Ch.205205. Time of Farewell

“Do I speak formally?”

“Yes.”

“Me? Really? I find that hard to believe.”

When I tell her that her way of speaking is completely different from now, the Dark Spiritmaster scoffs in disbelief while letting out a hollow laugh.

After hearing various stories from her, we’ve now moved on to casual small talk.

“What’s that about? Why did that happen?”

“I’m curious myself.”

The two Dark Spiritmasters are similarly casual, but the future version doesn’t have the flippant feeling of the current one.

Conversing with the 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster in a relaxed state felt like dealing with a student who couldn’t focus.

“I wonder why. It’s strange.”

She shrugs her shoulders, not particularly concerned.

“It’s probably nothing special.”

“You think so?”

“I think maybe I changed because I was cooped up alone in my laboratory.”

I wondered if something like that could really change someone’s speech patterns, but the Dark Spiritmaster glances around and mutters:

“Well, when you’re alone, you sometimes talk to objects and such.”

“……”

It’s quite amusing, but.

It’s probably similar to how a man stranded on a deserted island named a volleyball that washed ashore with him “Wilson.”

“Couldn’t you talk with spirits?”

I understood her situation, but I was genuinely curious.

In my case, it was a natural question since the dead often come to me and say what they want to say even when I don’t want to talk.

“Ah?”

The Dark Spiritmaster suddenly raises her head, as if she hadn’t thought of that.

“You’re right?”

This was also evidence that she viewed souls merely as tools for using magic.

I didn’t hide my bitter feelings as I advised her.

“They too were once living beings.”

“…They’re already dead anyway.”

She wasn’t wrong.

The boundary between the dead and the living should be clear and distinct. That line shouldn’t be carelessly crossed.

“That doesn’t mean they forfeit all their rights. It would be good to show at least minimal respect to those who have reached the final station of life.”

“I don’t see why I should.”

The Dark Spiritmaster honestly shares her thoughts.

“They’re just souls. Besides, most of what I deal with are just strong energies wandering around because they couldn’t resolve their grudges.”

She adds that unlike me, she can only see those kinds of things.

“Well, honestly, I don’t really care if they harm living people or not. It’s a bit funny for me to say this, but evil spirits are bad guys, aren’t they?”

“Yes, those who cross the boundary and refuse to close their eyes, instead tormenting the living, are evil spirits.”

But.

“Any human can become an evil spirit.”

“……”

“Those with intense grudges and hatred become evil spirits. Usually, people with such backgrounds have been wronged in some way.”

“What does that mean? Are you saying we should let them be?”

“No, spirits that cause harm should pay an appropriate price. But that doesn’t mean they should be viewed merely as tools.”

“……”

“Anyone can become an evil spirit. Everyone eventually dies. They’ve just arrived at the end of life a little earlier than us.”

Inside me, it was clearly established.

The living take priority over the dead.

Having seen countless dead people, this concept was even more clearly defined for me.

Because I’ve witnessed so many deaths, I know the value of life.

“Sadly, the hierarchy is clear. The living must take precedence over the dead.”

I know it’s a cruel thing to say.

Someone might cry out that it’s unfair.

But this was the conclusion I had reached.

“But that doesn’t mean we should treat the dead carelessly. After all, we too will one day cross that boundary.”

In the end.

Because we will all die someday.

Even if it might seem unfair to the dead, the living always took priority.

And because of that, I’ve made judgments and decisions.

“For someone carrying the name of a spiritmaster, you seem to be saying things you shouldn’t.”

The Dark Spiritmaster spoke with a subtle expression.

“In a way, you’re saying something more cruel to evil spirits than I am. You’re making them clearly recognize their death.”

“Yes, that’s not wrong.”

The act of comforting the dead is…

ultimately giving them peace.

In other words, it means making them accept their own death.

“If someone tells me that’s my karma.”

Then.

“I’ll bear that responsibility after death.”

I too will one day die and become a spirit.

Because I know that future so well, I can make such a clear distinction.

That’s why I can clearly define the hierarchy.

“Well, I think I understand a bit. You’re walking the exact opposite path from me.”

“……”

“And unfortunately, it seems you were right.”

She gives a bitter smile. But surprisingly, there was also a sense of relief visible on her face.

“Do you pity me? I devoted my entire life to necromancy, only to find out it was the wrong path, and then died miserably?”

“…To pity you would be an insult.”

Who would dare call her pitiful after all her dedication?

Even the great demon Magan called the Dark Spiritmaster, who had abandoned her humanity to become a pure necromancer, a great woman.

“Yes, that’s right.”

In her purple eyes illuminated by the restaurant lights, there was both sorrow and joy.

Sorrow (哀) about realizing her path was wrong.

Joy (歡) about being able to show the right path to her disciple.

To this 18-year-old Dark Spiritmaster with these two overlapping emotions,

I slowly reached out and patted her head.

“W-what are you doing?”

She tries to push my hand away in embarrassment, but there’s no real strength behind it.

“I would never say this outside.”

Because it would only make her arrogant. But I felt I could convey my true feelings to her.

“Thank you for your teachings.”

The corners of my mouth turn up gently.

Realizing I’m smiling at her, I slowly remove my hand from her head.

With tears slightly welling in her eyes, she looked like she wanted to say something, but.

“Five minutes left.”

Han-so’s voice, who was waiting outside, echoed into the restaurant.

Now the last day of the Demon Realm Trial.

The time for us to part has come.

* * *

“Heheh.”

The great demon of deception.

Learic interlocks his fingers on the desk with a snort.

In the darkened general store.

Having finished a deal with yet another customer, he had a pleased smile on his face.

Learic found it irresistibly enjoyable to watch humans give up something precious for something they wanted immediately.

The prince of the Zerman Kingdom who just left was no exception.

Not seeing what they already have in their hands and only looking at what they don’t have—isn’t that making a foolish deal?

“If humans had eyes in their hands, they would be less foolish.”

Those who don’t know the value of what they possess, yet greedily desire something new.

It was truly an absurd species.

And how could one not love humans for this?

If any great demon tried to exterminate humanity, Learic would be the first to stand in their way.

“Heheh.”

Learic slowly gets up and looks around the general store. When the door first appeared in his dwelling and the store materialized, he was surprised, but now he thought it might have been a kind of revelation.

This general store, which he obtained after killing the dwarf-like human inside—Clark, was it?—was giving him more pleasure than he had expected.

A distorted space that could hide from the eyes of gods.

How could such a place exist?

Learic was very fond of the general store, and the most enjoyable part was…

That it had allowed him to learn the secret of the continent.

“Second cycle.”

When he discovered that the continent had already been destroyed once and this was a new beginning, Learic felt an indescribable ecstasy.

To think that the gods themselves…

Were deceiving everyone on the continent.

As the great demon of deception, he felt an irresistible pleasure and wanted to uncover the truth of this.

And.

For that purpose, he had sent Deus Verdi—or more precisely, Shinwoo Kim—to the Demon Realm Trial.

“It should be over by now.”

After five days in the Demon Realm Trial, exactly one month would have passed in the outside world.

There was chaos outside, starting from the academy, with people looking for Deus Verdi, but he himself wouldn’t know about it.

Thinking that this too was one of the entertainments and gifts he had prepared for him, Learic hums a tune.

The Demon Realm Trial was a place created solely by Learic’s greed.

It deceives, tricks, and fools countless humans.

The many rules there ultimately play with humans, making them suspicious of each other and encouraging them to fight.

But a place where only one person is real.

If it were a hotel, there would be just one single-occupancy room.

He manipulates the human who enters Room 110 for fun, but afterward, their memories and experiences become part of the Demon Realm Trial.

The ending was the same for all guests of Room 110.

Either they die during the trial.

Or they lose their memories of their time in the Demon Realm Trial after five days and are expelled.

“I just need Deus’s memories and experiences to remain in the Demon Realm Trial.”

Then there’s no need for the real Deus. Because an identical fake will come into his hands.

Memories of the second cycle, the truth about the continent that he knows…

Learic couldn’t keep his tongue still at the thought of devouring his memories and experiences.

Unable to stay still with these thoughts, Learic jumped up from his seat.

“It’s time.”

It should be exactly five days now, and things should be wrapping up.

Those who survived would have been expelled from the Demon Realm Trial after five days.

To confirm this, he opened the door of the general store and headed to the Demon Realm Trial.

The surrounding darkness was still preparing to tear apart any beings trying to escape from the Demon Realm Trial.

“Necromancer.”

Discovering the cold corpse of the necromancer among the darkness, he smiled.

Most drop out early, but.

The necromancer, who shows explosive aggression once they fortunately obtain a corpse, was one of the characters who made the Demon Realm Trial interesting.

“Hmm?”

But seeing that only the necromancer had been expelled, was the necromancer the final winner of this match?

Learic examines the state of the Demon Realm Trial from outside.

‘Room 101, 102, 103, 104 dead. Room 105 is… huh?’

Room 105.

Han-so is nowhere to be seen.

There’s no separate corpse either.

‘Room 106, 107, 108, 109 dead. Room 110.’

After checking the subsequent numbers in order, Learic’s eyes widen.

“Room 110, Deus Verdi.”

Sensing something strange, he grits his teeth. He felt something was wrong and needed to check.

Bang!

Flinging open the door of the Demon Realm Trial and entering, he looks around.

The corpses created by the necromancer immediately catch his eye, but the number is insufficient.

“Han-so, Dark Spiritmaster, and Deus Verdi.”

The corpses of these three people are missing.

If they were alive, they should have been expelled from the mansion.

That’s the rule of the Demon Realm Trial.

“…Could they have escaped?”

From the Demon Realm Trial?

No, that was impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Because everyone except Deus Verdi was ultimately just an illusion created by the Demon Realm Trial.

In the first place, the moment they went out through the entrance of the Demon Realm Trial, the darkness waiting outside would have devoured them.

“What on earth is going on?”

If they were hiding inside the Demon Realm Trial, he would know.

But at that moment.

Thud, thud.

Footsteps echoed from the stairs above. Not just one, but several.

Learic had a dumbfounded expression at the mana resonance felt from the third floor.

As they came down to the second floor, he realized how they had overcome the absolute five-day limit of the Demon Realm Trial.

“How dare you.”

Finally.

Learic grits his teeth as he glares at the three people walking down the stairs to the first floor.

Looking at his expression.

“That’s quite an expression worth seeing.”

Deus suppressed a laugh.