Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 74
The deepest part of The Great Cavity.
Seo-jin looked up at the Energy Core that pulsated as if breathing and gulped.
'EX-grade item.'
Of course, Seo-jin possessed the same EX-grade item, the [Eye of Insight].
However, even though these two were the same grade, they were fundamentally different.
'The Eye is merely a medium that borrows the form of a demon, nothing more than a symbol that guarantees a contract.'
But the heart before his eyes was part of a demon's 'true body'.
As the status window description stated, this was a divine object. An existence that possessed will in itself.
As if to prove this, the Demon Lord's Corrupted Heart was displaying an overwhelming presence even now, hundreds of years after the demon's death.
THUMP-. THUMP-. THUMP-.
The sound of the heart's pulsation gradually grew louder as if pressed right against his ear.
This rhythmic yet malevolent beating began to draw out even Seo-jin's deep past and the desires hidden within it.
Seo-jin's vision and reason became blurred along with the creeping malice.
In that sticky confusion, someone whispered to Seo-jin.
[Closer.]
[Come closer.]
This must be the remnant thoughts of the demon remaining in the Energy Core.
"......"
Seo-jin listened to the whispers of the entity that had invaded his mind and deliberately took a step forward.
[Mortal, I understand your vengeful heart and longing. I shall complete all your desires].
The closer Seo-jin got to the heart, the more scenes flashed before his eyes like phantoms.
The voice of the remnant thoughts that displayed the scene of when he was betrayed and executed whispered sweetly in Seo-jin's ear.
"......"
[Come to me quickly. Accept my power. I promise eternal strength and dominion. Everything you desire......]
The voice of the remnant thoughts that had been sweetly whispering while dragging up Seo-jin's dark past for a while.
"Fuck off."
Disappeared instantly with Seo-jin's curse.
HISSSS-.
The phantom before his eyes was the same.
When he shook off the temptation of the remnant thoughts and opened his eyes, the phantom also disappeared like the voice.
Having opened his eyes like that, Seo-jin.
SMACK-.
Reflexively raised his hand to block his cheek.
A sharp touch that was blocked just before striking Seo-jin's cheek.
"......"
When he lowered his gaze, a small doll glaring at him came into view.
It was Hyeon-wol, who had inhabited the spare body that Circe had made.
She seemed to have been trying to slap his cheek to wake Seo-jin, who had been bewitched by the heart's remnant thoughts.
Hyeon-wol asked in confusion.
[Huh, huh? Are you awake?]
"Yeah."
Seo-jin released Hyeon-wol's hand and looked at the giant heart once more.
It was still enchanting and powerful, but the deadly remnant thoughts that had been hidden within could no longer be found.
'It's nothing much.'
It was just as Circe had said.
The magic power itself contained in this heart was truly at an enormous level, but the Reverse Heaven's power and malice contained within it fell far short of that.
'If the Reverse Heaven's power and malice that the demon's true body possessed had remained intact, whether I ate the elixir or operated the Primordial Unity Technique, I would have already been consumed by that power and become a mad mage.'
However, most of the Reverse Heaven's power it possessed was attached to his master's main body as a curse.
Even the portion that remained here had mostly evaporated over the hundreds of years since its subjugation.
Now that even the demon's last remnant thoughts had disappeared as Seo-jin shook off the bewilderment.
In other words, the object before his eyes now was a pure crystallization of magic power with almost all the poison drained out.
Now all that remained was to harvest the fruit as his master had instructed.
Seo-jin looked at Hyeon-wol with a faint smile.
"Thank you, Hyeon-wol."
Although he had almost been slapped, he was grateful for the intention.
Hyeon-wol snorted briefly and turned her head away.
[Don't think I did it out of worry for you. I merely did it to protect my own safety.]
"I'm sure you did."
Seo-jin chuckled and faced the demon's heart directly.
"Now, how shall I cook this thing?"
While his mind was being invaded, a powerful warning message had appeared in his status window.
[Warning! The unstable mana storm around the target is trying to disintegrate the approacher! If you don't meet the specific level requirement, your body may collapse!]
'Collapse, huh.'
HISS-.
When Seo-jin reached out his hand toward the heart, his fingertip instantly turned into particles and was sucked toward the heart.
An object that crushes and absorbs any existence below a certain level.
If he had gotten just a little closer, he would have been completely disintegrated and absorbed by that heart.
'It's impossible in this state.'
Seo-jin quickly pulled his hand back.
It wasn't that the demon's malice to harm Seo-jin remained.
It was simply that the level contained in that heart did not tolerate beings of lower levels.
Truly befitting a divine object.
Having pulled his hand back, Seo-jin manipulated the threads of magic power.
Simultaneously.
CLATTERING-.
Golden chains emerged from thin air and began to bind the demon's heart.
These golden chains were the seal of the underground ruins that the natives had created long ago.
Seo-jin had left The Fairy King's Talisman in the ruins beneath Taebaek Mage Tower in preparation for such a situation.
When he pushed it into the altar with remote magic threads, the seal that had secured a power source regained its full power.
CREAK-. CRACK-.
The heart became noticeably more docile compared to before when bound by the golden chains.
[The target's grade is temporarily downgraded to S+.]
ROARRR-.
It still emitted fierce and unstable magic power, but he could now avoid turning into particles just by approaching.
"Come out."
At Seo-jin's command, his familiars revealed themselves from beyond the magic circle.
Baduki sitting obediently and wagging his tail. The Lich King bowing his head respectfully. Even Glize, who still looked at Seo-jin with emotionless eyes.
'All of their grades are A-grade or above.'
Now that the seal was exerting its full power, they could approach the heart without difficulty.
Seo-jin commanded his familiars.
"Cut all the blood vessels connected to the heart."
Countless blood vessels wrapped around the heart.
Each of these blood vessels was also a source that supplied magic power to the demon's giant heart.
If all the blood vessels connected to the heart were cut, that fierce magic power would subside even further.
GROWL-.
At Seo-jin's command, Baduki immediately rushed toward the heart, followed by the Lich King, skeleton familiars, and even Glize's ice soldiers beginning to slash at the blood vessels connected to the giant heart.
SLASH- SLASH-.
Since it was so huge, it was quite labor-intensive work even with everyone attacking together for a while.
PLOP-.
GUSHHH-.
The blood vessels connected to the giant heart were severed and fell to the floor, and dark blue blood spurted in all directions like water shooting from a hose.
Even in that situation, Seo-jin slowly circled around the heart, drawing a magic circle.
'The goal is to reduce the target's mystique to S-level even without the seal.'
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to handle it, let alone take it out.
The moment the altar's seal was released, the heart would regain its power and he would be disintegrated without time to respond.
Even if he succeeded in downgrading it to S-grade, it would still be a problem.
'Storing that thing in my inventory would be difficult.'
Even the S-grade inventory he received from Nimrod would have difficulty accepting a demon's true body.
It would be better to manage it directly.
Seo-jin slowly circled around the heart, completed the magic circle, and opened his status window.
[Summon Dead LV.4]
"I cancel the contract with the Minotaur's Scout."
Thus, one slot became vacant.
Seeing this, Hyeon-wol was horrified.
[You, don't tell me......]
Seo-jin reassured the trembling Hyeon-wol.
"It's not what you're thinking, so don't worry."
No matter how capable Seo-jin was, using this Energy Core to summon a demon and make it serve under him was impossible.
He neither had the ability nor the intention to do so.
For now, the best option was to bind the heart in the form of a contract and use it to draw magic power whenever needed.
Making the demon into a familiar could only be attempted after his level and abilities were on a proper trajectory.
DING-.
[The target's grade is temporarily downgraded from S+ to S.]
As Baduki and the other familiars were busy cutting the blood vessels connected to the heart, another notification window appeared.
"That's enough now."
Seo-jin called back his familiars and used most of his remaining magic power to activate the magic circle.
FLASH-!
Then, with a bright light, pure white chains emerged from the magic circle and began to bind the heart.
As if dragging it down into a deep swamp, the pure white chains bound the heart and pulled it beyond dimensions.
FLASH-.
The heart resisted by violently emitting red flashes and black lightning.
But it was helpless against the suppressive force of the magic circle.
No matter how strong the magic power it contained, it was useless.
That was now nothing more than a lump of magic power without thoughts or will.
CLANG-!
The heart that had been smoothly swallowed into the magic circle stopped moving, caught by the golden chains.
"Whew."
Seo-jin took a deep breath and manipulated the magic threads, consuming all his remaining magic power.
PING-.
At the same time, The Fairy King's Talisman that had been inserted into the altar of the underground ruins was pulled out.
The golden chains that lost their power source turned into golden particles and disappeared.
"Gasp."
Instantly, the power of the mana storm emitted by the heart became even more intense, and at the same time, a notification window appeared before Seo-jin's eyes.
[The target's grade is upgraded to S+ grade.]
ROARRR-!
The heart shone even brighter and vibrated violently, while pressure that seemed to distort the entire space was felt.
[H-hey. Is this okay? Too much magic power is...... while you on the other hand......]
Hyeon-wol cried out urgently, but instead of answering, Seo-jin devoted even more effort to maintaining the magic circle.
Seo-jin had no magic power left.
On top of that, he was squeezing out even the naturally recovering magic power to maintain the magic circle.
'......If it's theoretically possible, there's no way it can fail.'
Theoretically, [Summon Dead] could establish a contract regardless of the target's level as long as the target had met 'death'.
No matter how high-level the existence, if the difference was at a level that allowed approach.
And if a magic circle drawn with the correct magic structure was established.
That existence could be bound in the form of a contract and stored beyond the magic circle.
"Kuk."
Seo-jin gritted his teeth and operated his magic power even more delicately to flow into the magic circle.
CLATTERING-.
The pure white chains pulled the glowing heart downward even more strongly.
Seo-jin widened both eyes and clenched his fist tightly.
'The important thing isn't the total amount of magic power.'
If the structure and theory were established, the total amount of magic power wouldn't be a problem.
More meticulous and perfect magic power operation would determine fate.
WHOOSH-!
Finally, the bright light that burst from the magic circle erupted even outside The Great Cavity.
***
How much time had passed?
"Haa, haa."
Seo-jin lay on the floor gasping for breath.
The Energy Core had been sucked into the magic circle without leaving even a speck of light.
The pulsation of the red and black light veins that had covered his pupils stopped, and the sticky pressure of magic power also disappeared like a lie.
As if a giant life form had breathed its last, only silence and stillness remained in the depths of The Great Cavity.
And.
DING-.
['You're Mine Now!' achievement unlocked.]
['Demon Tamer' achievement unlocked.]
['From Bugs to Gods' achievement unlocked.]
[Great beings are watching you.]
[The elders of Pandemonium are watching you.]
[The warriors of Valhalla are watching you.]
[The messengers of Pantheon are watching you.]
[The spirits of Avalon are watching you.]
['Summon Dead' skill level increases.]
['Primordial Unity Technique' skill level increases.]
.
.
.
Along with the endlessly appearing system messages, a mana circuit pattern appeared on Seo-jin's right arm.
BUZZZZ-.
[You have obtained a new mana source. It is temporarily connected to your mana circuit.]
[The Great Cavity recognizes you as its master.]
'Success.'
Seo-jin rose from his position with a satisfied smile.
A sense of omnipotence and exhilaration filled his entire body.
Having obtained the Energy Core, Seo-jin had become no different from a transcendent being, at least within this Great Cavity.
'I should go clean up now.'