“Wh-what is that?” “A monster…”
It all began when his body split in half, and a viscous black liquid gushed out like a fountain.
Squelch, squelch.
The unsettling sound of bones being crushed filled the once noisy auction hall, plunging it into silence.
“Kkie… kkie… kkeok-kkaem…”
It let out grotesque, otherworldly groans as it grew, devouring everything around it and swelling in size.
Its grotesque form was nauseating to behold, something no sane person could face.
“Danju-nim! Where are you? Hurry, we need to— Aaah!”
The creature extended its black tentacles, reaching out for both beasts and people alike.
Those who couldn’t fend off the tentacles were caught.
“Gurgle… gk…”
They were dragged deep inside, becoming one with the creature.
Thanks to the cloak I had prepared earlier, Madame Bichen wasn’t dragged in.
But the problem was the boxes around her.
‘I thought it might be there…’
The boxes I had wanted to check.
Inside them were several people, including Gray.
They were probably meant to be sold as slaves.
‘I have to stop this.’
I didn’t care if bandits or thugs were devoured, but they were different.
“Ugh, this thing reeks.”
After setting Madame Bichen down in a safe spot, I leapt high toward the creature, my fist wrapped in magical energy.
Crash!
I struck its head. It was a powerful blow, infused with a considerable amount of magical energy, so I thought it might leave a mark.
Unfortunately, the creature was much tougher than I had anticipated.
‘It’s disappointing that it didn’t even leave a scratch.’
Its skin was both flexible and tough.
A being that resembled a human but wasn’t human.
It was definitely a magical beast.
‘A Grade 2? No, it’s not that overwhelming. It must be newly born.’
Judging by the energy it was emitting, it was somewhere between Grade 2 and Grade 3.
Given time, it might become a full-fledged Grade 2, but for now, that wasn’t a concern.
“Hey, you! It’s dangerous here! Leave it to us and run!”
While I was deep in thought, a voice called out from behind.
‘Ah, they’re here too.’
I turned my head and saw two members of the Rabbit Squad looking at me.
“…I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I have my reasons.”
“What? This thing is super dangerous! If you don’t run now, you’ll lose your life!”
“Even if you try to scare me, I won’t leave. Senior Rose.”
“It’s not about scaring you, it’s dangerous… Huh?”
At first, I was too flustered to notice, but as I observed, I began to understand.
I didn’t know who the knight was, but he was probably her guard or a mercenary.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
This was the deepest part of the black market—the auction house.
The most important place, so security would be tight.
That’s why the possibility of someone infiltrating from the ceiling, like earlier, would have been considered from the start.
To counter that, the black market was equipped with magical tools that disrupted sensory perception, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location from above.
I could have recklessly destroyed the floor, but that would have been beyond common sense.
So, the only remaining possibility was that the black market’s organizer, the Elyon Trading Company, had directly handed over the structure of this place to someone.
‘And the only ones who could receive that would be the Imperial Family.’
A member of the Imperial Family who was skilled in magic and had a black ponytail?
That could only be Rozennia.
“How did you know… No, that’s not important! Just run away!”
Of course, she probably didn’t expect me to figure it out.
I didn’t know why she was here.
Maybe she came to browse the black market’s goods, or perhaps Elyon had contacted her urgently.
But that wasn’t important.
What mattered was that in this urgent situation to save Gray, I now had a reliable ally by my side.
“Gray, he’s been dragged in there. We need to stop him before he’s absorbed.”
“Gray? That rascal?”
“Yes, that’s right. He’s a useless thunder-stripped idiot, but… he’s still my friend.”
I gave her a wry smile, and she nodded reluctantly.
“Sir Fuen, for now, keep that thing at bay until we come up with a plan.”
“…As you command, Your Highness… I mean, Lady Rose.”
She sent the Rabbit Knight ahead to buy us some time.
“Ugh, what a nuisance.”
Once her identity was revealed, she tossed aside her rabbit mask and other disguises.
“Theonar, do you know what that thing is?”
“No, it just feels similar to magical energy…”
“That’s right. Its essence is the same as magical energy, but its nature is different. That thing is black magical energy, twisted for the sole purpose of destruction and corruption.”
“Black magical energy?”
“Yes.”
Those who have lost their minds and commit taboos.
That’s what black mages are, and the energy they wield is black magical energy.
It’s rare, so I didn’t recognize it at first.
In the original story, they weren’t prominently featured, but they were occasionally mentioned.
Black mages, exiled from the Empire for using forbidden magic, had been hiding for centuries, amassing power to achieve their grand rebellion.
But after their negotiations with the Dark Heavens fell through, they were devoured by them.
‘They must still be active at this point.’
The slave traders had unleashed magical beasts to protect this place, so they must be connected to the black mages.
“That thing is a type of chimera made from black magical energy.”
“A chimera?”
“It’s a cursed technique favored by black mages. And that one is special. It’s a vile creature formed from the aggregation of countless souls.”
She continued to explain.
The chimera was created around a Philosopher’s Stone, cherished by black mages and fed with souls.
To destroy it, there were quite a few tricky conditions.
***
While Rozennia and I were figuring out a way to kill the chimera, the battle continued.
‘Sir Fuen, was it?’
The unleashed power of the Rabbit Knight was truly impressive.
She said her power was restricted, but…
‘…This is with restrictions?’
My swordsmanship felt like child’s play compared to his.
His sword was imbued with countless intricate techniques.
I tried to follow his movements, hoping to learn something, but…
‘There’s something there, but I can’t grasp it.’
Maybe my level is too low, or maybe it’s just too advanced for me.
‘Whatever.’
I was waiting for an opening.
The chimera, born from the Philosopher’s Stone or whatever, couldn’t be killed by conventional means.
It consumed souls to sustain its life.
Was that even possible?
But she said that’s why black magic was forbidden and why they were exterminated by the Empire.
The first step was to deplete the souls within it as much as possible.
The Rabbit Knight was diligently working on that, continuously engaging it and wearing it down.
“Now!”
When the chimera paused to replenish its consumed souls by absorbing nearby lifeforms.
“Got it!”
Its liquid-like body concentrated in one area, leaving its core vulnerable.
[Black Prism]
Kugugugung!
“Theonar…!”
I trapped it with magic and delivered the finishing blow.
At first, I didn’t understand why I had to take on this role.
‘Well, those two are far stronger than me. It’s not unreasonable to think that way.’
But according to her, destroying the Philosopher’s Stone wasn’t as simple as smashing it.
Physical methods were only temporary.
“That’s why we need your power, Theonar.”
“Huh?”
“You have a Dragon Heart, don’t you?”
Ah, right.
There was that setting. The power of a dragon is particularly effective at destroying all forms of evil magic.
In the original story, she benefited greatly from it, and I found it fascinating to read.
‘Even if it’s the same root as magical energy, since it’s corrupted, it counts as evil magic, right?’
Of course, that’s only if I can draw out the dragon’s power.
I’ve never felt anything like that before, so I’m not sure if it’ll work.
‘If I pour all my magical energy into it, something should happen.’
I planned to unleash everything I had.
‘Focus, just focus on squeezing it out.’
With the magical imbalance gone, there were no restrictions on using magical energy.
So, I squeezed and squeezed, draining every last drop from the lake within me.
I kicked off the ground and leapt toward the creature’s core.
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