Blacksmithing Is Child’s Play for a Dark Mage - Chapter 2

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 2
‘What? The Madness Measurement Eye—wasn’t this supposed to apply only to items?’
The Madness Measurement Eye.
One of the job skills of Gadolai.
When observing an object, it grants the ability to obtain the object’s design blueprint.
In his past life, Tae had made quite a tidy profit from it.
‘Ah. This. I understand how it works…… now.’
The moment Tae acquired the magic, he grasped instantly how to use it.
It was a remarkably strange experience.
Because for a Gadolai, using skills meant crafting objects.
In other words, one didn’t actually learn the process of making something, or how to make it.
The skill did it.
It was as if the entire process was skipped.
But.
With Lowest-tier Demon Summoning, he hadn’t merely acquired a skill—he’d come to understand the magic itself and could now wield it directly.
‘This is incredible. Is it because the world is different here? The Hunter System shouldn’t let you acquire magic or skills just by seeing them, right? So why is this happening?’
While he mulled this over,
Selton led his student to the Black Mage aspirant standing at the very front, had him bleed into the magic circle, and taught him the incantation.
Then.
A demon emerged from the magic circle.
An Imp!
Roughly fifty centimeters tall, with translucent red membrane wings, and flames dangling from its tail.
Its face was mischievous, and two small horns crowned its head.
A fire demon—an Imp!
But.
“Gaaaahhh!”
The Black Mage aspirant who’d performed the summoning clutched his head in agony, screaming.
-You have been exposed to a wave of Mental Erosion (lowest-tier).
-[Madness Accumulation] Lv Max activates.
-Madness has been accumulated.
‘Hmm. I’ve always heard that summoning demons gnaws away at your mind, so there’s nothing new here…… but surely. My skill is providing this kind of defense? What is this? Completely…….’
Tae found himself grinning despite his better judgment.
‘This is ridiculously good! Man. Cancel what I said about bad compatibility. The compatibility is insanely perfect!’
That was it.
Black Mage and Gadolai.
These two jobs had synergy beyond imagination!
Demons.
They were all half-baked creations.
The moment they were summoned, they eroded the mind and stirred up Madness.
Even against the summoner themselves—the Black Mage!
What kind of wretched summon was this? You never heard of spirits or mystical beasts doing such a thing!
This was precisely why Black Magic had become such an unpopular profession.
It was indispensable in war or dungeon exploration, but these various complications held it back.
Yet the Gadolai skill Madness Accumulation covered all of this—and then some!
The Madness Accumulation skill didn’t merely contain Madness endlessly.
Madness was actually an extremely valuable resource.
As the very name Gadolai suggests, one could craft items using the collected Madness!
“G-get away from me!”
“Kyeeeek! M-mom! I’m sorry! Mom!”
“Almighty Light of Raite, protect me, I beseech thee! Almighty Light of Raite, protect me, I beseech thee! Almighty Light of Raite, protect me, I beseech thee!……”
“Tsk tsk! Most of them are mentally frail. Subdue them!”
Several of the Black Mage aspirants screamed and panicked the moment they saw the Imp.
They all seemed to lack the will to resist mental intrusion.
Selton clicked his tongue, cancelled the summoning, and issued an order.
Mercenaries from the Black Spear Guild who’d been standing by came over, seized those overcome by Madness, and dragged them out.
For those struggling particularly hard, they didn’t hesitate to strike them unconscious with clubs.
“Right then. The rest seem fine. We’ll continue the lesson!”
After that, Selton went around individually, performed summonings, and finalized Contracts. Soon it was Tae’s turn.
In truth, having already mastered both the magic and the method of crafting the summoning circle, Tae didn’t need this, but he waited silently.
No point standing out unnecessarily!
“Now then. Show me your finger.”
Tae extended his finger, and Selton pricked the tip with a needle, drawing blood.
The blood fell onto the Stone Slate Magic Circle.
“Chant the incantation and infuse your dark magical power into it.”
Tae recited the incantation as instructed and channeled his dark magical power through his hand into the magic circle.
The magic circle activated.
-[Magic Incantation: Lowest-tier Demon Summoning] has been triggered.
-A perfect magic circle has been prepared.
-Critical Success! Lowest-tier Demon Summoning activates with spectacular effect!
‘Wait? A critical success here!?’
The Hunter System occasionally grants critical successes when luck is on your side.
When it happens, the power is dramatically amplified—he’d heard this occurred especially when someone possessed luck-related items or professions.
And then.
The magic circle blazed with an ominous light, and something took shape above it.
It was different from the other imps.
It was the same size—roughly fifty centimeters—and its wings were likewise membranous, but everything else about its appearance was distinctly different.
A tailcoat. Or rather, a dapper, handsome creature emerged wearing the kind of formal wear that butlers and those in service might don!
Moreover, it wore a monocle, and a small book hovered gently beside it.
What on earth was this?
An imp like this existed? But was this one male or female?
“Extraordinary! An Imp Butler has appeared!!”
Yet the Black Mage Selton gasped in shock.
Was this a good thing?
Tae was about to ask, but thought better of it.
It was clear at a glance that Selton was burning with envy.
“A summoning from the Central Tier after so long. Are you the human who wishes to form a Contract with me?”
Tae did as he had been taught.
“I, the human Tae, wish to form a Contract with you. I will give you my magical power and the remnants of my soul, so will you Contract with me?”
“This too shall become experience. I accept. I, Glasha La Volias, consent to the Contract with you.”
The magic circle flared, and a chain-like bond connecting the imp and Tae appeared, then vanished.
“Then please summon me whenever you wish.”
The intellectually refined, handsome imp wearing the monocle spoke thus and disappeared.
Tae wasn’t startled by the disappearance—he knew it was normal for a summoned creature to vanish immediately after forming a Contract—but since he didn’t know what an Imp Butler was, he glanced quietly toward Selton.
His face was twisted with jealousy and rage.
“Damn it! I’ve tried to summon one so many times before, and it never appeared, so why for this bastard……”
“Um… Instructor Selton. What exactly is an Imp Butler?”
“It refers to an imp among imps that possesses superior intelligence and ability. They typically serve as attendants to higher-tier demons. Though imps are the lowest-tier demons, their abilities are distinctly comparable to mid-tier demons.”
“Wow.”
Tae couldn’t help but marvel aloud.
‘This is incredible! Why is my luck suddenly so good today? I’ve regained the Hunter System, summoned an Imp Butler—is this actually turning into one of those fortunate days?’
Could I end up looking ridiculous like some lucky fool? No, surely not……
The thought alone sent a chill down his spine!
“Tch. Lucky bastard……”
And with that, Selton left. Those jealous eyes made the back of Tae’s neck tingle.
He felt good.
And glancing around, the other Black Mage apprentices were shooting envy-filled glances in all directions.
Tae’s shoulders lifted with pride despite himself.
After making the full round and having everyone Contract with their imps, Selton spoke.
“Now I will teach you the second magic incantation: Mental Protection. As you saw earlier, despite being the lowest-tier demons, even the weak-willed can succumb to Madness just from seeing them. In other words, for you to coordinate with your allies, you need this Mental Protection spell. For yourselves and all your companions.”
‘Shouldn’t he have taught us this first, then?’
For a moment, Tae could only gape blankly at Selton, who had ascended the platform.
The others felt the same.
What was this nonsense!
“I see you’re wondering why I didn’t teach this first—it’s a tradition of long standing. A true Black Mage must form their first Contract with a demon in full possession of their faculties. Anyone lacking the willpower for that will surely be enthralled by their demon later and cause catastrophe. Now then, let us begin the lesson.”
And Selton explained the method for using the Mental Protection spell and demonstrated it.
Naturally.
-Madness Measurement Eye activates.
-[Magic Incantation: Mental Protection] has been learned.
Tae mastered the spell instantly!
“Now then, let’s practice it!”
The other Black Mage aspirants sweated profusely and failed in their attempts to cast spells.
Tae could have cast the spell on his first try, but he didn’t want to stand out, so he pretended to fail at an appropriate moment.
By the time class ended, there were six of them—Tae included—who could use the Mental Protection incantation.
The rest would pay extra and take the course again.
And so Tae became a Black Mage.
* * *
“Human-human! Die-die!”
There exists a race called Ratman, or sometimes Rat-thing.
By their racial designation, they are what you’d call Wererat—creatures in the shape of rats who walk on two legs and use two hands.
They possess intelligence, speak the Common Tongue of the Middle Realm, and even craft weapons and tools of their own.
A fully grown specimen stands about one point five meters tall.
Their build is somewhat similar to goblins, and their combat prowess is known to be equally weak—neither particularly threatening.
Though one might say their habitat differs somewhat.
These rat-things tend to dwell in ancient ruins, particularly in the sewers.
Because of this, the sprawling commercial metropolis of Harundel never lacks for work hunting them down.
Black Mage is Too Easy a Profession
Author |
Automaton G
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(주) Samyang C&C
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Editorial Department
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This book’s content may not be used in any form or by any means without written permission from (주) Samyang C&C – Dream Books.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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