Episode 6
-Magic is indescribably vast. Even if we limit it to black magic, it's the same.
“Why are you saying something so obvious…?”
"There's a limit to what you can learn in a short period of time. If I were healthy, I could have imprinted the knowledge in my brain, but that's not possible now."
Is this a story about wizards who raised their level through a contract with the devil?
The fate of magicians who achieve a level of mastery that could not be achieved even after hundreds of years of study alone is well known. They often become mad with knowledge beyond their grasp, or their heads explode.
Yet, the devil's knowledge is invaluable enough that such people continue to emerge.
“I don’t want that either.”
No matter how valuable knowledge is, it's meaningless if you lose your mind. However, if you take the time to learn it little by little, you can minimize the side effects.
Elemental magic that rains fire from the sky, necromancy that allows you to form legions alone, creation of powerful chimeras, and life magic that shakes the laws of nature…
The Demon King spoke with a meaningful tone. His voice seemed to be imbued with magical power, a strange feeling permeating it.
-Considering your innate ability to manipulate magic, I'm sure you'll be able to use whatever I teach you.
I intuitively realized that this was the opportunity every wizard on the continent dreamed of.
-The most suitable one is soul magic.
“Necromancy?”
In other words, necromancy.
It was once a branch of magic that developed to revive the dead, but now it is notorious for dealing with the dead.
-It's completely different. It's magic that gathers souls, exploits them, and gains power. There's no need to mess with corpses in graveyards.
It wasn't a particularly compelling argument. Wouldn't it be better to learn how to create undead? After all, monster corpses are so ubiquitous in the demon world that you'll stumble upon them.
Seeing and manipulating souls is a fundamental skill for a warlock. Harvesting souls with soul files is part of this process.
"Don't treat it like some low-level technique. At best, isn't it just a way to temporarily increase power by sacrificing souls or putting them in cheap corpses?"
“….”
Soul magic is different. The influence a soul can have on reality is minimal, but its potential is limitless. It's easier to experience it firsthand than to explain it in words.
I still don't understand it exactly, but if the Demon King's words are true, soul magic seems to have tremendous value. However.
“Is there any risk?”
The devil's malice is always disguised as good intentions. Even if he can't lie, I've already experienced that he can deceive me.
-Well, if you try to collect more souls than you can handle, the caster's soul might get ruined...
also.
If I hadn't asked, I could have been in big trouble. The risk of soul destruction is something I must be extremely wary of.
-I don't think there's any need to worry.
"…really?"
Could it be true? It must be true. If he was lying, the Demon King's voice wouldn't be so relaxed.
-We've finally got the materials for getting started. Let's get started quickly.
Yes. The soul of the Demon King, not anyone else's, is in my hands.
If soul magic is a real magic system, then this soul, which has the highest rank, cannot be anything but the ultimate material.
It was clear that if one trained in magic with the Demon King's soul, one would be able to quickly raise one's level.
-I think you're thinking something strange.
"huh?"
"I'm talking about the souls I've collected in my soul file. Using them will allow you to enter the initiation without any problems, so don't even think about touching my soul. Of course, even without them, I wouldn't have permitted it."
“…Can’t it be done?”
-… Are you crazy?
It didn't seem to work.
Since this is your first time, I'll teach you how to draw a magic circle. Concentrate. If you make even the slightest mistake, the spell may not work or produce an unexpected effect.
“I know, so keep quiet.”
-Hmm? What do you plan on drawing if I keep my mouth shut?
“….”
It is not easy to draw a magic circle that you have never seen before, just by hearing an explanation.
Only after sweating for hours under the hot sun of the Demon World could the magic circle be completed.
-Be careful not to erase it. Let's check one last time.
A huge magic circle drawn in blood came into view.
A diameter roughly equivalent to the height of two adult men. Geometric and dense patterns.
I used the blood of dead peasants, but at the last minute, it wasn't enough, so I had to add my own. The thought of having to start all over again if I made a mistake made me dizzy.
-Good. You drew it well. Take out the soul.
Light in a small glass bottle. The soul escapes through the opening.
The soul inherently dissipates over time. The Soul File is a tool created to hold onto that soul and prevent it from dissipating.
The soul that emerged from the bottle began to fade. Perhaps it was because it wasn't a high-ranking soul to begin with. If things continued this way, it would vanish without a trace in a few minutes. But...
-Now. Infuse your magic power.
As I breathed magic into the magic circle, a pale light emitted. At the same time, a chain of the same color snatched the fading soul away.
Immediately after, a soul, pulled by chains, gradually came closer to my mouth.
-Swallow it.
When I opened my mouth, I felt a sensation like inhaling smoke, as if it was coming in but not coming out.
I closed my eyes and swallowed my soul.
I felt no change. Perhaps the Demon King had taught me useless magic. Perhaps I had wasted my precious soul.
-Can't you feel the change that has occurred in your soul?
“Even if you say that….”
I didn't feel any change like when I was connected to the Demon King through familiar magic or when I made a soul contract.
-The souls of two humans. Not even those of noble heroes, but those of peasants at best. What did you expect?
“….”
-Just wait and see. I'm sure it will help.
I swallowed a sigh and picked up the scythe that had fallen to the floor. It was a movement so natural that even I didn't realize it was strange.
The old, rusty scythe was clearly a weapon that threatened my life. Yet, for some reason, it felt familiar. As if I'd handled it for years…
"uh?"
Immediately after, my vision became blurry.
* * *
Fields dyed in gold, taxes raised by war, insects and sparrows ruining crops, wives and children withering away, war escalating, soldiers flocking to the village, the trampled land, a gate to the demon world suddenly appearing, monsters and blood emerging, screams, a sword shining brightly, a polluted and devastated land, family, death, tears…
-Get up.
“…!”
The Demon King's voice brought me back to my senses. The blade of the scythe fell to the floor, threatening to stab my eye. The pain on one side of my face made me realize belatedly that I had collapsed.
“This is….”
Something brief, like a dream, yet so vivid. For a moment, I felt like I had become someone else.
-It's a minor side effect. The memories of the absorbed soul. A kind of thought.
“You think it’s trivial?”
The faces of my family members are still vivid. I remember burying my youngest child, who couldn't bear the hunger, and the dry emotion I felt as I watched my grieving wife.
Even it wasn't one.
“What on earth did you tell me!”
Two souls absorbed by magic. Similar yet different memories, mixed together, making it difficult to distinguish between them. It felt like I was going crazy… No, I felt like I'd already gone mad.
-What is it? It's black magic. Didn't you ask me to tell you?
But the Demon King only replied with a chuckle.
-As powerful as it is, its side effects are also undeniable. That's only natural. That's just how black magic works.
My mind went cold. I remembered the troubled expression on my master's face whenever I asked him to teach me magic. And the warning he had given me, that it was dangerous and I should not practice magic alone, came to mind.
-Collecting souls, absorbing them, and exploiting everything they've accumulated—this is the essence of soul magic.
"what…?"
Absorbing the soul of a great wizard will make learning magic easier, and absorbing the soul of a great knight will improve your wretched movements. It's an excessive price to pay for a slight mental derangement.
"that…."
It's certainly a tremendous ability. It means you can acquire talents you never had before. But I didn't anticipate the aftereffects to this extent.
-A normal person would have been destroyed right away. I expected it, but it's still strange. I guess my dependence wasn't a coincidence.
Judging by the Demon King's reaction, it seems like he has quite the aptitude for it, but we can't be completely at ease.
Obviously, the symptoms will become stronger the more souls you absorb. It's not a magic that can be used indefinitely.
-That's a little different.
“No. There’s no way I could endure this kind of thing over and over again.”
-Although it is a weak level, your soul has definitely grown.
“The soul… has grown?”
There's no way to train the soul. That's the accepted truth. But if my soul has grown as a result of using soul magic...
-It's hard at first, but you'll get used to it if you keep at it. That's if you can hold out until then.
“Then this is….”
It was only then that I realized the value of soul magic. It wasn't simply about acquiring talent later in life.
The ability to elevate one's soul level possesses immeasurable value in itself. The moment this became known, it was clear that every magician and powerful figure on the continent would rush to acquire the means.
-Yes. Build up your rank by stealing strong souls.
"…okay."
The Demon King had clearly taught me the ultimate black magic. So, I had to keep learning. Of course, I wasn't going to be satisfied with just this.
Aside from its immense value, this alone is not enough to defeat the enemy.
-By the way… .
The Demon King erupted in laughter, his voice trailing off. He had always laughed like that, but this time, his laughter was particularly loud.
Laughter. There's no other way to describe it. It was only after a long while that the true Demon King finally spoke again.
-Taking away the lives and souls of others for your own sake… You, you are a true devil.
The laughter in his voice did not disappear.
* * *
A few days later, the gate to the demon world.
A few villagers from the nearby town came out and stared at the door.
For several days now, I've been waiting for the family who fearlessly jumped into the demon world, hoping to make a fortune.
However, those who crossed the gates of the demon world have not yet returned.
By sunset, even the few remaining had dwindled to less than half, as most returned home to sleep.
How many of them would return to this place the next day? With each passing day, the hope in the hearts of those who remained waned.
The same was true for women.
But she didn't return home, staying with her children. If her husband, who had left for the Demon World, never returned, enduring the cold would only last a few more days.
That was why the woman, who had been sleeping with only a thin blanket, was able to see him.
Before dawn, in the early morning.
The gate to the demon world glowed faintly, and someone emerged.
A robe turned inside out. A slightly smaller figure than a grown man. The strong scent of blood. A scythe in his hand. He slowly surveyed his surroundings before approaching the woman.
The woman, half-asleep, awoke in terror. It was clear that the Grim Reaper, having escaped from the demon realm, was seeking someone to take away. She tried to struggle, but her frozen body remained motionless. Her mouth wouldn't open, and no scream escaped her.
The woman finally closed her eyes tightly, trying to escape the fear of death that was looming before her. But.
Thud, thud.
It looked down at the woman's face for a while and then left.
Dawn broke, and my frozen body began to move.
The woman waited for her husband again, trying to forget the nightmare from the previous night.
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