novelraw Chapter 24 : I am Not a Psychopath (1)
Chapter 24 : I am Not a Psychopath (1)
Chapter 24 - I am Not a Psychopath (1)
Magic is the mechanics of mystery and abstraction.
What does that mean? Kang Hyunseong doesn't know either.
He knows that magic's origins lie in martial arts. But in the end, magic and martial arts went down vastly different paths.
Other than having the same roots, they have nothing in common. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was always uniquely separate from the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions in the first place.
But, since settling in Lake City, the Mage Tower has been walking an even more independent path.
In the literal sense of the word.
They completely overturned everything. It's no exaggeration; didn't they change their name from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to the 'Kergel Mage Tower' for starters?
Like this.
Its birth, its path, its ideology,
Perhaps because everything about it is extraordinary.
The mages belonging to the Mage Tower are, indeed, far from ordinary.
Mages share three major characteristics.
First, magic reflects the caster's disposition.
Why waste breath explaining the details? A better specimen than any other is lying right in front of him...
Kang Hyunseong stared at the hospital bed.
Go-eun, with her casted hand, held her opposite shoulder and rotated it in circles. Her ten fingers, peeking out from the cast, were plumply swollen.
That was the extent of her external injuries, and her internal injuries had almost become fatal.
For a mage, having their solar plexus destroyed was practically a death sentence.
In short, Go-eun had literally died and come back to life. It was supposed to be like that.
And yet, that same woman.
“Is it because it's been a while since I've been hit? Why do I feel so refreshed?”
Was overflowing with energy and cheer, as if it had all happened to someone else.
“Lee Taebaek, I like how fiery he is! I'm a fan!”
And she is indeed fiery. Just like her magic, the Samadhi True Fire.
“Wipe that smile off your face. You're making me dizzy. It was a good thing he called an ambulance for you. It almost turned into the worst-case scenario where your solar plexus was destroyed.”
“If that had happened, it couldn't be helped.”
But Go-eun herself looked unconcerned.
“The moment I used a killing technique... or something similar, it was practically a life-or-death duel. It just ended with my solar plexus almost getting shattered, right? It wasn't actually shattered. So that's fine. Holding a grudge over something that's over is too petty. That's impossible for my personality.”
At her innocent, sunny expression, Kang Hyunseong was dumbfounded. A reaction that made the person who had worried for her as a friend feel foolish. He snapped at her out of irritation.
“Yoo Da-hee said, 'You're entrusting a member to Go-eun, that sadist bitch?'. But from what I see, you're not. You're not a sadist, you're a masochist! You perverted bastard!”
“What are you saying? Ah, is Da-hee doing well? For some reason, she always tries to point her gun at me whenever she sees me. I want to be friends with her.”
“You, a person who knows her full story… Jeez, forget it.”
Kang Hyunseong said, letting out a sigh of resignation.
“Go-eun, if you happen to see Da-hee, you really need to watch your mouth. Got it?”
“Why? Scared she'll point her gun at me again?”
“No! I'm scared I'll get caught in the crossfire, you bastard!!”
“The One-Man Army of a Thousand Kills, looking out for his own skin.”
“Want me to add one more to the 'thousand kills' today?”
“Sorry.”
“Haaah.”
That aside.
Lee Taebaek is no ordinary madman either. It's been a long time since I've seen someone who so perfectly practices 'giving the disease and then the medicine'.
He's a guy whose personality is impossible to grasp. That's the part I liked, and why I got him out of the Neuro-prison.
...But.
The degree of his madness was beyond my calculations.
This is where the second characteristic of mages comes in.
The vast majority of mages are madmen. In other words, they're insane.
They say it's because they get consumed by demonic energy.
But the words of a real mage were different from the rumors floating around.
Madmen learn magic. That is the correct cause and effect.
“The greater one's innate madness, the higher their resistance to demonic energy.”
She wiped the playfulness from her lips.
“Because you can maintain your composure even when casting magic. The more you get drunk on madness, the more the power of the magic drops.”
“...You have to be insane, but you have to stay calm. That's a contradiction. It's extremely irrational.”
“Magic is a mystery that calls forth miracles. And miracles, by their very nature, are born from contradiction and irrationality.”
Kang Hyunseong listened intently. An explanation of the very foundation of magic from a mage herself was a rare thing. More than anything, he had to listen carefully for the sake of his 'long-cherished wish'.
“Even Samadhi True Fire started from the idea, 'Is there a way to start a fire without a flammable source like a lighter?'. That's a contradiction right from the start. Think about it. Since the Stone Age, people have made fire with flint, so why bother?”
“That's true.”
“Common sense. You have to shed rationality to head toward the ultimate Demonic Path. But at the same time, you have to maintain your reason—that's the contradiction. That's why when a normal person and a mage talk, the conversation doesn't make sense.”
Kang Hyunseong nodded.
“Sometimes I couldn't understand what you were saying, but I guess it wasn't because of my lack of comprehension.”
“Hah?! For your information, I'm a mage with pretty good social skills. Top 5 percent, at least!”
“If you're in the top 5 percent, can the other 95 percent even function in daily life? How is the Mage Tower even maintained?”
“Ordinary demonic people don't talk. Why? Because in their eyes, normal people are contradictory bugs, so they have no qualms about killing.”
Go-eun emphasized her point by raising her swollen index finger.
“The amount of innate internal energy, that is, the amount of mana, is important, but what's more important is the innate nature to hold onto one's ego amidst the swirling irrationality—'madness'. That's why mages consider the quality known as Anti-Magic Power to be more important than the total amount of mana.”
“Anti-Magic Power...”
“Mana can be accumulated in the solar plexus over time, but one's innate nature, as the word implies, is determined before birth. It's not a problem that can be solved unless you just achieve age regression.”
Is Banrohwandong the name of some dog?
“Talent is talent because it can't be changed through effort. In that context, a person with high Anti-Magic Power, a madman, is a genius as a mage. The Right Emissary of Light, the right hand of the Mage Tower's Master, is the best example. You know from seeing him.”
“Then Lee Taebaek is......”
“Perfect.”
Go-eun said, slowly sinking her back into the bed. Wrinkles spread across the bedsheet like a spider's web.
“His Anti-Magic Power is one thing, but you know that ability Lee Taebaek uses? The one that drains his opponent's strength? In my eyes, it's a Gifted, but I've never seen a Gifted like that in my entire life.”
She was talking about the temporary authority, [Nerf].
“On top of that, his speed changes unpredictably. At first, he seemed to move slowly, but in the latter half, I could barely follow him with my eyes. But I can feel it instinctively. That even that wasn't his full power.”
“Then.”
“It means he's a monster equipped with all three: Anti-Magic Power, a Gifted, and potential. Do you know who I was reminded of for a moment when I faced him?”
'The Heavenly Demon'. Go-eun was comparing Lee Taebaek to that monster.
“I understand the Commander-in-Chief's intentions now. It feels like assassins from the Mage Tower will be coming soon, and even if I have to go, I needed someone to pass my knowledge to before that. Raising a disciple in my remaining years. This is the true way of the martial world.”
“......”
This is the third and final characteristic of mages.
They have a habit of wanting to pass down their will.
Mages take on several apprentices and raise them. These are called Named Disciples. After going through their own selection process, they choose one official disciple. And then they pass down all their knowledge to that official disciple.
A mage's one and only purpose and duty.
To reach the 'miracle' that is the final destination of the Demonic Path.
The one who achieves it doesn't necessarily have to be the master themself. They are a tribe that is satisfied even if the one who inherits their will achieves it. They even hold their own lives in contempt.
'Those who would willingly offer up their lives for their purpose.'
Therefore, they are the Demonic Cult, and they are mages.
Just as Go-eun said, you can't even set foot into magic without being insane.
'Is it really okay to leave Taebaek with her?'
Kang Hyunseong's complexion was pale as he looked at Go-eun. Then he shook his head, brushing away his worries.
“When's your discharge date?”
“The doctor says two weeks, but I'll have to try and get out sooner. Can't leave my guest all alone, can I?”
Kang Hyunseong nodded and stood up.
“I'm free in the evenings for the time being. I'll stand guard for you for about five days. Circulate your energy then.”
“......”
Go-eun looked like she was about to say something, but then she just smiled. Straightening her back, she sat up properly.
Creek.
Kang Hyunseong closed the door quietly.
After leaving the hospital room, he leaned his shoulder against the door with his arms crossed.
“Lee, Tae… baek.”
He chewed on the name for no reason. Could there be a person more like an onion? From the Neuro-prison until now.
Wherever Lee Taebaek went, incidents and accidents followed. The guy never resolved things nicely through conversation, and he never hesitated to use violence.
The sunset slanted languidly through the hallway window. He watched the scenery just before the city that never sleeps burst into flame, and then let out a dry laugh.
'A former guard dog of Siesta.'
That was all the information Kang Hyunseong had on him.
However.
In this crazy city, where who knows who made it.
In Lake City, that was more than enough.
......
As mentioned, Eunko Bar was a three-story commercial building. The first floor, now a pile of ashes, had been the place of business, and the second and third floors above it seemed to be the living quarters.
While the landlady was hospitalized, the guest, Lee Taebaek, was staying alone on the second floor.
The reason he had settled on the second floor was because, seeing that the only piece of furniture was a bed, it seemed to be a guest room.
It was an indescribable mess where the tenant had put the landlord in the hospital. But one thing was clear: it was a situation where he should pack his nonexistent belongings and leave.
So he was about to leave, but what do you know?
A call came from Kang Hyunseong.
As of today, it was three days ago.
—You don't have to leave. The landlord says it's fine. She says she accepted that much risk the moment she conducted the test. That's what she wanted me to tell you. So just rest for the time being.
At the time of the call, he had been baffled. Not only was she letting the person who had beaten her half to death stay in her house, but she was telling him to rest comfortably.
There's a limit to being magnanimous. This is just pure masochism.
On the other hand, when he thought about the characteristics of mages, he found himself nodding.
Magic modifies the caster's mental state and personality to fit its attribute. It's called 'magic modification'.
This, too, was my idea.
Who would have thought I'd benefit from it.
'Thanks to that, the unpleasant feeling is fading.'
Lee Taebaek didn't think too deeply about it.
If he did, he'd have to trace back, like a salmon in autumn, to the point where his personality was modified without his knowledge, and furthermore, to the reason why he became a stranger in the game.
'It's something I'll have to figure out eventually anyway.'
He became an external agent to dig into that very thing. To track down the cult of chaos that Fumito had mentioned.
Rather than sinking into a completely useless emotion like guilt, it was better to stare at a strange ceiling and zone out, as the protagonists of novels and comics often do. So that's what he did.
“......”
Lee Taebaek supported the back of his head with his clasped hands. He stared blankly at the ceiling from his lying position.
Lying like this, he understood why everyone always talks about the 'unfamiliar ceiling'. There's nothing better for organizing your thoughts. It's no wonder Faker's hobby is meditation.
The problem was that after doing this for three whole days, it felt like mold was growing on the wrinkles of his brain.
Since falling into this place, had there ever been such peaceful days? It had been nothing but various obstacles and life-or-death struggles.
If so, his exhausted body should have welcomed the long-awaited rest. But perhaps because his brain was addicted to stimulation, it felt more like boredom than comfort.
'So this is what it feels like to want to die from boredom.'
It wasn't just that; the sensation that [Bullet Time] had given him still sent a thrill down his spine. Metaphorically, it was a degraded version of the electric chair. The electric stimulation had created ripples within him and awakened his suppressed aggression.
The liberation of a bestial nature that had been shrunken by social norms and gazes. He thought this was the first time he'd felt this way.
After three days of meditation, he realized that wasn't it. It was connected to the fun that games provide.
In a game, slaughter is the release of suppressed aggression. At those times, you throw off the gag that society has forced into your mouth and freely hunt, grow, and get rewarded.
That process was enjoyable. As he'd said, he was crazy about games. Developing was good, and playing was even better. And a person like that had entered a game.
On top of that.
His purpose as an operator, 'bug extermination', and his direction, 'the investigation of the Chaos Goddess', had been set.
He himself was denying it, but Lee Taebaek was enjoying the present. Even if his ego didn't recognize it, his heart was hammering against his pleura and ribs as if to break them.
'It's tantalizing.'
The battle with Go-eun came to mind.
Her use of magic and restrictions is painted on the yellowish ceiling as if it were a canvas. Could I apply a restriction to [Bullet Time]? Even if it already has a restriction, could I apply another one on top? What about [Nerf] and [Buff]? The growth circuit of a gaming addict accelerates. An unexplainable laugh comes out.
'I need real combat experience.'
He wanted to run out into the streets and beat up some gangsters.
“Haaah......”
A deep sigh escaped. He was self-aware. He knew that he was prone to causing trouble.
He could feel the worry in Kang Hyunseong's voice. He couldn't just pretend not to see it. It was the least he could do to show some decency.
“Only when Go-eun or whatever her name is comes back can I ask about the Lilith cult. Until then, I'll have to semi-forcibly enjoy this leisurely, unemployed life.”
Lee Taebaek unclasped his hands and turned over with a whoosh. He saw the Para-Blade, leaning against the head of the bed.
Grip.
He, who had been reaching for the Para-Blade, ended up clenching his hand on empty air. Grabbing it now would be like pouring oil on the fire of his aggression.
Lee Taebaek closed his eyes. He fell asleep in an instant, as if his inner turmoil had never existed.
......
[#1 Small-Scale] 1.6 Patch Notes
◈ Main Patch
• Using 「Operator Points」, it is now possible to apply overlapping restrictions to 「Bullet Time」.
• Applying overlapping restrictions to 「Nerf」 and 「Buff」 using 「Operator Points」 will be possible in a mid-scale patch.
◇ Miscellaneous Patch
• 「Concept: Psychopath (True)」 is enhanced.
• Acquired 「Concept: One Who Pleads Sanity (True)」.
〉〉 Auto-saving…….
〉〉Applying patch
......
“Seopung-gae! You have to leave! You know what this place is, don't you?!”
“Just wait a moment, Branch Master. I have something to check. It'll only take a second. If you're nervous, you can go out first and......”
A conversation, heard through the floorboards. Before opening his eyes, Lee Taebaek's hand shot out first to grab the Para-Blade.
His combat reflexes overtook his reason. He finally opened his eyes. Leaping off the bed as if his waist were a spring, he moved, silencing his footsteps.