The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years – Chapter 29 – Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (4)
Translator: Seven
Editor: Ana_Banana
The Phoenix’s feathers burned brightly and soon a wild flame covered the whole area and the flames that came from the feathers formed smaller Phoenixes.
These small Phoenixes then screeched and dashed toward the Drakes.
Frey clenched his teeth.
He knew what this skill of burning its feathers to make clones meant.
…and what it cost.
‘He’s using his own life as fuel.’
This meant that the Phoenix was risking its life.
Nevertheless, it didn’t have much of an effect since the Drakes were resistant to fire.
They could be considered natural enemies of Phoenixes but the flame Phoenixes did not give up and clung to them anyway.
There was only one reason why it entered a fight that it couldn’t win, yet continued to fight so persistently.
To draw time.
‘Are you telling me to run away?’
Frey was filled with a sense of guilt.
This might not have happened if he had been a little more calm and composed.
After he had returned, everything had been a flash.
Nevertheless, he had believed that he hadn’t slackened or let down his guard.
Now it seemed like he was only convincing himself.
4,000 years was long enough to drive anyone crazy and the world he met when he came out was very different from what he knew.
The poor wizard’s ability dulled his senses and his failure to experience any crises became a poison.
Frey finally realised.
There was no despair or pressure in the life that he had started this time.
So in the end he found that he wasn’t decisive enough.
“Ugh.”
Frey bit his lip and blood rolled down his chin.
Humiliation, anger, regret.
The biggest thing he felt was disappointment in himself.
“Pathetic. You’re pathetic, Lucas Traumen.”
Frey inspected his situation.
He could not waste the time that the Phoenix was desperately buying for him.
Nevertheless.
He didn’t plan to run away.
Frey looked around.
The Drakes all had their attention focused on the Phoenix. This moment might be the only chance he could get.
He soon saw a cave that was formed by a collapse part of the cliff and flew into it without any hesitation.
The entrance might get blocked at any time by one of Torkunta’s attacks, but he did not have the time to care about that.
The cave was dark to a certain extent, Frey sat without any delay.
Frey looked at the Frozen River in his hand for a moment before drinking it all.
Hum!
Hum.
“Kuk…!”
Immediately after, his eyes flashed like thunder.
Frey felt a terrible pain as if his body was being torn to pieces as it pierce through him. Blood began to pour from Frey’s eyes, nose, mouth and ears at the same time.
It was not something that should be taken without preparation.
But he had no other choice.
Frey’s eyes that were dripping blood shone with a venomous light.
The roars and screeches of the Phoenix and Drakes could be heard from outside.
“…please.”
Don’t die…
Just hold on for a little longer, wait for me.
It won’t take long.
* * *
The Phoenix had known from the moment he was born, that he was meant to be alone.
This was because he also knew that he was far superior to all others.
He looked down on all the monsters that lived in the vicinity including those that had lived for a long time or those that were much larger.
But in the state of looking down on everything, the Phoenix looked around and suddenly felt lonely.
There was no concept of parents, since Phoenixes were creatures birthed directly from nature.
There was also no group or family since they were rare enough to be considered mythical creatures.
But the others were always ‘together’.
They got along with others who looked like them and didn’t have to feel lonely.
But not him.
The Phoenix was lonely.
So one day he decided to wander around the continent to find something similar to himself.
However, he could find none.
After wandering around aimlessly for a while, it arrived at the Ispania Mountains.
The Phoenix had learned that there were many beings with transcendental strength in this place. So he felt that if it was here, he might be able to find others of his own kind. He wandered about excitedly.
There was none.
There was nowhere else he could search.
He was truly alone.
His loneliness then devolved to become anger.
Torkunta appeared one day while he was flying in the sky filled with rage.
He hadn’t come there to have a conversation.
[A Phoenix. That’s rare. Then I’ll eat you too.]
“Kieek!”
So he fought, and for the first time since his birth, he lost.
If he hadn’t been a Phoenix, instead of being gravely injured, he would have died right then. So he fled, feeling afraid and threatened for the first time.
This place was not where he belonged. He had to go back.
But where could he go?
Slowly, he could feel that his body was cooling down. He could feel that this meant his death was approaching.
Then he felt warm energy.
His Phoenix feathers could easily make flames, but he never felt any warmth from them.
He didn’t know what it was, but for the first time in his life he felt a bit of comfort.
So the Phoenix struggled to move its wounded body and headed toward the place that the feeling originated from.
He found a man in a cave behind a waterfall.
A messy, dirty, stinky human.
The Phoenix knew what humans were.
They were a race of covetous, selfish, lowly creatures who were only blinded by their own desires.
Perhaps the most harmful out of all the creatures that lived in this world.
But this human was different.
The man had looked at him in amazement at first before his expression slowly became more gentle and he gave him a gentle smile.
He had been attracted by that smile, and so a magnificent Phoenix had bowed its head to a man.
The human had treated him like he knew him. The Phoenix couldn’t help but feel some affection.
It was a feeling that he had never felt before, that he had never known he could feel.
For the first time, he felt that he had found what he had been searching for all along.
“You remind me of my past memories. My old friend was like you.”
Then the human poured in energy similar to his own, into his body. This caused his failing body to become energized once again.
It was enough to help him escape the clutches of death.
The Phoenix took a careful glance at the man who had saved him. The man was still giving him that gentle, yet somewhat sad, smile.
“…”
Then the Phoenix turned and left the cave.
Only
He realised that he was hindering the human from doing something. Nevertheless, his smile, his touch and his face would never be forgotten.
After that, he secretly followed the human.
Even he didn’t know what he intended to do at that point.
However, a dangerous situation had occurred before he could obtain an answer.
When the human came out of the cave, he was attacked by Torkunta.
Before he could realise what he was doing, the Phoenix was already flying towards Torkunta.
(TL: The author used ‘it’ so I believe either the phoenix is genderless or it will be revealed later, I used ‘he’ because it is much easier to build a connection that way.)