The charge had drained a significant chunk of his magical power.
Along with it, a recoil hit his body, but [Steadfast Will] kept his mind steady.
Shit.
When he looked down at his hand, a blue light flickered along his veins.
It was “Overheat”.
This phenomenon occurred when a mage handled more magical power than their limit.
This was one reason Jun had to seal part of his [Mana Body] skill.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t give up.
The golem was still intact.
Once again, mana surged through his veins.
Thump- thump- thump- thump-
His heart screamed in alarm at the huge influx of magical power, but Jun didn’t stop chanting.
If only I had one chance. Just one chance to land an effective hit on that thing…!
Surely, an opportunity for a turnaround would arise.
However, the golem did not stand idly by. It quickly recovered from its groggy state and moved.
Raising its massive fist, it struck the shield.
With each punch, chunks of magical power drained away, accelerating the overheat.
“Ugh…!”
The blue light intensified as the mana circuits heated up.
Despite the overflow of mana, Jun’s circuits hadn’t yet developed enough to handle such a large amount.
As a result, no matter how much magical power he poured in, the shield’s magical pattern grew more unstable.
“Damn…!”
Just two seconds.
If he had just two seconds, he could have cast the prepared spell.
He had no choice but to cancel the gathered magical power and prepare to dodge.
“Haaaaap!”
With a shout, Aiden appeared behind the golem.
He looked like he had dragged his battered body there by sheer will. Red magical power wavered around him like a mirage.
Jun’s gaze wavered at the sight of that magical power, but only for a moment.
Aiden jumped a distance that was hard to believe was a human leap and swung his sword.
Normally, such attack wouldn’t even scratch the golem. But Aiden’s sword dug into the golem’s crown with a determined sound.
Kiiiiiing—!
Like a malfunctioning machine, the golem screamed and thrashed about.
At the same time, a massive shockwave erupted from its body, sending Aiden’s body flying through the air.
The entire sequence took three seconds.
It was enough time for Jun to resume his interrupted casting and complete the spell he had been working on.
[Psychic: Marionette Line]
Black threads, conjured by the spell, shot from Jun’s fingertips towards the golem.
The threads followed the path of Aiden’s sword and entered the golem’s interior.
I had originally planned to cast an offensive spell first.
Significant magical power was required to inflict serious damage on a golem with magic resistance.
Aiden’s unexpected actions had greatly reduced that burden.
If Jun had used a powerful enough spell to damage the golem directly, he would have been bedridden for months.
But… I’ve revealed far too much to that guy unexpectedly.
The reason Jun had remained a low-level mage wasn’t just due to his limited magical knowledge; it was also because he needed to stay unnoticed in his current environment.
What should I do about him…
While he was pondering, something caught on the thread that had entered the golem.
First, this.
He felt the texture of what the thread had touched as if it were his own hand.
A glowing round core.
It was the golem’s core.
Good. Its condition isn’t bad.
Some of Aiden’s magical power had infiltrated the core, but its condition was still relatively good.
Additionally, the golem’s core was special.
Considering its value, this crisis might turn into a far greater benefit in the future.
[Entering system magical pattern. Connecting… Detecting a spirit]
The reason Jun used a psychic spell on a non-living golem.
It was because of the spirit residing in the golem’s core.
As if he was hacking, Jun’s magic infiltrated the spirit’s mind.
At the same time, the rampaging golem’s movements stopped.
The spirit succumbed to Jun’s overwhelming magical power and allowed him to seize control of the golem.
Is it because it’s a low-grade spirit? This was easier than I thought.
Jun gained control of the core and proceeded to dismantle the golem’s body.
Unfortunately, since he hadn’t fully mastered the core, this simple command was the best he could manage.
In the end, the golem’s body collapsed.
The long battle had come to an end.
“Haah…”
The overheated blood vessels slowly returned to their normal color.
“Damn it. I need to rest for a few days.”
Jun who felt the backlash was starting already hurriedly took a potion from his pocket.
“Compared to the money I earned from this mission, this is a huge loss.”
With that brief complaint, Jun’s gaze shifted to the debris behind the golem.
There, Aiden had fallen to the ground after he got hit by the shockwave the Golem had unleashed in its final throes.
Had he already lost consciousness?
Jun got on one knee in front of Aiden and looked at him.
“……”
Aiden’s chest faintly rose and fell, which meant he was still alive.
However, his entire body was covered in wounds, showing how hard he had fought in this battle.
Jun’s eyes held a subtle killing intent as he looked at Aiden.
***
After a brief hesitation, Jun finally sighed.
“Phew… lucky guy.”
Aiden had revealed too much, but on the other hand, Jun had also shown Aiden a lot.
There was no need to silence him with death immediately.
How did I end up like this?
Back when he was Lee Jeong-jun, he had never even thrown a punch at anyone, and now he was casually deciding whether to kill someone or not.
That past year had changed many aspects of him.
And if my guess is correct, this guy probably…
When his thoughts reached this far, Jun took a potion from his pocket and slowly poured it into Aiden’s mouth.
***
“Ugh, mm.”
Aiden opened his eyes a full day later.
What stimulated his senses instead of his blurred vision were the savory smell of food and the warmth that enveloped him.
“You’re awake.”
“…? Ah!”
At that moment, the memory of just before he passed out returned and Aiden instinctively reached for his waist, but he didn’t feel the familiar handle of his sword.
“Calm down. The battle is over.”
“Senior…? The golem…?”
“Over there.”
The sword that had been lodged in the golem was completely shattered after the creature’s body collapsed.
“Oh…”
“I’m sorry, but that sword can no longer be used. But we are safe. The golem’s roar echoed throughout the forest.”
The golem was an unbeatable monster for the creatures of the black forest.
Even if they smelled blood, they wouldn’t dare come near.
“…Thank you, senior. Thanks to you, I’ve been saved again.”
“Well, I’ve received a lot of help too. Especially at the end.”
“…Yes.”
So, a brief silence flowed between the two.
The crackling sound of burning firewood broke the silence.
Aiden spoke first.
“Your magical abilities… have you been hiding them on purpose all this time?”
“Yes, they are too conspicuous.”
“I’ve heard it once before. That human hearts are put up for auction in the black market.”
“……”
“And most of them are those born with excessive magical power in their bodies.”
Let alone those with [Mana Body].
Even the hearts of those with lower-tier skills become rare magical materials in this world.
“……Whew.”
The cigarette he had quit long ago came to mind desperately.
At the same time, memories he wanted to forget but should not forget surfaced.
The memories that appeared in his dreams every night.
“What a fu*ked up world.”
“Have you experienced something similar?”
“Yeah, the only difference is that I almost got my heart ripped out while still alive.”
“……”
Only then did Aiden understand the attitude Jun had shown so far.
The reason he had to live as a lower-ranked mage despite his skills.
Ironically, it was because of his outstanding talent.
Sometimes, possessing a priceless treasure could be a sin.
Aiden gazed steadily at Jun and, as if making a decision, spoke up.
“Senior, I will never speak of this to anyone.”
“I don’t trust promises.”
“……Actually, I have a secret too. I don’t know if you’ll believe it…”
“The imperial family, huh?”
“……You knew, after all.”
Jun recalled the strike Aiden had dealt to the golem.
The reason the attack worked was because of the crimson magical power that swirled within his body.
And in this world, there was only one family capable of producing such magic.
The imperial family.
I thought he was from a fallen noble family because his usual behavior was so old-fashioned.
But an imperial family member?
The name of the imperial family in the world of <Blackout> carried immense weight.
They were the rulers who had achieved the unification of humanity.
“Are you an illegitimate child?”
“Yes.”
Although the emperor of the empire practiced polygamy, there was one exception.
Children must be born after a marriage ceremony.
However, Aiden was a child born outside of this rule.
“Surviving is already a miracle.”
“…That’s why I was told to live as quietly as possible. But you’re not as surprised as I thought you’d be.”
“No, honestly, I was very surprised.”
He had only somewhat predicted it after seeing the crimson magical power.
And there was something even more important.
Jun’s brow furrowed slightly.
“An imperial who is not truly imperial. That’s who you are.”
Adrian Lune Wyvern Arsio.
Or Aiden, for short.
He was the protagonist of this game’s world, <Blackout>.
***
In his days as Lee Jeong-jun, he had been a veteran player of <Blackout> but he had little interest in the game’s story.
At the time, with the college entrance exam approaching, his daily gaming time was limited, and most of it had to be invested in character development.
Fortunately, <Blackout> was a game with a high degree of freedom, so there were no obstacles to progress even if he didn’t clear the main scenario.
However, that did not mean Jun was completely ignorant of <Blackout>’s story.
There were changes in the game world that followed, even if there were no direct obstacles to progress.
For example, if an important character in the game died, there would be significant changes in the game world.
Typically, taxes would increase significantly, or a particular organization would suddenly attack during the game and bring changes that were not there before.
Therefore, as he responded to these changes during gameplay, he became familiar with the general storyline.
And Aiden, or the abandoned imperial family member Adrian. He was the central figure of that story.
Aiden… I wondered why I didn’t know him, and it turns out he was using this alias at the time.
Adrian’s official appearance in the game’s story was still a few years in the future.
Come to think of it, Adrian had a considerable hatred for goblins.
According to the original story, he should not have been here.
So this reality was not part of the original game’s story either.
At this time, the original Adrian would have deepened his enmity with the goblins.
This had been changed due to Jun’s appearance.
So, now I have started to influence the story.
Jun couldn’t predict which direction this would take.
However, he wasn’t afraid of the changes deviating from the original scenario.
I never expected it to go as planned from the start.
From the beginning, <Blackout> was a multi-ending game, and Jun had never fully grasped its story.
So he never had plans to steer it toward the ending he knew.
Rather than meddling half-heartedly, he preferred to leave it alone.
It will work out somehow.
And so, there was no need to worry about things that hadn’t happened yet.
The question is how I will use this.
That was something he could think about gradually from now on.
“This turned out to be a heavier conversation than I thought.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I ended up finding senior’s secret… You can pretend you didn’t hear my story.”
In fact, knowing about the existence of an abandoned imperial wouldn’t bring any benefit.
He was more likely to get entangled in troublesome matters.
Aiden who realized this belatedly didn’t know what to do, but…
For Jun, it didn’t matter. He didn’t want to waste time denying what had already happened.
Jun intentionally changed the subject.
“First of all, how is your condition?”
“My right arm is still not good… but I feel unusually energetic. What did you do for me, senior?”
“It must be the intermediate recovery potion. The speed at which your bones are healing is faster than I expected.”
“Intermediate… potion?!”
Aiden gasped.
It was just below the high-grade recovery potion which was known to be very expensive.
Although it was more commonly available, its price was still quite high.
“I have some skill in potion-making.”
It was all thanks to the skills [Herbology] and [Potion Making], which he had taken to gain reputation among fellow NPCs.
“That’s amazing… To have such magical ability and also be skilled in potion-making…”
“Learning anything can be useful. Anyway, thanks to the golem, we can stay here for about a day. Recover your condition as much as possible by then.”
“Understood. By the way…”
Grrr—
Aiden let out an awkward laugh.
“First, we need to find something to eat.”
The meal they hastily prepared with the available supplies was surprisingly delicious.
After taking the rest they were given for a day, the two prepared to leave the next day.
***
Despite several twists and turns, Jun and Aiden were able to return safely to the fortress.
This was because they had not run into any monsters since encountering the golem.
“Hmm… White Whale Mercenaries? Your captain’s name was Galaves, right?”
“Our captain died in this operation.”
“I heard you failed to subdue the goblins in the Black Forest. So you came from there, I see.”
The other party nodded as if he understood.
In fact, Jun and Aiden looked quite disheveled.
“Your mercenary tags are legitimate. Go on in.”
“Thank you.”
As they entered the fortress, Aiden finally relaxed and let out a low sigh.
“Phew… We made it back alive.”
“Yeah, we did. Somehow, we made it.”
“Yes. But senior, what are you planning to do now?”
“Hm? About what?”
“Like your plans from here on…?”
“You want to keep traveling with me?”
“Oh.”
In fact, it was not strange for Jun to say that, as the mercenary group that had formed their bond was effectively disbanded.
However, there was still the bond they had built up on their journey to this point. Just as Aiden began to feel a pang of sadness,
“I would feel more secure if you were with me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I survived this time thanks to you.”
“No, didn’t you plan everything? And you finished the battle too…”
“Well, thanks for thinking that, but we should clean up a bit first. Let’s meet later at the ‘Hungry Wolf’.”
Aiden pictured the shabby tavern, nodded his head, and returned to his lodging, while Jun stretched as he watched Aiden’s retreating figure.
“Haah, we somehow managed to survive.”
It was only natural to expect a reward after all their hardships, but this time, they only incurred losses.
“Tsk, but at least I got this.”
Jun looked at the golem core in his hand. It was a valuable material for making artifacts and could fetch a good price.
“It would be a shame to just sell it. I’ll have to visit that one later. Maybe I can use it for something else.”
Thinking of a person who always had money on their mind, Jun quickly left the spot as well.
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