Episode 45
This was the limit—even for Chris.
It wasn’t a matter of talent.
Chris realized the fundamental problem.
“This isn’t a capacity meant for humans.”
No matter how exceptional, there was a boundary that no human could cross.
Absorbing more than 90% of the Holy Darkness required transcending human limits.
So—
Chris devised a plan.
“I just have to surpass human limits.”
His eyes gleamed with determination.
There was an artificial way to do it.
“Temporarily alter the nature of the core.”
Chris thought of the race on the continent with the largest core capacity.
Dragons.
They weren’t invincible legends.
Dragons typically wielded power around the level of seven stars.
But their core vessels were undoubtedly the largest among all races.
“Let’s imitate the Dragon Heart method.”
The Dragon Heart contained magic like an ocean.
It wasn’t just because it was made of a tough material.
Like a streamlined shape reduces wind resistance, the Dragon Heart’s structure incorporated magical principles that eased the resistance of mana.
Chris recalled the corpse of a magical dragon he had seen before.
He remembered the protective structural principle of the Dragon Heart.
The core wasn’t a physical organ but a conceptual one.
By mentally twisting the core’s structure, he mimicked the Dragon Heart’s principle.
It wasn’t easy—almost impossible.
And it couldn’t be sustained for long.
At best, just a few minutes.
“That’s fine. I only need to hold on briefly.”
Chris’s mana, reacting to the Holy Darkness, began to change.
Gradually surpassing 90%.
The moment it crossed that threshold, a whole new world opened.
Flash!
Chris’s mana constitution became incomparably stronger than before.
Mana was energy transformed from life force into dark energy.
But this newly transformed dark mana was different.
It was pure darkness itself.
Pure, and therefore immensely powerful.
Chris used this mana to reinforce his core once again.
From here on, it was war.
The overwhelming energy of the Holy Darkness tried to shatter the core.
Chris’s mana desperately held back the core’s cracking.
It was like trying to artificially seal cracks in a dam on the verge of collapse.
Naturally, it was a difficult task.
At any moment, the core could completely break down.
One misstep, and it would be over.
But Chris, with his insane mana control, accomplished this near-impossible feat.
Finally, his absorption rate of the Holy Darkness surpassed 90.5%.
Just a little more, and he could absorb it perfectly.
Then, suddenly—
Chris froze.
“I have to stop.”
An instinctive warning echoed through him.
This was the limit.
Because he was exceptional, he knew this for sure.
Absorbing more Holy Darkness was impossible.
If he pushed further, he wouldn’t even survive.
“Is it really impossible?”
Chris bit his lip hard.
His mind calculated the situation ahead.
But no matter what, he couldn’t prevent the core’s collapse.
In truth, absorbing 100% might have been greed.
Even the primordial ancestor of the dark mana never absorbed 100%.
Yet that ancestor became the third-ranked Demon Lord of the Magic Empire.
Maybe this was already enough.
“Maybe it’s better not to overreach.”
But—
Chris had a gut feeling.
He must never give up.
No matter what, he had to obtain the Holy Darkness perfectly, or he would regret it forever.
“But it’s impossible now…”
Then, a voice came.
Soft.
A whisper as if from the void.
[Do you… need help?]
“!!”
Chris’s eyes widened.
A chill ran down his spine.
“A demon.”
He recognized the voice.
Mephina.
The demon he had encountered during the Ebony Ritual was speaking!
The demon whispered sweetly.
[The power of demons… resonates with darkness. I will help you… with no price.]
“…No price at all?”
From beyond the void, the demon’s lips curled into a smile.
Though unseen, Chris could feel it.
A smile both alluring and ominously chilling.
[Yes… I swear by my name. I will ask for no price from you.]
“…Why?”
No demon offers help without a price.
Mephina laughed aloud.
A dirge-like laugh echoed eerily through the dark space.
[Simply… because I’m whimsical. You’ve piqued my interest, so I’ll help you.]
Chris was silent for a moment.
Since the demon swore by her name, accepting help might not cost him anything.
Perhaps this was an opportunity.
But—
There was no question in his mind.
“I refuse.”
[…You’re willing to give up the Holy Darkness? Just because you don’t want a demon’s help?]
Mephina’s tone held a hint of disappointment.
[Foolish one. To throw away such a chance for such a trivial reason… disappointing.]
Chris chuckled.
When did he ever ask for her to expect anything? She was the one disappointed on her own.
He didn’t care.
“When did I say I’m giving up the Holy Darkness?”
He wasn’t about to be dismissed without a word.
[You intend to obtain the Holy Darkness on your own? You know that’s beyond what humans are allowed, don’t you?]
Chris nodded.
The demon was right.
No matter what, humans couldn’t absorb more than this.
“It’s not the core’s fault. No matter how well I protect it, I can’t absorb more. The rejection is too severe.”
This rejection came from the limits of the human species.
Humans could become darkness or light.
But they could never be perfect darkness or perfect light.
There was always some mixture of the opposite attribute.
To fully accept the Holy Darkness, one would have to become a perfect being of darkness.
But—
“There is a way.”
Chris’s eyes snapped open wide.
Seeing the change unfolding in Chris, the demon’s voice faltered, uncharacteristically unsettled.
[That is…? Impossible?]
The darkness surrounding Chris roared wildly.
At the same time, a miracle that should never happen began to take place.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Mana Pavilion.
A voice echoed through the residence of Lord Norgian.
“How much time has passed?”
“One week, Lord.”
It was about Chris.
Norgian frowned deeply.
“No news yet?”
“No, none.”
He tapped his staff sharply.
“When I performed the Holy Darkness ritual, it took four days.”
Norgian’s own absorption was just under 80%.
So Chris was attempting to absorb over 80%.
There was no way he was still alive.
Merian, listening nearby, sighed softly.
“Why such reckless ambition?”
Simon spoke up.
“It seems that Acting Lord Langham wants to close the passage connected to the Sacred Ground.”
The Sacred Ground was a shadow dimension.
The passage opened once every two or three years, and remained forcibly open by dark magic until all participants returned.
They were ready to close it, assuming Chris was dead.
“……”
Norgian said nothing, his expression displeased.
Simon smiled faintly.
“Then let them close it.”
“Damn it. You’re trying to test this old man, aren’t you?”
Simon said nothing.
His silence was an answer.
Norgian clicked his tongue.
“You really think Chris, that thunderous fool, is still alive?”
Simon answered with a smirk.
“I don’t know. Honestly, the chance is slim. But if he is alive, it would be interesting.”
He smiled.
“A very fascinating young master. Just watching him is a pleasure. It would be a shame if such an intriguing being were lost to a poor decision by you, Lord.”
If the passage to the shadow dimension closed, Chris would have no way back.
Even if he miraculously survived, he would die trapped there.
“That’s only if he’s alive.”
“Of course.”
“So it’s meaningless. He’s dead.”
“!!”
Simon and Merian’s faces hardened.
“You don’t understand what it means to absorb over 80% of the Holy Darkness. Even I couldn’t dare to reach 80%.”
Norgian had stopped just before 80%.
It was no longer possible.
If he had gone any further, his core would have collapsed.
But if Chris was still alive, he was probably trying to reach 90%.
“The first ancestor received help from the Demon King when absorbing the Holy Darkness. Without that, even he couldn’t have reached 90%.”
The meaning was clear.
No matter how great Chris’s vessel, absorbing more than 90% was impossible.
“…I see. Then shall we let Lord Langham close the passage?”
Forcing the passage open required enormous mana.
If there was no chance Chris was alive, closing it was the right choice.
Norgian shut his mouth tightly.
His face still full of displeasure.
“…One more day.”
He turned his back.
His cold voice settled like a shadow.
“If he cannot return, strip him of the right to hold the family’s funeral as punishment for his foolish greed.”
[No… how is this possible?]
The startled voice of the demon, Mephina, echoed through the shadowed void.
A transcendent being like a demon, shocked?
It was inevitable.
At this moment, the very essence of Chris’s soul was changing.
From a neutral being harboring both light and darkness,
the light was being driven out, replaced entirely by darkness.
To Mephina, the sensation of this soul was all too familiar.
[A demon…?]
No.
It was far too insignificant to be called a demon.
The soul was small, fragile, and pitiful—clearly that of a mortal.
More than anything, it lacked the inherent wickedness unique to demons.
But then… what was this perfect darkness consuming the soul?
Pure, unadulterated darkness.
How could a human soul become like this?
Such pristine darkness was beyond the reach of any mortal.
[How on earth…?]
“I’m… a genius.”
Christian answered with difficulty.
Blood threatened to well up in his throat.
‘This is still beyond me.’
The change in Christian’s soul was the result of a secret technique he had used.
Demonization.
A mystical art of the divine realm that allowed a mortal to temporarily transform into a demon.