Solomon and the 72 demons.

It was a topic more befitting of an exorcism TV show.

At the very least, I hadnt incorporated such elements into my novel.

Or maybe it was one of the plot points I ended up discarding.

One thing was certain:

This book was dangerous.

I muttered to Samuel in a grave tone,

This is no ordinary artifact. Its clear that it possesses a considerable amount of risk.

[I wont deny it. It already tried to make a deal with me. I refused, of course.]

A deal? What kind?

[It offered me power in exchange for control of my soul.]

In other words, it wanted to use his soul as collateral for power.

Even though Samuel had rejected the book's offer, there was no guarantee that such an issue wouldnt arise again.

[What are you so worried about? As if this body would be swayed by some measly book. Thatll never happen.]

Then what about this ominous aura?

[Its true that Ive grown stronger because of the book. Though Im not entirely sure, its likely that the book recognized my worth and bestowed this power upon me. What it saw in me, I dont know.]

Hmm.

Despite Samuels confident declaration, I couldnt easily shake off my unease.

This was a book connected to Solomons 72 demons, after all.

Samuel was likely still no match for its power.

As if sensing my concern, he added,

[Its too valuable to simply discard. But I understand your apprehension about the risks involved. Im not oblivious to your worries.]

Then

[For now, I plan to take this book with me when we visit the temple. She might be able to offer a solution.]

She?

My eyes widened in surprise.

If he was referring to the she at the temple, there was a high probability that she held a specific position.

A priestess.

Samuel intended to bring this book to a priestess.

Very well, lets do that.

In the end, I concluded that it was best to accept Samuels suggestion.

Considering his power had already increased thanks to the book, and with the added safety net of a priestess, it was worth observing the situation further.

However

What if even the priestess cant identify the books true nature?

Well have to reconsider our options then.

[Indeed.]

He agreed calmly, acknowledging that there were still potential risks.

More importantly

There are also phrases related to the scriptures in the Mana Method of Bares.

Could there be a connection between the Pride family and this book?

The more I thought about it, the more perplexed I became.

Since there was no concrete evidence yet, I decided to change the subject.

So, how much stronger have you become, Mr. Samuel? What exactly does this new level of power entail?

[Hmm, to put it simply, I can now manipulate mana more efficiently and with greater force. It also allows me to utilize a certain medium more effectively.]

To put it simply, mana was a form of limitless energy.

Clusters of energy that floated in the air.

Through mana control techniques, one could absorb and expand this energy within their body.

Once absorbed, even if depleted, it would gradually recover by absorbing surrounding energy.

It was all possible because mana was a boundless source of energy.

To be honest, I was too lazy to come up with a complex mana system, so I just wrote it off as mana automatically regenerates over time, no matter how much you use.

Anyway, each family in both the Demon Realm and the Human Realm possessed unique mana control techniques.

These techniques were used to alter the properties of mana.

Some techniques focused on increasing mana absorption and overall capacity.

And those chosen by the Demon Gods bore markings on their bodies.

These markings werent limited to the Seven Deadly Sins. There were other, lesser-known deities as well.

It was safe to assume that the Headmaster and the instructors had received the blessings of such deities and bore their markings.

Unlike humans, who worshipped a single God

Well, except for those pesky cultists in the Human Realm.

Demons with markings could wield mana more effectively than those without.

The medium Samuel referred to was undoubtedly these markings.

Youre saying you can now utilize your marking to unleash even greater power.

[Precisely. While its common knowledge to channel mana through ones marking, Ive attained a level of control that surpasses that.]

Oh

I was suddenly intrigued.

He was talking about going beyond simply channeling mana and actually utilizing the marking itself.

Among the students, Samuel was the only one who had reached such a level, so I had never witnessed such a technique before.

I was sure that Idea and Luzian were capable of it, but the other students had yet to reach the level of instructors.

Thats why I had to see it from Samuel.

However

Could you give me an example?

[Not yet.]

?

Samuel had been boasting about reaching a new level of power, yet he couldnt even provide a simple demonstration.

My expression hardened.

Was he just messing with me?

As I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, Samuels voice rang out in my head.

[Impatient, arent you? I can hardly demonstrate anything without a physical body.]

Ah, right. I forgot.

That was close.

I almost absentmindedly reached for Samuels thorns.

Relaxing my expression, I chuckled and said,

I suppose you have a point.

A tired sigh echoed from Samuel.

[Youre unbelievable]

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