Dots, curves, and rune letters.

The phenomenon of controlling the flow of mana that permeates all things in nature, through spells and magic circles, is known as magic.

Ordinary mages absolutely must use spells and magic circles to cast magic.

It’s basic knowledge that spells control the flow of mana, which is then captured and shaped by the magic circle.

However, there are a rare few mages who break such conventions. Whether due to special bloodlines or unique traits… or—

“Reverse.”

Reaching the 9th class.

*Rumble—!!*

Aruun Bluushun.

With just a low whisper from him, the ground flipped, rising high into the air.

Immediately, Flower-Embedded extended her hand into the sky, and branches of the World Tree grew thickly from the ground, holding the land aloft.

“Oh… oh…”

Cheoriban looked on, mildly surprised at the strange spectacle unfolding before him.

Indeed, he had wondered how they planned to fight without harming the ordinary people within the World Tree… It turns out, they intended to lift the ground itself and move it out of harm’s way.

‘Impressive…’

Both Aruun, who had overturned this massive piece of earth, and Flower-Embedded, who supported it with the roots of the World Tree, were formidable monsters.

“Phew, what a spectacle. I can’t do things like that.”

“…Coming from someone blessed with such powers, you sound awfully ungrateful.”

Anyone who knew Cheoriban would understand that he had a contract with Tamgaltwin, endowing him with the love of the earth.

Aruun’s gaze turned severe at his casual remark, but Cheoriban was sincere.

“It’s true… no one believes me.”

He received the earth’s love, but that didn’t mean he could manipulate it. The blessing of the Twelve Moons doesn’t automatically grant one control over their powers.

This ability… is called a ‘blessing’ for a reason.

“You have no idea how horrifying the blessing of the Twelve Moons can actually be.”

“Ha. With a contract with Tamgaltwin, one who is practically invincible, and you still say things like that?”

Aruun, who had primarily honed his skills in earth magic, was naturally antagonistic toward Cheoriban, who could handle the earth without much training, but Cheoriban was sincere.

“…Yes, I am invincible.”

Cheoriban murmured bitterly.

“Even when I don’t want to be… that’s the problem.”

“Nonsense.”

Aruun wiped away his languid gaze and spread his arms wide.

Without any noticeable preparation, a brown-hued magic circle meshed together like gears, and an iron door in the shape of a distorted dragon crashed from the sky.

*Clang!*

As the iron door opened, a black giant appeared. The giant, towering over 30 meters, wielded a hammer in one hand and an axe in the other, glinting ominously in the sunlight—it was clearly forged from an extraordinary metal.

“A golem made of black granite…?”

The creation of even a palm-sized piece of black granite would take dozens of alchemists an entire year of research. Its massive size alone was overwhelming. Cheoriban was sincerely impressed, but there was no time to simply stand there, astonished.

*Thud!!*

The black giant raised its axe and swung down.

But Cheoriban didn’t move. He waited patiently as the ground flipped over, forming a ceiling above him.

*Boom—!!*

The giant’s hammer collided with the ceiling of earth, creating an explosive shockwave so intense, it was hard to believe it was mere physical force.

The ground caved in, creating a crater dozens of meters wide, but at the center, Cheoriban stood unscathed.

Yet he could feel it. The so-called invincible shield of the earth was beginning to crack.

“Haha… this is no joke.”

Indeed, this was the power of a 9th-class mage.

They said that in ancient times, mages once challenged the Twelve Moons. Seeing current 9th-class mages wielding such god-like power, it doesn’t seem entirely like a myth.

*Shiver*

“…What?”

As Cheoriban stared at the black giant, he suddenly felt a chill and immediately deployed his mana.

The ground absorbed the mana, stacking layers of earthen armor around him.

And then—

*Siiick—!!*

With an eerie sound, as if a snake’s tongue had flicked past, the earth’s armor melted away and vanished.

‘Damn it…!’

Rolling swiftly backward, Cheoriban finally discerned the nature of the magic targeting him.

“Solar rays…”

The branch of the World Tree, extending high into the sky, had created a transparent droplet like a magnifying glass, capturing the sunlight. When the sun’s rays passed through, they transformed into a laser, piercing down to the ground.

“What a monstrous trick…”

Flower-Embedded, who was controlling the World Tree with her arms raised high, stared at Cheoriban with an icy expression. She was a woman of mystical and beautiful appearance, her gaze enough to unsettle anyone.

“Not as gentle as she looks…”

*Swish!*

When Flower-Embedded stretched her arms wide, the branches of the World Tree coiled like snakes, spreading outwards. Green mana gathered at the branches, which fanned out to cover the sky.

‘As expected, it seems she can’t unleash those solar rays repeatedly.’

After all, even a 9th-class mage firing such attacks recklessly could overthrow an entire nation in the time it takes to cook ramen.

*Rumble!*

The earth shook, and the roots of the World Tree surged up, while a sudden eruption spawned a volcano that began spewing lava—cataclysmic chaos.

However, even as Aruun and Flower-Embedded’s assault intensified, Cheoriban remained composed.

“Haha… you still don’t truly understand me, do you?”

Beneath his feet, a breath stirred. Sensing the threat to Cheoriban, Tamgaltwin awakened.

It adored Cheoriban so dearly that it would never forgive the source of danger.

Even if it were a god.

*…Must someone else die because of me again?*

He didn’t fail to understand their motives. Cheoriban, a black mage and slaughterer.

But Cheoriban swore he’d never taken an innocent life without reason.

It was simply that…

His abilities.

The blessing of Tamgaltwin…

Desired to obliterate any threat near him.

The force was so overwhelming that…

Countless children, elders, women, men, homes, villages, cities, and countries crumbled under it.

He is a villain.

Regardless of his reasons, disaster struck wherever he went, with massive casualties following in his wake.

In his heart, he almost wished to die by their hands.

Perhaps… he should have died that day when he went to confront the Black Mage King.

But he couldn’t die.

He was a coward.

And so, once more, he creates another victim.

Because he is loved by the earth.

He can be loved by no one else.

---

Meanwhile, in the Garden of Ifanel.

After sending Soya away, Baek Yuseol continued to look at the petrified Ifanel. Although he had guessed as much, witnessing the reason for her corruption firsthand left his heart heavy.

‘She chose corruption on her own.’

Though Soya’s abilities weren’t recorded in the Finch Glasses, he could at least confirm that she was a “half-witch.”

‘A simulacrum…’

This wasn’t an ordinary simulacrum.

It wasn’t a simple duplication technique that creates clones out of thin air like in comics; it required a physical “doll” to host the duplicate’s body. The caster would imbue their soul and mana into the doll, and the value of the simulacrum depended on the doll’s grade.

From simple wooden dolls to… real, living humans as materials, to instill sentience within the target, one would have to taint them with their own energy.

In other words, they’d drain the target’s blood and mana, filling them with their own essence.

**“Disgusting woman.”**

The woman who had stolen Ifanel’s heart had returned here for more than just absorbing it.

Her goal was to corrupt Ifanel with her energy, transforming her into a puppet.

But who was Ifanel? Despite her childlike manner and appearance, she was a thousand-year-old spirit.

Even after losing all her energy, her wisdom had remained intact, and she chose to fall herself to prevent Soya from corrupting her.

To become a spirit, she’d even abandoned her painstakingly cultivated “noble soul” built over centuries.

Baek Yuseol’s fist clenched involuntarily.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt sorrow for Ifanel and an uncontrollable urge to kill Soya.

‘But I must not.’

He could not be blinded by rage.

A simple death wouldn’t be enough of a punishment. Soya needed to experience suffering worse than death.

To make her regret ever touching Ifanel’s heart.

“Just wait a little longer. I’ll get you out of here soon.”

Ifanel had lived confined in this garden for far too long. After losing her heart, she’d become too fragile to survive in the outside world.

But now that she had fully fallen… if he could purify her spirit again, he might be able to take her out.

‘I’m sure that woman has gone after Cheoriban.’

In the final moment, he’d sensed her emotion: desire.

A vivid desire to claim Cheoriban’s life and absorb the spirit’s heart completely.

He could not feel more grateful for the Crimson Spring

 March’s blessing.

With this confidence, he could act with purpose.

‘But first… purification is the real challenge.’

He couldn’t ignore the urgent matter right in front of him in a fit of anger.

Ifanel had fallen willingly, and restoring her to her original state would be extremely difficult. In the original game, once a character was corrupted, almost no storyline existed for returning them to their former self.

‘The only hope is…’

A girl named Fleime, uniquely capable of restoring a corrupted black mage, though he wasn’t sure if this situation was salvageable.

If the corruption was forced, maybe, but Ifanel had fallen of her own accord.

“Sigh… I don’t know. Just wait a little. I’ll be back as soon as I deal with Soya.”

With a concerned expression, Baek Yuseol gently touched the purple barrier surrounding Ifanel and then stepped out of the garden.

In the garden, now empty under the moonlight.

*Swhip…*

The corrupted spirit slowly opened her eyes. The air was tainted with dark magic, but for some reason…

Ifanel’s gaze remained clear and pure, worthy of still being called a “spirit.”

She remembered Baek Yuseol’s back as he left. His figure carrying a heavy burden, moving forward against all odds.

‘Soon, I’ll be back…’

Ifanel struggled to convey her thoughts to Baek Yuseol, but it was in vain. Still, it didn’t matter if he couldn’t hear.

Because they would meet again.