Magic Stone Mine Request (4)

The process of investigating the mine’s depth came to an end in just two days.

It was not as deep as expected.

Thanks to that, it received the expectations of many people, and the reason was simple.

It was a mine that had not been dug deep yet, and they judged that it was difficult to estimate how many magic stones were buried because there were so many.

In reality, that upper part could have been all of it, but conversely, if magic stones were packed all the way to the deep underground, it would be a great discovery.

To be precise, it wasn’t a discovery, but at any rate, people would certainly not treat this fact lightly and would rush to promote infrastructure projects related to it on a large scale.

“You really worked hard.”

I gave a response to the government official’s words of gratitude, and when I glanced at An So-mi, she shook her head slightly.

‘Indeed, if the person involved is Chu Myeong-hun, one cannot easily mess with him.’

This was because he was a person who held the actual power of the primary opposition party.

Even though he did not hold a specific public office externally, the power given to him was great, which was actually due to his reputation and strength.

He was one of the three great heroes of South Korea.

We left the site, and with the judgment that no one would be able to play tricks while attention was focused, and with the military being deployed to guard the internal core, it seemed that mine development would proceed actively for the national interest of South Korea from now on.

When we arrived at a place far from everyone’s attention, An So-mi let out a deep sigh.

“I can’t handle it. If we make an enemy of a person of that level, we won’t be able to deal with the aftermath.”

She wasn’t exactly wrong. However, she wasn’t entirely right either.

If one has nothing to lose, it is enough to just charge in.

Even those revered as the three great heroes of South Korea have many allies, but they have just as many enemies.

Just releasing information related to this to his enemies would be enough to deal a blow. And if the actions An So-mi feared continued, we could just handle it with our own skill.

“I want us to be cautious as well.”

Go Yu-jin also said something similar to An So-mi.

“Why are you so afraid?”

“You know what kind of person Chu Myeong-hun is, don’t you?”

Chu Myeong-hun, one of South Korea’s three great heroes, was an assassin of enemy heroes called ‘Divine Slayer’.

A person who was stronger against humans than monsters; he was demonized in other countries, but he was a hero in South Korea.

Considering the powerhouses of hostile nations who died at that one man’s hands, Chu Myeong-hun was evaluated as having protected the future of South Korea.

Moreover, he was a person who officially declared that he would not go on undercover missions upon becoming a member of the National Assembly, and more than four years had passed since he stepped away from the battlefield.

Many people still remembered him without forgetting because of the weight of the name ‘Hero’, but among Awakeners, he was actually treated as a has-been.

‘He won’t be easy, though, as his strength doesn’t just fade away.’

Besides, he was a relatively young Awakener. Was he in his mid-thirties?

Anyway, since the trend had changed to electing assembly members based only on their abilities after the Great Cataclysm, politicians of the old era were no longer to be seen.

“I understand.”

Since there was nothing to be done for now, we had no choice but to back down. So I told them that I would take care of the data for now, and the two of them nodded.

‘Chu Myeong-hun… I hope this doesn’t lead to an ill-fated relationship.’

It was a moment when I had many thoughts in many ways.

The first thing I did after returning was to visit Han Sang-gil.

This was because an appointment had been made to borrow the Necronomicon.

The two of them looked at me like I was some strange freak, but since I was using my own time as I pleased after work, they didn’t show any sign of saying much.

They seemed to find it a mystery that I was interested in the Necronomicon, which was literally called an ‘anomaly’.

It was Han Sang-gil’s residence that I visited.

“It has been a long time.”

“It has been a long time.”

Han Sang-gil was a giant-like figure to black mages.

He was a 1st generation Awakener and one of the three current peaks of black mages.

The other two were foreigners, and he could be called the peak of all black mages existing in Korea.

This was possible because of his aptitude, but also because he was a very intelligent person and was lucky enough to be able to operate a massive amount of mana.

He could be called a typical ‘Necromancer’ who primarily focused on destruction and summoning.

“You look well. I heard you’re active with that child these days?”

‘That child’ referred to Go Yu-jin.

A person with outstanding talent, but a singularity whose skills were at rock bottom except for the talent of summoning—specifically, handling golems.

Because of that, Go Yu-jin was a person who became even more famous.

“I happen to be indebted to her. Where is the item?”

When I brought up the main point after exchanging brief greetings, he stared at me with an absurd face. So I spoke.

“Neither of us has plenty of time, do we?”

“You are always busy. Where do you plan to go after looking at the book today?”

“I have to train. I don’t know what the book will teach me, but if I learned something, isn’t it natural to review it?”

“Most people treat that natural thing lightly; I was the same, and now I spend my days in late regrets.”

Strangely, in the case of 1st generation Awakeners, they appeared in almost all age groups regardless of age.

And the 2nd generation consisted of those close to twenty years old, and as time went on, younger people awakened until the 10th generation today, making it a world where it is common to awaken at the age of 17.

Because of that, if an elderly person was an Awakener, everyone was a 1st generation.

Han Sang-gil, before my eyes, was also a unique case who awakened at the age of 70 and displayed tremendous abilities.

“Haven’t you enjoyed it enough?”

“There are plenty of geezers older than me; at my current age, I’m in my prime.”

“They say as one gets older, only one’s senile antics increase, and those words fit perfectly.”

“Do you not want to see the Necronomicon?”

“You remind me of a certain person who preached until his breath gave out that a promise is more valuable than gold.”

“Hmph, that old man died.”

“Then is the old man in front of my eyes an undead?”

“This fellow?”

He flared up and emitted mana. In an instant, his mana gathered in the form of a soul and flew toward my head.

It was Soul Strike.

However, the mana pattern was simple and could be sufficiently dealt with with a light defense magic. But rather than that, since there was no reason to waste mana, I also used Soul Strike to cause a collision in mid-air and offset it.

“Ho, your skills have improved further.”

“I won’t be the same as before.”

“You were a damn annoying fellow in the past too, and now you’ve become an even worse one.”

“Isn’t there something I always tell you?”

“That you won’t bite if touched?”

“Yes.”

Han Sang-gil shook his head. Then, when he reached his hand into the air, a sub-space gaped open, and a book made of ominous ‘human skin’ came out and was grasped in Han Sang-gil’s hand.

“You know this book demands a price, right?”

“What you always took from me was consistent.”

“Originally, what humans value most is ‘emotion’. Until when are you going to pay with that as the price?”

“They are emotions that have been broken and dulled as much as possible by the long war anyway. If I can use them valuably, I should.”

“This fellow might be wanting such thoughts and values. One day, a disaster will happen because of your dried-up emotions.”

“I will take your advice seriously.”

Only then did Han Sang-gil hand the Necronomicon over to my hands, and after accepting it, I immediately sat on the floor and began to flip through the pages looking for a blank one.

A characteristic of the Necronomicon is that one can see the content as much as the level of the black mage’s realm.

In that regard, Han Sang-gil was a person who had mastered the Necronomicon almost to the end, and the price he paid is one of the secrets that no one knows.

“You have also almost reached the end.”

Han Sang-gil was watching the situation. At that question, when I turned to the few remaining pages at the end of the book, a blank page appeared, and when I placed my hand on it and infused mana, a voice that was as gloomy as could be soon echoed in my head and spoke.

[ It has been a long time, mortal. ]

‘It’s been a long time for you too. Has it been half a year?’

[ By human standards, I suppose so. Is this what you want to know this time? ]

‘Right. What is the black magic written on this page?’

[ You do this even though you know you have to pay the price. ]

‘Sometimes a little service is good, isn’t it?’

There was no answer. So, the moment I clicked my tongue and made a vow to pay the price, words began to appear densely along with a golden dawn light.

‘Two spells?’

One was transforming one’s appearance into an object.

Living things are bound to leave a presence in some form. However, by utilizing this magic, it was possible to transform into any inanimate object.

However, since one cannot deceive the volume, it is only possible to change into an object of similar size.

Modern warfare was centered on urban combat.

It was a magic that could guarantee quite outstanding performance in war. But I wasn’t pleased.

Because there were plenty of similar spells.

[ You might think so, but if you recognize that even the ‘properties’ can be changed, your thoughts will be different. ]

‘Properties…?’

Just as I was trying to understand what that meant, a question suddenly occurred to me.

‘Does it mean it’s possible to change into a substance with the same power as a magic stone?’

[ You still have the habit of asking questions while knowing the answer. ]

It was clear that it was a magic beyond imagination.

‘Trans-Polymorph…’

Depending on how it’s used, it might be possible to manifest power beyond imagination.

Sacrificing a part of the body to use magic is a common occurrence for black mages. And since regenerating the sacrificed body also requires a price but is possible, I thought that endless possibilities had opened up.

Next was Demolition Impact, which was literally a destruction magic, but rather than an attack toward a wide-range target, it was a strange magic that broke the essence of an individual.

‘What can I do with this?’

[ Each individual’s essence does not lie in life. ]

It was an answer that made me think quite a lot, and after thinking of my own essence, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘…Could it be, can it even break the power of Awakening itself?’

[ The answer always depends on your will. ]

It felt strongly like it evaded the answer, but I thought I had gained quite a lot of information with just this. I examined the magic formula, and only after finishing the engraving in my mind did I dust myself off and stand up.

In fact, I can’t even estimate how much emotion was consumed again.

Because now I don’t even know how much is left.

So I turned my head and looked at Han Sang-gil, and when I met his eyes, I handed over the Necronomicon and spoke.

“You know the contents of the page I saw, right?”

“I don’t. Didn’t I say that the contents of the page you see and the page I see are different?”

“What I saw…”

“Stop, I don’t want to lose mine after hearing that answer.”

“There’s no guarantee you’ll necessarily lose it, is there?”

“If I lose it, a magic that was worthless to you might be a magic that I wouldn’t trade for a thousand pieces of gold; forgetting is a curse.”

Han Sang-gil told me to leave if I had finished seeing the book. Then, as if adding a thought while pushing my back toward the outside of the house, he said.

“The world won’t be very pleasant, but act after being patient twice, three times.”

While I was hesitating on what kind of answer to give, Han Sang-gil closed the door.

‘He’s a person who is consistent in pushing people away.’