The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 162

Heinn Warlock bitterly realized that he had been dragged into a familiar place amidst the storm of illusions that separated them from the bustle of the streets.

It was Nitherblack, a forgotten realm located in Adcen County, in the city of Nedce, south of Nature Province.

Heinn could not suppress the sharp smile that spread across his face as he stared at the cursed figure.

"Why did you bring me here?"

The cursed figure inhabiting Joxel's body let out a chuckle.

"...I want to live," the cursed figure replied, its voice sounding like a broken microphone.

Heinn raised an eyebrow.

"By taking over that man's body?" he asked, opening his palm.

At that gesture, the cursed figure, which had almost completely taken control of Joxel's body, slowly stepped back.

Set!

Heinn Warlock appeared at the cursed figure's right side like a flash of light. With an open palm filled with endless darkness and emptiness, he patted the cursed figure's shoulder.

Pluk!

"Hah!?"

The cursed entity screamed hysterically as the illusionary world it had created, using a storm of wind mixed with dust that allowed Heinn Warlock to see a distorted Nitherblack, began to waver.

With a serious expression, Heinn Warlock began separating the living curse from his friend's body.

He knew that once the curse was within his magical grasp through Extraction, two consequences would follow, and Joxel, freed from the curse, would die within seconds of the separation if he was not saved immediately.

However, with his composure and expertise in dealing with magical objects and curse-like entities attached to Joxel's soul, Heinn instantly destroyed Joxel's body and restored it intact using the first-level Exorcist ability, Retrieval.

Ah!

The living curse and Joxel could not hold back their groans.

Executing two simultaneous attacks, despite facing something nearly impossible to overcome, Heinn dropped to his knees on the stone-paved road, and Nitherblack, which the living curse had previously displayed, reverted back to the restaurant courtyard.

Kevin, whose soul had previously been extracted by Hein Warlock through physical contact, returned to his body after Heinn himself fell to his knees, his chest heaving while his arm turned black and throbbed as though alive!

The remnants of the storm illusion had not yet collapsed as Heinn fought against the curse spreading throughout his body.

Second by second, minute by minute, Heinn Warlock tried to separate the curse from himself.

However, because the primary condition for separation was physical or magical contact, he failed completely as the living curse constantly shifted positions and even split itself apart.

His mind no longer functioned as it normally did while his chest rose and fell, and Heinn himself had forgotten how to breathe properly.

"This curse is unbelievably stubborn too."

'Should I buy one of those sealing bottles from that old man's shop to deal with this curse that's appeared three times now?'

In the middle of the critical situation, Heinn suddenly pictured the man's smile, that hypnotic smile meant to make him spend every last coin he had on the man's occult items.

Only a few seconds later did he remember that using that technique did not require physical or magical contact.

Heinn smiled bitterly as he tried to stand, staggering toward the mailbox on the right side of the restaurant and began striking it.

From within, the remnants of the living curse were stunned as they realized what Heinn Warlock was doing.

"Hey, hey... pathetic human! What exactly are you trying to do...?" the curse asked in panic.

It wanted to escape from his body, but the attempt never came to fruition as it plunged into endless darkness and emptiness.

'What? What just happened?'

It had happened so quickly that it seemed detached from time itself. The curse pulsated within the darkness and emptiness after realizing it had been defeated by him once again.

7:59 in the morning.

'Damn lowly human. I'll return, just wait until that man loses his sense of purpose and his emotions.'

Since the curse could return to Joxel's body as it had claimed, the living curse remained trapped within the endless darkness and emptiness.

In the restaurant courtyard, time remained unchanged, as though the previous events had never occurred.

Heinn Warlock sat there, chest heaving, opening his pocket watch with trembling hands and staring blankly at it. He realized that extracting his own soul and placing it inside the mailbox while leaving his body behind like an empty cocoon had been the worst possible choice, though it had also freed him from the curse.

7:59.

'Insane and incredible. That curse is becoming stronger, and it seems creatures like it will cause disasters that push humanity to the brink of extinction!'

Heinn remained seated, letting his tailcoat become filthy while continuing to stare at his pocket watch.

'Eight seconds, nine seconds, ten seconds.'

Click.

The pocket watch snapped shut before he slipped it back into the pocket of his black tailcoat.

As expected, only ten seconds had passed since the curse appeared and disappeared. Yet the battle that had felt like several hours inside Heinn's mind had actually taken place while time itself remained frozen at 7:59 in the morning.

Furthermore, Heinn Warlock was suffering from the side effects of excessive technique usage that had drained the spirituality within his body.

His vision blurred as he looked at people who were actually wearing suits, yet those clothes no longer appeared normal and instead looked like drifting fog.

From the very beginning, the strange sight unsettled him. He knew that when a Receiver possessing his ability, or any of the other fourteen abilities, used them excessively or overused them, they would suffer consequences after expending too much spirituality and begin seeing things stored within a Receiver's memories, along with other fragments connected to everyday life.

'Joxel, Joxel...'

Heinn Warlock hissed through clenched teeth.

'If it weren't for me, well... I'd be dead too.'

As people continued staring at him, even though Heinn could not see their faces, he rose from his seat and returned to the restaurant.

The people who had previously been filing complaints about letters that never arrived in their hometowns saw a man staggering along and felt their hearts soften.

While their anger scattered like dust carried by the wind, about five of them turned around and helped the unfortunate man in the hat.

"Are you alright?" asked a mustached man wearing a classic hat.

Heinn raised an eyebrow.

"...Who are you?" he asked in confusion.

One of the men immediately recognized the person they were helping.

"Oh? You're the guy who was standing in line behind me, aren't you?"

Heinn could not see the man's face clearly.

"Yes," he replied hesitantly.

Then, two seconds later, he quickly added,

"I can walk on my own. Thank you for your kindness in helping me."

Heinn looked at the vague figure whose entire body except for the face was covered in fog before walking toward the restaurant.

The five men shook their heads and returned to the post office for the same purpose as before.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Heinn Warlock walked toward the left side of the building, to the long waiting bench a few meters from the restroom.

He sat there, not knowing what had happened to his friends while being unable to see anything except fog and vague silhouettes.

....

February 4th, 1544, according to the Star Calendar.

More than a year had passed since the curse had appeared for the third time within Joxel's body.

Kevin let out a short sigh.

"Free time like this, in the same place as last year... I never realized how quickly things could change," Kevin said, recalling both painful and happy memories.

'Especially that woman,' he added inwardly with a chuckle.

Several hours later, one year ago, Kevin had awakened in the chair where he had been sitting and noticed the strange behavior of Heinn Warlock, who sat leaning back with eyelids that made him look like a ghost from an old legend.

With the help of a restaurant employee, Kevin bowed, thanked her, and offered her a tip.

At first, the employee refused, and Kevin knew from her actions that she was merely being polite or engaging in simple courtesy.

With one little trick, he slipped 3 Pace into the pocket of her tailcoat, causing the woman's expression to sour.

At the time, Kevin immediately chuckled, and from that moment onward, "she" became Kevin's lover around September and remained so to this day.

His two companions knew absolutely nothing about it, though they had noticed Kevin's suspicious behavior and his habit of always choosing this restaurant as their primary place for relaxation.

"Yeah," Heinn nodded while dipping a biscuit into his coffee and eating the soggy biscuit while suppressing a smile.

A strange hobby had taken root in Heinn Warlock's mind after that incident!

"About that curse," Joxel said, holding his breath, "have you sealed it already?"

Heinn nodded with a biscuit still stuck in his mouth.

"...It was sealed by that old man."

"Huh? Be more specific!" Joxel said, his voice nearly rising.

Heinn Warlock chewed the biscuit before speaking in his hoarse voice. "It was sealed by Ndowi."

"Oh? That old man with the pointed hat?"

Heinn nodded.

"Yes, but he doesn't wear that hat anymore."

"...At death's door?" Kevin interrupted with one hand resting on the table.

Both of them stared with their mouths hanging open after hearing the unpleasant remark.

"Watch your mouth! Whatever else he may be, he's the one who saved you."

Kevin felt guilty, slapped his forehead, and waved a hand.

"Sorry, I was only joking," Kevin said, his lips trembling.

Heinn Warlock rose from his seat. His gaze swept across the surroundings, the foggy streets and black-and-white steam nearly forming clouds overhead.

"We're going to help that poor old man..."

The two of them immediately understood why Heinn Warlock had called them together, though Kevin had been the one who chose the meeting place.

Joxel rose from his seat and stared at him for several seconds.

'Is he really going to do it?'

He didn't know, but Heinn Warlock was the 'Soul King,' hunted and feared by anyone who knew that title.

"Let's go," Joxel said, turning around and walking ahead first.

The two of them left the restaurant terrace, while Kevin remained standing beside the cushioned mahogany chair.

'Where is she right now? Is she working?'

His eyes swept left and right through the window glass reflecting sunlight as he searched for his beloved.

Unable to find her from where he stood, Kevin suddenly glanced toward the two of them, who were both staring at him.

"What's wrong?" Joxel asked, his eyes studying the oddity in Kevin's behavior.

Kevin hesitated for a moment.

"I need to take a piss," Kevin replied with his eyes closed while scratching the back of his hair.

The two of them immediately turned away and resumed walking at Kevin's insistence.

Not long afterward, after watching his two friends move farther away, Kevin entered the restaurant.

Two steps inside, he spotted his lover wearing a golden-brown uniform.

"Karina?"

His lover immediately noticed Kevin's presence and hurried over to him.

"Why did you come here? Where are your friends?"

"They've already left," Kevin replied, then his expression turned serious. "I won't be visiting you like usual. I have a job I want to finish."

Karina smiled in relief upon hearing that Kevin had found work again.

"Be careful with that job, and I'll keep the promise I made back then."

Kevin smiled, placing his bowler hat against his chest before walking out of the restaurant and following the two of them.