AV怡红院一区二区三区

Chapter 199

A shroud of darkness enveloped everything in an instant, leaving only Se-Hoon’s body distinguishable. Finding himself in a void-like landscape where he couldn’t feel anything, Se-Hoon soon deduced where he was.

I’m on the other side of the boundary... the Netherworld.

People had long since been referring to the Netherworld by names such as the shadow of reality, the world of death, or the final destination of the dead. And when Wurgen officially discovered the Netherworld after becoming a Perfect One, necromancy had surged in popularity. Before, it had heavily relied on intuition.

During that time, each practitioner had a unique theory about where the soul headed and how to summon it.

Simply put, it\'s like Babel\'s Void Space Terminal.

It was Wurgen who had revealed that the Netherworld was essentially a midpoint that the souls of the dead had to pass through on their way to the afterlife. Necromancers worldwide had then taken that discovery and re-established their necromancy based on how they understood it, increasing its stability and power.

Back then, it caused great confusion due to it greatly differing from the afterlife that humanity believed in, but it was nonetheless a crucial aspect of necromancy.

Gush-

Of course, since it was the Netherworld, it was naturally not a place for the living.

Observing the surrounding darkness, Se-Hoon noticed that it seemed to pulsate and had begun to seep into his body. The sight intrigued him.

So this is how one is eroded by the Netherworld to gradually become a dead soul.

Not only was the darkness around him staining him black, but his strength was being drained away and his body had begun to disintegrate into pieces; at the current rate, he wouldn\'t last five minutes. Yet Se-Hoon looked around unconcerned.

If he actually intended to kill me, I would have been dead long ago.... He must be expecting me to do something here.

Pondering what Wurgen wanted to see from him, Se-Hoon quickly came up with the answer. Then, without putting in much thought, he began to move.

Edict of the Eternal Nocturne

Woong-

In an instant, the darkness that had been enveloping Se-Hoon was pushed back by an intangible wave spreading from within his body. Feeling the surroundings shaking violently in reaction, he noticed a line had appeared beneath his feet, clearly defining the ground, differentiating it from the surroundings.

Is this the boundary?

Stepping onto the line, he experienced a shift in all his senses. He was no longer being ambiguously mixed with the Netherworld, a clear boundary had been drawn between himself and it. Taking the halting of the erosion of his body as proof, he gained a rough understanding of the boundary\'s power.

It\'s just like a pair of vinyl gloves.

The power of Boundaries prevented one from being stained by the black ink of the Netherworld and helped them safely push it out. With such an ability, it was a fundamental but essential power for dealing with the highly erosive forces of the Netherworld.

This must be what Wurgen wanted to see.

He suspected that Wurgen had thrown him into the Netherworld to test how well he could handle the power of Boundaries that had been absorbed from Wurgen’s finger bone.

Does he think I won\'t die from this? Or does he just think it doesn\'t matter if I die since he can revive me anyway?

Regardless, Se-Hoon, having previously experienced similar insanity, was unfazed by the slightly insane testing method and calmly observed his surroundings.

If I keep holding out here, he\'ll probably take me out eventually...

However, that would take a long time, and more importantly, Wurgen\'s evaluation would be ambiguous. Therefore Se-Hoon quickly decided to score a few more points and drew upon his darkness mana, Midnight Abyss.

Woong!

As Midnight Abyss formed in his hands, the dormant darkness around him rushed in at once. It was because Midnight Abyss, which specialized in handling the power of the Netherworld, naturally gathered strength from its surroundings.

Let\'s see...

Imbuing Midnight Abyss in both hands, he drew a large circle in the air and separated a portion of the Netherworld. It looked like he had outlined and detached a section of the air.

Confirming the shape, he then slowly molded the portion with both hands, shaping it into a spear. During the process, as he infused Midnight Abyss into it, its color brightened slightly and evoked a distinct feeling.

“Hmm. It\'s not bad, but... it feels a bit bland.”

Whoosh!

The swinging sensation wasn’t bad, but in terms of composition, it was just an ordinary spear infused with a bit of darkness mana. Taking another look at the overall structure, he began to inscribe small spell patterns on the surface of the spear with his index finger.

I should also enhance its erosive ability. And while I’m at it, if I can make it so that it reverses the boundary of the person it comes in contact with, pushing them into the Netherworld... wait, is this how Vision of the Abyss works?

Falling into thought, he racked his brain for other ways to improve the spear as well.

Thud!

A sudden tremor echoed from somewhere, startling Se-Hoo. He glanced around.

What now?

Was Wurgen up to something because he was enduring too well? Bracing himself for what was coming, he felt another massive vibration hit and immediately noticed a giant crack appearing in front of him.

It was as if someone was trying to break the space apart. At the alarming yet familiar sight, he belatedly remembered something.

Eun-Ha?

He hadn’t come alone.

Crash!!!

With a terrifying roar, the space before him shattered and crimson flames rushed into the darkness. Then, from within those flames, a crimson meteor approached Se-Hoon, grabbing and pulling him out in an instant.

“Ugh!”

In the blink of an eye, he had been pulled out of the Netherworld and was now back in the hallway. Regaining his senses, he quickly took a look around.

Fwoosh!

The hallway, which was previously engulfed in Wurgen\'s darkness, was now in ruins. Their guide, Benjamin, was also kneeling to the side with two-thirds of his chest blown away.

This is a complete mess...

Taking in the chaos that had unfolded, he turned to the crimson meteor, Eun-Ha, who was holding him.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” she asked.

From her crimson hair, eyes, and even arms, he could tell that Eun-Ha had activated the third stage of Soul Furnace, Red Vigor. Se-Hoon smiled wryly.

“I\'m not exactly hurt, but... what did you do here...”

“I\'ll explain once we escape this place.”

“No, wait...”

Boom!

Wasting no time to talk, Eun-Ha cut him off and drew more power, causing the crimson flames surrounding her to burn even more fiercely.

Is she really going to activate the fourth stage...?

Just as Se-Hoon was about to stop her from exerting her full power, a calm voice beat him to it.

“That\'s enough.”

At the voice, the surrounding scenery flipped and returned to the original hallway. The darkness that had enveloped everything, the flames that had been burning, and any sign of destruction all vanished. Even Benjamin\'s chest wound had been completely healed.

It truly looked like nothing had happened...

Fwoosh!

...besides the flames of Soul Furnace flaring up on Eun-Ha’s body.

Fascinated by the still-burning flames, Wurgen muttered, “I had intended to snuff out the flames on your body too, but.... This is quite surprising. No wonder Ludwig has his eye on you.”

“...”

With the curious Wurgen on one side, and Eun-Ha, who was still searching for a way out, on the other, Se-Hoon let out a sigh.

“We’re fine, Dean. Really. He was just testing me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. When he said he wanted me to die, it was probably a joke. It was a play on words, as he was sending me to the Netherworld.”

While it was a solid explanation for the situation, Eun-Ha’s reaction didn’t improve.

“You’re saying that sending a first-year student to the Netherworld on a whim is for a simple test?”

“Hmm... well...”

She had a point, but what could he do? They were facing a Perfect One, and a mad one at that. So he decided to just keep things simple.

“He is a Perfect One, after all.”

It was well known that high-ranking heroes had a few screws loose, and Wurgen, who was among the pinnacle of such individuals, was no exception.

“...”

For a moment, Eun-Ha just stared into Se-Hoon\'s eyes before finally nodding and extinguishing the flames of Soul Furnace. Her blazing hair settled down, and the explosive power surrounding her dissipated.

She then set Se-Hoon down and bowed to Wurgen.

“I apologize for interrupting the test.”

“It\'s fine. It was somewhat expected,” Wurgen responded indifferently.

“Thank you for understanding—”

“But I don\'t want another interruption. I will only let him come in.”

“...”

Eun-Ha glanced at Se-Hoon, who nodded slightly in response.

“...Understood”

“I\'ll be right back.”

Reassuring Eun-Ha, Se-Hoon entered the office alone and began looking around. Despite its size, it was mostly empty, with only a desk that had a gray cushion where a skull sat like a decoration on top of it.

Wow.... That thing is something else.

Seeing Wurgen\'s skull for the first time, he couldn\'t help but be impressed. The pitch-black darkness filling the skull was something most wouldn\'t understand, but having just been in the Netherworld, Se-Hoon recognized what it was immediately.

Who would have thought he was directly connected to the Netherworld...

Unlike other necromancers who could barely handle the power of the Netherworld, Wurgen\'s soul was directly connected to it. And since that was the case, then it meant he existed on the boundary between the surface and the Netherworld—a discovery about the secret to his power that left Se-Hoon in awe.

If I could forge something with that, it could draw infinite power from the Netherworld...

Perhaps because he had recently grasped the structure of the Eternal Nocturne’s Phalanx, he felt more curiosity than dread looking at the skull. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to examine it for long, as a voice soon interrupted his thoughts

“That\'s enough.”

From within the skull\'s eye sockets, dark blue lights glowed, glaring at him.

“Your stare is quite unpleasant. Look away at once.”

“Understood.”

Without arguing, Se-Hoon slightly lowered his gaze. He was aware there was no need to provoke the already ill-tempered Wurgen.

“Hmm. This must be it.”

Wurgen\'s eyes flicked to the side, and a black spear appeared in midair. After carefully examining the spear Se-Hoon had been forging in the Netherworld before Eun-Ha pulled him out, Wurgen asked plainly, “How much of the power of Boundaries have you absorbed?”

“Everything contained in the finger bone.”

“And how did you dispel my trap?”

“I forced my way through it. Without your direct control, it\'s just one rogue, tricky power.”

At those words, Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon with disbelief.

Many have tried to control it and ended up crippled.... What a nonsensical guy.

Either he didn\'t fully comprehend the situation, or he understood it but chose to downplay his accomplishments. Wurgen looked back at the spear, wondering how much this guy would need to be fazed.

I sent him there to see how much of the erosion he could withstand, and I ended up finding out he could handle not only the power of Boundaries but also the power of the Netherworld.

Neither of them were feats possible by just absorbing the power of Boundaries contained in the finger bone; one had to have a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of necromancy. However, what surprised Wurgen the most was the faint but present spell pattern of Vision of the Abyss which was inscribed on the spear.

This thing proves he even understands how to utilize the power of Boundaries further....

Having quickly assessed Se-Hoon\'s skills, Wurgen spoke again. “I\'ve roughly figured out what to teach you... but there\'s one more thing we need to discuss first. I hope you haven\'t forgotten.”

He stared straight at Se-Hoon.

“If you’re talking about your new finger, don’t worry. I’ll create something much better for you,” Se-Hoon replied, nodding in response.

“How exactly are you planning to do so?”

At the question, Se-Hoon pulled out the Nimbus Steel from his void pocket instead of responding.

“That should be...”

Recognizing the Nimbus Steel which now looked like a piece of the night sky itself, Wurgen’s glowing eyes enlarged.

“I plan to use a portion of this for the basis of your finger bone. However, I’ll need your assistance from time to time.”

“You’re much more prepared than I expected.”

If Se-Hoon had brought some mediocre Hero-tier material, Wurgen planned to demand the Dream Demon\'s eye from him instead. But it seemed rash to make such a request now.

He didn\'t know what kind of blueprint Se-Hoon had prepared, but upon seeing his confident stance, he decided to go with Se-Hoon’s plan after a moment\'s consideration.

“Fine. But you must forge it strictly under my supervision. Otherwise, you’ll need to swear an oath.”

“You can watch all you want. I don’t have any secrets to hide anyway.”

Unlike many blacksmiths who prohibited entry to their workshops to prevent the leakage of their techniques, Se-Hoon had never been particularly concerned about that even before the regression. His forging was based on Soul Honing which was impossible for others to replicate just by watching.

“...”

Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon’s unwavering confidence with dissatisfaction. Even his own children trembled before him, yet the young man before him stood so boldly.

What an oddly irritating guy.

With Se-Hoon’s abilities, his confidence should have pleased him, but for some reason, it had been grating on him since he first met Se-Hoon in person.

Shaking off the feeling, he added another condition.

“Also, if I’m not satisfied with the result, you’ll have to pay a price.”

“Of course. Though that won’t happen.”

“I like your confidence. Anyway, while I initially planned to kill you and make you my servant... that seems like more trouble than it’s worth.”

While it would be greatly beneficial for him, going to war with Ludwig would completely negate it. Hence, Wurgen chose a different path.

“So instead, if I’m dissatisfied with the result, I’ll take a part of your soul.”

“My soul...?”

The idea of having his soul taken if he failed made Se-Hoon uncomfortable. Although it was a common trope in novels and comics, his soul was already in a precarious state, so even the thought of Wurgen meddling with his soul was unsettling.

No way.... Could it be...?

But then he recalled a bizarre story he had heard long before he regressed.

“You won’t have to worry about it much. I will only be taking about one percent—no, half a percent of your soul. It won’t affect you at all.”

Indeed, such a small amount wouldn’t impact the body. And in a way, it was a favorable condition for Se-Hoon. However, Se-Hoon’s expression grew even more uneasy because the amount Wurgen mentioned matched exactly with the story he remembered.

“What... do you exactly intend to do with that portion of the soul?”

“Hm? Ah, I didn’t tell you?”

Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon.

“I’ll merge it with a part of my soul,” he said matter-of-factly.

“...”

“What that means is...”

Wurgen’s eyes then curled into crescents, as if mocking him.

“You’ll become my eighty-ninth child.”