Chapter 12: All Transactions Are Prepaid (2)
Keter was no stranger to cursed weapons like Amaranth.
Demon Blade Aporphis.
He had once borrowed it briefly from the Godfather of Liqueur. As it was cursed, the blade demanded a portion of his lifespan each time it was used. After using it about twelve times, Keter discerned the source of its power.
It possesses the properties of both aura and mana.
Aura was almost impossible to transform but was extremely powerful. It also rapidly dissipated if it lost contact with the body. Mana, on the other hand, was easily transformable but lacked strength. Unlike aura, it retained its form and spells even when disconnected from the body.
Impressed by Keter’s discovery of the secret of Ein, Aporphis deemed him worthy and offered to teach him the method of acquiring Ein, the power of the void, in exchange for ten years of his life.
No thanks.
However, Keter declined Aporphis’ offer. Through trial and error, he succeeded in merging mana and aura—he had gained the power of Ein on his own. It was incomplete, but Keter eventually realized that he could control Aporphis.
Thanks to the experience at that time, Keter thought that he could handle Amaranth as well, which turned out to be true. The total amount of power possessed by the Demon Bow far exceeded Keter, but it ultimately operated through humans as intermediaries.
Humans who were unaware of the existence of Ein were unable to respond to Amaranth and were taken over helplessly. But Keter, who knew about Ein better than anyone, used Amaranth’s power against it to subdue it.
If one could handle the power of Ein, using cursed weapons was no longer a threat.