I furrowed my brow while drawing the blueprint for the bracelet. Unlike last time when I made it carelessly, this time I intended to make it properly.
Although I can use Super Regeneration now, I wanted to prevent my arm from getting scorched every time I use the bracelet.
The number of mana circuits I can use has increased, but wrapping it in flame resistance would be a waste. I should make it so I can utilize it properly.
I’d like it not to be too thick and to be able to comfortably charge mana stone powder.
My desires kept increasing. But somehow, after thinking about it, I felt I could find a way.
This time, there were many points for improvement.
First of all, I decided to reduce the thickness of the bracelet. The original bracelet was too thick to begin with. As a result, it was heavy, and there was also the problem of the bracelet not cooling down easily once it heated up.
It was an unavoidable phenomenon since it was made through a mold. This time, I decided to try shaping it by directly hammering the metal instead of using a mold. It would be much more difficult, but I thought if I took my time to process the metal, spread it as thin as possible, and then wrap it to fit my arm, it might work somehow.
I also decided to change the charging method.
Mana stone powder is convenient to carry, but it has the disadvantage of scattering powder every time you charge. That’s why I had to stop and carefully tilt the potion bottle. Wasn’t that why Park Sang-pyeon caught me charging mana?
This time, I plan to make it so you can insert the mana stone itself instead of mana stone powder. If I engrave mana circuits densely inside where the mana stone is inserted, I should be able to extract mana effectively without having to crush it.
Just as I was making the blueprint for the bracelet like that.
Ray sent out a warning.
—Someone has come to the vicinity.
I frowned at Ray’s words. I couldn’t feel anything.
‘Really?’
—Yes! They’re looking around near this mountain range.
At those words, I hurriedly put on my mask and went outside. Following Ray’s guidance as I went down, a man wearing a black robe came into view.
“Who are you?”
I used honorifics since I didn’t know their identity. The person in the black robe turned their head towards me and said in a rough voice:
“Haha, this is an honor to meet the famous Weltschmerz.”
The man who said that to me started sprinkling something red in front of my eyes by waving his hand.
“If I do this, will you know who I am?”
I hardened my face at the red blood magic circle floating in front of my eyes. Blood Mage, Chu Ma-geol. As I expected, a figure from the Top has come to recruit us.
People born with dark magic are not common, but not particularly rare either. Unlike other mana, dark magic that borders on death certainly has a bad image.
Even Babel Academy, called the best hunter academy in Korea, completely refuses admission to those with dark magic.
But the image of dark magic wasn’t this bad from the beginning. If we were to name someone who sent the image of dark magic to the bottom in Korea, we can’t leave out the Black Robe in front of me, Blood Mage Chu Ma-geol.
The man in front of me handled blood with his mana. He was a genius who created his own blood magic using magic with that blood.
But I couldn’t feel any awe looking at him.
To refine his magic using mana imbued in ‘blood’ as a medium, Chu Ma-geol walked the path of a mass murderer, killing countless people and collecting their blood to accumulate it.
It’s estimated that the number of people who died by his hand over the past thirty years may reach tens of thousands.
As a result, he became a master of magic using blood as a medium.
The fact that he could find me too…
“Did you track my blood?”
“That’s right.”
From the ‘blood’ I left at the scene where I fought Park Sang-pyeon, Chu Ma-geol found me with just that.
My blood was spinning at the fingertips Chu Ma-geol raised.
Indeed, his control over blood is ridiculously high. Even from a scene that’s several days old, he could extract just my blood to this extent.
“That’s a bit unpleasant, no matter how you look at it.”
“Well, now that I’ve met you, there’s no need to keep this anymore.”
At my words, Chu Ma-geol waved his hand to scatter the blood. But that’s all just for show. If he wants, he could gather that scattered blood again.
I nodded as if thanking him for his consideration.
“By the way, I’m not sure why the Blood Mage has come here.”
I continued speaking calmly.
“Really? You really don’t know? Honestly, I thought it was a bit obvious.”
Chu Ma-geol, who said that, told me.
“But if you noticed my tracking and came out to greet me in advance like this, it seems you’re not very pleased that I came here.”
“Since I don’t know your intentions, I can only be afraid.”
If it weren’t for Ray, Chu Ma-geol might have come to our base. The thought sent a chill down my spine. Of course, we’ve applied concealment and hiding, so it wouldn’t be easily discovered, but Chu Ma-geol was the first person to track us this far.
The tips of my hair stood on end from the sense of crisis.
The concealment spread on the base isn’t perfect for an awakener of that level. It would be a big problem if he notices the ‘blood’ in there.
I waved my hand to raise the ground and create a table and two chairs. Chu Ma-geol let out an exclamation of surprise at my action.
“I thought your talents were only water and lightning.”
Oops.
—Did you forget!
I’ve been moving the earth attribute too much lately while making the workshop, so I used it naturally without realizing. But I continued speaking calmly.
“I didn’t say anything. People just assumed that on their own.”
“Haha! That’s right. Everyone’s talking without knowing anything.”
The atmosphere isn’t bad for now. Chu Ma-geol obediently sat in the chair I made.
I also sat across from him.
“I’ll ask straightforwardly, join the Top.”
It’s not even asking, but notifying. I said to Chu Ma-geol:
“I’ll answer straightforwardly. No.”
“What?”
Chu Ma-geol made a dumbfounded voice at my words. It seems he didn’t expect this situation at all.
Well, if you’re a villain, you’d think it’s an honor to rise to the Top, and since there are no forced activities even if you rise to the Top, there’s no reason to refuse.
“How impudent.”
An ominous aura rose around Chu Ma-geol.
“Don’t think I won’t kill you just because I came to recruit you.”
“In the first place, why are you trying to recruit me?”
As if deflated by my calm question, Chu Ma-geol continued with a sigh:
“Hunters each make their guilds or whatever. There’s no reason we can’t band together too.”
But no matter how I thought about it, the answer was set.
“Um. I’m sorry, but I’ll refuse.”
The Top, the leash called the Top, is not necessary for my goal.
Chu Ma-geol asked:
“…Why?”
“Because there’s no reason to join.”
“Haha! How arrogant!”
“You can think that if you want, but that’s my true feelings.”
Looking at me, Chu Ma-geol stared at my face for a while as if at a loss for words. Well, I guess that’s natural. I must be the first guy to refuse so politely while acting like this.
Yes, I had no intention of messing with this old geezer.
Chu Ma-geol is a problem, but the moment I mess with that old geezer, all the villains in the Top will come rushing in. Then our Weltschmerz will be erased from this world in an instant.
But I can’t join the Top either.
The moment I belong to the Top, it’s no different from falling into Seol Rok-jin’s hands. The Top is clearly connected to Seol Rok-jin.
I said to Chu Ma-geol:
“You’re certainly strong, sir. But I know our compatibility is the worst.”
At my words, Chu Ma-geol closed his mouth.
Both the water and lightning talents I showed are completely opposite to Chu Ma-geol. Why? Because I could freeze or scorch his blood.
I gathered lightning at my fingertips.
“I don’t want to be at odds with the Top either. No, it would be more accurate to say I’m not interested. I have my own goals.”
“The Top guarantees freedom.”
“Then guarantee my freedom. I don’t want to join the Top.”
Chu Ma-geol looked at my fingertips sparking with lightning and let out a groan. The reason he didn’t deny my words, which were no different from wordplay, was clearly because he found my talents uncomfortable.
To fight me, he would have to be prepared to die, but my attitude must be confusing him. I treated Chu Ma-geol very politely. At least, I tried to. So it’s a bit ambiguous to fight.
He must think it’s a waste to risk his life just because I didn’t join the Top.
“Kids these days have no manners.”
Saying that, Chu Ma-geol stood up.
“I’m sorry, since you came all the way here.”
“Forget it, you brat.”
Chu Ma-geol, who said that, glared at me and said:
“The Top will be watching you.”
At those words, I withdrew the lightning. This is a very good ending. Chu Ma-geol, who left a warning, went down along the mountain.
When Chu Ma-geol’s back was no longer visible, Ray said:
—It would have been difficult if we had fought that man.
‘I would have died.’
I, without a mana bracelet, would have been miserably defeated.
“I need to make the bracelet quickly.”
I felt urgent.
* * *
Chu Ma-geol turned his head back.
“What an impolite yet polite bastard.”
And he was strangely lacking in hostility. His voice was calm throughout. Even in front of Blood Mage Chu Ma-geol, even when uttering threats that weren’t quite threats to that Blood Mage Chu Ma-geol, there was no wavering in him.
What could be found in him was annoyance.
Annoyance at having to come down here himself and deal with Blood Mage Chu Ma-geol.
The reason he bothered to use honorifics and treat him like an adult was probably because of that annoyance too.
He was never afraid of Chu Ma-geol. Even saying he was afraid was just words uttered ceremoniously, there was not a bit of fear towards the Blood Mage felt from him.
‘He used earth power too.’
That was a show-off.
Having two talents alone is counted on one hand in the world. And another talent on top of that? Or if this isn’t the end?
Blood Mage Chu Ma-geol had no choice but to be dragged along by that guy’s show of force. That’s why he suppressed his temper and went along with his words, and left as the guy ‘conceded’.
“Brat.”
Chu Ma-geol muttered like that. Even after returning to the Top, words didn’t come out easily due to embarrassment. He had thought that guy would obviously accept his offer.
“He said he won’t join the Top.”
“Whaat? Is he crazy?”
There are those who rise to the Top but don’t act, but this is the first time someone has so blatantly ignored the Top like this.
“Haha! He’s an interesting guy.”
Gemini laughed out loud on the spot.
“He refused even though you went, old man? Then what happened? Did you teach him a lesson?”
Gemini asked Chu Ma-geol with expectant eyes. The Puppeteer spoke slowly from the corner.
“He couldn’t have. Because he would have lost.”
“I didn’t lose, I didn’t!”
The Puppeteer let out a snicker. She and the Blood Mage were enemies. The Puppeteer, who usually doesn’t open her mouth easily, opened her mouth just to tease the Blood Mage.
“Well, the compatibility is really bad. Lightning, and even ice.”
To Gemini, who was saying that, Chu Ma-geol added:
“And earth.”
“What?”
“That bastard moved earth in front of me.”
At those words, silence fell on the Top.
“He’s a guy who uses three talents. Or he’s using one very special talent.”
* * *
The name Weltschmerz has now spread quite a bit overseas. The name that was barely circulating in Korea at first started spreading because of Taika Cooper. The subsequent fight with the Butcher Park Sang-pyeon also spread quite a bit.
It was rare for a fight to be broadcast in real-time after all.
As a result, that name started flowing even in some broadcast in far-off China.
Weltschmerz, a villain who’s starting to make a name for himself in Korea, they say.
[Korea…]
Life returned to the face of a certain girl who heard that name.
[Korea, they say.]
Xie Haozhu, her eyes began to shine.