How Dare You Mark Me? (2)
"This is..."
It was unmistakable. This was the mark Hoya had left on me. But why on earth did she make it like this? It was far too eye-catching! A mark that sparkled pink, of all things. If it hadn't been a fox design and the location hadn't been the back of my hand, it might have been seriously dangerous.
The air around me feels a little cold.
Was Cheonma perhaps someone from Ainstro? The chill settled over me so deeply it made my stomach tighten. Looking closely, I could even see goosebumps rising on my arms.
I’m curious which beast in heat did this.
Then Cheonma’s finger brushed across the back of my hand, right over Hoya’s mark.
A low hum resonated. The mark’s color began to shift, slowly bleeding into a deep purplish-black until not a trace of pink remained.
Now then… I’m looking forward to the next night.
"Master. This is…"
"It’s a simple precaution, so don’t worry too much. More importantly, there’s a child over there who’s been waiting for you."
When I looked in the direction she indicated, a silver-haired girl with rabbit ears was standing there, watching us cautiously.
Come to think of it, I still hadn’t claimed my reward for defeating the lake’s minion.
"You finally noticed me!"
"Ah, sorry about that."
"It’s fine! Please hurry and give me the reward instead!"
As she spoke, the girl summoned a silver roulette wheel the same color as her hair. Various prizes were listed on it—all items the lake’s minion had possessed.
"Spin it now, please!"
What I received would be left to luck. And I had always been…
Extremely lucky.
I had a strong feeling. If I spun it right now, I would definitely get the best reward. The intuition was unmistakable.
"Here I go!!"
The wheel spun wildly with a vigorous whirl. Everyone watched in silence, waiting for the result.
What would count as the best reward here? Given what I needed most right now, it would have to be a skill. Specifically…
Congratulations! You have received a permanent increase to your Magic Power stat.
"What?"
Just… magic power? No skill? No trait? Not even a weapon?
Of all things, it had to be a stat…
No. Stats were good too. While I tried to console myself, the rabbit-eared girl handed me a blue orb. This was the vessel containing magic power. Absorbing it would raise the corresponding stat.
Come to think of it, the first reward I ever received was a stat as well.
For some reason, the familiar pattern from the past overlapped with the present in an oddly comforting way. Back then it had been strength instead of magic power, but the value had increased by five. Maybe this was similar?
"How exactly do I use this?"
In the game a prompt would have appeared immediately asking if I wanted to use it, but now that this was reality, I wasn’t sure what to do. Eating it… probably wasn’t the answer, right?
"If you infuse the orb with your own magic power, its contents will automatically transfer into your body!"
"Ah, thank you."
"No problem at all! I’ll be going now. I’ll appear again once you defeat your next opponent, so keep up the good work!"
With a strange popping sound effect and a puff of smoke, the rabbit-eared girl vanished.
Following her instructions, I slowly channeled magic power into the orb.
Do all rewards work this way?
Magic Power:+3 (Permanent)
The increase was smaller than last time. I felt a brief pang of disappointment at the lesser reward, but then Cheonma—who had been watching me from behind—approached with sparkling eyes, as if she had discovered something fascinating.
"To think one could artificially raise their power like this. And with no side effects at all. It truly is no different from an elixir."
An elixir, huh. In a way, she wasn’t wrong.
"Are you going to challenge again?"
"Yes. I plan to keep going until right before bedtime."
"Hmm…"
Cheonma fell into deep thought at my answer. She even closed her eyes, pondering seriously. While she did, I checked who the next enemy would be and began recalling strategies to deal with them.
Ah, right. The second one was this guy.
This opponent would require some preparation.
"Disciple."
"Yes, Master."
"How much does time flow differently here compared to the outside world?"
"It’s the same. The time shown on that clock matches real-world time."
Which meant it was currently 2 a.m. Defeating the lake’s minion and visiting the Ghost Lair had taken longer than expected, but the flow of time itself remained consistent.
"Then it should be fine."
"What do you mean?"
In answer, Cheonma lifted a small booklet and spoke.
"I will speak as your master. From now on, I shall personally decide when you fight."
"What?!"
"After each battle, you will reflect on your performance. Only after you meet a certain standard will I pass on my teachings."
Wait, what was she even saying? There was a limited period here—I needed to fight as quickly as possible. Coming here every day would also build up fatigue, so I had to make the most of every visit. Yet she wanted to split that time and add reflection periods?
"You look displeased."
"…Yes."
I couldn’t bring myself to deny it. She simply didn’t understand the value of the rewards available here yet.
"How honest."
Instead of getting angry, she nodded in understanding. Was it really okay to answer like that?
Apparently not. The moment her finger pointed at me, an overwhelming pressure crushed my entire body, forcing me to tremble.
"However, it is impertinent."
"Ugh!"
"Expressing one’s will is extremely important. But disciple, you have not yet acquired the most crucial element required to do so."
"The most… crucial element?"
I barely managed to speak. She answered with a faint smile.
"Power."
BOOM.
"Gaaah!"
"Only those with power may speak their will and have it reflected in reality."
What exactly was pressing down on me? Magic power? It didn’t feel like magic power at all—there was no familiar energy to it.
"It is Karma."
Karma…?
"It is also commonly called the karmic burden of the soul that every living being possesses. One must learn to handle Karma to stand among the strong. You too will learn it eventually."
"Karma… I’ve never heard of such a power."
"Those who know of Karma are extremely rare. It is only natural you do not. So do not look so shocked."
How could I not be shocked? I had played this game for over ten years, yet here was a power I had never encountered! Again. Once again, something I didn’t know had appeared.
"It seems I was mistaken."
Cheonma shook her head as she looked at me. I caught the faint upward twitch at the corner of her mouth. She seemed rather pleased—much like I had been moments ago.
"To think you would make such a joyful expression. I will teach you how to handle Karma later. For now, follow my instructions and build your foundation."
"Yes!"
There was no escaping the rules she had set anyway. If I couldn’t avoid it, I might as well enjoy it. Who would have thought I’d end up living by that exact phrase?
The Karma weighing me down suddenly vanished. I tried to stand, but at her gesture I sat back down heavily, nearly collapsing into position.
"First, what I taught you in your room before coming here was the forging process to create the basic vessel for the Heavenly Demon Divine Art."
"I had guessed as much. It felt too simple to be one of your techniques, Master."
"Then from now on, I will teach you the completion of the true vessel for the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, along with a small fragment of its power. Close your eyes."
I obeyed and shut my eyes.
"While you fought, I discovered that the suppressive force in this place is much weaker than in reality."
"Suppressive force?"
"You do not need to know yet, so remain silent."
"……"
"Therefore, you will learn the Heavenly Demon Divine Art here from now on. This is fortunate for both of us."
Tap. Something familiar pressed against my chest. Was it Cheonma’s hand? I wanted to peek, but she had told me to keep my eyes closed, so I endured the curiosity and stayed still.
"Unlike other powers, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art stores its energy in the heart and transforms it according to the situation."
So it really was like the wuxia stories—accumulating energy in the dantian? Only in this case, the location was the heart.
"I will now imbue your heart with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Even if it brings considerable pain, you must endure and produce good results. This is the process of the power adapting to your body."
"Master? Didn’t you say you would complete the vessel first?"
"I intend to make use of this place’s special properties."
"Special properties?"
"In this place, even if you die you revive, and even if you are injured you recover quickly, do you not? And I told you not to speak."
…Wait. So what Cheonma was saying was—
"The Heavenly Demon Divine Art settled in your heart will forcibly expand your body. It will be quite painful… but if you are my disciple who does not fear even death, you should endure this much with ease."
Originally she had not planned to do it this way, but my passion to grow stronger combined with the unique nature of this space had created the perfect conditions for the attempt.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art would forcibly complete my body. The pain would be severe, but I had to endure it?
"Just to be sure, I will ask. I do not mind using another method. However, it will certainly take far longer than this one."
"How long?"
"Two years to build the body."
"Let’s begin immediately. I’m ready!"
When I gave a light nod, something alien flowed into my body. Was this Cheonma’s power? It moved naturally toward my heart. I had already tensed myself to endure the pain, so the change came at once.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Ugh…"
I had to focus. Losing consciousness here would be disastrous. I had to endure this pain no matter what and accept her power!
It was not external pain but something arising from within—specifically from the heart. Having no resistance to it whatsoever, I broke into a cold sweat, clenched my teeth, and held on.
"You are doing well."
Cheonma’s voice sounded distant. I had no leisure to pay attention to anything else.
"Then, while my disciple exerts himself, I shall go confirm the identity of that ill-mannered beast."
Because of that, I never even heard the small words Cheonma murmured afterward.