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Softly, softly.

Like a fairy clad in winged clothing, carefully placing her feet upon the snow.

The girl’s footsteps move lightly, touch the ground hesitantly.

The tips of her toes gently touch the ashen ground, leaving only a tiny mark, while her whole small foot presses firmly, creating an impression.

Yet, a power unknown to her protects her feet, erasing her traces, leaving no marks that ought to be there. The pitch-black ash neither clings to her shoes nor is pushed away; it simply remains there, stalwart and silent as if nothing happened.

Thus the girl moves.

Like a phantom, gliding over the ash without leaving a single trace, like a fairy.

And beside her, a camel strolls along.

The extravagantly adorned camel matches its steps to hers.

Slowly.

Sauntering over the ash on its four legs.

Like a guardian, moving as if it were her protector.

[This place is somewhere you shouldn’t be able to enter. With the powers you can use now, it’s challenging to come in safely, and with the armed force you have, you wouldn’t be able to deal with any situation that might arise.]

The girl’s guardian.

A being that deeply thinks of the contractor.

The demon, Grimoire, whispers to the contractor.

To the beautiful girl, still an immature bud.

[This place is ‘originally’ somewhere you cannot enter.]

[Contractor, let me put it simply for you—if this were a game, this place would be a dangerous dungeon where the appropriate level is far too high for you to enter safely.]

Grimoire even analogizes this in case Iserin doesn’t understand.

Using the metaphor of a game.

Grimoire began to slowly explain.

If we consider it as a game, Iserin is currently a novice at level 20-30.

And this space is about level 40 to 50.

As is often the case in games, even if the appropriate level is high, having powerful skills or good items means you can hunt without problems, but that does not make it safe, which was why this topic wasn’t brought up.

‘Yeah. I get it. You mean I’m at a low level…’

Even a kind explanation does not change its essence.

Iserin could read the essence from Grimoire’s ‘kind explanation.’

It meant that due to her inadequate abilities, she couldn’t safely enter this place when it was intact.

But Iserin was not disappointed.

There was no reason for her to be disappointed.

It was true that she had not yet matured, so there was no reason to be angry, and she wasn’t particularly ambitious or overly competitive. Her bloodmate, Iarin, was more about obsession than her, as she didn’t harbor any desires to become the strongest in the world. She merely thought it’d be enough to satisfy her curiosity and have a bit of power for safety.

The fact that they hid it from her for fear of her being in danger… well, it did make her a bit angry, but she also knew that based on her personality, if she heard the truth, she wouldn’t be able to contain her curiosity and would voice her thoughts anyway.

So rather than being disappointed, she should rejoice.

Thanks to her brother, she was now able to enter a place that she couldn’t before and check for secrets.

‘Thanks to my brother.’

Iserin quietly murmured her gratitude to Park Jinseong, who had been there just moments ago. Then, following Grimoire’s lead, she moved without leaving a trace, heading towards something that resembled a pyramid.

[Contractor, look carefully underneath. You should see something stuck below, which was something that used to be a ‘coffin’ when this device was intact.]

‘Coffin…? The house that dead people enter…?’

[No, not that coffin, but rather a pipe. It served as a means to transport energy… like a kind of blood vessel.]

‘Energy…?’

[Yes. This device collects and processes the surplus energy that students use and evaporate into thin air. You could say it’s a kind of recycling.]

‘…Sounds illegal…’

[Of course it is. It’s not just illegal in Korea; it’s designated as such internationally. Collecting energy without consent, especially from minors… If this fact were to get out, it would be frowned upon worldwide.]

With Grimoire’s explanation, Iserin realized why Grimoire hadn’t informed her of the existence of this facility.

Collection of energy carried out illegally, especially involving minors who would be condemned in any country…

If someone discovered this, the ones who installed the device wouldn’t just stand by.

If news spread, they would face enormous losses and accusations, leading them to attempt various methods to attack Iserin.

[Contractor, while you are correct in your thoughts, it’s also not entirely accurate. It’s true the ones who set up this device will go to great lengths to prevent this story from spreading, but that doesn’t mean they will resort to extreme measures.]

‘Why…?’

[There are several reasons, but to keep it simple, yes. The ones who made this device have some power and can quiet the public opinion down with some noise. They did collect minors’ energy without consent, but it’s a far lesser crime than harming minor capable persons to keep the secret. Also, each student at this school is someone who shouldn’t be carelessly provoked.]

‘Ah… Background.’

[Correct. They are either related to power holders or receiving their backing. Even if there’s no direct connection, if they make the request for protection, it’s obvious they’ll be protected… Therefore, they cannot be touched.]

That’s why Grimoire likened this place to a space of level 40-50.

Since it involves powerful people, it’s dangerous—

But at least for Iserin, the level of danger had significantly lowered.

Yet, even so, Iserin, being a bit anxious, Grimoire had refrained from revealing this place to her…

[And this applies to your brother as well. In fact, your brother can be considered much lower in risk. He goes beyond just having background; he is capable of wielding power.]

A variable emerged.

A very positive variable.

The name of that variable was Park Jinseong.

The being that could turn a dungeon appropriate for level 40-50 into a level 0.

Someone who could burn down this entire space and face no repercussions at all.

No, the question of repercussions was not the issue.

Rather, it would be the ones involved with this device who would worry.

They would be concerned that Jinseong might go gallivanting around town talking about this suspicious space.

Surely, they would try to contact and coerce Jinseong to keep it a secret.

If that didn’t work… well, nothing much would happen.

Using politics or power to harass him would be tough due to Jinseong’s abilities and connections.

As for personal retaliation… they wouldn’t do that unless they were insane.

Building a grudge with a shaman through personal vendetta would be a madman’s game.

Having a grudge with a shaman… One could only shudder at the thought of when and where they might suffer from a curse or calamity.

[So, contractor, don’t worry and examine the pipes below carefully to see where they lead.]

‘Okay.’

Iserin looked closely at the pipes beneath as Grimoire instructed.

‘It seems to spread out in all directions… but that’s just an illusion. The real ones are beneath. The pipes are hidden in the ground.’

[Correct. I’m glad to see the contractor’s keen eye has sharpened.]

Before long, Iserin found the secret that the pipes were hiding, and Grimoire watched her with a proud look. Then, grinning, he lightly tapped a certain spot with his foot and said.

[Contractor, use your power here.]

‘Okay.’

Power.

The strength that a contractor can use when contracted with a transcendent being.

Each transcendent being has their unique powers.

That power began to manifest through Iserin’s body.

A red glimmer flickered in her eyes and then vanished, and the ends of her long hair started to be dyed a vibrant red, like they had been dipped in bright red paint, as a minuscule amount of energy, higher than what capable persons typically utilized, lingered at the tips.

And after staying there, that energy seemed to melt into her body, conveying certain information to her mind.

As if a tiny demon were whispering important secrets inside her head.

Following this information, Iserin began to draw out the energy within her.

Chueomun Heart Technique (取月心功).

The martial arts she had once discovered alongside Grimoire.

Different from ordinary martial arts, it could justly be called a strange technique.

『Yuanhouquyue (猿猴取月), Zhengzhongluoyue (井中撈月), Zhuoyuexianhou (捉月獮猴).』

Unlike ordinary martial arts, it doesn’t process energy into internal power and store it up.

Like the moon reflecting in a well, as if retrieving the moon reflected in the water.

Just like the night when the moon emerges and shines, and during the day when it disappears, the internal power originating from this heart technique is likewise an illusion that cannot be grasped.

Those who mastered this technique lack a lower dantian, and they have no stored internal power there.

However, because of this, it allows one to learn other abilities, thus it is both a divine technique and a strange power.

“Ha!”

Thanks to this heart technique, Iserin, who had learned various powers, could now use martial energy in her fist.

Boom!

To discover the ‘hidden space,’ she could now bust it wide open with her fist.

‘This is…. stairs…! It’s a secret space!’

[Good. You’ve found the stairs. Now, contractor, let’s carefully descend the stairs.]

 

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