Collecting the Reparations!
After isolating the space entirely, I unleashed a wide-range Death Magic spell.
I had designed the collapse to be absolute, ensuring the space was thoroughly pulverized. To escape it, one would have needed to emit magical power at least on par with my own to induce a spatial rift.
However, the mages present were, at best, 7th Circle users. It was common knowledge that even at the same circle, the proficiency of a standard mage and a Dark Mage differed significantly in terms of raw magical power and the potency of their spells.
In practice, when spells of the same circle collided, standard magic was often shattered or nullified to a pathetic degree. Conversely, when standard mages failed to fully dissipate the lingering energy, they would suffer grievous injuries.
After confirming that all fifty of them had been reduced to piles of meat, I immediately used Call of Spirit to begin sifting through the twelve souls.
'It’s difficult to interrogate them all right now. In that case, I have no choice but to seal them in Mana Stones.'
Mana Stones have a wide variety of uses.
Among them was the Soul Prison spell, which traps a soul within the stone. It was considered the greatest—and most heinous—punishment in Dark Magic, a way to inflict eternal torment. Many mages felt a deep aversion to using it, and in fact, international law had classified it as an excessively cruel punishment, leading to a general consensus to avoid its use whenever possible.
But I had no such qualms about using it on the wicked.
'In reality, I’m not exactly a saint myself. If you feel aggrieved, come find me when I die. I’ll be happy to play with you then.'
I began sealing all twelve souls into the Mana Stones.
It required a massive amount of magical power, but I was wearing a mana-amplifying artifact I’d looted from this place, which boosted my total capacity. Thanks to that, I was able to significantly reduce the burden of casting the Soul Prison spell.
Afterward, I tossed the Mana Stones containing them into my subspace and, remembering the other things that needed to be dealt with inside, I curled my lips into a smirk and began to wander around, feeling quite cheerful.
There was, however, one thing that didn't sit well with me: the trash who had been violating the women.
'What should I do with these guys?'
Since they were clearly influential figures, I judged that a simple punishment wouldn't suffice. I used Clean and similar spells to sanitize the women, handed the relatively unharmed ones a thick stack of cash, and sent them outside. As for the remaining pieces of trash, I ground them all into meat, shoved their souls into Mana Stones, and threw them into my subspace.
Then, I stripped the very existence of those bastards from my memory and proceeded to gather the rest of the loot.
'Consider your debt paid by suffering for eternity.'
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Nothing, other than feeling a bit dizzy from using so much mana."
"Phew..."
Go Yujin let out a sigh of relief.
Ahn Somi also looked quite exhausted; it seemed the police investigation had been rather difficult.
"Did everything wrap up well?"
"For now. Since a few of the people involved were on the wanted list as Doomsday Cultists, it was resolved smoothly. But... did the task you went to handle go well?"
Is she worried because the world is too quiet? Or is she suspicious because I look exactly the same as before?
Regardless, I told them it was resolved well and that I had a proper gift for them, which left both women looking puzzled.
I told Go Yujin to hold out her hand and pulled an item from my subspace.
Go Yujin looked at it, still confused.
"What is this?"
"It's an artifact. If you feel uncomfortable because it was used by a criminal, you don't have to use it, but it’s a very fine piece of equipment."
Just as she was tilting her head, Ahn Somi seemed to recognize it and shrieked.
"Kyaaaa!! No way, wow! Damn, this is insane! Doesn't Geum Seongchan need this too?"
"W-what, why are you making such a fuss?"
"You idiot, it's a Mana Amplification Ring! 50% mana amplification! It's a national treasure-level artifact!"
She was making such a huge scene that it was noisy enough to be heard all around. If this hadn't been Go Yujin's house, it would have drawn the attention of everyone nearby.
"What about mine?!"
Ahn Somi’s eyes sparkled as if it were a given. I had already hinted that I would give her one, and since she would inevitably keep getting tangled up with the Doomsday Cultists, I felt it was necessary to boost her skills with an artifact, as her current abilities would clearly be hopeless.
So, I spoke up casually.
"I'll provide one if you promise to always move with Yujin."
"...Wow, that's too much."
"I'm suggesting this because I think it's time you fixed your habit of getting excited when you see blood."
"Do you have any idea how hard that is?"
"I do. But if you don't fix it, you'll eventually be consumed and swallowed by that power."
I could feel Ahn Somi's internal struggle in the way she met my gaze with seriousness.
She knew it herself. If she could overcome the constraints placed upon her, she could grow further. But this was a condition of 'Awakening' that couldn't be easily overcome.
Every Awakened had a weakness, and by overcoming that weakness, one could advance to the next level. By repeating that process and growing continuously, one eventually reached the realm known as the pinnacle.
'For me...'
I briefly entertained the thought before quickly brushing it aside and speaking to Ahn Somi.
"The artifact I will provide is the Tear of Venuah."
"Are you crazy..."
The Tear of Venuah is a very famous necklace-type artifact. It was a national treasure with the absurd effect of 30% mana amplification and 30% mana potency amplification.
In a way, it felt slightly inferior to the item I gave Go Yujin, but I had provided what was necessary according to their individual characteristics.
Go Yujin was a half-baked Dark Mage who could only use magic related to golems. However, handling golems meant that a massive amount of mana was consumed. Therefore, mana amplification alone was sufficient for her.
Ahn Somi, however, was different. Like me, she was an all-rounder, and since her specialty was destruction magic, amplifying her mana potency was also crucial.
It was a suitable bait.
"I can't say no to this..."
Seeing the dejected Ahn Somi, I took out the artifact and showed it to her, then lightly dodged her attempt to snatch it away as I spoke.
"I'll give it to you once you overcome it. It would be troublesome if you wore this and went on a rampage beforehand."
"Tch... you're so mean."
"It's even meaner of you to not even try to make that much effort."
"You, are you a f***ing devil?"
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Ugh..."
Ahn Somi, who looked like she had a lot more to say, would have no choice but to move according to my will. I then spoke to the bewildered Go Yujin.
"Yujin, I also think you need to try to use other types of magic instead of just sticking to golems if you want to move to the next level."
"It's not easy. Even after years of effort, I can't use anything above 3rd Circle magic."
"I suspect your limit might be restricted."
"A limit..."
Go Yujin looked complicated in many ways. Regardless, when I briefly explained how I had obtained such artifacts, both women were horrified.
"Using people as sacrifices... you mean you pulled these artifacts out of a Gate using that method?"
"It seems there is a method. Perhaps, just like forming a Gate Core, they create artifacts by satisfying specific conditions."
"Then this item..."
"There is no sin in the object itself. And even if it was created through sacrifice, if we don't misuse it, the injustice will be lessened."
I quickly cut off Go Yujin's next words, and she met my gaze with a complex expression.
Her soft heart didn't seem to suit a Dark Mage. Ahn Somi, on the other hand, was confident.
"That's right. It's the fault of the human using it, not the object! So I will definitely overcome this..."
Ahn Somi had been stuck at a 5th Circle Master. If she could overcome her bloodlust, she would be able to reach at least a 6th Circle user or, at most, a 6th Circle Master. That was because I, too, had reached my current realm through two awakenings at the 5th Circle.
Regardless, I was just sharing what I knew from experience; without effort, there would be no path forward for their growth.
'I should guide them so that doesn't happen.'
At the very least, they couldn't stop growing until every single Doomsday Cultist had vanished from this land.
After that, fairly ordinary days followed. Since most of the people who could be called the leadership of the Doomsday Cultists had been slaughtered, it was inevitable that things would be quiet.
Furthermore, the social vacuum caused some subtle chaos in South Korea. The government actively stepped in to resolve the situation due to the sudden mass disappearances, and as a result, absurd things began to be discovered in one location.
"The media is in an uproar. It seems like the trouble started with that religion."
"They say dozens died in a building collapse, but isn't it hard to understand how Awakened could be crushed to death in a building?"
Go Yujin and Ahn Somi's questions were directed at me. It meant they wanted me to tell them if I knew anything.
"It was those guys. The leadership of the Doomsday Cultists."
"...As I thought."
"See, I told you it was Geum Seongchan's doing."
"Still..."
It seemed the two had discussed something beforehand. So, I casually opened my subspace and pulled out one of the Mana Stones. Upon realizing that a soul was trapped inside, both women looked at me in shock.
"These are the souls of the leadership who died there."
"...Are you going to interrogate them with Call of Spirit again?"
"I have to. I have no intention of stopping this conflict until I've rooted them out completely."
"For them, this isn't a conflict level, it's an all-out war."
"I don't even consider it an all-out war with such trivial things. However... the real backer, the mastermind, is still fine, so I have to figure out their location."
"Is work even a priority now?"
At Ahn Somi's words, I spoke seriously.
"I am definitely handling my duties. I cleaned out two Gates today as well. On the contrary, Ahn Somi, are you actually trying to overcome your issue?"
"I am! I'm doing it, okay?!"
Ahn Somi grumbled, but knowing she was making an effort, I finished with just that one remark and turned to finish the conversation with Go Yujin.
"Each of you just needs to do your best."
"Why... are you going this far?"
"To ensure everyone's safety."
It could be said that it was already safe enough. Since most of the Doomsday Cultists related to us had been eliminated.
"It's too dangerous. Eventually, someone is going to get hurt or bleed."
"I'm stepping out so that it doesn't become our blood. You know that, right?"
You have to deal with things thoroughly before you get hit to avoid future trouble. I had thoroughly experienced, verified, and proven that through the last war. And I had even lived through it...
I don't know if all those experiences were what made me the person I am today.
"...Some bastard is denying us head-on. I need to find out who it is. Isn't there a way?"
Pi Jinhyuk, the Tower Master, who had accumulated a mountain of rage after losing his prized subordinates, gnashed his teeth at the voice coming calmly through the communication device.
- Do you think I have a way? It's chaos right now because people are digging around trying to figure out why they were all gathered there. -
Pi Jinhyuk was not very satisfied with the answer from his contact, Chu Myeonghun. However, Pi Jinhyuk, who had no intention of just sitting still, said:
"If we can't find the guys who caused this mess, neither I nor you will be free. If you think that just because you're a hero, you'll be absolute forever, I hope you at least realize that's the thinking of a senile old man in the back room."
- ...I remember. But it's better not to step out right now. Kim Daesan has started to show interest in that friend. -
Pi Jinhyuk couldn't help but be startled. Because if the President showed interest, it was a troublesome matter indeed.
Until now, Kim Daesan had been the type to keep a 'line'. But hearing that he was moving because he instinctively sensed that the balance was about to shift made things serious, and he had to find a solution.
"I heard you have a connection to the Black Tower."
- Cheon Jongun is not a man who moves easily. It requires a price. -
Pi Jinhyuk answered while gritting his teeth.
"Tell that old man Cheon Jongun... that I've found a new Necronomicon... and tell him to handle the job in exchange for providing it."
- So you were planning to use that as bait? Fine, but can you handle it? -
Pi Jinhyuk had always been wary of the power of Dark Mages, which was clearly becoming stronger. Because it was an act that reduced the standing of mages. However, he knew that if he couldn't find the human who had done this, he would inevitably head toward ruin, so Pi Jinhyuk spoke decisively.
"I'm not the only one who's impatient. If you're confident there won't be any future trouble, try maintaining that position."
- Keuk, don't be so cold. I'm just as desperate. So, I'll cooperate, okay? -
At Chu Myeonghun's snide reply, Pi Jinhyuk cut the communication right there.
"Chu Myeonghun, you son of a b*tch!! You think only you can survive! You think so!! We're all going to perish. It's the end!! F***!!!"
The top of the Tower shuddered from his rampaging mana, but since it was a familiar feeling, many mages just kept their heads down.