TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 79
Ruin considered Hans a good friend.
He was the only friend who reached out to him when he was adopted by the Tower Master and struggled to adapt to the Magic Tower.
-What’s your name?
-Why do you care?
-I’m Hans. I don’t have a last name!
-Who asked for your introduction?
-…You’re really sensitive. But that’s okay! We can become friends from now on.
-Whatever.
He was one of the few friends who tolerated his rough personality.
For over ten years, they had shared joys and sorrows in the Magic Tower. They were similar in being orphans and having grown up in similar environments. Their shared love for magic brought them closer.
Though Hans had been dropped from the Direct Disciple Position due to his stagnant magical abilities, Ruin thought they maintained a friendship where they could talk and relieve stress at the Academy.
The day before Hans went missing, he came to Ruin’s room holding a liquor bottle. Ruin, puzzled by Hans, who usually didn’t like alcohol, didn’t think much of it.
-Ruin… I’m thinking of quitting magic.
-What are you saying, idiot? If you quit magic, how will you make a living?
-It’s just… Every time I get compared to you and the others, I start to think this path might not be mine. No matter how hard I try, I feel like I won’t ever escape the lower ranks.
-Stop spouting nonsense and just focus on what you’re doing. Once you graduate from the Academy, you can get a job in a good household. And won’t the old man help place you somewhere nice?
-…You think so?
-Just do your best like me. It’s not like I’ve been slacking off either.
-…Do my best?
-Yeah. Put in all your effort.
-Even if it costs my life?
-Idiot. Isn’t that obvious?
After confiding his feelings, Hans left Ruin’s room that day with a refreshed expression.
-Ruin, you told me to do it.
Hans left behind those ominous words.
Until then, Ruin hadn’t imagined things would escalate this much.
Not even a little.
*
The Magic Circle began to emit a crimson glow.
The corpses piled on the Magic Circle turned into black liquid, becoming nourishment for the spell, and the black mana radiating from the Magic Circle started clinging to Hans, the caster.
Yuria tried to suppress the dreadful dark energy with her Divine Power, but her clumsy Divine Power couldn’t overcome the intricately crafted magic.
The name of the magic was ‘Metamorphosis.’
It was a spell designed by the Dark Sorcerer ‘Calypso,’ who had plunged the Empire into terror a century ago, allowing a Wizard to shed their shell and be reborn as a Dark Sorcerer.
The more human souls gathered, the greater the abilities stolen, and the type of abilities depended on the caster’s desires—an evil magic.
A year ago, one day.
Hans discovered the magic while training in a Dungeon.
-Rumble…
With a grand sound reverberating through the earth, the screams of the victims of the spell began to echo.
As the piercing malice weighed heavily on the three’s shoulders, Mikhail shouted at Ruin.
“Ruin!”
“…”
“What are you doing? Snap out of it!”
Mikhail’s words didn’t reach Ruin.
It all felt like a lie.
His close friend, who couldn’t even harm an ant, didn’t seem like someone who could commit the horrifying act of murder.
He couldn’t believe the sight of his close friend standing in the middle of the altar, wearing a maniacal smile.
Introverted.
The timid Hans.
Had long since disappeared.
Hans, who had awakened Dark Magic, was laughing maniacally. He wore a satisfied expression, reveling in the surging power.
“There was such an easy way to get stronger, so why did I keep going in circles? I didn’t need to study tedious things like formulas or calculations.”
Ruin gritted his teeth and asked Hans.
“Hans, let me ask you one thing.”
“Yeah?”
“These people here. Did you kill them all?”
Hans answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Yeah. Magic is meant to kill people anyway, so what’s the problem?”
Ruin’s Red Sphere began to rise, radiating intense heat as if it would explode.
One. Two. Three.
Countless spheres of flame floated in the air, and Hans watched them with curiosity.
“Did you grow stronger again? How far do you intend to go?”
“It’s not growth; it’s effort.”
“Right, effort… I know because I’ve tried a lot too.”
With a snap of his fingers, Hans made a sharp sound.
At the same time, black waves spread toward the ground, and the spheres created by Ruin began to disappear with a hissing sound.
Ruin’s pupils trembled violently.
Hans spoke to the startled Ruin in a detached tone, as if recounting a philosophy he’d realized through experience. Calmly, he continued.
“Ruin. The Domain of Talent and the Domain of Effort are completely different. No matter how long I stayed in the Library, I couldn’t catch up to talent.”
“Don’t you think so, Ruin? Ah… maybe you’re different. You said magic was the easiest thing, after all. You might think differently.”
Hans stared directly at Ruin. With a sinister smile, he approached Ruin until he was right in front of him. Though Hans had to look up because of his small stature, the overwhelming magic he displayed made him seem anything but small.
Standing before Ruin, Hans spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about my career path for a long time.”
“Was it after I was stripped of the Direct Disciple Position…? Anyway, I’ve had a lot on my mind. I wondered if this path was really mine, going through a stormy period of self-doubt.”
“But magic was fun, you know? Casting spells with my own hands and receiving praise from the Tower Master felt amazing. But that ended because of you.”
Hans recounted his story indifferently, his voice nearing a state of enlightenment, without resentment or complaints.
“So I was going to quit.”
Hans’s voice began to carry emotion.
“When there was no sign of improvement, continuing seemed foolish. So I thought I’d ask you.”
“…”
“Should I quit magic?”
Hans’s black pupils began to flicker.
“But then, Ruin, you said it, didn’t you? You asked if I’d ever given it my best. So I gave it my best.”
“Thanks to your advice, I succeeded, Ruin.”
Hans’s eyes started to fill with madness.
“Look, Ruin.”
He showed Ruin the Dark Energy at his fingertips.
He looked Ruin straight in the eye and said that, like Ruin, he could possess talent, that he was no longer a fool struggling with insufficient mana, but a prodigy with talent.
Ruin prepared his magic once again. To stop his cherished close friend and to do what he must.
Clenching his fists tightly, he spoke.
“Still, you crossed the line.”
“The line?”
As Ruin generated another Red Sphere, Hans waved his hand, neutralizing Ruin’s magic.
“Who decides the line? Did the Goddess set it? Weren’t you and Mikhail over there learning magic to kill people anyway?”
“No. We learned magic to protect people…”
“Stop living in a fantasy, idiot.”
Sighing deeply, Hans reached out toward Ruin.
“It’s my first time, so controlling the power is tricky. Be careful.”
“What?!”
With a sound of “Sreung,” several strands of Black Chain emerged from behind Hans. The pitch-black chains floated in the empty space and began shooting like bullets at Hans’s command.
“Got you.”
Along with Hans’ Command, the Black Chain extended rapidly. Ruin tried to turn his body to avoid it, but the Black Chain, which branched out in multiple directions, had already wrapped around Ruin’s legs.
Swoosh. With the sound of it being pulled taut, Ruin’s Body fell to the ground.
“It’s so easy. Why did I agonize over it all this time?”
Hans, with his hands in his Pocket, walked toward the fallen Ruin.
Hans walked arrogantly with his hands in his Pocket, just as Ruin always had.
Ruin struggled to escape, but the chain that had wrapped around his legs had already tightly restrained both his hands and feet, making it impossible to move.
The Black Chain began to emit Ominous Energy.
As the chain tightened strongly with a swooshing sound, it felt as though the Mana within his body was being drained, and the chain constricted even more fiercely.
“Hans, snap out of it…!”
“Why are you trying to make a perfectly sane person into a lunatic?”
Hans stepped on Ruin’s head with his foot.
“Isn’t the very idea of a Wizard trying to engage in close combat insane?”
“Hans…!”
“Hold still. I told you, it’s my first time, so controlling the power is tricky.”
“I said, snap out of it!”
Mana began to drain from Ruin’s body through the chain.
The Black Chain absorbed Ruin’s Mana and started to tighten around Ruin even more.
Hans bent down.
As Hans placed his hand on Ruin’s head and muttered, Dark Energy began to flow from his touch.
“So this is how it’s done.”
‘[Plunder]’
The moment Hans’ Dark Energy rapidly spread and engulfed Ruin, his Dark Magic, tied to Greed, began to devour Ruin’s Body.
He had envied the talents of others.
Hans’ desire to seize the heights he could never reach was reflected in this ability.
‘Plunder’
It was an ability to steal the Unique Ability of a target, provided there was a perfect understanding of the target’s abilities.
Hans placed his hand on Ruin’s head to steal Ruin’s Unique Ability, the ‘Flame Script.’
Ruin trembled from the overwhelming sense of dread.
“Aaargh!!! Let me go!”
“Hmm… it’s a bit difficult.”
“I said, let go!”
“Stay still for a moment. If I take something weird, you wouldn’t like it either. You need to feel how I feel to understand.”
Hans’ Magic rummaged through Ruin’s Magic Circuit, searching for his Unique Magic, the ‘Fire Script.’ At the moment when the slowly extending Dark Energy attempted to steal Ruin’s Magic—
“Stop!”
With a flashing Blade, Mikhail’s Sword gleamed.
In a swift moment, Mikhail cut through the chain that had been binding Ruin, then hid the gasping Ruin behind his back and raised his sword toward Hans.
Hans waved his hand.
“Mikhail, huh.”
Numerous Black Chains aimed at Mikhail, but Mikhail calmly swung his sword, cutting through the chains.
Hans clicked his tongue as he looked at Mikhail.
“Tsk… I want Mikhail’s abilities too, but I can’t mess with him recklessly since I don’t know what kind of talent he has.”
“Shut up.”
“Why? Is it a crime to envy?”
“I said shut up…”
Hans wrapped a chain around his own arm. The chain coalesced into the form of a massive hand.
Hans swung it with a bright smile.
“One down, then.”
With a loud clang, Mikhail was sent flying, and Hans muttered as he watched.
“Tsk… I told you not to interfere.”
Hans began walking toward the fallen Ruin again. Just as he was about to cast ‘Plunder’ on Ruin once more—
“Hans!”
Yuria’s tearful Voice called out to Hans.
Hans lifted his head and looked at Yuria.
Even in the Desperate Situation, Yuria, with her unwavering eyes, met Hans’ gaze.
Those were familiar eyes.
They always held Hope.
When he despaired at the Wall of Talent that was Ruin, she had comforted him, saying he could do it.
To Hans, whose social circle was small, she was one of the few Friends and someone he remembered as a good person.
Yuria, with her unwavering eyes, shouted at Hans.
“You’re not this kind of person.”
“…”
Yuria’s eyes, moist with tears, looked as though she might cry at any moment, and Hans felt a strange sense of guilt.
“We used to read books together in the Library, do assignments together, remember? Is it because you’re struggling? We’ll help you. If you come with us, Hans, you can grow too.”
“…”
Hans’ expression grew heavy, and he wore a bitter smile.
“It’s too late, Yuria.”
“No, Hans!”
Yuria clenched her fists tightly and conveyed her True Feelings.
That she didn’t want to fight.
That they were good Friends, so they should find a way together—Yuria spoke warm words and conveyed her sincerity.
“We’re Friends.”
“…Right. Friends.”
“You can rise again. If things are hard, I’ll help you.”
Hans gave an awkward smile at Yuria’s words.
“But Yuria.”
“Yes…?”
Hans’ expression turned cold.
“What can you even do for me?”
“What?”
“You can’t do anything for me, so what are you talking about helping? You’ve never done anything for me until now.”
Yuria’s expression began to fill with bewilderment. Hans, looking at her, spoke coldly.
“Yuria, didn’t anything come to mind while you were coming here?”
“What…?”
“I’m sure there’s something you remember.”
Yuria, her voice trembling, spoke to Hans.
“What are you talking about?”
Hans shook his head as if amused.
“When you were abandoned in the Dungeon, don’t you remember anything?”
“What?”
“You know, Yuria. When you were abandoned in the Dungeon, you escaped here.”
Hans, with a twisted Smile, spoke to Yuria.
“Thanks to you, I was able to find this place. Anyway.”
“What?”
“There was a Very Old Monster living here. A Monster over 100 years old.”
Yuria’s face began to crack with realization.
“What are you saying?”
Hans laughed briefly and said.
“How do you think you survived?”
In that moment, a Blue Window appeared in front of Yuria.
-You have failed the Quest.
‘Huh…?’
[Opening the 42nd Side Story, ‘The Unqualified Person,’ immediately.]
Yuria’s Time began to stop.
[Starting the Viewing.]