Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Min Jaeyoon flung his mana crystals toward the beast again and again.
Demons scrambled in a swarm, rushing the beast in order to devour the crystals.
No matter how strong it was, with seventy two demons attacking all at once, the beast staggered as if it could not come to its senses.
It was a method that consumed an absurd amount of mana, yet it was workable. And it was a method only Min Jaeyoon could use.
‘You need to know what you are good at. What are your strengths and weaknesses?’
Kang Sujin had said that. When he honestly answered that his strength was having far more mana than others, and his weakness was that he could not control that mana very well, Kang Sujin had replied.
‘You don't need to control it. Anyone would struggle if they tried to handle seventy two at once.’
What Min Jaeyoon needed was not an equal distribution of mana, but a system and rules that would make the demons move.
Once he realized that, he decided to use mana crystals as bait. And that method seemed to be quite successful.
Thud. The beast soon collapsed to the ground. Its last remaining head panted raggedly as Min Jaeyoon walked up to it.
The magic circle shifted beneath the fallen beast. The defensive and offensive array that Mr. Lee Jisung had made for him was truly excellent. Min Jaeyoon picked up the fallen Lemegeton and stared at the beast.
Now all he had to do was subjugate the beast and record its information on one of the empty pages of the Lemegeton.
He looked at the beast with a dazed expression. The chains attached to the Lemegeton clattered to the floor, then slowly extended and bound the beast tight.
‘It really ends this easily?’
He shook his head to brush away the sudden doubt.
They had barely managed to subdue it at all. Baek Jiwon and Baek Jangmi had worn it down through two generations of control, then it had fought Lude, and its subordinates had been unable to exert their full strength because of Jeong Suho and Kang Ihyun.
So this was not “that easy” at all. He squeezed the last of his mana dry and began to chant.
[Incarnation Exclusive Trait :: ‘Master of the Seventy-Two Demons of Wisdom’ activates!]
[The Constellation, King of Wisdom and Demons, uses its authority.]
“I am the guardian of Babylon’s Hole. I stand here to seal you, who dare insult my people, in the abyssal prison of the b… ugh!”
Clang! The beast screamed and thrashed. The chains that had bound it snapped free. When it shrieked several more times, Min Jaeyoon clapped his hands over his ears again.
Afraid that the carefully formed magic circle would collapse, he gripped the Lemegeton and began chanting once more.
“I am the guardian of Babylon’s Hole… argh!”
Crash! The beast screamed again and the chains shattered completely. Min Jaeyoon stared at the Lemegeton and the beast in panic, then soon twisted his face.
The difference in rank was too great. With his mana, there was simply no way he could bind this beast.
Of course things would not resolve this easily. There was no way a handful of incarnations could seal a beast like this. However,
“I must form the double contract, I at least need to form the double contract…!”
He had to do something. If this beast recovered its strength and rampaged again, no one would be able to handle what followed.
He could not waste this once in a lifetime chance. He wiped away the nosebleed that had begun to drip before he knew it and scowled.
Just as he was about to ask his Constellation to permit a double contract, a red indirect message appeared.
[The Constellation, King of Wisdom and Demons, asks if you really think that will work.]
“…Pardon?”
Min Jaeyoon blinked as he realized his Constellation was looking down at him. Soon Solomon’s true voice rang out in his head.
[I always had a question for you.]
It was the first time Min Jaeyoon had heard his Constellation’s true voice, and he rubbed his scalp without thinking. Solomon spoke to him in a gentle tone.
[What virtue does a king need in order to become a king.]
“A king…”
[I will ask again now. What is the quality of a king?]
He blinked at those words. He was not sure this was the right time for a Q and A, yet since his Constellation was using a true voice, this was clearly not an ordinary exchange.
He hesitated, then finally spoke what he had been thinking.
“I don't know. My king, I am still very immature. I only just realized it. I really don't know anything. I am ranked third, but I have no experience. So what I can do is…”
Crushed by self reproach, he dug his fingers through his hair. He clearly had the ability, but he did not know the method. He was powerless before that powerful weapon called experience.
He forced the words out in a stifled voice.
“All I could do was… listen carefully when other people talked. So I really don't know. Everyone else is far more remarkable than I am!”
That was the only real achievement he had made today. Listening carefully to adults and acting on their words.
If he had refused to ask for help and acted on his own, he would not have saved Baek Jangmi, he might have jumped straight into a double contract without hesitation, and he would not have cornered the beast this far.
He could not do anything alone. While he was drowning in self reproach, his Constellation let out a hearty laugh.
He jerked his head up. Red light poured down from above.
[That is the right answer.]
“…What?”
[You finally realized it. It took you long enough.]
A red status window rose up in front of him.
[Incarnation Exclusive Trait :: ‘Master of the Seventy-Two Demons of Wisdom’ begins to change!]
“My trait…”
The incarnation's exclusive traits were said to be the hardest to evolve. His trait was beginning to stir. The red light glimmered and spoke to him.
[When we first formed a contract, you told me what you wanted. You asked for strength to trample and deal with every demon. You asked me to free our grandfather. So I taught you how to control demons.]
He bowed his head and looked down at the Lemegeton with its shattered chains. The chains that had allowed him to control demons were broken, so it had become useless.
Solomon’s true voice continued.
[Now what do you seek?]
The status window was still loading. Jaeyoon felt something inside him begin to stir.
He realized that what he truly wished for could change the situation in front of him. He chose his words carefully.
“…Wisdom.”
His eyes glittered as he looked straight into the red light. His gaze turned greedy. He reached his hand out toward the air and grimaced hard.
“Give me the wisdom to tell friend from foe. Give me the wisdom to judge right from wrong and recognize those who want to harm us before they act, and give me the wisdom to act on it!”
Min Jaeyoon had grown up protected among good adults. Because of that, he had no hesitation when it came to asking for something.
Some people disliked that.
[Haha, haha!! Hahaha!!]
His Constellation did not seem to be one of them. The kindly laughter went on for a long time and something took shape inside the red light. At the same time, his status window began to change.
[Incarnation Exclusive Trait :: ‘Master of the Seventy-Two Demons of Wisdom’ changes its form!]
[Incarnation Exclusive Trait :: ‘Heir of a King Who Inherited Wisdom’.]
‘Heir of a king who inherited wisdom…’
Clang! At that moment, something dropped out of the red light. Min Jaeyoon caught it. It was a ring set with a large ruby of deep red.
[Item Info]
Name: Aggregate of Wisdom (L).
Type: An equipment item.
Effect: Recognized the magic formulas the user memorized in their head and stored them. The user could recall and use the stored formulas exactly without having to reconstruct them. It allowed storage by number and by combination.
Special note: States that it would never slip from the finger of an authenticated user, and that anyone who was not authenticated could not use it. Any magic formula the user already knew would be stored automatically as soon as they put the ring on.
As soon as he finished reading the effect, he slid the ring onto his finger without a hint of hesitation.
“…Thank you very much!”
[I really did pick the right incarnation, a perfect copy of myself, yes.]
His shamelessly sincere thanks carried not a trace of shame, and his Constellation replied with a satisfied true voice.
Min Jaeyoon immediately began assigning numbers to the magic formulas stored in the ring and started chanting again.
“Formula number one, and add number five on top of that. Control the mana with number four!”
The ring hummed and shone. In response to his words, the magic circle spread quickly beneath the beast.
The beast was still screaming. Jaeyoon raised a hand toward it and spoke.
“I am the guardian of Babylon’s Hole.”
As his calm voice continued, the magic circle hummed again and shone. The beast shrieked.
“I will seal you, who dare insult my people, right here in the prison of the bottomless pit.”
As he muttered, the ring on his finger shone. The beast thrashed and tried to break free of the circle.
‘Damn it…!’
He was short on mana. It seemed he was still far too lacking to swallow a beast this massive.
He was about to chant the binding spell again, but his gaze drifted, almost by habit, to the Lemegeton before him.
“…”
Without hesitation, he threw the Lemegeton into the magic circle. He no longer needed it.
The shortage of mana was quickly filled, and the red magic circle began to shine even more brightly. Min Jaeyoon chanted the binding spell again.
“Your body belongs to me, and your power also belongs to me. I am the guardian of Babylon’s Hole and the king of wisdom, and I am the faithful servant of Almighty Yahweh.”
Blood trickled from his eyes. Even so, he still did not have enough mana. He squeezed his eyes shut and shouted again.
“Beast of the Apocalypse!! Answer my call!!”
He coughed and finally spat hot blood from his lips. At last a huge hole opened beneath the beast.
Normally the chains of the Lemegeton would have wrapped around the beast.
‘Formula number ten.’
He had already read and reread every magic formula in the Lemegeton until they were burned into his mind.
His mana imitated those chains and slowly pushed the beast down into the hole.
[Summoner Exclusive Basic Skill :: ‘Contract’ activates!]
‘You will see, you will see! I will have revenge. I will never forget this humiliation. Never…!’
The beast spewed demonic energy in every direction. Yet despite its last desperate struggle, a message window symbolizing complete victory rose up in front of Min Jaeyoon.
[A new summon has been added! :: Beast of the Apocalypse]
The red light finally faded and his knees gave out. He collapsed backward on the spot.
“Ah…”
His face was covered in blood. None of it felt real.
“It’s over…”
He lay there on his back, blood still flowing down his face, and closed his eyes. For now, that was enough. For now, he just wanted to sleep.
* * *
[The trait evolves!]
[Your understanding of your Constellation increases!]
[The trait evolves!]
[Your understanding of your Constellation increases!]
On the upper floor above him, Lude, no, the Lord of Chaos, looked up at the log window filled with messages.
Ever since he possessed Nari, her traits had evolved at a tremendous rate. He gave a crooked grin.
“Will this be enough? It is a little disappointing, but still.”
The Lord of Chaos smirked as he spoke. He could see the message windows between Constellations going wild.
A star of the cosmos had fallen to the ground.
The lofty Beast of the Apocalypse had become nothing more than the summoned beast of a mere incarnation. The Lord of Chaos grabbed his stomach and burst out laughing.
“Well, If I had devoured it myself, that would have been even better.”
If that had happened, it would have helped Nari’s power even more, but then the people on the side of Heaven might have declared that someone had touched their Constellation and marched from outer space to make war.
So it was best to leave the affairs of Heaven to the Constellations of Heaven.
One more rival had disappeared. That alone was already a huge gain.
There was no way the Constellation supporting Min Jaeyoon could ever defeat them anyway.
It had been worth helping that annoying brat with genuine sincerity, even though he had not liked him. The Lord of Chaos grinned.
“Nari. Our cute youngest. Soon this will be our world. So please, work just a little harder.”
He slowly released his possession. Very soon, truly very soon, their time would come.