Genius of the Dark Magus Family

Chapter 2  

‘What should I do from now on?’  

After his regression, Chris pondered.  

His goal was set.  

To rise to the pinnacle of the Magic Empire, achieving both immense wealth and glory while simultaneously saving the world.  

And to accomplish that?  

‘I need to take control of the Dark Mage Household first.’  

Fortunately, the family of the body he now inhabited, the Dark Mage Household, was one of the twelve prestigious families that upheld the Magic Empire, like pillars.  

If he could bring such a household under his heel, he would be one step closer to his goal.  

‘The problem is that I’m not a direct descendant but of a cadet branch.’  

The name of the body he now possessed was ‘Christien van Baren Khazar.’  

By coincidence—or perhaps not—it was a name strikingly similar to his original one, Chris.  

What mattered was the middle name.  

‘Van,’ which signified a cadet lineage.  

In other words, he was the son of the ‘Count Khazar’ family, a cadet branch of the ‘Duke Baren’ family within the Dark Mage Household.  

‘It doesn’t matter. The Magic Empire acknowledges succession rights even for cadet branches.’  

That meant he had a chance to take over the main family, even as a member of a cadet branch.  

Of course, there was a condition.  

- If he had the ability.  

Or, to put it more bluntly.  

- If he was overwhelmingly superior enough to trample the direct lineage.  

In short, he had to prove himself vastly more powerful than the many competitors of the main bloodline.  

One fortunate thing was that the Magic Empire strictly adhered to the rule of the strong.  

A land of people obsessed with power.  

That was the nature of the Dark Beings.  

He just had to become strong.  

‘First, I need to shed my reputation as a wastrel.’  

With that resolve, he went to see his father.  

Count Khazar.  

The head of the Count Khazar family, a cadet branch of the Dark Mage Household.  

“What is it?”  

His father, Count Khazar, greeted him.  

A chilling demonic energy emanated from him.  

‘A high-ranking Six-Star Dark Being.’  

Even in his previous life, such powerful individuals were rare.  

His father’s gaze was filled with contempt.  

Naturally so.  

‘Because I’m a complete disgrace.’  

Or more precisely, the owner of this body before he took over had been a disgraceful scoundrel.  

Chris let out a sigh, but this was something he had to overcome.  

“How long has it been since your last disgraceful act, and yet you shamelessly show your face? Didn’t I tell you to reflect on your actions? Or have you already caused another mess you couldn’t resist?”  

“…That’s not the case.”  

“Then what? If you’re here to play some trick, get lost. I’m on the verge of cutting your head off right this moment.”  

His father, Count Khazar, showed no desire to continue the conversation.  

Chris quickly spoke.  

“I’ve come to atone for the wrongs I’ve committed.”  

“…What?”

"I sincerely apologize for all my past wrongdoings."  

Chris bowed his head as he spoke.  

For a moment, Count Khazar froze.  

Then, like an explosion, he erupted in fury.  

"You—do you even realize what you're saying?! After causing such a horrific incident just recently, you dare to apologize? Are you mocking me right now?"  

A wave of oppressive energy swept over Chris, sharp enough to make his skin crawl.  

It was the reaction he had expected.  

Chris remained calm as he continued.  

"I understand that you don't believe me. As you know, I have lost a portion of my memories."  

He had already used the excuse that he had lost part of his memory after possessing this body.  

"Because of that, I was able to reflect on my past mistakes objectively, and I have come to deeply regret them."  

"……."  

"Once again, I sincerely apologize."  

Count Khazar fell silent, glaring at Chris with cold, piercing eyes.  

As expected, there was not a shred of trust in his gaze.  

Only distrust and rage.  

Naturally so.  

Chris never expected to win his father over with a single apology.  

This apology had another purpose.  

It was laying the groundwork.  

"Simply saying that I regret my actions means nothing. I wish to atone for my past mistakes. Please send me to the Punishment Cavern."  

"!!"  

"For one month. I will reflect on my wrongdoings during that time and return."  

For the first time, a different expression crossed Count Khazar's face.  

"Do you even know what the Punishment Cavern is?"  

"Yes."  

Chris was well aware of the ways of the Dark Beings.  

After all, one of his former companions had been a Dark Being.  

The ‘Chatterbox of Darkness.’  

True to her nickname, she had endlessly babbled about the world of the Dark Beings—even when no one asked.  

‘She even mentioned the Punishment Cavern.’  

It was a place where high-ranking Dark Beings were punished for their crimes. A pitch-black void where not a single ray of light reached, and all five senses were sealed off.  

Even a few days there could leave one's mind in ruins.  

‘But right now, it’s exactly what I need. A place where I can be alone, away from prying eyes.’  

Count Khazar scoffed.  

"You think you can last a month in the Punishment Cavern? You won't last half a day."  

"I know how harsh it is. But I believe I must endure it."  

"Must endure it?"  

"Yes. If I can’t even do that, I won’t be able to change."  

"!!"  

Chris looked straight into Count Khazar’s eyes.  

"I will no longer live the way I have until now. I will change."  

"……."

Had he sensed something different in his son?  

Count Khazar fell silent.  

"You? Change?"  

"Yes, I swear it."  

But Count Khazar let out a hollow laugh.  

"Do you have any idea how many times you've said that to me? Every time you caused a major disaster, you uttered the same words. That you would change. That I should give you a chance. I've lost count of how many times—at least ten, just from what I remember. And each time, you only brought me greater disappointment."  

"……."  

"Regardless, fine. I will open the family's Punishment Cavern for you. No matter how much you beg from inside, the door will not open until a full month has passed. If you can't endure it, then you may as well die in there."  

Die.  

It was a brutal thing for a father to say to his son, but considering this was the Magic Empire of Dark Beings, Count Khazar’s response was actually rather ‘lenient.’  

"I understand."  

"And one more thing."  

Count Khazar's piercing gaze locked onto Chris.  

"This is the last time I turn a blind eye to your disgraceful behavior. If you fail to change as you claim, I will expel you from the family."  

Expulsion.  

It meant death.  

There were far too many Dark Beings who harbored grudges against him for his countless atrocities.  

The moment he lost the family's protection, he would be torn apart and slaughtered.  

"I understand. In return, if I do change as I promised, I ask that you grant me one request."  

"A request?"  

Count Khazar looked at him in disbelief.  

Then, with a savage glint in his eyes, he scoffed.  

"Fine. If you truly change, I will grant you any request. But remember this—if you disappoint me again, I won't just expel you. I'll throw you alive into a lion’s den."  

Count Khazar’s voice was cold as ice.  

With that, their conversation ended, and Chris prepared to enter the Punishment Cavern.  

The family's servants murmured among themselves, making sure Chris couldn’t hear.  

"They say the wastrel is going into the Punishment Cavern?"  

"What trick is he trying to pull this time?"  

"After that last disaster, maybe he's just trying to avoid the Count’s wrath for a while?"  

"Well, he did insult the daughter of the Venomous Mage Household… and she’s of the direct bloodline, no less."  

The Venomous Mage Household.  

Like the Dark Mage Household, it was one of the twelve pillars supporting the Magic Empire.  

For a disgraceful scoundrel, insulting the direct heiress of such a house was beyond madness.  

"They say the Count himself had to apologize to the Venomous Mage Household to smooth things over."

"Hah, the Count is hardly acting like a true Dark Being. If he were my son, I’d have cut off at least an arm or a leg by now."  

"I hear that the high-ranking members of the main family are also furious over what that disgraceful brat did this time. Losing face to a rival house like the Venomous Mage Household must have been humiliating."  

"So that wastrel must be trying to save face by voluntarily entering the Punishment Cavern. Not that he'll last long in there anyway."  

The household servants smirked.  

"How long do you think he'll last?"  

"At most, two days?"  

"I say one day."  

"Half a day for me."  

The members of the household started placing bets on how long Chris would endure inside the Punishment Cavern.  

The longest bet was two days.  

Most expected him to start sobbing and begging for mercy within mere hours, if not sooner.  

Regardless of the murmurs around him, Chris steadily continued preparing for his time in the Punishment Cavern.  

‘Alright, everything’s set.’  

He looked over the supplies he had gathered, an impressed expression on his face.  

‘Prestigious families really do have their perks. Getting magic stones this easily… and in all varieties, no less.’  

All he had to do was ask, and his subordinates brought exactly what he needed.  

In his previous life, this would have been unimaginable.  

‘Isn’t this magic stone ridiculously rare? The Hero and I went through hell trying to get one of these.’  

Clicking his tongue in amazement, Chris rose to his feet.  

He immediately made his way to the Punishment Cavern.  

At its entrance stood a Death Knight, summoned through necromancy, acting as the prison guard.  

‘A Death Knight as a warden? How very Magic Empire-like. Hopefully, it doesn't have free will.’  

Chris eyed the undead warrior warily.  

Fortunately, the Death Knight remained motionless.  

Just as he was about to step inside, an unexpected voice called out to him.  

"Brother."  

Turning his gaze, he found a boy who bore a striking resemblance to himself staring at him.  

A familiar face.  

Chris called out his name.  

"Therne."  

Therne van Baren Khazar.  

As his name suggested, he was Chris’s younger brother.  

Unlike Chris, the family’s disgrace, Therne was a diligent and exemplary student.  

And.  

‘The one who will play a decisive role in my death two years from now.’  

His former comrade, the ‘Chatterbox of Darkness,’ had shared countless stories about the Dark Beings’ society, including the tale of Christien—the very body Chris now inhabited.

Christien had been a complete disgrace, and in the end, he met a miserable fate. At the center of it all was the very person standing before him—Therne.  

"What do you want?"  

It was an event from the future, but knowing that the boy in front of him would be the one responsible for his death, Chris couldn't bring himself to speak kindly.  

‘Not that we seem to have a good relationship anyway.’  

Just looking at Therne now, it was obvious he had come looking for trouble.  

"Judging by your expression, you’re not here out of concern for me."  

Therne’s eyebrow twitched.  

"…Of course not."  

His response was cold as he took another step forward.  

Step.  

The distance between them shrank.  

With every inch closer, the air grew sharp with tension.  

"I'm here to warn you."  

"!!"  

Therne's crimson eyes bore into Chris, laced with contempt.  

"You know very well that you are a disgrace to the family. I don’t know what scheme you’re plotting this time…"  

Flash!  

A chilling blade rested against Chris’s neck.  

"But I swear, if you tarnish the family's honor again, I will kill you myself."  

"……."  

Chris glanced at the sword.  

His skin stung where the blade touched, and soon, a trickle of blood dripped down his neck.  

‘Damn it, that hurts.’  

He swallowed a curse.  

He wasn’t afraid. He was just annoyed.  

‘After everything I’ve been through, does he really think a little threat like this will scare me?’  

Chris had survived countless trials and carved his name into history with legendary feats during the Era of Destruction.  

There was no way he would be intimidated by something as trivial as this.  

"Move it."  

"…What?"  

"I said, ‘move it’."