c112

c112

TL/Editor: raei

Proofreader: Pickhead7

Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: None.

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It's an easily overlooked fact, but mystery also flows within humans.

Why?

The answer is simple: humans have realms they cannot perceive or understand.

For instance, the soul.

Do spiritual beings exist? If so, how can they be proven?

Or consider psychic abilities.

Can humans wield mystical powers that transcend their natural limits, like telepathy, clairvoyance, or precognition? If so, what is the principle behind them?

Anyone who thinks, “Souls don't exist, and people just become worm food when they die!” would not be compatible with the mysteries.

Ironically, Ian, who was once a modern man, believed in the mysteries more fervently than anyone else in this medieval fantasy world.

Why?

Because he had spoken to it directly!

He had seen it with his own eyes and exchanged greetings in Maronius, so he couldn't possibly deny the mysteries.

Thus, Ian quickly realized that the grotesque mystery in front of him had originated from humans.

It was a monster born from negative human emotions that had gained power in the realm of the mysteries.

“Ha, haha...! You whelp! Are you starting to grasp it now? I, Pyra, am a shaman blessed by Hrundal!”

[Let me... go back...]

“So! They call shamans [wizards] in the Empire, don't they? Young wizard from the Empire! What will you do now? Show me your petty skills!”

Ian took a deep breath and steadied himself.

If he lost concentration even slightly, he felt like he would vomit everything he had eaten.

The swirling mystery. The vortex of emotions.

The wandering will and the instinct for destruction...!

Standing before the terrifying mystery that even Pyra couldn't bear to look at, he remained oblivious to what was going wrong.

It could only be one of two things.

Either Pyra was a mad psychopath capable of handling such mystery.

Or he was intoxicated by the mystery's negative emotions and had lost his ability to judge the situation.

Ian prayed it was the latter.

The former had no hope for redemption, but the latter might still have a chance.

“You damn...”

“...What?”

“You damn shaman! You don't even know what kind of mystery you're dealing with, and you dare call yourself a shaman?”

Ian gritted his teeth and shouted.

[I want to go back... Let me go back...]

“Your desperate yelling is adorable! This is the mystery that Hrundal has sent me...”

Ian immediately cut off Pyra.

This wasn't a situation for lengthy conversations.

The longer it dragged on, the worse things would get.

“First. This isn't a mystery you summoned. It's a poor, lost mystery that was thrown out into the world, drawn by your negative emotions!”

“Haha! What nonsense...”

“I don't know what you did! But you definitely opened a [door], and this mystery was sucked in through the crack!”

Ian was a traditional wizard thoroughly trained by Eredith for over seven years.

When it came to the mysteries, he had a solid foundation of knowledge.

Mysteries weren't limited to natural phenomena.

Just as there were mysteries tied to fire, water, earth, and wind, there were also mysteries tied to human emotions like joy, sorrow, lust, and anger.

This was because humans themselves harbored the mysteries.

If you wielded the mysteries imbued with love, it would become [charm magic].

If you wielded the mysteries imbued with anger, it would become [provocation magic].

The terrifying mystery wandering and wailing before Ian was a mystery infused with all sorts of negative human emotions.

It was a type of mystery that was extremely difficult to define or approach.

Since all kinds of negative emotions were mixed within it, Ian could identify it.

[Let me... go back...!]

There were emotions like anger, sorrow, regret, and jealousy...

But it also harbored extremely dangerous emotions like [murderous intent]!

“If you are truly a shaman! If you are Hrundal’s priest! Get a grip and face reality! Is that really the mystery you summoned?”

“...”

A voice full of sincerity is powerful.

Ian’s voice, imbued with strong will, pushed away the mass of negativity surrounding Pyra and reached his very soul.

It was like a splash of cold water on his face; Pyra snapped back to reality.

‘...What is this? What have I summoned?’

That was not the mystery Pyra had intended to summon.

It was an entity that even the summoner couldn’t understand.

Only then did Pyra realize that he was trapped in an indescribable mass of terrible emotions.

It felt like being stuck in a pit of filth.

Within that mass of emotions, Pyra clearly identified a very dangerous feeling.

Murderous intent.

A mystery imbued with intense murderous intent could indeed kill people.

This was called a [curse].

Kira, too, was a talented wizard and couldn’t be completely free from the influence of the mysteries.

“Belenka! Break the lock and get Takarian out! Have him recite the scriptures!”

“Understood!”

Belenka immediately stood before Takarian’s cage.

She raised her sword high over her head.

The sharp tip of the blade glistened under the sun.

“Wait! If you strike iron with a sword, the sword will break...”

Ragnar shouted urgently.

But what happened next left him speechless.

Clang!

Belenka struck the iron lock with her sword without hesitation.

With a snap, the lock broke in two and fell off.

“She... cut iron with a sword?!”

Ragnar was stunned by this unbelievable scene.

But those touched by the mysteries can perform miraculous feats with ease.

This is often described as being “possessed.”

Belenka cut through the iron lock with swordsmanship like she was possessed.

“Takarian! Recite the scriptures! Quickly!”

“Yes! I got it!”

Meanwhile, Kira was setting the ground on fire.

Fire is an element imbued with holiness and purification.

If the enemy was an unholy mystery, it would fear the flames.

[I sense a foul presence! Step back behind me, logs!]

The mystery of fire instinctively guarded against the unholy mystery.

“[As the sun watches over us, evil ones shall not dare to raise their heads!]”

Takarian began quickly reciting the scriptures of Heaven's Faith in an ancient tongue.

Behind the two sacred forces of fire and scripture, people hid themselves.

Only Ian and Pyra remained.

“Ragnar! Don't go beyond the flames!”

“But...!”

Ragnar and the Northerners anxiously stomped their feet in frustration.

Outside the ring of fire, the air had become so unpleasant and foul that even ordinary people could feel it.

A terrifying monster that most people couldn't even perceive was now being confronted by just two occultists.

Shaman Pyra and wizard Ian.

“Pyra! How much longer?”

“A ritual! I'll lure it with a ritual!”

[The door... you hid it, didn’t you? You... hid the door!]

The mystery exuded murderous intent.

A sign that its patience was wearing thin.

Pyra took out a ceremonial dagger and stabbed his own finger.

“Ooooooooh!”

The hand symbolizes omnipotence.

Fingers can act as keys to grasp and open a door handle.

Blood droplets splattered onto Pyra’s face.

Using the severed finger as a focal point, he began drawing a magic circle, mixing Arcana cards and rune characters.

“Just a little more...! Just a bit longer...!”

“Pyra!”

The mystery exhaled a murderous breath towards Pyra.

That breath is a killing curse itself!

If Pyra dies now, it will all be for nothing.

Ian could not stop the terrible mystery by himself.

Somehow, he had to draw the attention of that mystery until the ritual was complete.

However.

Fear gripped Ian's ankles like mud.

Death is frightening.

Facing a mystery who could tear a human life apart as if it were mere paper, was, therefore, inevitably terrifying.

...

That moment.

The soft whispers of the night tickled Ian's ears.

[Do not be afraid, Ian.]

[We are always with you.]

The mystery of darkness.

For Ian, who stood against the mystery, another mystery surged around him like a whirlwind.

As a novelist once said, the night is soft.

In the darkness, Ian felt his mind ease.

If he could deceive the eyes of that mystery with pitch-black darkness.

He would have enough time.

Ian felt the rising power of the spell.

"Let's give it a try."

Ian charged towards the mystery.