"...!"
'I don't know how much time has passed.'
My body twitches occasionally, and bubbles keep seeping from my lips.
'Am I going to die like this?'
The moment that thought crosses my mind, memories from the past begin to flash before Alain's eyes.
A flashback.
It was the same thing he had witnessed just before dying in his previous life.
Flowing memories.
Life in the magic tower.
And betrayal.
Flowing into the demon world and meeting Margarita.
And the adventures experienced while living with her.
Finally, grabbing the demon world in his hands and resolving to venture to the surface, lamenting the demon world's lack of resources and land.
And as a result...
"...!"
In an instant, tension began to return to Alain's limp body.
And strength started to seep into his dilated pupils, while the mouth that had been bubbling closed.
'Chattering'
Grinding his teeth, Alain thinks.
'It absolutely cannot end like this.'
What strengthens Alain's resolve is nothing but anger.
The rage he feels is directed at the humans who have mocked him with their violent actions, endless betrayal, and deception, all while praising him as a hero.
Unless this grudge is resolved, he cannot fall here.
Thinking that, Alain begins to pump strength into his body once again.
First, it's important to endure.
And then to check his physical condition.
Gather information rather than rashly moving.
This is common sense for a magician.
The method Alain chose for that was simply to maintain his physical condition in a completely natural state.
Well, to begin with, he didn't have any strength left to resist anyway.
But as a result, the 'power' that had penetrated Alain's body began to show different movements than before.
Until now, it had been like a runaway wagon smashing everything along the road, but now, having obtained the space of a broad body, it began to rampage freely.
To put it simply, it was like bursting out of a narrow alley into a vast square.
Then the 'power' started to run around freely, gradually losing speed and revealing its essence.
Upon realizing its identity, Alain couldn't help but feel a surge of surprise.
This power that was tearing through his body was none other than magic, a very pure form of refined magic.
Moreover, this magic was none other than...
... 'Black Magic'.
"..."
The moment he realized that Alain snapped to attention and began to concentrate.
If this was indeed the black magic he believed it to be, he would be able to control it. With that thought in mind, Alain began to harness the energy within his body.
With that thought in mind, he began to channel the energy through the blood vessels coursing throughout his body.
"Ugh!"
Perhaps because he was sending magic flowing through blood vessels that were already filled with wounds, the suddenly surging energy brushed against the damaged areas, stinging as salt water poured on fresh cuts scattered across his body.
But Alain gritted his teeth and endured that pain, beginning to guide the black magic flowing within him.
In short, the reason he is feeling such immense pain right now is simple.
The condensed magic is larger than the passage.
As a result, it cannot follow its proper path and is wandering around, inflicting wounds on his body.
If that's the case, there's only one way to control it.
To break the gathered magic into smaller fragments and distribute it throughout his body.
It's akin to attempting to scrape away a massive boulder rolling through a narrow ant tunnel, trying to reduce its size even slightly.
It's a situation that can only be described as reckless.
If he makes a single mistake, there's a high possibility that the ant tunnel itself will collapse.
Thus, he cannot hastily divide the magic.
"Slowly, little by little."
He has no choice but to divide it to the extent that it won't harm his human body.
A task that demands immense patience, one that would make an ordinary person falter and ultimately give up.
But Alain did not give up.
He began to push through the task, doing everything he could to keep his mind from becoming hazy.
'How much time passed?'
'Dozens of minutes? Or perhaps a few hours?'
Continuing his work in a state of trance.
At last, the large mass of black magic, once resembling a massive coagulum, had shrunk significantly.
"Dududududu"
Feeling as if small pebbles were rolling inside his body, Alain began the finishing touches.
The magic now flowing within him, divided into smaller parts.
He began to bring them under his control.
Having absorbed the directionless magic during the process of dividing it, he used the gathered black magic as a foundation to suppress the remaining energy.
"Drrrruk"
"Ugh!"
Groaning, Alain felt the magic resisting the flow.
But he cannot give up here.
Thinking that, he poured more strength into suppressing the magic.
And finally.
"Grrrr—"
As if the foreign substance that had been blocking the blood vessels throughout his body had disappeared, the magic flowed through him.
At the same time, a refreshing sense of unity overflowed within his body. Alain had finally succeeded in controlling the black magic that had penetrated his body from Seria.
*
"..."
Even so, not all the wounds within him had healed. The damaged blood vessels and torn muscles still lingered, while his internal organs, which had bled in several areas, remained in a genuinely precarious state.
Though he was using the magic that had come under his control to provide emergency treatment, he needed to rest a little.
Thinking that, Alain checked Seria's pocket watch to see how much time had passed, and it was already past 2 AM.
And shortly after, Seria had woken up.
Finishing his recollections, Alain quietly flexed and clenched his hand to check his condition.
Then, using the method for casting magic, he gathered the energy in his palm. Suddenly, a black flame of magic flared up beside his hand.
It's not bad at all. The black magic that had been transmitted to him from Seria's body was indeed his own now.
But at the same time, a question arose.
'Why?'
'Why did she have black magic within her body?'
In Alain's memory, black magic is a power that does not exist on the surface and is found only in the demon world.
Of course, the magic of the surface and the black magic of the demon world are essentially the same power.
However, no matter how similar they are, their properties are vastly different.
It's akin to claiming that a wooden bowl and a wooden sword are the same objects simply because they originate from the same tree.
But as their essence is the same, the two powers can convert into each other.
Provided that a complex transformation process is undergone. However, based on Alain's earlier examination of Seria's condition, there were no signs of magical adjustments related to such a transformation present in her body.
Yet, despite that, her body was naturally absorbing magic from the surroundings, replenishing the black magic that had been taken from Alain.
The moment Alain confirmed that during his investigation, he was taken aback.
"Damn it, I have no idea what's going on."
Five hundred years.
'Has something changed in the very species of humans during that time?'
Otherwise, it would be impossible for black magic to naturally appear within the bodies of these beings who do not possess it on the surface.
As he reached that point in his thoughts, Alain couldn't help but smack his lips in frustration and let out a sigh.
I don't know.
What the hell is this world made of?
In any case, there was no way to resolve that question at the moment.
Even if he wanted to investigate further, Seria had already returned to her quarters.
And it was the same for him.
"..."
Alain rustled as he got up from his spot.
When Seria left earlier, it was already past 2 AM.
That means the time left for the sleep spell he had cast earlier is also running out.
It's about time to head back.
Thinking that, Alain began to move with heavy steps toward the lodging.
Despite the various troubles, the night had undeniably unfolded as planned.
Yet, no matter how much he thought about it, there was still a lingering, inexplicable unease.
For that reason, Alain's expression was notably sombre as he made his way toward the lodging.