Amidst the excruciating pain that tormented my entire body, I practiced the Heavenly Circle Technique.
‘It’s hot.’
Too hot.
Could the Heavenly Circle Technique be such a painful path?
Apart from the scorching pain that started from the Fire Seal, the mana absorbed through the Heavenly Circle Technique also ravaged my body.
It was like molten lava.
‘Damn it.’
Normally, one should avoid distractions while practicing breathing techniques, but it was impossible to shake off the curses.
The pain was that unbearable.
However, even amidst this, I diligently practiced the Heavenly Circle Technique.
If it were just pain, it would have been unbearable, but this pain had a purpose. And that purpose was clear.
Crack, sizzle.
A sound like burning firewood echoed from within.
Indeed, something was being burned.
‘Impurities.’
In the world of dark magic, the younger one started, the more favorable it was for achievement.
The reason was that impurities accumulated in the circuits over time...
For some reason, a certain type of mana was burning the impurities in my circuits.
I knew one type of vision like this.
Mana Shower.
A high-level vision performed by distinguished mages of noble families only for their direct descendants, where they artificially inject mana to burn away the impurities in the circuits.
The direct descendants of noble families showed high levels of achievement thanks to this.
‘Could this be the secret of the Heavenly Circle Technique...’
No.
If the Heavenly Circle Technique were such an extraordinary vision, it wouldn't have been just a basic technique.
Even if the Heavenly Circle Technique is the root of the Deculan family, it doesn't have such utility.
Then, the cause must be the Fire Seal. Or rather...
‘The dark magic book that turned into the Fire Seal.’
It’s clear.
The dark magic book must have activated some function.
I focused on practicing the Heavenly Circle Technique amidst the intense burning pain. Finally, when I completed the first breath of the Heavenly Circle Technique...
The pain finally ended.
“Phew—!”
I exhaled the breath I had been holding and opened my eyes.
Sizzle, crack.
But why? I had completed the Heavenly Circle Technique, yet the sound of something burning continued.
However, this time it was coming from outside.
“……”
Turning my head to find the source, I saw a candle burning down and sputtering.
I listened to the burning sound for a moment before turning my gaze away.
How much time had passed?
Squeak, squeak.
Demian was sound asleep on the adjacent bed, and the sky outside the window was filled with stars.
It was an ordinary scene, but I felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
‘...It feels like the fog has cleared.’
My senses had become sharper.
“Is this what it means to hear the wind?”
I threw the question into the air.
It was a reference to the voice I heard just before starting the Heavenly Circle Technique, but only the sound of the wind echoed in my ears.
I waited a bit longer, then chuckled and shook my head slightly.
“An unexpected gift.”
And it was a significant one.
The impurities in my circuits were one of the factors that held me back in my previous life.
‘I tried to improve it but ultimately failed. I couldn’t overcome it.’
So, instead of cleaning the circuits, I focused on increasing the purity of my mana.
The purer the mana, the less resistance it would face when passing through the circuits.
But now...
‘Not just the circuits, but...’
The mana itself is pure.
‘The purity of my mana is even better than in my previous life, perhaps even better.’
However, even with this, defeating the Deculan family seems impossible, no matter how many times I’m reborn.
Their accumulated strength over the years and their hidden power are beyond what a single individual can handle.
But what is clear is...
‘The odds have increased.’
I am a troubleshooter.
I assess the odds before taking action, but in this life, I decided to be a bit more reckless.
Even if the odds are close to zero, they will add up and eventually show a path.
Well, in my previous life, I wasn’t that meticulous either.
* * *
The day broke.
I woke Demian, had a meal, and set out for the Black and White Zone.
There was something I needed to take care of.
“Wow! It’s amazing!”
The first thing Demian said, with his head bowed, was about his bangs.
“My hair is brown!”
The first thing I did was to conceal Demian’s distinctive features as much as possible.
‘Platinum blonde hair is too noticeable.’
Not everyone with platinum blonde hair is a Blando, but it’s not a common hair color either.
I also changed his clothes.
‘Even if he looks ragged, someone with a keen eye will recognize him.’
Not only those chasing Demian, but also opportunists might attach themselves to him.
After spending the morning on this, it was now...
“Ta-da.”
Demian, with his bangs down and a cap on, looked like a slightly creepy but unmistakably a delivery boy.
He seemed to like his new clothes, looking at himself from all angles in the shop mirror.
‘With this, we can avoid being easily recognized.’
I nodded at the changed Demian and fell into thought.
‘The urgent matter is taken care of.’
I’ve paid my dues.
Now, what’s left is to settle a score.
‘...The lackey.’
The lackey.
‘I got beaten a lot during that period. For not meeting quotas, for eating too much...’
Beaten, beaten.
I was hit so often that not getting hit felt strange and kept me from sleeping.
And the one who hit me was the lackey, the very same one from yesterday.
Grinding my teeth, I remembered that moment.
‘...’
I led the innocent Demian, following old memories.
The memories were old and not very clear, but I managed to find the way.
How long did we walk?
“Here it is.”
I arrived at a dilapidated house on the outskirts of the Black and White Zone.
It was clearly abandoned for a long time, but it had a lived-in feel.
This was the hideout of the street urchins I used to belong to, including the lackey.
There were no good memories, but time had passed, and it felt nostalgic.
Lost in the manipulated nostalgia, I looked at the scene when a street urchin came out from inside the abandoned house.
“Huh? Who are you?”
The urchin, who seemed to have just finished eating, was brushing his teeth when he noticed me and Demian and tilted his head.
But why? Seeing his stupid face, a scene flashed through my mind.
- Rookie, this brat! Did I tell you to fill your quota today? No, I didn’t!
“Ah, I remember.”
“What, you. Aren’t you the rookie? Where have you been?!”
“Looks like it wasn’t just one or two who hit me.”
I, a broad-minded troubleshooter, usually let go of petty grudges.
But I’m not so magnanimous as to forget a grudge once it comes to mind.
“This damn brat! Where have you been?! What’s with your appearance? Did you take a shower in the Seil River’s sewage?”
I glared at the approaching urchin.
I wanted to respond to his words, but my head was too cluttered.
The memories of the past were too vivid. So...
I could count the number of times I was hit.
“What, this kid. He looks like he has some money... Gah!”
The urchin, sensing money from Demian’s new clothes, tried to search him but suddenly fell over.
I retracted my fist from his solar plexus and calmly recited.
“One hundred and twenty-three times.”
The number of times the urchin in front of me had hit me.
Or rather, it wasn’t accurate.
I’m human, and as a human, I can’t remember everything.
But it was just a feeling.
‘I felt like I was hit that many times.’
Conversely—
‘I just wanted to hit him that many times.’
First, one hundred and twenty-three times.
“What the—!”
“Spotty! What’s going on!”
I calmly watched the urchins who rushed out of the abandoned house.
“Hmph.”
Why do so many memories come to mind?
It feels like numbers are floating above their heads, like prisoner numbers.
Mostly three-digit numbers.
“Scary.”
How far will I go today?
Crack, crack.
I stretched my neck and shoulders, then started with the one with the lowest number.
Solid hits, passionate screams, and angry curses followed.
* * *
“...”
The lackey stared at the scene in front of him.
Smack! Thud!
A crisp sound of a hit, followed by a terrible scream.
“Ugh! Ah!”
“What the...”
The lackey doubted his eyes.
A gang of over a dozen urchins, known for their toughness, were being beaten helplessly.
Not just beaten, but...
“It shouldn’t hurt. I’ll heal you.”
When they fell from the hits, a kid I had never seen before would approach and touch them.
His hand would flash, and the wounds would heal, leaving them looking fresh...
“T-thank you... Gah!”
Followed by another round of beatings.
It would be better to be knocked out, but they were healed each time they fell, making that impossible.
It was vicious. Hell itself.
But what was even more unbelievable than this surreal scene was something else.
Swallow.
‘The rookie, that guy...’
Could he really hit that well?
Just yesterday, the rookie was the one who was beaten helplessly by him.
Not just by him, but...
The weakest in the gang, beaten like a punching bag every day.
“How many times?”
“I, I forgot...”
“Then let’s start over. Listen carefully. You are number 173, got it?”
“Yes, yes.”
‘My God.’
It’s like a demon itself!
To count three-digit numbers for a Black and White Zone urchin.
Even counting up to two digits would make someone the gang’s brain!
‘He plans to beat us for life. Until we die, or even longer, without killing us.’
The lackey involuntarily swallowed hard.
Just a moment ago, he was determined to find the rookie and beat him up.
Now, he realized how futile that thought was.
The lackey watched the horrific scene in the front yard of the abandoned house and quietly moved.
‘Run away.’
That’s the answer.
Even if he can count three-digit numbers, it won’t end there.
No, the fact that he plans to hit three-digit times is already terrifying.
‘I’ll die. Definitely, I’ll die.’
First, run away.
After running away, ask for help from another gang, even if it hurts his pride.
That’s the only way to survive.
“...We’ll see.”
The lackey threw a line he had heard somewhere and tried to slip out the back door of the abandoned house.
Or rather, tried to.
“You can’t go.”
“...?”
A boy suddenly blocking the back door.
A boy dressed as a delivery boy, smiling innocently.
‘That guy...’
The one who approached and healed the gang without mercy (or with mercy?) every time the rookie beat them.
‘When did he...?’
The lackey took a step back, terrified.
Just a moment ago, he was by the rookie’s side, tormenting the gang...
His movements were unpredictable.
But the boy, smiling innocently, only said what he had to say.
“You can’t go.”
“...”
“Stay here quietly. Wait for your turn. You have to play too.”
Despite his innocent appearance, his words were chilling.
The lackey, unable to respond, kept swallowing hard. He only moved after the boy returned to his spot.
“...Phew!”
The lackey exhaled deeply and slumped to the ground.
The eyes peeking through his long bangs were unsettling.
But what was even more unsettling was...
‘Is this his idea of playing...?’
Is there a madman like this? It was a level of madness beyond the norm.
He might not have any serious illness, but he was definitely dealing with madmen.
The rookie who planned to hit three-digit times and the delivery boy kid were equally mad.