Black Scales and Occult Curiosities
Erhil—Amazing. The Black Heaven Demon Sword was smirking, gazing at me as if it took pleasure in my struggles. Her outfit was different from her usual one. An off-shoulder blouse paired with a black skirt and black stockings.
"Sudden wardrobe change?"
-It's part of a mood refresh. There are plenty of clothes here that satisfy this body's aesthetic cravings.
The Black Heaven Demon Sword curled its lips upward from atop the bed.
"What's so amazing about it?"
-Seeing that even the master can't do everything at once. It's intriguing.
"I'm not a genius. You've said my talent is pretty average yourself."
-Master, men who dwell on the past aren't popular.
I couldn't believe what the Black Heaven Demon Sword was saying.
-Besides, it's not that the master lacks talent. It's just so peculiar from my perspective that I can't put a label on it.
Peculiar.
-How should I put it? The way you '攻略' opponents—adapt your fighting style to suit them? I don't know about anything else, but the master seems especially specialized in that area. Peculiarly so.
The Black Heaven Demon Sword said.
In other words, it meant I was good at the game. Feeling better, I stopped glaring at the Black Heaven Demon Sword and furrowed my brow as I examined my arm.
My right fingers were dyed black. Black Scales (黑鱗)—the protective aura of the Black God Martial Art.
-It envelops you in Reverse Heaven qi, blocking all supernatural powers and physical forces from the material world. Simply put, the moment you defend with Black Scales, you're practically invincible. The ultimate defensive ability, literally.
Of course, it wasn't without flaws. Black Scales had a narrow range. Right now, it barely covered my hand, and even at mastery, it would only extend to both arms.
-You might wonder why it's so limited. Reverse Heaven qi ignores and nullifies all supernatural powers. Conversely, it can't influence purely physical forces.
The Black Heaven Demon Sword said regretfully.
-That's why the previous master devised Black Scales. But the range is still narrow—limited to both arms. You could spread it thinner to expand it a bit... but then the structure collapses, making it pointless.
It's fine. Once I get that later, I can maximize Black Scales' effects.
-Learning defense isn't a bad choice for the master. You can take your time with Black Wings (黑翼) and Black Scripture (黑經). Black Scales is a defensive technique, but using it for attacks makes you invincible too.
The problem, though—the Black Heaven Demon Sword sighed.
-It's that the master's Reverse Heaven Body was acquired postnatally. With your talent, you'd normally master up to Black Wings without issue.
"Actually, I prefer it this way."
If I'd been born with the Reverse Heaven Body, I'd have Reverse Heaven qi fitting this body's age. But that wouldn't be ideal.
'In exchange, there's more room for other 'powers' to enter.' Not supernatural like mana—more like Kim Ara's power, pure 'physical strength' itself.
-Let's move on, then. Master, what do you think is more important than swordsmanship?
"Footwork."
I answered without hesitation. In the game, mastering movement techniques was crucial countless times. It let you dodge most attacks. Slip in close and strike vitals to shred their HP. And most importantly—top-tier footwork massively extended your movement range.
I can't pass this up.
-Normally, mastering Black Wings makes footwork less vital. Proper Black God Martial Art mastery forces aerial combat on foes. But since the master's Reverse Heaven qi is still lacking, you need footwork.
"I see."
-Don't worry, master. The previous master anticipated this and created a footwork technique. Not specialized for long jumps, but solid for evasion.
That day, I trained footwork until I collapsed from exhaustion.
I sighed as I headed to the Occult Research Club. With Erhil.
The club was pretty far away. I ran into Erhil on the way.
"They're really serious about occult research, huh? Even outside the building, it's thick with yin mana."
Erhil's golden eyes sparkled. Maybe because of her star-shaped pupils—they seemed to shine even brighter.
"How's it feel for you, Seoha? Isn't it thrilling? This eerie vibe where a ghost might pop out anytime. Gasp, are you scared of ghosts or something?"
"...No."
Blood nearly dripped from my ears. Erhil chattered away, grinning ear to ear, clearly delighted.
"You know what? Instructor Seo Wooju has a crush on Professor Song Rahee. But she turned him down because she likes younger guys... Oh? Isn't that Hong Yuhwa over there?"
"Hong Yuhwa?"
Following Erhil's gaze, there she was—Hong Yuhwa for real. A neat white blouse with a skirt reaching her thighs. Crimson hair and eyes.
Thank goodness. It had been awkward with Erhil, a near-stranger, but seeing familiar Hong Yuhwa eased things a bit.
"Hey, long time no see. You in the Occult Club too?"
"I was curious about the link between yin energy and magic. But you guys too? Didn't know."
Hong Yuhwa said haughtily. But it was a lie. Her pride was sky-high. Normally, she'd auto-join whatever club Kim Seohyeon picked. I'd assumed the Mint Choco Research Club... Is she more aware of me than Kim Seohyeon?
"Wanna go together since we're headed the same way?"
"Sure, why not."
Hong Yuhwa strode ahead, still haughty.
"Ooh, what's this~? Does Hong Yuhwa have a thing for Lee Seoha? I love this stuff~."
"No, she doesn't."
Erhil snickered beside me. Hong Yuhwa bristled but sighed deeply instead—smart enough to know it'd just amuse Erhil more.
"Come on, it totally seems like it~? Whatever. We're young and in our prime, right? No one judges love—so why not confess to me honestly? Our little trio's secret."
Erhil said with a sly grin.
"I said no!"
Hong Yuhwa glared daggers at Erhil, then quickened her pace ahead.
Impressive—teasing the Crimson Lotus Usurper like that.
"See? See? Told you she's into you~?"
Erhil giggled beside me.
The Occult Research Club was literally creepy.
"H-Hello."
The club president was a shady type. Bangs slightly covering his eyes, like Kim Ara. But despite appearances, he was an expert in curses. Worth getting friendly with.
"That guy knows curses inside out, looks notwithstanding. Good to befriend."
Hong Yuhwa whispered from behind.
"But why's your anti-magic so thick? Can't even send a message spell through."
"It's my constitution."
"...Don't tell me blocking Professor Song Rahee's magic was your constitution too?"
"No, that was my power."
It was constitutional, but no need to tell Hong Yuhwa.
"And I don't need favors—so work on bonding yourself."
"So confident. Or do you think a mere student can't break curses aimed at you?"
Hong Yuhwa said incredulously. Not wrong. No curse pierces the Reverse Heaven Body. Most magic fails; curses, buffs, debuffs just get devoured.
I looked around. True to the Occult Club, shelves brimmed with curse-laden items.
"Not bad. Even newbie Korea Hero School freshmen touching these wrong would suffer weak curses—maybe a week of insomnia."
Erhil said admiringly.
That's weak...?
"Ah, don't touch that. Professors use it often..."
"Professors use it?"
"Yeah. For grad students lacking talent or effort—they force wakefulness to make 'em study..."
"...Grad students are human too."
"Were grad students human?"
I muttered glumly; Erhil laughed brightly.
"Mind if we browse a bit?"
"Y-Yes. But careful—lots of cursed items. Some even turn you into a grad student."
Terrifying curse. I used Viewing to inspect them. Plenty looked fun.
One turned men into hyper-attractive women. A bracelet boosting fire affinity but draining your whole body's energy.
Cursed items were like that—powerful but unusable for others...
But I was different. I picked up the fire-affinity-draining bracelet.
"Gasp, misuse that and you're bedridden all day! Don't!"
"It's fine. Curses don't stick to me."
I slipped it on. Black energy crept up my arm, invading my body—only for Reverse Heaven qi to devour it.
Snap. I flicked my fingers. Flames sparked in midair.
Nice.
"Got more like this?"
"Y-You're okay?"
"Yeah, curses don't take. Give me the hard-to-dispose ones—I'll handle 'em."
"Th-There's a constitution like that? Uh, take a few then?"
After that, I snagged about five items.
-Not a bad haul.
Right? I agreed with the Black Heaven Demon Sword.