79 – The Unqualified Person -3-
Lune thought Hans was a good friend.
Adopted by the Tower and unable to adapt to the Magic Tower, he was the only friend who extended a hand to him.
“What’s your name?”
“Figure it out yourself.”
“I’m Hans. No last name!”
“Who told you to introduce yourself.”
“You’re so sensitive. But it’s okay! We can be friends from now on.”
“What?”
He was a rare friend who tolerated his dirty nature.
They had been close friends for over ten years, playing together in the Magic Tower. They were both orphans and had similar living environments. They also enjoyed magic, so they got along well.
Although Hans had fallen behind as a direct disciple due to his irregular magic skills, Lune believed that they maintained a relationship as friends who talked and relieved stress together at the Academy.
The day before Hans went missing, he came to Lune’s room with a bottle of liquor. Lune, who was puzzled by Hans’ sudden appearance, didn’t think much of it.
“Lune… I’m thinking of quitting magic.”
“What are you saying, you idiot? Why do you bother studying magic?”
“Just… Whenever I compare myself to you and our other friends, I feel like this path isn’t mine, and no matter how hard I try, I don’t think I can escape the lower class.”
“Stop whining and just work hard. If you graduate from the academy, you can get a job in a good family. And don’t you think I’ll help you get a good position?”
“…Is that so?”
“You should try your best like me. I haven’t just been playing around.”
“…Try my best?”
“Yeah. Put your utmost effort into it.”
“Even if it means risking my life?”
“You idiot. Isn’t it obvious?”
Hans, who had revealed his inner thoughts, left Rune’s room that day with a refreshed expression.
“Rune, that’s what you said.”
Hans left behind a profound statement and departed.
Up until then, Rune never thought the situation would escalate like this.
Not even a little bit.
*
The magic circle began to emit a red light.
The corpses piled on the magic circle turned into black liquid, transforming into nourishment for the spell, and the black magic power emitted from the magic circle started to cling to Hans, the caster.
In order to suppress the horrifying dark magic filled with malicious intent, Uria poured out her holy power, but her feeble holy power was unable to stop the intricately crafted spell.
The name of the magic is ‘Metamorphosis.’
It was a magic invented by a black mage named ‘Calyps,’ who was born again as a black mage, shedding the title of a magician, and turned the Empire into a realm of terror 100 years ago.
A wicked magic where the intensity of the abilities changes depending on the number of souls gathered, and the type of ability is determined by the caster’s desires.
A year ago, one day.
It was the magic that Hans discovered while training in the dungeon.
-Kugugugugu….
With a majestic sound, screams of the sacrificed individuals began to echo from the earth-shaking magic.
As the weight of the evil that felt like piercing their skin crushed their shoulders, Mihail shouted to Rune.
“Rune!”
“…”
“What are you doing? Come back quickly!”
Mihail’s words didn’t reach Rune.
It all seemed like a lie.
His friend, who couldn’t even kill a single ant, didn’t seem like someone who could commit a terrifying murder.
Standing in the middle of the altar, his friend had a crazed smile on his face that was hard to believe.
Introverted.
Timid Hans.
He had disappeared a long time ago.
Hans, awakening to black magic, was building an altar. Hans, with a satisfied expression on his face, as his power boiled up.
“There’s an easy way to become strong, so why did I go in circles? I didn’t need to study annoying things like formulas or computations. Really.”
Ruin gritted his teeth and asked Hans.
“I’ll ask you one thing, Hans.”
“Yeah?”
“These people here. Did you kill all of them?”
Hans answered without hesitation.
“Yeah. Since learning this magic involves killing people, what’s the big deal?”
Ruin’s red orbs started to emit an intense warmth, as if they were about to burst.
One. Two. Three.
Hans was looking at countless spheres of flames in fascination.
“You’ve grown again? How strong do you want to become?”
“I didn’t grow. I put effort in.”
“Yeah, effort… I know because I’ve put in a lot too.”
With a snap of his fingers, Hans’s finger rebounded.
At the same time, a dark wave spread towards the ground, and the sphere created by Ruin started to disappear with a “poof” sound.
Ruin’s pupils trembled.
Hans dryly spoke to the bewildered Ruin, as if he was stating a philosophy he had experienced and realized. Calmly, Hans continued speaking.
“Ruin. The realm of talent and the realm of effort are completely different. Even if you lock yourself in the library all day, talent cannot catch up.”
“Isn’t that right, Ruin? Ah… Since you said nothing can be as easy as magic, maybe you’ll think differently. Maybe you’ll think differently.”
Hans looked straight at Ruin. With a sly smirk, Hans approached Ruin, coming close to his face. Despite his small stature, Hans, who had shown overwhelming magic, didn’t seem small.
Standing in front of Ruin, Hans said.
“I’ve been thinking about my future for a long time.”
“Since being stripped of the title of direct disciple…? Anyway, I’ve been thinking a lot for various reasons. I wondered if this path was my path and went through a period of fury.”
“Still, magic was fun, wasn’t it? It felt great to cast magic with my own hands and receive compliments from Lord Tower. But that all ended because of you.”
Hans spoke his story nonchalantly, with a voice that was close to resignation, without feeling unjust or holding any grievances.
“So, I tried to give it up.”
Emotions began to fill Hans’ voice.
“There was no sign of progress, so it’s foolish to continue. That’s why I was going to ask Rune about it.”
“…”
“To give up magic. That’s what I was thinking.”
Hans’ black eyes started to flicker.
“But, Rune, you said that. Have you ever tried your best? So, I did my best.”
“Thanks to your advice, I succeeded, Rune.”
Hans’ eyes started to exude madness.
“Look, Rune.”
He held the power of darkness in his fingertips and showed it to Rune.
He looked straight into Rune’s eyes and said that he too could have talent, that he wouldn’t be a struggling fool due to lack of magic power, but a talented prodigy.
Rune prepared magic once again. To stop his precious friend and to do what he could do.
He tightened his fists and said,
“But you crossed the line.”
“The line?”
The moment he created the red orb again, Hans raised his hand and nullified Rune’s magic.
“Who decides the line? Did the goddess decide? Aren’t you learning magic to kill people, just like Mikhail over there?”
“No. We’re learning magic to protect people…”
“Don’t live in a fantasy. Fool.”
Hans sighed deeply and reached out his hand towards Rune.
“It’s difficult to control the power at first. Be careful.”
“What?!”
With a swishing sound, several black chains emerged from behind Hans. The jet-black chains floated in the air, and upon Hans’ gesture, they shot out like bullets.
“Grab them.”
With Hans’ command, the chains rapidly extended. Rune tried to dodge by turning around, but the multiple black chains had already bound his legs long ago.
With a sharp sound, as the chains tightened, Rune’s body collapsed onto the ground.
“It’s this easy. Why did I ponder for so long?”
Hanse, with his hand in his pocket, walked towards the fallen Ruin.
As always, Hanse walked with his hand in his pocket, looking down on Ruin with a sense of superiority.
Ruin was struggling to get up, but the dark chain had already wrapped around his hand and foot, preventing him from moving.
The black chain began to emit a sinister energy.
As the sound of chains rattled, the power of the dark magic filling Hanse’s body seemed to want to escape, and the chain tightened even further.
“Hanse, snap out of it!”
“Why turn a sane person into a lunatic?”
Hanse stepped on Ruin’s head.
“Isn’t it insane to think a mage would engage in close combat?”
“Hanse…”
“Just wait. It’s his first time, so he can’t control his power well.”
“Snap out of it!”
The dark magic trying to escape from his body.
The black chain absorbed Ruin’s magic, tightening its grip on him even more.
Hanse bent over.
As Hanse put his hand on Ruin’s head and muttered, darkness began to seep out from his fingers.
“This is what you’re doing?”
‘[Stronghold (强夺)]’
The black magic enveloped Ruin while Hanse’s darkness magic spread rapidly. Hanse’s dark magic, which devoured Ruin’s body, was a power related to greed.
It was a talent that people envied.
It was a power that Hanse desired to take, a reflection of his greed for what he couldn’t obtain himself.
‘Stronghold (强夺)’
It was the ability to steal the unique abilities of the target. If one had a perfect understanding of the opponent’s abilities, one could Stronghold them.
Hanse was trying to steal Ruin’s unique ability, ‘Flame Script’, by placing his hand on Ruin’s head.
Ruin trembled in fear at the chilling flames.
“Yaaah!!! Let go!”
“Hmm… That’s a bit difficult.”
“Release me!”
“Just calm down for a bit. You’d be surprised too if someone stole something from you. You should understand my feelings.”
As Ruin struggled to break free from the magic circuit, Hanse’s magic was searching for his unique magic, ‘Mark of Fire’. The darkness magic, which was slowly expanding, attempted to steal Ruin’s magic at that moment.
“Stop!”
With a shimmering blade, Mikhail’s sword flashed.
In a quick moment, Mikhail cut the chain that was constricting Ruin, and he hid Ruin, who was gasping for breath, behind him, raising his sword towards Hans.
Hans waved his hand.
“It’s Mikhail.”
Numerous chains aimed at Mikhail, but he calmly swung his sword and began to sever the chains.
Hans observed Mikhail and licked his lips.
“Tsk… Mikhail’s abilities are quite tempting. I can’t just interfere without knowing what kind of talent he possesses.”
“Shut up.”
“Why? Is it a sin to envy?”
“I said shut up…”
Hans wrapped a chain around his arm. A chain that had taken the form of a huge hand.
With a bright laugh, Hans swung it.
“For now, one person.”
As Mikhail fell to the ground with a thud, Hans murmured.
“Tsk… I told you not to interfere.”
Hans walked towards Ruin, who was still lying down. And in the moment he was about to cast “Plunder” on Ruin again…
“Hans!”
Yuria’s trembling voice called out to Hans.
Hans raised his head and looked at Yuria.
Even in this desperate situation, Yuria had upright eyes, and her gaze met Hans’s.
Familiar pupils.
Always filled with hope.
She was the woman who comforted him when he despaired at the wall of Ruin’s talent. A friend and a good person who hadn’t been in Hans’s narrow circle of relationships for long.
With her upright eyes, Yuria shouted at Hans.
“You’re not that kind of person.”
…
Yuria’s eyes were moist with tears.
Seeing her on the verge of crying, Hans felt a strange sense of guilt.
“We used to read books and do assignments together at the library. Huh? Is it because it’s difficult? We’ll help you. If you stay with us, Hans, you can also grow.”
“…”
Hans’s expression became heavy, showing a bitter expression.
“It’s too late, Yuria.”
“No, Hans!”
Yuria tightly clenched her fists and conveyed her sincerity.
She didn’t want to fight.
As good friends, let’s find a solution, Yuria said warm words, conveying her sincerity.
“We’re friends.”
“…That’s right. Friends.”
“You can stand up again. If you have a difficult task, I’ll help you.”
Upon hearing Yuria’s words, Hans let out an awkward laugh.
“But Yuria.”
“Yes…?”
Hans’s expression turned cold.
“What can you do to help?”
“Huh?”
“You say you’ll help but you can’t do anything. You haven’t done anything so far.”
Yuria’s expression began to turn perplexed. Hans looked at her coldly and spoke calmly.
“Yuria, didn’t you remember anything after coming here?”
“Huh…?”
“There must be something you remember.”
Yuria spoke to Hans with a trembling voice.
“What are you talking about?”
Hans tilted his head as if it were amusing.
“When you were discarded in the dungeon, don’t you remember?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“What?”
“You know. Yuria. When you were discarded in the dungeon, you escaped here.”
Hans said to Yuria with a bitter smile.
“Thanks to you, I was able to find this place. Well, anyway.”
“Huh?”
“There was a very old monster living here. A monster that has been around for over 100 years.”
Cracks began to appear on Yuria’s face.
“What are you talking about?”
Hans chuckled and said, “How do you think you would have lived?”
Suddenly, a blue window appeared in front of Yuria.
– Quest failed.
“Huh…?”
〈42nd Side Story〉 ‘Ineligible Person’ will be immediately viewed.
Yuria’s time began to freeze.
[Viewing begins.]
Is it a sin to envy?? Damn….
balls?
🤔