Chapter 283

To make a comparison, he had merely collided a weak amount of black mana that was no more than a few atomic levels.

Then.

Crumble─

Surprisingly, the black mana sphere crumbled into powder as if touching a ball that had turned to ash while retaining its shape.

But it did not end there.

Fizzle─ Fizzle─

Even though he had not cast a spell but simply gathered and released black mana.

The moment the black mana sphere crumbled, the Black Mark Roan had engraved reacted.

Precisely speaking, he felt the blood throughout his body boiling.

‘……How am I supposed to use intermediate magic like this.’

Although it couldn’t compare to when he engraved it, the pain was not negligible, causing Roan to frown.

It would be highly problematic if this happened every time he cast intermediate magic.

However, the fact that the Black Mark reacted was a good sign.

At the very least, it was confirmation that Roan’s approach was not wrong.

And.

Pasaaaaaa───

The surrounding black mana, which had been drawn to a single point by Roan, began to erupt out of control once again.

However, it was not explosive as the False Divinity had expected.

It was delicate and gentle, as if everything was returning to its original place.

Furthermore, it fell far short of being described by the rigid words of dispersion and dismantling, the concepts conveyed by the book.

It was a much more mysterious and auspicious atmosphere.

A flow closer to a quiet, heavy, and transcendental will, to the point that it was unimaginable for it to be a phenomenon created purely with black mana.

This…… is the Void?

Watching the phenomenon, the False Divinity vibrated quietly as if lost for words.

Roan caught the attention of the Authority.

‘Get ready now.’

Huh?

‘If it is according to my expectations, the next part is important.’

It was both an expectation and the application of his knowledge.

Although it was also Roan’s first time attempting the Void directly, if he recalled his memory of playing the game, the clue to the Void would be grasped right after the compressed black mana suddenly dispersed like this.

How quickly and well he could capture that clue would ultimately determine how much he could shorten the learning process.

And to avoid getting caught by Lucia, the False Divinity also needed to fully participate in the process.

Roan kept his hand, where the black mana sphere had been, fixed in place and focused his gaze there.

In the place where he had drawn all the surrounding black mana just moments ago, not a single speck of black mana remained now.

And in that empty void.

Shiver─

Surprisingly, a tiny amount of new black mana arose.

Faint and nascent, to the point that it could not even be identified as black mana.

Perhaps closer to a pure element that could not even be called black mana yet.

‘Now!’

Roan clenched his hand to capture that black mana.

The clue to the Void was precisely this new, so-called Void black mana.

It was to intentionally eliminate all surrounding black mana, and then take the very first black mana generated according to the natural laws of balance.

That was also the reason why the Void gave off the least trace of black mana among all black manas.

In short, the Void was an attribute deeply related to birth, despite being black magic.

There was no other reason why it was so difficult to master.

Woong, woong, woong──!

The False Divinity also realized the importance of this split second and vibrated vigorously.

However, their first attempt:

Sruk─

‘A failure.’

Unfortunately, it fell through.

The generated black mana vanished as soon as Roan channeled his own black mana to capture it.

Achieving this much in just the second attempt is already impressive.

The False Divinity offered words of comfort, fearing that the boy who had never known failure might be disappointed.

It seemed mastering the Void would be a bit of a long-drawn-out battle.

Since Roan had blown away all the surrounding black mana, it would take quite some time for it to return to normal.

However, Roan’s thoughts were slightly different.

Kugugugu─!

Roan immediately released the black mana within his body to restore the surrounding concentration to normal!

Roan smiled broadly and spoke.

“This way, we can start again.”

Ssaaaaaa──

The False Divinity felt it understood a little why other people feared Roan so much.

……A terrifying guy.

* * *

How many times Roan attempted to awaken the Void after that, it was meaningless to count.

After roughly a full day had passed.

“Huff…… huff……”

Wooong……

Both Roan and the False Divinity were letting out rough breaths and vibrations.

No matter how much Roan drew massive amounts of black mana from Harden’s secret warehouse, the Bell of Eternity was objectively not a very good place for training.

……To begin with, entering a place meant to imprison someone and training there made it hard for him to be treated as sane.

However, the effort put in was fully worth it.

No, it was more than enough.

Wooong─

You succeeded in the end. Relentless bastard.

Just as the False Divinity said.

Seeee……

On Roan’s carefully opened hand, Void black mana remained.

Instead of forming a solid shape like ordinary black mana, the Void black mana consisted of fine particles, swaying like fog.

Although it was too early to call it a perfect Void, maintaining the Void black mana was a tremendous step forward.

However, this was actually natural.

Because in “God and Devil,” to convert something into a skill and master it, the character first needed to reach the vicinity of it by themselves.

By using this to gain the book’s recognition, utilizing it would likely become much more convenient.

However, there was a point quite different from the Void that Roan or the False Divinity knew.

“……Why is it golden?”

As Roan questioned, the Void black mana was none other than golden.

The typical Void was a somewhat light black.

Because even if it gave off less trace of black mana, black mana was still black mana.

He had an inkling of the reason.

It was likely related to the fact that the Black Mark involved in intermediate black magic had turned Roan’s blood golden.

However, setting the color aside, what surprised Roan and the False Divinity the most was:

Wooong─

Even to our eyes, it is perfectly disguised.

‘Tell me about it.’

It was an extraordinary aura felt even from the incomplete Void that had not yet been converted into a skill.

Honestly, even Roan’s ordinary black mana, which others couldn’t even think to detect, still showed traces of black mana to their eyes.

Yet this Void was so perfect that initially even Roan and the Authority had almost been fooled into thinking it was holy power.

If it was like this now, what if it was fully completed?

It was certain that not even Lucia’s father, let alone Lucia, would be able to notice.

‘Ah, Beleck already doesn’t know.’

Roan corrected his slip of tongue and opened the Void Attribute Introductory Guide again.

There, the illustration that supposedly explained the principle of the Void in its own way was still moving.

Wooong─

My goodness, it’s mind-boggling looking at it again. To ask someone to accomplish this process just by looking at such an illustration?

Of course, in terms of principles alone, it could be said to be similar.

But even if ten thousand black mages attempted it, would even one of them properly grasp it?

Why the inner cover of the book had ended up in that state was obvious without even looking.

‘Well, I said it was an appropriate explanation.’

Right, only to you.

Roan exchanged a few words of praise and encouragement with the False Divinity and transplanted the Void black mana onto the page.

Seeee……

The fog-like golden Void black mana slowly seeped into the paper.

Ssaaaak─.

The illustration, which was changing color as it gradually absorbed it, was completely dyed in gold by the time the fog had vanished entirely.

Instantly, new letters appeared in the book.

─ H-Holy power?! You, were you a clergyman who obtained this book? ─

“…….”

How can the book itself be fooled?

Roan pondered for a moment on how to explain himself to the book’s absurd misunderstanding.

Since writing it down would just make him look like a liar, he needed a more certain method.

‘Let’s input it as plain black mana this time.’

Right.

Roan put a bit of pure Void black mana that had not passed through the False Divinity into the paper.

─ You went as far as capturing a black mage to thoroughly deceive me. No wonder, I felt that the Abyss earlier was strangely odd too. ─

Then, a slightly unique-looking black magic circle appeared below the writing.

‘A cryptogram?’

A cryptogram was a unique language of black mages whose letters, conversations, and other means of communication had a high probability of being intercepted or monitored.

Although it appeared to be a complex black magic circle at first glance, it was a method where one could read the hidden cryptogram within by interpreting it through a specific method.

‘Hmm, let’s see.’

……If you can read it, can it even be called a cryptogram?

‘Ah, that—’

Let’s do it again, you will probably say something about common sense.

‘……Well, since you know, it makes communication faster.’

…….

Naturally, Roan could interpret the cryptogram very proficiently.

─ Draw the magic circle of Black Market if you have been kidnapped, or the magic circle of Black Sphere if you are safe. If it is a dangerous situation, I will destroy this book to protect the secrets of knowledge. ─

“Why go to such lengths……”

Roan shook his head and drew the magic circle of the Black Sphere.

Perhaps because they were constantly being pushed around by the Empire, even the book possessed so much caution.

However, the destiny that the book would be restored in the Forbidden Library anyway, even if it destroyed itself with such desperate determination, made Roan feel even more pity.

‘Indeed, all black mages live their lives trapped in shackles like that. Just like me.’

……I don’t think that’s the case.

Roan ignored the Authority’s vibration and wrote below the magic circle:

─ The Void black mana originally does not give off much of a black mana trace, does it? ─

The book, which had no writing for a moment, wrote in a somewhat rougher handwriting:

─ Is giving off less trace of black mana the same as being completely indistinguishable from holy power? ─

Wooong─

Well, that is definitely different.

The False Divinity also agreed with the book’s writing.

‘Whose side are you on anyway?’

Roan lamented that there wasn’t a single Authority in the world he could trust.

In any case, if the book came out this uncooperatively, he couldn’t proceed any further.

Ultimately, Roan:

“……Let’s do it again.”

─ Please look at it once more. ─

─ Hmph, I still won’t be fooled. ─

─ Once more. ─

─ How many times must I say it. ─

─ Still, once more……. ─

Only after showing the Void black mana a few times without the False Divinity was he able to move on to the next step.

Fortunately, from the second time onward, he gained the knack of it, so it did not take very long.

─ ……Fine, fine! With this much, you can handle it yourself. Then I will proceed to the next step now. Actually, since your ability seems so outstanding, I skipped the preliminary practice. ─

─ But your tone has suddenly become informal? ─

─ Since you have already succeeded in creating Void black mana, you are indeed outstanding. What remains is to reduce the dispersion and dismantling process through simple practice magic and practice approaching the Void a bit faster. Afterward, since you will have mastered it perfectly, I will record the basic Void magic for you. ─

‘This is how it should be.’

Roan nodded in satisfaction at the book’s tone, which had returned to normal.

A moment later, a simple magic circle to practice the Void was drawn on the next page.

Unlike other attributes, the magic circle of the Void was faint and indistinct, characterized by its shape shifting slightly and fluidly.

It was a difficult attribute that required a significant amount of time just to interpret the magic circle if one was unfamiliar with it.

Shuaaa─

Of course, that did not apply to Roan.

I’m almost afraid to show you anything!

The False Divinity vibrating a couple of times as if dumbfounded was an added bonus.

The practice magic was called ‘Secret Verdict of the Void,’ which was an assassination attack famous for leaving no trace except for clean cutting power.

In terms of level, it was a spell that sat around the upper-beginner rank.

However.

“……?”

……?

After a short time, Roan and the False Divinity simultaneously tilted their heads as they saw the manifested black magic.

‘W-What is this?’

* * *

Exactly on the seventh day since Roan entered the Bell of Eternity.

─ Uhhh……

─ When on earth can we go out……?

─ Yeah, if we go out, it’s Kaina……

Oslo’s gang was rolling around on the wasteland, looking even more haggard than when they had first met Roan.

If a bit more time passed, they looked as if they could showcase the stunt of rolling with the wind like tumbleweeds in the American West.

Step─ Step─

There was a person approaching them.