Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Taming
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A unprecedented event occurred where a book was sulking. Ian stared at the grimoire huddled in the corner and let out a deep sigh.
"No, Hand of Recreation. I have no idea why you're angry. I didn't even use you as a bludgeon or a shield."
[Bzzz.]
"Was that vibration meant to say you can't believe I don't know? Then how should I know? Say something."
[Bzzz!]
"It's not my fault you can't talk."
[Bzzz......!!]
"Agh, fine. Just stay like that. I'm going to read this one."
Giving up on communication, Ian picked up the Deep Sea Chronicles and opened it. As if delighted to be chosen, the Deep Sea Chronicles wriggled eagerly, welcoming his touch.
He gently stroked the cover, and the pages turned without any resistance.
Ian leaned back against the bed and began slowly rereading the introduction from the top.
'The introduction isn't anything special.'
It only recorded the Outer God's epithet and the spells written inside, with the true name concealed.
No different from the Hand of Recreation. He skimmed it and turned the page.
[The author and original owner of this grimoire, the Master of the Outer Sea, holds deep favor and interest toward the first 100% compatible vessel she has ever seen. She has sworn before the destruction of the constellations that, excluding any backlash from spells, she will never cause any harm to her vessel.]
Destruction of the constellations.
A grand scale popped up out of nowhere, but it wasn't surprising anymore. He already knew Outer Gods were enigmatic entities swimming beyond the universe.
The important part was that it mentioned a vessel with 100% compatibility.
Fortunately, there was no need to worry about going mad from obsession.
It was welcome news. The only thing to watch out for seemed to be getting devoured by a summoned beast in reverse.
'Still, just in case, should I carry some meat around normally?'
The thought crossed his mind, but he soon shook his head. It didn't seem helpful.
The weakest creature from the outer sea had only been satisfied after devouring three human-sized monstrosities and the carcass of a large beast whole.
Preparing that much meat would require stuffing at least five iceboxes full. That was too inefficient. Better not to summon at all.
Moreover, now that it was confirmed even the weakest ones craved that much meat, stronger ones would undoubtedly devour double or more.
Preparing meat for those would lead straight to bankruptcy.
'Just summon according to the situation.'
It wasn't just about money—dragging iceboxes on every mission was impossible.
A mage with nothing but their body might manage, but Ian was an alchemist who carried tools everywhere. Adding iceboxes would kill his flexibility.
Summoning magic was instant cast, so meat would just be dead weight otherwise.
"Hmm......"
Ian organized his thoughts, grabbed a cup of cold water, and returned to bed. As he read, he glanced sideways and saw the Hand of Recreation, which had been stuck in the corner, had crawled to the center of the room.
"......"
[......]
Silence flowed between Ian and the grimoire. No words were exchanged, yet an awkward atmosphere lingered.
[Bzzz!]
The Deep Sea Chronicles broke the silence. Displeased that his gaze had shifted, it shuddered, repeatedly opening and closing its cover.
A blatant display of jealousy. Ian sighed deeply, stroked the Chronicles' cover, and extended his other hand slightly.
"......Summon."
Muttering with intent, the grimoire in the living room center flew into his grasp.
The Hand of Recreation, trembling just moments ago, now lay still, meekly accepting his touch.
Meaning its anger had somewhat subsided. Or perhaps it had resigned itself.
Either way, he couldn't let the two grimoires keep jealous-butting heads forever.
Ian set aside his reading and placed both grimoires on the table.
"Let's sort out the traffic."
He neatly aligned them and sat on the bed.
Since simultaneous use was impossible, handling them situationally was the only way. Sometimes only the Hand of Recreation, other times the Deep Sea Chronicles. Jealousy every time would just be poison.
The grimoires weren't fools who couldn't discern priorities and throw tantrums on missions, but he couldn't soothe them every single time.
They weren't babysitters or lovers.
As symbiotic partners, they needed to make concessions.
He doubted it, but like he'd seen in the community, they might fight and go "If I can't have it, no one can." Better prevent that upfront.
Thinking so, Ian opened his mouth with a stern expression.
"I won't say don't get jealous at all, but no sulking and making it obvious. If I die, you're in trouble too."
Talking seriously to books that only buzzed without replying felt bizarre. Still, he continued to the end.
"I'll treat you as companions and cherished books too. If you want anything else, write it on a page and show me."
[Bzzz.]
[Bzz! Bzzz!]
The Hand of Recreation responded earnestly, the Deep Sea Chronicles vibrated lively. The Chronicles promptly flung open its cover, revealing a new line written below the introduction.
[This grimoire wishes to be placed beside its owner, 'Shin Ian,' when he sleeps.]
A simple request. Ian agreed, then turned to the Hand of Recreation.
It had just revealed its demand as well.
[Please maintain the cover regularly.]
Fortunately, another minor request. Ian fulfilled both on the spot, alternating between the grimoires to fill knowledge gaps.
Thankfully, no more jealousy incidents occurred afterward. Ian could focus fully on reading.
'Still, the Hand of Recreation has superior versatility overall.'
The spells in the Deep Sea Chronicles weren't that special.
Just vast descriptions of summoned beasts' traits, with other spells surprisingly mundane. Sure, ignoring water pressure or piercing deep-sea darkness was useful, but not for daily use.
The Hand of Recreation, however, had spells perfect for daily life—like cleaning a messy room or smoothing wrinkled clothes. Plus plenty of combat-useful ones.
Ian planned to focus more on these spells than alchemy for a while.
He couldn't rely solely on self-made tools forever.
If all alchemy items vanished someday, preparation was wise.
"For now, let's try the wall-climbing spell......"
Muttering, he drew the magic circle from the Hand of Recreation and chanted the incantation.
The lights in his room went out long after that.
*
[Why are all these kids these days such sluts?]
[Unicorn Lover Dog]
How come there are no pure ones? I'm using magic to find virgins right now and there's barely any.
Stop being a creep!
[Recommendations 0][Disrecommendations 0]
[Comments]
-Ear Bug: What the hell are you doing to search for pure bodies?
ㄴUnicorn Lover Dog: Magic.
ㄴEar Bug: Oh.
ㄴUnicorn Lover Dog: I've been at this for months, dodging Management Bureau tracking fine, but fuck, no pure bodies means I can't use the magic.
ㄴEar Bug: So? You're not messing with civilians too, right? Grandmother won't let that slide if caught.
The man standing in the alley checked his phone and clicked his tongue, turning off the screen.
"What can Grandmother do? If she was gonna reject me, she shouldn't have accepted me first."
A statement that would leave Grandmother deeply wronged if heard.
But she wasn't here. Only the thick stench of booze and piled trash.
The familiar, disgusting scent the man loved.
"Hoo."
He pocketed his phone, dripped red blood from a glass vial into his eyes, and murmured softly.
"Find a pure body. Show me that flesh."
Sizzle.
His sclera turned red. Pulling his hood low, he stared piercingly at passersby.
'Non-virgins, sluts...... Damn. Even guys who look underage are that filthy—'
Mid-thought, a man caught his eye. Average looks, neatly dressed. College age, roughly.
'A pure human.'
Finally, the material he'd sought. He poured artificial tears to flush the blood, then followed.
Leaving bright streets for dim alleys. Sensing something off, the man turned.
"Hey, who are you? Stalker? Why are you following me?"
"Not a stalker."
The mage grinned, striding forward. He smashed the vial from his pocket on the ground.
Crash. The blood spilled, writhing like a living thing before surging at the man, clogging his airways.
"Mmph!? Guh?!"
The man flailed in panic at the blood-covered face. Ignoring him, the mage waited from afar until he passed out.
Soon, eyes rolled back, he collapsed. The mage rinsed the blood with water, hoisted him, and dumped him in his nearby parked car. He even waved at the CCTV.
Tying the man's wrists to the handle in the back. Ankles secured meticulously with five cable ties to prevent escape, mouth sealed with layers of tape.
Preparation complete. Humming, the mage sat in the driver's seat and turned the key.
"One human yields about 5L of blood...... Manage it right, it'll last months. Nice."
As the mage chuckled and started the engine, his phone buzzed with a message.
He checked.
English text reflected in his eyes.
[Eddie: Is there a new mage in Korea who recently picked up a grimoire? If so, let me know.]
A message from an old partner after ages. The man deftly turned the car while typing one-handed.
[Me: 5000 dollars.]
[Eddie: Damn bastard. Send account.]
The man cackled, sending his account.