๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐: ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง
Siwoo stood at the entrance of a dirty alleyway, his expression involuntarily contorted.
Still the same.
A messy collection of tents and shacks huddled together in disarray.
The ground was littered with broken bottles, cigarette butts, and unidentified syringes, and a pungent smell assailed his senses.
ใ. . .๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฃ๐. ๐’๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐. ๐ธ ๐ก๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ช ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค.ใ
“No choice.”
A place where everything related to abilities was exchanged.
The only place where the techniques of the underworld and strange abilities were permitted.
‘๐ฝ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ’.
A gathering place for those with [๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ-๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐] powers that deviated from typical skill attributes.
Siwoo walked, aware of the slight changes in location and path, even though it hadn’t changed much from before.
“They’re staring disgustingly.”
Disgusting gazes clung to his body from those sprawled on the streets and those inside the tents.
And not just one or two.
Not mere gazes, but slimy observations using abilities.
How annoying.
They must be gauging the opponent’s skills and strength in their own way.
Siwoo’s eyes turned cold without him realizing it.
He wasn’t physically or manically harmed, but it got on his nerves.
However, this place was a kind of neutral combat zone.
Those who wanted to fight had to fight outside this place.
If they broke the rules, they would have to turn the entire ‘Black Heaven’ into an enemy.
ใ๐๐ฅ’๐ค ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐! ๐น๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค-๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค! โ๐ , ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค, ๐ฅ๐๐๐ช’๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค! ๐๐๐๐ช’๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐!ใ
Siwoo walked briskly towards his destination.
He had to get away from these dirty gazes before someone dragged him out and beat him half to death.
“Nothing has changed.”
He stood in front of the black tent in the far corner.
It was an eerie place, with various human bones colorfully decorating the tent.
ใ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค? ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐. ๐ธ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐๐๐? ๐๐๐๐ช’๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ฃ๐.ใ
“They must be real, given the owner of the tent’s personality.”
Siwoo opened the tent flap and went inside.
The dimly lit interior was filled with the smell of incense, and ominous odds and ends, including dolls, were scattered everywhere.
“Long time no see, you.”
A beautiful, clear, and high-pitched voice rang out.
“Still the same.”
Siwoo sat down on an empty chair without asking.
The figure of the other person gradually emerged from the darkness.
“Your appearance is still the same. Nameless.”
A woman who didn’t seem like she would be in this kind of tent.
A stunning beauty with a sharp nose, deep blue eyes, and long, jet-black hair, she smiled faintly at Siwoo.
The woman’s smile, like a single black flower, seemed to brighten the tent.
It was a strange match.
No, rather, it should be said that she was one of the Ten Leaders of Black Heaven.
The ten Grand Sorcerers who held all the authority of Black Heaven.
Nameless, who was sitting before him, was one of them.
“Has it been ten years? I’ve missed you.”
Nameless modestly straightened her flowing black dress and bowed her head slightly towards Siwoo.
“Enough with that between us. I’m here on business today.”
Siwoo placed the book containing Min-jun’s mana on the old wooden table.
The book, which was locked with a lock, could not be opened without the mana of the person concerned.
“I see. I enjoy this too.”
Nameless took out a silver goblet and a sword from under the table.
Both were strangely shaped with snakes double-carved.
“You know what the medium is, right?”
“Yes.”
Siwoo extended his left arm and rolled up his sleeve.
ใ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐? ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ค? ๐ธ๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐?ใ
Then he picked up the sword and fearlessly slashed his arm.
With a swoosh, blood flowed out and dripped into the goblet.
ใ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐? ๐ธ๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐ช? ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐! ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐, ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ’๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐!!ใ
The bright red blood flowed endlessly down his hand.
As the blood passed the 2/3 mark of the goblet, the eyes of the double-carved snake began to glow.
“This is enough. Stop the bleeding.”
Nameless handed Siwoo a white cloth.
Siwoo silently took the cloth and first healed his arm with his Heal ability.
Golden patterns spread out, and the wound cut by the sword was instantly repaired.
“You’re still the same, with that beautiful regeneration.”
Nameless’ lips curled up as if she had seen something funny.
“What, so suddenly. Hurry up and extract it.”
At Siwoo’s blunt protest, Nameless giggled and lifted the goblet.
Sniff, sniff.
“It still smells good. It reminds me of well-ripened grapes. It’s not common to find blood with this kind of scent.”
Siwoo opened his mouth to speak at her unexpected compliment.
Well, it wasn’t an insult.
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve been waiting for your blood.”
Without hesitation, Nameless brought the goblet to her mouth.
ใ๐ผ๐จ๐จ! ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐๐! ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ! ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐!!ใ
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Min-jun’s blood flowed down Nameless’ esophagus.
She acted as calmly as if she were drinking water.
Nameless put down the goblet after drinking every last drop.
She licked the blood from her lips with her tongue.
“What on earth have you been doing for the past ten years? The life force in your blood seems to be dancing in my mouth. How can human blood taste like this. . . .”
Nameless exclaimed with an ecstatic face, as if she had tasted a delicacy.
“Hurry up and get some work done.”
Siwoo tried to shift her appreciation elsewhere, as it was embarrassing.
Nameless made a hand sign and drew something on the table with mana.
Whirr-whirr.
The drawn magic formula soon became a magic circle with complex strokes.
She placed the book Siwoo had brought in the center and poured her magic power into the magic circle.
Boom!!
A crimson magic circle blazed fiercely on the table.
A dark and distant aura poured out without hesitation.
The things in the room were scattered everywhere by the surging force.
ใ๐ผ๐๐!! ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐๐’๐ค ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐! ๐๐ฅ’๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐ช ๐ค๐ฅ๐ช๐๐! ๐พ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ช, ๐ฝ๐ ๐ ๐!ใ
The magic power that had risen like strands of a snake soon wrapped around the book and dug into it.
The book shook terribly.
Nameless brought her lips close to the trembling book.
Slurp.
The blue mana contained in the book seeped into her moist lips.
It was a beautiful sight.
It felt like a beautiful witch from a fairy tale was devouring blue magic.
The tail of mana stretched out like a long breath.
Even after her lips were parted, the blue aura lingered around her lips for a long time before slowly entering.
She closed her eyes as if digesting it and poured the aura into her body.
“Can you give me the sword?”
Siwoo gave her the sword he had used to cut his arm.
Nameless took the sword and, like Siwoo, cut her own arm in the same way.
ใ๐๐๐ช ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐ช ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ช?!?!ใ
However, instead of the bright red blood that Siwoo had shed, blue mana dripped from her wound.
Nameless poured the liquefied mana into a small glass bottle.
The blue liquid glowed faintly.
It was the mana extracted from the book.
It was about the size of an espresso.
She brought a lid and covered it, finishing it off with her magic.
“Here you go.”
She handed the ‘item’ to Siwoo with her arm, which was now bleeding, not mana.
“Thank you.”
Siwoo took the ‘liquid mana’ with one hand and quickly regenerated her wound with Heal with the other.
“Oh my, why are you doing this?”
“It’s service.”
Siwoo took out a bundle of cash from his pocket and placed it in front of her.
“Has the price gone up in ten years?”
“It’s okay, thanks to you, I’ve tasted delicious blood.”
“Okay, then. I’ll come back next time.”
Siwoo smiled and opened the tent flap and went outside.
๐ท๐ท๐ท๐ท๐ท๐ท
ใ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ?ใ
“What?”
ใ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐? ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐ช ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ?ใ
Pre asked in a pointed tone as if something was wrong.
Was it because he hadn’t consulted with him?
Siwoo scratched his cheek and opened his mouth.
“That book contained the mana of a child named Min-jun who was my disciple. It’s a simple magic formula for security purposes. The book will never open unless it has the same mana code.”
ใ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐?ใ
“Nope.”
ใ๐๐๐๐ฅ, ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ?! ๐ป๐๐๐’๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ค๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ! ๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐’๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐, ๐๐๐๐’๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ?ใ
“Reading the book was a minor thing. In other words, it was a bonus. What I wanted was the mana itself that was contained in that book.”
Siwoo said, showing the liquid mana that Nameless had extracted.
It is not easy to return mana that has been implemented with skills or magic to its original pure mana.
No, it is almost impossible.
For example, let’s say that a completed magic is like curry.
People can separate ingredients such as carrots, potatoes, and meat from the already-made curry.
This is the dismantling of magic.
However, it is impossible to return the separated ingredients to their original powdered curry, ingredients, and water.
This is the regression of magic mana.
It goes against the very order of nature.
However, the factor that made such an impossibility possible was the harmony between Nameless, a vessel with enormous mana, taboo sorcery, and blood as a medium.
Therefore, [๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ-๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐] Awakeners were the target of caution because of their ability to make the impossible possible.
ใ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐?ใ
“You know that, too.”
Siwoo arrived at his desired destination.
ใ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค? ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐’๐ค ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐.ใ
“Of course not. It’s a closed place.”
‘๐ผ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐’
The place where Min-jun was murdered.
It was owned by his younger brother, Si-joon, but it is said that after Min-jun’s death, it was simply closed and not used for any purpose.
His younger brother must have also found it difficult to accept Min-jun’s death.
They were disciples centered around Siwoo, but their relationship was more than brothers.
Min Si-joon, Kang Yeo-hwa, Xiaolong, and Min-jun.
“. . .Let’s go in.”
His emotions were stirred by his useless old thoughts.
He thought he had been worn out a lot over the past 100 years.
He still felt an inexplicable emotion when he thought of his disciples.
The interior was so full of dust and mold that it was difficult to breathe.
Dust billowed up with every step.
Siwoo lightly used his mana to filter out the dust.
He stood in front of a desk cluttered with books.
Dust was piled up on the books and on the desk, like years.
“. . .Here.”
Siwoo’s gaze turned somewhere and soon stopped.
A dark, murky stain visible behind the desk.
The murder scene.
Siwoo let out a small sigh.
ใ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐?ใ
Pre carefully asked, noticing Siwoo’s depressed mood.
“I need to steal his memory of that day.”
ใ๐ธ๐.ใ
Pre understood what he meant.
Siwoo unsealed the glass bottle that Nameless had extracted and placed it on his palm with the lid open.
ใ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐?ใ
“Yes.”
ใ๐๐๐๐๐ [๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐]ใ
Woosh!
A light blue circle appeared on his palm, and dozens of strokes were drawn vertically and horizontally.
Twelve letters were quickly engraved from the center of the circle, and soon they scattered dazzling rays of light.
Tremble.
The mana in the glass bottle placed in the center of the magic circle began to boil.
Whooshโ
Mana liquid gushed out as if it were rising into the air.
However, Siwoo stared at the mana without any change in expression.
The mana liquid, which had poured out like a fountain and overflowed, soon slowly gathered in the air and formed a shape.
It was Min-jun’s appearance.
Like an impressionist painting, his experiences at the last moment were expressed and painted over with mana.
“You’re not alone.”
Min-jun, who was on the desk, looked at someone who had entered the research institute with a questioning expression.
However, the other person’s appearance was blurry.
It was difficult to recognize, as if it had been mosaicked.
This was inevitable because this was not a CCTV but a mana that had absorbed Min-jun’s emotions.
In the end, the opponent moves and Min-jun unfolds his skills to confront him.
The movement of the mana being expressed was rough.
“. . .He was strong, the opponent.”
Min-jun was by no means a weak Hunter.
He was on the weaker side compared to Xiaolong or Kang Yeo-hwa, but he was also Siwoo’s disciple.
The opponent’s appearance was seen through the eyes of Min-jun, who had collapsed.
Soon, an assassin who bent down and smiled at Min-jun.
Min-jun’s mouth twitched.
Since [๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐] couldn’t hear the sound, he opened his eyes wide and observed the shape of Min-jun’s mouth instead.
“V. . .I. . .P’s orders?”
Siwoo read the lips slowly.
Min-jun’s mana gradually faded.
The mana that had shaped the enemy became sharper.
His feelings at the moment of death.
And.
The opponent who heard Min-jun’s question answers.
At the last moment, his face was revealed for an instant.
Siwoo read those lips closely as well.
“No, higher up.”
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