The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-497

Side Story Chapter 2

“The Ritual of Complete Resurrection?”

Camus from here looked skeptical.

"That’s something you can only attempt after reaching the level where you can draw at least ten Mana Rings. Isn't that practically impossible?"

"It's close to impossible, but not entirely so. Just because something is nearly impossible doesn't mean it's outright impossible, right?"

"Don’t play word games. I’ve pondered endlessly on this ritual myself, and I know it’s a wall I could never overcome alone."

"True. I agree with you on that point."

"…?"

Camus from here looked puzzled, prompting Camus from over there to continue.

"Alone, that is."

Morg Camus.

How many people had betrayed her up until now?

How many people had failed to meet her expectations?

Her immense skill, notorious enough to earn her the name "Empress," her arrogant nature, and the countless wounds that fueled her deep distrust of others.

All these factors made her unwilling to trust anyone.

…But what about herself?

Camus from over there spoke with confident resolve.

"I am a magic genius, the strongest of the Morg clan."

"…"

"You are also a magic genius, the strongest of the Morg Clan."

"…"

"If we join hands and complement each other's weaknesses, doesn't it excite you to think about what could happen?"

"…"

Camus from here remained silent.

Having never trusted others, she had always performed her mana inspections in meditation by herself.

After a long silence, Camus from here finally spoke.

"…Do you think we can really bring everyone back?"

"I can't guarantee it, of course. But if there's even a slight chance, shouldn't we give it a try?"

Camus from here nodded at the words of Camus from over there.

In the end.

Squeeze.

The two greatest magic prodigies clasped hands.

Their goal was the "Ritual of Complete Resurrection," a forbidden technique no one had ever succeeded in.

"Shall we begin right now?"

"Not confident?"

"As if."

Camus from here stepped down to the ground.

And she stood face to face with Camus from over there.

Camus from over there took a small breath.

Then, in a low voice, she began to speak.

"Did you know that the origins of the Morg Clan lie in the mortuary, the place where unidentified corpses are kept?"

"…!"

"It was a small Clan that specialized in such work, only handling the bodies of those whose identities were unknown."

Camus from over there was delving into very old memories.

Those who inherited this bloodline were primarily tasked with collecting unidentified bodies and finding their next of kin.

They gathered remains so damaged that identifying the living person they once were was nearly impossible, found their relatives, handed over the bodies, and received payment.

As a result, they naturally spent much time with the dead, and as the years went by, some of them developed the ability to communicate with the deceased.

Even when they rose to prominence and held sway over the nation, and even during the decades of decline when their lineage was nearly extinguished, those born with this strange ability continued to appear.

That lost, longed-for voice.

To Camus from over there, it belonged to a mentor—a person they owed an unpayable debt to, who had left before that debt could be repaid.

"Therefore, you could say that the true origins of the Morg Clan are closely tied to death. The founder was someone who communicated with and commanded the dead."

"…So, from the very beginning, the Clan was connected to dark magic?"

"Exactly."

"Hmm."

Camus from here quietly listened to the words of Camus from over there.

Eventually, she opened her mouth to speak.

"As the head of the Morg Clan, this is the first time I've heard of such a thing. Though, some of the elders of the Dark Side did say something similar back when we were in the middle of the war with the demons… I just didn’t have the time to pay attention."

"What I know, I only heard from my mentor."

Camus from here knew that the mentor the other Camus referred to was none other than the Grand Elder Snake, causing her to furrow her brow in annoyance.

"Why are you bringing that up now?"

"The Morg Clan’s dark mages know this instinctively. That the truths humans can discover and comprehend in their lifetime are nothing more than a handful of sand in a vast desert."

"Then where are most of these truths?"

"You’re asking the same question I once did."

The other Camus gave a small, amused smile before continuing.

"Beyond death. Beyond the door."

"…!"

Camus from here opened her eyes wider in shock.

Camus from over there met her gaze unwaveringly.

Only by passing through the door of death can a person truly become free and eternal, gaining the ability to explore the infinite truths that lie beyond.

Finally, Camus from here spoke.

"So that's why you turned to dark magic. To grow familiar with death."

"No. It was the opposite. I did it to guard against death first."

"?"

Camus from here tilted her head in confusion again.

Camus from over there smiled wryly, as if seeing her younger self in this moment.

"A dark mage is the one who fears death the most."

"Why is that?"

"Because before understanding death and becoming familiar with it, one must first understand and become familiar with life."

"…!"

Camus from here listened in silence.

She had never listened to someone so intently in her entire life.

‘Then again, I suppose it’s not really someone else I’m listening to.’

As she was lost in this thought, Camus from over there continued.

"Life. Emotions directed at others. Love. Friendship. Trust. The organic connection with everything in the world. Gratitude for being alive. The preciousness of life. Only after understanding these things can one truly grasp death. Everything has two sides."

"Isn't it possible to become familiar with death first? If it were me, I think I'd go that route."

"That’s a good question. To that, my mentor said… actually, never mind. You’ll get mad if you hear it. I was a little angry when I heard it myself."

The other Camus recalled the response she had received from Snake at that time.

‘That’s merely the arrogance of fools who fancy themselves as dark mages.’

If Camus from here heard that, especially coming from Snake, whom she despised, it would probably infuriate her even more.

"Anyway. Contrary to popular belief, a true dark mage must love and deeply understand the living more than anyone else."

"…A person who loves all living things and pities those who are dying. In some ways, that sounds more like what people would call a great sage or a saint. I guess opposites really do attract."

"As expected of me, you catch on quickly."

The two Camus continued their conversation for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Vikir had been silently watching the two women converse back and forth.

Finally.

The two Camus sat face to face in the center of the magic circle.

"To complete the Ritual of Complete Resurrection, we’ll need to dive into the Abyss of Magic and retrieve the missing theories and formulas."

"That place is the foundation of this world, where all truths are stored. We can find what we need there, though it will take time."

The other Camus had already attempted this ritual once and failed.

"But with the knowledge from that attempt, I won’t fail this time."

With a determined expression, Camus sat cross-legged.

Then.

Fwoosh!

The two Camus began channeling mana into the magic circle.

The magic circle hummed to life.

Countless complex shapes emitted a bright glow.

At the center were the materials:

35 liters of water, 20 kilograms of carbon, 4 liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of limestone, 800 grams of phosphorus, 250 grams of salt, 100 grams of potassium nitrate, 80 grams of sulfur, 7.5 grams of fluorine, 5 grams of iron, 3 grams of silicon, and traces of 15 other elements, along with the memory of blood and flesh. All of it started to give off a horrid stench, heat, and smoke.

"…Wait, a stench?"

This Camus’s face hardened.

The exact issue with the process wasn’t clear, but the outcome was.

"Failure!"

This Camus could sense it immediately.

At that moment—

"It’s not a failure!"

The other Camus shouted sharply.

That voice snapped this Camus back to her senses, clearing the confusion clouding her mind.

And then, something strange began to rise from the center of the magic circle.

…! …! …! …!

The other Camus clenched her teeth as she saw it.

"We meet again! How delightful!"

Back then, the only thought was that "it" must not escape the magic circle.

But that thought was short-lived.

Instead of preventing "it" from escaping the circle, this Camus realized they needed to enter "it."

The other Camus began to control her mana with all her strength.

Ssssssssss...

The cursed tree stirred.

The massive amount of dark mana stolen from Seere flowed through the magic circle under Camus's delicate control.

"You're really suppressing this thing with just physical force? Are you a monster?"

"Haha—why are you praising yourself? You’re helping too!"

At the other Camus’s laugh, this Camus also gritted her teeth.

Rumble! Rumble!

Both Camus controlled the magic circle together.

Finally—

Boom!

The magic circle shattered, and mana surged in reverse.

A sudden explosion, heat, and fierce winds.

The shockwave was so intense that both Camuses briefly experienced death.

Near-death. Everything shattered, returning to nothingness.

At that moment—

"Camus!"

A voice pulled the two Camus back to consciousness.

It was Vikir. From beyond the magic circle, he lent his strength to the two Camuses.

…! …! …!

The other Camus straightened her bent back with all her might.

"Master! Give me strength!"

Thinking of Snake, Camus took a deep breath.

Sssssss...

The vision inside her consciousness was shared with this Camus.

At the center of the magic circle, a pitch-black door stood.

Wide open.

Camus’s body was being drawn into it, pulled toward the distant abyss where stars and gas clouds drifted.

Like dust.

At that moment—

Whoosh!

Someone blocked her path.

A man in a black cloak stood before the door—Morg Snake.

Without turning around, he spoke to Camus.

"Go back."

"Your journey isn’t over yet, so return and say that it was beautiful."

Without hesitation, Snake stepped toward the door, beyond which dawn, dew, sunset, and clouds called from the abyss.

"May you become a necromancer who loves life."

That was the end.

...Back then, at least.

But this time, it was different.

"Raaahhhh!"

Camus began to unleash an overwhelming surge of mana.

Soon—

Rumble!

From the center of the magic circle, darkness began to creep upward, forming the shape of a massive door—or rather, a gaping hole.

It possessed an astounding power and hunger, drawing in everything around it.

The two Camuses and Vikir couldn’t escape being pulled toward it either.

"…!"

"…!"

Vikir and this Camus instinctively resisted the immense suction force trying to consume them.

However, the other Camus reacted differently.

"Don’t resist! Just let it take you! ‘That’ is the gateway to the Abyss!"

In order to perfectly master the art of complete resurrection, it was unavoidable to explore the terrifying void that stirred the deepest fears of the human soul.

"…Master!"

Camus gritted her teeth once more.

The path Snake had once ventured down ahead of her.

A mysterious realm where stars, clouds, gases, and dust roamed freely.

The "Abyss of Magic."

It was the final destination Camus had always sought, now revealing itself.