Chapter 206: The Darkness of Duaat (2)

“This is insane! You really subdued the Dark Spirit King! You know it’s all thanks to the opening I created, right? If not for that—”

“Silence.”

Nain Darhon shouted excitedly as he ran over, but Karyl raised his hand and cut him off. The brief moment of victory was cut short, leaving Nain Darhon with a sour expression as he pursed his lips.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Ramine, if you’re inside me, you must have heard it too, right? During the clash with Duaat, someone else spoke to me... Am I right?” Karyl asked in a shaky voice, more concerned with the mysterious voice than the fallen Duaat.

[Yes, I wasn’t the one speaking about Arcane mana.]

“Allen!!”

Nain Darhon tilted his head, puzzled as he looked at Karyl, who had suddenly stood up. There was no one else besides them.

“How foolish...”

Was it just a hallucination?

Karyl shook himself back to reality, cursing his momentary loss of composure. He stomped the ground, biting his lip.

Allen...? Could that really have been Allen Javius?

Nain Darhon recalled when Karyl had mentioned the Assembly of Seven Elders in his study, wondering if he actually had some sort of connection to them.

The fact that Karyl had used Arcana mana on top of his dragon mana to subdue the Dark Spirit King was astonishing. Allen Javius’ unique magic was known only from ancient texts. No one had ever managed to attain it, prompting people to disregard it as a mere legend.

No, it can’t be. How could he be connected to a Great Sorcerer from a thousand years ago...? Karyl MacGovern, what exactly are you?

Nain Darhon couldn’t suppress a shudder. The more he learned about Karyl, the more he realized this boy was an endless well of surprises.

The fact that you’ve actually defeated Duaat... Your boast about the Dust of the Void wasn’t just talk.

He felt the darkness gradually receding. The oppressive presence of Duaat that had filled the area after the Book of Nightmares’ seal had been broken was slowly fading.

[How could you...]

As the bandages unwrapped, Duaat’s form began to dissolve like a clay figure.

“Thanks to the power you had sealed in the Abyssal Rock, I could use Arcane mana. That means half of you is already within me.”

[Did you break that seal?]

“I couldn't do it alone.” Karyl shrugged “Well... I am alone now.”

Karyl thought there was no need to tell Duaat about Allen Javius and the Arcane Golem.

[So that’s how it is...]

Although Karyl’s answer was ambiguous, Duaat, for some reason, did not bother asking further questions. Instead, he muttered in a low voice, hugging his spiritual form with his arms, [At last, I’ve found my contractor.]

Shhhh...!!

At that moment, Duaat’s spiritual form split into multiple parts and was absorbed into Karyl's body, as if disappearing within him.

“...?!”

Karyl, surprised by the sudden change, instinctively touched his chest.

“Did Duaat just enter your body? Did he really make a contract with you?”

“...Who knows. I’m just as surprised as you are. I thought we’d need more time to talk it out. For a fight to the death, he conceded too easily...”

“Huh...”

Nain Darhon, equally astonished, stared at Karyl with a gaping mouth.

“Well, spirits are fickle beings. Maybe he acknowledged his defeat. Now it’s your turn. Keep your promise. When we get back, teach those two."

“That won't be difficult, but... I never imagined you possessed Arcane mana.”

Karyl smiled faintly at Nain Darhon’s words.

“I’ve been mistaken all this time. Knowing that the original forces of light and darkness came from the rift, I thought they were solely the property of gods and spirits.”

“And?”

“I realized from the lightning you cast. The origin of that power may be divine, but humans also created that power in their own way through magic.”

Crackle... Sizzle...!

As Karyl opened his palm and concentrated his mana, Arcane mana formed into a spherical shape. Watching the purple light emitted from the merging of two elements, he thought,

I’ve been viewing Arcane mana as a single entity. I thought it was complete only when combining the Powers of Light and Darkness, without considering separating those elements within it.

Recalling Allen Javius’ voice that had briefly echoed in his mind, Karyl sighed softly.

I guess I’ll get an earful when I meet him. I still have a long way to go...

Although he was a talented genius in terms of swordsmanship, Karyl was still getting used to magic. Allen Javius’ vast knowledge was in his head, but Karyl had yet to fully unlock it. Besides, most of it was purely theoretical, and it was up to Karyl to integrate it in his swordsmanship.

[The most important thing in mana is the concept. Arcane mana was born from that as well. What can you achieve with such a narrow mind?]

Karyl felt as if he could hear Allen’s reprimand.

[There are dozens, even hundreds of schools of thought in swordsmanship, and thousands of types of mana depending on the element. And you can use both. Imagine how much you could accomplish.]

Karyl couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he slowly raised his head.

“...?”

His expression hardened instantly.

“Grandmaster? Give me a break. You still can’t fully harness your own power.”

“...Allen?”

Karyl couldn’t believe his ears.

“After inheriting my knowledge, you’re still at the 5th Class? And with that vast mana, the best you could come up with is auxiliary magic and the Arcane Blade...?”

Now he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Are you going to get your act together or not?”

“...Allen Javius!”

“Lower your voice, kid. The dead can hear and speak just like the living.”

Karyl looked at the man in front of him with a distorted expression.

“How... How is this possible?”

“Weren’t you the one who came to Antihum to summon me from the underworld? And now you ask me how?”

“That’s true, but...”

Unlike when he had lived parasitically within Karyl through a soul contract, Allen now stood before him in full physical form.

“I never imagined it would be like this. I thought I’d just be living within you like before.”

“To think I’d actually get to see you in reality...”

“Heh, who could have imagined it?”

However, Allen’s body didn’t seem to be entirely physical. Rather, he looked like an entity stuck between the physical and the spiritual realm, neither a reanimated corpse nor a pure soul. Unlike before, his face was wrapped in bandages inscribed with ancient, indecipherable runes.

“I was on the verge of disappearing, not yet in the underworld, but fortunately, my spirit was sealed within you. That fact that you possess dragon mana was a stroke of luck for me. By accepting my Arcane mana, you prevented my soul from vanishing.”

“Sigh... You should’ve explained that before you left!” Karyl raised his voice, almost whining. Perhaps Allen was the first person had truly opened up to. He was the only one in this world who knew about Karyl’s return to the past and still believed in him.

Naturally, Karyl’s feelings toward Allen were unique.

“Didn’t I say we’d meet again? And I’ve done enough for you. The rest is up to you, kid.”

“But how did this happen so suddenly...?”

“It’s Duaat’s power.”

Allen fiddled with the bandages covering his body as though they annoyed him.

“Thanks to his power, I can now maintain a form. And now, I can exist outside your body, though I still need your spirit power.”

“Ah...!”

Karyl recalled the moment Duaat’s power had been absorbed into him.

“The darkness held by the dark energy is, despite its name, a power of creation. Death is closest to the rift, making the two of us very compatible.”

“That’s what flowed in me.”

“Correct.”

“Does this mean my Arcane mana has become stronger? If it can revive you, then the dark energy of the Spirit King is indeed formidable.”

“What are you talking about? You can’t use Duaat’s power.”

“...What do you mean?”

Allen Javius smirked mischievously, as if teasing Karyl.

“He made a contract with me. In exchange for rebuilding my body, I will channel his power into the world. You must understand, it’s not yet time for you to wield Duaat’s power.”

“The essence of Arcane mana is ultimately light and darkness. Strengthening it seems like the most reliable method, just as you said.”

“Get to the level of a Great Sorcerer first before talking. You haven’t even fully opened your mana meridians yet. You mentioned something important. Indeed, Arcane mana is the balance of light and darkness. How will you handle it if only one side grows stronger?”

“...”

“If the balance is disrupted and one side becomes too powerful, the Arcane mana could explode. Given your immense mana, if something goes wrong, the resulting disaster would be incomparable to anything that novice has done.”

Allen pointed to Nain Darhon beside him. Even though he was sealed within Karyl, he hadn’t completely disappeared, so he was aware of everything Karyl had done so far.

“At least there’s someone in this world with a working brain, researching the nature of Tarak like I did. But then he gave it a grand name like the Dust of the Void, even though it’s just a failed creation. Hilarious.”

Karyl glanced at Nain Darhon standing behind him.

“Anyway, based on his research, we’ve managed to avoid trouble by using Duaat’s power to resurrect you. That’s a good thing.”

“You, stuck at the 5th Class despite my knowledge, and a novice who couldn’t handle the remnants of corruption properly, sought my help?”

Allen laughed heartily, pointing at the two of them.

Nain Darhon was at a loss for words. Who else on the continent could talk to Karyl and him this way? But more surprising was Karyl’s nonchalant reaction to being called a novice.

“That’s why I had to take matters into my own hands,” Allen went on. “Duaat first proposed it to me. It was a welcome offer.”

“I see...”

Karyl finally understood Duaat’s words before he had vanished. By

contractor

, Duaat had referred to Allen, not Karyl.

“Anyway, the essence of darkness will stay with me for now. You already possess the essence of fire, after all,” Allen explained.

“Fine.”

“But using Arcane mana shouldn't be a problem for you. It might even be better. With both halves of the Abyssal Rock combined, Duaat is now whole, allowing him to channel purer power into you.”

Indeed, Karyl had felt more comfortable using Arcane mana earlier.

“From now on, when you use Arcane ana, focus on the power of light. I’ll handle the dark energy for you.”

Using Arcane mana was like juggling two tasks simultaneously. With Allen taking over one of those tasks, Karyl could now focus more on wielding the power, even if the Arcane mana itself hadn’t grown more powerful.

Balancing dark energy to suit Karyl wasn’t easy, but Allen Javius had surpassed the title of Great Sorcerer a thousand years ago, elevating his abilities to the realm of the absurd.

“Hey, kid. Lend me your cloak,” Allen demanded.

“Huh? Oh, yes...!”

Nain Darhon hurriedly removed his cloak at Allen Javius’ request.

“You show promise. The Darhon family has always excelled in dark magic. Keep it up, and I might take you on as my apprentice.”

Nain Darhon couldn’t believe his eyes and ears.

Am I... dreaming?

The Great Sorcerer from a thousand years ago—or rather, one of the original sorcerers—was speaking to him.

“Anyway, kid...”

Wearing the black robe and covering his face, Allen truly looked like the Great Sorcerer who had returned from a thousand years ago.

Swoosh—

Allen extended his hand toward Karyl. Although his body was different from before, wrapped in bandages and having a dark purple hue—clearly not human but also not a spirit—it didn’t matter.

“It’s good to see you again,” Allen said softly.