Chapter 295
Chapter 295
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 295
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon Casts Magic (4)
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-BOOM!
A massive mana storm engulfs the entire training ground.
Black misty swirls ripple outward like explosions all around.
This was already the several-th time.
“……”
For a guy who had only just dipped his toes into the demonic path, creating original magic—was that even plausible?
Something felt off.
Was it that demonic energy and mana had natures that clashed completely?
Rather than relying on precise mana spellwork, it leaned on instinct and talent, leaving the path ahead pitch black.
-Thud!
Leaning back in his chair, he lost his balance and toppled over backward.
The back of his head didn't hurt. But from constantly squeezing out demonic energy, his right arm had gone numb, as if paralyzed.
“Huff... huff... Shit.”
No need to nitpick every detail.
He'd thought it was doable at first, but it was absolutely impossible.
The Heavenly Demon's revolutionary, peerless power when wielded through martial arts.
As expected from a world outside the martial realm, it rebelled like a being with its own ego the moment it encountered magic.
-This bastard's using sorcery!!! Sorcery!!!
He recalled the warriors of Peach Blossom Paradise who screeched that in his head at every opportunity.
'Martial artists don't shun magic—they just can't use it.'
The nature of mana varied wildly by era and individual.
'Internal energy' didn't mesh with modern magic either.
Instead, they resorted to poisons, illusions, and shamanistic rites.
'I should look into that angle.'
Back when the martial world dominated the East, they wielded spells through internal energy.
Eden was stocked with every manner of tome.
Naturally, there were ones on the martial world—even on Peach Blossom Paradise.
-Creak.
As he lay there mulling it over, the attic door swung open.
The hem of a white dress filled his immediate view.
She descended the stairs calmly in her heels, gazing down at him from above with the Sage's smiling face.
“Si-heon, not going well, is it?”
A soft, pleasant voice.
After spending time together, her way of addressing him had settled on “Si-heon.”
“Yes.”
“Hehe, so honest.”
“It's just such a tricky power to handle... It puts a ton of strain on the body too.”
“I was surprised... I figured it was a power whose lineage had died out ages ago.”
Lineage died out?
Hadn't considered Heavenly Path?
If Heavenly Path was this era's Heavenly Demon, they should be able to wield demonic energy.
Her reaction—not knowing he could use it—made him furrow his brow.
'Tch.'
He generally avoided unnecessary displays of power.
Not knowing how much the Sage knew about him left his guard a bit slack.
Of course, he planned to pry knowledge out of her in exchange.
“No advice?”
In the position of student, she readily answered such questions.
Especially about magic—she even covered aspects he hadn't thought to ask.
At his query, the Sage pondered briefly before flashing a bright smile.
“Marronie would know best. Why not ask her?”
Marronie...
Yeah, she was just as obsessed with magic.
He tore his gaze from beneath her skirt and rose casually to his feet.
Advice received—time to act.
He dusted off his hands, flipped over the spell formulas he'd scribbled, and stretched.
“Got it.”
“Good luck. I like people who research magic.”
“...Yes, yes.”
He tossed out a half-hearted reply and turned away.
Oh, right.
Halting midway, he turned back to the Sage.
“By the way, Sage.”
“Yes?”
“...Big teddy bear fan, huh?”
Lacked any sense of shame, maybe.
From up close, she seemed totally oblivious to exposure.
Just moments ago, he'd been sprawled out, yet she'd approached without hesitation.
An embroidered teddy bear on a white background.
And a pretty small size, at that.
“……”
The Sage clamped her mouth shut, at a loss for words.
“...Something wrong?”
Her voice sliced sharp, like a master artisan's honed blade.
“G-Gonna go do some research.”
“M-Mocking someone's tastes—”
Ignoring the Sage's sudden stutter, he bolted from the spot as fast as he could.
“Lee Si-heon!”
First time hearing her drop the honorifics.
It felt exhilarating, like he'd bashed her rational skull black and blue.
His personal victory after a week.
*****
Neither he nor Marronie slept a wink for a good while.
That was how tough crafting magic really was.
“Nighty!”
-Creak!
The door swung open to a thick wave of sweat.
Marronie, perched in her chair with oversized glasses, startled and looked his way.
“...Ah, Si-heon? W-Why are you here all of a sudden?”
Magnifying lenses that dwarfed her petite face.
Somehow, it doubled the cuteness.
Her white lab coat hung several sizes too big, dragging across the floor.
“W-Wait a sec... I haven't washed my hair today...”
As he closed in, she shoved her wheeled chair backward in retreat.
He lunged faster, hugging her from above.
Her face flushed beet red—cheeks just begging to be pinched.
“Sniff sniff. Smells fine.”
“...Ah, uh. Uuugh...”
He planted a finger on her crown and bowed her head down.
Since that day, their distance had shrunk dramatically.
Whenever she got the chance, she'd sidle up demanding hugs or to sleep together, throwing tantrums—and for some reason, he went along with it.
His mind insisted on keeping space, steeling his resolve.
But she looked so miserable, his heart softened.
“Let... go... Pwease...”
She poked at his chest, voice all shy.
Reluctantly, he released her and dragged over another chair to sit.
A quick scan of the cramped lab revealed plentiful traces of her grueling work.
Over a hundred A4 sheets.
Magitech computers, hand-sketched graphs, spell formulas.
Even Tree Runes—symbols far more intricate than the ones he used.
Her scale was worlds apart from his. The gap was obvious.
The Sage's advice to consult Marronie wasn't just lip service.
“...What's going on?”
Marronie, finally regaining composure, peered up at him cautiously.
The height difference made even sitting yield her cutest angle.
Her hair was elegant too. French women chased that effortless vibe, or so they said.
“Pretty hair.”
“Just... styled it. Whatever.”
Chignon.
The Korean equivalent was a messy bun—varied by direction and method.
Caught off guard by the compliment, she slapped both hands over her cheeks.
“Hee.”
Look at that smile.
Anyway, he hadn't come to praise her hair.
“Got a problem.”
“What problem? Spill.”
“Magic. Trying to make some, but it won't gel.”
Marronie switched to dead serious in an instant, like he was probing for specifics.
It let him open up freely.
Without mentioning “demonic energy,” of course.
Could a power utterly alien to mana's nature even integrate into magic?
Marronie agonized over it like it was her own dilemma.
“...Maybe shamanism?”
She set down her magnifying glasses and flipped open one of her towering book stacks.
“If it's that field, the martial world's loaded with good refs. Korea... including China, mana natures there run the full gamut.”
Zeroing in on the crux like that was impressive.
“Not my specialty, but bundling erratic mana like that? Some spirits specialize in it.”
“Spirit arts?”
“Yeah... spirit arts.”
Another rare concept popped up.
Spirits.
If magic was for the chosen few, spirit arts were straight lottery odds.
Among folks around him, only Marronie and Azalea had spirit contracts.
Not super close, but Japan's sacred sakura wielded famed spirit sorcery too.
“Know 'em well?”
He shook his head at Marronie's question.
Spirits.
He knew mana was the world's origin, monsters evolved from ents.
Tight links between World Trees, monsters, and dungeons.
But spirits? Zero involvement in the world.
So he hadn't studied them much.
“Spirit realm's a mystery zone—pure theory, no practice. Skipped in classes.”
“You know?”
“Who do you think I am?”
“Nighty.”
“……”
Her face went red again.
Night-chestnut, so Nighty. Rolled right off the tongue.
“Ah, whatever!”
Another non-denial—that was the kicker.
He grinned, and she tapped his shoulder.
“...Spirit arts is pure talent territory. Contract a spirit, and it'll be a killer magic sidekick.”
“Yeah?”
Intriguing.
He had a habit of slinging magic roughshod—if a spirit added finesse or firepower, it could be plenty useful.
He'd dismissed it before; martial arts and magic filled his plate.
But as a magic booster? Tolerable.
Not branching into full spirit arts.
Literally just a patch for magic's gaps.
“Ah, but... Temper expectations. Spirit contracts are rare. Fewer cases than awakenings.”
Awakening.
The term for when someone totally unmana'd or unhunter suddenly sparked a unique ability or trait.
A miracle straight out of dry dirt sprouting green.
Even rarer, by reputation.
“No sweat.”
“Huh?”
He smiled to wave off her worry.
That spirit arts bit.
The talent.
He'd snagged it ages ago, slotting Azalea into the Tree Encyclopedia.
“How do I contract?”
“...Mana stone's all you need—could do it right now.”
Mana stone.
“Hold on—”
“E-Eh!?”
He flung open the door and bolted upstairs to the Sage in the stacks.
Eden had to have a spare mana stone stashed, right?
Half impulse, half demand.
Mana stone. Hand it over.
Lately, too many enigmas clogging his gut.
A twinge of blame aimed at the Sage for rattling him.
No have? Fine.
Buying one was no biggie.
“Mana stone?”
“Yes.”
“...After pulling that stunt, now a favor?”
The panty jab still stinging?
The Sage shot him a glare; he grinned sheepishly.
She dithered awhile.
About five minutes passed.
She set her book aside, sighed, and broke into her usual warm, motherly smile.
“Sigh. Knew it'd come to this—prepped ahead.”
As if she'd foreseen it, she slid the mana stone from her desk right over.
Black, translucent raw gem—he thanked her on the spot.
Never dreamed she'd actually fork it over.
Back in Marronie's lab, he proffered it; she blinked in a daze.
“...Begged the Sage?”
“Yeah.”
“You're insane... Actually insane... Coulda just asked me...”
Marronie's shocked take.
Then the Sage breezed into the room.
“Oh, right, Si-heon.”
“S-Sage!?”
Marronie jumped like she'd been caught red-handed in treason.
He left her hanging and chatted with the Sage.
“What's up?”
“Spirit ritual? Can't do it here—connection's severed. Let's step outside.”
“...S-Sage, is that okay? Feels way too rude...”
“No trouble at all.”
The rest flew by smooth as silk.
With the Sage's aid, they hit a grassland.
Unknown spot, but apparently some distant boondocks.
Spirits tended to react in forests or fields.
Marronie, still in lab gear, wound up dragged to the middle of it all.
“……”
Stunned by the breakneck pace.
Face screaming she had no clue what she was doing, she channeled mana to etch a massive magic circle at center.
“...Summoning rite before the Sage. Summoning rite before the Sage...”
Like a village head strutting before the king?
Thinking it an evaluation, Marronie completed the circle with utmost care.
“G-Good...?”
“Of course. Marronie's an outstanding mage.”
“G-Good...”
To him, it was a mess of incomprehensible runes.
“Touch the mana stone—rest'll handle itself.”
Per the Sage, he stepped to center and extended his hand.
The instant his fingertips met the raw stone wrapped in pristine paper, a torrent of info flooded his mind.
Light surged through the circle.
Even in daylight, a dazzling glow rose.
He had to finalize the spell with mana. Her words clicked suddenly.
Black mana poured from his fingertips outward.
The glow began staining black; as the whole formula blackened over, a massive roar erupted around them.
-Boom!
Once.
-Boom!
Twice.
Failure odds were high.
Talent or not, summons rarely answered.
Azalea had said it: repeat countless times to gradually handle more spirits.
Couldn't gorge on one bite—he watched with ease.
Luck struck: a small brown lump burst through the glow, hopping over.
“...Oh my.”
An involuntary gasp escaped the Sage at the sight.
7cm.
Tiny as a finger knuckle.
Marronie—and he—blinked unwittingly, lips curling up.
🧚 SPIRIT SUMMON 🧚 [Chirp?]
Bird chirp.
Info trickled into his head bit by bit.
He knew the bird's species on sight.
🧚 SPIRIT VOICE 🧚 [You? The one who called me?] Woodpecker.
His adorable first friend approached, cocking its head.