Capítulo 112: Chapter 112
It's an easily overlooked fact, but mystery also flows within humans.
Why?
The answer is simple: humans have realms they cannot perceive or understand.
For instance, the soul.
Do spiritual beings exist? If so, how can they be proven?
Or consider psychic abilities.
Can humans wield mystical powers that transcend their natural limits, like telepathy, clairvoyance, or precognition? If so, what is the principle behind them?
Anyone who thinks, "Souls don't exist, and people just become worm food when they die!" would not be compatible with the mysteries.
Ironically, Ian, who was once a modern man, believed in the mysteries more fervently than anyone else in this medieval fantasy world.
Why?
Because he had spoken to it directly!
He had seen it with his own eyes and exchanged greetings in Maronius, so he couldn't possibly deny the mysteries.
Thus, Ian quickly realized that the grotesque mystery in front of him had originated from humans.
It was a monster born from negative human emotions that had gained power in the realm of the mysteries.
"Ha, haha...! You whelp! Are you starting to grasp it now? I, Pyra, am a shaman blessed by Hrundal!"
[Let me… go back…]
"So! They call shamans [wizards] in the Empire, don't they? Young wizard from the Empire! What will you do now? Show me your petty skills!"
Ian took a deep breath and steadied himself.
If he lost concentration even slightly, he felt like he would vomit everything he had eaten.
The swirling mystery. The vortex of emotions.
The wandering will and the instinct for destruction...!
Standing before the terrifying mystery that even Pyra couldn't bear to look at, he remained oblivious to what was going wrong.
It could only be one of two things.
Either Pyra was a mad psychopath capable of handling such mystery.
Or he was intoxicated by the mystery's negative emotions and had lost his ability to judge the situation.
Ian prayed it was the latter.
The former had no hope for redemption, but the latter might still have a chance.
"You damn…"
"…What?"
"You damn shaman! You don't even know what kind of mystery you're dealing with, and you dare call yourself a shaman?"
Ian gritted his teeth and shouted.
[I want to go back… Let me go back…]
"Your desperate yelling is adorable! This is the mystery that Hrundal has sent me…"
Ian immediately cut off Pyra.
This wasn't a situation for lengthy conversations.
The longer it dragged on, the worse things would get.
"First. This isn't a mystery you summoned. It's a poor, lost mystery that was thrown out into the world, drawn by your negative emotions!"
"Haha! What nonsense…"
"I don't know what you did! But you definitely opened a [door], and this mystery was sucked in through the crack!"
Ian was a traditional wizard thoroughly trained by Eredith for over seven years.
When it came to the mysteries, he had a solid foundation of knowledge.
Mysteries weren't limited to natural phenomena.
Just as there were mysteries tied to fire, water, earth, and wind, there were also mysteries tied to human emotions like joy, sorrow, lust, and anger.
This was because humans themselves harbored the mysteries.
If you wielded the mysteries imbued with love, it would become [charm magic].
If you wielded the mysteries imbued with anger, it would become [provocation magic].
The terrifying mystery wandering and wailing before Ian was a mystery infused with all sorts of negative human emotions.
It was a type of mystery that was extremely difficult to define or approach.
Since all kinds of negative emotions were mixed within it, Ian could identify it.
[Let me… go back…!]
There were emotions like anger, sorrow, regret, and jealousy…
But it also harbored extremely dangerous emotions like [murderous intent]!
"If you are truly a shaman! If you are Hrundal's priest! Get a grip and face reality! Is that really the mystery you summoned?"
"…"
A voice full of sincerity is powerful.
Ian's voice, imbued with strong will, pushed away the mass of negativity surrounding Pyra and reached his very soul.
It was like a splash of cold water on his face; Pyra snapped back to reality.
'…What is this? What have I summoned?'
That was not the mystery Pyra had intended to summon.
It was an entity that even the summoner couldn't understand.
Only then did Pyra realize that he was trapped in an indescribable mass of terrible emotions.
It felt like being stuck in a pit of filth.
Within that mass of emotions, Pyra clearly identified a very dangerous feeling.
Murderous intent.
A mystery imbued with intense murderous intent could indeed kill people.
This was called a [curse].
A murder curse is so dangerous that it can kill even the shaman who wields it, but in return, it can also take the life of the cursed target.
Therefore, murder curses were the greatest taboos among shamans.
[Open the… open the door!]
The horrifying mystery wailed.
Its savage cry made even the air freeze in fear.
The wind stopped as if by magic.
Even the Northerners, ignorant of the mysteries, felt a chill run down their spines.
"Just now… something…"
"I got a creepy feeling."
They had no idea what terrible event was about to unfold.
In a way, that was a blessing.
Because Ian, as a wizard, could feel every overwhelming emotion emanating from the terrifying mystery!
'Ugh… my head…!'
The negative emotions stormed through him like a hurricane.
Ian deeply felt why wizards in fiction often went mad while handling magic.
It felt like the pressure of opening one's skull and pouring emotions directly into it, enough to drive anyone insane!
Because Ian was a being connected to the mysteries, he felt its influence much more strongly than ordinary people.
As Ian staggered, blood dripping from his nose, Belenka immediately drew her sword.
Clang!
"You. What's going on?"
"…"
But the pale-faced Pyra couldn't answer that question.
Even Pyra himself didn't know what was happening!
'This thing is a mystery I can't handle. I need to send it back! Quickly!'
Thanks to Ian's outcry, Pyra snapped back to his senses and urgently tried to figure out a way to send the mystery back.
But the answer didn't come easily…
It was the first time Pyra had ever encountered such a situation, so he couldn't quickly determine what to do.
Unlike the tongue of Maronius, Arcana cards are tools for talking indirectly with the mysteries.
Therefore, while it's difficult to perform delicate tricks compared to magic, it allows for handling more dangerous mysteries with less risk.
The problem is that, since it's an indirect means of communication, it's difficult to convey the shaman's will accurately!
'Go back… go back…!'
It was like trying to chase a bird out of a room.
You first open the [door] and then pray that it flies back out!
But even if humans open the door wide and make a path, if the bird is confused or feels threatened, it may wander around without finding the way.
If the entity that entered was small and weak like a bird, it could be driven out by force.
But if a tiger or a bear had entered?
Giving up on life or praying desperately to God, Buddha, or Allah to leave again were the only options.
"Shaman!"
"I-I'm trying! I'm trying!"
Belenka gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.
In the worst case, she seriously considered cutting off the shaman's head before anything happened to Ian.
Belenka, too, was a knight who had directly and indirectly experienced various phenomena while journeying with Ian.
She could feel that the situation was unusual.
And her spirit, now accustomed to the mysteries, responded more sensitively than others to the abnormal mystery swirling around them.
[Send me! Send me to Ian!]
'…?'
Belenka turned her head.
She didn't know the tongue of Maronius. She didn't know much about the mysteries either.
But sometimes, humans demonstrate miraculous intuition.
Moments arise when they briefly touch the mysteries.
'Yes! If it's that bird…!'
"Kira! Let me borrow your bird for a moment!"
"Huh… what? Winnie?"
Of course, Belenka couldn't hear the voice of the mysteries or know what it was saying.
But her thoughts naturally turned to the baby phoenix Kira carried around.
Belenka thought she had come up with the idea herself and handed the phoenix to Ian.
'It's a holy being, so it should be able to do something!'
"Ian!"
Belenka placed the baby phoenix in Ian's arms.
At that moment, the phoenix let out a chirp.
[Dad! Wake up!!!]
"…!"
Since ancient times, bird cries have been believed to contain mystical powers.
The story of a rooster's crow scaring off evil spirits is one such tale.
The cry of the sacred phoenix cleared away the emotions that had plagued Ian's mind.
'I think I just heard something awful…'
Ian shook his head.
I'm not even married yet, but I think I had a nightmare of someone calling me dad…
"Ugh…!"
"Kira!"
As soon as Ian came to his senses, he saw Kira bowing her head in pain.
Kira, too, was a talented wizard and couldn't be completely free from the influence of the mysteries.
"Belenka! Break the lock and get Takarian out! Have him recite the scriptures!"
"Understood!"
Belenka immediately stood before Takarian's cage.
She raised her sword high over her head.
The sharp tip of the blade glistened under the sun.
"Wait! If you strike iron with a sword, the sword will break…"
Ragnar shouted urgently.
But what happened next left him speechless.
Clang!
Belenka struck the iron lock with her sword without hesitation.
With a snap, the lock broke in two and fell off.
"She… cut iron with a sword?!"
Ragnar was stunned by this unbelievable scene.
But those touched by the mysteries can perform miraculous feats with ease.
This is often described as being "possessed."
Belenka cut through the iron lock with swordsmanship like she was possessed.
"Takarian! Recite the scriptures! Quickly!"
"Yes! I got it!"
Meanwhile, Kira was setting the ground on fire.
Fire is an element imbued with holiness and purification.
If the enemy was an unholy mystery, it would fear the flames.
[I sense a foul presence! Step back behind me, logs!]
The mystery of fire instinctively guarded against the unholy mystery.
"[As the sun watches over us, evil ones shall not dare to raise their heads!]"
Takarian began quickly reciting the scriptures of Heaven's Faith in an ancient tongue.
Behind the two sacred forces of fire and scripture, people hid themselves.
Only Ian and Pyra remained.
"Ragnar! Don't go beyond the flames!"
"But…!"
Ragnar and the Northerners anxiously stomped their feet in frustration.
Outside the ring of fire, the air had become so unpleasant and foul that even ordinary people could feel it.
A terrifying monster that most people couldn't even perceive was now being confronted by just two occultists.
Shaman Pyra and wizard Ian.
"Pyra! How much longer?"
"A ritual! I'll lure it with a ritual!"
[The door… you hid it, didn't you? You… hid the door!]
The mystery exuded murderous intent.
A sign that its patience was wearing thin.
Pyra took out a ceremonial dagger and stabbed his own finger.
"Ooooooooh!"
The hand symbolizes omnipotence.
Fingers can act as keys to grasp and open a door handle.
Blood droplets splattered onto Pyra's face.
Using the severed finger as a focal point, he began drawing a magic circle, mixing Arcana cards and rune characters.
"Just a little more…! Just a bit longer…!"
"Pyra!"
The mystery exhaled a murderous breath towards Pyra.
That breath is a killing curse itself!
If Pyra dies now, it will all be for nothing.
Ian could not stop the terrible mystery by himself.
Somehow, he had to draw the attention of that mystery until the ritual was complete.
However.
Fear gripped Ian's ankles like mud.
Death is frightening.
Facing a mystery who could tear a human life apart as if it were mere paper, was, therefore, inevitably terrifying.
...
That moment.
The soft whispers of the night tickled Ian's ears.
[Do not be afraid, Ian.]
[We are always with you.]
The mystery of darkness.
For Ian, who stood against the mystery, another mystery surged around him like a whirlwind.
As a novelist once said, the night is soft.
In the darkness, Ian felt his mind ease.
If he could deceive the eyes of that mystery with pitch-black darkness.
He would have enough time.
Ian felt the rising power of the spell.
"Let's give it a try."
Ian charged towards the mystery.
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