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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 5
0.
[Your wish has been granted.]
1.
Dicreia kept her promise.
She handed me the book, took her final offering, and disappeared.
We exchanged a few words before she left, but it was trivial talk.
I wouldn't have any more reason to meet her again.
After she vanished, the offerings within the magic circle were sucked into the demon world.
There, they would be consumed by the monsters, and the leftover scraps would be discarded back here.
The magic circle would then disappear only after that.
This is also why, in places where offering rituals have been performed, only bones are left behind.
I sat on a nearby stump, watching the magic circle with the open gateway to the demon world, and glanced down at the thick, worn book in my hands.
‘Aium de Equinox’
Literally translated, it means “The Path to Immortality.”
Inside it is written the secret of necromancy that has been lost to the world.
From the way to begin learning it to how to master it.
Master Balthazar said he had stolen a copy of this book from the secret vault in the Empire’s grand library.
Through it, he learned necromancy, and later, he passed it down to me.
Thanks to that, I had never opened the book at that time.
‘What’s written in it?’
I quickly opened the first page, and the old-fashioned script caught my attention.
- The reason for learning this art is to escape the Demon Lord’s grip.
- Dark magic seeks bondage, while necromancy seeks freedom.
- Whether this freedom is a blessing or a curse, I do not know.
- If you do not expect blessings, you will eventually reach the end.
- We will meet at that end. Certainly.
It was an enchanting phrase.
Freedom from the Demon Lord.
I understood why Master had become so immersed in this book.
‘So the study of necromancy began with the search for a way to escape the Demon Lord’s grasp.’
My heart raced.
It was the first emotion I had felt since coming back to the past.
I quickly turned the page to the next.
But there was nothing written on it.
‘Hmm? What’s this?’
A sense of unease crept over me as I continued to flip through the pages.
But no further words appeared.
‘Could it be that I was deceived by Dicreia?’
For a moment, I entertained the possibility, but that wasn't it.
She doesn't deceive like this.
This kind of shallow trickery is not her style.
‘Then why can't I see the rest of this?’
I looked down at the blank pages, lost in thought.
How much time had passed?
Then, words started to appear on the blank page.
- No matter how much you think about it, no answer will come.
“What?”
I was so surprised that I jumped up from my seat, and the book I had placed on my lap fell to the floor, flipping over.
What was that just now?
It was definitely a blank page, but then words appeared.
Could there be magic in this book?
I quickly picked it up and opened the page.
Sure enough, there were different words written now.
- Now you've noticed.
Is this book reading my thoughts?
The moment I thought that, another phrase appeared on the page.
- Yes. I can read your thoughts. Just as you can read mine.
- So don’t be so surprised anymore. It’s getting boring.
This was quite a cynical entity.
- Oh, “it” again? You have a bad habit of speaking. I am your master. Do you truly not wish to learn necromancy?
As soon as I read the words, I closed my eyes.
This book reads my thoughts as I read its words.
If I wanted to hide my thoughts, there was no way other than this.
‘Let me think for a moment.’
A book that converses with me through thoughts.
I'd heard of such books before, but this was my first time encountering one directly.
‘Let me recall... Did Master ever mention a book like this...?’
It seems not.
No matter how hard I tried to remember, no such words came to mind.
‘Then, for now…’
I closed the book.
It was better to have this conversation later.
Right now, there were things I needed to do.
When I opened my eyes and looked ahead, the magic circle had already disappeared.
I stood up and walked over to the robes scattered on the floor.
‘First, let's put on some clothes.’
The robes belonged to the high priest Mikel von Lyernoff.
I brushed off his bones that were left inside and donned the robes.
＊ ＊ ＊
Mikel's robes were luxurious.
Made from deep dark brown silk and embroidered with golden thread on the lining, they were truly exquisite.
I had never worn such high-end clothing in my past life.
What was even more impressive were the accessories he wore.
A necklace adorned with emeralds and a pair of ruby rings.
The glow of these gems was different, meaning they weren't ordinary jewels. These were magical items.
‘I’ll need to examine them slowly.’
They were probably rare artifacts.
After all, they were worn by a high-ranking priest of the luxurious Calios Church.
I put the necklace and the pair of rings in my inner pocket and then picked up the staff that had fallen to the floor.
It felt heavy, and the presence of mana emanated from it. It was clear that this staff wasn’t just any ordinary object.
‘It’s a little strange. To feel mana from an item a priest owns.’
But as I focused on it, I realized there was no real difference between the two. Perhaps what they called 'divine power' was actually just mana after all.
The Holy Calios might be, at its core, just another kind of Demon Lord, with a different name and title.
"I swung the staff around, concentrating, then drove it into the ground with force.
That's when the true form of the staff revealed itself.
The smooth, dark brown shaft grew thicker as it rose, and at the very tip, there was a purple gem embedded.
As I stared at the gem, I suddenly heard a small whisper in my ear.
- Nocturne.
‘A curious item.’
The amount of mana radiating from the gem was impressive, but what was even more extraordinary was that it could communicate with the person simply gazing at it.
With such a staff, one could even generate mana that wasn’t there before.
Although I didn’t possess magic right now, I knew how to handle such an item.
I looked at the gem and spoke with the voice of my soul.
[Can you hear my voice, Nocturne?]
- I hear you. Are you my new master?
As expected, it worked.
The voice of the soul was useful not only for communicating with Demon Lords, but also with artifacts that had their own consciousness.
[Yes. From now on, I’m your master.]
- I see.
[You’re surprisingly calm. I wouldn’t expect you to feel any magic from me. Does it not bother you?]
Nocturne paused for a moment before whispering.
- It doesn’t matter. After living for so long, I’ve realized that those things aren’t that important.
[Then what is important?]
- …Conversation?
[How long has it been since you were born?]
- It has been 168 years.
[How many owners have you spoken to during that time?]
- You are the first.
I felt a deep sympathy for its loneliness.
168 years of consciousness without a single conversation—that’s enough to understand why.
I gently gripped Nocturne and spoke.
[Alright. I look forward to working with you.]
- I am the one who should be grateful.
After a brief pause, Nocturne continued.
- May I speak first sometimes?
That was a request that tugged at my heart.
But I couldn’t fully allow it.
To properly learn necromancy, a high level of mental concentration would be required.
I didn’t want my focus disturbed by its voice.
[Sometimes. Only occasionally. Only when absolutely necessary.]
- Thank you, Master.
And with that, my conversation with Nocturne came to an end.
A staff that wanted to converse and a magic that could read thoughts.
There was probably no other mage in this world who possessed both.
I returned Nocturne to its rough wooden form and, with my other hand, picked up Equinox, surveying my surroundings.
The air was thick and oppressive, still heavy with the lingering presence of the demon realm.
Because of that, the old orphanage building had an atmosphere akin to that of ruins.
Moreover, the moon was still hanging on the western horizon, and the darkness had deepened significantly since before.
I entered the orphanage, now devoid of warmth.
There, I examined the bodies—the bones of the 21 children and 5 adults who had been sacrificed.
I checked each room, from the greedy orphanage director's office to Andre’s room, which would soon depart for the Calios Church.
‘It’s done.’
It was indeed a horrific sight, but I felt nothing.
No guilt, no regret.
They had paid the price.
Just like every other life I had taken, I wouldn’t ask for their forgiveness.
My life has never been one that would be forgiven.
I had crossed the line drawn by their god long ago.
I had contracted with the Demon Lord several times and rewound time to obtain forbidden magical tomes.
Even if this life ends, there would be no judgment waiting for me in front of the gods.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, absorbing the heavy air that filled the orphanage.
Then, I made my decision.
‘I will obtain the power of eternity.’
Now that I’ve pieced together the memories that have come to me, I understand.
My master must have sent me back in time for this.
He must have seen the future.
He saw me mastering necromancy and obtaining the power of eternity.
That’s why he engraved the magic circle into my heart and spoke those decisive words to me.
“Master.”
I still don’t know how I can repay him for everything he did.
But what I need to do now is clear.
“I need to create a mana ring in my heart.”
In my past life, I also received a ring from the Demon Lord, so I don’t really know how to make one myself.
“Where should I start?”
Physical training? Or should I try making some potions?
While I was lost in thought, the book in my right hand began to tremble. At the same time, a voice came from the staff in my left hand.
- Master. The inspiration has been eager to meet you since earlier.
[Really?]
I took a moment to prepare myself and sat on Andre’s bed. Then, I opened Equinox.
The pages were filled with countless words, densely packed.
From a glance, they looked like curses.
I didn’t bother reading them all and instead spoke aloud.
“I can’t talk to you through thoughts. I’m not used to showing my thoughts, and I don’t like it.”
Immediately, the curses vanished, leaving only one phrase.
- Then how about we talk like this, aloud?
“That’s too dangerous. Someone else might hear us. Using the voice of the soul is better.”
- Oh? You can use the voice of the soul? That works for me.
Equinox obediently agreed.
I then spoke to him in the voice of the soul.
[Then, let’s get to the point. Tell me how to create my first mana ring.]
- That’s easy. But before that… it’s best if you show me the respect of a disciple.
‘Respect of a disciple?’
Maybe because of my sour expression, Equinox added one more line.
- Don’t you want to become a master of necromancy?
I closed my eyes for a moment and muttered curses under my breath.
This guy is no easy opponent. Not only does he hold what I want, but he also knows how to use it against me.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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