The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family, Chapter 12
Back in the days when I was the chief disciple of the Black Tower.
I once asked the master this question:
“What’s the difference between magic and shamanism?”
“The difference between magic and shamanism? Haha, boy, you’ve been studying hard. Not bad, asking questions like this.”
Actually, the reason I asked was because Old Lady Green Tower had been pestering me, saying shamanism was cooler and tried to lure me over, but I didn’t mention that part.
“Using mana in accordance with formulas and rules is magic, whereas shamanism involves spiritual communication. For example, let’s say we light this grass.”
“Magic involves substituting mana into equations like ‘X+Y.’ Although the results can vary depending on the mage’s ability, magic is objective because it has a set formula.”
“On the other hand, shamanism is very subjective. The results can differ depending on the communication, like ‘a warm flame’ or ‘a small flame suitable for lighting grass’.”
Magic is an objectified rule, and shamanism is a subjective soul.
Even though the outcome is the same—lighting a fire—the processes are completely different.
“What?! Do you want to compare which one is better? Of course, it’s magic! …But that’s a joke, honestly, I don’t know. Both have clear strengths and weaknesses.”
“Rather, it’s a good thing. I’ll teach you this time, so you make the judgment. Well, I will teach you shamanism. What? How does a magician like me know shamanism? Hahahaha!”
“Boy, a necromancer is a magician who deals with d*ath and souls. If you deal with souls, how could you not know shamanism? It’s not for nothing that Old Lady Green Tower wants you.”
“Let me show you. Necromancer-style shamanism. ‘Curse.'”
“It’s better to see it for yourself rather than hear it. Reading is worse than observing, and observing is worse than doing. It’s a passage I read yesterday. So, how about it? Does it resonate now that you’ve experienced it?”
“Ugh….”
Dark circles down to her jaw, bloodshot eyes, and cracked lips like a desert.
This was the state of Merhem afflicted by the curse. She was struggling to walk on the treadmill like she was on her last legs. If a stranger saw her, they’d have called an ambulance immediately.
“Ugh… does… this have an effect?”
“Yes, definitely. There’s no better way to strengthen the soul efficiently than this.”
“Zen.. Long. That statement, you’ll have to be responsible for it… huuh… I see. Ugh.”
“I swear on my name, Miss Mary.”
I’ve gone through it too. This effect is undeniable.
Necromancer-style shamanism. Curse.
Back then, I was really surprised to learn that this curse belonged to the category of shamanism. Isn’t this one of the two pillars of necromancy, alongside summoning?
This would mean every necromancer must have learned both magic and shamanism, but is that even possible?
Turns out, my assumption was correct.
The typical necromancer’s curse is actually ‘magic.’
The curse Master taught me was a very special curse filled with his own enlightenment.
To impact a soul, I would need to wager my own spirit. Enhanced by the principle of ‘equivalent exchange’ in shamanism, this was Master’s unique curse.
Currently, Merhem is fully bearing the brunt of this curse.
“There are two ways to strengthen the soul: experience and overcoming challenges.”
“Huh… huuh.”
“One often speaks of broadening one’s horizons by traveling, but what this really means is expanding the soul. New experiences proportionally expand the size of the soul.”
“Experience…”
“To overcome challenges means exactly that—to endure suffering, crisis, or overcome obstacles. A person who overcomes such difficulties gains depth. Shamans say this is when the soul hardens. The training you’re going through now is also part of this overcoming process.”
“Overcoming…”
“By the way, there is a shortcut—’contracts.’ But disregard that route. Entangling yourself with ‘foreign entities’ is a headache you want to avoid. You’ve 5 minutes left. Keep going.”
Merhem, covered in cold sweat, continues walking step-by-step.
Her determination to grow stronger for freedom wasn’t just talk as she took each fierce, resolute step.
And 5 minutes.
Finally, the time was up. As soon as I said “End!” she lost all strength in her legs and collapsed.
I caught her before she hit the ground and carried her to the prepared mat for the next step.
“You know the drill now, right? Keep your mind focused.”
“Huhk, huhk.”
Merhem nodded heavily while breathing hard. And above my right shoulder, a shadow of darkness gathered for a moment.
The curse was cast again.
“Huh… huh… Ah….”
Merhem’s pupils dilated and her face flushed due to the spell of ‘Temptation of Dreams,’ the curse I had enacted.
This curse throws the target into a state of confusion by showing them extreme pleasure.
Like jumping into a cold bath immediately after a hot one, the pleasure experienced after liberation from despair would taste doubly sweet.
But you mustn’t collapse here.
“You’re doing well. Stay focused, remember your name. What’s your name? Who are you?”
“Huhk, huhk.”
“Your name is another facet of your soul. By gripping your name tightly, your soul can stay centered. What’s your name?”
“Shei… ar… Merhem.”
“Not loud enough. Again. Don’t close your eyes, again!”
I continued speaking to Merhem, who was trying to close her eyes.
I know exactly how tough this is since I’ve been through it myself.
Training which alternates between extremes of despair and pleasure is like having one’s soul wrung out in a spin dryer. But I swear by the Demon Lord’s name, there’s no faster or stronger method for building up the soul than this.
So endure. Grow stronger.
Just a little more… a little more…
Continuing to ask her name for 3 minutes and 21 seconds, I confirmed that she had lasted 10 seconds longer than yesterday, then quickly lifted the curse.
At the same moment, I heard a sound like escaping air, and Merhem immediately collapsed.
I, too, fell to the floor.
“Wow, this is no joke.”
Managing not to succumb to the curse was far more difficult than I imagined. It felt like I performed tightrope walking for hours.
“Now I understand why Master’s face looked gaunt.”
This is a training that most people wouldn’t even dare to attempt with their regular amount of concentration.
“But what Master said wasn’t empty words after all.”
He repeatedly instructed me and emphasized that you learn while teaching. If you ever have a disciple, he would strongly insist that you teach for sure.
“It’s true.”
Smiling, I closed my eyes.
Suddenly.
A whirlwind of darkness whirled furiously.
“Druid.”
The word was utterly unimaginable to Merhem.
She thought Park Ki-hyuk was insane when he burst into her home out of nowhere and declared, “You are a druid!”
Was he in his right mind? Abandon all the magic she’d learned and suddenly learn shamanism?
Shamanism and magic are completely different fields.
To a third-party observer, they might appear similar, but anyone who knows even a little about either would know this was an absurd suggestion.
She obviously had to refuse. In fact, she intended to do so.
However, at the moment of decision, Merhem’s instincts gave her a warning.
That’s right. Those words were right.
You are not just a magician who uses sand.
Rationally, she knew she should refuse, but deep inside her instincts were fiercely following Park Ki-hyuk.
This was an unusual experience, the first time she ever felt her instincts resonate. Merhem simply pretended to be mad and agreed.
And thus began hellish training.
“d*mn him. You are insane.”
She thought she’d start with theory about shamanism, but he immediately cast a curse.
What was that about? Isn’t it better to experience once rather than see a hundred times?
While saying this, he plunged her into despair, and no sooner had she endured that, than she was thrust into the depths of pleasure.
At that time, the moans that escaped her lips…
“Ugh! You’ll d*e! d*e!”
The more she thought about it, the more embarrassing and shameful it became.
Are human emotions toys? Why are you toying with them!
Later, when she checked, there wasn’t any training like this anywhere.
These human rights-abusing methods had her consider quitting immediately more than once, but she held on.
Because the results were simply too good.
So good that she couldn’t help but curse.
Within 3 days, she awakened her soul’s eyes to see the world. By the end of the week, she had created water in the air.
Merhem researched several topics about shamanism while searching for a suitable training method.
The basic method of awakening the shaman’s vision typically took about a month, even for someone with exceptional talent. It took half a year to imbue certain attributes.
But Park Ki-hyuk achieved such difficult things within a week.
If these results were disclosed in the shamanism community, they wouldn’t end with just turmoil.
However, even with such dazzling results, there was another reason Merhem held her complaints.
One day, just as she had writhed through another bout of curses and fallen into a deep sleep, she saw it.
A worn-out Park Ki-hyuk.
His colorless face lay as if dead, and his massive build was pathetically curled up. His posture was so pitiful and pathetic that it made her heart ache.
From that day forward, Merhem’s complaints disappeared.
If he’s trying this hard for my sake, I’m far from being childish enough to throw a tantrum when I’m tired.
Thus, with gritted teeth, she continued training for one and a half months.
Finally, Merhem was taking her first step as a ‘Druid.’
Ki-ek?!
At the moment a goblin became trapped by the ankle in a vine, Merhem’s kick flew out.
Her body enhanced by the shamanism spell ‘Bear’s Fury.’ Naturally, the strength was something a lower species like a goblin could not endure.
Krack!
The goblin’s neck was immediately torn off.
Without hesitation, Merhem clapped her hands together.
In her right hand, ‘Falcon’s Wingbeat,’ and in the left, ‘Echo of the Desert.’
As these two merged together…
“Sandstorm.”
Whoosh!
The storm sweeping through the forest began to crush everything.
Trees, the forest itself, and rocks.
Certainly, the goblins too.
*
“Is that a druid?”
“That’s fine.”
“…It’s more than fine.”
Han Jun-woo was dumbstruck, watching as Merhem devastated the area.
Even I found it astonishing, so for him, this must feel like an entirely different level.
‘Talented indeed, isn’t she?’
This is the first live combat Merhem has participated in since strengthening her soul via soul-training. Yet, she’s flitting about with ease.
Like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon and spreading its wings, as if declaring that this is what truly suits her.
Merhem, right now, was blooming brilliantly.
“Still, I can see something lacking.”
“Where?”
“Try to figure it out. You’ll see it if you look.”
With my words, Han Jun-woo intensely observed Merhem.
“Her movements are awkward.”
“That’s correct.”
He caught it immediately. Sure enough, this guy is no ordinary person.
“For weeks, I’ve been enhancing her soul. Due to its rapid growth beyond the expected range, the body’s balance has been disrupted. It’s a side effect of her remarkable talent.”
“So, this awkwardness…”
“It’s the disharmony between the soul and the vessel—the body—that has caused this awkwardness.”
“Can we fix it by strengthening the body?”
“For now.”
First, strengthen the body, the vessel for the soul. Second, reinforce the bond between the soul and its container with diverse experiences.
If we succeed here, we’re done.
What comes after that? You’ll need to figure it out yourself.
I’m not her mother or father, I can’t babysit forever. You can offer advice, but the next steps must be discovered through her own efforts.
Truthfully, I’m not at all worried.
‘With talent like hers, finding the answers will be no problem.’
Shamanic spells like ‘Bear’s Fury,’ ‘Howling Wolf’ for physical enhancement, or spells like the recently seen ‘Falcon’s Wingbeat,’ and ‘Echo of the Desert’ that transform elements.
Even her combination spells, merging different shamanic techniques, were outstanding.
She’s exhibiting all this in her very first live combat today.
It’s not just that she uses all the shamanic spells I’ve taught her, but she also has the talent to apply them creatively—she clearly knows the path she should take.
‘Rather, my issue lies with me.’
Just as unexpectedly, Merhem has grown beyond expectations, and similarly, I’ve made achievements beyond imagination.
In other words, my soul and its vessel also find themselves in a state of imbalance.
‘If only the sturdy vessel of the giant’s body weren’t here, the imbalance would’ve spiraled out of control.’
The load inside is immense, so even a slight imbalance causes significant repercussions. Time to resume body training, which I’ve taken a little reprieve from.
Amidst these thoughts, the battle had entered its final phase.
Only three standing goblins remained.
This should finish today’s gate. Just as I was contemplating what to eat after heading back, that’s when…
Han Jun-woo, who had been staring intently at Merhem, moved his lips hesitantly, obviously pondering something he wanted to say.
What a cutie. I roughly know what it is, but I pretend not to know and ask first.
“Do you have something to say?”
“…Me too.”
“Huh?”
“Me too, if I learned from you, could I grow this much?”
Alright.
Let’s run a quote for you too.
