Chapter 99
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Perils of Black Magic
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I never expected Seoyun to immediately ask me to boost her power even further, just because she was shocked by the news that Joo Hyeri was living well.
I could understand Seoyun's feelings, but unfortunately, it was impossible right now.
"Like I said before, if I use the method I know, one wrong move and you'll end up crippled. No one's ever succeeded at it properly except me."
"Does that mean I can't do it? Is there no chance I could endure the method you mentioned, Master?"
"No, you can't. You can't even handle demonic energy properly yet, and even if you tried, your brain would melt right away."
This was purely based on my own experience.
Seoyun was only at the level of moving small fragments of demonic energy. If she tried to boost her power like that, disaster was inevitable.
It was like asking a newborn who couldn't even walk to move like an adult man.
It wasn't a matter of talent; she wasn't even at the starting line.
"No, no. It's impossible for you as you are now."
I shook my head firmly, denying it outright, but Seoyun's resolute gaze showed no sign of wavering.
"Master, is it really impossible for me right now?"
"Yes, it is. You know how the method works, so that's not what you're asking. If you really want to do it, you'd have to circulate demonic energy throughout your entire body to get used to it, and especially hammer it into your brain."
At that, Yejin, who had been listening beside me, cautiously raised her hand.
"Um, Oppa... Seoyun probably doesn't fully understand, so maybe explain why it's dangerous?"
Yejin's words made sense. It was better to help her understand why it couldn't be done rather than just saying no.
She wasn't a clueless child; she was an adult who could reason, so she'd get it once I explained.
"Hmm... Fine. I guess you'll only give up if I show you how dangerous it is. Listen carefully. Demonic energy itself isn't good for the human body to begin with."
The two of them looked startled for a moment upon hearing my words.
It made sense. I'd said demonic energy was the source for black magic, and black magicians held it in their bodies.
So hearing that holding demonic energy wasn't good sounded contradictory.
"Unlike the black magic I use, regular magicians also hold mana in their bodies. Mana is pure energy from nature, and since we live in nature, it's not wrong for the human body to contain it. But demonic energy is different."
"Uh, how is it different?"
"Demonic energy is a collection of negative energies, unlike mana. It comes from dead bodies or monsters like zombies outside. You can't treat it the same as mana. So, what do you think happens if you force it into a human body?"
The two couldn't answer right away.
They probably sensed something bad would happen from what I'd said so far, but couldn't pinpoint it exactly.
"Well, shoving demonic energy in doesn't make your body melt immediately. If it did, black magic wouldn't have developed that way; it'd just be about injecting demonic energy. But it does harm the body. It gradually weakens you, leading to a lingering illness and eventual death."
"So... black magicians can hold this harmful demonic energy in their bodies without issue?"
"That's the talent of a black magician. How much demonic energy you can hold. It's the starting point—being able to contain this harmful energy without dying. And their trait is being able to sense demonic energy itself."
Yejin nodded as if she understood.
"So, forcibly injecting demonic energy into my body would make it deteriorate?"
"Precisely when you continuously infuse it to get the body used to holding it. If you just shove demonic energy in, the body expels it naturally. No need to keep something harmful, right? The body reacts on its own."
"Then wouldn't it be better to use mana instead of demonic energy?"
Yejin asked a great question.
"Ironically, those talented in black magic lack talent for handling mana. I've confirmed this with every black magician."
"Ah... So black magicians feel like a downgrade somehow."
"You could see it that way. But black magicians can unleash overwhelming destructive power compared to regular ones. Even with the same energy amount, they output at least twice the force."
That was why I could take down the Demon King.
High-tier black magic infused with demonic energy had nearly killed him alongside the Demon King's castle.
Though it consumed a ton of demonic energy.
Seoyun, who had been listening to my conversation with Yejin, quietly raised her hand.
"Master, so making the body accustomed earlier means preventing the demonic energy from escaping?"
I felt good; she understood my explanation perfectly.
"Yes. You circulate demonic energy throughout the body to acclimate it, while also imprinting the energy deeply into the brain. That's why you hammer it into your head... and that's where the problem arises."
I tapped my head with my finger as I continued.
"Pounding demonic energy into the brain—one of the body's vital organs—is like walking the path to death yourself. I've seen countless people go crippled from forcing this method and damaging their brains."
"Ugh... That's scary."
"There was a method to just let demonic energy flow through the whole body without targeting the head, but for rapid power growth, infusing the brain was the way. And the risk was too high."
As I explained diligently, my eyes met Seoyun's, who was listening intently.
"To do this, you obviously need the control to circulate demonic energy throughout the body while concentrating it in the brain. Got it? It's impossible for you as you are now."
The method I'd used was completely out of reach for Seoyun.
After hearing my full explanation, Seoyun bowed her head with sad eyes.
I knew how she felt, so watching her made me a bit sorry too.
Yejin, who'd listened alongside, seemed to pity her and hugged her, patting her back.
But impossible was impossible.
There was nothing I could do about it.
I wanted to help Seoyun too, but all I could do right now was keep supplying demonic energy for her to practice control.
Actually improving her power was up to her own efforts.
And so, Seoyun's earnest plea crashed against the wall of harsh reality and came to naught.
It was bedtime, so Seoyun returned to her room, and Yejin and I lay down on the bed together.
"Seeing Seoyun like that is so heartbreaking... Her body was covered in terrible scars. I hope she can get strong enough to get revenge on that Joo Hyeri woman."
"I know. But there's no helping it. We can't gamble on low odds when lives are at stake."
"True... Oppa, is there really no other way? Besides the method you know."
I understood Yejin's concern for Seoyun, but I didn't know any other methods.
Having mostly self-taught black magic, I hadn't considered alternatives.
This one was the fastest and most effective.
I'd seen tons of black magicians try to copy my rapid growth and end up crippled.
They got complacent because they handled demonic energy daily, thinking infusing the brain wouldn't be much different—and then it all went wrong.
And you couldn't just push through ignoring side effects.
The pain was excruciating... like your head splitting in half—no, far worse. Like someone crushing your skull like juicing fruit.
Many bailed early because the agony hit before any side effects.
Anyway, as I keep saying, for Seoyun now, all I can do is steadily provide demonic energy for control practice.
"How about you directly inject demonic energy into Seoyun's body? While watching over her to make sure she doesn't mess up!"
"That won't work either. Ultimately, she needs to gather demonic energy in her dantian and acclimate her body to it. Even if I inject from outside, if Seoyun can't gather it properly, it's useless."
"What if you directly put it into her body?"
I couldn't help but laugh at Yejin's question.
"Even if I did, the best I could do is from outside the skin. By then, it'd scatter before reaching the dantian."
That approach was way too inefficient. Better for me to do my part and wait for Seoyun to raise her power on her own.
Sticking my hand into someone's body to infuse demonic energy was absurd anyway.
I couldn't drill a hole near the dantian and shove my hand in.
People don't have holes in their bodies...
Huh?