City of Witches Chapter 242

A week had passed since the accident.

After the training session with Eloa, conducted within a Hidden Boundary deployed right in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square.

Siwoo gingerly touched his aching body.

The content of the training was, as usual, one-on-one sparring.

However, at Siwoo's request, its nature had changed.

The 'Contract of the King of All Maladies' is an innate magic that, true to its name, maximizes its effect when holding a weapon.

Having practiced 'ways to move the body' based on unarmed combat and learned methods to strengthen the physique using magic power, the training now focused on practical sparring utilizing swords, spears, and shields.

One might wonder what the big difference is compared to sparring unarmed, but first of all, the intensity is on a completely different level.

Tiferet, who had been holding back for Siwoo's sake as he lacked Autonomous Defense, began delivering blows hard enough to shatter armor and leave bruises the moment Siwoo donned his.

She was taking the sparring much more seriously, significantly reducing her restraint compared to before.

"Wow... insane..."

After finishing his shower post-sparring, Siwoo stood before the mirror.

The swelling on his cheek was subsiding, and the red marks scattered across his body seemed to testify to the day's intensity.

Even this was only because Eloa had applied a light healing spell; originally, large, deep blue bruises had covered his upper body, and the inside of his cheek was torn, blood trickling down.

"I'm the one who asked for it... but it's tough."

The training time, which used to last nearly 12 hours, had also been drastically shortened to 4 hours.

To be more precise, it had become shorter but more intense.

Truth be told, even this amount of exercise was unreasonable from a general perspective.

The armor of shadow was enchanted to weigh well over 100 kg to increase its Impact Force, and the spear, sword, and shield, which he swung around lightly, each weighed over 30 kg.

Even disregarding the weight, even professionally trained athletes would be completely exhausted after a full round in an octagon, so the reason he could spar continuously for 4 hours without rest lay in the durability of his Spirit Body and the power of Magic.

Siwoo looked at his body in the mirror.

Even during his slave days, he had some residual muscle from labor, but now, fully transformed into a Spirit Body, he possessed a physique far more perfect than before.

Whenever he saw this, he was reminded anew that he had shed the shackles of humanity and stepped into the ranks of a transcendent being.

Although he felt like a neighborhood punching bag, getting hit here and there, if he were to harbor ill intent and run amok, he would become a weapon of war that ordinary humans could not handle.

Conventional firearms likely couldn't pierce his armor, and he could probably block even main tank guns with his shield.

If he threw the Spear of Shadow, he could probably penetrate heavy armor, and he could likely shoot down air power using the Ribbons that could extend for kilometers.

And if things got dangerous, he could escape with coordinate teleportation... Well, maybe a Tomahawk missile would pose a bit of a crisis?

But the terrifying thing about Witches is that even that could be blocked if they were determined to do so.

"Could I win in a straight-up fight against Iron Man?"

Repeating the useless thoughts men typically have when alone, Siwoo emerged from the bathroom, wearing only his underwear, shaking his wet hair.

Though he should have put on some clothes before coming out.

If only he had known that Eloa, who had left saying she had something to attend to after the sparring, would have already returned and be sitting in the living room.

"........"

Eloa, in the middle of drinking tea, froze in place with startled rabbit eyes.

However, she naturally placed her teacup back on its saucer and cleared her throat.

Was it because a pinch of sunlight, filtering through her voluminous, curtain-like pink hair, had settled on her cheek?

Eloa's cheeks were flushed a light pink, matching her hair.

But as if it had been a misunderstanding, she composed her fluster and asked in her usual stern, yet kind and restrained voice.

"How is your body? I returned thinking I might have been too harsh today."

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Though it's frustrating that I couldn't even graze your clothes today either."

"But, didn't you bleed?"

"I was the one who asked for it. Thanks to your healing, I'm already all better."

He shrugged his shoulders and boasted jokingly.

It wasn't untrue; Eloa hadn't allowed even the slightest hit on Siwoo.

Every attack was preemptively blocked and intercepted.

She seized upon the tiniest opening and struck.

It felt like fighting someone who could see the future.

"I understand your desire to improve. However, being overly ambitious overnight often leads to ruin. Do not rush; advance step by step. Judging solely by the time invested in training, you are growing exceptionally."

Eloa spoke with a benevolent smile.

While merciless during training, she often offered hopeful compliments and advice afterward to prevent Siwoo from becoming discouraged.

But today, for some reason, her gaze seemed directed elsewhere.

As if she was avoiding looking directly at Siwoo.

"Ah."

Siwoo quickly put on the clothes he had casually thrown over the sofa.

Only then did Eloa look towards Siwoo.

She wore an expression of feigned innocence, as if she thought it hadn't been noticeable.

"Something suddenly made me curious... may I ask?"

"Go ahead."

Siwoo asked something he had been wondering about for a while.

"When you were sparring with me today, to what extent were you controlling your strength?"

"Controlling strength? Hmm..."

Eloa fell into thought.

"It's not an easy question to answer. The response varies depending on what one defines as 'control' and its scope."

After pondering a bit more, she opened her mouth.

"I believe I was using roughly 5 pun of my strength."

It meant she was using 5%.

He had secretly hoped it might be around 10%.

As expected, a Hierarchy of 23 isn't given to just anyone.

A sense of awe washed over him, leaving no room for disappointment.

"However, this includes magical elements, so we should consider pure martial arts and swordsmanship separately. Hmm... excluding Magic, it would be around 5 hal, I suppose."

"Huh? That much?"

This time, he was surprised for a different reason.

If we're talking purely about technique, didn't that mean he had caught up to half of Eloa's level?

"The power of the Contract inherent within you is formidable. If you were to wield weapons with your bare body, without Magic, right now, there would be no human on Earth who could rival you. It is the essence of centuries of time and combat experience, you see."

"I see..."

"So you can afford to be a bit more proud."

Eloa rose from her seat and stopped in front of Siwoo.After a moment of hesitation, she seemed to make up her mind and stretched her hand upward to pat his head.

Due to their height difference, a comical scene unfolded where Eloa stood slightly on her tiptoes while Siwoo bent his waist a little, but the atmosphere remained heartwarming nonetheless.

"Hold still."

As Eloa gently brushed his hair from side to side, her eyes began to glow with a soft, reflective light.

Having just showered, Siwoo wasn't wearing his eye patch, and into his vision came a Magic Formula, drawing complex geometric patterns that radiated outward.

The Magic Formula formed figure-eight loops, hundreds of them intertwining to take the shape of chains.

The ends of each cluster of chains stretched out toward Siwoo's and Eloa's chests respectively.

"I Contract."

As Eloa murmured softly, Siwoo felt a tingling vibration through his body, accompanied by a sharp, prickling sensation on the back of his hand.

Startled, he looked at the back of his hand to find a pattern resembling a geometrically reinterpreted hourglass.

"What is this?"

"I have formed a simple Contract with you. It will temporarily activate a defensive spell if you are in danger. It is also a Contract that instantly informs me of your location."

Eloa's Magic is 'Contract Magic,' which utilizes Word Spirits.

Its applications are as vast and limitless as this.

Through Contracts, she can make lying impossible, directly enhance her own physical abilities, or pinpoint the location of a specific target.

She used one of the twelve Contract Counts that enable such things on Siwoo.

"Thank you. That's really reassuring."

"No matter what danger you face, if you can hold on for just one minute, I will come to save you, so don't worry for the time being."

Eloa finished patting Siwoo's head and began preparing to go out.

"Where are you going?"

"I must find the Cowardly Witch. It seems certain she is in this vicinity, so I shall find her and exact payment."

Siwoo felt a twinge of guilt, completely unrelated to the firm resolve and subtle anger palpable in Eloa's tone.

Honestly, he didn't know how strong the Cowardly Witch was, but he thought it would be reassuring to be by her side.

"Well then, see you later."

As Eloa turned her back toward the private elevator, Siwoo called out to her.

"Master."

The moment he called her 'Master,' Eloa stopped dead in her tracks.

Her ears, peeking out from between her lovely hair, seemed to perk up straight.

Eloa glanced stealthily over her shoulder, looking at Siwoo.

Her cheeks, brimming with joy, puffed up as if trying to suppress a smile.

"Did you call?"

Lately, Tiferet actually shows that kind of reaction every time she hears the word 'Master.'

It might be a slightly irreverent thought, but he always finds it cute.

Despite her strict voice and restrained demeanor, she's short and has a charming appearance, so he sometimes calls her that on purpose just to see that reaction.

Admiring the reaction that never betrays his expectations, he stated his original business.

"Would you like to go clothes shopping with me next time?"

"Clothes... you say?"

Her fashion patterns are two-fold.

Training pants that cling tightly like leggings, rising above the navel + a sports bra + a windbreaker.

Or a simple, flowing white dress without any adornments.

It's not that it looks bad on her—Eloa is inherently beautiful—but wouldn't it be even better to dress up such a pretty person on occasion?

"There's a department store nearby, so that's perfect. Just give me the time. I'll buy them for you."

"Why the sudden offer? Is my clothing perhaps on the strange side?"

Eloa looked embarrassed, like someone who, upon receiving perfume as a gift, thinks, 'Do I smell?'

"It's not that. Shopping is fun, right? And the season has changed."

"Hmm, I understand for now. I shall keep my schedule open."

Eloa gave a light farewell and disappeared with quick, bouncy steps, much more buoyant than before.

The elevator doors closed, leaving Siwoo alone with Sharon in the penthouse as vast as a palace.

Approaching the bed, he saw Sharon sleeping so quietly that not even a breath could be heard.

Like a doll.

She's probably fighting her own battle, as usual.

After sweeping his hand over her forehead once, as he often did, he took a business card from his pocket.

It was time to settle the debt he had postponed, his mind troubled and wanting to focus on training.

To do that, he needed to meet her first.

Looking at the business card with only a phone number and a name written on it, he made the call.

[I've been waiting.]

Periwinkle answered the call immediately, before the ringtone even sounded once.

[It's already been a week. Isn't that too late?]

A relaxed, gentle voice followed, tinged with reproach.

"I'm sorry. I had various things to sort out and a lot to think about."

[It's fine, I wasn't planning to scold you. Let's meet today.]

"But, what is this request you mentioned that I must hear?"

[We can talk when we meet. Can we go to the Witch Point?]

"Yes, please."

[I happen to be nearby, so I'll come right away. Come out.]

The call ended unilaterally.

Somehow, even though she's the one who saved his life, she doesn't feel overly arrogant, and he doesn't get the sense she'll demand something enormous.

But this is merely Siwoo's wishful thinking; in reality, Periwinkle is someone quite demanding and has the right to ask for something significant.

After all, she did save his life, and in witch society, the giving and settling of favors seems to be treated very seriously.

Is it because if they wish, they can live eternally, or even if they die, their Witch Name and Brand are succeeded?

With these various thoughts, Siwoo changed into outdoor clothes and went down to the front of the building to meet Periwinkle.

Author's Note (Afterword)

Does anyone have recommendations for a good illustrator?

Preferably a Korean illustrator would be great.