Black World (2)
This bastard...
I swore at him inwardly, but if I was being honest, the situation itself wasn’t bad.
I felt a little guilty for thinking that at a time like this, but if everything I’d inferred so far was true, then I had effectively gained two powerful allies on the level of Cha Heera and Kim Hyunsung.
And they’re the kind who’ll obey me unconditionally...
A perfect ally.
At this point, I could say I was lucky I hadn’t chosen Summoner when I picked my class.
A new summon.
The miko standing before me was not only the master of a major guild in the free city of Celia, but an out-of-spec being who could see the past and future and possessed a power unlike anything in conventional magic.
I couldn’t accurately judge her combat ability, but if I looked only at her stats and latent potential, her utility was even higher than Jung Hayan’s.
It was only natural that the corners of my mouth started to lift.
I guess she’s an unavoidable piece of trash.
Of course, before I could bring her completely into my arms, there were a few things I needed to confirm.
And there was still something I wanted to know.
Looking at the miko, who was gazing at me with an anxious expression, I had no choice but to speak again.
“I have a few more questions. How did I die in the Black World?”
That was the question I wanted answered most.
“I can’t tell.”
“You mean you couldn’t see it?”
“Yes. I can’t see it. It’s probably because I died before you did, Master.”
“I see. How did you die?”
“I died for you, Master. I couldn’t see the details, but what I do know is that in the Black World, I had not a single regret at the end.”
“Hmm... then I’m also curious how we came to know each other.”
“I’m sorry, but what do you mean...?”
“Exactly what I said. As you know, I can steal information from others. Thanks to you opening your information to me yourself, I was able to check your data as well... and...”
“Yes?”
“A mage with 96 mana, a Legendary-grade class, and a Legendary-grade trait. No, should I call you a shaman?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“I can’t see the Black World you’re talking about with my own eyes, so I can’t know for certain, but I doubt I was very strong there either.”
“That’s not true. Master was noble and dignified, more than anyone else...”
“That’s not what I mean. I’m just talking about my physical specs. Am I wrong?”
“N-no... you’re not.”
“What puzzles me is why you never resisted me. You said you saw me strangling your neck, but there’s a missing explanation in the middle. It’s even stranger if we assume that we met later in the Black World than we do now.”
“Yes. I couldn’t see the exact date, but I know that Master and I in the Black World met two to three years from now.”
“So you met when you were twenty-two.”
“Yes.”
“Well, when we met isn’t that important, but the point is that you were in a stronger position than I was.”
“I-I would never dare...”
“No, I’m right. To put it bluntly, if you’d meant to kill me, I’d already be dead. That would be true here, and it would be true in the Black World too. So why didn’t you kill me there?”
The question couldn’t help but remain.
For reasons I didn’t know, the miko in the first regression had clearly been abused by me.
Even if I were to be generous and say it happened with her consent, her mental state was not exactly healthy.
I considered the possibility that drugs or some other method had been used, but things like that probably wouldn’t work very well on someone of this level.
Frankly speaking, she probably had plenty of chances to push me away.
And yet, I was certain there had to be a reason she ended up like this.
The miko in front of me seemed to sympathize with my question as well, slowly nodding her head.
I realized I’d asked something pretty close to the core of the matter.
“That was...”
“That was?”
“Because I loved you in the Black World, Master.”
It was only natural that I tapped the armrest of the chair for a moment at an answer I hadn’t expected.
She kept speaking.
“……”
“I can’t give you a precise answer because I didn’t directly feel emotions, but without a doubt, the me in the Black World looked as if she loved you, Master.”
“Did she just grow attached after caring for me?”
“That could be it. But I think it was probably some kind of fateful pull.”
“I see...”
“The time spent worrying about you grew longer, and the time spent picturing you in my mind grew longer as well. Naturally, the time I spent with you also grew longer. While I was watching the Black World, it felt as though her feelings were being transmitted to me too, and my own heart swelled with emotion.”
What is this, some kind of homme fatale?
To be honest, I’d never once thought of myself as handsome.
Aside from the fact that my eyes slanted a little, there wasn’t much that stood out about my face, and even so, it was still nowhere near enough to call me good-looking.
The label “handsome” suited our lovely Kim Hyunsung much better.
Strong, large eyes, a straight nose, very pretty lips, and even a fine body—he was almost the perfect kind of man. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say so.
And his personality isn’t bad either...
He was a much more fitting target for love.
I’d wandered a little off the point, but to sum up, I still couldn’t understand why women like this kept clinging to me.
...
In Jung Hayan’s case, I could say I’d driven her into a corner and made her take a liking to me, but the others—I had no idea why they were so obsessed with me.
In the first regression, too, I’d apparently gained such a useful woman just by standing there and doing nothing.
Of course, it wasn’t something confirmed yet.
At this point, does this not count as a trait?
I figured if I had one, it would probably be something like allure or seduction.
“Perhaps that’s why I thought I could accept everything about you, Master.”
“What about the reverse? Did I love you?”
“I don’t think so. But I think I was one of the people you could lean on emotionally. Yes. Definitely.”
I didn’t know how Lee Kiyoung in the first regression felt, but I thought her words might be true.
When I gave a slight nod as if in agreement, I saw her bow her head once more.
“I understand enough.”
“Th-then...”
“What you’re saying does make sense. The fact that you revealed your own information, and the fact that you showed me your status window, are both very impressive. I can also see that you truly can see the future, the past, and even the Black World. There’s no need to confirm it any further. I can already see the trait you have.”
“Ah.”
“Still, it’s not enough.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m extremely suspicious. I’m curious about the psychology behind bringing up the Black World and identifying yourself with it, and I’m also curious whether you’re telling me the truth exactly as you saw it. The me in the Black World and the me now are not the same person. Likewise, the you in the Black World and the you now aren’t the same person either. I’m not denying that you were influenced by it, of course. But from my point of view, it’s still absurd. Do you understand?”
“Y-yes, of course.”
She was trembling.
Her expression looked a little uneasy, as if she was worrying about what would happen if I rejected her.
“That isn’t all. There’s no guarantee that everything you told me is true. I’m also worried that you’re only telling me what you want to say. I still don’t really know what this ‘Master’ business is all about... To be frank, it’s unpleasant. How many people in this world could accept a story like this if it were sprung on them out of nowhere?”
“Ah...”
“What should I do to make you trustworthy?”
“Th-that...”
“Just telling me about the Black World is not enough. There’s no way I could become your master with only that. What would it take to build the kind of relationship you want?”
It was a trashy deal, but this was the right way to handle it.
“I-I can give you, give you anything you want.”
“That’s not what I want. If this relationship is going to exist anyway, then everything you have will already be mine. Or are you just asking for an empty relationship in words?”
“N-no. E-everything I have belongs to Master. I-it does.”
“Is there any way I can restrain you? No—have you ever thought about how I could take you in without worrying?”
“Of course. O-of course I have. You were suspicious, Master, so yes. I’ve thought of a way.”
She looked a little excited.
“I’d like an explanation.”
“It’s shamanism.”
“Shamanism?”
“Yes. A ritual that will help you possess me, Master. I can transfer ownership of my body to you.”
So that’s possible?
I’d never heard of such a method.
I thought about similar kinds of magic, but nothing came to mind.
It was probably a unique shamanic art that she alone possessed.
If I thought of it as a shamanic ritual she’d prepared for this very day, everything more or less fit together.
“It’s a kind of shamanism that I cast upon myself. It directly connects my body and your mind...”
“I think I know what you’re talking about. Still...”
I was a little uneasy about whether the reverse was also possible, but I didn’t want to think about that possibility just yet.
She was desperate, and so was I—I wanted to obtain Kasugano Yuno.
I wanted to take her quickly without having to do anything this annoying.
I wasn’t fond of gambling, but for a single roll of the dice, the prize was far too great.
“Let’s see it.”
“Understood. Then I’ll begin the ritual quickly.”
Her eyes were closed, and a bright smile spread across her face.
I couldn’t see the details of her expression, but it felt as though she had the whole world in her hands.
If anyone saw her, they’d probably think she’d won the lottery.
She flinched a little when she took a small dagger from inside her robes, but when she hurriedly cut her own arm with it, I realized she was trying to complete the shamanism through her blood as a medium.
Is it similar to alchemy?
“Just a little longer... I’m almost done. Almost!”
“Take your time. It’s fine.”
The way she frantically drew the ritual circle on the floor was a sight to behold.
Even though I’d clearly told her to take her time, she looked as though something was chasing her.
I specialized in magic and alchemy as well, so I could see what she was trying to do, but that only made it more frustrating because I still couldn’t fully understand it.
One thing was certain: this shamanism was more difficult than I’d expected.
It was a spell that even a high-ranking mage like her had to complete through blood, sweating bullets all the while.
At the very least, I was certain of one thing: its effect would be real.
Waiting for her with half my heart in anxiety and the other half in expectation, I soon saw her sitting at the center of the ritual circle.
She was still on her knees, looking at me.
“Please come this way.”
As I slowly stepped forward, a faint light spread from the blood-drawn ritual circle.
There was no reaction from Yuliena.
At the very least, it wasn’t a ritual that would harm me.
After the faint red light wrapped around her, the miko spoke again with an expression of deep satisfaction.
“I-I’m sorry, but I need Master’s blood...”
She opened her mouth and looked up at me, and before I knew it, I made a slight cut and let a drop fall into her mouth.
“I wish to give everything I have to the one before me. This binding will become a blood oath that can never be broken by anything, and no one will be able to interfere with us.”
The light burst forth in an instant.
For some reason, I felt the urge to grab her head, so I placed my hand on top of it—and then, in fragmented flashes, a scene I couldn’t make sense of came into view.
It was, quite literally, a scene of me strangling her neck.
That must have been the Black World she’d seen.
Cut the cheap pity crap. You filthy bitch. You’re all the same.
Ah... such a pitiful person.
You think you’re in any position to pity me?
For a brief moment, I could see her crying as she clung tightly to my body.
FWOOOOOSH!
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the ritual circle she had drawn being absorbed into her body.
“It worked, Master.”
Her face was too overjoyed, and for some reason, my conscience pricked at me.
This is so trashy...
If the Lee Kiyoung from the first regression had seen this, he would undoubtedly have shouted at me:
Isn’t this bastard total trash?
A strange sense of self-loathing came over me.