Translator: Satya
Translation Checker: Silavin
Proofreader: Bluerazbeary
It was the middle of the night and the Oupu Mansion was deserted. There was a huge charred hole in the wall that can fit an adult just next to the door. It led to the inner courtyard that was completely destroyed, the buildings collapsed and, on the ground was completely scorched black.
During the day, there was a huge explosion in the Oupu Mansion which was the talk of the town for the rest of the day. Some say that the Guild Master Oupu tried to summon a Demon, while others say that he was casting a spell, and could not control it, destroying the entire mansion.
The reason for such rumors spreading around is because Eric had blocked the information that Dawkins attacked Oupu, so no one knew exactly what happened.
By nightfall. In Oupu"s Mansion. In a room lit with lamp lay Oupu on a hospital bed with a weak sallow complexion as if he was ready to die at any moment.
The Level 5 Magician, Basgen kept releasing a light spell standing by the bed in an attempt to heal Oupu"s wounds but the task was extremely difficult. Oupu was injured by and Advanced Offense Spell from Dawkins and it was not something that his trivial Level 5 Magic can heal. He has been casting one spell after another for half an hour continuously and Basgen is already exhausted forcing him to stop the spell.
“Mr. Basgen, How is the Guild master Oupu now?” Arcaz hurriedly asked Basgen.
Basgen shook his head: “his injuries are too heavy. The only reason he is still alive is because of the fact that City Lord Eric gave him a Healing Scroll, but it will be very hard for him to recover completely without more help.”
Looking at the one lying on the bed, Arcaz"s pursed his lips tightly. He had complex emotions. He did not witness what had occurred in the morning that could have injured Oupu to such an extent but that did not mean he was not able to put two and two together: [The only one that can injure Oupu to such an extent is Dawkins who had just arrived at Stan City, but she does not have any enmity with Oupu so why would she attack him? Which could only mean that Ye Chui was at the root of all this…]
All of this was unacceptable to Arcaz. He was one of the partic.i.p.ants who took the Level 3 Magician test along with Ye Chui. At that time, he was standing equal with Ye Chui but now, he fell behind by so much…
First, he became Mr. Booth"s student, then he became the City Lord"s Manors Guest, now he is in good terms with Alfea…. Even the newly arrived Magician Dawkins is helping him. [This is so unfair!]
He was not angry that he caused Oupu"s injured, but because of the difference between him and Ye Chui"s status, yet he was unwilling to accept that making him clench his fist tightly.
“This is it for today.” Basgen weakly turned around and Arcaz, who collected his thoughts, held him in support. Basgen nodded at Arcaz with a smile and looked at Mattis who stood in a corner, “I will continue the treatment tomorrow. Though my light Magic is not too efficient for Guild Master Oupu, it still has some effect.”
“Mr. Basgen, I thank you on my master"s behalf.” Mattis showed a hint of a smile on his skinny face, “Mr. Basgen, let me walk you out.”
Under Mattis"s lead, Arcaz and Basgen left the ruined Oupu Mansion.
Once the figures of Arcaz and Basgen faded into the night, the melancholy in Mattis"s face turned into a strange fiendish grin. He then turned ghastly and returned to the mansion…
Basgen, who had been walking till now suddenly remembered something and halted: “Arrgh, I forgot my magic notes in the City Lord"s Manor…”
“Mr. Basgen, I"ll go and get it, “Arcaz said quickly.
Basgen was about to say that it did not matter as he was going to return here to treat Oupu, but then again, the magic notes were the most precious thing he had. It contained all his understanding into Light Magic, and he would not be able to keep calm without it in his hands, so, in the end, he nodded with a smile: “Fine, I shall return to the Magician"s Guild. You bring the notes to me later.”
“Alright, Mr. Basgen.”
After he split with Basgen, Arcaz returned to Oupu Mansion. Once there, he decided against knocking on the door when he thought of the skinny old man Mattis and did not want to see his face again. Well, he came here to get the notebook anyway. So, after a little hesitation, Arcaz entered the mansion through the hole Dawkins blasted and entered Oupu"s bedroom.
The bedroom lamp was snuffed.
(Satya: I think it was not magical but just candlelight.)
Arcaz went over and shoved the door open.
He was shocked at what he was witnessing.
Miserable Guild Master Oupu was floating midair as threads of black mist wrapped around him layer after layer. The mist had a cold evil aura that kept entering his body through his nose, eyes, and ears… and tugged and pulled as if trying to pull something out. And there was a person at the place where all the darkness started from.
(Satya: The "E.T. probe" that some of our readers are eager to experience.)
Mattis.
He held a book with a black cover as he recited incantation in a low voice.
“This is…” Arcaz was dumbfounded, he remembered a similar scene described in one of the records in the Magicians" Guild and exclaimed, “…. This is Dark Magic ! Mattis, you are a dark Magician!?”Mattis suddenly turned to him with a wicked grin on his skinny face, eyes blood red and spoke in a low hoa.r.s.e voice like a devil: “You saw…”
Arcaz quickly twisted around and started to run away.
Mattis summoned tentacles made of black fog, which burst forth and caught Arcaz by his arms and neck and pulled back into the room. Arcaz was then penned to the ground making sure he does not get up and leave.
He was shocked and frightened of the black book in Mattis"s hand: “You… You…”
“That"s right, I am a Dark Magician.” Mattis aid to Arcaz with a terrifyingly hoa.r.s.e voice, “I have hidden behind Oupu for 20 years just for this moment… I am trembling with joy looking at him so close to death, the soul of a Level 7 Magician will soon be mine and I will step into a new level in Dark Magic. You, kid, on the other hand, are so unlucky. Once I consume Oupu I will not mind having a little desert… GeGeGe…”
Arcaz shivered, he struggled to loosen and escape from the black foggy tentacles" grip, all in vain. He looked at the floating Guild master Oupu which grew skinnier at a visible rate. Gradually revealing his skeletal structure. The most horrible thing is that he has not yet died and he kept letting out m.u.f.fled and painful growls as pain a.s.saulted his body forcing to cry out in his heart.
[This is not FAIR!]
[Why is this happening to me?!]
He came from a poor little village and grew up in scarcity. He was always bullied by others when he was a child, that was not fair. Just as luck would have it, one-day Basgen pa.s.sed through the village and discovered him. He was brought here and was taught Magic. And he thought that with Magic he would soar into the sky and he would never suffer again in this new life… but…. this was just not fair.
He met Stan City"s very own talent, Oberth and a Magic Plebian Ye Chui, the worst Magician ever. And today, that trash of a Magician had become someone of such status and repo with people like Iron-Swordsman, Alfea, and admiration from Dawkins… he was not willing to accept this unfairness. He was not willing to let his life end here like this.
“Envy, Greed, l.u.s.t, Anger…. I see great qualities in you…” A ghastly voice floated out of the void into Arcaz"s ears.
“Who?” Arcaz turned his head to find Mattis standing there, but Mattis was still in the process of reciting the incantation so it could not be him that spoke to him.
Who was talking?
“I am the Demon Spirit in the Book of Darkness…” the ghastly voice continued, “I served Mattis for 20 Years, but…. He is too disappointing. His greed is weak. He is timid and cowardly. He already has Oupu"s soul in hand and yet does not dare to consume it. He is not worthy of my servitude… so, I want to ask you, are you willing to fall into darkness and become my new master?
“Become your new Master? Become… a Dark Magician?” Arcas was surprised, from the day he began walking the road of Magic, Basgen had warned him more than once that Dark Magic was filled with terror and depravity and now a Demon Spirit is urging him to fall into the Darkness…
“Your Greed, Envy, l.u.s.t, and Rage will make you a splendid Dark Magician.” the ghastly voice said, “Embrace the Darkness and you will become stronger than ever, I will satisfy your Greed and Envy. I will let you vent your anger; I will help you conquer any woman you want… are you willing to become my new Master?”
Arcaz"s heart was tugged hard… Well… his will was wavering; it was just a slight hesitation for a moment, and he made his decision. With all the Envy, Greed, l.u.s.t, Rage … four of the seven Original Sins with him it should be no surprise with his choice, he shouted in his mind: “I am willing. I want to fall into depravity and become powerful!”
“Master, Welcome to the World of Darkness…” the voice said, sounding eerily happy, so much so that one would imagine it has a wicked grin while saying those words.
Mattis had just then completed The dried-up carca.s.s of Oupu fell to the ground.
Mattis cloaked in black mist let out a comfortable breath with a satisfied face and looked at Arcaz and said in a hoa.r.s.e voice: “Well then, it is your turn now. Let me see how your fresh soul tastes like. Gehehe…”
His complexion suddenly changed because he felt like the darkness that blanketed his body was going out of his control and has started to invade his body plundering his soul.
He was extremely shocked: “What"s happening? How can this be? Demon Spirit… what are you doing… you… you betrayed me! No! No!”
Arcaz, who was previously lying on the ground stood up with the black fog wrapping him in a blanket of darkness. Oupu"s soul that Mattis consumed had now become nutrition for the black fog. The black fog entered Mattis"s body through the nose, mouth ears and eyes sucking his power and soul and delivering it into Arcaz"s body and once it poured into Arcaz it felt like it is becoming more and more sinister.
Shortly after, Mattis became a dry corpse and fell to the ground.
Arcaz was still wrapped in black mist, his face looked like the epitome of evil, eyes blood red, blood-red pupils, his tongue licking his lips as everything went deathly quiet.
“Hammer, Iron-Swordsman… I am looking forward to the taste of your souls…”