Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: A Dangerous Alliance
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“So, you’re the eldest son of the Graves family, a prestigious house in the Demon Country?”
Jin, who had been gleefully listening to Si-woo finally drop the formalities after his tantrum, nodded.
“Yup.”
“And you heard about me from the great prophet of the Demon Country?”
“Yeah. There’s this ridiculously old crone, and she’s the one who told me. That the Five Divine Seeds would become six, and the final piece of the puzzle would appear in the labyrinth. Oh, but don’t worry. I’m the only one in the world who knows that now.”
Catching the ominous undertone that subtly laced Jin’s words, Si-woo raised an eyebrow and fell silent.
Jin grumbled for a moment about how perceptive he was, then continued.
“Well, you’re right. I guess you could say I killed her. The old crone couldn’t withstand my threats and ended up losing her life as the price for prying into the secrets of heaven.”
As Jin cheerfully recounted the gruesome details in a bright voice, Si-woo’s gaze grew heavy.
Innocent malice.
Somehow, that made it all the more chilling.
“What was your initial demand to the great prophet?”
“A way for me to become the head of the family.”
“Isn’t the eldest son usually the most likely to become the family head?”
“Come on. We’re demons, you know. It’s a bit much to expect us to naively follow such conventional rules.”
“Alright, so your plan is to use me to become the head of your family?”
Jin pouted and said.
“That was the plan. But not anymore.”
“Hm, so what’s your goal now? You must want something to be investing in me, right?”
“What I want? Revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“Yeah, I used to be healthy, but some bastard brother of mine got his hands on a myth-grade poison, and now I’m living on borrowed time. That’s why I’m investing in you. If I can’t have it, I’ll just destroy it all.”
In this world, the Demon Country was like the United States of Earth—an absolute superpower. And he wanted him to destroy a prestigious family from such a nation?
Suddenly, the Circle Potion Jin had offered felt trivial in comparison.
“…Is that so? But what can I do? I think you’re overestimating me by a ridiculous margin.”
“I don’t know, I think you’re the one underestimating yourself. Well, I guess it’s only natural. You probably don’t know the kind of influence the Five Divine Seeds have on this world, nor do you realize the immense value you possess.”
At that, Jin broke into a sly grin.
“Either way, it’s not bad for me. The less you realize your own worth, the more valuable my help becomes.”
“…I can’t deny that. Like you said, I do feel I owe you a pretty big debt.”
Despite admitting his debt, Si-woo continued to study Jin.
Seeing Si-woo’s gaze, like he was scrutinizing a lobbyist, Jin gave a bitter smile.
“So, listen. I’m usually pretty strong, you know? But right now, I’m as weak as a drugged fly. That’s because most of my power is busy fighting off the poison. So could you please stop looking at me like that? You can rest easy, I’ll be a total pushover once we leave the labyrinth anyway.”
Si-woo, who had been eyeing Jin with distrust, flinched and cleared his throat.
Assuming everything Jin said was true, the only thing he had left was the title of Labyrinth Master.
Jin rolled around on the giant coffin like a lazy panda and continued.
“And don’t feel too burdened by all that talk of revenge. If you can do it, great. If not, that’s fine too.”
“Wouldn’t that be too much of a loss for you?”
Jin’s eyes darted around as he spoke.
“Actually, there’s something I have to confess.”
“What is it?”
“There’s something I haven’t told you. But I can’t tell you.”
“Hah, and you call that an explanation…”
“I know. It’s hard for you to trust me if I have secrets. I hate it too, but what can I do? This is something I heard from the great prophet, and if I tell you, I’d be leaking a heavenly secret. I’m a dead man walking anyway, but I’d rather not die right this second.”
With that, Jin started coughing up blood, putting on an ‘I’m dying’ act, leaving Si-woo at a loss for words.
“…So what you know is a secret big enough to be considered a heavenly secret?”
“Yup, that’s right. And it’s because of this secret, which is related to you, that I’m willing to take a loss and bet the rest of my life on you.”
“Well, now that you put it that way, I want to hear it even more.”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t want to say anything, but I’m telling you all this because I don’t want to deceive you. So let’s do our best from now on. I’m sure a sharp and clever guy like you will be able to figure it all out someday, even without me telling you.”
Jin, who could seem so naive you’d wonder if he was a simpleton, was anything but in moments like these. He was remarkably cunning.
Still, Si-woo had to admit it.
This young man named Jin understood him surprisingly well.
Hiding the secret, yet admitting its existence.
That was the only acceptable line on which Si-woo could compromise.
As if worried Si-woo might abandon him, Jin began to pitch his own value.
“And having me around isn’t a bad thing for you, either. I may have been beaten by my political enemies and secretly fled my family, but as they say, the rich stay rich for three years even after they go broke. I still have quite a few tangible and intangible family assets that could be useful. So I can be a great help to you in the future.”
“For example?”
“Since I gave you the Circle Potion, you’re going to try to become a mage. Right?”
“Right.”
“But just creating a Circle doesn’t make everyone a mage. Only those who enter a Magic Tower through the ‘Selection Tournament’ can become official mages. And that’s… not easy. No, it’s hard. You’re a human, and in this world, the social standing of humans is abysmal.”
“You mean it’ll be hard to even challenge the selection without a background, and you can help with that.”
“Exactly. Very few people, even in the Demon Country, know that I’ve been expelled from the family. So if I’m your backer, no one will dare to look down on you. You can use my authority as your own. Sound good?”
Si-woo, who had been tapping his forearm with his index finger while his arms were crossed, quickly finished his calculations, then nodded and spoke.
“You don’t have to be so anxious. Since you showed me goodwill first, I’ll do my best for you in return. Alright, I admit it. I don’t fully trust you yet. So… let’s take some time. To see what we can offer each other.”
“…Taking time is fine, and you figuring me out is fine, but I’m begging you. Don’t abandon me. Like I said, I bought the Circle Potion believing only in the prophecy that you would come here, and I poured what little fortune I had left into becoming the master of this labyrinth. I’m broke now, and my body is a wreck. If you leave me, I have nowhere else to go…”
With a look like a puppy biting its owner’s sleeve, afraid of being abandoned, Jin’s gaze made it impossible for Si-woo to say anything harsh.
“I get it, so stop looking at me like that. More importantly, can you hand over the Circle Potion first? Since you said you’re not well, it seems better for me to get even a little bit stronger before we try to get out of here.”
“Okay, take it.”
Si-woo took the Circle Potion, opened the lid, and checked it again.
The rich scent of mana spread through his entire body.
A refreshing fragrance, as if the very air had turned to mint, and the tingling sensation of mana’s blessing.
Faced with the various signs proving the Circle Potion was genuine, Si-woo’s conviction grew.
‘This is definitely a Circle Potion. Well then… nothing ventured, nothing gained.’
Although he had doubted Jin until the very end, at this point, not believing him would be wrong.
Of course, trusting him was another matter entirely, but that was something time and experience would resolve.
Gulp.
As the pure energy of mana spread throughout his body, an immense heat enveloped the area around his heart.
He felt his blood boil and his blood vessels expand.
In that sensation where agony and ecstasy mingled, Si-woo almost opened his mouth without realizing it when Jin’s sharp voice cut in.
“Hey! Don’t open your mouth!”
Si-woo clenched his jaw and dropped to his knees.
Amidst the body temperature that blazed like a wildfire, a single stream of refreshing energy rose and swirled around his heart.
Jin spoke as if he could see everything happening inside Si-woo’s body.
“Normally, you can’t safely consume an elixir like a Circle Potion without a proper mana technique and a master… but I’m not in my right mind, and your situation isn’t ideal, so we have no choice right now. So just endure it, somehow. I know you can do it.”
Jin’s calm, encouraging tone helped Si-woo face the absorption of the Circle Potion with a much better attitude.
One circle, two circles, three circles.
Each time the refreshing energy completed a circle around his heart, a strange sensation tickled it.
It was the feeling of an intangible ring both constricting and binding his heart.
The Circle, the symbol of a mage and the source of their magic, was being formed.
Jin’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“Good, you’re holding on well. But it’s a shame about the mana technique. If you had one, you could have gone beyond just forming a Circle and achieved an explosive increase in your mana capacity… but it can’t be helped. You can only learn a mana technique that’s suitable for your magic root, so I can’t just teach you one right now.”
After about thirty minutes of alternating pain and euphoria, Si-woo, having formed his Circle and entered a stable state, spoke, his face drenched in a cold sweat.
“Is it… over?”
Jin nodded with a bright face.
“Yeah, it’s over. You can rest now.”
“…Damn it, I thought I was going to die…”
Having endured all sorts of pain to take the Circle Potion without a technique, Si-woo collapsed.
Jin’s white eyes calmly looked down at the unconscious Si-woo.
Gazing at Si-woo with an unreadable, distant sorrow, Jin muttered in a mournful voice.
“I’m sorry.”
After looking down at Si-woo in silence for a long while, Jin lowered his head.
A transparent tear hung precariously from the tip of his chin.
“I’m… sorry for everything.”
Si-woo would probably never know.
How long Jin had yearned for this day, how long he had waited.
And every moment, how many lies he had told him.
But he still couldn’t tell him the truth.
He didn’t have the courage to face his hatred.
He was too afraid of his disgust.
Yes, more than death itself.
Jin stroked Si-woo’s hair and spoke in a choked voice.
“I know now. It was all my mistake, my fault. But… what can I do? We don’t have much time left, do we? But don’t worry. I’ll make time for you. Even if I have to grind away everything I have… I will.”
* * *
It was now the sixth day since Si-woo had arrived in the pit.
Remembering that the mage was scheduled to arrive tomorrow, Si-woo had barely opened his eyes when a familiar voice greeted him.
“Hyung, I’m bored. Play with me.”
Jin, who was lying spread-eagled near Si-woo, blinked his snowflake-like eyes and whined, but Si-woo replied as if to say ‘not a chance.’
“No. It’s a pain.”
Perhaps because they had been stuck together in this small space for a few days, the awkwardness between Jin and Si-woo had faded considerably.
But the closer they got, the more Si-woo found himself exasperated by Jin.
This hopelessly lazy bum would never learn his lesson with kind words.
“So mean! I made you a mage!”
As he said, after taking the Circle Potion, Si-woo had managed to become a mage in just a few days.
That much was clear just by looking at the status window floating above his smartphone screen.
「Lee Si-woo」 ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Level: 101
Race: Human
Talent: [1] Danger Sense (Anetium) [2] Mana's Blessing (Will)
Technique: None
Unique Ability: Mineral Body (Copper)
The Circle Potion had elevated Si-woo to a whole new level.
A legendary elixir indeed; just by drinking one potion, his level had surpassed 100.
By this world’s standards, those treated as rejects and thrown into the pit mostly had levels below 50, and the minimum level to be issued a ‘citizen card’ was 70.
This meant that by level alone, Si-woo had reached a stage where he could be recognized by this world’s society.
‘From what Jin told me, raising your level is no easy feat… It’s still a shame. If I’d had a mana technique, I could have absorbed the Circle Potion’s effects without any loss and my level would have risen much more.’
Si-woo had asked Jin to teach him a few mana techniques he knew, but Jin refused, saying that one had to be cautious when it came to mana techniques.
He had insisted that learning any random technique before determining his magic root through a ‘scan’ could lead to a lifelong regret.
‘Scans are handled by the Magic Towers… so I guess I’ll have to get to the surface and participate in a selection tournament hosted by a Magic Tower. Tsk, a 1st Circle Beginner… Can I even pass the selection?’
Each Circle had a total of three stages of mastery.
1st Stage: Beginner.
2nd Stage: Expert.
3rd Stage: Master.
Each time one surpassed a stage, their mana growth would increase dramatically, as would the power of their magic, so the gap between stages was not to be taken lightly.
Therefore, for a Beginner like Si-woo, passing the selection tournament was a distant prospect.
Most participants in the selection were Experts and Masters.
‘Whatever. I can worry about the selection once I’m on the surface. Right now… getting out of this place is the priority.’
Si-woo got to his feet and spoke to Jin.
“Let’s go. My level’s up. We need to leave this place as soon as possible, at least a day before the mage hunting me arrives.”
“But hyung, didn’t you say you were going to save some bug named Rei before we go?”
“…What do you mean, calling a person a bug?”
Jin flinched and fiddled with his index fingers, glancing nervously at Si-woo.
“But all humans other than you are just vermin. Just being in the same space as those lowly cockroaches makes me want to puke.”
Should he be called a demon, or just pointlessly honest?
While he trailed after the human Si-woo, calling him ‘hyung,’ he looked down on all other humans.
Si-woo said firmly.
“I have to save her. It’s only human to repay a debt.”
“Tch, what a waste of time. Hey, instead of that, why don’t we just make the labyrinth’s system go haywire and bounce? I guarantee you, by tomorrow, there won’t be a single living thing left in the pit.”
“Jin, no matter how you try to tempt me, I’m going to save her, so just open the way.”
Si-woo flexed his wrists lightly and continued.
“I have to give what’s due and take what’s mine to sleep soundly at night.”