Chapter 51
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Survive
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The Lord’s eyebrow twitched.
[This is a proposal for your own good.]
“I know.”
[Is this just a child’s ambition?]
Chris shook his head.
Frankly, while he did trust in his talent, there was a more important reason.
“It's not ambition. It's something I must accomplish, whether I succeed or fail. For the sake of the Dark Magic House.”
Nordian's expression hardened.
[What do you mean by that?]
“Forgive my presumption, but I'd like to ask something first. It's a different topic, but... why do you think the Dark Magic House has lost the strength of its golden age and grown weak?”
Beside him, Merian gasped.
The decline of the family's power.
It was true.
In the past, the Dark Magic House possessed a strength that ranked it among the twelve great houses of the Demonic Path.
While not on the level of the transcendent Mystic or Necromancy houses, it stood shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Destruction, Dark Elf, and Curse.
But its power had slowly dwindled, and now it was considered one of the weaker houses among the twelve.
To dare speak of such things in the Lord's presence.
[Are you saying there's a reason?]
Nordian asked coldly.
The atmosphere rapidly froze over.
So much so that it could slice through skin.
Yet, Chris did not look away and spoke directly.
“Yes. I didn't know before, but after speaking with you, my lord, I've come to understand the reason.”
[Speak.]
“It is because of you, my lord.”
[!!]
At that bombshell, Merian, who had been watching Chris with trepidation, saw her eyes widen as if they would tear.
Simon was the same.
He looked at Chris as if he were a madman.
[What... did you just say?]
*Thump.* His heart pounded.
There was no oppressive aura.
He merely asked.
And yet, it felt as if one's very soul were freezing.
But Chris did not back down.
‘I’m not wrong.’
Besides, hadn't Merian advised him?
That he needed to capture the Lord's heart with this opportunity.
Therefore, he had to make an even bolder statement.
To win him over completely.
Though the Lord might be furious now, he would eventually realize the truth in his words.
“I apologize if my words have angered you. But would you be willing to hear my explanation for a moment?”
At his calm response, Nordian fell silent.
It was a tacit approval.
“The Dark Magic House has grown much larger than in the past. It has prospered beyond comparison. This is all thanks to you, my lord. And yet, other Majins say the Dark Magic House is not what it used to be.”
An ironic tale.
Nordian had led the Dark Magic House to prosperity.
Its influence had grown far greater than before, and it had amassed unimaginable material wealth.
Yet, people said the Dark Magic House had grown weaker.
There was only one reason.
“It is because of the lack of an absolute being.”
[!!]
“Since the time of the Old Lord, not a single 8-Star Majin has emerged. There are only two 7-Star Majins.”
There are many ways to measure a family's power.
The forces under its command, its wealth, its influence, its territory, and so on.
But there was one factor that trumped all others.
The absolute beings.
Those of at least 7-Star rank.
A level where a mortal body could perform miracles.
They were the ones who determined a family's true strength.
What did it matter if one's forces were vast?
They would be trampled by a single absolute being.
A case in point was the Demon King of Bloodletting.
Later, when the Demon King of Bloodletting invaded the Dark Magic House.
By then, Nordian was already dead due to a ‘certain incident’, so the remaining members gathered to face her.
The Dark Magic House had over ten thousand Majins.
The Demon King of Bloodletting, on the other hand, was alone.
And so began the famous battle that sent tremors through the Alliance.
Over ten thousand Majins of the Dark Magic House charged at the Demon King of Bloodletting.
But… those countless Majins could not even lay a finger on her.
What followed was a horrific slaughter.
The Dark Magic House only barely avoided annihilation through her mercy.
Afterward, they were reduced to being her dogs.
‘The Dark Magic House lacks not only 8-Star, but even 7-Star Majins. There are only two.’
On the other hand, it had many 6-Star members.
Far more than any other house.
This, too, was strange.
Now he understood why.
“It is because you set the limits yourselves. If you hadn't set those limits, the Dark Magic House would be very different today.”
What if they hadn't restricted the Sacred Black during the Sacred Black Ceremony?
No, what if they had scrapped the absurd notion of fair competition to share the Sacred Black and instead allowed the strongest to monopolize it?
‘Honestly, there's no need for everyone to obtain such a great power. It's like casting pearls before swine.’
Chris thought as he looked at the Dark Magi swirling around his body.
This was not a power that just anyone could handle.
For those who weren't suited for it, trying to wield it was like trying to swing a weapon too big for their frame. It would only be counterproductive.
In Chris's opinion, the Dark Magi was a power meant only for a select few, exceptionally talented individuals.
[…….]
The hall fell silent at Chris's words.
They were shocked.
After a long silence, the Lord spoke.
[There is a flaw in your argument. What if, without limits, countless people absorb more Sacred Black than they can handle, only to hit a wall and fall into despair? Such cases would be innumerable.]
He had a point.
Countless people would fall behind.
But.
“Hmm, that would certainly be unfortunate. But may I speak frankly from the family's perspective?”
[…Speak.]
“Who cares if the incompetent ones fall behind? They were only ever at that level anyway. An absolute powerhouse who has overcome trials, though fewer in number than a crowd of incompetent fools, will be of far greater help to the family.”
[!!]
Everyone looked astonished.
But Chris thought serenely.
‘It’s not like I’m wrong, am I?’
And then.
The Lord let out a laugh.
[Heh heh.]
An unexpected reaction.
It wasn't one of displeasure.
Nordian felt as if Chris’s words had actually struck him.
‘'The fallen are unnecessary,' he says. He's not wrong.’
It was a ruthless statement, but the Demonic Path was survival of the fittest.
It was a statement that perfectly pierced the values pursued by the Demonic Path.
However, that didn't mean he agreed with Christian.
What Chris had just said was highly unrealistic.
A superhuman who surpasses extreme limits. Easy to say. But only a chosen few could achieve such a feat.
Knowing this well was precisely why Nordian had ordered that no one absorb more than seventy percent of the Sacred Black.
[I understand your point. However, no matter how plausible a story sounds, if it cannot be proven, it is nothing more than empty nonsense. Can you, yourself, prove your words?]
Chris answered without hesitation.
“Of course.”
[Hmph.]
The Lord turned his back.
[Don't regret this.]
*Fwaah!*
His vision shifted.
An illusion was cast.
The figures of Merian and Simon vanished. The Lord’s figure vanished as well.
Chris found himself standing alone in a dense forest.
[The transmission of the Dark Magi will now begin. I will give you the first task.]
The Lord's voice echoed from some unseen, distant place.
[Survive.]
* * *
Survive.
He understood the meaning of those words almost immediately.
*Fwaah!*
A flash of light.
An attack from his blind spot!
Chris instinctively twisted his body, barely managing to evade the assault.
A large, rock-skinned lizard demonic beast flicked its tongue, glaring at him.
‘A 4-Ma Class demonic beast, the Rock Lizard. A fiery start to the lesson, huh?’
Considering Chris was still only a 2-Star, this was an opponent he could never hope to defeat.
‘And I can't use the power of the Alliance.’
Just then, he heard another eerie sound.
*Grrrrr.*
This time, a bear the size of a house appeared.
It wasn't just big.
It had two heads. Four arms.
It was a Twin Head Bear, another 4-Ma Class demonic beast!
The problem was, there wasn't just one.
Two of them appeared at the same time.
A total of three 4-Ma Class demonic beasts.
Against this, even if he could use the power of the Alliance, a head-on confrontation was absolutely impossible.
‘Could he be so pissed off by what I said that he's using this 'guidance' as an excuse to kill me?’
The thought was plausible enough.
*Fwaah!*
The lizard spat a glob of saliva.
It flew faster than an arrow.
He barely dodged it, and the tree it struck began to rot away.
If he hadn't moved, his own body would have suffered the same fate.
‘This is no joke.’
Whatever the Old Lord's intentions were, one thing was certain.
A single misstep, and he would die here.
- He is not a kind teacher.
He now understood what Merian had meant.
*Thump, thump.*
The Twin Head Bears approached Christian.
As expected of 4-Ma Class beasts, they were intelligent, circling him to form an encirclement and slowly closing the distance.
Behind them, the Rock Lizard watched, waiting for an opportunity.
It was a desperate crisis, but Chris just grinned.
‘This is interesting.’
A thought unsuited for the situation.
‘There must be a solution.’
If this were a real battle, his heart would be pounding, but this was a lesson.
Surely the Old Lord wouldn't give him an impossible task.
And the solution was undoubtedly related to the Dark Magic Art.
‘But if I can’t find the answer, I’ll die.’
*Fwaah!*
*Craaash!*
Barely dodging the Twin Head Bear's attack, Christian drew forth his Dark Magi.
‘Let's do this!’
* * *
Back in the training hall where he had just spoken with Christian.
The Old Lord and Merian were talking.
“That task again?”
[Yes.]
Merian wore a weary expression.
‘His terrible hobby again.’
Nordian.
He was the strongest Majin, but frankly, he was not a good teacher.
No, he was the worst.
His standards were absurdly high, of course, and his teaching methods were incredibly harsh.
Not one of Merian's siblings had escaped serious injury while under Nordian's tutelage.
His style of education was similar to a lion pushing its cub off a cliff.
But the biggest problem was,
‘…And yet, his teaching isn't even that effective.’
Even after overcoming the harsh trials, it was difficult to gain anything.
Why?
To be brutally honest.
‘…The Lord lacks talent in teaching.’
She was putting it mildly by saying he "lacked talent." He was abysmal.
Being strong didn't necessarily make one a good teacher.
That flaw was most apparent in the very task Chris was now facing.
She and her siblings had all experienced it at least once.
[By struggling to survive in an extreme situation, one can feel the essence of the Dark Magi more intensely.]
“……”
Merian remained silent for a moment.
‘…That’s not true, my lord.’
Not a single one of her siblings had achieved any results from that task.
It didn't make sense in the first place.
He expects someone to grasp the essence of the Dark Magi while being pushed to their absolute limit. How is that even possible?
[To survive against those demonic beasts, he will have to wring out every last drop of his Dark Magi. In doing so, he will naturally come face to face with its essence.]
His reasoning was completely unconvincing.
But Merian kept her thoughts to herself.
‘I just hope he doesn't get too badly hurt.’