The azure realm engulfed my arm.
It looked like something was being brutally torn apart, akin to a beast resembling a wolf gnashing its teeth, but in reality, it was two realms overlapping.
Another realm overlaying Ryuin’s expanse.
“!”
In that instant, I tried to extend my own realm to fend off the attack, but my remaining spiritual power was insufficient, and I ultimately had to concede my arm.
Absorbing another spirit stone is beyond my capabilities now.
Fwooosh!!
[Ugh]
[What the heck]
[Lily’s arm!]
[Oh no]
[Aaah]
[???]
As my arm fell away, a fountain of blood surged.
More blood gushed out than I had ever spilled before, forming a pool of blood beneath my feet.
I glared at the Old Man in Lion Mask standing before Cheolhon and spoke.
“Ha… I’m exhausted.”
“…Are you a monster? To be spilling that much blood and still be standing.”
“I’m not exactly standing.”
I felt like I could collapse at any moment.
Apart from the blood loss, what was even more critical was the side effects of overusing the spirit stones.
Normally, spirit stones should be absorbed slowly into the body and used like mana, but I had been drawing raw spiritual power directly.
If my body was normal, that would be the strange part.
“You are one of the higher-ups of the Sorcerers’ Association, the Six Stars.”
“That’s right. The star of the Sorcerers’ Association. I am Ryoko Tajir. And you are?”
“I’m Lily. Well… I don’t really have any status.”
“Ryo, Old Man Ryoko! Why are you attacking the same star?! Are you crazy!”
Barely rising from the ground as if one with it, Ryuin exclaimed toward the old man named Ryoko in shock.
Ryoko sighed at Ryuin’s reaction, then promptly slapped his palm on Ryuin’s head.
“If Niaz finds out about this disturbance, it’ll be chaos… Aah!”
“You’re the crazier one. What were you thinking letting the Iron Devourer out while you’re wandering outside that house?”
“Ugh…! Isn’t it time to stop? How long do you want me to stay trapped?”
“The house is vast. Even just one house rivals the kingdom’s castle, and it has everything you need, does it not?”
“But I want to get out! Do you have any idea how boring it is seeing the same buildings and the same sorcerers every day?! I want something different…”
Thwack!
“Ugh…”
“Stop whining. Your mission is to carry not just the sorcerers but all of humanity, no, the entire world on your shoulders. I should have taught you this several times already.”
“…Are you saying I have to stay locked up for life?!”
“What exactly is the problem? Cheolhon. You have a fiancée and friends. You have a teacher to instruct you in sorcery and servants who will bring you food and entertainment from all over the world, if you so wish. And yet you still want to escape?”
“There are also servants who can serve you food and entertainment from all over the world if you desire. Still, do you want to escape?”
“…….”
“What I mean is, we are providing as much support as we can for the burden you are carrying. No Level 1 Sorcerer in this world enjoys the wealth you do. If you understand that, let’s return to the small house…”
“…I could have done everything anyway.”
Crack…!
Ryuin gritted his teeth.
As the Iron Soul Sword bound to Ryuin unleashed rough energy, it struck down Ryoko’s hand, which was about to hit his head again.
Ryoko’s brows furrowed behind the mask.
“Born with more spiritual power than a Level 1 Sorcerer! Even without you, I could live just fine. Spare me the nonsense about taking responsibility for what I have enjoyed! You’re just passing off what you don’t want to do onto me!”
“……”
“Ha! Better off than a Level 1 Sorcerer? What kind of Level 1 Sorcerer spends their entire life trapped in one place? And being monitored at that?”
“…You’ve gotten spoiled. I’ll discipline you later.”
“Nonsense. Huh?!”
BAM!!
A deep blue wave harshly struck Ryuin’s head.
Ryuin raised the Iron Soul Sword to counter, but having exhausted much of his spiritual power and strength from the earlier battle with me, he couldn’t dodge and took a hit to the head.
Ryuin lost consciousness and collapsed.
Ryoko looked at me while pulling Ryuin into her domain.
[D-d-d-d]
[So who’s the bad guy here?]
[Isn’t the issue that he’s being confined?]
[Seems like it’s Ryoko’s fault ㅋㅋㅋ]
[In the end, didn’t they just pass it off because they didn’t want to do it?]
[Looks like Ryuin’s just throwing a fit.]
[Come on, you have to take responsibility ㅉㅉ]
[It’s Ryuin’s fault for not getting the sword ㅋ]
[Let’s just kill them all.]
“Thanks for waiting. This child is going through puberty these days.”
“Are you using Ryuin for the seal?”
“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. Ryuin seals a massive demon, and we pay the price for that seal.”
Huff… Ryoko seemed tired as she donned the mask.
“We didn’t want to confine him like this either. But the small house he stays in has a foundation of spells necessary for the seal. It’s fine for a moment, but to ensure the stability of the seal, he must always be in the small house.”
“Hmmm…”
“He doesn’t even know that and is rampaging about. Would we want to confine such an excellent student? It’s a choice we have to make for the peace of the world. Please understand.”
“I understand. Everyone has their reasons.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
“Thank goodness.”
Ryoko nodded and unleashed a deep blue wave once more.
The wave that had swallowed my arm created a domain and returned my severed arm.
“I’m sorry for tearing off your arm. Cheolhon is quite important to us, you see. Once the domain is released, the victory in the arena will be yours. I’ve also made arrangements at the auction house, so you should be able to find a good jewel there.”
“Why go this far for me?”
I pressed Cheolhon, trying to seize the Iron Soul Sword he held.
That’s why Ryoko, the top official of the Sorcerers’ Association, displayed quite a rough response by cutting off my arm, but once the conversation ended, it seemed like she was actually being considerate of me.
He was strangely trembling.
“…You start to learn things naturally when you do this for a long time. For example, ‘an enemy you must never confront.'”
“……”
“Even if what you see is faint, every time you ignore this kind of instinct, blood gets shed. Please formally inquire at the Sorcerers’ Association regarding matters related to the Iron Soul Sword later. If that method truly proves effective, I’m willing to listen.”
“Why not just give it to me now?”
If you give it to me now, we can solve everything.
Ryoko flinched for a moment but soon enveloped herself completely in the deep blue domain as if to give up.
“That’s impossible.”
Closed door.
Swish…!
Ryoko and Ryuin vanished, chanting a spell while cupping their hands.
It was regrettable to lose the Iron Soul Sword right before my eyes, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Considering my current state, catching those two was close to impossible anyway.
“First… let’s go.”
It’s time to wrap things up.
■
After much talk and many incidents, the final victory in the arena was claimed by Lily, the woman.
Between the arena splitting in half and the sudden mass surrender of the participants, as well as the continuation of the finals, there wasn’t even a single small incident, and Geomhon, the arena’s overseer, guided the victor through the deep passage with mixed feelings.
Even if Ryoko was the ruler of the underground market, the arena was still Geomhon’s domain.
Ryoko usually avoided interfering with arena matters as much as possible, but the presence of Cheolhon and Lily was not something she could easily overlook, leading her to intervene during the finals and take Cheolhon away.
‘I expected this, but I didn’t think it would be this rude.’
Indeed, I can’t deal with the Six Stars.
How much time did it take for Lily and Geomhon to walk?
How long did Ryu and Geomhon take?
At the end of the passage, the walls of the Underground Market opened with a spell, revealing a massive space.
Countless jewels were densely packed according to the security magic array.
Lily turned her head back and forth with a surprised expression.
“Wow… Is this where we choose?”
“Yes. I will provide you with two ‘Level 2 Jewels’ from here. Choose comfortably.”
The prize for winning the Underground Market is one Level 2 Jewel.
The winner can come here and choose one jewel that suits them, but thanks to Ryoko’s order, there are actually two Level 2 jewels available.
“Damn it. They say they’re Level 2 jewels, but there are plenty that are closer to Level 1.”
Normally, he would have led her to choose a lower-ranked jewel among the Level 2 jewels, but this time, he couldn’t do that.
Even without Ryoko’s order, the woman in front of him was at least a Level 1 Sorcerer hiding her true identity.
“I’ll be taking a bit of a hit.”
Geomhon took out his third most precious jewel, watching the indecisive Lily.
If she had to choose anyway, he had to make her pick the lesser evil before she chose the worst.
“This is the Chasu (Car Driver) Spear, a jewel that is very close to Level 1 among Level 2 jewels.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s made from the hands of a Level 2 ghost that once aimed to be Level 1, so it’s quite valuable. You won’t regret choosing this.”
“Oh…”
“Or how about the Kongryu (Hole Flow) Rope? This one is also quite efficient among Level 2 jewels…”
“They’re all good, but…”
Hmm…
“Is there anything related to exorcism?”
“Exorcism… you say? There is, but…”
Geomhon had brought three jewels with him.
A wooden clock, a small rosary bracelet, and a thick thread jewel.
The thread jewel was meant for Cheolhon, but since that went away, giving it to someone else wouldn’t matter.
Although the thread from Saan was the best, they were all among the lower ranks of Level 2 jewels.
The exorcism effect was weak, and these jewels had been left untouched for years.
“All three are fine, but… which one is the best?”
“I’ll give you all three.”
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