NOVEL WEB Chapter 5
Chapter 5: The Demon King’s Curiosity (1)
The Demon King pondered again as he observed the flow of magical energy within Suhyeon’s body.
“Hm, it’s far below average.”
The magical energy flowing through Suhyeon’s body was minuscule. It was even a level lower than that of an ordinary magician.
“Hmph… Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much.”
If that body had any natural aptitude for magic, he would have already awakened to it as a child, influenced by the surrounding mana.
But still…
Exceptional magicians are typically divided into two types: the gifted and the diligent.
The gifted are those who are naturally adept at manipulating magical energy and controlling its flow from birth.
Then there are the diligent, who, even with average magical aptitude, can study magic rigorously and eventually create their own magic system.
While not many magicians excel in both, the Demon King himself had once been a rare example of mastering both forms during his human years.
However, this Hero didn’t fall into either category.
But why…?
Why is he so good at handling magic?
“Oh, I definitely feel lighter. I think my strength has improved, too.”
Suhyeon looked around the room, noticing something small and bluish floating in the air around him.
It was mana, the same ambient energy he had seen during his time as a Hero.
“To think I’d see mana again.”
While Suhyeon was lost in a moment of sentiment, the Demon King’s thoughts grew increasingly complicated.
As soon as Suhyeon summoned magical energy, he instinctively grasped the body-strengthening spell.
He threw a few punches and kicks into the air, even bouncing in place a few times, all while speaking nonchalantly.
“Back in my Hero days, I used body enhancement magic quite a bit. I just followed that sensation, and it seems it worked out. Don’t you think so, Demon King?”
[You’re practically bragging, and it’s obvious. Didn’t you get hit a lot by the knight commander for being so cocky because of that bad habit of yours?]
“Stop reading my memories!”
[Why should I stop when it’s this entertaining?]
Though his tone was sarcastic, the Demon King’s true feelings were dominated by surprise.
“Worked out?” That was an understatement.
Body-strengthening magic enhances physical attributes by concentrating all of one’s internal magical energy.
The theory itself is simple, so it’s considered a second-class magic spell.
However, since it requires precise control over internal magic, even the slightest error could lead to the caster fainting from the strain.
Even Altera’s magicians were hesitant to use this spell because of its dangers.
“Do other hunters enhance their bodies like this, too?”
[You think like a goblin. Have you seen any hunters use magic? Maybe you became a Hero because you’re too dense to realize it yourself.]
“Hey! I was just asking in case! Ever heard of a question mark?”
[Consider yourself lucky that a genius magician like me is inside your thick skull. It’s a blessing to your family.]
“Yeah, sure, whatever.”
The Demon King had quite the mouth on him.
“You must not have had any friends when you were human, huh?”
[Friends are just crutches for the weak to lean on. Why would someone superior like me need something as lowly as a friend?]
“So, you didn’t have any, huh?”
As Suhyeon teased, the Demon King’s voice lowered.
[And weren’t you a total outcast back when you were attending that university in this world?]
“How do other hunters enhance their bodies, anyway?”
Suhyeon quickly changed the subject to prevent the Demon King from digging deeper into his embarrassing memories.
The Demon King, eager to share his knowledge on magic, decided to indulge the question instead of teasing further.
[You’re certainly different from the other hunters. I’ll explain what I’ve observed about them.]
In this world, there are people born with a natural aptitude for magic. However, before monsters began appearing, there was no mana in the air for these people to awaken to their abilities.
When monsters started manifesting around this country, mana spread into the atmosphere. People with high magical aptitude awakened due to this ambient mana, becoming hunters.
[Here, first-grade hunters experience a general enhancement of physical abilities. From second-grade onwards, they awaken a special skill, right?]
‘That’s right. The higher their grade, the stronger their abilities and skills.’
The magic in this world had fully merged with people’s bodies. As a result, hunters naturally enhanced their bodies without even realizing it, and this latent magic manifested in the form of skills, a consistent pattern among them.
[Well, I’m not saying their methods are bad.]
While they might lack flexibility, this method allows them to maximize the effectiveness of their skills.
Since they can’t wield various magic spells, their abilities are limited, but the trade-off is they can hone their particular skills to the extreme.
Unlike in Altera, where misusing body-strengthening magic could lead to unconsciousness, hunters here don’t need to worry about that. It’s similar to how the heart beats on its own without needing to be told.
In the same way, their magic adapts to the world around them.
The Demon King found the unique way hunters used magic to be fascinating.
[But you… You’re using magic like you learned in Altera, aren’t you?]
“So… does that mean I’m in the perfect position for you to teach me?”
[Well, yes.]
That was true, but still…
Once Suhyeon’s magic was fully unlocked, the Demon King had planned to teach him how to use body-strengthening magic without entering a mindless state.
But now? There was no need.
Even though Suhyeon was using the techniques of a magician, there wasn’t the slightest hint of instability in his magic. His control was remarkably steady.
The Demon King felt something click in his mind.
[Hero, how often did you use body-strengthening magic in Altera?]
“I messed up a few times at first and entered a mindless state, but eventually, I started getting the hang of it. After a few decades, I stopped entering that state entirely. I didn’t learn that much magic anyway. Just a few spells that helped in battle, and aside from body-strengthening, the others consume too much mana. With how little I have now, I probably can’t cast them ever again.”
Suhyeon seemed a bit regretful, but the Demon King was astonished.
“They say even a cat can cast magic if it spends three years as a witch’s familiar…”
This man had neither talent for magic nor put in the effort.
All he had was an overwhelming experience.
Over the 105 years, Suhyeon had unknowingly refined his body-strengthening magic to the point where he could use it without ever falling into a mindless state.
He replicated the magic solely from memory, without relying on any magical formulas.
This was an unprecedented case, even among the magicians the Demon King had encountered.
A smirk tugged at the corners of the Demon King’s lips.
‘…Interesting. Very interesting.’
As the King of Magic, the Demon King had spent years obsessively studying magic in the Mage Tower.
Yet Suhyeon’s method of using magic wasn’t something he had ever seen in any research or books.
Before being a Demon King, he was a magician, a scholar who had mastered every form of magic in Altera. He had long since grown bored of magic, but this was rekindling his passion for learning.
The Hero had been his mortal enemy, but at this moment, his curiosity overwhelmed any resentment.
Hero, just what are you?
[You’ve regained your sense for using magic if you’re handling body-strengthening spells that well, haven’t you?]
“For now?”
[In that case, let’s head somewhere secluded. I’ll teach you some magic that, while basic, will still be useful—up to the level of third-class spells.]
Suhyeon noticed a subtle shift in the Demon King’s attitude, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
“Why do you seem so eager all of a sudden?”
‘What nonsense. The sooner you get stronger, the safer I’ll be!’
The Demon King internally chastised himself for getting too excited.
Still, he couldn’t suppress his growing interest in Suhyeon’s unusual magic techniques.
They relocated to a secluded, barren mountain, where the Demon King began teaching Suhyeon various spells.
From transmutation magic, which condensed mana into tangible objects, to spells like Blink, Magic Missile, Fireball, and Thunderbolt.
Amazingly, Suhyeon mastered up to second-class magic within a week just by learning the mana control methods.
Blink, a third-class spell, took him two weeks, but considering it was a short-range teleportation spell, that was still impressive.
[Are you sure you’ve never learned these spells before?]
“Of course I haven’t.”
It seemed that Suhyeon’s solid foundation in body-strengthening magic had naturally prepared him for using other types of magic.
Having mastered the most difficult aspect of magic—the control of mana without the risk of entering a mindless state—he had become instinctively proficient at handling other spells.
At this rate, he could likely master the spells the Demon King had taught within a month.
Though excited by the prospect, the Demon King couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
The real challenge would come with fourth-class spells and higher.
From that level onward, simply controlling mana wouldn’t be enough; Suhyeon would need to understand the corresponding formulas or grasp the principles behind the magic circles to cast the spells.
It seemed almost impossible to teach this without formulas or magic circles.
Was this the limit? Would Suhyeon’s progress, relying only on memory, stop here?
…
Wait.
“Hm… Now that I think about it, there’s one magic control formula that comes to mind.”
Memorize.
It was an ancient magical technique passed down through history. This method allowed a magician to resonate with the surrounding mana and connect to the Akashic Record of magical memories, summoning the same mana in the exact way they had previously cast a spell. By doing so, they could replicate the magic through memory alone.
However, this method came with a high risk of failure due to its reliance on vague recollections rather than precise formulas, so most magicians, including the Demon King, avoided using it.
But…
If it’s him… If this guy, who can cast body-strengthening magic so easily from memory alone, tried it…
The Demon King’s scholarly excitement burned brighter, but he knew it wasn’t the right time.
Even a nightmare demon can choke if it devours too many dreams at once.
For now, he’d limit Suhyeon’s lessons to third-class magic.
“But… Isn’t this magic too weak? You’ve only taught me up to third-class spells.”
In Altera, Suhyeon had seen much more powerful magic.
[You fool! You’re trying to run before you can walk. Fourth-class and above are considered advanced magic. No amount of talking will help you master those overnight.]
“You sure like to brag about how smart you are, don’t you?”
[What did you just say? You dare mock me?!]
“I’m just saying you sound like a conceited old man sometimes.”
[Oh? Is that so~? I was just about to teach you a method for using advanced magic, but now I’ve lost the desire. Figure it out yourself.]
“…You know I was joking, right? Demon King?”
[Go ahead and sweet-talk me all you want. You only use honorifics when you’re desperate.]
In the end, Suhyeon had to flatter the Demon King to soothe his pride. Eventually, the Demon King, with a mischievous expression, revealed that there was indeed a way for Suhyeon to use magic beyond the third class.
[Once you’ve mastered the third-class spells, you’ll start practicing a technique called Memorize.]