No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 86

Whoosh!

It displayed a destructive power that was unbelievable even when seen with my own eyes. He only struck with the back of his sword, but an explosive sound that was almost like bursting a drum resounded. Just how much power do you need to have to make that possible?

‘How can he be so strong.’

It was a single strike. I’m saying it was just a single strike. But the sword energy released from that single strike blew up over a dozen foxes. It shouldn’t have been possible under normal circumstances. The crazy skills that should only be possible if you are Ryuseong who went through 13 volumes of hardcore dark fantasy protagonist torture. Was it because it felt threatened by him?

Suddenly, the leader fox let out a long cry and transformed into a human-like form. It felt like there was something ominous about it being seen as an ordinary fox monster’s transformation. That’s because the form without a tail or ears looked completely similar to a human. It was just like… the phrases in the original work describing a Named…

‘No way?’

The black fox pack that had been hunting in an organically coordinated way to a strange degree… Could it be that they were able to do so because they were being commanded?

In other words, there was a Named…?

[More! I could have killed more humans. I could have taken more.]

The scream that rose sharply like scraping metal, and the mana that was forcibly drawn up as if exploding due to it proved it. The ‘thing’ in front of my eyes is dangerous.

The unknown ‘Named’ that didn’t even appear in the original looked like an old man and had a shriveled appearance like a raisin, but black tears close to ink were flowing from his human-like eyes. It had a human-like form but it was impossible to see it as human at all. Because ‘it’ was surrounded by an ominous and terrifying black energy like murderous intent.

It was the moment when a Named that I never wanted to face from the first raid appeared.

[Just because of you bastards!]

Suddenly I thought, am I broken?

Originally, I entered under the assumption that there was no Named in the black fox pack. But despite the unexpected appearance of a Named, I strangely didn’t feel a sense of crisis.

‘No, it’s surprising though.’

But it’s not like I’m so terrified that I’m getting goosebumps or panicking.

‘Why am I not trembling?’

Of course, it’s good that it’s good, but…

Anyway, in the original, a Named is a very powerful being. However, at the same time, the black fox pack maintained their noble position until now through tactical melee combat using mental resonance. There was a reason why I went as far as ruining one of my arms to squeeze out blood. Moreover, if the power of the ‘Named’ was strong, it wouldn’t have gone out hunting as a monster with a pack. In short, as long as I’ve burned up the pack, I just need to fight the Named whose combat power is nothing special, and then it’s game over.

‘Go, regressor!’

Soon, a transcendent movement that humans couldn’t do swept through the area. Of course, it was Ryuseong, not me. When dozens of strikes flowed at a lightning-fast speed, suddenly I was convinced that my dynamic vision caught up with their speed, and I smoothly pulled Ryuseong’s nape back to break his posture.

At the blatant action that was no different from team kill, I could see the Named unable to hide his confusion and opening his mouth. But I wasn’t flustered, so I immediately flicked my bloody fingertips in the air. As soon as a drop of blood bounced into the torn-open mouth, boom!

“…”

The silence lasted long. It was natural. Because the blood magic that germinated inside blew up the head of the nine-tailed fox.

‘Thrilling. Stealing the final hit is the best after all.’

I feel sorry for Ryuseong, but there’s no taste sweeter than the final blow. I was about to gently smile and burst his chest, but… huh?

‘Why does he have that expression?’

Before I could name that emotion, Ryuseong grabbed my arm and started hemostasis.

His clean clothes that didn’t get a single drop of blood despite the battle with the Named were dyed dark red as he urgently pressed my upper arm tightly and wrapped it with cloth.

While he was acting practically, strangely, I had the literary and useless thought that it seemed to symbolize Ryuseong being tainted by me. I didn’t know if it was because Ryuseong was handsome that I kept having other thoughts. It’s human nature to get dazed when you see something cool. Ryuseong’s fiercely flushed eyes were holding a few strands of unshed tears and dropping them. What flowed down his stiff cheeks was not sweat but only tears.

Ah, I don’t know what to say about you crying. I definitely want to be disgusted, but it also gives me a treacherous pleasure.

The fact that you cry because of this body, and the fact that your emotions are aimed at this body.

‘Like granulated sugar melting on the tip of the tongue.’

It awakens a futile pleasure. Thinking, even so, it’s because of me for now.

But in the end, it concludes with the fact that the owner of this body is not me.

‘The more you apologize, the more I can’t remain as myself to you.’

The more you do that, the less chance Jeong Ian has.

I had the thought that humans can make each other this miserable.

“…Is it over?”

“…”

“I’ll do the purification ritual. You just safely transport me to the train.”

I tried to quickly wrap things up and go back to rest, but Ryuseong grabbed me as if to interfere. I pushed hard against his unwillingness to let go.

Since the Named is gone, we can get rid of the black fog if we perform the purification ritual.

Although the World Tree is said to be the creator god, in this day and age when various religions have real influence, we can perform rituals from the Buddhist, Taoist, or Catholic lines.

However, we are not experts in purification, so we will have to proceed in a simplified manner.

‘Take care of the rest yourself.’

I’m just trying to gain fame anyway, I’m not interested in proper purification work.

I knelt on the dirt to prepare for the ritual as it was. Perhaps the hemostasis was incomplete, the wound on my arm burst open again, dyeing the cloth used as a bandage bright red. This became a bit troublesome. But my brain had a surprisingly tendency to revolve around itself, so I decided to blame Ryuseong for not properly doing the hemostasis. It’s not like it’s because I threw a tantrum and didn’t get enough hemostasis.

I felt heat rising hotly near my dantian, perhaps because I used mana. I circulated the mana like that and converted it into pure Taoist qi.

I pointed to the earth with my fingertips.

“Light. White. Brightly. Tear.”

Hwaaak! Light and wind burst out, puffing up my sleeves.

But is it because I’m attempting something I’ve never done before for the first time?

‘Fuck, my heart.’

I don’t know if this is painful or what. My chest just suddenly felt stuffy and my airways constricted. Damn, I think my breathing is getting rough all of a sudden?

‘Isn’t this fucked up?’

But I couldn’t let go of what I had already started. Because the ritual had already been initiated.

Spells originally have a nasty side to them. If you don’t properly finish it, the spell power will consume the caster.

To overcome the crisis, I had to have the confidence that I could control this much with ease.

‘That’s right, like when I got hit in the chin by the remote…’

Even if I try to forcibly think I’m okay, my vision seems to turn white because I can’t breathe. It’s like fireworks are bursting and strange colorful lights are dancing, but when they all come together, it turns white every time. But I read in textbooks that if you lose consciousness at a time like this, you’ll really die.

‘So I really need to get a grip, but…’

That’s when it happened. Suddenly, a scene flashed before my eyes. And from that moment, all senses returned to their place. My knees crushing the leaves, my fingertips touching the earth, all sensations called out to me. Gestured. Shouted that this path was the right direction.

The scene I saw was just Cassice Demillang’s childhood, but with just that one thing, everything changed. Just by the fact that I saw how the young Cassice Demillang handled the mana heart embedded in his dantian, I felt like I would live.

Until now, I had a lot of distrust in my ability to control mana, but that was wrong.

It wasn’t because I was a possessor that mana was rough. Using mana with a body suffering from heart disease combined with the curse of blood clan inheritance was originally like that. My role was to put a leash on the rough and ill-tempered mana and pull it. Even if it felt like all the blood vessels in my limbs would burst, I couldn’t let go. The moment you are defeated by pain, you die. Thinking that way, it suddenly became funny. The temperament is just like Jeong Ian.

I also lived like that. I endured my whole life with the mindset that if I lose, I die. So.

“I pray to the roots surrounding the world. Carrying a wish in the pulse. Gather the wandering souls.”

Can’t I endure something like you?

“Consecration…!”

Hwaaaak–!

Perhaps because I endured the pain of my heart that felt like it would burst? A pure white light condensed like a fruit at the tip of my finger pointing at the ground. The mana converted to qi scattered fragrantly, and the light created a wave. No, that was too noble and vast a flow to be called a wave.

‘…Is this what a purification ritual is originally like?’

I looked back at Ryuseong and realized it wasn’t originally like this when I saw that he was also shocked.

‘It seems I did it too properly…?’