Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1521: All Of Aterian Knows (Part 2)

It had only been a single day since the conclusion of the Magical Exchange, and already there wasn’t a soul in all of Alterian who hadn’t heard what had taken place. News of the event spread like wildfire, crossing through every medium possible.

Articles ran nonstop across major outlets, voices filled the airwaves of TV shows and magical broadcasts, and even the internet forums and enchanted message boards buzzed with speculation. Above the cities, giant magical displays floated in the skies, pinning headlines where none could ignore them.

No matter where one turned, the same story was told again and again: the Grand Magus, Ibarin, the principal of the Central Mage Academy, was dead.

But the reports didn’t stop at just the death of a single man. A constant influx of new information kept pouring out, discussions branching in every direction as people tried to make sense of what they had witnessed. First and foremost, the news focused on Ibarin himself.

His name, once respected, was now dragged through the mud as his countless wrongdoings were revealed. Reports detailed how he had eliminated rivals to secure his rise to power, how he had killed those who stood in his way, and even how he had framed one particular man to cement his position. Every dirty deed was laid bare for the world to see.

Usually, such a scandal would have been swept away beneath the tide of influence. Stories like these were normally buried by those with power, silenced before they could gain traction. But this time it was different. Too many had been present at the Exchange, too many influential eyes had witnessed the truth firsthand.

Before the Grand Magus themselves had even begun to spin a narrative, the information was already in circulation. They had lost the chance to control it, and the world now knew exactly what Ibarin had done.

The fallout was immediate. The Central Academy was shut down, its reputation irreparably shattered. Nor was it alone in this fate. Every academy that had participated in the Magical Exchange found its doors closed, at least for the time being.

The Cerebus Guild announced that it would be launching full investigations into each academy involved, reviewing not only what had occurred that day but also whether there had been other incidents tied to Ibarin’s corruption.

The message from the guilds and the remaining Grand Magus was clear, they sought to distance themselves from Ibarin as much as possible. Public statements declared that everything he had done was of his own volition, that he had acted without their knowledge or support.

And to the surprise of many, the people seemed to accept it. Whether from exhaustion, denial, or genuine belief, even the media outlets that reported on the scandal framed it as the actions of a single, rogue Grand Magus.

With that narrative in place, the attention quickly shifted. The second great topic was not Ibarin’s sins, but the Dark Magus himself. Speculation ran rampant across the continent.

Was it truly him? Had the real Dark Magus returned after all these years? And if so, just how strong was he? How great was his influence? After all, it was undeniable that he had done what few thought possible, he had slain one of the Grand Magus.

Curiously, not a single article dared to suggest whether the Dark Magus might be considered a hero or villain. The question of morality was carefully avoided, left unspoken.

Perhaps it was fear that kept the journalists from addressing it, an unwillingness to paint him in a sympathetic light lest they draw his ire. Or perhaps it was the simple fact that people could not decide. Instead, the conversation was dominated by one pressing concern: was the Dark Magus now a national threat, and if so, what would Alterian do about it?

This led to the final, most dangerous question. Rumors circulated that Enaxx, the Grand Magus and leader of the Glory Guild, had not been seen for weeks.

There had been no public appearances, no responses from the guild, and no word from the other Grand Magus. If he was absent... had the Dark Magus already struck him down as well?

"Did the Dark Magus already get Enaxx?" people whispered.

"No appearance for weeks. No word from the Glory Guild. No statement from the Grand Magus."

The whispers gained weight when people remembered what Raze himself had said that day, that he had already slain two. Now, with Ibarin’s fall confirmed, the pieces began to fit in people’s minds. Enaxx’s silence was no longer seen as coincidence but as confirmation.

While the world debated, high above the city, in the gleaming spire known as Idore Tower, one of the tallest structures in all Alterian, three of the remaining Grand Magus convened in secret. The golden "I" that crowned the building radiated light across the city, but inside the council chamber, shadows pooled. The room was vast, with a sunken center where a circular arrangement of couches encircled the floor. Idore lounged across one entire set by himself, calm but calculating.

Opposite him sat Gizin, his expression stern, his body still as stone. And standing tall in the center, hands clasped firmly behind his back, was Trubin. He never sat during meetings of this nature; his posture alone spoke to his vigilance.

"I think it’s best that we assume Enaxx is dead as well," Idore finally said, his voice echoing through the chamber. "He had been sent to the other world to verify whether the Dark Magus there was genuine. He was working with Heino at the time. Yet now, I cannot reach Heino. No messages, no signs of Enaxx either. Both are gone."

"Right," Gizin replied. His eyes narrowed slightly. "The conclusion seems obvious. This Dark Magus likely killed Heino and Enaxx, and now he has crossed into our world.

It was he who struck down Ibarin as well. The only question is... do we truly believe it is the real one? Do we think it is actually Raze Cromwell? The reports say the Dark Magus is a young man. That doesn’t align with what we know."

"Ha!" Idore’s laugh was sharp, cutting through the tension. "You should know better than anyone, in this world of ours, where artifacts of immeasurable power exist, nothing is impossible.

There is only one man with strength great enough to challenge us, and only one with a grudge deep enough to pursue us without end. You may doubt the details, but I am certain of the truth. The Dark Magus has returned."

Trubin shifted, though his expression betrayed little. Idore leaned forward, his voice lowering. "And more importantly, he has returned stronger than ever.

But what he doesn’t know, what he cannot yet realize, is that the same is true for us. We are not the same as we once were. He may think he has caught up, but to us, he is nothing more than a stone in the road, one that we will crush beneath our feet."

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