Chapter 376
Chapter 376
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 376
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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One year.
Two years.
Before I knew it, I had turned 17.
By now, I had delved quite deeply into magic.
The field I was most confident in was...
[Repeated learning awakens the mysteries of darkness.]
[Darkness is close at hand.]
[Enlightenment! A new ability awakens.]
[Persistent: Awakens Darkness Affinity.]
Whooooosh...
"...You succeeded. Congratulations."
"Did I do well?"
"...There's no need to compare yourself to others. Just keep pushing forward silently."
"Yes."
Darkness affinity mainly involved physical enhancement, control and alteration of surrounding objects, and summoning as its primary strengths.
Snowman acknowledged me.
"Have you ever killed a person?"
"...Pardon?"
"Why are you so surprised? Magic may have developed under lofty pretenses, but isn't it ultimately the art of killing people?"
"...Not yet."
"What a shame."
Snowman muttered quietly.
"You'll learn step by step. Tonight, we'll enter the lab together, so prepare your mind."
"The lab?"
"Yes. It'll help treat your chronic condition too."
He promised I could live the rest of my life free from seizures, so of course I had to follow.
"Understood."
Snowman trusted me.
I had instinctively learned how not to irk his nerves.
He had brought up the lab first—I'd never mentioned it once. Never even shown interest.
'What the hell is in that lab...'
That night, I opened the lab door with him.
Clank...
Creeeeak...
A basement lab.
'...Oh no.'
The moment I took my first step, an unpleasant smell hit me. A scent that dredged up old memories.
'...Blood and flesh.'
It was revolting, but I didn't show it.
I followed him with a blank expression.
He kept stealing glances at my face.
As if monitoring my reaction.
And soon, he seemed satisfied.
The basement came into view.
'...You mad bastard.'
I didn't glare at Snowman with contempt because I sensed danger lurking close by.
The basement was a vision of hell.
Blood splattered everywhere, living beings groaning in agony.
"...What experiments are you conducting here?"
"To be precise, research on mana intensity and the human body."
I approached the human test subjects.
Strapped to different tables, their eyes glazed over.
"Mana veins."
"Mana veins?"
"Yes. Mana circulation is like human fingerprints. Each person uses different paths, creates different paths."
Snowman continued explaining with eyes misty like he was lost in reminiscence.
"What if everyone used the same paths?"
"......"
"We use the body's existing vessels—blood vessels. We guide mana to flow through them."
"What does that produce?"
"Humans grow stronger by accumulating knowledge. Magic is the same. Accumulated knowledge creates stronger spells. But even the most powerful magic can only be handled by those who can generate mana flow to match it. Do you grasp what that means?"
I looked into Snowman's eyes.
The eyes of a villain should be obvious at a glance, yet...
His eyes were serene.
Not the eyes of someone perpetrating this.
"It's all bullshit! All of it! Great magic can only be wielded by the great. The mediocre can't withstand the mana flow. But what if we could standardize mana flow?"
Dry words.
"Then even the masses could cast grand magic."
"...So you use blood vessels? How?"
"I discovered a substance called Atromil."
"Atromil?"
"Atromil neither dissolves in mana nor gets absorbed. The funny part? Mana is drawn to it, follows it around. A very special material... What if it coats the inner walls of blood vessels? Or flows with the blood?"
"......"
"You could circulate mana through your entire body just by breathing."
Whether hordes of grand wizards were born didn't matter to me. What mattered was why go this far with experiments.
"Why the experiments...?"
"Atromil has one flaw: it stops the heart."
"......"
"Plenty have already died from it. I want to fix that."
"...Understood."
In short, a lunatic.
Instead of talking more with him, I checked the test subjects.
Two were fine, one man a shredded rag.
'Ugh...'
Veins dug out completely.
"Dyi...ng..."
Barely alive.
Repulsive, rage boiling, but I couldn't beat Snowman. Blank face, I asked.
"Disappointed?"
"Disappointed?"
"Yes, disappointed in these humans?"
Kang Seol shook his head.
Contrary to his true feelings.
"Isn't it just doing what's necessary?"
Snowman paused.
"Kuh... kuheheh..."
"What's wrong?"
"I feel like I judged you right. We can proceed with research together from now on."
"Yes."
"Today's goal was just to show you around the lab."
If I'd slipped, I might've died here today. Good thing I was adept at masking my expression...
"But... how did these test subjects end up here?"
"All villains."
"Villains?"
"Paying for their crimes. They sinned against me."
"What..."
"This one accepted my assassination contract, this one..."
Snowman listed the two men's backgrounds.
Didn't strike me as villains.
Or maybe they were.
By his standards.
"And this girl..."
Bobbed hair woman.
Calluses on hands, body toned and springy.
'A swordswoman.'
I checked her face.
"......"
"A child of the Curtain. Immature, so I captured her alive. Heh heh..."
"Curtain..."
"Know of the Curtain?"
"No... What kind of group are they?"
"Hypocrites. They hide in shadows, prattling about justice while judging others."
"...Strong?"
"...Very. That's why they're dangerous."
Snowman stroked the woman's head.
"She had dangerous power too."
"What..."
"She predicted my movements. An unknown power—needs checking."
"Her..."
"Last in line. Should be the most interesting, heh heh..."
"I see..."
"What's with that?"
Blank face, I replied.
I wore a mask.
One that could never show anger.
"Nothing. Just reminded me of the past for a moment."
"Alright, let's go."
The woman was Yurim.
I knew it.
Features, Curtain connection, predicting movements.
All pointed to her being Yurim.
And fate demanded I choose.
That dawn.
I made my choice.
Before it was too late.
Clank...
Freed from restraints, the dazed woman clung to me.
"Uh... uh..."
"Yurim. Snap out of it, Yurim!"
Focus returned to Yurim's eyes.
"Kang... Seol? Why... am I here... Ah... Aah!"
This was the horrific lab.
"No time to explain. Get out."
"Why... If you do this, you'll..."
Die.
Or become a test subject instead.
But I couldn't stop.
Santos taught me.
- The obvious thing is obvious. That's reason enough.
"It's obvious. You're my friend."
"Seol..."
"Go! West down the mountain! Before he notices!"
I sent Yurim away.
Freed the other subjects too.
One was already dead, another soon recaptured.
"...You've done something amusing."
"You mad bastard."
"Sent by the Curtain?"
"Curtain or whatever... who cares?"
"Then why?"
Why indeed.
Reason I could stay calm facing death.
"'Cause I'm a man?"
Santos taught me that.
"This complicates things early, but no choice."
Snowman grinned.
"Only option: inject Atromil into your veins."
Zzzap-!
Tried to cast magic, useless.
"Cute."
[Agras uses Magic Lock.]
[Forces silence on contracted target.]
"...You're not Snowman, are you?"
I figured it out.
Why he lacked a villain's eyes.
He was using another's body.
"The original owner of this lodge?"
"...Sharp."
"Heh heh heh... I'm Agras. If this experiment succeeds, I'll use your body next."
I spat weakly.
"Can't even see your face here."
"...What?"
"...Huh?"
Pretty sure I said something, but in the chaos, not sure.
Clank...
Now I was strapped to Yurim's table.
"Anesthetic...?"
"You scream-free types whine the most. Here... we go."
Sssshk...
Needle pierced skin, invaded vein.
Like ice in my veins.
Even I, accustomed to all pains, felt hair stand on end from the agony.
"Guaaaaaaaaah!"
"Suffer and die, or survive and become my vessel."
Why tangle with this horrific mage? And why'd I think Yurim was a guy?
Yurim...
'Hope she escaped safe...'
Second time saving her—no, him? Her.
No reason. Just felt right.
'Ah...'
Consciousness fading.
[Blood of the Origin activates.]
[Veins fuse with Atromil.]
[Enlightenment! A new ability awakens.]
[Persistent: Awakens Magic Engineering Veins.]
Blood of the Origin...?
* * *
I became a doll.
Even Agras hadn't expected success, he rejoiced wildly.
Moving bodies took time, though. He took me from the lab, bathed me, dressed me in fine clothes, fed me gourmet meals for nutrition—weird stuff.
"Thus, Agras stands shoulder-to-shoulder with grand wizards."
Subdued by him, I couldn't act properly. Is this what body-snatching feels like?
"Haha... what a cursed fate."
At 17, experiencing something this bizarre.
If I died like this, maybe no human reincarnation—ghost or evil spirit instead.
Still, no regrets for my actions. All followed the natural flow. Meeting Yurim again was fate.
'Even if I hadn't saved her, same fate awaited me...'
Twisted positivity worked even now.
Then, while Agras was away.
Crash-!
Window shattered, someone entered.
Rushed straight at me.
"Who's there!"
[Agras uses Black Hand.]
[Black Hand targets the intruder.]
Whiiir-!
Black Hand only smacked the floor, no hit.
Crunch...
I toppled with the chair; someone hugged my neck.
"Hic... You're alive... Alive..."
This voice—Yurim.
"...Yurim."
"Let's go home... Together..."
Can't.
A demon lives here.
Agras sized her up, scoffed.
"Curtain wench. Walking back in? Lost your mind?"
Yurim supported me to stand, tear-streaked face.
She faced Agras.
"Mind's fine. And... I didn't come alone."
Knock knock...
Flash-!
Agras's head snapped to the door.
Sound from beyond.
Knock knock...
"Anyone home?"
A man's voice.
Then.
BOOOOM-!
Door exploded.
Clear view from here.
A gap-toothed man grinned as he appeared.
"Excuse me, had to take a dump urgently. Heh heh heh..."
Crazy?
'No... Not crazy.'
Composed aura in his voice.
Eyes like stars.
'Seen him somewhere...'
Must be famous.
Even Agras panicked.
"You... You're..."
Expression vanished from the man's face.
The cheerful man gone.
An infinitely heavy man stood there.
"Boy, you've suffered."
Where have I seen this man?
"If it hurts, cry. It's fine."
"Uh... Uh..."
"Even crying hurts? Alright, let's go home together. Boy."
Agras flicked his tongue serpent-like.
"He's mine. Don't care who you are..."
"The Lord prepared me for this place..."
Whoooosh...
Waves emanated from the man.
Then, another voice rang in my head like a bell.
- Well then, Toki. For the finale... I'll smile.
Man's name: Toki. Never met, yet I knew it somehow.
"My purpose is here."
Soon, brain-crushing shock hit.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"