“Oho.”
Kim Jonghyun stopped sighing. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Sungmin. No, to be precise, he looked at the armor that Sungmin was wearing.
“That’s… quite the peculiar artifact.”
Said Kim Jonghyun with a strange smile. It was as Sungmin had thought. The black mage Kim Jonghyun, who expressed himself as a unique case, saw through the identity behind the armor on Sungmin’s body.
“I have some things to ask you.”
“This place is too noisy. Let’s head over to my room.”
Kim Jonghyun shrugged his shoulders. Sungmin shot a glance towards Scarlett. When their gazes met, Scarlett frowned and shook her head violently.
“I don’t want to enter that lunatic’s room.”
“And I don’t remember inviting you either, Miss Scarlett.”
Kim Jonghyun teased. Scarlett glared at Kim Jonghyun when he said that, and Kim Jonghyun only replied back with a smile.
“Well, then. Let’s go.”
Although Sungmin was concerned about Lloyd, he still had enough time to chat with Kim Jonghyun as Lloyd hadn’t woken up yet. Sungmin followed Kim Jonghyun to the basement.
“What happened?”
The room with levitating amputated limbs and guts was as gruesome as ever. Kim Jonghyun offered Sungmin a seat and looked at him in interest. The sighing figure of his had all but disappeared.
“…Do you know the identity of this magic armor?”
“I do. I don’t know what it’s called, but I can see what kind of function it has. And I also understand what you’re concerned about.”
Kim Jonghyun laughed. He rubbed his hands and stared at Sungmin’s face.
“That magic armor is a type of contract. I said this last time, but the foundation of black magic is the contract with transcendent beings. That magic armor is an malevolent item that skips the official contract process and one-sidedly forces the contract.”
“…What?”
“Let’s see… I think I’ll need to touch it to be sure.”
Kim Jonghyun muttered those words and stood up. He approached Sungmin in large steps, then stroked on the magic armor that clad Sungmin’s body.
“Hmm. The contract is quite simple. it rapidly brings out the potential of the wearer.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Simply speaking, it’s this: Let’s say that there’s a third-rate mercenary. The potential of that mercenary is around a peak-level expert, but he wasn’t able to achieve that level due to his lack of effort. Putting this armor on would allow him to possess the skills of a peak-level expert without the necessary process to bring out that potential.”
An easy-to understand example. Sungmin remembered back to the events in his previous life and nodded his head.
“Isn’t that a good thing then?”
“Fufu! Didn’t I say so? That it’s a one-sided, ill-natured contract. The majority of contracts with demonic existences are for a lifetime. This third-rate mercenary would acquire that power in exchange for his soul. Do you know why black mages desire the souls of other humans, and valuable souls like yours? It’s to free their own soul, which is held captive by the contractor; to cancel that contract, and offer their souls to even stronger demonic beings.”
“Then….”
“Wearing that armor would force that contract. It means that the wearer’s soul would be held captive regardless of their intentions. However… from the looks of it, you don’t seem to be contracted with the armor.”
“…I felt no changes at all.”
“In that case, it’s one of two possibilities. One is that… you don’t have any potential to bring out, and two is that you have a soul that is impossible to contract with.”
Something flashed through Sungmin’s head when he said that. The being that the lich summoned refused to take his soul. It seemed as though the lack of forced contract had something to do with that.
…Or perhaps it was that Sungmin indeed had no potential left in him at all, but he didn’t want to think about that scenario. If that was the case, wouldn’t it mean that it would be impossible for him to grow any stronger no matter how much effort he put in?
“…Can you undo the curse on this armor?”
“That’s not so hard to do. But… what can you do for me in return?”
“…What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything great. I am… just curious. What happened in that dungeon? As you know, Lloyd, the Gold Tower Lord, is one of the strongest mages in the guild. If you told me he came back heavily injured… It would be difficult for me to believe.”
If he could get rid the armour of the curse simply by telling him some information, it wasn’t a terrible deal. Organizing his thoughts for a moment, he began explaining the events that occurred in the dungeon. Kim Jonghyun listened to him attentively.
“Prescan.”
When Sungmin started speaking. Kim Jonghyun nodded his head, repeating the lich’s name.
“So that’s the case. That dungeon was Prescan’s… then it’s natural for the mercenaries to all die.”
“…You know who he is?”
“Sure I do. Prescan was the Tower Lord of the Black Magic Tower, only comprised of the black mages among the mage guild. That is, until 10 years ago. He broke the taboo for his personal goals, and was exiled from the guild.”
“The taboo?”
“Human experimentation.”
Kim Jonghyun laughed as he said that.
“Oh, of course… most black mages experiment on humans, but what’s important is whether they are found out or not. Aren’t all crimes like that? As long as you aren’t discovered, it’s fine. In that sense, Prescan was rather unlucky. His human experimentation was discovered. Now I get why Lloyd, the Gold Tower Lord, headed to that dungeon. The one that was tasked with Prescan’s pursuit 10 years ago was Lloyd.”
“Was Prescan a lich back then too?”
“It would be rather difficult to find a black mage at the archmage-level that isn’t a lich. Becoming a lich allows a black mage to gain power very easily. The downside is the loss of their body, but the ones that walk on the path of black magic are lunatics that are out of their mind. The loss of their physical body means nothing to them.”
“Well, I am a rather special case,” he added, shrugging his shoulders.
“It’s a story that raises a lot of questions. Whether it’s the fact that there’s another being with twisted karma… or how Prescan tried to offer you as a sacrifice, but was refused. Hmm….”
Kim Jonghyun laid back on his chair, stroking his chin.
“…The demonic being that Prescan has contracted with is the ‘Demon King of Fear’. The fear that drenches the abyss. A transcendent being that is also called that. As someone who did not contract with them, I do not know their name, but… this is a really unique case. Due to the aspects of his powers, the Demon King of Fear can make any non-contractor go crazy with just their gaze. However… you didn’t go crazy. Well… I guess that’s acceptable since your soul was refused.”
“Why is that?”
“I cannot answer. This is the same reason as last time. Think about it yourself. It’s not that hard.”
Kim Jonghyun giggled as he said that. The room… suddenly felt rather chilly. Sungmin shivered lightly and touched the back of his neck. He felt as though a cold blade was pressed against his skin.
“…Because my soul belongs to a certain other?”
“I cannot answer.”
“Because the being that possesses my soul is of a higher league than the Demon King of Fear, so the Demon King of Fear refused my soul?”
“I cannot answer.”
(T/N: “League” is the same word used in EER(“격”))
Kim Jonghyun replied with his eyes closed. It seemed as though any gesture that may tell Sungmin the answer was forbidden.
“…Msh wanted my soul though.”
“I cannot answer.”
In the end, Sungmin gave up on getting answers from Kim Jonghyun. He couldn’t criticize him. Kim Jonghyun wouldn’t want to die after all.
“…The Black Heart. I don’t know what this is.”
“…About that, it’s rather strange.”
Creaaak, tap.
The chair that was leaning backwards came back to the original position. Kim Jonghyun crossed his legs and had a look at Sungmin’s chest.
“The Black Heart… You told me the heart floating in the air suddenly disappeared, and was absorbed into your body. But I’m unable to read any unusual aura from you with my ‘eyes’.”
“…What?”
“That’s what’s strange. No matter how much more skilled Prescan is than I am, there shouldn’t be something that I wouldn’t be able to see…. In this case, should I think about the connection between the soul and the psyche? No, even if that was the case, I should still be able to see it… Is it not magic but spellcraft-related? But it should still be in the same general category….”
Kim Jonghyun licked his lips and muttered. His words became for himself rather than for explaining to Sungmin.
“Oh… I’m sorry. It’s one of my bad habits. In any case, I don’t know what that heart is. However, this is for certain. Other mages will also not be able to notice the existence of the heart inside you.”
“…That’s good, I guess, but I don’t even know what it is.”
“What Prescan was researching, was the ultimate life.”
Kim Jonghyun’s lips curved upwards.
“That was why he researched into chimeras. The identity of the human experimentation that became the reason of his exile was also an experiment to create the ultimate lifeform. He researched the topic for 10 years, and if the chimera with that heart put Lloyd, the Gold Tower Lord, into that state, the heart that was absorbed into you…. should be an ingredient for the ultimate life form that Prescan wanted.”
“I don’t feel any changes though.”
“Perhaps that’s because the heart hasn’t fully assimilated into you. Actually, it will be quicker to cut your chest open and confirm… but if I do that, I cannot guarantee your life.”
“I refuse.” (ED: is this a jojo reference?)
“It’s a pity, but I guess I can’t help it. Oh, and also, you said you were mentally dominated by Prescan, right?”
“Probably… yes.”
“But you are completely fine and didn’t go crazy. Fufu! The protection on you is rather special. Though, I don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse that you’re being defended by such a superior protection.”
Muttering that, Kim Jonghyun’s eyes glistened again as though he remembered something.
“Oh. I may not be able to answer you, but I do know of a being that may be able to answer your questions.”
“Who is it?”
“The one with twisted karma, just like you – may be able to answer your questions.”
“I don’t know who they are.”
“The quickest way would be to go ask Prescan… but that’s practically impossible. How about you go find another ‘god’?”
“God?”
“Yes. Msh did not reply to your questions. To be exact, he avoided answering them. However, other gods may be able to answer you.”
Oh.
Sungmin moaned shortly and nodded his head. The god of time in Drimoor. If it was the god of time that he learned of through Msh, they may be able to answer Sungmin’s questions. “…Okay.”
“I wonder if my words helped you?”
“They were sufficient.”
When Sungmin said that, a knock sounded from the door. When Kim Jonghyun glanced at the door, it opened.
“Mr. Lee Sungmin?”
On the other side of the door was one of the mages.
“Sir Lloyd has regained consciousness. He has said that he wants to meet you. Can you come with me?”
Hearing that, Sungmin looked at Kim Jonghyun. Kim Jonghyun nodded with a laugh.
“There’s nothing more to talk about with me, is there?”
“…Thank you for telling me those things.”
“It’s nothing. Come again next time. I rather like you.”
Kim Jonghyun smiled.
***
T/N: The word “Demonic” And “Magical” are the same. (魔). So technically, ‘magic’ is ‘demonic arts’, and ‘magic armor’ is ‘demonic armor’.
Also, ‘spellcraft’ – the original word is 주술/呪術 (does ‘jujutsu’ ring a bell?), which apparently is a primitive form of magic specifically related to chanting/incantations. (I had a hard time bringing up that word until Frozen told me that word. Thanks Frozen!) (Wikipedia REALLY wasn’t helping.)
I haven’t read ahead and don’t know what it’s about, so the translation might change later.
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Also some background info on my translations:
In Korean 마술 (‘majutsu’) usually refers to magic tricks. Yes, the ‘slight of hand’/’card trick’ stuff. 마법 (‘mahou’) is the ‘real’ magic (the thing that makes fireballs). Following that, 마술사(‘majutsushi’) is ‘magician’ who professional does ‘magic tricks’ for a living, and that is why I went with ‘mage’ for most of my translations of the word 마법사(‘mahoushi’).
Now for some comments:
Hey, it turns out the armor wasn’t anything good. And from what I see, Kim Jonghyun seems also infected by the ‘strange goodwill’ disease.
Next chapter teaser: Sungmin talks to Lloyd – his next course of action is set? And yum, let’s eat some pills.
ED: I’ll try to slowly make my way through editing the older chapters on the site. This doesn’t really apply to any of the current readers (unless you plan to read it again?), but I figured I’d put it out there since I’ve seen people asking about it (and I had originally planned to anyway). Cheers!