Chapter 50: The Rationality of Evil

**[Ding!]**

**[You have defeated a skeleton in hibernation]**

**[Reward score is reduced due to the hibernation state]**

**[You have earned 10 SC]**

**[You have defeated a skeleton in hibernation]**

**[Reward score is reduced due to the hibernation state]**

**[You have earned 10 SC]**

Lee Tae-sung meticulously paced around the area, leaving no patch of ground untouched.

He utilized the Soaring Flower Explosive Shadow, an art infused with the energy of the Heavenly Flower Holy Law.

That alone was enough to cause the undead slumbering beneath the earth to perish instantly.

Though the score earned from enemies in hibernation was low, it did not matter to him.

He was defeating nearly one creature for every meter he traveled; if the quality was lacking, he could simply make up for it with sheer quantity.

‘Where is the Dullahan…?’

Furthermore, Tae-sung was not just aiming for quantity.

He had clearly heard the notification earlier: a staggering 400 score for defeating a Dullahan.

Believing there might be more out there, he did his best to check every inch of the ground he had missed.

Unfortunately, it seemed the Dullahans were either gone or extremely rare, as he failed to find another one.

“Wow! Thanks to the Hero, the graves are being purified!”

The Cat-kin Gravekeeper hopped along beside him, full of admiration. Initially, he had not understood why Tae-sung insisted on moving in a zigzag pattern, but he was immensely satisfied now that the evil energy rising from the cemetery was dissipating.

It was at that moment.

“Hehehe. I felt an unpleasant energy lurking somewhere, and it turns out a little rat has crawled inside.”

“!”

A repulsive voice echoed from far behind them.

When Tae-sung turned his head, he saw an old man clad in a tattered robe.

The emaciated man was pointing a staff toward them.

“Have you come to stop the ritual? Whatever your reason, since you’ve caught my eye, I shall turn you into sacrifices as well.”

“T-this is bad! We have to run!”

The Cat-kin Gravekeeper began to tremble.

Even the mission tips had warned that black mages were incredibly powerful and advised players to flee upon encountering one.

Tae-sung had no desire to gamble with his life needlessly either.

Unlike the Dream World, he only had one life here.

However…

‘If I just back off, he’ll keep chasing us.’

He did not know the opponent’s speed, but running blindly was a novice’s move.

It was better to land at least one blow or strike enough fear into the enemy to keep them from pursuing recklessly.

Having reached that conclusion, Tae-sung immediately kicked off the ground.

He used the principles of the Soaring Flower Explosion to trigger a burst of flame from the soles of his feet, accelerating instantly.

He darted toward the black mage like an arrow, drawing the Magma’s Fang from his waist and swinging it in a wide arc.

Red Cloud Seven Forms — Swift Sword Style.

With a brilliant flash, the black mage’s staff was severed.

“What!?”

The black mage was bewildered.

His staff was not something that should have been cut so easily.

Imbued with dark magic, the staff was designed to withstand even a sword coated in aura, at least for a short while.

Yet, it had been sliced through as if it were nothing but an old piece of wood.

“H-holy power? Are you a Paladin?”

The only explanation was that the energy used by his opponent was his natural antithesis.

Panicked, the black mage retreated.

Tae-sung followed, utilizing the Soaring Flower Shadow footwork, with holy flames blooming with every step he took.

*Whoosh!*

The flames erupted in small bursts.

The black mage was driven to the brink of madness.

The searing heat was rising steadily, but because it was infused with holy power, even breathing became an agonizing chore.

Furthermore, casting black magic was nearly impossible in the presence of such holy energy.

Minor spells were manageable, but powerful strikes required deep concentration, which was being constantly disrupted by the spreading holy aura.

Consequently, he could not mount a proper defense and was barely managing to endure.

Observing this, Tae-sung tilted his head in confusion.

‘This is actually doable. Why is he so weak?’

As he executed the Red Cloud Seven Forms, his opponent was pushed back continuously.

He had been cautious, suspecting a trap, but there was a limit to such suspicion.

Judging by the man’s expression, he was truly desperate.

He managed to survive by blocking or dodging with no-cast auxiliary spells, but his limits were clear.

*Clang!*

Eventually, the blade shattered the mage’s auxiliary spells and grazed his side.

The mage’s face turned pale, and his casting grew even more unstable.

At that moment, Tae-sung became certain.

‘This guy. He’s not that strong!’

Contrary to the warning in the tips, he was more than capable of winning.

However, the persistent auxiliary spells were quite troublesome, meaning it wouldn’t be an easy victory; he would need time.

Or, he could simply break through with a single, more powerful attack.

Tae-sung waited for an opening and then threw his sword.

“Huh!?”

A swordsman discarding his weapon?

The black mage flinched, and in that split second, Tae-sung lunged forward and thrust his left hand out.

*Sizzle!*

The crimson heat of the Thousand Net Flame Hand smoldered in his palm.

It was a first-class swordsmanship style he had learned at the Flying Dragon Room, but he lacked the proficiency to use aura with the Seven Forms.

However, the Thousand Net Flame Hand was different.

Due to the nature of the skill itself, it could exhibit sufficient power on its own.

The palm, enveloped in intense heat, pierced through the enemy.

*Sssst!*

*Thwack!*

The strike shattered the minor defensive spells like glass and inflicted a fatal wound.

“Gah…”

The black mage stumbled back.

Dark energy gushed out in clumps from the gaping hole in his chest.

To a normal person, it was a wound that would cause instant death, but a body tempered by dark magic possessed high regenerative powers.

But…

“Urgh… how… a Paladin…”

He was particularly vulnerable to holy power.

The black magic he took such pride in was utterly useless.

With the holy power and heat wreaking havoc inside his body, the black mage eventually collapsed, his eyes rolling back into his head.

“My goodness… you defeated him… Black mages are such terrifying beings… Hero, you are… you are incredibly strong!”

The Cat-kin Gravekeeper approached, covering his mouth in amazement.

However, he remained tense.

“It truly is amazing… but we have to get out of here quickly, Hero! There are two more black mages! They will realize their comrade is dead and come rushing here!”

“I understand. Let’s go.”

Tae-sung nodded. It was at that moment.

**[Ding!]**

**[You have defeated Black Mage Theo]**

**[You have earned 7,500 SC]**

“!”

Tae-sung checked the notification again in surprise.

He hadn’t misread it.

A score of 7,500!

To think he gained that many points from defeating just one guy.

He hadn’t even felt that the opponent was particularly difficult.

It was likely due to the elemental advantage, but the reward was enormous.

“…Gravekeeper.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s just wait here.”

“??”

If two more black mages were coming, that would be another 15,000 points.

He couldn’t just walk away from that.

***

Black Mage Theo.

He was a good black mage.

Though they hadn’t formally introduced themselves and Tae-sung had only learned his name through the system notification, Tae-sung was deeply grateful to him.

This was because additional notifications began appearing in succession after his death.

**[Ding!]**

**[Proficiency in Red Cloud Seven Forms has increased]**

**[The skill level of Red Cloud Seven Forms has increased]**

**[Red Cloud Seven Forms (Lv. 1) -> Red Cloud Seven Forms (Lv. 2)]**

**[Proficiency in Heavenly Flower Holy Law has increased]**

**[The skill level of Heavenly Flower Holy Law has increased]**

**[Heavenly Flower Holy Law (Lv. 2) -> Heavenly Flower Holy Law (Lv. 3)]**

**[Ding!]**

**[Proficiency in Thousand Net Flame Hand has increased]**

**[The skill level of Thousand Net Flame Hand has increased]**

**[Thousand Net Flame Hand (Lv. 2) -> Thousand Net Flame Hand (Lv. 3)]**

Proficiency in three separate skills had increased at once!

It seemed the man really had been strong, just as the tips had warned.

He had accumulated proficiency from before, but this was still a significant achievement.

‘What a shame. If this were the Dream World, I probably would have leveled up.’

Then he could have earned skill points as well.

Tae-sung licked his lips.

Regardless, from that moment on, Tae-sung had no intention of hiding himself.

*Whoosh!*

He openly used the Soaring Flower Explosion, setting fires all over the place.

**[Ding!]**

**[You have defeated a zombie in hibernation]**

**[Reward score is reduced due to the hibernation state]**

**[You have earned 15 SC]**

**[You have defeated a skeleton in hibernation]**

**[Reward score is reduced due to the hibernation state]**

**[You have earned 10 SC]**

Since waiting around was inefficient, he continued to slay the undead underground while leaving a trail to let the other black mages know he was there.

In the process, he used the Soaring Flower Explosive Shadow relentlessly, which in turn increased his proficiency.

**[Ding!]**

**[Proficiency in Soaring Flower Explosion has increased]**

**[The skill level of Soaring Flower Explosive Shadow has increased]**

**[Soaring Flower Explosive Shadow (Lv. 1) -> Soaring Flower Explosive Shadow (Lv. 2)]**

‘Is today my lucky day?’

To have four skills increase in level all at once was incredible.

He wished every mission was like this.

And with all the commotion he was causing, there was no way they wouldn’t notice, no matter how large the cemetery was.

Black Mages Jignok and Greg halted their ritual and headed toward Tae-sung’s location.

Tae-sung had been wandering around and happened to be passing by the spot where he first defeated Theo; that was where he encountered Jignok and Greg.

“……”

“……”

The two did not attack Tae-sung blindly while laughing like Theo had.

They stared at him, then at Theo’s corpse, and finally at the holy flames blooming in the vicinity.

“Greg. It looks like Theo was defeated without being able to put up any proper resistance.”

“He doesn’t have a single scratch on him. This isn’t someone we can handle.”

“We’re leaving.”

“What about the ritual?”

“We have to give it up cleanly.”

Mages are rational beings.

Particularly black mages, who often treated even their own bodies as pawns, having sacrificed so much to pursue the path of dark magic.

In their estimation, there was no way they could defeat Tae-sung in a fight.

The ritual was likely a failure anyway, so they might as well save their lives.

That was the conclusion they reached.

*Flash!*

“???”

Tae-sung was momentarily stunned when the mages suddenly turned around and began to fly through the air to escape.

This was his first time seeing enemies flee during a mission.

However, he quickly regained his senses and began to give chase.

“Get back here!”

The pursuit did not last long.

All missions took place within a designated area, and the black mages had flown right out of that zone.

*Thud!*

Tae-sung, on the other hand, was blocked by an invisible barrier.

“Wow! Hero! The black mages ran away! My goodness! I’ve never even heard of those nasty villains running away in such a hurry!”

The Cat-kin Gravekeeper beside him clapped his hands in joy.

Tae-sung, however, could only stare blankly at the spot where they had disappeared.

‘Are they really just leaving like that?’

In the midst of his bewilderment, a notification appeared before his eyes.

**[Ding!]**

**[The black mages have fled the cemetery]**

**[You have demonstrated a perfect process, causing even powerful black mages to flee]**

**[You have successfully stopped the ritual with less than 10% progress]**

**[An additional bonus will be granted]**

**[Mission Success!]**

**[You have earned a base reward of 10,000 SC]**

**[You have earned an additional reward of 30,000 SC]**

**[Returning to Earth]**

“Wait, no…”

Tae-sung wore a look of grievance, but in the blink of an eye, he was back in his room.

He stared blankly into the empty air.

“…This is ridiculous.”