Chapter 292
Chapter 292
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 292
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon Uses Magic (2)
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The essence of magic is drawing maximum efficiency from minimal mana.
Even when creating a single fireball, it's about how much less mana you can use to produce the same power.
A mage's capability is evaluated by that standard.
Chanting speed or mana capacity are separate talents.
So, one idea came to mind.
Can demonic qi be used for magic?
The maximum power from minimal mana.
If I convert the ambient mana into demonic qi and use it as material for spells, I could achieve at least three or four times the efficiency of the magic I've developed so far.
Of course, there's a clear difference between mana with attributes that aid spellcasting and demonic qi.
It's not about one being better or worse; their essences are fundamentally different, to the point where in extreme cases, demonic qi can't be used for magic at all, or I might have to forge it directly like executing a martial technique.
There's a specific reason for my obsession with magic.
Having learned from the Heavenly Demon countless times in the past, my martial prowess has reached its peak.
There are no shortcomings in fist-and-kick techniques.
I need more power and firepower.
The tighter time got, the more urgent my heart grew.
To achieve that, I was even considering opening a host bar somewhere.
"Lee Si-heon. You were lost in thought, weren't you?"
Even touching this monster of a sage felt ambiguous.
She's no ordinary person—how could I even seduce her?
"Focus."
"Fo-cus!"
I stroked Sephirot on my lap while continuing to move the pen.
The problems weren't registering well today.
"If there's anything you don't know, feel free to ask anytime."
Still, the learning progressed smoothly.
Once this lesson ended, it would be like taking one step closer to Huangdo.
Having received teachings from Heavenly Path, White Path, and Huangdo, I'd always wanted to catch up to their power.
Huangdo was treated as an unparalleled grand mage in the current world, a noble beyond reach.
Even the sage held her talent in high regard.
Maronie possessed talent similar to Huangdo's. That was why the sage had her eye on her.
I had no idea what motives this neutral-pursuing fellow had for approaching Maronie or Cornus.
For now, I had to follow in Huangdo's footsteps on my own.
*****
-Scratch, scratch.
The sound of the pen moving.
It was gradually getting closer.
Three days.
We were at the stage of wrapping up the assignment the sage had first given us.
I'd prepared to pull all-nighters if needed and kept studying, while Maronie, finding this volume hard to digest in three days, sat beside me.
-Flip.
The page-turning sound came right from nearby.
-Creak.
The chair scraped against the floor tiles.
A cat approached cautiously.
Soon, tap— Maronie's head touched my shoulder.
Lately, Blanche's skinship had been excessively frequent.
"Blanche."
"……."
No response. Looking aside, Maronie had her eyes closed.
It was obvious she was pretending to sleep.
This damn cat had picked up only the bad habits, mimicking Cornus's antics toward me from time to time.
"Tired?"
I stopped the pen and slightly raised my hand.
Waving my palm in front of Maronie's face.
Her long eyelashes faintly trembled, sensing the breeze or warmth.
"Sigh."
With my sigh, her shoulder twitched slightly.
She knew I'd noticed, but admitting it would be too embarrassing, so she tensed her eyelids further, desperately feigning sleep.
I glanced at the book above Maronie.
Traces of notes filling the white pages tightly.
Flipping back without her knowing, she'd long since solved her share of problems.
She'd been pretending to work on the middle pages while just staying by my side.
'Since when has she been like this?'
Probably since the day I resolved Cornus's milk issue.
Her behavior had seemed suspicious. Had she noticed? After that day, her masturbation frequency and clinginess had spiked noticeably.
I hadn't experienced enslavement myself, so I didn't know.
I couldn't grasp what emotions drove Maronie to pretend to sleep like this.
But her actions were those of a woman completely smitten.
At dinner, if there were sausages, she'd insist on giving me an extra one.
If I, stuffed, passed it to Cornus, she'd glare at me with the face of an abandoned kitten, shocked.
Then, as if getting revenge, one of my clothes would always go missing that night.
I didn't know what she did under the covers, but there was rustling.
At first, I thought it was some curse doll and nearly freaked out.
"If it's this bad, should I help relieve it?"
After releasing her lust once, Maronie didn't react intensely to touch.
-Twitch.
Her face shook at my voice.
Her breath quickened slightly, as if anticipating. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed.
Assignments first.
With only a few left, I solved them while Maronie hung on my right shoulder.
By the time I finished, it was 3 a.m.
Everyone else was asleep, so I finally shook Maronie's shoulder lightly.
She still didn't wake.
No choice—I scooped her up by hooking under her knees and shoulders.
-Gasp.
Maronie held her breath in surprise. I roughly covered her book, left it on the desk, and headed to her room.
-Click.
Cornus had been pulling all-nighters lately too.
She seemed deeply investigating the Cornerus family's experiments, and the sage was assisting her somehow.
"Mm…"
Cornus mumbled in her sleep on my bed at the door sound.
This one had learned bad habits from Maronie too, commandeering my bed whenever possible.
Unlike Maronie's lewd intentions, she sought her mother's scent from me, so I let it slide with broad-mindedness.
Though falling asleep amid Cornus's body scent was enough to drive me mad.
I laid Maronie on the bed in the darkness.
Knowing she was faking, I gently placed her on the sheets. Her eyelids fluttered open over her flushed face.
As I turned to leave, Maronie grabbed me.
"……."
"Blanche?"
No answer—she gripped tightly with her hand—
Then slightly lifted her eyelids, looking at me with tear-wet eyes.
Today's contact had been unusually excessive, as if planned.
Her spirit power as a sacred tree wasn't ordinary.
Considering that, was she truly struggling?
I'd never used the Spirit King's power myself—it was a trembling force even for me.
As she pulled my arm harder, my body tilted over.
-Thud, thud.
My feet shifted twice, head lowering.
I asked one last time.
"Really struggling?"
Maronie's lips parted slightly.
She tried to speak but couldn't bring it out, instead digging her nails into my arm.
I didn't know what the Spirit King's power would do.
It was growing bit by bit each day.
The walking pheromone ability was one gained from the Spirit King's power.
More such abilities would emerge one by one.
Some might even be beyond my control.
"…Can't hold back?"
-Nod.
"Ha… Even not knowing what'll happen, okay?"
"……."
"You're mentally fragile, Blanche. I said it's my power, but I don't know what'll happen either."
I needed to comfort her and guide her out of the brainwashing.
Should I try being rough?
Treat her harshly enough to burn away all her attachments to me.
No.
Right now, Maronie might stop eating from shock at my actions.
"…You."
Then Blanche spoke.
"You… made me like this."
"That's why—"
"I won't ask for everything… just a little."
She's whining.
Or maybe not even that. Maronie had held back remarkably well until now.
Even if it was only four days. I didn't know the depth of the brainwashing.
I stayed silent for a long while, then covered my face and sighed.
"…Come to the bathroom."
Maronie finally opened her eyes and sat up as I lifted her slightly.
Her face was deeply flushed, but also filled with ecstasy.
-Click.
I let Maronie enter the bathroom first, then closed the door.
I didn't turn on the light.
Without spreading mana, I couldn't see Maronie's expression.
I could barely make out her movements.
Maronie sat on the toilet.
"How do you want it? But no finishing inside."
I made one firm request.
It couldn't lead to sex.
This was true addiction.
Most who'd overlapped bodies showed the same reaction.
Even the chaste Azalea tormented me at night.
If I gave enslaved Maronie everything she asked, it could be disastrous.
"…The light?"
"Like this."
"Okay."
Maronie's hand grabbed my waist first.
I stood, she sat on the toilet, so it was inevitable.
Fumbling, caressing my stomach, Maronie rose slightly and hugged me first.
"……Hnnngh."
-Thump thump.
I heard her heartbeat loudly.
"Hear it? …My sound. This is really… not my true feelings, right?"
"Blanche."
"…Tell me. Lee Si-heon. It's really, really not?"
"Don't be deluded."
At my firm words, Maronie seemed a bit hurt, digging nails into my back.
"I still don't get it."
Maronie's hands reached up, caressing my cheeks.
Feeling every contour of my face with her skin. She spent a long time memorizing it.
Short in stature, her head nestled into my chest.
Was it her tongue licking? My clothes dampened over it.
Her scent soon filled the bathroom.
-Click.
She began fondling my belt.
"Hey, that's…."
"Just a little…. As long as it doesn't go in…."
"Still."
I hadn't seen the process of hand-holding escalating to deep throating?
Maronie gripped my body tightly again. No matter how she dug her nails, no marks remained on my skin.
"…You only do it for her?"
"What?"
"Cornus…. Just lovers, right? I'm… just brainwashed?"
She'd clearly misunderstood something.
She must have seen that scene then.
Was it even evolving into jealousy?
"……I like you too…."
"Hey, so."
"Not now! Right now…."
She completely blocked my words.
Then her action was fondling my pants.
It began to rise bit by bit.
Hadn't been with anyone lately, so the reaction came immediately.
As I unzipped, my member sprang out.
Maronie gazed ecstatically at it scraping from her solar plexus to lower abdomen.
It had gone all the way. Was that the expression?
Legs weakening, seated on the toilet, she rested her concave nose atop it on her face.
"…."
-Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
The heartbeat grew louder.
*****
[Chapi~]
Star's voice echoed over the phone.
Chapi smiled happily, smartphone wedged between shoulder and ear.
"Hey, Star."
[How's work? Going well?]
"Ah~ Of course. Bead's still under surveillance. Other hunters? Well, gotta see."
Blood crept under her sneakers.
Hating the dirt, Chapi stepped back.
[Counting on you!]
"…Yeah, yeah. With the vice chairman speaking up, how could I slack? Gotta snag some crumbs like this. Right, future chairman?"
[Future chairman? Too much~]
That old Mugong was excessively conservative.
Or devoted to his nation.
To elevate Korea's status, he'd spare nothing.
That was why the Korean Hunter Association branch stood tallest.
No one surpassed Mugong to begin with.
Thus, Korea was treated as advanced.
Absolute diplomatic edge. Mana stone priority. Etc.
His clear goals made him blind to surroundings like a boomer.
Whereas Star… had flexibility.
Why Chapi liked her.
[So, the traitors?]
Star's voice sank.
"Sent them. There."
Pocketing the phone, Chapi looked down again.
Bodies torn to shreds.
[Confirmed.]
"Yeah. Good work, Rehu."
[Rehu~]
Chapi ended the call and pocketed the smartphone.
Then stomped the corpses underfoot.
"…Fu, fucking hell. Why…. We were stronger."
"Corpses talking."
Thigh flesh burst.
The man squeezed his eyes shut, unable to scream.
"You mentors or what? Spreading Flower ideology?"
"……It wasn't a numbers game."
"Kukukukuku."
A thick laugh bloomed.
"Kuhahahahaha. Look at this arrogant prick. That's why I hate you young ones. Think you're hot shit?"
"……!"
"Well, modern S-ranks. Stronger than old times, sure. I ignore post-98… no, 05? Anyway, pre-that, but improved from Heavenly Demon era."
"…Damn it."
"But listen."
They had a huge misconception.
"Become S-rank, wield some power, act like you own the world. Think joining Flower flips this stalemate? You stronger than gods?"
"……Kuhk."
The man winced at the crude insults.
"Kuhuhu. Amazing."
Chapi looked up.
Seven sprawled corpses.
"Us being same S-rank."
"…You bitch!"
"S-rank has clear tiers. Fuck, look at this. A-rank sneaks killing civilians gets S-rank disaster treatment. Heavenly Demon, Spirit King same S-rank."
Rank games were a joke.
You don't know till you fight.
"You won't die easy."
Thus, the over seven S-rank hunters Chapi killed.
Ultimately, all middling bastards.
"Know that, asshole."
Chapi stomped the man's head.
-Splash!
Skull burst. Eyeball rolled on floor.
Summary execution. Those who joined Flower committed that sin.
Didn't matter good or evil—they touched her rice bowl.
"…Bitter taste."
Chapi's body armor peeled away slowly.
Full power after ages, blood sprayed from her mouth.
"Kuhu, shit's about to hit soon."
Forest Keeper selection. Traitors handled, but unknowns remained.
How many more here?
Dark clouds gathered over the world.