.｡.:✧ Chapter 2 ✧:.｡.

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
The hunter’s response was as I expected, “It’s a humble and unremarkable place, my Lord.” He seemed unsure of what to do but couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

“I hold no expectations. Just refrain from being a nuisance. If Sir Flan arrives, inform me.”

“Yes, yes….”

“Leave.”

With those words, Nenson made a cautious retreat.

‘Phew….’

A sigh of relief escaped me, and I felt the tension in my body slowly dissipate. As Nenson withdrew, a newfound ease settled upon me.

‘I just bought a little time…’

I bought a little time for what I needed now. If I were in the first round, it would have been just a meaningless waste of time, but I am in the second round.

As soon as I had secured some time alone, I closed my eyes, and I began to concentrate my mind.

It didn’t take long before I started to feel the familiar sensations.

‘Mana….’

A mysterious force that allows one to transcend human limits.

However, my affinity with it was limited.

‘I wasn’t entirely devoid of talent.’

Nonetheless, there were unmistakable limitations. I possessed a different power, one that harmonized with my being, and to attain it, I required mana.

I used the mana breathing technique I had practiced long ago to accumulate some mana in my body.

Originally, it was an absurdly slow process.

Could it be possible to sense mana and accumulate even the smallest amount in your body with just a little focus of the mind?

If I told someone in this world such a story, they would likely dismiss it as nonsense.

But for me, a second-timer, it was a natural occurrence.

‘I’m familiar with all the sensations.’

Even during my first time, it didn’t take me long to sense mana; now that I was a second-timer, it had to be faster than before.

‘It’s also because it’s a breathing technique I once practiced.’

Once I had gathered the minimum threshold of mana, I ceased the art of mana breathing.

“Phew….”

It wasn’t over yet.

I pricked my finger, allowing a drop of blood to stain my skin, and with it, I began to inscribe a magic circle upon the floor.

‘It’s rather confined in here.’

But thanks to Nenson, who had given me the largest room, I could barely manage to draw the magic circle.

“…….”

I quietly moved my steps to the center of the completed magic circle.

‘If an Imperial Cleric were to see this, they’d probably crush my head instantly.’

They abhorred dark magic; but my talent leaned in this direction.

Drawing in a deep breath, I commenced channeling my mana, approaching the most critical juncture. The magic circle responded to the flow of my mana, gradually establishing a connection with another dimension.

‘Aaaaaack!’

An agonizing cry almost escaped my lips as the magic circle reacted, casting a deep crimson radiance that filled the room.

The identity of the magic circle was simple — a contract circle.

It was the minimum preparation for a Warlock to make a contract with the demons of the demon realm.

However, no Warlock would simply draw a magic circle like this and attempt a contract.

‘Without offerings or sacrifices, a contract attempted with just a magic circle is almost certain to fail.’

A failed contract would trigger a lethal backlash, a fate no Warlock would risk. But I was different.

The contract circle began to glow.

However, there was no sign of it connecting with anyone, as expected; it connected to the demon realm, but that was all.

Normally, the space would close, and I would experience a significant backlash — but that didn’t happen.

“It… worked,” I murmured in subdued triumph.

A fervent warmth welled up within my chest, akin to an inferno; as I slowly lowered my clothing, I could see the familiar symbol etched on my chest — the seal of the contract.

I had not forged a contract with anyone, nor had I paid any price for it. Yet, the seal of a contract adorned my chest.

Upon seeing me like this, the Master and the Demon Lord said.

— The one blessed by the demon realm.

That was the nature of my talent.

An individual who was not a demon, yet received the blessing of the demon realm. It was an unprecedented phenomenon that even the Demon Lord found astonishing.

I wasn’t sure if it was because I was a transmigrator or because my origins were close to the demon realm. However, I was an outsider to the demon realm, but my resonance with it was natural, allowing me to receive its favor.

I was a human bound closely to the demon realm, my innate talent enabling me to wield magic akin to the demons, even within my human form.

‘More precisely, it’s just a connection to the demon realm.’

I don’t need a seal to be able to manipulate magic.

Of course, having a connection to the demon realm was not insignificant. It was exactly what I needed right now.

There were very few places where magic could be found in this world.

‘But with this, it’s different.’

Magic naturally flowed from the seal of the contract; as long as I had this seal, I could receive as much magic as I needed whenever and wherever I wanted.

In the demon realm, this would be useless, but in this world, it was a privilege.

My body began to absorb the magic flowing from the seal as if it were only natural.

The small amount of mana that had accumulated was quickly dispersed by the torrent of magic.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

My body was rapidly changing as it absorbed the magic.

It hurt, but I didn’t let out a whimper.

Naturally, I couldn’t reveal what was happening inside this room.

Still, the pain was bearable.

After a considerable amount of time had passed, the pain in my body subsided.

“Huu, huu….”

Nothing had changed on the outside; however, the internal structure of my body had changed significantly.

The body that absorbed magic had evolved, becoming more efficient, and I could sense that my physical abilities had also improved.

‘In my last life, I was bound by the Demon Lord, but in this life, I will never allow that to happen.’

Although I had a body favored by the demon realm, that didn’t mean I couldn’t make contracts with other demons. In fact, if I had the ability, I could make contracts with several demons.

However, in my past life, I only had two seals—the one that bestowed the blessing of magic, which the demon realm had given me, so in reality, the only demon I had a contract with was the Demon Lord.

Given my constitution, I had drawn the attention of all the Demon Lords — the ultimate incarnation, the perfect vessel.

For the Demon Lords to descend to the Middle Realm, a lot of preparation was required.

There were extremely rare cases of them descending directly as their true selves, but it was a highly dangerous endeavor, and most Demon Lords created separate vessels through contracts to descend into the Middle Realm.

However, it wasn’t an easy task. Moreover, these vessels were often not particularly capable.

The Demon Lords themselves were incredibly powerful, and anything less than a perfect vessel wouldn’t catch their attention.

My body, capable of directly using magic, could contain more of the Demon Lord’s power as it grew, and though it was a low probability, I had received evaluations suggesting that it might be able to contain all of the Demon Lord’s power.

Of all the incarnations of Demon Lords throughout history, none were superior to my body, which was why many Demon Lords coveted it.

‘And then there were the warlocks.’

Apart from being a vessel for the Demon Lord, my existence as someone who could draw out magic at any time was an incredibly useful tool from their perspective.

‘In the end, I couldn’t escape from the Demon Lord with whom my master had made a contract.’

Even though my soul was bound to the Demon Lord, those who coveted me only desired my body. My soul was inconsequential.

The Demon Lord who had made a contract with me had tried to nurture me to the fullest extent, and my master had educated me accordingly.

‘In the end, both my master and I perished, and the Demon Lord didn’t even manage to descend.’

After all that I had already been through, I had no intention of signing a contract with another demon.

From the beginning, as long as I had the favor of the demon realm, I could obtain as much magic as I wanted, and I had confidence that I could gain tremendous power without having to make contracts with other demons.

‘I’ve secured the minimum strength for now.’

The minimum strength for securing my status.

And…

‘This amount of strength is enough for me to operate in the early stages.’

Even if I have knowledge of the future and various information, I cannot use it effectively without strength.

I had acquired this strength for that purpose, and now I had confidence in utilizing it adequately.

‘Although it is weak, I don’t need exceptionally powerful strength at the moment.’

Even if I went all out with my current abilities, I would barely be able to defeat a low-level mercenary, and I didn’t possess any usable magic.

‘It’s not that I can’t use magic at all….’

Being a Warlock and in the current situation, where various preparations and illicit methods were needed, the practicality was extremely low.

‘If I have the equipment, I should be able to handle intermediate-level mercenary.’

Thanks to my experiences from the previous iteration.

However, at the same time, that was the limit of my body right now.

Honestly, I am grateful for this.

In the previous life, it took me almost two years to reach the level of a intermediate-level mercenary.

I had only managed to shorten that time by deceiving a hunter, who was one of my enemies, and gaining some time.

Of course, I currently lacked the necessary equipment, but it would soon be in my possession.

‘So, shall I continue securing my status?’

The reason I needed minimum strength to secure my status was simple — the answer lay with the hunter Nenson.

I swiftly began to tidy up the room.

As I erased the contract circle drawn with my blood as much as possible, I sensed Nenson approaching.

He hesitated at the door for a moment, then knocked cautiously.

“What’s going on?”

“I, I’ve prepared a meal. If you don’t need it, then…”

“Bring it in.”

It seemed that my words about telling him to go away had bothered him.

‘A good opportunity.’

It wasn’t long before Nenson came in, carefully carrying the food.

“It, it is not very good.”

His words were true; although he was a hunter, the menu included meat, but compared to the food that real nobles ate, it was no different from trash.

I naturally frowned, and his expression became increasingly anxious at the sight of me.

“This is what you call food….”

“I, I am sorry. This place is very backward…”

I picked up my knife and cut off a portion of the meat he brought and put it into my mouth.

‘It’s better than I thought….’

Certainly, he seemed to have made an effort.

But naturally, I had no intention of giving him any praise.

With a stiff face, I gestured towards him.

The hunter approached me nervously, trembling.

“Was this really the best you could do?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Raise your head.”

Upon my words, the hunter lifted his head with a fearful expression.

Thump!

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇