Possessing Nothing

“It has been a while.”

Kim Jonghyun was still in his lab in the basement of the mage guild. He made a faint smile towards Sungmin who came through the door.

The lab didn’t change much since the time Sungmin visited a few months ago. The only thing that changed was the identity of the corpse levitating in the air. Perhaps the research into the ogre chimera had been finished, as the levitating corpses belonged to several types of monsters. The smell was one thing, and it wasn’t a pleasant sight to see either.

“You’ve been laying low for a few months. Why have you come?”

Kim Jonghyun dragged a chair over and sat down. After his first visit, Sungmin never came to Kim Jonghyun again. Not only did he not feel that much attraction to the human being known as Kim Jonghyun, he also felt as though Kim Jonghyun was hiding something. Even if it was a taboo forced upon him by someone else.

“I have something to ask you.”

He knew that it was quite rude to suddenly come and ask him a question, but Sungmin was that desperate.

“What is it? Oh, and before you ask, I cannot answer what I tried to tell you last time. Like I said, it is against my wishes. I do not want to die after all.”

“I didn’t come here to ask that.”

“Then what is it? Oh, have you come to interrogate me just in case I leaked your secret that you’ve died once and came back to the past – to someone else?”

“It’s not that either. Didn’t you swear an oath to mana last time?”

“Yes, and that is absolute. A mage cannot go against that oath.”

Kim Jonghyun giggled as he said that. Sungmin looked at his face which was not that far away from him.

The reason Sungmin didn’t feel any good will towards Kim Jonghyun was simple – it was due to his meeting with Scarlett after the meeting with Kim Jonghyun three months ago. He had heard about what kind of person he was from her.

Kim Jonghyun was a black mage. It was unknown when he was summoned to Eria, but the being known as Kim Jonghyun was very heretic in the mage guild and he was receiving peculiar treatment. Kim Jonghyun had been living in Behengerr for almost 10 years now, but had not aged a single bit during those times. Scarlett didn’t even know Kim Jonghyun’s proper age.

On top of that, his actions were quite infamous. As a black mage, he was excluded quite a lot even inside the mage guild, and not only did he not mind that treatment, he was always absorbed in research he got from god-knows-where.

He looked very suspicious whichever angle you looked at him from, and Sungmin didn’t plan to stay close to him.

“I wish to know about black mages.”

The reason he came to look for Kim Jonghyun despite all the stated reasons, was because the only one that could answer his questions was him. Neither Bern nor Scarlett were black mages. They wouldn’t be able to answer questions about black mages, at least not in the depths that Kim Jonghyun could.

“Did you apply for the black mage dungeon expedition?”

Asked Kim Jonghyun with a smile. When Sungmin made an expression of surprise, Kim Jonghyun continued.

“Well, you can’t really call this deduction. The fact that the Behengerr mercenary guild is searching for the black mage through the ogre chimera is known to practically everyone, and if you, a mercenary, came to me asking about black mages, it means that the black mage’s dungeon is discovered.”

“…You’re correct. The black mage’s dungeon was discovered, and I’ve applied for the expedition.”

“I wouldn’t recommend you to go, though.”

Muttered Kim Jonghyun. When he flicked a finger, a set of teacups floated in the corner of the room. When Kim Jonghyun had a look at Sungmin, Sungmin shook his head. In the end, only a single set flew towards Kim Jonghyun.

“The investigation into the ogre chimera was finished already. That was a very well-made chimera. The different organs and cells of different organisms did not reject each other, and capturing a strong monster such as an ogre and tuning it to suit the mage’s needs requires amazing magical capabilities. I’ve said this last time, but the black mage that captured the ogre chimera is a very capable person. He, or she, is probably good enough to be called an archmage.”

Bern would have said ‘no way’ if he was here. Howver, Sungmin didn’t retort and kept listening.

“…That’s why you don’t recommend it?”

“No. I didn’t say that because of the black mage’s capabilities. I say this because the opponent is a ‘black mage’.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“A black mage at the realm of archmages, or above may see through your existence.”

Like I did – he muttered.

“Black magic… is something completely different from normal magic. Their very fundamentals are different. Normally, magic refers to a phenomenon of using the mana in the atmosphere to form a formula to recreate a certain event. Put it simply, it’s a car. Mana is the fuel, and the formula is the engine. And through ‘will’ the accelerator is pressed and the car runs. Don’t tell me there weren’t cars in the Korea you lived in?”

“There were. I understand what you said.”

“However, black magic is different. Yes, black magic does use mana. Mana, formula, and will. Normally, magic requires these three things, but black magic needs another one: A soul.”

“Soul?”

“This is a little bit like elementalism. Elementalism signs a contract with an elemental to use them. They promise something in that contract process, while black mages sign a contract with a demon god in price for their own souls.”

“…demon god….”

“A demon god doesn’t refer to a single entity. Strictly speaking, it’s actually a contract with a demon king that belongs to a demon god rather than the demon god… well, it’s not like you’re going to learn black magic or something, so there should be no need to tell you this in detail. All in all, the result is this. Black mages sign a contract with a demon god, that is, a demon king, and pays with their soul. As the magic is like this, black mages have the ‘eyes’ to see what exists and what does not. Like me.”

Kim Jonghyun raised his hand to point at his own eyes.

“A soul is a very charming ingredient to black mages. The moment they get into a contract, they possess the eyes to see the soul, and offer souls with value to the demon king… or use them in various other ways.”

Sungmin bit his lips. He realized what Kim Jonghyun was trying to warn him through this conversation.

“Of course, not all black mages will be able to see through your existence… but if there is indeed a black mage remaining in that dungeon, and that entity sees you… Fufu. I do not know this person, but he or she will be able to see through the value of your soul with that kind of capabilities. And then, something very interesting will happen. Yes, it will and definitely will happen. That black mage will do whatever it takes to acquire your soul. And such actions will probably not be something good in your point of view.”

“…What about you?”

“Me? You mean me?”

At Sungmin’s question, Kim Jonghyun burst out laughing as though it was something funny.

“I do not have any greed over you. Oh, that is because I’m different from normal black mages. In the first place, the black magic I’ve learned is… very peculiar even when compared against all other black mages existing in Eria. This is a power I’ve acquired through that not-funny monster incident in the country I’ve lived in.”

“What’s different about it?”

“I did not sign a contract with any demon king or demon god. Specifically speaking, the demon king I went into a contract with went and died. This is a very rare case… and the demon king I’ve signed a contract with was named Caladra of Lagress, but that demon king was suddenly terminated. The contract was forcefully undone, and the a portion of the black magiforce was transferred to me.”

Kim Jonghyun spoke as though nothing special had happened, but his story was nothing to laugh about. In other words, Kim Jonghyun was freed from the contract that bound all other black mages to their contractors, and now possessed black magiforce that his contracted demon king once possessed.

“In that process, a portion of my body changed. I now no longer age, and not only do my eyes see the soul, they can see even deeper secrets. The reason I could read your existence was thanks to that, and as such, I do not desire your soul. However, the other black mages are different. They… will become greedy.”

Sungmin became silent. He deemed that it was worth it to come by Kim Jonghyun’s lab just because of that. Black mages with the capability to see the soul can realize that Sungmin is a being that has defied the law of cause and effect; and they will desire his soul.

Sungmin realized that something was conflicting. Msh and the mediators of Erebrisa also realized that Sungmin defied cause and effect, and even they desired his soul. However, Kim Jonghyun did not.

“Your eyes. Are they better in performance than the ones possessed by Msh, a god?”

“Performance! What an interesting word. Well… It’s hard to compare. I, a human, do not know what Msh saw, and knows about you. However, this is the absolute truth. I do not desire over your soul. Though, I’m interested.”

Saying those words, Kim Jonghyun put the tea to his lips.

“The reason a time traveler like you have to go to a black mage’s dungeon should be something good. However, it’s better if you don’t. It will be dangerous.”

“…And if the black mage isn’t there in the dungeon?”

“Isn’t the probability fifty-fifty? Well, a reasonable black mage will choose to avoid going against a mercenary guild expedition.”

“Can you help me?”

At Sungmin’s question, Kim Jonghyun laughed.

“That’s a bit difficult. I don’t have the personality to make enemies of my own accord. And also… I do not want to slay a colleague that walks the same path.”

Though, I do not plan to prevent it either – added he.

After the conversation with Kim Jonghyun, Sungmin left the mage guild. He momentarily thought about asking Scarlett for help, but shook his head. In his few meetings with Scarlett, he became close to her, but he felt that he did not become close enough to ask something like this. Moreover, he didn’t want to ask her for help in something like this since it had nothing to do with her.

‘What do I do?’

It was as Kim Jonghyun had said. The probability was fifty-fifty. Although this was 3 months early, would the black mage still be there, or not? If the dungeon was discovered 3 months later like it was supposed to be, Sungmin wouldn’t have worried so much. He knew that the black mage wasn’t there.

However, it was different now. 3 months. What kind of effects does this variable have; and was this worth the risk?

His worries ended quite soon. The bottleneck that he was facing was too high and sturdy. He needed help from the magic armor. Although he didn’t know whether the magic armor would actually help or not, he still had to try.

What was fortunate, was that Sungmin wasn’t alone in this expedition. Bern, the guild master, was participating, and other S-rank mercenaries were participating as well with their leader Xeon. Mercenaries of other groups will also participate.

In the end, Sungmin came to a decision.

to participate in this expedition.