become a target for the mages.
Dorothy knew that too well.
But before she could act, flames surged toward them.
“Get away from my son!”
With a thunderous roar, flames surged to envelop Dorothy in an instant.
She had already reached her limits holding back the spirit amplification spell.
There was no way she could escape the blaze.
Aslan and Dorothy’s eyes met.
In that brief moment, she slowly smiled, and Aslan’s eyes widened in horror.
“No…!”
As Dorothy pushed him away with a gentle shove, the incoming flames engulfed her.
In an instant, Dorothy was consumed by the fire.
The flames were far too powerful for her to survive.
“A-Aaaah!”
Aslan screamed wildly, spitting blood as he cried out.
He lunged toward the burning Dorothy, but someone grabbed his arm before he could reach her.
“Aslan! It’s okay. You’re okay now!”
It was none other than his mother, Agatha.
She had rushed here upon hearing the news of the dorm fire during her investigation of mages who had tampered with taboo arts.
Fortunately, they had caught the perpetrators.
The arsonist turned out to be none other than a professor from the academy.
After being cornered during the investigation, he had finally unleashed his madness upon the academy dormitory.
Agatha got here and saw the spirit attacking Aslan and, thinking it was the arsonist’s doing, had burned that spirit with all her might.
Yet, Agatha’s actions meant nothing to Aslan.
Dorothy was burning.
That was all that mattered.
In that last fleeting moment, as she pushed him away, her laughter lingered.
“D-Dorothy…”
Aslan called her name as he ultimately succumbed to mana exhaustion, and his consciousness faded.
That day was the day Aslan shattered.
Yet now, Aslan had come this far to meet that very Dorothy again.
In the days that followed, he had foolishly thought of ending his life upon the realization that Dorothy was lost to him forever.
Over and over, he should’ve struggled to find a way to revive her.
He felt self-hatred for wanting to die just because he couldn’t find a way after being saved by her.
“So…”
Aslan opened his mouth beneath the water, gazing determinedly at the glowing spirit king’s egg.
“Dorothy, let’s meet again.”
For every regret and atonement of the days lost, he cried that out.
He hadn’t heard her answer from that day.
In that instant, the entire lake was enveloped in a bright glow.
Within the radiant light, the spirit king’s egg that Aslan held began to crack.
At last, as Aslan slowly lifted the egg from his hands, the glowing particles rushed toward the spirit king’s egg.
Swish—
Transparent blue hair fluttered before Aslan’s eyes.
His eyes widened in astonishment.
The girl emerging from the lake was just beginning to open her eyes.
Aslan’s tears flowed alongside the water as he slowly smiled.
“Dorothy.”
“A-Aslan?”
Aslan stretched out his arms to embrace her.
He was now resolute to never lose her again.
Her return rekindled hope in Aslan’s heart.
And he suddenly remembered Kraush.
That benefactor of his was currently facing off against his grandfather.
“Dorothy, I’ll explain later.”
They needed to get out now.
Ding!
Amidst the echoing clangor,
Kraush was desperately parrying dozens of fireballs with his raw instinct and blunt weaponry.
And before him stood Adolf, appearing remarkably calm.
True to his famed title of the “Strongest of the World,” Adolf was indeed powerful.
Kraush had never thought he could win against him.
Had Adolf gone all out, Kraush would’ve been finished long ago.
It was only because he calculated that Adolf wouldn’t be trying hard that he dared to engage.
‘But…’
Kraush could not shake the annoyance he felt at Adolf’s leisurely demeanor.
He had planned to buy just enough time until Aslan could resurrect Dorothy.
However, looking at that stuck-up face made him reconsider.
Now he understood why Aslan so vehemently loathed and resented Adolf.
If he, merely facing him for a while, felt this way, it was only natural for Aslan, after daily torment, to feel the same.
As such, Kraush wanted to deliver a significant punch to him.
[Kraush.]
At that moment, the voice of Crimson Garden echoed in his mind.
[The spirit has awakened.]
And that was more than enough to push Kraush past his limits.
