Chapter 248
Chapter 248
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 248
Chapter Title: Chains of the Blood Oath (2)
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Immortal King Hans couldn't immediately offer a way to resolve Hesperon's issue, but he had a rock-solid grasp on the theoretical side of things.
'Curses aren't the sort of power you can rationally dissect in the first place.'
A curse was both the act of wishing misfortune upon someone and the negative force that manifested from it.
It was a branch commonly employed in black magic, but if anything, it was closer to shamanism than true spellcraft.
'That's why these unpredictable hiccups crop up now and then.'
The curse embedded in Hesperon's right hand was a sort of mutation.
After a tangle of factors, it had fully fused with his right arm and taken root. In the process, it devoured life force and absorbed stray thoughts, ultimately gaining a spark of spirituality as "something."
Transcending the bounds of mere existence, it had even claimed its own rank. Now, it was little more than a half-spiritual lifeform.
That was why sealing it properly was such a pain.
It wasn't just the sheer power involved—the trapped entity was actively clawing its way out through its host, creating all sorts of complications.
'It's barely born, so it doesn't even have a proper sense of self yet. Calling it a spirit would be a stretch.'
But precisely because of that, the moment was ripe—an ideal chance.
To slap a collar on this unwelcome squatter who'd hijacked someone else's body without permission.
With that in mind, Hesperon dove straight into preparations for the plan he'd devised.
"Hmm, this should do it here. Need anything else, Heron?"
"Ah! This is more than enough, Master."
"Just say the word if you do. I can swing most things."
And right on cue, he got some timely help from Isea, who happened to drop by the palace.
She was one of the empire's top archmages, bar none.
Compared to the imperial court's summoners and contract specialists, her expertise might be a touch narrower, but the ritual they were prepping wasn't all that complex anyway. Her assistance was plenty.
Besides, there was no one he trusted more than his own master.
'This could count as an ace up my sleeve. Better keep it under wraps if possible.'
He was already drawing subtle attention for his ties to Princess Riley lately.
Anything he did would spread like wildfire as gossip.
He wasn't thrilled about needless scrutiny right as he was about to kick things off.
'Alright, let's get started.'
With all preparations complete...
The ritual finally commenced.
In the center of the vast magic circle filling the chamber.
Hesperon stood alone, slowly extending his right hand forward—
Pararak—
The tightly wound bandages unraveled, baring his flesh to the air.
Along with the curse's suppressed aura.
Puhwaak—!
The seal shattered, and black mist erupted violently.
As if venting frustration at its long confinement, the reaction was sharper than usual.
"Activating the magic circle."
On cue, Isea—observing from the perimeter—triggered the encircling barrier.
It was a massive construct, demanding hefty energy, but for someone with near-infinite mana like her, it was a walk in the park.
Wuuung—!
Light and vibrations poured from the surrounding magic circle.
The energy streams converging on the center bore down on the swelling black mist, hemming it in and preventing expansion.
The curse lashed back as black flames, but it couldn't break free of the meticulously prepared barrier.
'So far, so good.'
His "Chains of the Blood Oath" skill wasn't proficient enough yet for communing with an invisible entity. First, he needed to manifest it.
Plus, the curse's aura had shrunk considerably from its initial outburst—a nice bonus.
'There, there. Let's chat, shall we?'
Hesperon focused "Chains of the Blood Oath" on the black flames sprouting from his right hand.
As his will—the host's—linked fully, the curse thrashed in response.
'Good... smooth sailing...?'
Then came the unexpected reaction.
He flinched involuntarily, mouth agape.
"Ah..."
"Huh?"
Isea's surprised gasp echoed from behind, but he had no attention to spare.
Curses had no fixed form to begin with.
Just raw energy, after all.
So the curse rising from Hesperon had been mere black mist and flames at first...
But the instant he touched its coalesced, manifested core for communion, it shifted shape to match its host's subconscious image.
"......"
Inevitable, really.
A curse sealed beneath bandages on one arm.
The epitome of a certain subculture trope—clichéd to death.
'...Honestly, at this point, someone's gotta be doing this on purpose.'
Yeah. No helping it, no matter how you sliced it.
That it took that form of all things.
Hesperon wore an awkward grimace as he stared at the apparition before him, rationalizing it away.
Hwaruruk—!
Black flames roared.
Long trailing beard and mane whipping like fire, a pair of sharply curved horns.
Piercing eyes, razor fangs, serpentine body writhing in the air...
A magnificent black dragon loomed there.
"Uh... ahem..."
Isea's awkward cough drifted from behind.
His nape prickled.
That odd gaze stabbed like needles.
'...Just stereotypes. Not my fault.'
With a short sigh, he straightened proudly.
Objectively, it looked badass anyway. Locals would just peg it as some exotic phantasm.
In other words, black flame dragon as edgelord icon was pure prejudice!
'Whatever. It's done. No point dwelling.'
It bugged him plenty, but he shoved it aside, pouring everything into "Chains of the Blood Oath."
The dragon shape lacked strong intellect.
Dog-level smarts at best.
But it had caused him endless headaches, so it was no pushover.
As the black dragon rebelled fiercely, twisting wildly, embers scattered everywhere.
'Easy now—calm down, buddy.'
What this called for was negotiation for harmonious coexistence.
The power balance was clear anyway.
Thorough prep to curb its rampages, his status as the body's owner, the otherworldly compulsion of skills and avatar growth buffs...
Above all, for all its spirituality, it was still a parasite in his body.
He could just hack off the arm and purge it—but here he was, offering a deal. How magnanimous!
Wung—
In that brief span—short in real time...
A torrent of intent flowed via communion.
Hesperon wanted obedience and power on demand.
It craved growth, ascension beyond its current state into a fuller entity.
'Like a spirit or soul.'
Easy enough to facilitate.
Hell, a higher rank would benefit him more—worth encouraging.
Thus, the deal closed dramatically—
Hwaruruk—
The coiling black flame dragon sank back into his right arm.
The snakelike stain morphed into a dragon emblem, as if always there.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has gained enlightenment through the contract. Acquired Special Skill 「Right Arm of Craving」. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has met the conditions and grown. Skill 「Curse Resistance」 has evolved into Special Skill 「Curse Predator」. And so, Hesperon finally claimed the black flame dragon of his right arm.
For a modest price in embarrassment.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Hesperon 🔗 Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Super Recovery」, 「Clear Mirror Still Water」, 「Monstrous Strength」, 「Hypersensitivity」, 「Keen Insight」, 「Xenoglossy」 🔗 Entity Traits: 「Chains of the Blood Oath」, 「Right Arm of Craving」, 「Curse Predator」, 「Magic Fundamentals」, 「Hand-to-Hand Combat」 📝 Special Notes: Right eye lost. Can now control the curse's power in right arm via blood oath. Bound energy's potential enhanced by 「Chains of the Blood Oath」 effect. Immune to all curses; devouring curses temporarily boosts all abilities. As the rituals wrapped and cleanup began.
Even fresh off his best-case triumph, Hesperon couldn't bask—instead, he bombarded Isea with excuses.
"...That's the gist. You get the vibe, right? It's basically just a natural physiological association..."
He hadn't really done anything wrong, so no need to explain—but that subtle gaze had him protesting preemptively, like a guilty thief with itchy feet.
She nodded patiently through his earnest spiel.
"Got it, got it. I understand completely."
"Phew, alright... glad to hear it."
"Not weird at all. I kinda figured from the start."
"Huh? Figured what?"
The problem was her agreement veered off-course.
"Well... Hesperon isn't exactly a common name, is it?"
"...Ah?"
"And naming yourself that for a fresh start? ...Ahem, my bad. Tastes are personal."
"No, Master! It's a misunderstanding!"
His past edgelording boomeranged back.
Worse, it wasn't entirely off-base.
It'd seemed cool at the time.
And so time passed...
"Haa."
As the hectic day faded.
Hesperon flopped onto his inn bed with a light sigh, glancing at his right hand.
The bandages—etched with holy script—still bound it, but things were worlds apart now.
"Chains of the Blood Oath" didn't just bind—it empowered and controlled.
'Mm, definitely an upgrade.'
What he'd gained went beyond freely wielding the curse post-unsealing.
Both curse and sealing ward now bent to his command, enabling subtle, finesse applications via fine-tuned output—like covert force projection.
A collaborative trick of "Right Arm of Craving" and the seal: contain power internally, exert physics externally.
'...Eh, I'll wear a mask back on Earth anyway. Who cares.'
Performance trumped embarrassment!
No one dared mock overwhelming might.
'More practice ahead.'
He sank into bed, casually flicking his right hand sidelong.
The glowstone beyond reach winked out, plunging the room into darkness.
And slicing through the gloom...
A thin, hazy thread sucked into his fingertips.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Immortal Citadel nestled in the northern mountains of the Ion Continent.
[Kuhahaha—!]
From its deepest sanctum, where the Immortal King secluded himself, thunderous laughter boomed.
Soundproofed as it was, nothing leaked out—but even if it had, he was too elated to care.
[...Finally complete.]
And why not...
[A way to another world!]
One of his long-invested research projects...
Had just reached fruition.