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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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The night air was quite cool.
Park Ah-ram wasn’t usually one to enjoy going out, but she quite liked the weather tonight.
The night was filled with such a pleasant breeze that she thought it would be nice to finish her business quickly and enjoy a walk.
“It’s not bad to go out on a night like this. Professor Cathy keeps telling me to get some sun, and moonlight is reflected light from the sun broadly speaking, so it’s similar to sunlight, right? Don’t you think so?”
She asked her silent date, but he still didn’t answer.
“Hah, I knew from the way you asked me out in the middle of the night that you weren’t in your right mind, but how about at least answering? That way, I can beat you up a little less painfully and not report you.”
A jet-black tailcoat and a pure white oni mask, honestly, it was an outfit that reeked of adolescent sensibilities, but the chilling, ominous aura he exuded was enough to make it seem not out of place.
“Does my talking not sound pleasant to you? It’s fine by me. Even if I get beaten up painfully, it’s not my fault.”
[Hmm.]
The figure in the oni mask finally spoke.
[I’m sorry if you didn’t like my date invitation. I apologize for that.]
“Aha, no need to apologize. I wasn’t going to go easy on you anyway. I’ll finish this quickly and enjoy my walk.”
[That’s a shame. I’d like to enjoy this moonlit date a little longer.]
“You’re more of a romantic than you look. But you chose the wrong partner. I’m not the romantic type.”
[Is that so? I don’t think that’s true.]
“I don’t know what you see in me for you to say that…”
[Park Ah-ram, you work as a mana studies professor at the academy. But that’s not your true nature, is it?]
“…Now that I think about it, you seem to be a stalker. I’ll beat you up, and then I’ll ask you how much you know, so be prepared.”
[Don’t get excited. You can’t beat me as you are now.]
“You’re very confident.”
[If you insist, shall we test it? I’ll show you the difference between you and me.]
“…Difference?”
[Anything is fine. I’ll take one of your most confident magic attacks. I promise I won’t defend myself. If you injure me, I’ll surrender and tell you everything I know.]
“Ho, that’s a tempting offer that would relieve my stress, but there’s always a catch to such enticing offers, isn’t there?”
[Don’t worry, I’m not asking for much. Just listen to what I have to say after I endure your attack.]
“Aha, is this already a request for a second date? Your first date invitation was terrible, but this attempt isn’t bad.”
[Come. I’ll show you our difference in ‘class.’]
“You’ll regret it.”
The moment she held up her staff, a magic circle composed of numerous circuits appeared in the air.
“They say small peppers are spicy, and I’m quite spicy.”
And a golden flash, compressing numerous spells, illuminated the night as it shot out.
As promised, he didn’t dodge or block. He calmly watched the golden light flying towards him and was swallowed by the flash without resistance.
The golden light that flooded the night exploded with a roar.
“He’s not dead, is he? If he’s scattered without a trace…”
It would be troublesome if he died since she needed information. She thought she might have gone too far as she intended to just subdue him moderately, but she had to admit she was wrong.
[Don’t worry. I’m fine.]
Because the man in the oni mask was perfectly fine while standing before her without a single scratch.
Even the aura he exuded wasn’t disturbed at all.
“…Hah, this guy is a monster.”
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Let’s briefly discuss my current power.
Excluding Ruyi, most of my relics were obtained from the golden goblin who was causing trouble at the academy, but anyway, I had a teleportation relic that I could use twice a day, and a relic similar to an inventory that could only be opened after registering as its owner.
I hadn’t yet made a contract with the Lucky Double Coin, which healed near-fatal wounds, and lastly, I had obtained Black Shadow, an offensive relic.
Now, could I beat Park Ah-ram with these?
No, absolutely never. I couldn’t win no matter what.
I might have a chance if Enhancement grew and I could use multiple enhancements, but at this stage, she wasn’t someone I could challenge.
The Platinum Witch. Although she was a character whose true body was sealed, I, who had read the settings book, knew about it.
Originally, she was closer to a disaster than a human, and even with most of her power sealed along with her true body, she was an absurd being who was active as a top-ranked A-rank hero.
How could I possibly beat such a person?
But even if I couldn’t win, I had a few ways to bluff against her.
The reason I transformed Ruyi, one of my few attack methods, into a tailcoat wasn’t because my pride had taken over me, nor was it to save on clothing costs or to use it as a quick-change device.
On a smaller scale, it was to prevent her from connecting Kang So-hyun, who wielded Ruyi as a weapon, with this form, and on a larger scale, it was because Ruyi itself could be used as an absurdly powerful defensive relic.
Park Ah-ram had a habit: if her opponent provoked her to go all out, she would always overwhelm them with the same magic.
Her original spell, ‘Overflowing Golden Light.’ Many people misunderstood it because of the dazzling golden mana that overflowed from the spell, but it was a technique that converted mana into physical force to crush the opponent.
Its power was just that absurd.
But it wasn’t easy to destroy a near-mythical grade relic with just a physically strong magic.
Of course, only Ruyi was fine, and I, inside it, wasn’t.
-The Saint’s Will strengthens your recovery.
-…Are you okay?
‘Not as okay as I thought I would be. I would have died without Ruyi. But it’s not unbearable.’
After making the enhanced Ruyi as heavy and solid as possible, I endured the attack she was most confident in.
This was my way of intimidating her.
Regardless of my internal state, Ruyi wouldn’t even be scratched by her magic, so from her perspective, I would appear to be unharmed.
Ah, shit, but this hurts like hell. Can I even speak right now?
[Then, as you promised, you’ll hear about what I have to say.]
Ah, the words came out. And quite naturally, too.
“…You just want me to listen?”
[Yes, I’m only here to make a proposal. So everything after this is your choice, and you must bear the consequence of your decision.]
“A proposal…?”
[Yes, you have caught the eye of the Great One I serve. Won’t you join us?]
She also had the potential to become an attractive villain, in my opinion.
Although she was killed by Lilac in the original story due to that ridiculous thing called a seal, it was entirely the fault of my foolish friend who failed to utilize her potential.
A small, cute, and youthful appearance, with a sealed true body.
To kill such a character with a backstory that readers would love? Absolutely unacceptable.
“I don’t know what that Great One does, but I’m not going to submit to someone just because of their power. Ah, it’s more accurate to say that I don’t intend to submit to anyone.”
[Let me correct two things.]
“Two things?”
[First, He is not a lowly human, so watch your mouth.]
She flinched as if the pressure had increased to match the atmosphere.
Ah, this is getting fun again. This is bad.
[Second, we have no intention of overpowering you with force. It’s meaningless unless you are truly inspired and act as one of us. If you accept the proposal, we will simply grant you what you desire as a token of becoming one of our own.]
“What I desire? You know what I want and you dare to spout such nonsense…”
[The essence of alchemy, the Philosopher’s Stone. The last ingredient needed to break your seal. Am I wrong?]
For the first time, astonishment appeared on her face.
“How did you… No, who are you, really? Are you saying you know my true identity?”
[Lacking.]
“What?”
What nonsense was this out of the blue? I continued, lowering my voice in response to her puzzled face.
[Lacking imagination. Your reaction is monotonous. Since you’re someone He has taken an interest in, I had hoped for a more novel reaction, but well, it can’t be helped for now.]
Perhaps I had a talent for acting?
[It’s all thanks to His grace that I know who you are, what your purpose is, and what you desire. He can easily see through the desires of insignificant beings like us. He also has the power to easily grant the wishes of those He favors.]
I spread my arms and extended them forward naturally.
[Don’t overthink it. Just become one of us, take His hand, and accept His grace. He is the only god who can grant your wish in this imperfect and violent world, the only one who will reign as the sole order.]
“…Hah, you guys aren’t just any ordinary madmen. But if what you say is true, are you saying that there are many people similar to you, who can withstand my attack unscathed, and that there’s an existence ruling over you all?”
[Of course.]
There weren’t any yet, but I was going to find them soon. Wow! Join now and become Villain Comrade No. 2!
“…That’s hard to believe.”
[Truly doubtful people don’t make that kind of expression. I don’t like the way you’re denying it with your words when you’ve already made up your mind.]
“I still can’t believe it. Especially the part about easily obtaining the Philosopher’s Stone, which I haven’t even seen a glimpse of after searching for years.”
[I understand. So I’ll make a promise.]
“…A promise?”
[Yes, well. Since He desires you, I’ll reveal my hand first.]
I paused for a moment before speaking.
[Two months.]
“What?”
[Two months from now. I’ll appear before you with the Philosopher’s Stone. Ah, of course, there are no conditions for just showing it to you. After seeing the Philosopher’s Stone and experiencing His power, we can continue our conversation.]
She seemed incredulous, but she also seemed to harbor a hope that she might receive what she desperately desired.
“Hah, I thought your date invitation was so messed up and that you had no manners, but you’re a more charming man than I thought. Your skills at getting a second date are no joke.”
[I can’t do anything that would disgrace His reputation.]
“But, what if, contrary to your promise, I’m tempted by the Philosopher’s Stone that day and try to take it by force? Are you going to bring your comrades with you?”
[Try it if you want.]
“…What?”
[However.]
I stretched out one hand and concentrated on Black Shadow to create a sphere.
But perhaps because Black Shadow hadn’t grown yet, the created sphere looked a bit pathetic.
It seemed a bit lacking for something a great being would take out as a warning.
So, without much thought, I enhanced Black Shadow with Enhancement as usual, and something completely different from usual formed in my hand.
A darkness with a viscous texture, too thick to be called a mere shadow, appeared on my hand.
The small darkness greedily devoured the light from all surrounding sources, and the sudden, complete darkness was enough to instill a primal fear in humans.
Honestly, if I hadn’t known what it was, I might have been a little scared myself.
This was originally a technique that could only be used after awakening Black Shadow, but it seemed like Enhancement could produce a similar effect to awakening.
[I’ll take that as a rejection of the proposal.]
As I clenched my fist, the gathered darkness dispersed, and light returned to the surroundings.
“…Haha, shit. I messed with the wrong person, didn’t I?”
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Park Ah-ram felt fear for the first time in a long while.
Although the time she had lived as a human after losing her true body wasn’t long, she had fought against those called strong within that short time.
It was almost like the first time she had felt like this.
A forgotten sensation.
Instinctive wariness rang alarm bells.
Following the ethics she had established while acting as a hero and an educator, it would be right to immediately call a higher-ranked hero.
However, she couldn’t make that choice.
The Philosopher’s Stone.
He was an existence who said he would easily give her what she desperately desired, what she couldn’t find no matter how hard she tried.
And because an existence that could make her this afraid seemed like it could actually grant her wish, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse the opportunity.
-I’ll ask one last thing. What exactly is your goal? Are you going to conquer the world or something?
The man in the oni mask pondered for a moment before answering her last question.
-Not entirely wrong. He will become the sole order and standard. Whether you stand beside Him, who reigns as a symbol, or bow your head before Him, the choice is yours.
“…A choice, huh. Sounds nice.”
It was too late for a night stroll now.
“I should go back.”
Even if she had to think about what to do, she had to go back first.
As she turned around, a question suddenly popped into her head.
‘…But why did he call me out like that in the first place?’
It wasn’t that important, so she could just ask him next time, but whether he would answer her was questionable.
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“What is this? Is this mask cursed? Why does this happen every time I wear it?”
-No, no matter how I look at it, it’s just your true nature…
“Shut up. That can’t be true.”
No, this was the original plan. It was, but I swear I didn’t intend to make my words and actions so excessive.
-But why did you do that?
“What? What do you mean?”
-When you first called that witch out.
“Yes?”
-Why did you send her a letter like that instead of just calling her normally?
“Ah, that?”
I sent Professor Park Ah-ram something similar to a chain letter.
It might have seemed like a malicious prank to others, but it was a sincere warning and a small preparation for making her my ally.
[If you don’t come alone to the designated location by 6 PM tonight, those you cherish most will be in danger soon. Choose whether to save them or abandon them with your own hands.]
Something like that.
“It’s not a lie. They really will be in danger.”
-Really?
“And now that I’ve kept my promise, I’ll appear and say, ‘I’ll help you!’”
If I appeared dramatically and saved those in danger, it would lessen her wariness.
It was a typical scenario, but there was a reason typical scenarios were typical. It wasn’t a bad plan.
But even after waiting for a long time, I didn’t get a response.
“…Hello?”
-No matter how much you deny it, it seems like your true nature is that kind of edgy sensibility.
“…What a horrible thing to say.”
That couldn’t be true.
It would be more believable if you said Lilac was turning evil.
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T/N – Dang, Black Shadow seems to be pretty awesome. If that’s its power when awakened, what can it do with Enhancement after it awakens?
Also, I am loving the MC’s chuni side. The words just flow right out of his mouth even though he’s in pain.
If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
Important Notice – So I’m going to be transferring the release schedule of this novel to Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday to join my Barb Labyrinth one. So you can expect a chapter release tomorrow. Thank you very much for your continued support 👍
We love or delusional protagonists
This is way too entertaining 🤣