The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 161

He had once forced himself to keep living, no matter how difficult the obstacles before him became.

February 2nd, Year 1543 according to the lunar calendar.

In Ninesorals, in Hanyan County, dozens of rigid metal-framed airships filled the mist-covered clouds and black-gold steam.

It was morning. Even though Hanyan County was far from Norn's center, the capital of Sanerva, the atmosphere there was bleak, the air polluted by black and white smoke continuously billowing from factories to meet the daily needs of society.

Meanwhile, the nobles were busy indulging in their strange amusements and enjoying their wealth without paying attention to or showing compassion toward the lower classes.

In front of the Scless Post Office, a group of men pleaded because the letters they had sent to their homes back in their hometowns had yet to arrive.

Amid the bustle of Hanyan County, in the city of Nuvles, everyone passing by, cycling, or using public transportation was immersed in their own lives.

Meanwhile, two buildings away from the post office, a man and his two loyal followers sat in the courtyard of a restaurant. Even though they knew the air outside was terrible, they ordered drinks so they would not be chased away by the restaurant staff.

Wearing a wide-brimmed hat adorned with his signature star badge, the amber-eyed man occupied himself with a strange hobby as he repeatedly separated and reinserted the soul of his pet pigeon.

He was Heinn Warlock, or more precisely, Hein Scadepylite.

The man sitting across from him, who had dark brown eyes, immediately asked in confusion, "Isn't that torturing it?"

Heinn snorted and looked at him in confusion.

"It's the one asking me to do it," he replied calmly.

His two followers naturally already knew why he said and did such things.

At first, when they had met Heinn for the first time, both men had been surprised because "he" was always talking to his pigeon, and they had both thought the same thing: How could a pigeon, or any other animal, talk to a human?

However, their suspicions had been wrong. Although the pigeon could not speak, inside it there was...

Joxel looked at Heinn, considering whether to voice his thoughts.

"Then why did you invite us here?" he asked enthusiastically.

Heinn returned the pigeon's soul, then a few seconds later smiled faintly, causing the pigeon to stare at him in fear before he released it.

Flap!

Heinn Scadepylite. A Receivers of Exorcist, at the third stage, Emptiness.

Heinn seemed to be toying with them by pretending to be clueless.

"I just wanted to get some fresh air..."

"In a place like this...?" Kevin said, his voice nearly rising.

Hein looked at him while sipping his coffee.

"Actually, I came because I wanted to send a letter to someone." He finally revealed his true reason for coming here, though there was a hidden motive after realizing something was wrong.

"About the man you're after? If I remember correctly, his name is..."

"Mudelk Zuhen...?" Joxel interrupted calmly.

Both of their gazes immediately shifted to him.

"Actually, I have no intention of fighting him again. Seven years ago, in Solaria, I nearly died to Recipestele after it merged with that man's body."

The two of them gaped for several seconds.

"Merged, you say?" Joxel asked curiously.

Heinn nodded, took another sip of his hot coffee, and said, "That's why the order 'The Blazing Dawn' dispatched six or four people scattered across Vinohoshi, Havanuheta, and GreyHeaven."

"Why aren't Ninesorals and Nature included in the search?"

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Heinn's lips as he explained the real reason.

"Dika, do you know who that man is?" Heinn asked with overflowing enthusiasm.

The two nodded, and a few seconds later Heinn quickly added:

"Dika, the Soul King who fought against the King of Prisoners in Nature. That devastating battle caused the rainforest and humid forests there to fall silent for several weeks, along with long-term effects.

"While the silence persisted, the Chalogs within those forests grew increasingly ferocious, forcing Nature's residents to adapt to the changing environment within a single month.

"As the two of you know, I was born and raised there, near the Vinohoshi border, in Bugen, right on the border between the two southeastern provinces of Nature.

"If I'm not mistaken, that happened when I was eighteen years old. Well, I don't remember exactly."

The two felt that the conversation had drifted away from the main topic, but in reality, they were currently wondering about Heinn Warlock's actual age.

"How old are you this year?"

Heinn was startled to see them ask in unison.

"Thirty-three... this year," Heinn answered with a furrowed brow.

Neither of them could hold back their laughter, causing it to burst out immediately. Several seconds later, however, they fell silent after hearing a painfully sharp remark.

"Next year, both of you will be thirty too..."

Naturally, they could not deny that painful fact.

Joxel bit his index finger and said through a restrained growl, "How do you know my birth date?"

The corner of Heinn's lips lifted into a faint smirk across his relaxed face.

"From Vitas Civil, of course," he answered in a half-mocking tone.

Kevin stared at him.

"How much do you know about us? What exactly are you planning?"

Hein looked at both of them with a carefree expression.

"They ordered me to hunt Hollows, including the Hollows of the Jitzurzaku Sect."

Kevin wiped the sweat from his forehead after hearing that fact.

"From the leader whose face you've never even seen?"

Heinn nodded.

"Yeah. I only shelter under that damned order so I won't be hunted by organizations or sects out there, including Hollows."

"Strange goal, but okay."

Even to this day, Kevin still did not understand why Heinn had spared his life and allowed him to remain together with Joxel as his companion. He had even suggested that the two of them join the order "The Blazing Dawn."

"I think I'm curious about that story. Mind continuing?"

Hein hesitated briefly, then nodded two seconds later.

He looked at Joxel, who seemed to be hiding something, and immediately continued.

"...Both of them died, and one of them, Dika, the Soul King, gave me the abilities of an Exorcist."

For some reason, both men were shocked to hear a secret they had never known before.

But now? Heinn looked utterly serious. He did not underestimate his opponents, even with his Exorcist abilities, especially at Level 3, which was highly versatile and possessed the power that had earned him the title of "Soul King."

To satisfy their curiosity, he found himself wondering whether he would even survive in the future. With a bitter smile, Heinn quickly added:

"The risk of becoming an Exorcist Receiver is a mortality rate of ninety-five percent... and that weakness can be overcome through a small system that some Receivers with the same ability may know about... namely, transferring that ability to someone else and turning that person into a vessel for one's own resurrection..."

Something cold crawled down their spines, causing both men to freeze momentarily. Beneath the table, their lips and hands trembled violently.

Deliberately, Heinn added the real reason why The Blazing Dawn had accepted him as a core member among the other eight.

"Heinn Warlock, Soul King," he continued calmly.

They already knew about the title Heinn Warlock. But now, the title "Soul King," which others often used, belonged to the very man sitting with them and chatting casually.

Only now did they realize it was a fact.

The two fell silent, as if those words had reduced their minds to newborn infants discovering the true meaning of the world.

"...Soul King, Heinn Scadepylite, or rather, Heinn Warlock."

Joxel looked at him, trying to calm the spirit that had wavered moments earlier and clear his thoughts.

He took a deep breath and attempted to change the topic.

"So, should we leave now and head straight to the post office to send the letter you wrote?"

Heinn looked at Joxel with a surprised expression, not because of the question itself but because of something else neither of them had noticed.

"It's not that simple. I want to finish this coffee first, and the pigeon hasn't arrived yet," Heinn said with a sigh.

As though being toyed with, the two exchanged glances, trying to understand his true motives.

"The reason for sending that letter is seriously stupid!" Joxel finally said in disgust.

"Huh? Why would you say that?"

Heinn looked at him, observing him carefully.

"Because he can't stand the terrible air in this place?" Kevin answered in his hoarse voice.

Not long after, Joxel rose from his seat. His face looked gloomy and dark as he pulled back his mahogany chair and hurried past them.

"What's wrong with him?" Kevin asked in confusion.

Heinn sipped his coffee. His expression changed as he stood from his seat and said,

"Quick, follow him..."

"Joxel... has he been cursed again?" Kevin only realized after noticing black stains falling with every step Joxel took.

The two moved to the side of the restaurant, toward the public restroom. Heinn's earlier suspicion was confirmed when he saw that the door to stall number two was tightly locked.

Kevin motioned for Heinn to step aside, then prepared to break down the door.

Crash! Bang!

The attempt failed, and they were startled when the door slowly creaked open, leaving behind a sharp, continuous squealing sound.

There was no one inside, and that left them staring in shock for several seconds.

'Bastard, did the curse from that horrifying creature reproduce inside his body? Didn't I remove his soul and cleanse his body before returning it?'

Heinn was bewildered. His gaze swept across the fog-covered streets, noticing something strange beneath his feet, underground.

"We're going to find him," Heinn said as he stepped forward firmly.

Kevin nodded after feeling Heinn's touch as he walked past him.

'This is bad. Why is he always like this whenever I'm with him?'

Only after thinking about that reason did Kevin realize why Heinn met with him at carefully chosen times and stayed apart on ordinary days.

'So I won't get cursed, huh?'

He realized Heinn's kindness. But without Kevin knowing it, he was nothing more than a pawn that would be discarded at a predetermined time!

As he stepped from the restaurant courtyard onto the sidewalk, Heinn suddenly stopped. His pupils widened, and he glanced to the left, not toward Kevin but toward a pitch-black figure screaming in a shrill voice that only the two of them could hear amid the noise of the street.

As though the two of them stood in a different world.

'Huh?'

Kevin's knees trembled violently, and several seconds later he lost his balance.

At 7:59 Morning

"...Heinn."

Heinn reacted by gripping his own hand.

Then, from behind them, the pressure of the scream intensified, forcing Kevin's face against the sidewalk.

Heinn stared at him, his face drenched in cold sweat.

A pitch-black hand, bearing the screaming mouth, pierced Kevin's left chest with fingers that continuously shifted and changed shape.

"Ugh..."

The black hand toyed with Kevin's beating heart before pulling it out and holding it directly before Heinn's terrified face.

"Bastard... you dare show yourself again...?"

He suddenly dropped to one knee, as though standing before a king.

A sharp grin spread across Heinn's face.

"Stop pretending already. I won't let you escape again!"

He stood up, knowing that the figure was using Joxel's body so it could be seen, and Heinn himself was shocked after realizing that the curse had regained its consciousness!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!