Chapter 5
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Adrian Rune Wybone Arshio
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Blocking just one charge had drained a massive chunk of his mana.
Recoil hit his body hard along with it, but [Unyielding Will] kept his mind steady.
'Damn it.'
Looking down at his hand, blue light shimmered along his veins.
It was 'Overheat'.
A phenomenon that occurred when a mage handled more mana than their limit allowed.
One of the reasons Jun had to partially seal his own skill, [Demon God Body].
Still, he couldn't stop now.
The golem was still standing strong.
Mana surged through his veins once more.
Thump- thump- thump- thump-
His heart screamed in shock at the lake-like flood of mana, but Jun didn't stop chanting his spell.
'Just once. If I can land one solid hit on that thing... just one chance...!'
Victory would surely follow.
But the golem wasn't just standing there taking it. It recovered from its grogginess in no time and moved.
It raised its massive fist and smashed into the shield.
Each blow drained mana in huge gulps, accelerating the Overheat even further.
"Grraaah...!"
The blue light deepened, his mana circuits burning hot.
Unlike the overflowing mana, Jun's circuits hadn't grown enough to handle that volume yet.
So no matter how much mana he poured in, the shield's magic pattern began to waver.
'No...!'
Just 2 seconds.
If he'd had a mere 2 seconds, he could've unleashed the spell he'd prepared.
As he reluctantly canceled the gathered mana and tried to dodge—
"Haaah!!"
Aiden appeared behind the golem with a shout.
His battered body was being dragged forward by sheer force of will. Red mana flickered around him like heat haze.
Jun's eyes wavered at the sight of that mana, but only for a moment.
Aiden leaped an unbelievable distance for a human and thrust his sword.
It was a strike that should've barely scratched it. But Aiden's blade dug into the golem's crown with a stubborn screech.
Kiiiiieeeeng——!
Like a machine glitching out, the golem screamed and thrashed.
At the same time, a massive shockwave erupted from its body, sending Aiden flying through the air.
The whole thing took 3 seconds total.
Enough time for Jun to resume his paused casting and complete the magic he'd already been shaping.
[Mental: Marionette Line]
Black threads from the spell shot from Jun's fingertips toward the golem.
They slid along Aiden's embedded sword and into the golem's interior.
'I was planning to hit it with an impact spell first.'
To deal meaningful damage to a golem with magic resistance, he'd have needed a ton of mana.
Aiden's unexpected performance had lightened the load considerably.
If he'd had to cast a spell strong enough to damage it in that state, he'd have been bedridden for months.
'But... I showed that guy way more than I planned.'
The reason Jun had stayed a junior mage all this time wasn't just a lack of magical knowledge—it was the environment where he couldn't reveal his true self.
'What to do about him...'
As he pondered, something snagged on the thread inside the golem.
'First things first.'
It felt just like his own hand.
A red-hot spherical core.
The golem's nucleus.
'Good. Condition's not bad.'
Some of Aiden's mana had seeped in, but it was still viable.
And this nucleus was special.
Considering its value, this crisis might turn into a huge gain down the line.
[System magic pattern entry. Connecting... Spirit detected.]
The reason for using mental magic on an inorganic golem.
It was because of the spirit dwelling in its nucleus.
Like hacking, Jun's magic infiltrated the spirit's mind.
The rampaging golem froze.
The spirit yielded to the overwhelming mana, and Jun seized control.
'Being a lowest-grade spirit makes it easier than expected.'
With control of the nucleus, Jun dismantled the golem's body.
Since he didn't have perfect dominance, simple commands were the best he could manage.
Finally, the golem's frame collapsed.
The long battle was over.
"Haa..."
The overheated veins gradually returned to normal color.
"Damn. Gonna need a few days' rest."
Feeling the recoil already setting in, Jun hurriedly pulled a potion from his pouch and downed it.
"Compared to the pay from this mission, it's a massive loss."
With that short grumble, Jun's gaze shifted to the wreckage—behind it.
There lay Aiden, crashed to the ground by the golem's final shockwave outburst.
Already unconscious?
Jun knelt on one knee beside the unmoving man and looked him over.
"..."
A faint rise and fall of his chest signaled he was still alive.
But his body was covered in wounds everywhere.
It showed just how much he'd given in this fight.
Looking at Aiden, a faint killing intent glinted in Jun's eyes.
After a moment's hesitation, Jun let out a sigh.
"Hoo... Lucky bastard."
He'd shown too much, but in turn, Aiden had revealed plenty to him.
No need to silence him with death just yet.
'How did I end up like this?'
Back when he was Lee Jung-jun, he'd never even swung a fist at anyone. Now he casually weighed whether to kill or not.
The past year had changed so much of him.
'And if my guess is right, this guy probably...'
Thinking that far, Jun pulled a potion from his pouch and trickled it into Aiden's mouth bit by bit.
"Ugh, mm."
Aiden woke a full day later.
What stirred his senses wasn't his blurry vision, but the savory smell of food wafting by his nose and the warmth against his body.
"You're up."
"...? Ah!"
Memories of just before blacking out flooded back. Aiden instinctively reached for his waist, but the familiar sword hilt was gone.
"Calm down. The fight's over."
"Sunbae...? The golem...?"
"Over there."
The sword stuck in the golem had shattered completely when its body crumbled.
"Ah..."
"Sorry, but that sword's done for. On the bright side, we're safe. The golem's roar echoed through the whole forest."
To the monsters of the Black Forest, golems were untouchable behemoths.
No matter the blood scent, they'd steer clear.
"...Thank you, sunbae. You saved my life again."
"Eh, I've gotten plenty of help from you too. Especially at the end."
"...Yeah."
Silence settled between them for a moment.
The crackle of burning firewood broke it.
Aiden spoke first.
"Your magic skills... Have you been hiding them all this time?"
"Yeah. Too flashy otherwise."
"I heard once that hearts sometimes go up for auction on the black market."
"..."
"And most of them belong to people born with excessive mana in their bodies."
No need to mention [Demon God Body] specifically.
Even hearts with its sub-skills were rare magical ingredients in this world.
"...Hoo."
The cigarettes he'd quit long ago suddenly felt desperately needed.
Along with it, a memory he wanted to forget but couldn't surfaced.
That memory from his nightmares every night.
"What a shitty world."
"You've been through something similar?"
"Yeah. Difference is, they almost carved mine out alive."
"..."
Only then did Aiden understand Jun's attitude so far.
Why someone with that skill had to live as a junior mage.
Ironically, it was because of his exceptional talent.
Sometimes, having a priceless treasure was a crime in itself.
Aiden stared at Jun intently, then spoke with resolve.
"Sunbae. I swear I'll never tell anyone about your secret."
"I don't put stock in promises."
"...Truth is, I have a secret too. Not sure you'll believe it, but..."
"Imperial family?"
"...You knew."
Jun recalled Aiden's strike on the golem.
It had landed thanks to the crimson mana rippling from his body.
And in this world, only one bloodline could produce that mana.
The imperial family.
'His refined manners made me think fallen nobility. Turns out it's royalty.'
The imperial family in <Blackout>'s world carried that much weight.
Rulers of the empire that unified humanity.
"Illegitimate?"
"Yes."
The emperor practiced polygamy, but with one iron rule:
All children must be born in wedlock.
Aiden was the exception.
"You're a miracle for surviving."
"...They told me to live like a dead rat. But you're not as surprised as I thought."
"Nah, I'm pretty shocked."
He'd only guessed from the crimson mana.
And there was something more important.
Jun's brow furrowed slightly.
"A royal who isn't quite royal. So that's you."
Adrian Rune Wybone Arshio.
Aiden for short.
He was the protagonist of this game world, <Blackout>.
Back as Lee Jung-jun, he'd been a hardcore <Blackout> player but paid little attention to the story.
Ahead of college entrance exams, his playtime was limited, mostly spent on character growth.
Luckily, <Blackout> had high freedom—no main scenario clears needed.
But he wasn't completely ignorant of the plot.
Changes in the world came with progress, regardless.
Kill a key NPC, and taxes spike or new enemy groups ambush you.
Dealing with those kept him vaguely aware of the storyline.
And Aiden—the forsaken prince Adrian—was at its center.
'Aiden... No wonder I didn't recognize him. He was using this alias back then.'
Adrian properly enters the story years from now.
'Come to think of it, Adrian hated goblins intensely.'
In the original story, Jun shouldn't be here.
So this reality deviated from the game plot.
At this point, the canon Adrian's goblin grudge would've deepened.
Jun's presence had changed that.
'Meaning I've started influencing the story from now on.'
He couldn't predict where it'd lead.
Was he scared of divergences from what he knew?
'Never expected it to follow that anyway.'
<Blackout> was multi-ending, and he hadn't mastered the plot.
No plans to force his known ending.
Better to let half-baked changes be.
'It'll work out somehow.'
No need to worry about unhatched troubles.
'The issue is how I use this.'
He'd figure that out step by step.
"Got heavier than I expected."
"S-Sorry. I learned your secret, so... Forget mine if you want."
Knowing about a forsaken royal—what good was that?
It'd likely drag him into headaches.
Aiden fidgeted, realizing too late, but...
Jun didn't care. No point wasting time denying what happened.
He steered the topic deliberately.
"Anyway, how's your condition?"
"Right arm's still bad, but... I feel weirdly energetic. What did you do?"
"Guess intermediate recovery potions really speed up bone healing."
"Intermediate... potion?!"
Aiden gasped.
Just a step below exorbitantly priced advanced ones—but still far from cheap.
"I'm decent at Potion Brewing."
Thanks to [Herbalism] and [Potion Brewing], skills he'd picked for NPC rep.
"Incredible... That magic prowess, and Potion Brewing too..."
"Learn anything, it's useful sometime. Anyway, the golem bought us a day here. Recover as much as you can."
"Got it. That said..."
Grrrowl—
Aiden chuckled awkwardly.
"Guess I should scrounge some food first."
The makeshift meal from local foraging was surprisingly tasty.
They rested the full day and prepped to leave the next.
Despite the twists, Jun and Aiden made it back to the fortress safely.
No monster encounters after the golem.
"Hmm... White Whale Mercenary Corps? Captain Galaves?"
"Captain died in the op."
"Heard you failed the Black Forest goblin subjugation. From that group, huh."
He nodded knowingly.
Their ragged state said it all.
"Merc tags check out. Come in."
"Thanks."
Inside the fortress, Aiden sighed in relief.
"Haa... We made it back alive."
"Heh, yeah. Somehow survived."
"Right. So, sunbae, what's next?"
"Hm? Next what?"
"Y'know, future plans...?"
"Stick with me?"
"Ah."
Their bond-forming mercenary corps was as good as disbanded.
Jun's words weren't off-base.
But after traveling together, Aiden felt a pang of disappointment—
"I'd be glad if you did. Safer that way."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Owe you my life this time."
"No, you planned everything. And finished the fight..."
"Glad you see it that way. Still, can't roam like this. Let's wash up. Meet at the Starving Wolf later."
Aiden nodded, picturing the dingy tavern, and headed to his lodgings. Watching him go, Jun stretched.
"Haa. Truly survived by the skin of our teeth."
Hardship should bring rewards, but this was pure loss.
"Tch, but I got this."
He eyed the golem nucleus in his hand. Artifact material—worth a pretty penny.
"Selling it feels wasteful, though. Might visit that guy later. Could repurpose it maybe."
Thinking of a money-hungry acquaintance, Jun headed off.