Necromancer Of The Black Bible (47)

As I looked at my master, Equinox spoke in a worried tone.

[Honored Master, I know how you feel about Balthazar. But remember—if you help him the wrong way, your very existence could vanish.]

I nodded.

In truth, before arriving here, I wanted to help my master however I could.

I even thought of suggesting things he might try, if I ever returned to this point in the past.

But having gone through this now, I realized that was too naïve.

If my master’s past changes, then my regression itself becomes invalid.

And everything I’ve accomplished could disappear without even a memory.

Illinas sent Shador here precisely to try that.

Even if he failed this time, he’ll keep trying. As long as I’m connected to him, he’ll seek to erase me.

‘What has already happened must be allowed to happen.’

Resolute, I walked toward the hut.

Passing through the door, I saw my master.

Short gray hair, a wrinkled brow.

A softly bent hawk nose.

A neatly kept beard.

And a sharp scar slashing across his left cheek.

A face I longed for.

But seeing me, he recoiled, terrified.

“Y-you, w-who are you?”

At his current level, he couldn’t recognize me.

What should I say?

I couldn’t give my name. At this point, he hadn’t even conceived of sending me back.

Then suddenly, a memory brushed past my ear.

Something my master often muttered.

“Today, I met Equinox’s spirit again. Isn’t that curious?”

“Every time I hit a wall reading, the spirit appears.”

“It always knows my problem and gives me the answer.”

‘Yes. A spirit.’

The plan was clear.

I knew exactly what to say before my master of the past.

I stepped forward and spoke with the voice of a spirit.

[Fear not. It is I—the spirit of Equinox.]

My words worked.

He stopped trembling and stepped closer.

“I knew it! Spirit! Did you strike down that black magician earlier?”

[Yes.]

“Then why did he come here?”

My master asked eagerly.

Seeing his face, I hesitated to lie.

But I let go of that thought.

Here, things had to go as they were meant to.

I gathered my thoughts and spoke.

[He came to kill you and your disciple.]

“Me… and Damian? Why?”

[Because you will grasp the power of eternity.]

At my answer, my master’s eyes shook.

Yet a bright smile spread on his lips.

“So I will reach the 9th Circle at last?”

I shook my head.

[Regrettably, you will not reach it.]

The smile vanished from his face, but I continued.

[As long as you carry the Mana Ring forged by the Demon King, no one can reach that place.]

His eyes trembled.

I could feel countless thoughts swirling around him.

Then suddenly, he raised his head and asked me.

“I see now. You said you came to protect Damian and me. You said I would not reach it. Then… it will be Damian, won’t it?”

Hope glimmered in his eyes.

Though he sensed his own failure and his disciple’s success, not a trace of regret or jealousy crossed him.

He was purely glad that I would succeed.

Had I come here in flesh, I would’ve choked up, unable to speak.

But I was in spirit form now.

So I spoke calmly what must be said.

[This is only the beginning. Etch the forbidden magic circle onto your disciple’s body.]

“The forbidden circle… You mean the one that sacrifices the body?”

[Yes.]

“But even inscribing it has a price. I cannot do it with my own strength.”

[Offer your Mana Ring to Illinas. Then he will accept the bargain.]

My master looked confused.

Of course.

All his efforts denied, told to carve the forbidden circle as well.

Yet after gazing long at the great scythe I held, he answered with resolve.

“Very well. I shall do it.”

He let out a deep sigh and glanced at the door in the corner.

It was the room where my past self stayed.

He looked heavy-hearted at the thought of carving the circle into his disciple.

After a pause, he looked at me again and asked.

“Is there truly no way for me to reach it?”

With a heavy heart, I answered.

[None.]

Then he asked again.

“Then is there at least a way for me to witness my disciple’s success? No way for that either?”

Then Equinox whispered to me.

[May I answer from here?]

I hesitated.

Then Equinox whispered again.

[If all Balthazar wishes is to watch over you, then there is a way. I will tell him.]

I yielded control of my spirit to Equinox. Honestly, his offer was welcome.

The thought of giving my master nothing weighed on me—but this was a relief.

Equinox spoke to him.

[Bring your book. I shall teach you a secret art.]

“Yes, wait just a moment.”

He rushed into his room and returned with an old book.

Its cover was entirely black.

It was a copy of Aium de Equinox.

He opened the book, and Equinox waved a hand. The pages fluttered until a blank one appeared.

Equinox drew a magic circle on it with green mana.

Symbols whose meaning I could not tell.

Even I, who had studied circles extensively, couldn’t decipher them.

Once complete, Equinox told him:

[When Illinas engraves the forbidden circle, overlay this one atop it when the rite ends. When you die, your soul will dwell here. Through it, you may transcend time and space, and someday you will meet your disciple again. And then…]

Equinox stepped closer, shut the book, and spoke more firmly.

[Soon you will realize how to escape the Demon King’s grasp. But never tell your disciple. The reason you cannot succeed is that the Demon King reads your thoughts.]

Finished, Equinox stepped back.

Then he strode out of the hut without hesitation.

[Is it done now?]

[One more remains.]

Equinox looked at the hut, then gathered mana to erect a green shield around it.

[With this, Illinas will not interfere with this timeline again.]

[What if Illinas himself comes?]

[Then we will have to return.]

With that, we opened the door again and left.

Into pure darkness.

Entering, I realized Equinox had separated from me.

I walked with him.

As we walked the long corridor, my thoughts deepened.

I couldn’t tell if what I experienced was past or present.

Equinox, walking ahead, spoke.

“We have just altered a small future. But note—it had already been decided.”

“You speak in riddles.”

“You will understand in time. This journey itself is to teach you how to handle time.”

“Back then, I thought my master should gain eternity instead of me.”

Until recently, that thought hadn’t changed.

But just now, it did.

I must not abandon eternal power.

To forsake it would waste my master’s sacrifice.

As I thought this, Equinox spoke.

“You gained more from this journey than expected.”

“No. I gained nothing. There was something I wanted to ask him…”

“I know what it was.”

At his words, my ears pricked.

“Really?”

“You wished to know Balthazar’s true name, did you not?”

“Yes. Tell me.”

When I pressed, Equinox smiled faintly and spoke.

“Sanchez of the Investigation Bureau. He is Balthazar.”

About 4,000 years ago.

After creating the Astranova continent, God created countless beings.

Along with them, three races including humans.

Then he created angels to help them prosper, but they fell, entranced by the world and its creatures.

Those fallen angels became demons. They schemed, slew God, and seized the heavens.

Thus two demon realms exist.

The upper realm—once heaven, and the lower realm where demons hid to battle God.

After God’s death, countless wars raged among demons for the power-rich upper realm.

Now, Demon Kings Illinas and Dikrea divide it into west and east.

Illinas, Demon King of the West, sat on his throne.

His castle: the so-called Citadel of Ruin.

Once, it was God’s.

It held artifacts placed for ruling the mortal world.

One of them, the “Thousand Eyes.”

Made to commune with creatures whenever they sought God.

Demons had similar devices, but the Thousand Eyes surpassed all in scale and effect.

It could behold ten thousand at once, and even manipulate time to speak with them in turn.

Illinas activated it as usual.

Space before his throne opened, a pale shape appearing.

It was the “Mirror of Projection” of the Thousand Eyes—a channel to those who sought the Demon King.

Illinas stroked his chin, gazing in.

Inside stood a broad man, bare-chested.

The magic circles carved on him and the aura in his sword marked him a swordmage.

Illinas couldn’t recall him among so many contracts—but the Thousand Eyes reminded him.

[This is Kaleon of the Dead Lands. He first swore to you thirteen years ago.]

At once, Kaleon knelt on one knee.

“O master of my soul, I beg of you. Grant me power. I am to duel my family’s nemesis—help me triumph.”

Illinas’s lips curled faintly.

For duels of vengeance always yielded tempting offerings.

He looked at Kaleon and asked:

“Who is your foe?”

The swordmage shifted aside, revealing a warrior larger than he.

He looked at him and spoke.

“The bandit, Vladimir.”

Vladimir’s body was massive.

Three times Kaleon’s size, musclebound.

The murderous aura he radiated dwarfed Kaleon.

Unaided, Kaleon would fall swiftly.

Illinas’s smile widened as he asked:

“Have you prepared your offering?”

Kaleon answered grimly.

“One-sixth of my soul, and the body and soul of the one who loses this duel.”

Illinas’s smile deepened.