Chapter 278

Chapter 278

The black mages were playing both the drum and the gong among themselves.

‘Oh, I have no intention or time to play around with them anyway.’

Roan shrugged as if to say they could think whatever they wanted, and moved his feet.

─ Hahaha! Look at that fellow, he was definitely captured too but is too embarrassed to say it!

─ Who says otherwise?

The black mages noisily hurled mockery at Roan’s retreating figure.

……In truth, since they were only mocking him with their voices while lying flat on the ground, it didn’t hurt Roan much.

Roan decided to walk until the black mages couldn’t feel his presence anymore—that is, until they were completely out of sight.

The black mages suddenly realized that Roan’s state was unusual.

Even though a considerable amount of time had passed since Roan entered, wasn’t he walking perfectly fine, unlike themselves?

They had felt dizzy the moment they entered, and by the time a day had passed, not a single person was standing upright.

─ But why is that guy so fine, Boss?

“……How should I know? You blockheads…”

─ Is it because he’s a priest?

Naturally, Oslo couldn’t know the exact reason either.

He had never been locked inside before in the first place.

Could he possibly imagine that Roan had placed the Shackle of Ash Life in the Holy Spirit’s secret vault and was receiving infinite dark mana from it!

Anyway, after quite some time, the black mages, completely forgetting their resentment and fear, merely stared in the direction Roan had disappeared with dumbfounded expressions.

“”’At that level, he could have just beaten us even in a straight fight…?”'”

Why did we pull off strange stunts like kidnapping or whatever?

Meanwhile, Roan, thinking he had created enough distance, also glanced back briefly.

“Should I have told them they’d be pulled out soon?”

Just by looking, it was a wonder they weren’t drawing their last breaths, suffering from the Bell of Eternity.

If he told them they didn’t have much time left to be locked up, they might be able to gather some strength.

Wooong—

Is that something the captor should say?

“…….”

However, Roan was left speechless by the Fake Divinity’s point.

Besides, even if they get out, it will just be that crazy Professor Kaina’s dungeon, right? I haven’t been there yet, but it’s obvious.

“……It’s a good thing I didn’t say it.”

Roan naturally nodded at the thoroughly correct words.

Come to think of it, they had to endure another week inside the Bell of Eternity anyway.

Because automatically escaping is subjected to external time, not the time inside the Forbidden Library.

They can leave if they endure just one more week, but telling them that Professor Kaina will greet them kindly when they do?

If it were Roan, he would gather his fading dark mana by any means and launch a curse spell at the person who delivered that news.

Roan cleanly turned his back on the direction of the black mages and decided to focus on his own business.

First, he had to engrave the Black Mark, which was essential for properly mastering intermediate magic.

Wooong—

Black Mark… What was bound to come has finally come.

The Fake Divinity vibrated with unusual gravity.

In fact, Roan had also had to ponder deeply ever since he decided to engrave the Black Mark.

Considering the characteristics of the Black Mark, the reason was simple.

‘Black Marks are normally engraved as tattoos or by changing a part of the body into a demonic shape. But if I do that…’

It would naturally stand out!

A similar setting also existed in holy magic.

The so-called Sign of Light; unlike the Black Mark where one could choose the position and shape to some degree, it was randomly determined according to one’s family and personal characteristics.

The Sign of Light was also proof of reaching intermediate holy magic.

Both manifested when casting the highest level of magic or holy magic they could use, and they were similar in that they didn’t usually show during normal times.

Of course, since the Fake Divinity was present, Roan expected the Black Mark would be disguised to some extent to look like it was related to the Sign of Light, but.

Wooong—

It would be a burden if it raised even a sliver of suspicion in the current situation.

‘My thoughts exactly.’

He had even given up the heir position of Dragon Street to avoid being associated with black mages at all costs, so there was no way Roan would do something like that now.

And if a freshman who had just entered the school already obtained the Sign of Light, it would be extremely suspicious indeed.

Wooong…?

The Fake Divinity vibrated as if slightly dumbfounded.

Are you in any position to say that…?

It felt like he had done countless things that a newly entered freshman shouldn’t be able to do up until now.

Roan clicked his tongue and spoke.

‘I’m saying let’s minimize it as much as possible, as much as possible. And the Black Mark is incomparable to those things.’

Fine, do as you please.

In any case, Roan also had something in mind after debating where to engrave the Black Mark.

‘First of all, a demonic shape is completely out of the question, so I’ll go with a tattoo.’

Yet, a very secret place that wouldn’t be exposed outwardly.

Do you have a place in mind?

The Fake Divinity subtly asked out of curiosity.

Roan nodded, placing his hand on his chest.

The Fake Divinity assumed it would be his chest, which would be covered when he wore clothes.

However, Roan’s plan went one step—no, dozens of steps—further.

“The heart.”

Wooo—?!?!?!

The Fake Divinity was so shocked that it couldn’t even convey proper thoughts, merely vibrating violently.

The heart? The heart?!

“Yes, the heart.”

Roan answered calmly as if asking why it was so surprised.

The Fake Divinity vibrated with a few sharp starts, then spoke cautiously.

Even so, it’s your one and only life, shouldn’t you cherish it?

“But I resurrect even if I die.”

……

It was an opponent with whom conversation was impossible.

Of course, Roan also knew what the Fake Divinity was talking about.

The Shackle of Ash Life is a spell that resurrects the caster with the exact same mana state they had at the moment of death.

In other words, if he died due to failing to engrave the Black Mark, there was a high possibility that he would remain in that failed state even after resurrecting.

This meant he might have to wait for his existence to dissolve in infinite, unending pain.

Even without this kind of situation, black mages usually engraved it on safe locations that wouldn’t lead to death.

Still, Roan had to take a dangerous risk due to the circumstances.

And there was another reason why Roan was trying to engrave the Black Mark on his heart.

‘The body part most closely related to the intermediate level is the heart, isn’t it?’

……That’s true.

The Fake Divinity also agreed with Roan’s words.

While basic or beginner magic had the closest association with the dantian where the Fake Divinity resided.

The intermediate level moved up to the heart, and advanced level further up to the brain.

In other words, the Black Mark, which could be called the symbol of intermediate magic, would naturally have its effects and risks increase exponentially the closer it was engraved to the heart.

In the past, Roan had engraved the Black Mark on the heart exactly once, using an exceptionally well-developed black mage character.

He had succeeded after immense struggle, and the result was.

‘A successful clear in that very playthrough.’

It was truly explosive.

However, the Fake Divinity, having no way of knowing that, found it difficult to agree with Roan’s opinion easily.

Wooong—

Knowing that, you want to engrave the Dark Trace on your heart? It’s close to suicide. If you aren’t joking, choose a sensible spot.

‘Don’t worry. I decided on this because I think I can make it work.’

At Roan’s confident words, the Fake Divinity vibrated long and weakly, like a sigh.

Even the authority thought that if it was the owner of this ridiculous talent, he might be able to pull off the unprecedented act of engraving the Dark Trace on the heart itself.

How many things had he accomplished that were previously thought impossible?

While the Fake Divinity was pondering for a moment, Roan shrugged and added a word.

‘And didn’t we see the dream together? If I fail, I’ll be caught either way.’

That was decisive.

The reason Roan was rising to intermediate black magic so urgently was also because of Lucia, who would visit tonight.

If it was the Prophet’s eye that could not be avoided unless one directly shook fate.

He had no choice but to take a risk of that caliber.

Fine, let’s try it.

With even the Fake Divinity finally agreeing to this plan that was practically suicide.

Roan opened the book titled ‘Modern Black Mages Proudly Engrave the Black Mark!’

Wooong—

Isn’t this really written by an inquisitor?

‘Well, it’s a famous book in its own way, even if it’s suspicious.’

……How do you know that?

‘It’s common sense, common sense.’

……

The Fake Divinity, suddenly treated as an authority lacking common sense, fell quiet.

Is it really a famous book?

It didn’t exist in my time…

It vibrated as if grumbling about something, but it was a tremor so faint that even Roan couldn’t decipher.

Roan opened the book and began to search for the Black Mark most suitable for himself.

Even among tattoo types, performance varied greatly depending on shape and size.

If playing a black mage character, choosing the right Black Mark and attribute tech tree for the character was one of the most important strategies.

However.

Flutter-flip-flip— Tap—

“Let’s go with this.”

……Did you even look at anything?

Making the words ‘began to search’ meaningless, Roan flipped through the pages at random, then tapped the very last option as if he had previewed it.

What his finger pointed to had a form where snakes tangled together, spreading outward from a round and complex center.

─ Pandemonium of Ten Thousand Snakes ─

This was the name of the Black Mark.

The Fake Divinity asked lukewarmly.

I’m sure you’ll call it common sense anyway, but why this?

‘Just got a feeling.’

This is completely crazy…!

At Roan’s nonchalant answer, the Fake Divinity felt both dumbfoundedness and anger.

When it wasn’t even enough to proceed by carefully analyzing each and every detail.

Choosing a Black Mark simply because the feeling is good?

It would have been better if he had called it common sense, like the Fake Divinity suggested.

Furthermore, the Fake Divinity also roughly knew about the Black Mark called Pandemonium of Ten Thousand Snakes.

Wooo—!

You arrogant, greed-filled greenhorn of a brat! Do you think talent is everything?

‘Well, it feels like it’ll work….’

Naturally, Roan couldn’t explain everything to the Fake Divinity.

However, the reason he chose this Black Mark definitely existed.

Normally, Black Marks are divided into specialized attributes and classes depending on their size and shape.

For example, the Black Mark ‘Blood Drop’ is a type that gives a bonus to small-scale blood magic.

However, while engraving a specialized Black Mark like this makes it easier to learn that class or attribute right away, it later becomes a limitation.

On the other hand, in the case of this Pandemonium of Ten Thousand Snakes.

‘Universal class, universal attribute. It is literally the highest grade among Black Marks.’

Without such specialized bonuses, it provides a decent correction value to all black magic elements.

It was a perfect fit of a Black Mark for Roan, who was learning various forms of black magic anyway.

However, as much as that was the case, it was harder to engrave compared to other Black Marks, and the pain and risk were also on the larger side.

It was for this reason that the Fake Divinity was extremely enraged.

Wooong—!!

A fellow who wants to engrave a Black Mark on his heart is choosing… what? Pandemonium of Ten Thousand Snakes? Fine, I won’t care whether you die or not anymore!

Roan’s dantian vibrated heavily enough to make it tingle.

However, Roan placed both hands over his dantian and spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

“Still, I know you will help me diligently.”

……

With that single sentence, the Fake Divinity’s vibration subsided rapidly.

The authority no longer raged, grumbled, or cursed, but Roan knew well enough.

The fact that the Fake Divinity also agreed with his words.

“Then, let us begin.”