Me and My Time (1)

Explore the intention and ultimate goal of the words. Granshel shone her eyes in the darkness. Like placing a blue sapphire on black drawing paper. Soon, she stares at me. She rolls her eyes, knowing that her gaze doesn’t reach. Having closed her eyes forever and greeted a new world, what did she see in me?

I lower my gaze at the unpleasant sensation I feel for a moment. Sticky fluid holding my ankle… It’s darkness. The darkness has materialized and is blocking my movement. I was in the darkness in the blink of an eye. For her, who controls the darkness, cutting off my ankles and stabbing my heart would be nothing.

I scattered Mana to check the location of the portal, but nothing was detected. The moment the light of the portal went out, the space changed. No, it was devoured. Deep, deep darkness. The extreme darkness that only she can reach swallowed all space.

Even knowing that, I didn’t push away the black paint that climbed my body like tentacles. It would be against the plan if I were to be enlightened or anything after suffering alone, but it doesn’t matter. Even if the theory is perfect, verification is necessary.

“Keueuk… P, please listen to me――”

Black paint spreading like mold. My senses become faint, and a floating sensation rises from my legs. Is it annihilation? Or decomposition? It’s neither. I’m being eaten. My body is being devoured by the darkness and shattered into pieces.

Granshel floated slowly through the darkness and approached. Only two round eyeballs floating in the air approached, which was extremely grotesque, but considering that I, who am being eaten by the darkness and torn apart alive, might be more grotesque, I wondered if it was all the same. It was a shame that I couldn’t watch it from a third-person perspective.

The blue jewel eyes tilt diagonally. Black haze rises from the slanted gaze. She spoke without even showing her mouth.

“People know the Magic Tower as just a research institute or a munitions company that supplies strange things―― but the Tower of the Beginning was established to protect magicians. There were too many magicians who lost their place after the war ended. It was also easy to hook them thanks to the magicians’ unique curiosity.”

The origin of the Tower.

“I admit that the meaning has changed now. Now the Magic Tower is no longer a protective institution but an independent military organization. But there is one rule that has never changed during this long time. The Tower must be absolute.”

And the rules of the Tower.

“The Tower must always be fair and give equal opportunities to all climbers. Since the establishment of all Magic Towers, this rule has never been broken, but. If someone who is not allowed tries to climb, the Tower refuses.”

• Kung.

A change occurs when the darkness swallows all of my legs.

“――But what should I do if a crazy bitch appears who breaks through the Tower’s rejection with just physical force? There’s a monster in front of me who can destroy the Tower if she wants to, and even that monster is spouting crazy things about wanting me to torture her, should I just ignore it and pass by?”

The same reaction as Pekapolis, who found out my identity. But the choice of words is somewhat excessive. I could infer the emotions contained within. The emotion that dominated Granshel was ’embarrassment’. And I felt a little fear too. I sighed and said.

“I won’t do anything. I just need a little time to talk. That’s all I need. Really.”

Very few people can handle souls without violating the heretical law. I had to use Granshel. It’s the only way Shuriel and Pawin can live without using black magic.

“….”

Granshel pondered. What should she do with the crazy bitch in front of her? It doesn’t seem like she can win if she attacks. Keuljak-keuljak, the sound of grinding her lips echoes quietly in the darkness. She slowly increased the distance and gritted her teeth.

――Shuriel…. What the hell did you pick up….

Treating others like pets, um. It might feel really good. I smiled crookedly and shook off the black paint. It didn’t seem like it was magic that could be shaken off like this, but it could be suppressed with a stronger force.

Tak-tak! When I shook off the darkness, the limbs that had been eaten and disappeared returned. Granshel made a deflated nasal sound, perhaps because she was dumbfounded that I had eliminated the darkness even though she hadn’t withdrawn the magic. I looked at Granshel, who was restoring the space twisted by the darkness, and said.

“Do you feel like talking?”

My eyebrows narrowed at my nonchalant question. Granshel glared at me fiercely.

“Haa… What’s the reason?”

Also, her answer was a monumental first interaction. I immediately brought up the topic to maintain the continuity of the conversation.

“Exorcism. I’m going to remove the wraith attached to the agent’s body.”

“Didn’t I tell you? It’s impossible for me to do that at my level. Except for one thing. If you exclude that method.”

“You mean black magic.”

I have to live first, so the Empire will allow it, but it’s questionable whether I can maintain my qualifications as an agent.

“Didn’t you know? You’ll have to use black magic to live. Divine power will be shattered and your agent qualification will be revoked, but there’s no other way. It was over from the moment you allowed that demon or whatever to attack.”

Granshel warned. She told me to quietly return to the Holy See and report. I muttered in a slightly less smiling voice.

“…The either-or choice is extreme.”

“That’s the fate of an agent. You don’t seem to know, but this term is a special case. In severe cases, it changes twice a year. It’s fortunate just to be alive.”

“More than that.”

The topic has gone a bit astray.

I interrupted her and said.

“Have you thought about it a bit? Torturing me. I already have punishments to receive… How about it? I’m strong, so you can play with me as much as you want.”

“I don’t have a hobby of repeating the same words――.”

Is there no other way?

I have no choice but to use the same trick I showed Count Bridonia.

• Seureung.

When I concentrate, blue light gathers in my grasp. The clumped light soon becomes a blue ice blade in my hand.

“….”

Granshel, who mistook it for an attack signal, immediately prepared dark magic, but withdrew the magic because she didn’t feel any murderous intent. She just glared at me and watched my mysterious behavior. Because the blade was pointed at my neck, not Granshel.

The skin slightly pressed by the blade was cut in an instant, spitting out a drop of blood. The thrill of my lips drying up. Just thinking about sticking this more than 5cm deep already makes my legs tremble.

“Don’t be surprised. Granshel.”

I said, holding the blade against my neck at an angle. Granshel was indifferent. I don’t know how my appearance is reflected in her eyes. She seems to be able to distinguish colors and shapes by analyzing the flow of Mana, but basically, she is blind. But just because she lost her eyesight doesn’t mean the rest of her organs are malfunctioning.

For example…

Hearing and smell.

―Pyusyuk!

“Keuk, kkeup. Heuk.”

The sharp but quiet cutting sound echoes eerily. The hand holding the ice blade stuck deep in my neck stiffened for a moment, but the strength was released in less than a second. The vital point was pierced. A vital point where life and death are decided in seconds. Blood flowed backwards from my mouth, and dark red blood poured out like a waterfall from my neck.

“Euk, heup. Kke…”

I sat down as is and admired the blurred world. It’s only been three seconds since my neck was pierced, and I’m already about to die.

“…!”

The reaction was fast. Granshel’s body twitches. The smell of blood stings her nose. She lowered her gaze, emitting a blue light. To where I was, bleeding and dying.

“―Are you crazy?!”

Hwiririk! A black shadow rises and binds my limbs. I spat out blood mixed with saliva and counted the time. 7 seconds…. 7 seconds is the limit. The Archmage’s mental barrier struggled to survive in the extreme situation.

Granshel, who lifted me up with shadows, hurriedly blocked my neck. But it’s impossible to cover a hole with your palm. It’s a penetrating wound. Even if you block both sides, it’s already too late. She stared blankly at me as her eyes went out.

The strength in her arms holding me gradually weakened. It’s already too late to give first aid. I’ll probably die in a few seconds. The emotions full of panic and shock soon turned into futility.

‘3 seconds left….’

Right then.

I used rapid reconstruction.

“Kkeueueuk….”

It was a dangerous tightrope walk. If I had been even one second later, I would have left this world. But as the risk was high, I was able to create a dramatic performance.

“Uh, uh?”

Life returns to my body. As death approached, the tangled flow of Mana instantly returned to normal. Granshel opened her eyes wide and moved her mouth. A phenomenon that could not happen logically was observed. Mana gathered as if time had turned back.

“Uh, how?”

“Haa, haa. I. Told you. I’m strong….”

Every time I speak, blood gushes out. I swallowed the bitter and disgusting blood and said.

“The things you said. Being torn, burned, and fragmented… I can endure all of that to some extent. I’ll have to prepare extra for things that are too severe, but it’s still no problem.”

Granshel was silent.

“…Shall I show you again? In a slightly different way this time?”

I was about to show a more definite example because she still seemed to be hesitating―

“No. That’s enough. Wait. Just wait a minute… How is this possible… Haa. Okay. You. There, miss.”

…But I was stopped.

“Yes. Please speak.”

“…Bring the reindeer head and that mace miss.”

“Okay―”

“Don’t open the portal because I’ll open it. There won’t be a second time. If you touch the Tower’s system one more time… It won’t end with me. All the Tower Lords will be after you.”

“….”

I smiled bitterly and waited for the portal to open.

* * *

Granshel was still wary of me. Frankly speaking, I wondered if there was any need to be this wary. No one found out, and I directly restored the damaged Tower system. Nevertheless, Granshel’s glare did not subside. Is it the unique atmosphere of the Black Magic Tower? The Red Magic Tower didn’t say anything even when I broke the Tower.

“I’ll say it again, don’t you dare bring up what happened today anywhere.”

“Huheu. I’m nervous.”

“Crazy bitch… You’re a crazy bitch. You too, horn head! Pawin, haa. Why didn’t you stop her?”

Granshel’s mouth became much rougher. She seemed to have a fit of hysterics. She grumbled about what she was doing in the middle of the night, and glared at me whenever she had the chance.

“So… Who’s the first guest?”

“…First, we’ll have to get rid of the demon if we’re going to get rid of anything. I’ll read the soul. Horn head. Come this way. You’re the most serious. You just have to sleep. I’ll cast a sleep spell on you.”

Even so, she does her job. She put her hand on Shuriel’s chest, closed her eyes, and bit her lip.

Shuriel obediently followed the instructions. She lay down according to her command and accepted the sleep magic. With this, all preparations were complete. The mental link was stable, and the problematic soul was also connected.

“…I thought the soul would be reverse-tracked, so I can’t see the face of the torturer. I expected it. But I can still find out how she died, so there’s no problem.”

The demon’s soul was attached. That was why we couldn’t easily guess the identity of the curse caster. A demon hunting a demon and using it as a material. At least, I hadn’t seen such a demon. Demons don’t have friendly relationships with each other.

In that speculation, Granshel read the soul’s memories. To be exact, the method of torture. She carefully traced how the soul died.

“First. Sew up the lips and eyes. Second. Hang both shoulders on hooks and… cut open the stomach and take out the intestines. Third. Drive large nails into the fingernails and toenails and… put bugs in the ears… Euk.”

Reading a soul was like ‘remembering’ what the soul had experienced. She didn’t experience it directly, but she could recall it and imagine it.

“U, ubebek…”

Granshel gagged and sweated coldly. She still had many souls to read, but she was already like this… I felt a little sorry.

“The one who did this is crazy, and you’re crazy for wanting to be tortured. Okay. Good. So, who’s going to do the torture? I’m telling you clearly, I don’t want to.”

Granshel stated that she would connect the souls, but would not directly intervene. Shuriel was in a state where she couldn’t move easily because her soul was connected. Then Pawin, who was pushed back in priority, had to do it. When exorcising the wraith attached to Pawin, she would have to do the opposite.

Pawin, who was suddenly in charge of the torture, pondered for a long time. She had to put a knife to her comrade and torture her. Her face turned blue every moment.

“Um… I have a good idea.”

Leaving the sleeping Shuriel behind, I whispered quietly. Pawin and Granshel looked up and looked at me. They seemed to be telling me to explain quickly. The only thing that came to mind right now was Copy Ego. Anyway, whatever happens today won’t leak out, so it seemed good to use the technology that had been banned internally. I was prepared to die anyway.

“You can create a duplicate personality. If you tell it to torture, it’ll probably like it. …Maybe.”

However, it must be a personality from the past.

If I duplicate the current me, who has experienced too many things… I might resist when told to go back. Anyway, that guy is me too. I didn’t think I would give up Shuriel, Aileen, and all other happiness and leave.