The Arrival of the Ascendant

'It also removes pollutants accumulated in the body during the process of excreting waste products... This alone makes it worth the money.' 

Since it is a drug that mixes strong stimulants and various types of narcotics, it is not easy to erase its harmful effects as it is so effective, but something called an elixir is definitely different. 

At least we have secured a means to remove the waste that builds up while smoking cigarettes. 

I quickly throw away the blanket and clean up the studio apartment. 

Leo opened the window of the room, which still had a pungent smell, to ventilate it, leaned against the wall and began to slowly examine his own body. 

'Let's see...' 

Although I am not well-versed in the science or technology of handling the body, it is not difficult to roughly determine what areas have improved. 

Since there are more than one or two penalties that plague Leo's body, if they are lightened even a little, it will be felt right away. 

'First of all, mana addiction... is much better.' 

In the process of digesting the elixir, I prepared myself for mana intoxication and tried to strengthen my body with magic power, but surprisingly, aside from a slight tingling sensation, I didn't feel any pain. 

Originally, as soon as I stopped strengthening my magical power, I should have felt a stabbing pain, and all my energy should have drained from my body. 

Considering that it had been quite some time since the magical power stopped but no signs were felt, it would be advisable to assume that the addiction symptoms had largely subsided during the process of taking the elixir. 

'There is no significant progress with other penalties.' 

I don't feel like my whole body is overflowing with strength, or my swaying body is centered, or something that was lacking suddenly becomes full. 

At this point, there was no need to even think about [Jaein Parkmyeong]. 

I don't even expect that the lifespan penalty can be resolved with a mere health elixir. 

Unable to hold back his quivering mouth, he ended up putting the cigarette in his mouth. 

Even though I knew it was foolish to do something like that after discharging it as waste, it was difficult to stop. 

He held the flame he had lit at the tip of his finger to the end of the cigarette and sat there, lost in thought. 

'In the end, is this just a treatment for mana addiction and, at best, insomnia?' 

It's not like the penalty has been completely eliminated. 

He will not be affected by mana addiction until he takes the elixir, but if he starts strengthening his body with magic again, he will be in excruciating pain again. 

In the end, it means that in order to fully inject magical power into the body without any side effects, you have to take a 100 million cell elixir every time... No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem cost-effective. 

Unless Leo is really rich enough to spend 100 million cells a day like water, this is an assumption that doesn't even need to be discussed in the first place. 

'But it's not like I gained nothing at all.' 

Leo's thoughts gathered as he exhaled all the smoke from his lungs. 

The mere fact that it can temporarily offset the effects of the penalty is enough to give us hope. 

This alone confirms that the terrible chains that have piled up on his body are not an inescapable burden. 

Yeah, that's all. 

That alone was enough. 

The mere fact that there is a way out makes Leo more mobile. 

It's not too late to worry about what happens next. 

Only after I had gathered all my thoughts did my body start to lose all its strength and I began to feel drowsy. 

He rubbed the cigarette with slow movements and then slid down on the floor. 

Leo fell into a dead sleep as the sunlight streamed in through the window. 

It was the first morning in a long time that I got through without suffering from insomnia. 

# 

Time passed again. 

Leo took a week off to rest and once again realized how effective the elixir he had been taking was. 

The effects of taking the elixir do not last just one day. 

He had been able to fall asleep whenever he wanted and wake up whenever he wanted for almost a week without any insomnia. 

By getting a good night's sleep that you would not have been able to get without taking sleeping pills, you can melt away all the mental stress that has been building up without you knowing it. 

It was the first time I felt like I was getting some proper rest. 

I picked up my phone for the first time in a while to contact Jenny. 

It was time to make a statement to find out the next request. 

Especially now that the commissions are received after registering your name on the deep web, the ransom will be higher than before. 

It was only natural that he would be willing to sacrifice his body, since if he was lucky, he might be rewarded with the items Leo wanted. 

[Thu…. Thu… ...] 

"… … ?" 

I can't get in touch with you properly. 

It's not like we're out of range, but is their phone just turned off? 

It was the first time since I exchanged contact information with Jenny that her phone was turned off. 

Leo immediately got dressed and headed to her bar. 

'... ...It's definitely strange.' 

The city is eerily quiet. 

Apart from Leo, it was difficult to find anyone walking down the street. 

Did something happen while I wasn't checking the news for a while? 

I quickly turned on my phone and went to the news section, but even that was dead. 

"What is this…." 

Is it possible that something mysterious has happened to this city right now that traffic is not moving properly? 

Leo, whose alertness had suddenly increased, immediately opened the door to Jenny's bar. 

"It's been a while." 

Jordan waved his hand as he sat at the bar, wiping a glass. 

Leo felt a little relieved at the sight of him and asked as soon as he sat down at the bar. 

"What about Jenny?" 

"I was summoned. I guess I'm being held in some unknown office right now." 

Leo opened his mouth again at Jordan's indifferent response. 

"What is happening in this city right now?" 

I know something huge is happening that's killing my phone, but I have no way of getting any information. 

Jordan opened his eyes wide in surprise at Leo's question, thinking that he would definitely find a solution to this problem sooner or later. 

"Did you pass out for a week or something? It's even stranger that you're asking me this now." 

"… … ." 

It's not entirely wrong, since I spent most of my vacation just sleeping. 

While Leo was unable to bring himself to tell the truth, Jordan spoke again. 

"Have you heard anything about the Philenormous Dominion?" 

"I have a rough idea." 

"Then the story will be quick. The delegation from the Dominion, originally scheduled to arrive around the end of this month, sent notice of their visit only a week ago. As a result, the Balkans are in chaos right now." 

"… ..It can't be just for that reason." 

I understand Jenny's absence due to the arrival of the Dominion delegation. 

The summons issued against the brokers was tantamount to the city government's recommendation not to engage in any useless activity while the delegation was in the city. 

But that can't be the reason why the city is so quiet as a mouse right now. 

The silence that permeated this city of tens of millions of people clearly implied something more. 

Jordan nodded coolly at Leo's sharp words. 

"Yes. That's not the only reason the city is quiet right now. A truly unimaginable big shot has expressed his intention to join the delegation from the Dominion." 

"A giant beyond imagination?" 

Although he hasn't known Jordan very long, Leo has a rough idea of what kind of person he is. 

He is not an exaggerator in his speech, and his words and actions are very cautious. 

If he, who generally likes to use plain language, were to say something like this, it would literally mean that a huge figure from the Dominion had visited the Balkans. 

As expected, Jordan's next words far exceeded Leo's expectations. 

"The transcendent being, 'Cheon-Gyeon', who has been living in seclusion at the lighthouse of Philenom for decades, is coming here with a delegation… It's been nearly a hundred years since a level 9 ascendant visited Balkan. Everyone must be holding their breath and watching the central square." 

# 

Even though Leo lacked knowledge about this world, he knew what an ascender meant from reading numerous books on magic. 

A great wizard who is treated as a strategic weapon on his own and creates tension throughout the continent with every move he makes. 

This is because the word ascendant refers to those who have surpassed such great magicians and truly challenged their limits. 

It's not easy to move because you've put strong restrictions on yourself in order to overcome the limits, but the level itself is impossible to even discuss on the same level. 

Great pioneers whose achievements will remain with history. 

The majestic pillars that support this precarious world that revolves around cities. 

Among them, 'Cheon-Gyeon' is one of the most special and respected visionaries. 

The lighthouse keeper of Philenom, Madera Falcière, 'the one with the most insight'. 

A great transcendent being who has watched over the dangers of the open sea as a lighthouse keeper for hundreds of years, and one of less than ten Level 9 ascendants left in this era. 

A long life spent observing disasters that can be seen thousands of kilometres from a seated position, watching the past and the future, and freely crossing timelines. 

The most moderate, responsible, and respected ascendant. 

She, who had never interfered with worldly affairs while performing her duties as a lighthouse keeper, expressed her intention to participate in the negotiation process between Balkan and Philenom. 

Even as a member of the delegation of the autonomous territory. 

What this means is simple: the Ascendant has given the Dominion a helping hand. 

No further words were needed. 

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

If not now, then when will we have another opportunity to see the existence of the ascended with our own eyes? 

In his hand he held a small scope that Jordan had handed him. Jordan had already guessed what he was going to do. 

I immediately grab a taxi nearby and head to the 20th block. 

The taxi driver, who had been loitering around without any customers, greeted him with a smile. The radio in the taxi was also broadcasting the visit of the ascendant live. 

I stopped the taxi at the edge of District 19, about a dozen kilometres away from the central square in District 5. 

Phew!! 

Use magic to levitate yourself into the air and land on the roof of any nearby building. 

Floating magic is not very efficient because it consumes a lot of magic power and doesn't move very fast, but now is not the time to be picky about that. 

Leo, who was about to climb up to the roof of a building where he could barely see the central plaza, frowned when he noticed two people waiting on the roof of the building. 

'…..soldier.' 

One sniper, with a long sniper rifle hanging from the edge of a building, staring steadily into the distance, and another signalman, holding a communicator, constantly exchanging passwords. 

Judging by the emblems on their chests, they seem to be special forces directly under the city government. There are probably similar forces deployed on the rooftops of buildings above a certain height. 

They deployed these troops to places where it's impossible to even guess whether sniping is possible from a distance. 

It was a sight that clearly showed how much attention was being paid to the visit of the Ascendant in the Balkans. 

The only way to knock them out or show yourself here is to shake hands. 

Although I can't use the Vigasima method because of my mana addiction, it's not difficult to fool their eyes. 

I used noise magic to completely erase their presence and cast a simple illusion magic to make it so that the two people's eyes could not focus on their surroundings. 

I felt like the goggles I was wearing had some kind of special defence, and that they were pushing out some magical power, but I ignored them and forcibly dug in. 

Phagec...!! 

To Leo, who was able to successfully use magic interference against other wizards, the barrier of this equipment felt like a piece of paper. 

Leo, who had leisurely passed by the two people who had begun to focus solely on what was in front of him, sat down on the edge of the rooftop and held the scope he had received from Jordan up to one of his eyes. 

It seems like something that would normally be used on a sniper rifle used by a soldier nearby, but it can't be helped if you want to see from a distance. 

Since mana addiction is a hindrance to enhancing eyesight, this is the only way to do it. 

However, the scope Jordan gave me was working well, and I could immediately see the central plaza at a glance. 

Tens of thousands of people fill the vast central plaza located in District 5. 

It was the first time I had seen so many people since I came to this world. 

People of all kinds are gathered together, looking in the same direction, with no room to move. 

Longing, admiration, respect, fear, excitement… .. Even though the direction may be different, no one is left behind in their earnest desire. 

Leo also turned his scope ever so slightly, twisting it in the direction their gaze was directed. 

Countless police officers, soldiers, and agents in suits, no less than the gathered crowd, have gathered together to form a wide road, waiting for someone. 

A voice leaked out from the radio of the signalman, who still had not noticed Leo's presence. 

[I'll be there in 30 seconds. Everyone, stay alert and wait!!] [They're coming in..!!] 

After a short while, a short procession of about thirty people appears. 

The delegation of the Philenormous Autonomy has finally arrived at the central square of Balkan. 

Everyone had a stiff, tired expression. 

His face is full of alertness, and his eyes, looking around in all directions, are full of hostility. 

It was clear at a glance that the relationship between the Dominion and the metropolis was not good. 

And at the centre of the procession stands a small, hunched, white-haired old man. 

A person with neatly combed hair, a small hairpin, wearing flowing clothes, and walking slowly with a cane in his hand, touching the ground. 

Cheon-Gyeon, Madera Falciar was entering the square.