I Never Run Out of Mana

191. I Only Take Half of What I Earn

“Hm? Finally, do you want to return back now?”

Barub, who had a firm grasp on Karupedan’s head, shifted their attention to Min-Cheol.

Following that, Karupedan also spoke with a voice that sounded as if she going to die any minute.

“Kuhu….. What are you doing, not leaving already? Were you waiting to see me suffer? Ugh…..”

“Karupedan. It seems that you’re on the verge of death, so if you want to live, I suggest saving your breath. No. I won’t be returning yet.”

“What? Perhaps you wanted Karupedan’s power?”

“What use would that be right now, right?”

“Kuhu.”

Barub’s shoulders shook ever so slightly.

It was hard to confirm with how their face wasn’t clearly defined, but I was sure that they had a suspicious smile on their face, clearly unable to hold back laughter.

Barub had made a prediction from the moment that Min-Cheol moved away from the dimensional door that led back to Earth.

They were sure that Min-Cheol wanted something or was up to something.

As expected, Barub was quite amused at Min-Cheol’s appearance right before they were about to take Karupedan’s life.

Almost as if proving that what Barub had thought wasn’t wrong, Min-Cheol spoke.

“Even if I added Karupedan’s power on top of mine, it won’t be close to enough to face against you, right?”

“That’s right. In the end, you won’t be able to avoid a dog’s death like hers. My strength is far stronger than what you are thinking. So powerful that you could call it absolute.”

“Hm…. But what a predicament this is. I want to beat the ever-living shit out of you, and you, Barub, want something newly amusing.”

“Kuhahah! You really aren’t normal. Do you know that you’re risking your life saying that?”

“Of course. I also said it while knowing that you can’t refuse.”

As expected by Min-Cheol, Barub lost their concentration as if they were possessed.

It was because they were positive that Min-Cheol would offer a deal tempting enough to let go of Karupedan’s head.

At his words, Karupedan frowned and spoke.

She knew that he wasn’t sound of mind, but had no idea that he would make a decision so lacking in foresight.

After all, he was speaking without shakiness to a transcendent existence that even she could not beat, and was even adding humor into it.

“Human. Just what are you thinking? All you have to do is return back home without complaint and live your life…..”

“That’s just not my thing. Why would a wolf go under the rule of a dog?”

“Pfft! Sure… Go ahead and speak. You and I. A way for both of us to be satisfied.”

“…..”

“Aren’t you tired of taking another idiot and placing them on the seat of a god? I’ve been watching for a while, and I can tell that this has been going on far more than a day or two.”

“Kuhu. Continue.”

“The solution is finding a new source of amusement. With me, of course. But you won’t be observing quietly from behind the stage this time. You’ll be the main character instead.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll make a bet with you.”

“A bet?”

“That’s right. How about it? Aren’t you already interested?”

“Kuhahah! A bet with an absolute existence. Do you really think that you have a chance at winning?”

“Wouldn’t that depend on what the bet entails?”

“Let me hear it first then. Kuhu. If it is some ridiculous offer, I will not only kill Karupedan right here, but you as well.”

“First, we’ll need a referee, right?”

Min-Cheol tried using Status Negation to heal Karupedan.

However, a flashy visual effect was all that occured, and her body was not healed.

It was obvious. Min-Cheol had expected this result before using the skill.

If her body could recover from wounds, then she would’ve done so countless of times already in the fight against Barub.

Seeing how she hadn’t made a move to recover until delivering her final blow, I had noticed.

“Hm? Hey, do something about her. How can we have someone nearly dead as a referee?”

“Pfft. As you will.”

Barub decided to play along with the arrogant human before them.

It wasn’t because they were fond of Min-Cheol in particular.

It was because of the strong curiosity they had never felt before leading them.

If his suggestion was ridiculous or if he tried to force something, they would slay him on the spot.

Karupedan’s body was covered in light for a brief moment before fully recovering.

Seeing that, Min-Cheol bluntly spoke.

“Seems that you were also injured, so why not heal yourself?”

“Kuhu. Seems you know something.”

“…..”

“True to what you’re thinking, Karupedan and I cannot heal ourselves.”

“So if you keep on using your powers, it will eventually dry up?”

“Are you perhaps thinking that this power runs on the same rules as that of magical energies?”

“…..”

One of the powers that Min-Cheol had was command over magical energies.

This power didn’t recover on its own.

The only way to do so was to kill monsters and steal their magical energies.

However, Barub was an absolute existence.

Everything in the celestial plane was made by their power, and they had created it so.

Thus, this meant that they were capable of using their powers, but also had no way of recharging it.

They could regain it back with methods like killing Karupedan and taking her powers, but if the human Min-Cheol kept eating away at it bit by bit, they would eventually run empty.

But unlike what Min-Cheol had hoped for, Barub gave a different answer.

“I cannot recover my strength in a short amount of time. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s gone forever.”

“Hm?”

“I shall explain it in simple terms so that you can understand it. My giant reserves automatically recharge with the passage of time. I’m sorry to say that if you tried to defeat me using such a weak plan, it’s not possible.”

“Well, I didn’t have my hopes so high. Since you’re curious, I’ll hurry up and tell you what the bet I’m offering you.”

“Kuha. Hurry up and do so.”

“The duration will be 100 days in human time. The subject will be combat. Obviously, the winner will take the life of the loser. The winner takes the power of the absolute. That’s pretty much it.”

“Hm? Even if 100 days pass, the result won’t change.”

“That’s why we need to move on to making the rules.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“We start the bet on the same starting line.”

“….”

“You’re the absolute existence, right? You can do whatever you want, as long as you put your mind to it…..”

“That’s right.”

“That’s why the bet can be made. Since we need to be on the same starting line, match your powers to my level.”

“If you’re trying to pull a fast one on me, go through that door right now. You already know what will happen if you disappoint me or upset me. I am giving you your last chance.”

“Did you live your entire life getting tricked? This offer doesn’t have any conditions that give me unfair advantages. I merely want a fair match.”

“Continue.”

Min-Cheol definitely had made a ridiculous offer.

He wanted to directly confront a god.

However, this offer had some safety mechanisms.

Since there was a massive difference of strength between the two, the match would be a boring one-sided victory.

That wasn’t something that both Min-Cheol and Barub wanted.

Starting off with the condition to equalize each other’s powers, Min-Cheol’s offer was like so.

1. A dimension completely separate from Earth, demonic realm, and the celestial plane is created.

Barub was an omnipotent god.

It was obvious that creating another dimension or a massive dungeon would not be much of a hassle for them.

After adjusting it so that both the god and Min-Cheol had the same amount of strength, they would grow stronger for 100 days in the newly created dimension.

To not give an advantage to Min-Cheol, who was an expert at growing stronger due to doing so through the multiple realms he was in, a new dimension would be created.

Min-Cheol decided to call that place as Hell.

Since Barub will be creating the dimension, there was a possibility that it would be slightly more advantageous to them, but Min-Cheol was willing to overlook that.

He believed that he could handle that much of a disadvantage.

1. Sealing away the power of the god into Karupedan.

They would start off with matching amounts of power, but there were no guarantees that Barub would have a sudden change of heart and use their powers to change that.

That was why the power needed to be sealed away into someone else.

It was obvious that Karupedan, who had a grudge against Barub, would be the right choice to seal their powers into. It was possible with the right restrictions.

Just like the responsibilities she had carried out this entire time, she would become an absolute god, but a puppet at the same time.

Karupedan would only be able to use that power in the celestial plane.

On top of that, she would not be able to assist or harm Min-Cheol or Barub.

She would not be able to partake in this bet in any form, and would only serve as a storage to hold this power.

Since she couldn’t even end her own life, this also meant that she wouldn’t be able to do anything and be forced to live another 100 days.

It was obviously unfair from her point of view, but Karupedan agreed without any complaints.

After all, there was a chance that the human would win and grant her long awaited wish to get rid of Barub.

1. In the dimension that was created, it wouldn’t be just Barub and Min-Cheol who exist there.

Just like how Earth and the demonic realm is, there would be countless people or monsters that would exist, and the two of them would appear in that world with forms different to their current self.

Abilities that would allow one to read another’s presence, such as Eye of Insight, would all be erased.

This meant that the two could harmlessly pass by each other in the new realm.

There was a possibility that the two of them would clash against one another while growing and result in concluding this match earlier than the 100 days, or that the two of them would work together to defeat trials ahead.

After 100 days pass just like that, the two would be summoned to the celestial plane, where they can have a showdown.

At that time, Karupedan would not be able to use any powers and could only observe as a spectator.

The winner of that fight would obviously take the life of the loser and obtain all the powers that were sealed away.

It was a rather simple, yet complex bet.

After finishing his explanations, Min-Cheol was awaiting Barub’s answer.

Karupedan, who was standing next to the two of them, had an expression that seemed to say that she was hoping that this absurd bet would go through.

“Now, how about it? These are all the rules to this bet I thought of.”

“Kuhuhu. How amusing….. What you came up with is really amusing, human.”

“Right? I knew that you’d be intrigued.”

“It seems that it’ll be really fun. However! The start of this bet is not fair. You’re aware of this too, right?”

“…..”

“If both our powers were on the same level, I would’ve accepted this on the spot. However, there really isn’t a reason for me to take on this risk and accept the bet, right?”

“You really are the type to make sure that you don’t take any losses. I had hoped that this bet would be accepted without any complications, but it is as expected.”

Only

“Still, I do not have any intentions of declining this bet.”

“Huh?”

“Half your strength. I will start this by limiting your strength by half. Will you accept?”

“Do you think I’m in a position to be picky? I’m in!”

“Everyone here isn’t sound of mind…..”

“And…..”

As if about to say something very important, Barub stalled.

Due to that, Min-Cheol and Karupedan anxiously swallowed their dry spit.