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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 44
‘It’s different from ordinary demonic energy. Definitely.’
The first time—
When he awakened in the body of “Christian,” there was one thing he was greatly relieved about.
That he had become a descendant of the Dark Demonic House, one of the noble families of the Magus Empire.
In truth, the Dark Demonic House was relatively weak among the Twelve Great Demonic Houses.
The five most powerful houses among the prestigious magic families were as follows:
Mystic House.
Necromancer House.
Obsidian House.
Destruction House.
Curse House.
Especially among them, the Mystic, Necromancer, and Obsidian Houses possessed power that couldn’t even be compared to the rest.
Even so, Christian was glad he had become a descendant not of those families, but of the Dark Demonic House.
It was all because of the Sacred Darkness.
‘A power that opens the path to true transcendence as a demon.’
[If someone can make the Dark Demonic Energy entirely their own, that person will pose a threat to the Demon Emperor’s throne.]
It was a rumor quietly passed around within the Magus Empire.
It wasn’t nonsense.
Even Lord Nordion, head of the Dark Demonic House, hadn’t completely made all the dark demonic energy his own.
The Sacred Darkness releases a set amount each time it bursts forth.
The portion of Sacred Darkness that Nordion had absorbed was just under 80%.
Even so, he was counted among the strongest of the Demon Lords.
There were even stories that the head of the Destruction House—considered one of the top five—would lower his head before Nordion.
And that was with less than 80%.
Then there was the first ancestor of the Dark Demonic House.
Said to be the first to accept the Dark Demonic Energy, he absorbed over 90% and rose to become the third-ranked Demon King.
But even that ancestor hadn’t absorbed the full 100%.
Then what if someone conquered all 100% of the Dark Demonic Energy?
‘They could surpass even the Demon Emperor.’
Thanks to the Sacred Darkness, Chris was able to form a plan to rise to the very peak of the Magus Empire.
Chris took a breath.
And hurled himself into the Sacred Darkness.
The pure darkness wrapped around him as if embracing him, and soon his figure was completely engulfed and vanished into the shadow.
* * *
The Dark Demonic House was thrown into chaos.
Because of the result of the Sacred Darkness Ceremony.
Everyone except one had been eliminated.
Unbelievably, it was said that the one who did it was the delinquent Christian.
“No way.”
“You’re saying Young Master Royen lost to that lunatic?”
“I heard all the other cadet branch young masters were taken out too.”
“Is that even possible?”
The demons were left speechless and began murmuring among themselves.
Something that should have been impossible had just happened.
No matter how exceptional someone is, there’s a limit to facing opponents of the same level.
And yet he defeated all four of his competitors on his own?
That lunatic, of all people?
Naturally, everyone reacted with disbelief.
“Didn’t he cheat or something? Maybe he used a forbidden magic tool.”
“Yeah. There’s no way that lunatic could’ve beaten Young Master Royen.”
“He needs to be investigated thoroughly and severely punished!”
The demons assumed Christian had obviously used some sort of deception and, agitated, began demanding punishment.
But then, an unexpected voice was heard.
“There’s no need for that.”
“!!”
The demons turned their heads in surprise.
“Second Princess!”
She looked to be in her late teens.
A beautiful girl with a cold impression.
It was the Second Princess, Jupien.
“You don’t need to concern yourselves with that lunatic Christian.”
“W-Why is that, Your Highness?”
The demons looked puzzled.
Jupien and Royen were full siblings and shared a close bond. Unlike with the other siblings, the two cherished each other deeply.
And yet—
“He won’t make it back alive from the Sanctuary anyway.”
“……!!”
“He’s trying to contain more Sacred Darkness than his vessel allows. The end is obvious. Not even a corpse will remain.”
The demons gulped nervously.
‘Come to think of it…’
It had already been two days since the Sacred Darkness Ceremony.
But Christian still hadn’t emerged from the Sanctuary.
“Even the Lord of the House had a limit when it came to absorbing the Sacred Darkness. That lunatic’s vessel is predictable. He may already be dead, paying the price for his greed. There’s no need to pay him any more attention.”
The demons hesitantly nodded in agreement.
The amount of Sacred Darkness released every two to three years wasn’t much.
But even so, it wasn’t something one person could monopolize.
Only someone with a vessel like Lord Nordion’s could absorb close to 80%, and in most cases, managing 60% was considered the limit.
Any more than that and one couldn’t endure it—their core would collapse, resulting in death.
Jupien walked away with a detached expression. She was going to check on Royen, who had collapsed unconscious.
‘How dare he…’
Jupien bit down gently on her red lips.
Royen and Jupien.
Though they were direct descendants, unlike the other siblings, their father wasn’t Marquis Langham.
Their father had died in battle against the Allied Forces, and the two had grown up relying solely on each other.
And now her beloved younger brother had ended up like this.
They said his life wasn’t in danger, but Royen’s future was over.
He hadn’t gained even a trace of the Sacred Darkness. From now on, no one would treat Royen as a direct heir.
‘Unforgivable.’
Jupien’s gaze sank heavily.
It was unlikely to happen.
But if that lunatic Christian did return alive—
He would pay the price.
* * *
Several more days passed.
But Christian still hadn’t come out of the Sanctuary.
Those from the House of Dark believed he had died in the Sanctuary as a result of his greed.
Gradually, people’s interest faded.
“What a fool.”
“That’s what happens when you get greedy without knowing your place.”
Except for one person.
There was one who was still waiting for Christian.
Marie, the banshee maid.
She wandered the main residence like a statue, waiting for Chris.
“…That ghost?”
“Looks like she’s waiting for her master. He’s not coming back, though. Foolish thing.”
“Maybe she’ll become a ghost with him. That’d be funny.”
Passersby giggled.
Then Marie suddenly turned to look at them.
Her eyes flashed eerily for a moment.
[Ohhoho… Be silent, please.]
“!!”
A chill ran down their spines, and the demons gulped.
They were mid-ranked demons, at least 3-star.
But when they met the banshee’s gaze, their bodies froze, and they couldn’t open their mouths.
‘How can a mere banshee have such presence? She’s not an ordinary one?’
‘No way… that banshee is—?’
Just then, Marie smiled softly and gestured as if wrapping her hand around their necks.
She was a ghost, so there was no physical sensation.
But that only made it more chilling.
It felt like their souls were being seized.
[Thump-thump… As I wait for the young master, my heart pounds with anticipation… But if you keep being so noisy beside me, won’t that disturb my pure devotion?]
“……”
[If I get upset… I might come find you at night. So keep your filthy mouths shut and stay quiet. Ohhoho.]
For a banshee to visit at night—
It meant she would come to reap their souls.
The demons stiffly nodded without a word.
After that, Marie was left alone, undisturbed, as she continued waiting for Christian.
Endlessly.
* * *
At that moment, Christian was endlessly sinking into the darkness.
‘How much time has passed?’
He didn’t know.
His sense of time was unclear.
All he could feel was the deep darkness.
Endlessly pure, without a single blemish or stain.
A darkness so pure, it felt sacred.
But it wasn’t comforting.
Like how water that is too pure can be harmful to fish, this darkness felt overwhelming because it was too pure.
‘Can I really make it all mine?’
It had been quite some time since he began absorbing the Sacred Darkness.
Christian was starting to feel slightly concerned.
He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was proving even more difficult than expected.
‘Reaching sixty percent wasn’t that hard.’
Even seventy percent had been manageable.
But once he passed seventy percent, it began to feel overwhelming.
He could now vaguely understand why the Duke Nordian had failed to reach eighty percent.
From seventy percent onward, the strain increased exponentially. Eighty percent felt like a distant goal.
If eighty percent was this hard, what about ninety percent? And the full hundred percent Christian ultimately aimed for?
‘Still, I have to do it. If I don’t, I have no chance of winning.’
The Sacred Darkness was a great power.
Ordinary demonic energy was simply “fuel” for using dark magic and martial arts.
It was stored in the core and used when needed.
But the Sacred Darkness wasn’t stored in the core. It wasn’t a power to be used like regular demonic energy.
Its utility was completely different from other forms of energy.
The Sacred Darkness was a power that transformed the owner’s constitution.
More precisely, it affected the core and changed the nature of the demonic energy itself.
The energy’s attribute would shift into what was known as “Dark Demonic Energy.”
‘That’s why the Sacred Darkness is called Dark Demonic Energy. Strictly speaking, it’s slightly different, though.’
Coincidentally, when one accepts ten percent of the Sacred Darkness, exactly ten percent of their demonic energy changes.
If they accept twenty percent, then twenty percent changes.
If fifty percent, then fifty percent.
Seventy percent results in seventy percent transformation.
In other words, if Christian absorbs all ten portions, then all of his demonic energy attributes will become Dark Demonic Energy.
And Dark Demonic Energy stands above all other demonic attributes.
To explain what that means in detail:
Originally, demonic energy came in various attributes.
Grey-colored, yellow, blood-red, crimson, and so on.
Each type of energy had dark magic and martial arts that suited it. You had to learn techniques compatible with your attribute to fully use your power.
Cursed dark magic suited Grey-colored demonic energy.
Blood rituals required blood-red demonic energy.
Destructive dark magic used crimson demonic energy.
This is how it works.
If you don't learn the correct attribute of demonic energy, you'll only be able to exert a power far less than fifty percent at best.
There are limits to reaching higher levels as well.
But Dark Demonic Energy has no such restrictions.
Dark Demonic Energy is a power that stands above all other demonic attributes.
It ignores the attributes.
Regardless of the type of dark magic or martial arts, you can use them without any limitations.
The higher the purity of Dark Demonic Energy, the stronger this effect becomes.
If the purity reaches about fifty percent, you can exert roughly seventy percent of the strength compared to those who have mastered their original attributes.
At sixty percent purity, it's about eighty percent.
It was an incredible thing.
‘If Nordian of the Duke’s family, with nearly eighty percent purity in Dark Demonic Energy, can use all types of power almost on par with those who have mastered their original demonic energy…’
Even with less than eighty percent, it’s like that.
What about ninety percent?
It’s said that after passing ninety percent, it's possible to even exert stronger power than those who have mastered their original demonic energy.
What about one hundred percent?
No one knows.
It was something no one had achieved yet.
It was likely that some unknown effect might exist, but that was only a guess.
What was certain was that in order for Chris to stand at the peak of the Magus Empire, he had to completely make this Sacred Darkness his own.
‘Let’s see who wins.’
He opened his core wide.
There was nothing special about the method of absorbing the Sacred Darkness.
If you throw yourself into it, the Sacred Darkness would naturally absorb into the core, transforming the nature of your demonic energy.
However, if you exceed the capacity that you can handle, the core would begin to collapse. Eventually, your body would be consumed by the Sacred Darkness, and you'd meet your death.
Therefore, the principle was to immediately withdraw if you felt the limit during absorption.
For Chris, when he crossed seventy percent, he felt a serious sense of danger.
‘It’s dangerous, but it’s still okay. I can hold on until ninety percent.’
Chris gritted his teeth and endured.
It was possible because the vessel Chris possessed was so large it couldn't even be compared to Duke Nordion’s family.
The problem came after ninety percent.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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