Early dawn.

I slowly opened my eyes and got up, lowering my gaze.

Then, I saw Samuel's thorns, which seemed to be deeply asleep.

[.]

Fortunately, Samuel seemed to be in a deep sleep, and it seemed that he wouldn't wake up unless I gave him a big shock.

In the first place, he was the kind of guy who would only wake up if I injected him with mana.

According to Samuel, he can't share his vision with me while he's asleep.

So, it doesn't matter if I use the information paper.

Swish-.

I took out the information paper and the fountain pen from my arms.

Then, I took out the Orb of the Flame Emperor that I had placed on the desk and the bracelet that Ares had given me.

According to Ares, it was an artifact that suppressed killing intent.

It was completely useless to me.

'In the first place, I wasn't born with killing intent.'

Those born with killing intent are those who mercilessly slaughter enemies and allies alike.

It's said to be a disease.

However, I wasn't born with killing intent, so this artifact was useless to me.

I guessed that Ares had mistaken the aura contained within my killing intent trait for the aura of those born with killing intent.

It was just that my killing intent, formed as a trait, possessed such an aura.

I wasn't a madman who thirsted for slaughter.

So.

'It means that it doesn't matter if I use the artifact Ares gave me in exchange for the information paper.'

It didn't seem to have any effect other than suppressing killing intent.

It was like a shiny apricot that was useless to me.

What I needed right now was strength.

That was the only thing.

However, there was something bothering me.

'If it's Ares, it's obvious that he'll be angry about where I put the artifact he gave me.'

I had to get it back, even if I used it as payment for the information paper right now.

To find out about this, I wrote down the contents on the information paper.

- How to get back the items you paid for information.

Rustle-.

Then, the answer was immediately written on the paper.

I carefully checked the answer written on the paper.

To get back items, you need twice the value of the items originally given as payment. Additionally, one of the things the Creator cherishes will be taken.

.

I couldnt help but remain silent for a moment.

This was totally a rip-off, wasn't it?

But it would be strange to get it back without any penalty after Ive already paid the price to receive the information.

In this case, I had no choice but to not retrieve the item Ares had given me.

Anyway, if Ares was willing to give it to me, it must not have been a precious item to him.

If I think about the things Ares has done to me so far, I guess hell understand this much.

Swish-.

Just as I was about to write down the information related to the mana cultivation method on the information paper.

I stopped the movement of my hand and put down the fountain pen I was holding.

'...It's a waste to do this.'

I moved my gaze and stared at the Orb of the Flame Emperor that had lost its light.

An artifact that allows me to use magic that Ive finally obtained.

I felt it was a pity to hand it over as the price of the information paper without using it even once.

Should I just use it once?

Its not like the bead will wear out and disappear just because I use it.

I wanted to see for myself if it had the excellent performance that I had described in the original work.

Creak-.

I got up from my chair.

Lets go outside for now.

With Samuel asleep,

This was the perfect time to use the Orb of the Flame Emperor.

What kind of performance will it boast?

Im already looking forward to it.

I decided to be careful.

Leaving the dormitory at dawn was prohibited by Sytan's rules.

I was also careful when I went out to be alone with Kyle last time.

Woom-.

I circulated mana throughout my body and manifested the Stealth skill.

And I minimized my presence and sneaked out through the window.

If it were before, I would have had to put darkness around Samuel.

Now that Samuel is on my wrist, I dont have to do that anymore.

He just couldn't see the outside if he was sleeping.

I sighed in relief and stretched out an arrow.

To go faster.

Designate.

Move-.

I used Position Exchange.

Thats how I managed to leave the dormitory to try out the Orb of the Flame Emperor.

* * *

5 minutes later.

The place I headed to after leaving the dormitory was the place I had visited last time.

It was the place where I had dueled with Kyle.

It was also Kyle's secret base within Sytan.

'I didn't know before...'

I looked around the room with a newfound feeling.

I realized why the Sytan instructors hadn't noticed this place.

I had definitely arrived at the right location.

It was the same place Kyle had used as his secret base.

However,

I cant see anything.

There was nothing in the place Kyle had used, just a wall.

This was a trick Kyle had used.

He must have set up some kind of device to prevent Sytan's people from discovering his base.

'He put more effort into it than I thought.'

Not only the students, but even the instructors hadnt noticed it.

Kyle probably didnt do it on his own, but borrowed the power of an artifact he had brought from the human world.

Ill have to pry that artifact from Kyle when I meet him later.

I smiled grimly and let out a cold laugh.

Anyway.

I cant see it, but the door is definitely there.

When I reached out to where I assumed the door would be, I felt the touch of a doorknob.

I grabbed it and turned it, and a transparent door opened with a rusty grinding sound.

All I could see in front of me was a wall, but I stepped forward without hesitation.

Then, my body passed through the wall without any resistance.

Beyond the wall, I saw the same room I had seen before.

Good.

I clenched my fist.

It was worth coming here instead of going to the training ground.

The reason I came here instead of the training ground was simple.

Unlike the training ground, where the instructors were keeping a close eye on things, this place was out of their sight.

Then, lets give it a try.

Swish-.

I took out the Orb of the Flame Emperor from my pocket.

The orb was dyed black, showing no reaction whatsoever.

That was the moment I poured my mana into it.

Buzz-.

The Orb of the Flame Emperor levitated into the air and started to turn red.

A bright crimson light, as if it contained the sun, illuminated the surroundings.

The bead began to resonate with my mana.

In an instant, I felt my mana being sucked into the bead.

Its consuming an enormous amount of mana.

I had only used it once, and already 20% of my mana had been depleted.

It couldnt be helped.

I was a novice in fire magic, and I was using the beads power to forcibly use magic.

But.

However, as expected of a high-rank artifact, its performance was outstanding.

Koo-goo-goo-goo-.

Soon, the bead surrounded by flames began to rotate counterclockwise and scatter flames.

And the moment the flames were shot out.

Wow.

I couldnt help but be impressed.

A fiery gust swept past the surroundings.

Fortunately, no sparks flew at me, but the surroundings were charred black.

In that short time, I could fully feel how the mana flowed.

The mana in my body began to gather in one hand and soon began to rotate like a typhoon.

It was truly an overwhelming destructive force.

It was a pity that such an artifact was being used in exchange for information paper.

Thats how I,

This is definitely the feeling.

I began to 'focus' with 'interest' on fire attribute magic.

After activating the Orb of the Flame Emperor once more,

I accurately grasped the principles and usage of the compressed flame typhoon created by the Orb of the Flame Emperor.

However,

"What's the point..."

I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh in disappointment.

Ugh.

I scratched the back of my head.

The attributes I possessed were only the unknown 'chaos' attribute and the darkness attribute.

Since I didn't have the fire attribute, even though I had figured out how to use the flame sphere through the Orb of the Flame Emperor, I couldn't actually use it.

I got the feel for it, but the attributes are different.

Out of disappointment, I tried using the flame sphere once more.

It was quite an addictive feeling.

'...I might get attached to this.'

If I continued, I would have regrets.

It would disappear as a sacrifice for the information paper anyway.

It would be a good judgment to put it in the paper now.

Just as I was about to extinguish the Orb of the Flame Emperor and put it away,

A sudden thought crossed my mind.

'Does it have to be fire attribute?'

I couldnt help but wonder.

The Orb of the Flame Emperor lends flames to a caster who doesnt have the fire attribute, allowing them to use magic.

Its definitely good magic, but does it necessarily have to be the fire attribute?

"...I think it will work."

Lets try it once.

I emitted dark attribute mana from my body and made it rotate on the palm of my hand.

My palm started to get crushed and scratched.

Since I was releasing and condensing a large amount of mana, there was bound to be a recoil.

The Orb of the Flame Emperor had reduced that recoil, but I wasn't using the orb now, so there was nothing I could do about it.

However.

I decided to endure the pain.

I got a feeling.

I figured out how to release it like the typhoon I had just created through the Orb of the Flame Emperor.

Koo-goo-goo-goo-.

I further compressed the small storm in my palm.

Until it was the size of a babys fist.

And finally, when the storm was completely condensed in my palm.

Bang-.

With a loud roar, a rose bloomed from my fingertips, charged with black electric currents.

A black rose.

A new technique I had created myself, following the Black blade.

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