Chapter 30
Chapter 30: Reappearance (3)
If you think of the world as a human body, black mages are the equivalent of cancerous tumors.
Just when you think you’ve eradicated them, they suddenly revive again.
“Ooh! Lord Lu-kan!!! Descend upon this place!”
When black mages reveal themselves and begin their activities.
They call the act of summoning demons their “reappearance.”
‘No matter how many times I hear it, it’s disgusting nonsense.‘
Erik regarded such black mages as malignant tumors, or cancerous masses.
That’s why he called himself a very powerful vaccine.
“The Empire’s cancer has relapsed.”
In the gloomily melted forest.
Black magic power rippled over the dark earth, and the squelching energy stole away all life.
“Wh-who are you!”
In the gray world appeared a massive paladin radiating brilliant golden light.
Paladin Erik is a pilgrim, a judge of evil who wields holy divinity.
“Two specimens should be enough to hand over to the Imperial Magic Tower.”
Erik dreams.
Of the extermination of black mages.
Kuwoong.
Erik stepped forward with force.
The earth shook, and the black mage’s body briefly floated into the sky.
At this, the black mage flinched again.
“Wh-what do you mean by specimen.”
“Just bear with it a little. You’ll know soon enough.”
Five years ago.
Thanks to Riferoze and Erik’s activities, the black mages in the Empire’s capital went into hiding.
Though they say “went into hiding,” in reality they had all been killed.
But then suddenly black mages took over the second floor of the Labyrinth?
‘Where on earth did they pop out from?‘
There are five Labyrinth entrances in the world: one each in the Empire and the three kingdoms, and one more in the Demon Realm.
The lower floors of the Labyrinth are divided into separate spaces for each entrance.
In other words, the Empire’s lower floors can only be entered from the Empire.
‘Are you saying those bastards were all hiding in the capital?‘
It simply made no sense.
What kind of place is the capital?
District 5, the filthy slums, have been thoroughly managed under Boss Marco’s name.
District 4 has the Religious Order regularly visiting for volunteer work and purification activities.
Moreover, District 3 is the land of adventurers who favor holy water, while Districts 2 and 1 were the Empire’s heart where noble blood lives.
“Did they create a shortcut connected to the Empire’s Labyrinth?”
As Erik finished his thought and asked.
Heumchit.
The black mage’s robe trembled.
“From the way you handle black magic power, you’re not a possessor.”
But to have created a shortcut to the Labyrinth.
That means.
“A black mage class possessor is cooperating with you lot.”
If it’s a [Skill] of the [Black Mage] class, creating a shortcut to the Labyrinth would be possible.
Because possessors use the game system.
Erik reached a conclusion on his own.
‘He draws conclusions alone without asking?‘
At this, black mage Jollin felt puzzled.
The paladin’s build was quite large, and his face was so handsome it was almost alien—his physique and appearance were at a level where it wouldn’t be wrong to see him as a divine reappearance.
Yet his divine power seemed insignificant.
‘Something’s strange?‘
When Jollin examined Erik closely, peculiarities became visible.
The crisp imperial uniform.
Numerous insignias hung on his chest, and on his shoulders…
An old iron piece that didn’t match the luxurious uniform was attached.
‘Not imperial military…‘
Jollin recognized the emblem drawn on the iron piece.
‘Hm?‘
A long cross wrapped in six wings.
Below it was some inscription.
Though she didn’t know the meaning of the text, the emblem’s significance was clear.
Jollin calmly assessed the situation.
‘An Astia Religious Order paladin.‘
Behind him lay the corpse of a black mage with a burst heart, and on the corpse’s forehead were drawn four black lines.
That meant.
‘A paladin stronger than four lines.‘
Jollin took off her robe and raised both hands.
“W-wait!”
Black hair flowed down from under the robe.
It was beautiful as silk, and the face revealed between it was lovely.
She said.
“I-I surrender! I am a noble of the Garcian Kingdom, Jollin of House Alpen! Please treat me as a prisoner of war.”
It was the commonly known treaty regarding prisoner exchange between the Empire and the three kingdoms.
‘If I return to my homeland, I can clear the black mage charges.‘
Even as a black mage, she was still a noble belonging to the kingdom.
‘She’s spouting the prisoner exchange treaty here?‘
Erik’s mouth twisted crookedly, and his trapezius muscles twitched.
As he reached out, clenched his fist, and murmured.
“There is no mercy for black mages.”
“Wh-what do you.”
Peong!
Jollin couldn’t continue her words.
Her heart burst, and her body tilted.
Erik strode over and grabbed the falling Jollin’s hair.
The black locks were roughly seized, revealing the back of her head and behind her ears.
‘Things that gave up being human.‘
Behind her ear were three drawn lines.
Meaning she had killed people by the hundreds…
What?
Prisoner?
“So there are eight more of these bastards left?”
Erik gathered the two black mage corpses and headed back into the forest.
He had secured two specimens.
Now what remained was purification work.
***
“It really is the Empire!”
A possessor black mage appeared in the Garcian Kingdom.
He secretly communicated with the black mage organization and swallowed up the kingdom’s border county.
Using 10,000 sacrifices and the assistance of high-ranking black mages, the possessor installed a “portal.”
A portal connected to the Empire’s Labyrinth, no less.
“Malcolm, we’re on a mission, so sightseeing in the capital comes later.”
“We destroyed all the escape monuments on the second floor, so what’s there to worry about? Tobias, that’s why your achievements are slow—because you have so many distracting thoughts.”
Moreover, the [Black Mage Class] possessor even provided items to destroy the Labyrinth’s escape monuments.
Malcolm and Tobias moved through the portal to the Empire’s second floor right after the Labyrinth opened.
After that, they destroyed all the escape monuments and used the remaining one to arrive on Empire soil.
Their purpose was singular.
“Ruelle, Erik. We just need to catch one of them. The possessor said they’d be carrying it on their body.”
To find the relic used by the continent’s worst black mage player who harvested 660,000 lives.
“Don’t call them ‘possessor’—that person will soon become a senior member of our society.”
“That’s right, wasn’t the founding chairman also a possessor?”
Imperial capital Arman.
At the Labyrinth plaza in District 3, two black mages pushed through the crowd heading toward Ruelle’s church.
“But how do we distinguish who has the relic?”
“They said it’ll be worn, so it should be easy to spot.”
[Bound on Equip]
Possessor items have options that receive assistance from the [System].
Items that can’t be stored except in inventory—the possessor said they’d definitely be carrying it on their body.
“I need to be able to trust them.”
“Are you still going on about the lease scam? Idiot, what are you going to do about being tricked by your own side…”
“Kheuheum.“
Thanks to the [Invisibility Potion] the possessor provided, the two reached a location where the church was visible without any interference.
The invisibility potion’s effect ended, and the two revealed themselves.
“The item’s effect is reliable.”
“Plus, this community thing seems quite credible.”
In the possessors’ community, “Riferoze and Erik’s” notoriety was well-known.
The exterior of the church they stayed at in District 3 was also widely known.
With an attachment [photo] function from the start, there was no way they couldn’t recognize it.
Conveying photos as drawings was no trouble at all.
“Unlike the picture, there’s no church, just an orphanage.”
“Looks like they’re building a new one? Judging by the materials piled up and the priest giving directions.”
The two black mages approached the church site a bit more.
“…Huh. To think such a beauty actually exists.”
“That alluring figure, exactly as described. It’s definitely Ruelle.”
The two admired Ruelle’s beauty and held their breath for a moment.
See-through material clinging tightly to sacred robes and a gait that cinched at the pelvis.
Accordingly, long blonde hair swayed, and a lovely face reminiscent of a goddess’s manifestation stood out.
“An incredible beauty…”
“Kheuheum, heum. Let’s begin.”
The two had already gotten quite close to the church.
“Kids, is there any particular design you want?”
“Priestess Ruelle! I’d like lots of pillars in the prayer hall!”
“M-me too! And seats where even someone large like- Brother Erik could sit would be nice.”
“Right, it was sad seeing Brother Erik alone in the confession room every Sunday.”
The sounds of Ruelle and the children chattering away could be heard.
Everyday conversation imbued with consideration for those they’re with.
This was peace itself.
“We’ll take the little ones.”
“Right, there should be a labor fee.”
The black mages raised their energy, anticipating the despair that would bloom within this peace.
Kuooooooo!
A wave of black magic power arose.
The two each recalled the demons they served and drew magic circles.
Four clear lines appeared on their faces.
Jeolttuk. Jeolttuk.
Just then, some limping person approached.
A man with one side of his face covered in scars and a crude sword at his waist.
“Even the wealthy Empire is just empty fame.”
“We refuse harvests with no taste, but how about you eat him?”
Making frivolous jokes, the black mages continued their incantations.
Once they completed the magic circle and made their wishes, the demons would grant them.
Uooooooo!
A monstrous creature resembling a giant goat.
The form of a troll with four heads.
The moment the two demons manifested in the world as magic circles.
“Kkeuhihi. The time for lawful achievement!”
An old man’s grumbling voice was heard.
“Hehe, Marco will praise me.”
“He will!”
Before they knew it, two masked women appeared on either side.
“This is why the boss can’t go out with peace of mind.”
Jeolttuk.
The limping scarred man continued approaching the black mages.
He said.
“You eat one of the old men, and I’ll capture the remaining one alive.”
“Kkeuhihihihit! How long has it been since lawful predation!!!”
Seureung.
The limping man drew his sword.
“Are they insane?”
“That old man is one of our kind…”
“What kind are trash without marks on their face?”
Black mages Malcolm and Tobias glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes.
Though they drawled their words pretending to be relaxed, they clearly recognized this was an abnormal situation.
‘The magic circle is complete, yet no commotion is arising.‘
Two large demon forms appeared in the Empire’s capital.
Yet all around was quiet.
Jeolttuk.
Only the limping man’s approaching footsteps.
“Kkeuhihi.”
And the old man’s laughter, that was all.
“What have you done?”
Black mage Malcolm asked, and a strange response came.
“Looks like you’ll be the talkative one.”
“Kkeuhihihi! The remaining one is mine!”
A black mage with four lines.
He was undoubtedly strong enough to devour any decent knight.
He certainly was.
Jeolttuk.
Yet with the limping man before his eyes, he couldn’t gauge anything at all.
‘Authority doesn’t work.‘
Demons bestow one authority upon their contractors.
The authority Malcolm obtained was contempt for the weak, a power optimized for hunting prey.
“Tear through and run!”
At Malcolm’s shout, Tobias nodded. Sharing authority between black mages is basic.
“I’ll buy time.”
In an instant, Tobias manifested his authority.
“Lord Tol-kan. Show your authority!!”
Kkeudeuddeuk.
Responding to the black mage’s incantation, the form of the four-headed troll moved its body.
The heads on either side looked at the masked girls on the left and right.
The head in front targeted the limping man, while the head on the back of the skull faced the scrawny old man floating in the air.
Ueoeoeoeo!
An eerie noise arose.
The troll’s mouth opened as if tearing, and black liquid flowed.
They formed human shapes and moved toward the four people.
“Authority to summon minions. The level is low, but definitely useful.”
Malcolm looked at Tobias with admiration.
In his hand was a paper that looked like a ticket…
[Guild Home Transfer Ticket]
Not a divine miracle.
Not a spatial connection through magic circles.
“A possessor’s item.”
An item receiving the benefits of the [System].
If he tore that, the two would move to their base.
It certainly should have been that way.
“An item from the system shop.”
Jeolttuk.
Before he knew it, the limping man was standing right in front of him.
“Wh-what in the…”
Moreover, the two tickets in Malcolm’s hands had disappeared.
They were held in the twins’ hands.
“Isn’t this something the boss can’t buy?”
“The boss will like it.”
Just as he was completely confused.
Seureuk-tuk.
Janson’s sword moved.
It was merely drawing, an instant of drawing and sheathing the sword.
The sword was instantly drawn and disappeared, but along its trajectory, azure aura rippled.
And below it.
Tuduk-degureu.
Along with blood, a black heart fell.
The heart was still beating, and the body of the black mage who lost his heart collapsed like mud.
Those things squirmed toward the heart.
“M-Malcolm?”
Tobias, left alone, stepped backward at that bizarre phenomenon.
Then he sensed something strange.
‘My authority?‘
The authority to summon the dead using harvested souls as a medium…
“Because it’s four lines, the nutritional value-.”
Had it not become the old man’s meal?
All summoned creatures disappeared.
The scrawny old man had already changed into an ordinary build.
“Eat, old man.”
Kkeuhihihihihihi!
Eerie laughter spread all around.
The old man manifested authority toward the surviving Tobias.
“Predation.”
He doesn’t summon demons.
He doesn’t draw magic circles.
The old man’s black magic used himself as the medium, so he merely wielded authority.
Jjeoeok.
The old man’s body swelled blackly and imprisoned Tobias.
Hair-raising noises scattered from within the black curtain.
“Still disgusting. You ugly old man.”
Jjeojjeok-jjeok. Jjeuak.
At the voracious eating sounds, Janson grumbled and picked up the heart.
As he glared at the pulsating black mage’s heart with eyes full of disgust.
Tuk.
A hand landed on Janson’s shoulder.
‘What?‘
The twins are forming a barrier.
The old man is absorbed in eating.
One black mage was eaten, and one was captured in heart form.
Who is it?
‘I couldn’t catch their presence?‘
Janson slowly turned his head.
He saw the face of a top-priority protection target.
“Heuheup!“
It was the beautiful priestess Ruelle at close range.
‘There’s a reason the boss is desperate to protect her… She’s an absolute beauty.‘
Janson’s scars twitched.
He raised his gaze high to the sky to avoid being caught and put force in his brow.
Then Ruelle asked.
“You said you’re Erik’s subordinate? Can you explain what on earth is going on here?”
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