Possessing Nothing

“It's been a while.”

Kim Jong-hyun was still in his workshop, underground in the Wizard's Guild. Kim Jong-hyun smiled at Lee Sung-min who opened the door.

It was no different in the room than it was a few months ago. It's just that the kind of corpses that float in the air have changed. Is the study of the Ogre Chimera finished? Floating corpses were the stuff of a variety of monsters. Smells too, but it wasn't a pretty sight.

“You haven't done it in months. What brings you here? ”

Kim Jong-hyun sat down while dragging the chair. Since we first met, Lee Sung-min hasn't come to see Kim Jong-hyun. It was because Kim Jong-hyun didn't feel very good about himself, and it was because he felt troubled that Kim Jong-hyeon was hiding something crucial from Lee. Even though it is a compulsory taboo different from Kim Jong-hyun's doctor.

“I have something to ask you. ”

I knew that this attitude was rude for a sudden visit, but I was in such a hurry.

“What is it? Oh, I'm telling you. I tried to answer it the last time, but I can't answer what I couldn't. Like I said, it has nothing to do with my wishes. I don't want to die either. ”

“I didn't come here to ask you that. ”

“Then what is it? Ah. Are you here to speculate as to why I told someone else your causality had twisted, that you had died once and regressed? ”

“That's not it either. You swore an oath to Mana back then. ”

“Yes, it is an absolute oath. The Wizard can never break that oath. ”

Kim Jong-hyun smiled as he replied. Lee Lee gazed at Kim Jong-hyun's face, who was soon seated.

The reason why Lee Sung-min didn't like Kim Jong-hyun was simple. I had met Scarlet well after meeting him three months ago, because Scarlet had heard about Kim Jong-hyun quite well.

Kim Jong-hyun is a black wizard. I don't know when he was summoned to Eria as an alien, but Kim Jong-hyun was also treated very heretically and exclusively in the Wizard's Guild of Behenger. Kim Jong-hyeon has been living in Behenger for almost 10 years, but Kim Jong-hyeon hasn't aged a bit in 10 years. Scarlet didn't even know the age of Kim Jong-hyun.

Kim Jong-hyeon's ride is famous there. He is quite excluded from the Wizard Guild as well. He keeps the corpses of monsters that have been rescued from somewhere in the room, not caring about them, and is focusing on research that he doesn't know.

He looked suspicious everywhere, and Lee didn't want to get close to Kim Jong-hyun.

“I want to know about the Black Wizard. ”

Nevertheless, I came to Jonghyun Kim. It is because only Kim Jong-hyun can answer what Lee is curious about. Bern and Scarlet are not Dark Mages. If you ask them about the Black Wizard, they won't hear the right answer.

“Did you apply to subdue the Black Wizard's Dungeon? ”

Kim Jong-hyun smiled and asked. When Lee Sung-min was surprised by what he said, Kim Jong-hyun said.

“Well, there's no reasoning. It's natural that the Behenger Mercenary Guild was tracking the Black Wizard through the presence of the Ogre Chimera... If you ask me about the Black Wizard, it means that the Black Wizard's Dungeon was discovered. ”

“… correct. The Black Wizard's Dungeon was discovered, and I applied to subdue it. ”

“I wouldn't recommend it much. ”

Kim Jong-hyun muttered. When Kim Jong-hyun clapped his hands, the tea cup in the corner came to mind. When Jonghyun Kim glanced at Lee, Lee Sung-min shook his head. In the end, only one cup of tea approached Kim Jong-hyun.

“The investigation into the corpse of the ogre chimera is over. It was a very well-made chimera. Different organs, different cells, no rejection. It takes great magical skill to capture and coordinate monsters called ogres in the first place. As I said before... The Black Wizard who created the Ogre Chimera is a great man. Maybe he's on a leash enough to call himself the Grand Wizard. ”

If Bern had been here, he would have shouted, "Don't talk nonsense." However, Lee listened to Kim Jong-hyun without arguing.

“… so you don't recommend it? ”

“No, I didn't say that because of the Black Wizard's skill. They said," The Black Wizard. "”

“What does that mean? ”

“A dark sorcerer in proximity to or beyond the Great Wizard will see right through you. ”

Just like I did. Kim Jong-hyun muttered.

“Dark magic... is different from normal magic. The fundamentals are different. Common magic is using Mana in the atmosphere to create a phenomenon through alchemy. To put it simply, this is it. Cars. Mana is a fuel and liquor is an engine. And they use willpower to step on Axel and make the car run. You didn't happen to have a car in Korea, did you? ”

“There was. I understood what you meant. ”

“But dark magic is different. Of course, Dark Magic also uses Mana... Mana, Alchemy, and Will. Normal magic requires those three, but dark magic requires another. It's the soul.”

“Soul?”

“It's a bit like animosity. An animist contracts with a spirit to cast a spirit. You promise something in the process of the contract. The Black Wizard contracts the Passover he drank for his soul. ”

“… Drink…”

“Of course, even a drink is not one thing. Technically, it's a contract with the Demon King that was subordinated to Drinking... Well, you're not going into dark magic, and you don't have to explain this from the beginning. So, to conclude, here's the thing. The Black Wizard contracts with the Demon King who drank his soul and uses Black Magic. And because of that kind of magic, all black wizards have eyes that can see things that don't exist and things that aren't. just like me.”

Kim Jong-hyun raised his hand to point at his eyes.

“The soul is a very attractive material for a black wizard. At the same time as the contract, the Black Wizard will have eyes to see the soul, collect valuable souls and give them to the contracted Demon King... It's used in a variety of different ways. ”

Lee Seong-min clammed her lips. Through Kim Jong-hyun's story, Lee Sung-min learned what Kim Jong-hyun was trying to warn him about.

“Not all black wizards can see through you, of course... but there is still a black wizard in the dungeon, and if he sees you... Hehe! I don't know him, but a dark sorcerer of that skill would recognize your value. And something very interesting is going to happen. Yes, I'm sure it will. The Black Wizard will try to take your soul at any cost. The Black Wizard's behavior will not be accepted as pleasant for you. ”

“… What about you? ”

“Me? Me? ”

In Lee Sung-min's question, Kim Jong-hyun laughed at what was so funny.

“I have no desire for you. Oh, this is because I'm a little different from other black wizards. The dark magic I learned in the beginning... is very foreign compared to all the Black Wizards in Eria. This is the power of the monsters in my country, which is not funny. ”

“What's different? ”

“I did not sign with the Demon King or the Drunk. To be precise, the Demon King you signed with me is dead. This is very rare… The Demon King I contracted was the Demon King named Kaladra in Lagres. Suddenly vanished. When the contract was forcibly abolished, a piece of the Black Magic Power that Caldra had was transferred to me. ”

Kim Jong-hyun said with a face that is not bulky, but what he said was not a story worth saying with that face. In other words, Kim Jong-hyun became free from the contract between the Mages and the Demon King, and became the owner of the powerful Black Magic Power that the Demon King had contracted.

“A part of my body changed in the process. I'm not getting old anymore. My eyes not only could see the soul, but they could see something deeper and more intimate. That's why I can read your existence, so I'm not greedy for your soul. But the other black wizards are different. They'll be... greedy. ”

Lee Sung-min was silent. I think it's worth coming to Kim Jong-hyun just by hearing that. The black wizards who have eyes for the soul can see that the causal rate is distorted. That's why they greet the soul of the straight people.

There, Lee realized something contradictory. It was the same with Mesh and Erebri's brokers that Lee Sung-min knew that the causal rate was distorted. But they also showed a little greed for Lee Sung-min's soul. But Kim Jong-hyeon said he wasn't greedy.

“Your eyes. Is it better than the eyes of the new mesh? ”

“Performance! Interesting. Well... It's hard to compare, isn't it? As a human being, I don't know what the mesh sees and what it knows. But this is definitely true. I have no greed for your soul. Interesting, though.”

Kim Jong-hyun said so and took the cup to his mouth.

“You, as a regretter, go to the Dark Wizard's Dungeon for a good reason. But you'd better not go. It will be dangerous.”

“... What if the Black Wizard isn't in the dungeon? ”

“There's half a chance of that, isn't there? Well, if you're a normal thinking black wizard, you'd rather duck than confront the mercenary guild that came to subdue you. ”

“Can you help me? ”

Kim Jong-hyun laughed at Lee Sung-min's question.

“That's going to be tough. I'm not in the habit of stepping up and making enemies. And... I don't want to help hunt a comrade who walks the same path. ”

I don't intend to stop it. Kim Jong-hyeon added.

After talking with Jonghyun Kim, Lee left the Wizard's Guild. Let's ask Scarlet for help. I thought that for a moment, but Lee Sung-min crossed my head. I had several meetings with Scarlet to establish friendship with her, but I didn't think I was close enough to make this request. Moreover, I didn't want to ask Scarlet for any help with this.

What do I do? ’

Like Jonghyun Kim said, the odds are half. It's about three months old. Is there still a Black Wizard in that dungeon or not? If the dungeon had been discovered three months later, Lee would not have been worried. It must be true that there are no Black Wizards there.

But it's different now. 3 months. How this variable works. Should I... risk it?

It wasn't long for me to finish my worries. The wall that Lee Sung-min is facing. It's too high and hard. I needed help with the barding. I wasn't sure if barding would really help, but I had to catch a straw.

Fortunately, he is not the only one standing alone to subdue this dungeon. Bern, the guild master, also said he participated, and the other S-class mercenaries are leading Zeon. Mercenaries from other mercenaries, other than Corona Mercenaries, will also participate.

Eventually, Seong-min decided.

Join the dungeon subjugation.