Rising to Power with Void Magic ~An Exiled Genius Magician Decides To Take Revenge With His New Friends and Create a Utopia~ - Episode 5

The Forbidden Forest—its deep darkness was so quiet, it felt almost like it was comforting Allen’s despair. Yet at the same time, it bared its merciless fangs without rest.

Thick, overgrown trees blocked out the sunlight, leaving the forest dim even during the day, making it impossible to keep a sense of direction. Strange birds screeched from above, plants glowed with poisonous colors, and vicious magical beasts attacked without end.

Allen wandered through the forest aimlessly, dragging his injured body.

The damage to his mana circuit was severe—he could barely use magic. All he could rely on now was the knowledge and martial arts drilled into him at the academy and his burning desire for revenge.

He survived on nuts and small animals he managed to hunt, but even that was reaching its limit. His strength was fading; hunger and exhaustion dulled his thoughts.

(So cold… I’m starving…)

Nights were especially brutal. When he couldn’t find a cave to hide in, he had no choice but to huddle beneath a large tree, trembling as he waited for dawn. If he did fall asleep, nightmares haunted him. When he was awake, hallucinations of past betrayals tormented him.

“Allen, this is where you disappear.”

“Sorry, Allen… I don’t want to die.”

“I’m sorry, Allen…”

“Traitor! ” 

“Coward! ”

Mockery and insults echoed in his mind. Every time, a pitch-black hatred flared in his chest, the only thing keeping his consciousness intact.

(I will get revenge… I swear it…!)

But even that vow was like a flickering candle before the dying flame of his life.

Completely worn out, Allen finally collapsed at the base of a massive tree.

Through his hazy vision, he sensed that this might be his pitiful end.

(To die… in a place like this…)

Just as he was about to lose consciousness—

He noticed something odd in the flow of magic drifting through the air.

Unlike the stagnant, ominous mana that filled the rest of the forest, this flow was faint, yet pure and strong. It was like a single beam of light piercing through the darkness—calling to Allen, as if guiding him in a specific direction.

Even with his dulled mana sense, Allen could tell that this wasn’t normal.

He also felt as if the surrounding magical beasts were instinctively avoiding this stream of magic.

(What is this…? This mana…)

Was it a final hope—or just another trap?

Allen no longer had the strength or the luxury to hesitate.

Summoning every last ounce of his strength, he rose to his feet and began to follow the mysterious flow of mana with unsteady steps.

How long had he walked?

The mana grew stronger as he went, and the surrounding plants began to give off a sacred atmosphere.

The presence of hostile beasts had completely vanished, replaced by pure, serene air.

Eventually, Allen arrived at a massive stone wall.

There, as if it had always been part of nature itself, stood a giant moss-covered stone door.

It radiated an ancient aura and was covered in countless intricate patterns and mysterious, ancient letters. It seemed as if the door itself was the source of the powerful, pure mana that filled the air.

(An ancient ruin…? This deep in the forest…?)

Allen held his breath.

This place was nothing like the ruins where he’d been betrayed—it felt grand and mystical.

Here, there might be something—something powerful. A way to regain his lost strength or a clue to escape this hopeless situation.

The door had no handle or keyhole. He had no idea how to open it.

Exhausted, Allen reached out and gently placed his hand on its surface, silently hoping for something—anything.

The moment his palm touched the stone, a faint glow emerged from the engraved patterns.

It was as if the leftover magic within him—or perhaps the remnants of the resentment born from betrayal—had resonated with the door.

Grrrrrr…

With a deep, heavy rumble, the massive stone door slowly began to open inward.

From the narrow gap, an ancient, intense mana poured out—far denser and purer than anything outside, yet filled with an overwhelming, inhuman pressure.

But it wasn’t rejection—it was an invitation.

Going forward meant there would be no turning back. Allen could feel it in his bones.

And yet, he didn’t hesitate.

With the last of his strength, Allen stepped through the door, toward the light within, his steps faltering but steady.

Behind him, the heavy stone door slowly closed once more.

Cut off from the outside world, he stepped into the heart of an ancient ruin.

Where a new fate was already waiting for him.