I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 9

The next day.

There was about an hour left until the third monster wave.

“Everyone ready?”

“What should we do…”

“Can you gather some throwable stones from the forest? Even providing support from the back will be a huge help.”

“Oh, got it!”

“We’ve stored the remaining food to keep it from spoiling! It’s not smoked, but it should last a day or two!”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for the effort!”

“Hehe, leave the food to me!”

Compared to the first day, the people’s behavior had completely changed.

Not only were they preparing for the monster wave, but they were also fetching water, gathering various materials, and finding their own roles.

Of course, there were still a few who hadn’t pulled themselves together.

‘It’s clearly different from before.’

Before my regression.

Originally, by the time of the third monster wave, casualties and injuries were common and people were still trembling in fear.

While there were some who moved with grim determination to survive, the atmosphere wasn’t as lively as it is now.

‘It must be thanks to Yoo Seo-ah.’

At the center of all the active individuals was Yoo Seo-ah.

Perhaps due to the various events from the previous day and her conversation with Se-woon, she had completely shed her passive stance and was confidently directing the people.

The people were following her well, implicitly confirming her as the leader of the camp.

‘That’s good.’

While Se-woon had the intention to guide the camp, he had no desire to become its leader.

More importantly, he needed to roam outside the camp to search for various hidden pieces except during monster waves.

With Yoo Seo-ah taking the leadership role, it was a very welcome development for him.

Everyone was doing their part, so Se-woon could comfortably take some personal time.

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Blue Mana Circle ]

– A secret training method passed down only to mages with exceptional mana affinity in the Blue Tower, one of the Seven Great Mage Towers of the empire.

A mana circle.

It is the most fundamental element a mage must have to manifest magic.

To use powers like the ‘Ember of Kasha’ from last night, Se-woon needed to start training his mana circle as soon as possible.

The mana circle training method Se-woon chose was known for its high stability, but it was the least efficient in terms of gathering mana among the Seven Great Mage Towers.

However, Se-woon had a reason for choosing this.

‘There are plenty of training methods anyway.’

It was because of the confidence stemming from the myriad of treasures stored in the treasury and his ability to use them all.

He planned to lay a solid foundation with the Blue Tower’s training method. Once the foundation was set, he would build pillars using more exceptional training methods.

For the surrounding walls and roof, Se-woon intended to accumulate mana using what he envisioned as the best possible methods.

‘I can’t neglect my dantian either.’

While mana circles can gather mana, they are primarily for practicing magic.

Converting mana into internal energy to enhance physical movements and martial arts doesn’t suit this method. So, as soon as he finds the time, Se-woon plans to refine not only his mana circle but also his dantian.

“Hoo…”

Softly, like a river flowing. He calms his breath while ruminating on the mysteries of the Blue Tower he understood through Mammon’s treasure.

With eyes closed, comfortably seated, he exhales gently.

He fills the emptiness in his lungs completely with air. His stomach and chest visibly expand, and for a brief moment, he holds his breath.

Buzz—

He feels it.

Mana, or internal energy, the intangible essence, resided within Se-woon’s body through his breath.

For an average person, it takes anywhere from several weeks to years to sense this energy, but Se-woon felt it in an instant.

Though he wasn’t specialized in combat abilities, Se-woon was the last survivor who reached the 92nd floor of the tower before his regression.

Handling mana was as natural to him as breathing.

Even in an unfamiliar body, just ‘sensing’ the mana, rather than controlling it, was a light task.

‘The problem starts from here.’

He gently coaxes the energy trapped within his lungs.

Asking if it wouldn’t stay there.

Asking if it wouldn’t join him.

Even among the small quantity of energy, a very tiny portion, swayed by Se-woon’s coaxing, nodded in assent.

“Hoo…”

The moment he succeeded in coaxing the energy, he exhaled deeply once again.

Se-woon expelled all the energy that rejected his proposal and guided the energy that accepted toward his heart.

Following Se-woon’s guidance, a small amount of mana began to swirl around his heart.

– You have successfully created your first mana circle through the Blue Tower’s training method.

– With the mana circle formed, you are now able to gather mana and use magic.

– The level, power, and speed of the magic increase with the level of the mana circle.

– Earned a remarkable achievement.

– Earned 1,000 points as a reward.

It didn’t even take a day.

In one hour—or rather, less than thirty minutes—he created a Mana Circle and absorbed mana.

While he had the memories from before his regression and the help of the ‘Blue Tower’s Training Method,’ anyone knowledgeable about magic would have been astonished to see this.

Even for a genius, it would normally take at least a few days to sense and absorb mana.

To prove this accomplishment, new messages appeared in front of Se-woon.

– The Constellation, ‘Three Sisters with Their Backs Turned,’ looks at you with wide eyes.

– The Constellation, ‘Heavenly Mother,’ is greatly impressed and exclaims in awe.

– The Constellation, ‘Knowing One,’…

Several gods associated with magic or possessing related powers showed interest in Se-woon.

From Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, to Isis and Beithneimoinen, and others.

There were aliases among the constellations that Se-woon recognized, but many were ones he had never heard of before.

However—

‘This doesn’t concern me anyway.’

Se-woon already had the Demon God of Greed, ‘Mammon,’ and the Demon God of Gluttony, ‘Beelzebub,’ on his side.

Although he wasn’t officially their apostle, both demon gods were vastly superior in rank compared to the Constellations appearing now.

To prove this—

– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ pouts, saying there are too many guests.

– The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven,’ frowns and pulls out a treasure from the treasury.

– The Constellation, ‘Gruff Old Man with White Hair,’…

Thud.

The continuous stream of messages from the Constellations abruptly stopped.

– The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven,’ has blocked all communications from Constellations of lower rank than itself.

‘Insane…’

Blocking communications?

Though it was possible, it was the first time Se-woon had seen it happen firsthand.

Even for a high-ranking being, interfering with the system required significant power.

Whatever ‘treasure’ Mammon used must have been potent enough to manipulate the system.

‘They must be going berserk.’

Regardless of being divine or demonic gods, cutting off communications so forcefully was more than impolite—it was outright rude.

By now, all the Constellations whose communications were blocked must be fuming with rage.

– The Constellation, ‘The Hungry Prince,’ breathes a sigh of relief as the guests disappear.

– The Constellation, ‘The Bowed Raven,’ quietly watches you.

Of course, the two demon gods themselves didn’t seem to care about the thoughts of the other Constellations.

After the commotion settled down, Se-woon resumed rotating his mana circle and inhaled carefully.

As expected of the Blue Tower’s training method, it wasn’t the most efficient, but he could clearly feel the circle solidifying with mana, like soil being compacted.

As his concentration deepened, the voices of Yoo Seo-ah and the footsteps of people around him faded completely.

Only one thing was perceivable.

The delicate thread of energy, mana, being absorbed through his careful breathing.

Lost in the process of rotating the mana circle, oblivious to the passing time, Se-woon was abruptly awakened by an intruding voice.

“…Hyung! Are you sleeping? Geez, you’re sleeping while sitting.”

[ Tutorial Chapter One – Adaptation ]

– Time remaining until the second monster wave: 12 minutes

Thinking the monster wave might have started, Se-woon immediately looked up but saw there was still time.

There weren’t many people in the camp who would boldly come and talk to him.

Turning his head to see who it was, Se-woon found a man with short hair standing before him.

‘Why is he here?’

With a fierce look, covered in various scars, and a tattoo resembling a snake writhing between his rolled-up sleeves, the man cut an imposing figure.

Even if Se-woon didn’t remember everyone from the camp who survived long enough to become rankers, he clearly remembered this man—unfavorably, to be exact.

“Oh, you’re up! You sat here for an hour, not moving, so I thought you might be dead. Haha!”

“What do you want?”

“Geez, so cold. We’re all in the same boat. Isn’t it better to get along?”

Park Jung-pil.

It was him.

The one who tormented Se-woon before his regression.

When everyone was in chaos, he showed off his strength, using the weak as shields, pushing the elderly forward under the pretext that the young should survive, and stealing their food.

‘Is the situation different now?’

He might not have had the chance to act during the first wave. Even during the second wave, he didn’t cause any major issues.

Recalling Park Jung-pil’s character, Se-woon soon realized why he had come.

‘Of course. This is how he is.’

Before the regression, Park Jung-pil hid behind Kang Han-cheol, wielding his influence.

At that time, there wasn’t an established leader, and Kang Han-cheol only cared about himself, allowing Park to act freely.

A classic example of being strong to the weak and weak to the strong.

Before the regression, Kang Han-cheol was the strongest, but now, it was clear to everyone that Se-woon was showing the most power, which is why Park had come to him.

“I just wanted to be friendly. You don’t seem to have many close allies here. Isn’t it great if we can help each other out?”

The moments of suffering because of him were still vividly etched in Se-woon’s memory.

Forced to fight monsters bare-handed and even pushed into the forest for reconnaissance, Se-woon couldn’t forget those moments.

Although he discovered the power of the ‘Guidepost of the Journey’ thanks to these experiences, that was only in hindsight.

He wanted to kick Park Jung-pil out immediately, but he couldn’t just say, “You tormented me before my regression!”

At that moment:

‘Well, he came to me first anyway.’

A wicked smile spread across Se-woon’s face.

Instinctively sensing danger, Park Jung-pil took a step back.

“You, you’re pretty fast on your feet, right?”

“Feet? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Feet.

Just before the monster wave, what could it mean to ask about his speed?

As he pondered this, Park Jung-pil quickly understood and his face turned pale.

“I-I’m slow! I’m known for being slow in my neighborhood. Ever heard of the Turtle of Daesan-dong? Haha!”

He tried to make excuses desperately, but it was too late.

“You’ll need to act as bait.”

–

(T/N): Ah, the sweet taste of revenge