Mystical Fantasy : The Lazy Real Young Master [EN]

BOOMMM!!

A thunderous explosion tore through the night sky. A surge of dark and golden light erupted upward, swirling and colliding like two dragons devouring one another—entwined in an endless struggle as they soared toward the heavens.

And then—

DUARRR!!!

Another explosion followed, this time far higher, detonating in a spectacular burst that painted the night like a colossal firework. The clash of light and shadow was so intense that nearly every mage and energy user across Makazhar felt its ripple instantly.

Even ordinary people—those without an ounce of magical sensitivity—could see the blinding flash that turned the early dawn as bright as noon for a brief heartbeat.

Far away, in a hidden sanctuary deep within the mountains, Daraka was meditating when the shockwave reached him. His eyes snapped open. For a moment, silence reigned before a faint smile curved his lips. Something interesting had stirred tonight, he thought—but he chose not to leave his meditation chamber just yet.

Meanwhile, across the city, members of both the Magical Association and Martial Union—whether asleep or already awake—felt the disturbance rush through their cores. Spiritual police on patrol immediately reacted; none dared to ignore such a surge. Without hesitation, they mobilized, racing toward the southeastern outskirts where the explosion had occurred.

Among them were also the elite forces under Al's faction.

"Master!" Voices echoed directly into Al's mind through the crimson Glyph glowing faintly on his arm.

"Where are you, Master? Did you feel that energy too?" came Sebastian's urgent voice.

"Master," Ai's voice followed, calm but laced with tension. "A massive energy burst just went off in the southeastern outskirts. It feels like both dark and holy energy colliding. What are your orders?"

Al clenched his jaw, staying silent for a moment before muttering through his teeth.

"Damn it."

His gaze shifted toward the brown-robed man floating midair ahead of him—his entire body wrapped in a sphere of golden light. The object the man had kept hidden earlier now hovered just above him, radiating immense pressure. Pain twisted the man's face as he screamed, eyes wide open, his body trembling violently under the strain.

Both Al and Axis could tell—time was running short. Others would soon arrive, drawn by the intense energy signatures.

"Fahruk! The rest of you—secure that artifact!" Axis barked, her voice sharp with desperation as she commanded the remaining soldiers to move.

But as before, the artifact's energy was too overwhelming. Their energy was drained the moment they drew near, and then came a sudden backlash—an invisible whip of force that sent several of them flying backward like broken dolls.

Fahruk pushed forward anyway, reaching his arm toward the glowing sphere. The moment his fingertips brushed its surface, his skin began to corrode—melting away as if burned by acid. He screamed, forcing himself to endure, but the result was the same: a violent surge of energy struck him, hurling him through the air.

Axis gritted her teeth. She wanted to rush in himself. That artifact—that core—was a critical part of her grand design. After years of searching, there was no way she'd let it slip away now.

But her strength was fading fast. The fragmen energy that had kept her moving was thinning, and with it, the consciousness of the body's true owner began to surface once more.

"Arghhhh!" Axis roared, slamming her fist into the ground. Frustration, rage, and despair fused into that single sound.

How humiliating. A being once worshiped as divine… now crawling in the dirt.

Al watched everything unfold before his eyes, a flicker of hesitation rising deep within him. The chaotic waves of energy raging in the air made his heart pound. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, an instinct whispered to him—a strong urge telling him that he had to secure that artifact, no matter the risk.

He took a cautious step forward, his mind spinning with uncertainty. The object pulsed with both holy and dark energies, and he knew very well that within his own body flowed an immense current of dark energy. If he touched it… what if the artifact consumed him instead.

Will I even survive this? he wondered silently.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Al exhaled slowly. He couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. This was a gamble he had to take. Focusing his will, he surrounded his body with pure, stable energy—refined and neutral—carefully suppressing the dark energy that always lurked beneath his veins.

Then, with a light but deliberate motion, he reached out. His fingertips trembled as they neared the sphere of golden light.

"Please… let this work," he muttered under his breath. "Before those annoying people arrive. It's now or never."

From the distance, Axis, barely conscious, observed the scene with disbelief. She didn't think Al could possibly succeed. After all, she assumed that the artifact rejected DIARs—those who bore the dark energy within their bodies and souls. And Al… was one of them.

But then, against all logic—

It worked.

A faint smile spread across Al's face as the golden light enveloped him gently. There was no backlash, no pain—only a soothing warmth that seeped into his skin.

"He did it? Damn it… this ruins everything," Axis muttered bitterly.

She glanced around at the chaotic aftermath. It was clear now that the night's operation had failed. The appearance of this unpredictable young man had shattered all of their carefully laid plans.

"Fahruk," Axis commanded hoarsely, her voice barely holding. "Secure everything—and retreat. Now."

The last of her energy flickered weakly. Before her fading consciousness slipped away completely, she cast one final look toward Al.

"Hell Phoenix," she rasped, a mocking grin stretching across her face. "Don't think you've won. You just got lucky—again. We'll finish this another time. Hahaha…"

With that, the last trace of her violet aura vanished into the air, leaving behind Ayu, who regained awareness just long enough to see Al's silhouette before fainting once more.

Al turned his gaze toward the spot where Axis had disappeared, his expression calm but cold.

"You underestimate pure energy," he whispered. "But tonight… it's pure energy that decides the outcome."

As his words faded, his body slowly sank into the sphere of golden light.

Outside, Fahruk and the remaining followers of Axis swiftly gathered what they could—including Ayu's unconscious body—and activated talismans that glowed faintly blue. In an instant, their forms dissolved into light, vanishing from the scene through teleportation.

Al clenched his jaw as he watched them escape. He had failed to wipe out Axis's entire squad—but at least he had gained something far more valuable. The artifact.

Hovering before him was a piece of golden parchment inscribed with ancient text. It looked identical to the torn manuscript he had seen online just days ago—the one rumored to have been stolen from the national museum.

"So it was him… the man in the brown coat," Al murmured, realization dawning on his face.

"What should I even do with this?" he muttered, frowning as he reached out carefully.

His hand moved steadily this time, gripping the parchment tightly—

Grab.

He held it firm. But then, the golden light around it suddenly flared, twisting wildly like a storm ready to burst.

And then—

WOSHHHH!

The golden energy seemed to devour his body as it flared outward, illuminating the entire area once more.

---

A few moments later, a crowd began to gather at the scene.

Ordinary police officers arrived first, followed by the Special Division led by Prabowo. Reporters and curious civilians soon flooded the area as well, drawn by the massive explosion that had lit up the night sky.

Most of them believed that this was the point of origin—the source of that blinding blast that everyone across the city had witnessed.

They weren't wrong.

The entire place was a mess. What had once been a wide, empty alley—apparently used as a communal dumping ground by nearby residents—was now in utter ruin. Piles of trash had been blown apart, scattered across cracked concrete.

The ground bore fresh fissures, and there was a gaping crater in the center—not too deep, but wide enough to show that something powerful had struck here. The walls of surrounding buildings were fractured, some even on the verge of collapse.

Yet, despite the devastation, there were no traces of any bomb devices, detonators, or even leftover fireworks—nothing that could explain the explosion in conventional terms. Either whatever caused it had already been removed, or it had never been something human-made to begin with.

Naturally, theories began to fly.

Everyone—from police to reporters to local residents—speculated wildly, each explanation more absurd than the last. To the ordinary mind, everything still had to fit within a natural frame of reason.

But those who truly understood the supernatural—the spiritualists, magicians, and martial artists—kept their distance.

They concealed themselves within the shadows, observing from afar. Some could even sense each other's presence across the rooftops, though none made a move to reveal themselves.

High above, Elder Rayapati stood with several members of the Magical Association, including Bahar and Arul, their silhouettes outlined against the moonlight.

Nearby, Bojes and Ira from the Spiritual Police surveyed the site from behind the crowd, trying to trace the lingering energy signatures.

Hidden among the alleys were shamans, independent exorcists, and martial practitioners—each watching silently.

Even Uncle Acok was there, his body still bearing minor wounds from the fight earlier that morning. A few Virellano family bodyguards were also present, their sharp eyes scanning the area.

Every single one of them came to the same conclusion—

this was no ordinary explosion. It was a magical phenomenon.

"What in the world happened here?" Elder Rayapati murmured, his expression pale with shock.

Meanwhile, on the roof of a nearby building, four figures in sleek black uniforms appeared—accompanied by a white cat perched casually on one of their shoulders. It was Clara and her team.

"What do you think, Raka?" Malik asked, squinting at the aftermath below.

Raka shook his head slowly after analyzing the residual energy in the air.

"I'm not sure how to put it into words… but my entire body feels like it's crawling," he said, his voice tense.

"What do you mean?" asked Clara, brows furrowing in confusion as Coto, the cat on her shoulder, tilted its head and meowed softly.

"This is definitely the residue of magic," Raka replied firmly.

"But I can't identify who or what caused it. The power was immense—either a single beast far beyond anything we've faced before… or thousands of high-tier beasts appearing at once. But that doesn't make sense either. Also... no human could produce this kind of energy. It's… terrifying." His eyes gleamed with both awe and fascination.

"Seriously?" Clara and Malik said almost in unison, both clearly skeptical. Still, Raka's analyses had never once been wrong. Even Coto let out a faint, uncertain meow as if agreeing but still confused.

"What do you think our chances are if we had to fight something like that?" asked Daus, his usually expressionless face suddenly alight with a spark of excitement. The thrill of encountering a powerful foe seemed to awaken something inside him.

Raka paused, then gave a half-shrug.

"With our current strength? I'm not confident," he admitted. "But we've never gone all-out before. Maybe—just maybe—we could still give it a hard time."

Daus frowned, clearly unsatisfied by that answer.

"Tch… only trouble it? I don't buy that," he muttered.

"Haha! You're really a battle junkie, huh?" Malik teased, laughing at Daus's stubborn confidence.

Clara couldn't help but chuckle softly as well. Even Coto let out a teasing little "meow," as if mocking him.

Then Clara's laughter faded. Her gaze turned back toward the chaos below. For some reason, something deep inside her stirred—a strange sense of familiarity. It was faint, but she couldn't shake it off. The same feeling seemed to ripple through Coto as well, its fur bristling slightly as if it recognized a scent it knew… but the source was already gone.

Elsewhere, on a dimly lit rooftop not far from there, another group of four figures in black stood watch—two men and two women.

Ai, flanked by her two assistants and Sebastian, had arrived.

"Master must've been here," Sebastian said quietly. "I can still feel traces of his energy. It seems he just… finished a major battle. Hah… for some reason, he hasn't responded to any of my messages."

"That's right," one of Ai's assistants added. "None of our transmissions have reached him either."

Ai remained silent. Her gaze lingered on the distant glow that still shimmered faintly in the night sky. She raised her hand and gently brushed her arm, where the golden Glyph still pulsed softly beneath her skin.

"Master…" she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible against the wind.

---