The Regressed Illegitimate Child is a Genius Dark Magician

Chapter 3

The moon had also hidden itself in the darkness of the night. Having slipped out of the royal annex, Damian made his way toward the forest within the imperial palace. Pushing through the untraveled underbrush with the help of a lantern, he soon came upon an abandoned tower. Squeezing his body through the tilted, fallen doorway, he entered to find the interior covered in a thick layer of dust.

‘It should be around here somewhere.’

Tap, tap. Tap, tap.

Damian knocked on the floor with a wooden stick he had picked up nearby. Soon, a different sound echoed from one of the bricks. Pressing his foot firmly against it, the ground trembled, and a staircase leading downward revealed itself. Due to the lack of ventilation over the years, the stairs were dangerously slippery from accumulated moisture. Damian carefully descended, step by step.

Just as the musty smell of dust and mold wrinkled his nose, the atmosphere abruptly changed. This underground chamber existed long before the empire or the imperial family. The tower was merely built to conceal the forbidden book stored here.

The Book of Hell. The most crucial requirement for making a pact with a demon. At the bottom of the stairs, a massive stone door awaited Damian. Beyond it lay the most wicked thing in existence, yet the door itself bore no carvings or symbols related to demons.

“It’s intact.”

Things were different from before his regression. Back then, the stone door had collapsed, leaving just enough space for a person to squeeze through. Damian had first discovered this place because of a terrorist attack in the imperial palace, the very incident where Anna and Felix had perished. Fleeing from the assailants, Damian had hidden himself beneath the collapsed tower, where he stumbled upon this underground chamber. The stone door must have been damaged during that event. But waiting for such a disaster to occur again was not an option.

“Hmm.”

Damian approached the stone door. He hadn’t realized it before, but this was no ordinary stone.

Magic-Sealing Stone. True to its name, it blocked the flow of mana. It had to be opened purely through physical strength, without the aid of aura or magic.

“Urghhhh…!”

Even as he pushed with all his might, the only result was the grinding sound of stone dust, while the door remained unmoving. He couldn’t ask for help, either. Even if others failed to recognize dark magic for what it was, revealing this location would inevitably lead to strange rumors. More than that, Damian had no intention of relying on anyone since the moment he regressed. The path of vengeance had to be walked with his own two feet.

‘Looking at it now, this door itself is a kind of test.’

Dark magic was different from conventional magic. Pure mana-based magic required no physical ability. But dark magic came with extreme physical strain. Borrowing power from demons of the underworld always came at a cost. In other words, without a solid foundation of physical endurance, prolonged use was impossible. The creators of this ruin had pointed out the one thing dark mages were most likely to neglect. In a way, it was quite a considerate design.

After all, if one could gain immense power simply by making a pact through the Book of Hell, why would they bother training their body? Strength. This was one of Damian’s greatest weaknesses. Before stepping into dark magic, he had spent his days drowning in alcohol, leading a lethargic life. His physical abilities were far below average. While he had enough firepower to take on traditional mages, his true opponents were Mikhail and Rubia. The Empire’s Greatest Swordsman and the Grand Mage. To surpass them both, not even the smallest flaw could be allowed. Fortunately, Damian had time. With consistent training from now on, he could overcome this obstacle. Even better, he knew the perfect person to help him.

“What did you just say?”

Derrick, the stableman with one eye, furrowed his brow at Damian’s words.

“I said, train me in physical strength and endurance, old Derrick.”

And why, exactly, was he being asked to do such a thing? He was merely a stableman, one who managed workhorses at best.

“Aren’t there far more suitable people? Like the imperial knights… My apologies. That was a slip of the tongue.”

Derrick was well aware of Damian’s disastrous talent. Damian had already been personally trained by the Knight Commander. It took less than a week before the Knight Commander threatened to resign rather than continue teaching Damian.

“There’s nothing to learn from them.”

The knights’ training revolved around the use of aura. Not only did Damian lack that talent, but he had no need for it.

“Physical strength and endurance, you say… Even so, why ask a mere stableman like me? I may be able to shovel manure and change horseshoes, but this is beyond me.”

“Because you’re an expert in that field, old Derrick.”

Steel Wolf Mercenary Corps. At those words, Derrick stopped in his tracks, just as he was about to step out of the stable.

“Sigh… Felix, that loose-lipped bastard, must have told you. Damn him. He’s never getting another drink from me.”

Clicking his tongue, Derrick sat down on a wooden crate. His face was wrinkled, his limbs frail, an appearance far removed from the legendary mercenary he once was. Yet, the single eye he had left still gleamed sharply.

Steel Wolf. It was the name Derrick had once carried during his days as a mercenary. Though his aura had been weak, he had honed his strength and skills to such a degree that he reached legendary status. Felix had often told Damian stories about the Steel Wolf. To comfort him, to show him that even without aura, one could still achieve greatness.

‘It didn’t help much back then, though.’

Moreover, Damian only learned after Derrick had left the palace that the legendary Steel Wolf had fallen so far as to become a mere stableman. But right now, Derrick was exactly the person Damian needed. When it came to training physical strength and endurance, there was no one in the imperial palace more qualified.

“Yeah, I used to be a soldier-for-hire back in the day. Are you planning to use that to blackmail me?”

Derrick had made many enemies during his time as a mercenary. If his past were exposed, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone stabbed him in the streets.

“No. I’m proposing a deal instead.”

Damian pulled out a thick pouch of gold coins. The mere clinking sound of it was enough to tell Derrick that it equaled several years’ worth of wages.

“Your contract here is almost up. You’ll have to leave the palace soon. This should be more than enough for your retirement fund.”

“…Haa. And to what level do you want me to train you?”

At Derrick’s question, Damian pointed to a massive boulder near the stable.

“Enough so that I can push that rock without much effort.”

Derek alternated his gaze between Damian and the rock, stroking his chin in thought.

“I have a condition.”

“If it’s something I can do, anything.”

“First, start running.”

Derek pointed to the open space in front of the stable with his finger.

“Is that all?”

“But you must keep running until I tell you to stop. You need to at least be able to do this before I decide whether to teach you or not. If anything happens to your body, a mere stableman like me will lose his head.”

Damian agreed and immediately started moving his feet. It was just running, after all. His body was still healthy, not yet drowned in alcohol, so this much should be easy. Or so he thought.

“D-Damn it….”

Only after about an hour did he realize he was wrong.

“Huff, huff, huff. S-still not done, old man Derek?”

“Focus on running. Your steps are slowing down.”

His body was more wretched than he had imagined. To be panting this hard after just this much running. Physically, he had been in worse shape before his regression. Even so, the fact that he had endured the side effects of black magic could only be called a miracle. He glanced at Derek as he ran, but Derek only looked back at him with the same unchanging expression.

‘Was he never planning to take me in from the start?’

Such doubts crossed his mind, but it was too late to back out now. Damian cleared his head of all distractions and focused solely on moving his arms and legs.

“Aah….”

Watching him, Derek let out a deep sigh. Why was he still struggling? Giving up would make everything easier. The world was cruel. No matter how much someone without talent tried, they could never surpass a certain limit. Having once stood at the pinnacle of physical strength and skill, Derek knew this truth all too well.

“Why did you refuse?”

His assistant, who knew Derek’s identity, asked.

“You could’ve just played along and taken the money.”

“A contract must always be fulfilled with sincerity. That is my principle.”

Saying that, Derek returned to his quarters. He instructed his assistant to notify the royal villa if Damian collapsed.

“Haah….”

Sitting in his rocking chair, Derek opened a bottle of cheap liquor. Memories of the past flooded back, making it impossible to endure without drinking. Once upon a time, Derek had believed. He had believed that with a clear goal and steady effort, one could eventually achieve their desires. But after his faith was shattered, he placed his hopes in the new sprouts of the future.

Yet, they too failed to break through the wall. Some of them even resented Derek. They asked why he had given them hope. If he had told them from the start that it was impossible, they would have been spared the pain. Derek drifted into sleep amidst his thoughts until the sun began to set.

“Where the hell is that brat and what is he doing…?”

His assistant was nowhere in sight. Damian must have collapsed long ago, so that fool was surely slacking off somewhere. Heading to the stable, he spotted the back of his assistant’s head. Just as he was about to smack it—

“What the….”

Damian was still running. At least six more hours had passed. Even with royal blood, no boy his age should be able to endure this level of intensity. That was why his assistant had been unable to act.

“Young Master, please stop!”

Despite Anna’s desperate plea, Damian merely waved his hand in response. Since the master had made his decision, the maid could only stomp her feet in distress.

“Haa, haa, haa.”

His breath was rough and uneven. Sweat poured down like rain. His steps wobbled. It wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed at any moment, yet Damian continued forward. Derek saw a strange power in Damian’s eyes. It was a will different from any he had seen before, deeper, more intense, and more desperate. Derek knew that Damian, as an illegitimate child with insignificant talent, had faced oppression. But could that alone ignite such an overwhelming desire? Derek didn’t know. And because he didn’t, he wanted to watch a little longer.

“Enough, that’s enough.”

At Derek’s words, Damian finally collapsed. Immediately, Anna and Felix rushed to him.

“W-Water, give me water.”

With a dying voice, Damian spoke. Anna had already prepared water and soaked a handkerchief, pressing it to his lips.

“D-Derek, old man. A mercenary should honor their contracts properly.”

His throat burned, and his heart felt like it would explode. But he felt good. Damian’s life had been a series of escapes. Whenever things got difficult or troublesome, he always turned his back on the problem. Even after learning black magic, that hadn’t changed. If he had faced things head-on, the fate of many people would have been different. That was why, before gaining strength, he had to fundamentally reshape his mindset. That was why he couldn’t collapse. No, he wouldn’t collapse. He couldn’t lose to himself right from the start. Compared to his goal, this was a minor victory. But for the first time since his regression, he had created a different outcome. Thinking of that, even as his limbs trembled, he maintained a smile.

“Rest for tomorrow. Training will begin the day after.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Only after hearing Derek’s words did Damian finally allow himself to collapse. His revenge began today.