Chapter: 115
### 115 – Room 107, The Gate Room – ‘Witch’s Forest’ (6)
—
– Han Kain
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 37
Current Location: First Floor, Room 107 (The Gate Room)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
—
With a sudden shift in the atmosphere, her words landed like a bombshell.
“You are a wizard.”
The meaning wasn’t hard to grasp since I had the grimoire with me.
What puzzled me was that the grimoire had been sealed by the hotel.
In a rush, I fired a question through the dialogue box.
Han Kain: “Is it about the grimoire? How do you know it’s sealed?”
Kim Ahri: “Looks like the traces of possession remain either in the body or soul.”
Han Kain: “Let’s just play along for now.”
Think about it—I’m no movie star, and that witch isn’t some fool who would fall for me at first sight. After all, witches are notoriously wicked, right?
She’s after something from me.
Recalling the journals we found in the mansion’s basement, a hazy image floated into my mind.
The witch is wielding dark powers, causing her own body to twist into that of a monster.
Is she trying to gain possession power to switch bodies?
I straightened myself and stepped forward, smiling.
“I didn’t have my identity hidden, but I didn’t expect you’d recognize me so swiftly, my lady.”
Kim Mooksung: “My lady? Are you drunk?”
“Oh, while I’m just a humble mountain witch, I’m not blind to the signs of a master. How could I miss such clear traces of a wizard’s spirit?”
“Ha! I suppose I have a lesson to learn here. May I ask your name, my lady?”
“My name is Arima Nitra. And you are?”
“I am Han Kain. Pleasure to meet you, Arima.”
Kim Mooksung: “What exactly are you looking to learn? How to make human sausages?”
Lee Eunsol: “Hey, shut it. Let’s focus on the conversation. This is important!”
Han Kain: “Please stop the chat.”
“Wizard Han, we could make great partners. I possess deep knowledge of the mysteries held within the human body, while you have a grasp on the secrets of the mind and soul. Combined, we could reach the pinnacle of arcana.”
Kim Ahri: “The atmosphere is great! Should we tie the knot? Lady’s got some charm, huh?”
“That’s a good thought, but I’m worried because my comrade’s condition is getting worse by the minute.”
“Of course, I can heal him. But… would you also offer your good intentions?”
Yu Songee: “Can we trust her on that?”
Elena: “We must keep her under observation.”
As we continued this intense talk, a sort of agreement emerged, and the witch took her leave from the estate.
1. The witch will periodically treat Cha Jinchul.
2. I will teach her the magic of possession.
3. Treatment and lessons will occur concurrently.
Though there were more details, those three points were the gist of it.
The agreement had obvious gaps that even a novice would catch.
Sister Eunsol pointed it out in disbelief.
“This negotiation is absurd. If anyone brought such a thing into a corporation, it would turn into paper airplanes instantly.”
“Why paper airplanes? Your antics are why Daeyang Group is getting roasted.”
“Grandpa, why are you bringing that up all of a sudden? Anyway, this negotiation lacks any clauses on punishment for broken promises. Easy to betray!”
Ahri responded indifferently, “Do we need a clause to prevent betrayal? The plan seems to be meet with fists if that happens. The witch probably felt our strength during our first clash and thought we might be easy prey. Now that Elena’s on board, we think we can take the witch. We’re both probably thinking about how to off each other anyway, so the contract is simple.”
Grandpa Mooksung still seemed hesitant, “I’m still not sure sending her off was the right call. She didn’t seem that strong as a human, but I just hope I didn’t make a mistake due to my urgency to save Jinchul.”
“I’ve pondered over it, but you can’t assume someone is weak just because they appear like a human. If she truly was weak, would she have shown up before us in that state? Besides, we still have the Gate Room ahead. If we end up losing Jinchul now, future plans will be in jeopardy. Elena?”
“Yeah?”
“Is Justice ready to go?”
“Absolutely. It’s hard to explain, but every time I see the witch, I feel this rush to unleash justice. It’s like holding back a desire to smash her right now; I could totally do it anytime.”
That’s reassuring. Ahri jumped in.
“Looks like killing the witch is an option; the next dilemma is how to proceed with our ‘teaching.’ She’ll be back with ingredients for treatment in a few hours, so we need to prepare now. We must pretend to teach her, or she won’t provide treatment.”
Teaching, huh…
I had promised to teach her about possession magic, but what on earth was I supposed to teach? I had no solid grasp on my own grimoire.
Eunsol sister asked, “I can’t help but wonder, can you bring out the grimoire? I thought it was taken since the inheritance was sealed.”
Right at that moment, Songee and Ahri chimed in.
“Nope, the bracelet is still on my arm.”
“The blood is fused with mine like it was meant to be. If they took it, I’d drop dead.”
As I listened, my curiosity piqued.
I summoned the grimoire, and it materialized instantly. As I opened it slightly, the same eerie magic radiated from it.
That sensation of possession magic! It’s hard to put into words, but it felt like my spirit was floating—it was missing.
“Seems like it only sealed the supernatural powers of the inheritance. The physical form is still intact, and the functions can’t be seen by anyone but the owner.”
Sister Eunsol inquired further.
“So, can you teach what’s inside the grimoire?”
“There’s no way I could teach anyone. I’m not even sure how to use it! I’ve skimmed through it occasionally, but it feels like reading an alien language—like quantum physics in Arabic!”
“Quantum physics in Arabic… that’s beyond comprehension.”
Ahri interrupted.
“Hold on! What the heck are these folks thinking? Are we seriously considering teaching her?”
“Of course not.”
“Absolutely not. Even if we could teach her, we shouldn’t. We need to plot out how to deceive her.”
“Is it even possible to trick someone who’s adept in magic?”
“I think so. We have to approach it from the angle of specialization. A stellar physicist in a semiconductor factory would just be a commoner, and an IT expert would be dumbstruck at a GMO research lab. We can pitch it like that. The witch won’t be able to read the grimoire herself, making it easier for us.”
We then spent considerable time figuring out how to best hoodwink the witch before solidifying our roles.
As dawn broke, Arima returned with an enormous entourage.
—
– Han Kain
“Ah, you’ve arrived, Arima. I’ve been waiting.”
“Oh my! Was I too late? Besides preparing for treatment, I thought I’d need to offer a bit of hospitality.”
I peered behind Arima.
There were nine sturdy men dressed in quality armor, armed with heavy artillery—probably her guards.
Behind them were about twenty humans who looked like slaves. Their garments were practically in rags, and their bodies were mutilated—some were missing arms or legs.
They had walked through the treacherous forest, bleeding all over, yet they were too terrified of the witch to even look up.
…The moment Jinchul wakes up, I’ll make sure to pop that witch’s head clean off.
But today, we have to be even more ruthless than her.
“Arima, may I ask a favor?”
“Sure?”
“There seems to be a bit of a hunger with our ‘pet’ here. Just one will suffice.”
“Hmm? What do you—”
Han Kain: “Please act now.”
Yu Songee: “Is this really necessary?”
Kim Ahri: “We can’t show weakness!”
The quiet voice of Songee rang out.
“Luka!”
—BAM!
A wolf that was as big as a bull leaped among the group brought by the witch.
Before Arima and her warriors could react, the wolf’s jaws opened wide and snapped at one of the guard’s upper body.
A moment of silence followed.
Then a cacophony of screams erupted.
“AAAAAAAAAH!”
From that split-second reaction, I knew the level of the group.
The witch’s nine—no, now eight—guards remained surprisingly calm, retrieving their weapons and gathering around the witch. They were seasoned fighters.
Meanwhile, the slaves crumpled to the ground, paralyzed in fear and unable to escape.
Despite the hulking wolf in front of them, they were still frightened of the witch.
I carefully observed Arima’s demeanor.
There were sparks of fury in her eyes.
“You insolent—”
I quickly grabbed her hand and interjected.
“I apologize. This fellow here just happened to be well-trained in the forest and was starving. I certainly didn’t expect him to charge in. I sincerely apologize!”
“…If you’d rather asked for a slave, I would’ve willingly provided one.”
“My apologies. It’s just a lack of skill on my part to show off a little trick to Lady Arima.”
“A little trick?”
I’ve hooked her.
“There are quite a few wild beasts in the forest, and the power to tame them would surely surpass your ragtag bunch of guards! How does that sound?”
At those words, the witch’s expression softened almost immediately.
Now, I could feel it. When she starts coveting something, this is the kind of disposition she takes on.
“Oh my. You’ve cultivated such mysterious arts, wizard? Is this something you could teach as well?”
I gave a slight smile and gestured to Songee.
Songee approached me and lowered her head respectfully.
“She’s my apprentice. She may be lacking, but taming a hound is no great task.”
The witch’s eyes lit up.
“Shall we start with treating your comrade?”
“Thank you. I hope our exchange will be of great assistance to each other.”
Just like that, the incident of a person getting gobbled up by the wolf was wiped from our memory.
Holding Arima’s hand, I stepped back into the mansion.
Songee’s initial show of power was followed by Seungyub and Ahri showcasing polite manners as well.
—
Every time I watched news about scams outside the hotel, I had a thought.
What is the biggest cause of people acting foolishly?
Out of all the socially troubling fraud cases, there aren’t that many where the scammer set a brilliant trap.
Many victims fall for blatantly obvious schemes that have been warned about hundreds or thousands of times by newspapers, news outlets, and banks, losing the wealth they’ve worked a lifetime to build.
Why do they get tripped up by such obvious schemes?
The answer lies in greed. When the unattainable gains glitter in front of us, we lose our rationale and get allured. We forget that someone is casting a fishing line behind the scenes.
—
The Gate Room, the second trial.
I will become the wizard hiding the most mysterious and endless secrets in the world.
Until the witch loses her mind due to the greed for the secrets I hold!
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