Chapter 21

Even though Renok was lacking in knowledge of the world, he knew what an Ascendant meant after devouring countless introductory books on magic.

A Great Mage who is treated as a solo strategic weapon, causing tension across the entire continent with a single move.

An Ascendant is a term that refers to those who surpass such Great Mages and truly challenge the limits, transcending them.

Although they impose strong constraints on themselves in order to transcend limits, they do not move easily, but their level is so high that it is impossible to even discuss them on the same plane.

They are the great pioneers whose achievements are recorded in history.

They are the majestic pillars that support this precarious world, which revolves around cities.

Among them, 'Piercing Sight' is one of the particularly special and respected pioneers.

Madrea Falsier, the lighthouse keeper of Pilenum, is a great Transcender who has watched over the dangers of the outer sea for over several hundred years, and one of the less than ten 9th-level Ascendants of this era.

She has dedicated her long life to observing disasters, looking thousands of kilometers away, watching the past and future, and freely traversing timelines.

She is considered the most moderate and responsible Ascendant, and the one who is most respected.

She has never interfered with the secular world while fulfilling her duties as a lighthouse keeper, but she has now expressed her intention to participate in the negotiations between Balkan and Pilenum.

Even more surprisingly, as a member of the autonomous region's delegation.

The meaning of this is simple: the Ascendant has thrown her support behind the autonomous region.

No further words were needed.

As soon as Renok heard the story, he apologized to Jordan and immediately left the bar.

If not now, it might be a long time before he would have another chance to see an Ascendant with his own eyes.

In his hand was a small scope given to him by Jordan, who had already guessed what he was about to do.

He immediately hailed a nearby taxi and headed for the 20s district.

The driver, who had been idling without a passenger, greeted him with delight. The radio inside the taxi was broadcasting live about the Ascendant's visit.

He stopped the taxi near the 19th district, about a dozen kilometers away from the central square in the 5th district.

Whoosh!!

Using magic, he levitated his body and landed on the rooftop of a nearby building.

Although the levitation spell is inefficient, consuming a lot of mana and not being very fast, it was not the time to be picky.

As Renok was about to climb to the rooftop of a building from which he could barely see the central square, he frowned when he sensed two people waiting on the rooftop.

'...Soldiers.'

A sniper with a long rifle perched at the edge of the building, steadily observing the distance, and a communications soldier holding a radio, constantly exchanging coded phrases.

Judging by the badges on their chests, they seemed to be part of a special unit directly under the city government. Similar forces were likely deployed on rooftops of buildings above a certain height.

To deploy such forces even in places where it was impossible to gauge if a sniper shot was possible from such a distance.

This clearly showed how much attention Balkan was paying to the Ascendant's visit.

It would be a bad move to knock them out or reveal himself here.

Although he couldn't cast invisibility spells due to mana poisoning, it wasn't difficult to deceive their eyes.

He completely silenced his presence with a noise spell and cast a simple illusion spell to prevent the two from focusing on their surroundings.

He felt a resistance as if the goggles they were wearing had some special defenses, but he ignored it and forced his way in.

Crack...!!

To Renok, who could successfully interfere with magic even against other mages, such equipment defenses felt like mere paper.

With the two now completely focused on what was in front of them, Renok walked past them and sat at the edge of the rooftop, bringing the scope he received from Jordan to his eye.

It seemed like something that would be used with the sniper rifle the soldier next to him was using, but there was no choice when trying to see from such a distance.

Since his mana poisoning prevented him from enhancing his vision, this was the only method.

Still, the performance of the scope Jordan gave him was good, and he could immediately see the central square.

The vast central square in the 5th district was filled with tens of thousands of people.

It was the first time he had seen such a large crowd since coming to this world.

People of all kinds were gathered without a gap, all looking in the same direction.

Admiration, longing, respect, fear, excitement... the direction might differ, but the intensity was the same for everyone.

Renok slightly adjusted the scope to follow the direction of their gazes.

Countless police forces, soldiers, and agents in suits were gathered, creating a wide path and waiting for someone.

Through the radio of the communications soldier, who still hadn't noticed Renok's presence, a voice could be heard.

[Arriving in 30 seconds. Everyone, be on high alert!!]

[They're coming in...!!]

After a moment, a short procession of about thirty people appeared.

The delegation from the Pilenum Autonomous Region had finally arrived at the central square in Balkan.

Their expressions were stiff and weary, their eyes filled with caution and hostility.

It was clear at a glance that the relationship between the autonomous region and the megacity was not good.

And at the center of the procession, a small old man with a bent back and snow-white hair.

His neatly combed hair was adorned with a small hairpin, and he walked slowly, tapping the ground with a cane, wearing flowing clothes.

Piercing Sight, Madrea Falsier, was entering the square.

Piercing Sight

Despite her ordinary appearance, which gave no sense of authority, pressure, or mana, the gathered crowd soon erupted in cheers.

They were genuinely welcoming the Ascendant who had visited Balkan for the first time in nearly a century.

"......"

Renok, who had been observing the Ascendant Madrea through the scope, slowly lowered his arm.

Cold sweat was streaming down his forehead.

He was overwhelmed.

"Crazy...."

The moment he visually recognized her, Renok was struck by a massive shock he had never felt before.

It was a upheaval that could be compared to the moment he first awakened his mana in the factory.

The moment he recognized the Ascendant, he could feel the powerful mana emanating from her body spreading throughout the city.

It was an overwhelming sensation that he could feel through his skin and senses, yet could not fully grasp with his mind.

Because Renok's sensitivity was so exceptional, and he had the talent to recognize the gap, he could understand it intellectually.

'This is... beyond what I expected.'

He now understood why the Balkan city government had taken such a rigid and submissive attitude.

She was no longer a being that could be called a living creature.

Most importantly, a Transcender of her caliber would not have missed Renok's gaze from this distance.

He had thought it would be fine because of the rumors that she was a very moderate Ascendant, but it was difficult to maintain his composure in front of such a monster.

Even if he couldn't escape from her gaze, which could see thousands of kilometers away, hiding his body now—

[Can a result exist without a cause?]

The soft voice that struck his ear made Renok, who was about to rise and draw mana, sit back down.

[In a world where the head of order bites its own tail, we have long been striving to answer this question.]

"......"

With trembling hands, he raised the scope again.

Through the high-performance lens, Madrea Falsier was

looking directly at Renok.

[Your existence is the answer to that question.]

The delegation seemed confused by Madrea's sudden halt, but they did not stop her.

They simply waited for her to continue walking.

[Interesting.]

In the silence that threatened to suffocate, the one-sided telepathic communication continued.

[If others could see what I see, they would do anything to get you.]

Madrea slowly turned her gaze.

As she resumed walking, the delegation followed.

The voice continued without interruption.

[But I now know that all such struggles are meaningless.]

The Ascendant walked through the central square and into the city hall.

Her figure gradually disappeared.

[Be careful of Alcaid.]

"......Ha!!"

Unable to hold back, Renok exhaled and immediately jumped down from the building.

Whoosh!!

Using the levitation spell to land safely, Renok, who was breathing heavily, collapsed onto the sidewalk.

He pulled out a cigarette with trembling hands.

Even as he headed to the nearby smoking area, he lit it and deeply inhaled the smoke.

"Huuu....."

Even the smoke of the drug did not easily calm his trembling heart.

Meeting a true Transcender was a shock that could shake the world.

But even as he was overwhelmed by the Ascendant's presence, Renok was not cowed or despairing; instead, he was certain.

This was the path he needed to take.

Climbing to the pinnacle of ascension with this dangerous and precarious talent was the true answer to the questions he carried.

The reason he had opened his eyes in this world.

The fundamental answer that went beyond merely surviving day by day was right there.

To him, who trusted his talent more than himself, it was a conviction more intense than anything else.

"......"

With the appearance of Madrea Falsier, the long-prepared negotiations ended in an instant.

The city government's council accepted all the conditions presented by the autonomous region's delegation without any conditions.

It was already over from the moment the