FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Episode 42
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"No, no way."
"Argh! Save me!!"
Two fell into the abyssal darkness.
They wouldn't die, but they were out.
"Oh dear, you must hurry. Since we're behind, I'll speed up."
The halfling steward chirped annoyingly.
The pace quickened.
The remaining participants paled.
Another couldn't keep up and dropped out.
Five left.
Aside from Chris, Roin was in the best shape, naturally.
He was only slightly winded.
Proving the gap between main and branch lines.
Elixirs from childhood.
Body refinement.
Dark magic blessings.
Main-line exclusive techniques.
An unfair starting line created a vast chasm, even among 2-stars.
Roin leisurely wiped sweat from his brow and glanced at Chris.
Ready to sneer at his struggle.
"!!"
His eyes widened.
Chris showed no strain.
His breathing was steady, not a drop of sweat on his face.
'How?'
Not just Roin.
The others stared at Chris in disbelief.
Roin growled, incredulous.
"What trickery is this?"
"Trickery?"
"Yeah, no way you're this fine without a trick! Using a stamina-boosting artifact, aren't you?"
"Trickery?"
Chris smirked.
"Need an artifact for a run like this? Train your stamina properly, and it's easy."
"!!"
"You'd shut up if you had any shame. Oh, right, you never did."
Roin's face turned beet red.
He couldn't retort.
Chris wasn't using any artifacts.
Purely by his own power, he endured this hellish race.
'Impossible. That trashy disgrace?'
All eyed Chris with distrust.
But it was happening before them.
Roin gritted his teeth.
His pride was wounded.
Meanwhile, Chris inwardly chuckled at their reactions.
'Idiots. If your brain's dull, your body suffers.'
His unbelievable performance had a secret.
Even for Chris, not tiring in this infernal race was impossible.
Not an artifact, of course.
He used a different trick.
'Twist the illusion.'
This wasn't the real world.
A virtual space crafted by illusion.
So?
Alter the illusion's rules.
'My level can't twist much.'
No need for big changes.
He tweaked one rule.
[Chris never tires, no matter the strain.]
That was it.
Impossible in reality.
Possible in this illusion world.
'Twisting a rule for myself is easy. No one's interfering. Idiots, knowing it's an illusion, why suffer physically?'
He sneered at the sweating, pale competitors.
But he was wrong.
Only he could pull this off.
Normally, only specialized illusionists could do it.
The halfling steward, who knew this best, shot Chris a stunned look.
'…That's Young Master Christian? As Chief Steward Simon said, remarkable.'
But.
Sebastian glanced away.
Roin glared at Chris, face flushed.
'Will he survive the Black Sanctification?'
As a steward, he vaguely knew what Roin had planned for Chris.
An act normally forbidden.
But who could stop it?
In the Dark Mana Clan, the main line's authority was untouchable.
'No matter how gifted, he's just 2-star. He can't withstand Roin's scheme. Hope he's not badly hurt.'
Finally, the path ended.
An abyssal dark space appeared.
The Dark Mana Clan's sanctum.
Where the Black Sanctification would occur.
---
The sanctum was strange.
They stood on ground, but none was visible.
Only darkness existed.
Faint star-like light illuminated the void.
[Greetings… young masters. I'm Lihu, the sanctum's caretaker.]
A ghost floated from the darkness.
A banshee like Marie.
[As you know, this is the Shadow Dimension.]
Shadow Dimension.
Not an otherworld like Gehenna or the Celestial Realm.
The backside of the mortal world, like its shadow.
Where pure darkness surged.
[The Shadow Dimension, the world's reverse, isn't meant for mortal beings. But this place is different. Here, the purest darkness erupts, and periodically, its surge opens a passage to the mortal world.]
Why the Black Sanctification occurred every 2-3 years.
The eruption cycle of the Shadow Dimension's pure darkness was 2-3 years, and the ritual aligned with it.
[The Shadow Dimension's pure darkness. Also called Dark Mana Essence. Our clan's founder harnessed it to establish the Dark Mana Clan, eventually becoming the third-ranked Demon King.]
The clan wielded this essence as its core.
Rooted in the Shadow Dimension, Dark Mana Essence outclassed other mana types.
Superior to all, it was called Sacred Darkness for its purity.
This was the power Chris aimed to claim today.
[Today, you'll acquire that great darkness. But remember.]
The banshee continued eerily.
[Sacred Darkness isn't distributed equally. The erupted amount isn't enough for all.]
Why the Black Sanctification was a brutal competition.
The biennial or triennial eruption was always scarce.
But many bloodlines needed it.
So, the clan's ancestors set rules.
The strong and exceptional would claim more.
[You'll each take a designated path to seek Sacred Darkness. All paths are equal in distance and trials. The faster you overcome trials and reach the sanctum, the more you'll gain.]
Like a race.
The first to overcome trials absorbed more Sacred Darkness longer.
The superior naturally gained more.
The lagging got meager amounts—or none, if others took it all.
'Christian, you won't get a speck.'
Roin glared venomously.
He'd prepared everything.
Christian's path would have harsher trials, ensuring his failure.
A Dark Mana Clan member who gained no Sacred Darkness lost the right to the Barron name.
Sacred Darkness was the clan's symbol.
Like being struck from the family tree.
'Trash like you won't sully our name anymore. Brace yourself.'
Smirking at Christian's impending doom, Roin froze as Chris spoke unexpectedly.
"One question. What happens if an unforeseen incident occurs during the ritual? Disqualification?"
[Incident… like what?]
"Like, say, clashing with a competitor."
The banshee tilted her head.
[Each path diverges, so you won't meet competitors. If it happens, avoid conflict. Fighting only benefits others.]
The ritual was about reaching Sacred Darkness first.
Fighting delayed you, letting others gain.
Thus, clashes were rare.
"So, it's not grounds for disqualification?"
[No such rule exists.]
The banshee looked puzzled at Chris's insistence.
Other challengers were equally confused.
Only Alos inhaled sharply.
'That maniac? No way. Even he wouldn't dare…'
He tried to quell his unease.
[Focus on… your safety. Once the trial begins, no one will help. You could… lose your life.]
The banshee floated up.
[Let's… begin.]
A flash.
A magic circle formed in the darkness.
Black lines extended from each participant's feet, pointing different ways.
[Follow the lines. Different directions, but… same distance, same trials, same destination.]
The banshee glanced into the unseen darkness.
[Your performance here will shape your future. Give your all. Good luck.]
And so, the Black Sanctification began.
---
Roin moved lightly.
Shadow Dimension beasts and spirits attacked, but turned to ash instantly.
'Child's play.'
The creatures were 1- or 2-demon-grade.
Roin, already 2-star high, was close to 3-star in a year.
These were nothing.
'Christian must be suffering.'
Roin smiled leisurely.
All paths were supposed to be equal.
But rules bent before power.
Roin had bribed a sorcerer to rig Christian's trials.
Not changing beast types or numbers—too obvious.
Instead, the same beasts were empowered.
Christian's would be at least 2-demon mid-grade or higher.
'No way he'll handle it.'