Elric suddenly felt a sensation as if his mana was swiftly draining from his body in an instant.
What followed was a brief moment of dizziness and exhaustion.
Yet, his blood raced, and his heart pounded fiercely. Especially painful was the burning sensation on the back of his hand where the 'Seal of Cruelty' was engraved.
‘There's something…’
Thump, thump!
‘There's something there.’
It felt as if there was another presence living in his body besides himself.
But it wasn't a bad feeling at all.
Instead, it felt reassuring, as if he had gained a companion.
Moreover,
Elric didn't have time to dwell on such matters.
The scene unfolding before him was too shocking.
"...Did I really do this?"
In the wake of the fierce snowstorm.
The yeti warriors who had been moving to apprehend him just moments ago were frozen solid.
As if meticulously sculpted from ice, their movements and angry expressions remained frozen on their faces, and the ground was nothing but ice.
How intense must the cold have been to sweep through like this?
Everything was eerily silent. Elric's face was reflected so clearly, almost as if in a mirror.
And then.
Crack-
As the wind picked up, causing ice particles to flutter, the yeti warriors collapsed all at once.
In that moment.
Kieeeek!
Enraged by the onslaught of their comrades, the yeti warriors screamed furiously and charged forward.
Those who had narrowly escaped the range of the mana field and were relatively less exposed to the blizzard.
Elric, confident in his ability to handle the situation, attempted to deploy additional seal magic, but...
Twist-
"...Huh?"
In an instant, he felt the world spinning around him.
And then.
Pufferpup!
Elric collapsed, overwhelmed by the sensation of his breath being cut off and the pain.
That was it.
His first death.
* * *
"...Gasp!"
Elric gasped for air as he jolted upright.
His face was drenched in cold sweat.
Haa.
Haa....
The taste of bile lingered in his mouth.
『It seems you've had quite the ordeal, judging by your appearance.』
Startled by the voice from behind, Elric turned around.
"Mephi?"
『It seems that peculiar necklace of yours decided to act up wildly before you could rest. It wasn't easy, was it?』
It was then that Elric realized he had returned from the surreal world.
He had worried that perhaps his ancestors' trickery might have meant real death there and in reality.
Fortunately, it seemed that wasn't the case.
"..."
Elric glanced down at his hands.
The experiences he had just gone through seemed to linger vividly in his mind.
The fierce cold, the dreadful blizzard—truly, it was an atrocious environment he never wanted to experience again.
Yet, the sensation of obtaining the seal, of unlocking his potential, still lingered at his fingertips.
The exhilaration of mastering new magic, of successfully wielding it, was overwhelming.
Especially since it delved into uncharted territories and systems no human had properly explored.
‘But... why did I die?’
However, as Elric reflected on his experiences in the surreal world, he furrowed his brows.
Facing the yeti leader, he had certainly felt the threat of death.
But
After absorbing the seal, the story had been entirely different.
So, he had confidently attempted to manifest the seal magic again.
‘Ah! That's why.’
It dawned on Elric belatedly.
‘The mana consumption was too high.’
The seal magic possessed far greater power than any other magic Elric possessed.
‘Activating such powerful magic without any preparation must have caused a momentary dizziness... That's why I was caught off guard without a chance to regain my senses.’
At the time, he had been too intoxicated by the thrill of successfully activating the seal to notice it deeply.
‘But even when I was exhausted after facing the leader, it felt the same. Yet, I could still manifest additional magic... Was it because absorbing the seal partially restored my mana?’
If he had also taken the seals from the fallen yetis at the end, what would have happened?
Could he have continued fighting without interruption?
With those thoughts in mind, he pulled up the sleeve on his right arm.
Behind the Seal of Original Sin, the Seal of Cruelty was engraved.
Unlike the sharp and distinct form of the Seal of Original Sin, the Seal of Cruelty seemed to lack a proper shape, as if it had been scribbled on.
‘If the incomplete Seal of Cruelty is already so powerful, just how formidable is the Seal of Original Sin?’
Right at that moment.
『Could it be... the Seal of Cruelty?』
Mephisto's voice echoed in his ears.
A voice mixed with surprise and wavering.
Elric jerked his head up.
『How did you come to possess that... Oh, I see. So that's what it was. It seems that amulet was related to acquiring the seals. Winter Sage. He really orchestrated this bizarre scheme quite well.』
Mephisto narrowed his eyes and twisted the corner of his lips.
Seeing that Mephisto seemed to have grasped everything, Elric went straight to the point.
"The Seal of Original Sin. What triggers it?"
『...Hmm! Did that amulet also reveal information about Jinmyeong?』
"Yes."
『Do you think I'll simply spill the beans willingly?』
"No."
『Even if you were to interrogate me with various humiliations, you would never get me to open my mouth.』
Mephisto replied confidently, crossing his arms.
Elric also suspected as much.
‘The seals are everything to the demons.’
Now, he had a vague idea of what the seals were.
‘The moment he grants me the Seal of Original Sin, it would be like Mephisto will be robbed of his last resort.’
It was certain that Mephisto's Jinmyeong was the ‘Original Sin’.
Even if Auto Han said so, there must be a reason why it didn't activate.
‘There might be another hidden Jinmyeong, or there could be additional requirements. It's also possible that my abilities haven't reached that level yet.’
Auto Han added that the Seal of Original Sin was outstanding even among demons.
Perhaps if he had recklessly manifested the Seal of Original Sin with his current body, it could have just backfired.
『What exactly was that amulet about? Tell me, for boredom's sake, I'll usually answer most questions.』
Though it seemed like a simple whim of consideration, Elric didn't miss the subtle heat in Mephisto's eyes.
‘As expected. There's something going on with Angha and Mephi.’
But Elric pretended not to notice and asked, "You know about the Frost Mountain King?"
『...Why the sudden question?』
"This is his tomb."
『What?』
Elric revealed what he had seen and experienced in Angha, of course, omitting any crucial details.
『Ha! Auto Han Melvinger, that madman really went and did it!』
Mephisto's expression turned grim.
『You think you can handle that? Ridiculous! You may prattle about ruling the north through the memories of the yetis, but how could a loser like you capture someone who once ruled a region? The Frost Mountain King is one of the beings recognized by me!』
"So I'm asking, is there no good way?"
『There isn't.』
"You always say to ask anything, though?"
『I never said I'd answer everything, only that I'd answer most things. Furthermore, urging the former king, who could hold the secret and weakness of the seals, to speak about them is trampling on my dignity!』
"Three days off from Hellish Cuteness."
Mephisto's face contorted mercilessly.
『To think you could break my dignity with such nonsense...!』
"Five days off."
『You dare to insult the king…!』
“Don't hate it”
『Though you show an attitude, your discretion matches the ocean's depth, so let this one slide for now.』
"Hmph."
Mephisto lightly coughed and continued, 『With the seals you possess now, you're far from enough. You can't even approach the Frost Mountain King, let alone break through Angha.』
"That means...?"
『Raise your achievements.』
"What do you mean by achievement?"
『Do you just think that all seals are the same?』
"...!"
『This race is a strictly hierarchical society. Strong self-respect. Only the strong can take everything and remain alone. Of course, the same applies to the fundamental seal.』
"...."
『Seals are divided into grades according to rarity, and within those grades, there are levels of achievement, so their power varies widely.』
Elric's eyes widened.
『The seal you just obtained is undoubtedly of a 'rare' grade. But it's barely a 1-star. On the other hand, the seal constructed by the Frost Mountain King during his lifetime was 10 stars, on the verge of 'evolution'... Though I didn't directly witness it, even if it degraded, it would surely be at least 4 stars.』
Elric had nothing to say.
However, with just that one sentence from Mephisto, he felt his mind brighten.
『Did you say you'll capture such a thing? If so, there are two ways.』
Mephisto raised two fingers.
『You can either raise your achievement level accordingly or find another way to 'evolve' or 'synthesize' to upgrade your grade.』
Achievement level.
Rarity.
Just as human magic had been established over a long history, so had demon seal magic.
Therefore,
Elric could plan how to attack Angha only by adopting a certain posture and method.
Then he became curious.
If the Seal of Cruelty was at that level, then what about Mephisto...?
"What about the Seal of Original Sin?"
『Hmph! Do you think you can gauge my seal based on such a trivial hierarchy?』
"...!"
* * *
Aaargh!
Elric clenched the Magical Amulet again and accessed the astral plane.
"Back already?"
Auto Han stood before him as if he had been waiting.
"Yes."
"You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"The challenge was too rough."
"But there's likely much to gain from it as well."
Elric inwardly scoffed.
Initially, the atmosphere between them had been quite gentlemanly. Was Auto always this affable?
No wonder he seemed to enjoy watching Elric struggle.
‘But this guy's attitude... I really don't like it.’
Elric muttered under his breath as he began to prepare his magic arsenal again.
As Mephisto had provided a hint.
He had to make use of it somehow.
* * *
‘First, absorption.’
As Elric immersed himself back into the battle, his first attempt was to absorb the seals from the fallen yetis.
Fortunately, whether time had not passed much in this realm or the bodies remained due to the extreme cold, absorption was achieved without much difficulty.
Sizzle...
The dark light emanating from the fallen creatures seeped into Elric seamlessly.
The Seal of Cruelty began to take on a clearer form, and simultaneously, he could sense slight changes in his own body.
‘If these keep accumulating... what will happen next?’
Gathering dust to build a mountain, as the saying goes.
Elric couldn't even begin to guess how much these accumulations would significantly alter his physique in the future.
As he reappeared, enraged snow wolf warriors charged at him with increased fury.
Elric clenched his fists tighter. The scene unfolding before his eyes was filled with even more intensity than before.
His heart pounded heavily.
With nearly 6% of the seal's power unleashed, the mana stone was emanating a much more potent energy output than ever before.
Feeling the full sensation provided by the Seal of Cruelty.
Recalling the cold.
Imagining the blizzard.
Visualizing the falling hail.
“【Blow】!”
A second round began with a resounding blast.
Elric suddenly felt a sensation as if his mana was swiftly draining from his body in an instant.
What followed was a brief moment of dizziness and exhaustion.
Yet, his blood raced, and his heart pounded fiercely. Especially painful was the burning sensation on the back of his hand where the 'Seal of Cruelty' was engraved.
‘There's something…’
Thump, thump!
‘There's something there.’
It felt as if there was another presence living in his body besides himself.
But it wasn't a bad feeling at all.
Instead, it felt reassuring, as if he had gained a companion.
Moreover,
Elric didn't have time to dwell on such matters.
The scene unfolding before him was too shocking.
"...Did I really do this?"
In the wake of the fierce snowstorm.
The yeti warriors who had been moving to apprehend him just moments ago were frozen solid.
As if meticulously sculpted from ice, their movements and angry expressions remained frozen on their faces, and the ground was nothing but ice.
How intense must the cold have been to sweep through like this?
Everything was eerily silent. Elric's face was reflected so clearly, almost as if in a mirror.
And then.
Crack-
As the wind picked up, causing ice particles to flutter, the yeti warriors collapsed all at once.
In that moment.
Kieeeek!
Enraged by the onslaught of their comrades, the yeti warriors screamed furiously and charged forward.
Those who had narrowly escaped the range of the mana field and were relatively less exposed to the blizzard.
Elric, confident in his ability to handle the situation, attempted to deploy additional seal magic, but...
Twist-
"...Huh?"
In an instant, he felt the world spinning around him.
And then.
Pufferpup!
Elric collapsed, overwhelmed by the sensation of his breath being cut off and the pain.
That was it.
His first death.
* * *
"...Gasp!"
Elric gasped for air as he jolted upright.
His face was drenched in cold sweat.
Haa.
Haa....
The taste of bile lingered in his mouth.
『It seems you've had quite the ordeal, judging by your appearance.』
Startled by the voice from behind, Elric turned around.
"Mephi?"
『It seems that peculiar necklace of yours decided to act up wildly before you could rest. It wasn't easy, was it?』
It was then that Elric realized he had returned from the surreal world.
He had worried that perhaps his ancestors' trickery might have meant real death there and in reality.
Fortunately, it seemed that wasn't the case.
"..."
Elric glanced down at his hands.
The experiences he had just gone through seemed to linger vividly in his mind.
The fierce cold, the dreadful blizzard—truly, it was an atrocious environment he never wanted to experience again.
Yet, the sensation of obtaining the seal, of unlocking his potential, still lingered at his fingertips.
The exhilaration of mastering new magic, of successfully wielding it, was overwhelming.
Especially since it delved into uncharted territories and systems no human had properly explored.
‘But... why did I die?’
However, as Elric reflected on his experiences in the surreal world, he furrowed his brows.
Facing the yeti leader, he had certainly felt the threat of death.
But
After absorbing the seal, the story had been entirely different.
So, he had confidently attempted to manifest the seal magic again.
‘Ah! That's why.’
It dawned on Elric belatedly.
‘The mana consumption was too high.’
The seal magic possessed far greater power than any other magic Elric possessed.
‘Activating such powerful magic without any preparation must have caused a momentary dizziness... That's why I was caught off guard without a chance to regain my senses.’
At the time, he had been too intoxicated by the thrill of successfully activating the seal to notice it deeply.
‘But even when I was exhausted after facing the leader, it felt the same. Yet, I could still manifest additional magic... Was it because absorbing the seal partially restored my mana?’
If he had also taken the seals from the fallen yetis at the end, what would have happened?
Could he have continued fighting without interruption?
With those thoughts in mind, he pulled up the sleeve on his right arm.
Behind the Seal of Original Sin, the Seal of Cruelty was engraved.
Unlike the sharp and distinct form of the Seal of Original Sin, the Seal of Cruelty seemed to lack a proper shape, as if it had been scribbled on.
‘If the incomplete Seal of Cruelty is already so powerful, just how formidable is the Seal of Original Sin?’
Right at that moment.
『Could it be... the Seal of Cruelty?』
Mephisto's voice echoed in his ears.
A voice mixed with surprise and wavering.
Elric jerked his head up.
『How did you come to possess that... Oh, I see. So that's what it was. It seems that amulet was related to acquiring the seals. Winter Sage. He really orchestrated this bizarre scheme quite well.』
Mephisto narrowed his eyes and twisted the corner of his lips.
Seeing that Mephisto seemed to have grasped everything, Elric went straight to the point.
"The Seal of Original Sin. What triggers it?"
『...Hmm! Did that amulet also reveal information about Jinmyeong?』
"Yes."
『Do you think I'll simply spill the beans willingly?』
"No."
『Even if you were to interrogate me with various humiliations, you would never get me to open my mouth.』
Mephisto replied confidently, crossing his arms.
Elric also suspected as much.
‘The seals are everything to the demons.’
Now, he had a vague idea of what the seals were.
‘The moment he grants me the Seal of Original Sin, it would be like Mephisto will be robbed of his last resort.’
It was certain that Mephisto's Jinmyeong was the ‘Original Sin’.
Even if Auto Han said so, there must be a reason why it didn't activate.
‘There might be another hidden Jinmyeong, or there could be additional requirements. It's also possible that my abilities haven't reached that level yet.’
Auto Han added that the Seal of Original Sin was outstanding even among demons.
Perhaps if he had recklessly manifested the Seal of Original Sin with his current body, it could have just backfired.
『What exactly was that amulet about? Tell me, for boredom's sake, I'll usually answer most questions.』
Though it seemed like a simple whim of consideration, Elric didn't miss the subtle heat in Mephisto's eyes.
‘As expected. There's something going on with Angha and Mephi.’
But Elric pretended not to notice and asked, "You know about the Frost Mountain King?"
『...Why the sudden question?』
"This is his tomb."
『What?』
Elric revealed what he had seen and experienced in Angha, of course, omitting any crucial details.
『Ha! Auto Han Melvinger, that madman really went and did it!』
Mephisto's expression turned grim.
『You think you can handle that? Ridiculous! You may prattle about ruling the north through the memories of the yetis, but how could a loser like you capture someone who once ruled a region? The Frost Mountain King is one of the beings recognized by me!』
"So I'm asking, is there no good way?"
『There isn't.』
"You always say to ask anything, though?"
『I never said I'd answer everything, only that I'd answer most things. Furthermore, urging the former king, who could hold the secret and weakness of the seals, to speak about them is trampling on my dignity!』
"Three days off from Hellish Cuteness."
Mephisto's face contorted mercilessly.
『To think you could break my dignity with such nonsense...!』
"Five days off."
『You dare to insult the king…!』
“Don't hate it”
『Though you show an attitude, your discretion matches the ocean's depth, so let this one slide for now.』
"Hmph."
Mephisto lightly coughed and continued, 『With the seals you possess now, you're far from enough. You can't even approach the Frost Mountain King, let alone break through Angha.』
"That means...?"
『Raise your achievements.』
"What do you mean by achievement?"
『Do you just think that all seals are the same?』
"...!"
『This race is a strictly hierarchical society. Strong self-respect. Only the strong can take everything and remain alone. Of course, the same applies to the fundamental seal.』
"...."
『Seals are divided into grades according to rarity, and within those grades, there are levels of achievement, so their power varies widely.』
Elric's eyes widened.
『The seal you just obtained is undoubtedly of a 'rare' grade. But it's barely a 1-star. On the other hand, the seal constructed by the Frost Mountain King during his lifetime was 10 stars, on the verge of 'evolution'... Though I didn't directly witness it, even if it degraded, it would surely be at least 4 stars.』
Elric had nothing to say.
However, with just that one sentence from Mephisto, he felt his mind brighten.
『Did you say you'll capture such a thing? If so, there are two ways.』
Mephisto raised two fingers.
『You can either raise your achievement level accordingly or find another way to 'evolve' or 'synthesize' to upgrade your grade.』
Achievement level.
Rarity.
Just as human magic had been established over a long history, so had demon seal magic.
Therefore,
Elric could plan how to attack Angha only by adopting a certain posture and method.
Then he became curious.
If the Seal of Cruelty was at that level, then what about Mephisto...?
"What about the Seal of Original Sin?"
『Hmph! Do you think you can gauge my seal based on such a trivial hierarchy?』
"...!"
* * *
Aaargh!
Elric clenched the Magical Amulet again and accessed the astral plane.
"Back already?"
Auto Han stood before him as if he had been waiting.
"Yes."
"You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"The challenge was too rough."
"But there's likely much to gain from it as well."
Elric inwardly scoffed.
Initially, the atmosphere between them had been quite gentlemanly. Was Auto always this affable?
No wonder he seemed to enjoy watching Elric struggle.
‘But this guy's attitude... I really don't like it.’
Elric muttered under his breath as he began to prepare his magic arsenal again.
As Mephisto had provided a hint.
He had to make use of it somehow.
* * *
‘First, absorption.’
As Elric immersed himself back into the battle, his first attempt was to absorb the seals from the fallen yetis.
Fortunately, whether time had not passed much in this realm or the bodies remained due to the extreme cold, absorption was achieved without much difficulty.
Sizzle...
The dark light emanating from the fallen creatures seeped into Elric seamlessly.
The Seal of Cruelty began to take on a clearer form, and simultaneously, he could sense slight changes in his own body.
‘If these keep accumulating... what will happen next?’
Gathering dust to build a mountain, as the saying goes.
Elric couldn't even begin to guess how much these accumulations would significantly alter his physique in the future.
As he reappeared, enraged snow wolf warriors charged at him with increased fury.
Elric clenched his fists tighter. The scene unfolding before his eyes was filled with even more intensity than before.
His heart pounded heavily.
With nearly 6% of the seal's power unleashed, the mana stone was emanating a much more potent energy output than ever before.
Feeling the full sensation provided by the Seal of Cruelty.
Recalling the cold.
Imagining the blizzard.
Visualizing the falling hail.
“【Blow】!”
A second round began with a resounding blast.
