As soon as I declared myself the Black Fang, the blind girl's face flushed with confusion.

She hesitated, mumbling to herself before finally speaking up.

"...What's the Black Fang?"

A question all too natural.

Indeed, upon reflection, it would have been more peculiar if she had known about the Black Fang.

After all, she had been captured for use in dark magic research until now.

Wouldn't it be stranger if a dark magician took the time to kindly explain the state of the empire to their intended sacrifice?

After a moment's thought, I decided to explain.

"An organization intent on overthrowing the corrupt empire to create a world where everyone can live equally and happily... Probably."

I provided an explanation, but even I wasn't sure of its accuracy.

It was an organization not mentioned in the prequels or any spoilers. I had no way of knowing their true intentions.

Given their relentless terrorist acts against the empire, it was clear they harbored grievances.

Yet, they had never officially announced any slogan or specific objectives.

Only the leader of the Black Fang would truly know their real purpose.

And since I was unlikely to become acquainted with such a significant figure within the Black Fang, their objectives would remain a mystery.

But... it didn't particularly matter to me.

The one certainty was their intent to dismantle the empire and instigate a revolution.

Considering the breadcrumbs laid out in the prequel, the final boss is likely tied to the empire, so a successful revolution would be to my benefit.

I simply hoped the Black Fang would continue their fervent activities.

"Anyway, the important thing is that I've come to save you."

I said, gently patting the girl's head.

My gaze naturally drifted to her neck, a sight one might expect.

1201.

Such a number was engraved on the girl's neck.

I couldn't help but frown, pondering the significance of that number.

'How fervently must that bastard study?'

Operating such a black market, it's no surprise their wealth is rotten with excess. But to kill thousands crosses a line, no matter how you see it.

I know it's futile to expect morality from a dark magician, but surely there has to be a line somewhere.

Suddenly, a sense of justice surged within me.

A conviction that the wealth of such corrupt officials should be swiftly confiscated, a spirit befitting a righteous outlaw was awakening in me.

But before that...

"Hold on, let me see your ankle."

I said this while examining the magical chains binding the children.

I had wondered why the cage door was left wide open. It seems they were overly confident in the security of these chains.

The spell was intricately crafted.

Impossible to open by brute force.

However, that was of no concern to me.

This was a spell I was familiar with.

'I have mastered it.'

I've encountered it countless times across multiple playthroughs.

A tedious minigame.

It was lengthy and couldn't be skipped, earning the ire of players, yet it remained unimproved.

Life is indeed unpredictable, just as the saying goes.

The premium edition I foolishly paid an extra 50,000 won for is now my lifeline,

and the dispel magic I've mastered through multiple playthroughs will continue to be useful.

I remember the spell's formation clearly.

There was no need for a reverse-engineering process.

I might as well have memorized the solution.

A slight infusion of magic... and it's done.

The magical chains dissolve. Soon, they vanish without a trace.

"Now that it's undone, try moving."

At my words, the girl's face is painted with confusion.

She caresses her own ankles, seemingly unable to grasp that the real chains were gone.

Considering, it wasn't unreasonable.

She must have been bound by those chains for so long, accustomed and resigned to a life of captivity.

It's natural to be bewildered by sudden freedom.

In this moment,

there was only one thing left for me to do.

I took the girl's hand.

And slowly, I led her out.

For the first time, the girl stepped outside the cage.

Initially confused by the situation, she then...

Simply let tears flow endlessly.

I had no idea what kind of consolation to offer her.

She looked no older than eight at a glance.

I couldn't begin to comprehend what a child, who had awaited death in captivity, might feel.

Yet, I couldn't just stand by and leave her like that.

So, I just held her hand tightly.

At least, to let her know she wasn't alone anymore.

*****

I looked at the children I had rescued. There were five in total.

But, the only one I could properly communicate with was the blind girl. The others would nod in understanding to my words but couldn't speak.

I could roughly guess why.

The numbers engraved on their necks.

The blind girl was the last in the sequence.

Something must have been done to the earlier children to break them.

'Probably sacrificed to some demon.'

There was a similar character in the prequels.

It seemed as if their very right to speak had been taken away. They understand me, even if they can't speak.

With that, I entered the deeper part of the warehouse with the five children.

If what we had seen so far was for dark magic research or slaves for experimentation, now we were met with all kinds of silver and gold coins.

If the previous area was used as a research space, this seemed to be the real storage area.

"Let's pack as much as we can... and quickly escape from here!"

The blind girl, who had somehow regained her spirits, said this.

I hadn't mentioned coming here to steal, but she was quite perceptive.

She realized that I wouldn't leave until I obtained the item I was after.

Impressive that she'd offer to help without me even mentioning it.

"But I didn't come here to steal gold."

There are plenty of ways to make money.

After all, I plan to start a potion business with Miss Rubia.

Besides, when would we have the time to move all this heavy gold?

We had to select only the valuable items.

Artifacts... and above all, I needed to focus on retrieving the holy sword I saw earlier.

So, I was about to tell the girl that there was a specific item we were looking for when I suddenly realized something strange.

"How did you know there was gold here?"

Wasn't she supposed to be blind?

When I asked, bewildered, the girl pondered for a moment before responding.

"What should I call it... Even though I can't see, I can feel it, sort of like a sense."

What a curious case.

A blind person seeing better than most, I never thought I'd encounter someone like this in reality, not just in fiction.

'Could she be an important character from the original work?'

The thought crossed my mind, but that seemed unlikely.

The chances that the protagonist, having taken the same actions as me, had saved this child were slim.

In the original story, she likely died without ever appearing.

With that conclusion, I continued walking through the warehouse... then it hit me.

"Can you try to find something like a broken sword?"

If she could sense objects around her, maybe she could locate the holy sword as well?

Holding onto that hope, I asked the girl.

But strangely, the pink-haired girl remained silent.

...I could feel her hand trembling in mine.

Turning to look, her face was pale with terror. Learned fear was evident in her expression.

My face hardened naturally.

Understanding what was happening wasn't difficult.

Footsteps grew louder.

An old man with white hair revealed himself before us.

No, to be precise, it wasn't an old man.

The Archmage died at the hands of his disciple during the course of the prequel story. It was the disciple who had killed his own master and was now masquerading in the master's form.

Of course, this didn't mean he was weak.

An overwhelming magical power could be felt. It seems the numerous sacrifices had indeed had their effect.

Considering his progress since the prequel, it could only be described as a monumental advancement.

I had thought he'd be busy quelling terrorism by now, but it seemed something had gone awry.

But...

'This might actually be a good thing.'

The man glared at me intensely.

I could feel the pressure he emanated.

Yet, I did not stop but moved towards him.

It wasn't that I was certain of my victory that I did this. Even with my planned strategy, I guessed my chances of winning were only about fifty-fifty.

'But, I can afford to lose, can't I?'

It was only natural.

After all, I still wore the amulet given to me by Siel.

The moment I received even a scratch, those two would rush to my side through the shadows.

A sufficiently strong opponent.

Guaranteed safety.

In other words, it was the perfect opportunity to gain real combat experience.

"Who are you?"

The man asked, his eyes blazing with intensity.

However, there was no need to answer.

With a deep breath, I stabilized the flow of mana.

It was the beginning of a life-or-death battle, with only one life on the line.

--Chapter 26: A Fair Fight (2)---

After instructing the children to run away, I turned my attention back to the man in front of me.

Even upon a second glance, his overwhelming magical power is apparent. True to a dark mage, a sinister aura mixed with a malevolent vibe is palpable.

'It won't be as easy as I thought.'

However, giving up wasn't an option.

I need to fight stronger opponents in the future. Avoiding real combat forever wasn't possible.

I didn't want to screw up due to a lack of experience when I inevitably had to fight. With such a good opportunity presenting itself, how could I let it slip away?

'Besides, I really want to save the amulet for later.'

From the time I separated from Siel to find Lien up until now, Siel had been steadily gathering power to create the amulet.

It's practically an artificial artifact.

If I can avoid using it, that would be ideal.

Well, in the end, there's only one conclusion.

I just need to defeat this guy somehow.

'If we're just comparing magical power, he definitely has the upper hand.'

He won't be an easy opponent to deal with.

If my power was created from Miss Rubia's tears of hard work, his was made from 'real' tears.

It would be strange if he wasn't strong after all the lives he's sacrificed. Considering that even this man, Asher, who was recognized as talentless in the previous work, ended up this strong.

But, there wasn't a big problem.

A fight isn't decided by strength alone.

"I won't ask twice. Who are you?"

The man questions, with an evil aura slowly rising around him, as if he's directly aiming his murderous intent at me.

...Well, honestly, I'm not quite sure myself.

After all, once murderous intent reaches a certain level, it's considered a psychic attack, so the immunity effect of the Emperor's Might applies.

The man's eyes grew more wary of me. It was clear what kind of misunderstanding he was having.

I instinctively knew it.

This moment was the optimal timing.

"How repulsive. To think you're parading around in your master's skin. Do you not have any sense of shame?"

I spoke with a weighted, solemn voice, taking a stance.

The act of deliberately provoking him.

It might seem meaningless at first glance... but it's different.

This was the best solution when facing a mage.

Constructing a spell requires concentration. Therefore, it was crucial to disturb the composure of a skilled mage in battle.

"......"

The man's expression was painted with horror, but perhaps due to his experience, he regained his composure shortly after. It seems that this alone wasn't enough to shake his mental state.

But... it didn't really matter.

It was to be expected.

There's a reason why veterans are veterans.

Asher, the disciple of the Archmage, is a character from the previous story.

In other words, his face is one I've seen over the years while playing through multiple iterations.

I couldn't skip the cutscene of him killing his master, which I've watched hundreds of times over.

I probably know Asher better than he knows himself.

It's blatantly obvious how to provoke him to the point of an outburst.

So, I asked with a slight smile, "Do you even know that he was your father?"

It was time to hit him with the revelation of his birth.

****

Asher seemed on the verge of madness.

It was, perhaps, to be expected.

He had been operating a black market with care when suddenly, a terrorist attack occurred.

As he went to suppress it, all the terrorists mysteriously disappeared.

An utterly incomprehensible situation.

However, what truly drove Asher to the brink of insanity was something else.

'Who on earth is this man...'

The man who suddenly invaded his warehouse.

He couldn't fathom the existence of such a person.

Through the large opening, he had already figured out the man's route of entry.

However, the security here couldn't possibly be that lax. Naturally, all sorts of mechanisms were prepared to thwart intruders.

Curses potent enough to drive one to madness and stab themselves in the neck before even setting foot through the entrance.

Over eighty humans were sacrificed just to create those, so their effectiveness was guaranteed.

Yet, there he was, standing in this place as if unfazed. As if the curses he had painstakingly prepared meant nothing to him.

It was the same even now.

The power he received from a demon as a price for killing his master.

Despite emitting an amount of demonic energy that could knock anyone unconscious, not a single flicker of change crossed the man's face.

This enigmatic man calmly approached Asher and revealed a secret that no one else knew.

The fact that he had killed his master and had been living in his guise.

As if it were nothing significant, utterly nonchalant.

'How on earth?'

His expression crumbled in an instant.

Cracks formed in the mask he had been wearing for more than ten years.

Until now, no one had discovered that fact.

It was natural.

After all, this was something he had specially crafted from his master's dissected body.

No detection magic could penetrate it.

His disguise and acting were flawless. That made it even more incomprehensible.

How did this man figure it out?

If there was one thing certain... it was that this man was not an opponent to be underestimated.

'There's no time to delay.'

Asher, trying not to alert the man to his presence, quietly started to construct a spell... or attempted to.

But at that moment, an unbearable statement reached his ears.

"Do you know that he was your father?"

His mind went blank for a moment.

It was clear that the man was spouting nonsense.

That much was obvious, but... he just couldn't focus on his spell.

"...It's been over 10 years. It seems you still didn't know."

The man said in a calm voice.

It had to be a lie, such words couldn't be true.

However... for some reason, he couldn't just ignore it.

"Haven't you ever wondered? Why a figure like your master would go out of his way to find a wandering boy and take him as a disciple."

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Asher shouted, forgetting even to pretend.

"The reason that assassination plan succeeded is simple."

Yet, the man continued to speak in a calm voice, as if he had been there, recounting the events of that day so naturally.

The poison that had unexpectedly entered his body in a moment of vulnerability.

Unaware that it was his own son who had ingested it, he had poured all his energy into saving the son who had drunk the same wine.

Initially, he had sought Asher with the intention of sacrificing his own flesh and blood, but at some point, he had genuinely come to love him as a son.

"You should have realized when the demon so readily provided such a rare and deadly poison. Those creatures would do anything for a bit of amusement."

"Do you really think I'd fall for such nonsense!"

Asher yelled.

He wouldn't listen; it all had to be lies.

With eyes full of madness, he unleashed a barrage of spells.

But...

"As expected, all techniques copied from your master. You haven't grown at all."

None of the attacks reached the man. They were all reversed and dissipated before they could touch him.

The man walked towards him unscathed, with absolute calm.

He couldn't comprehend it.

...How?

How was such foolishness possible?

To instantaneously reverse the curses aimed at him?

It couldn't be possible. This was a secret of the master. Everyone who had seen it had been killed.

Then how did this man reverse the spell?

How could he know so well the construction of a curse he was supposedly seeing for the first time?

The man's face slowly approached. The man with the wolf mask spoke in a calm voice.

"You are still as foolish as ever, my son."

That statement.

The moment he heard those words.

There was no way he could maintain his sanity. Asher's magic spiraled out of control.

And... the man didn't miss that moment.

The man's entire magical power concentrates to a single point. Under normal circumstances, any regular body would not withstand it and burst apart.

Yet, the man's fist remained unharmed. An event beyond rational comprehension.

"Idiot, you fell for that?"

Along with those words, a dull pain spread through Asher's abdomen.

His rationality was instantly paralyzed. The pain rendered his mind unable to function properly.

But even so.

"This damned bastard..."

Asher bit his tongue. A bitter taste of blood momentarily brought his consciousness back.

Asher's face twisted in anger.

It was to be expected.

The gap in skill between that man and himself was overwhelmingly vast.

He brushed off all attacks as if they were laughable.

The reason he didn't kill Asher instantly, despite having the power to do so, was simple.

To mock him. To toy with Asher as if he were a plaything.

That was something utterly unforgivable.

The outcome of the battle was clear.

The difference in power was overwhelming. No matter how much Asher fought, he could not win against this man.

But he could take him along as a companion in death.

'You will die alongside me, whom you so disdainfully underestimated.'

Teleportation magic.

In Asher's hand, that ominous sword was now grasped.

A thing that, despite nine years of research, remained a mystery, and even demons refused to accept as a tribute. A decision was made to dispose of it, albeit reluctantly.

Its true purpose was discovered only today.

A disaster that continuously poured curses upon this world. A cursed sword that could drive anyone mad just by being nearby.

If one were to receive all its curses, even that man would not emerge unscathed. Asher was certain of it.

"This, you brought upon yourself."

With a grin that nearly split his face, Asher completely unleashed its seal.

--Chapter 27: A Fair Fight (3)--

It was a perfect victory.

Asher savored the joy to its fullest, smiling broadly.

'But why?'

Like a miracle, Asher was unaffected by the curse of the magic sword.

In the end, that mysterious man couldn't escape the curse and died, leaving Asher the sole survivor.

The reason remains unknown... but does it matter?

What mattered was that Asher had won.

'You dared to underestimate me.'

Serves him right.

Asher kicked the man's corpse, mocking, "How does it feel to be bested by someone you looked down upon?"

Could there be anything better?

Suddenly blessed with fortune, Asher's smile almost reached his ears.

Yet, astonishingly, something even better happened.

"It's been a long time, my son."

Suddenly, his master walked in from behind.

A dead man, the very one he had personally slain, had come back to life.

But, was that the important thing?

No, the important thing was that his father had returned.

Thus, Asher embraced his father with a broad smile.

For some reason, his consciousness was hazy.

There was a strange feeling in his throat.

But Asher didn't pay it any mind.

After all, what was the point of worrying about such trivialities when he was this happy?

It surely was nothing of consequence.

*****

'...Why on earth is this bastard smiling?'

That thought was inevitable.

The scene before me was utterly illogical.

"I, I love you! Hehe... I love you so much!"

Asher said, with a stupid, blissful smile on his face.

...Is he having a nice dream?

His face was brimming with laughter.

In this moment,

my duty was crystal clear.

I approached the defenseless fool and swiftly twisted his neck.

For some reason, he hadn't even bothered to surround himself with the most basic magical protection. His neck bones shattered instantly.

Well, when I think about it, this was my first kill. But I felt no shock, sorrow, or any inclination to wax poetic about my feelings.

It was to be expected.

After all, I knew the meaning of the number 1201 on the girl's neck.

Feeling guilty for killing someone who sacrificed over a thousand people would have been the real oddity.

If anything, I was a bit dumbfounded.

'What on earth was this bastard?'

He was screaming as if he was about to use some secret technique, prompting me to wonder if I should prepare the amulet right then and there.

But in the end, all he did was throw a tantrum by himself.

After struggling to reach the boss' final phase, it was as if he had committed suicide.

It was enough to feel a sense of anticlimax.

'Well, there was some gain, at least.'

If it was a formula from the previous work, and if I could lower the opponent's concentration to reduce its completion rate,

I could dispel the magic cast by the opponent before it reached me.

In the right situation, this might be useful in actual combat.

Moreover... there was another unexpected gain.

'Who knew the Healthy Body Trait could be used this way.'

I suffered a bit from side effects... But considering the current situation, it was a small price to pay.

It's a no-brainer.

During combat, concentrating all my magical power at one point.

An ordinary person's body would have exploded under the strain, but my fist was merely throbbing, perfectly intact.

This clearly indicated something.

Healthy body had far more insane versatility than I had imagined.

It was as if I could eat elixirs, which would be treasures in martial arts tales, like popcorn and still be fine.

Even if my arm was worked to the point of bursting, I remained unharmed.

The text on maintaining a Healthy body was even catching the recoil from self-destruct techniques.

This made it clear.

Whether it was ramping up magical power or recklessly concentrating it at a single point,

I could use such techniques at will.

Talking about spamming self-destruct techniques without worrying about the risk.

'Well, if I use it too much, I won't exactly be unscathed.'

Still, this is sufficiently overpowered.

It's an obvious conclusion.

What others need to brace for death to use, I can get away with just a moderate fever.

There's no legal cheat quite like it.

A smile naturally formed on my lips.

'I debated till the last minute whether to spend an extra 50,000 won on the premium edition instead of ordering chicken twice....'

In hindsight, there couldn't have been a better decision.

For the price of two chickens, I got the Healthy Body Trait and the Emperor Might Trait.

The more I think about it, the more insane the deal seems.

Especially considering I would've been dead long ago without it.

'I definitely need to collect more traits.'

That was the inescapable conclusion.

Traits are abundant.

Even a trash trait that can't block a simple Sleep spell is showing this much performance.

I've used up my choices, but that doesn't mean there's no way to acquire more traits.

As I gather allies, I'll gradually increase my power.

As I was reorganizing my plan and looking at the corpse... I suddenly noticed it.

The sword that had been in his hand.

Only then did I understand the whole story.

I wondered why that bastard suddenly went crazy laughing by himself.

It was because of this.

After all, it's not surprising I didn't notice.

'I'm really not affected at all.'

Considering Asher's seizure or Miss Rubia's reaction last time, it seems to emit a rather dangerous curse.

But from my perspective, it's just a broken scrap sword.

I didn't feel any curse at all.

Such things are treated as mental attacks.

There's a reason I chose the Emperor Might Trait.

This developer sure loves its Lovecraftian themes.

Going mad just by encountering it, or getting one's mind corrupted. How many times did I experience such things while playing the previous game?

Indeed, resistance to mental attacks was essential.

Satisfied with my previous judgment, I looked at the sword once again.

'So what should I do with this?'

It was a natural question to ask.

The sword emitted an ominous black light. Though I couldn't feel it myself, it's likely spreading a curse or something similar around.

I hope the children managed to escape properly, but if they didn't get far enough, they might be affected.

It would be best to deal with this as soon as possible.

And in my opinion, there was only one way to handle it.

'I'll have to purify it somehow.'

It's the obvious conclusion.

Of course, it's not like a holy sword in this state is completely useless.

'Where do you even use a sword that gets stronger the more it curses the world?'

It's a feature hardly anyone could properly utilize unless they're particularly twisted.

Sure, it could be used for mental attacks by exploiting its curse-emitting nature...

But that's inconvenient.

Naturally.

How do you even carry around a cursed sword that kills everyone nearby?

Siel might somehow manage to withstand it, but Miss Rubia would drop dead the moment she came close.

If I don't plan on living my life away from society, I can't carry around such a sword.

Conversely, the divine power originally held by the holy sword was exactly the kind of strength I needed now.

If the world is in danger, it's likely due to demons or a Demon King.

To stand against them, having a functioning holy sword is necessary.

'...But how on earth do I purify it?'

I felt like I was in the dark.

The previous works might have shown how to corrupt it, but not how to purify it.

Since the user becomes corrupted by cursing everything in the world, should I try the opposite approach?

Would holding the holy sword with a heart full of love for everything in the world change something?

But then again, I'm not exactly pathologically philanthropic, am I?

With these thoughts, my head started to spin.

However, lacking any other ideas, I sighed and grasped the holy sword.

And then...

"......?"

Suddenly, a black shimmer began to climb up my arm.

Before I could grasp what was happening, that dark energy had completely merged with me.

The sword's blade glowed with a soft, bright light.

The holy sword was perfectly purified.

...My mind felt numb.

Why did this happen all of a sudden? More importantly, what just happened?

I was bewildered and deep in thought for a long while... but no matter how much I pondered, I couldn't understand why this had occurred.

All that remained was the result that the holy sword was purified as soon as I touched it.

And I didn't feel anything unusual in my body either.

Something continued to nag at me...

But I couldn't cling to an unsolvable issue for the rest of my life.

In the end, I took the holy sword and went to find the children.

Why could this be?

Freeing slaves, dealing with villains, purifying a holy sword, as if walking the path of a true hero.

The feeling that I might have seriously taken the wrong turn somewhere.

That was something I just couldn't understand.

******

The Emperor Might absorbs the corrupted energy of the holy sword.

...The Emperor Might hints at the possibility of transforming into ■■ of ■■.

Your spiritual stature is becoming closer to ■■.

A critical error has been detected.

The path of fate is being reset.