I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 292 [7K7] The Mark of Detachment, The Silent Nun, Twisted Prayer, Battle of Illusions
"This is a power extraction technique that I built based on the observation of the operation mode of the power of the stars and combined with the magic system. It is tentatively named 'Extraction Mark'. Its main effect is to forcibly absorb the power of the target and make it work for me through the transformation properties of the power of the stars."

"Therefore, in addition to allowing you to draw power from the sealed box in another dimension, this technique can also, to some extent, help you apply it in actual combat, thereby forcibly drawing power from your opponent to weaken their strength, or even directly deprive and execute them."

"However, no long-distance extraction experiments have been conducted on mages of various classes yet, so a standard value cannot be given for strength, upper limit, and casting range at the moment."

Meeting John's surprised gaze, Trolowski calmly explained the construction principles of the Separation Mark.

It was as if they were discussing nothing more than an optimized version of a common magic spell, rather than creating a completely new spell that could absorb other people's magic power out of thin air, with effects and strength comparable to a unique spell.

Then, as if remembering something, Trolowski's eyes lit up, and he canceled all the magic spells that were running on their own. Instead, he smiled and gestured to John:

"However, this also reminded me that as the source of the curse's power, coupled with the continuous absorption of spatial power and the curse used to maintain the sealing of the star power over the past four years, its power may have undergone different degrees of mutation, thus becoming more compatible with the star power, and thus increasing the practical effect of the Separation Mark."

"Therefore, if I were to act as your target for the spell, then after experiencing it firsthand, I might be able to calculate how much power this spell can currently exert in your hands."

"what?"

Seeing Trolowski's shifty eyes, and realizing that the other wanted to personally test the specific effects of the Extraction Mark, John initially wanted to warn him that it was too risky. However, when he thought of the old Demon King's vast magical power, which was almost like an ocean, he abandoned that foolish idea and instead became somewhat eager to try it himself.
"Then, shall I give it a try?"

"it is good."

"Principal, are you ready?"

"Ah."

"Um, shall we go somewhere else...?"

Why are you talking so much nonsense now?

"……OK."

Seeing the impatience in Trotsky's eyes, John, who had been scolded, scratched his head sheepishly.

He then suppressed his nervousness, took a deep breath, and poured his magic into the detachment mark on his right hand, facing the unsuspecting Trolovsky in front of him.

Then, he activated the spell in his hand.

"Buzz!"

As the surge of magic illuminated the spell circuits of the Separation Mark, countless silver-white star runes burst forth from John's hands in the next second, rapidly forming 'Z'-shaped magic circuits in his palm. As they rotated clockwise, they transformed into the shape of a windmill, unleashing an unprecedentedly terrifying suction force.

"Wow!"

In an instant, the once peaceful study seemed to be engulfed by an unprecedented storm. Large amounts of paper began to churn uncontrollably, making a series of noises, but with a light tap of Tolovsky's fingertips, it returned to complete calm.

A pair of azure eyes remained fixed on the 'Z' shaped windmill that appeared in John's palm, as if afraid of missing a detail and causing a calculation error, and never blinked once.

At the same time, John, who was casting the spell, felt streams of magic continuously flowing into his palms as the Separation Mark spell continued. The sheer scale of this flow caused him to feel a throbbing pain in the spell circuits of his hand.

Strangely, after this magical power was plundered by the detachment mark on the back of his hand, the amount of magical power that was actually converted and transferred into his body was very small, and its quantity was just enough to meet the magical power consumed by him to maintain the operation of the detachment mark.

The remaining large amount of magic that had been stripped away disappeared without a trace, as if he were working for some insatiable glutton.

That's absolutely outrageous!

"Snapped!"

Seemingly sensing this situation, Trolowski, who had been standing still while John withdrew his magic, suddenly raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

The next second, a dense array of spatial magic runes suddenly surged from his body, forcefully breaking through the continuously operating extraction mark in John's palm and abruptly stopping the greedy monster's magic plundering action.

"The effect of the Separation Mark is much stronger than I expected. Judging from the amount of magical power you absorbed in those ten seconds, its scale is comparable to that of a Super-Rank Mage. In other words, you now basically have the qualifications to forcibly kill a Super-Rank Mage within ten seconds."

"Well, that's assuming the other party isn't equipped with a magic replenishment tool."

Looking at John, who was panting and trying to calm the turbulent magical energy within him after his spell had been forcibly interrupted, Tolovski stroked his chin and announced the results of the test. He then offered his judgment based on his recent findings:

"Of course, the reason why it appears to be a case of plundering beyond one's level is mostly because the curse in the sealed box has played most of its role. Moreover, a large amount of the plundered magic power was not transferred to the caster's body according to the conversion formula I set in the extraction mark. Instead, most of it was transferred to the curse in the sealed box, only replenishing the magic power needed for your current spell."

"However, considering that you can also draw power from the curse to replenish yourself through the Separation Mark, this state is not bad except that it cannot give you an instant mana replenishment in battle, and you need to draw it again."

"Furthermore, based on my understanding of magic, the magic interception of the Sealed Box will not continue indefinitely. As you extract its internal power, once the power of the curse you absorb reaches a certain balance with its intensity, the scale of magic that the Sealed Box can absorb will be gradually reduced, or even reduced to zero, due to the balance of power."

"However, you also need to be careful not to rely too much on this technique in battle. Otherwise, the more you rely on the magic plundering of the Sealed Box, the further away it will be from you to fully master this power. When its scale expands to the limit that you can bear, the curse may backfire on you."

"Finally, regarding the summary of the Extraction Mark test, currently, with the blessing of the Sealed Box, the Extraction Mark in your hands can cast spells across a class and strip the target of magic power. However, whether it can suppress a Grand-rank class will need to be determined after you become a Super-rank Mage."

"...Thank you, Principal."

John felt both excited and conflicted as he listened to the test results given by Trolowski.

The exciting part was that he had successfully obtained a semi-finished Starry Sky Technique with a strength comparable to his own unique technique without paying any price.

The complicated part is that, due to the obstruction of the Sealed Box, he cannot convert the stolen magic into his own use in the actual battle. Instead, it will be plundered by the Sealed Box, turning him into a tool for the opponent.

Therefore, just as the old demon king said, it's best to avoid using the Extraction Mark directly in actual combat unless absolutely necessary.

The main focus should be on extracting power from the sealed box.

John pondered this, and almost immediately after the thought crossed his mind, as if sensing John's thoughts, the sealing box, which had been feigning death within the extraction mark, immediately trembled and conveyed various discontented emotions to his brain, as if in protest.

They then attempted to escape from the cage imposed by the Separation Mark, which they found convenient and tried to break.

But then, as if discovered by dozens of righteous 'prison guards' who swarmed around it and subjected it to a brutal beating, the trembling sealed box in the alternate dimension quickly returned to calm.

Instead, to John's surprise, the magic that had been separated from the old demon king and purified by the power of the stars was obediently transferred to John's magic circuits, causing his magic power to increase to a certain extent.

This……

Imagine yourself being lectured by a prison warden, a newcomer, and then, after a period of loving persuasion, you come to your senses and obediently offer gifts to your prison master.

John was surprised, but even more puzzled.

So, what exactly is the situation with this body?
Besides the mysterious curse, what is the source of this power that suppresses the curse?
Feeling the bullying sensation within his body, John was completely bewildered. He wanted to ask Trolowski what the source of the power suppressing the curse within him was.

But Trolowski, on the other side, seemed to have guessed John's doubts first and spoke up:

"I am also unclear about the source of the power that imprisons the curse within you. Moreover, its structure and type are completely different from the existing magic system and are even more different from the power of stars. Therefore, even I cannot determine its specific origin."

"However, in terms of its function, this power seems to only have the properties of suppressing and containing curses, and it is neither beneficial nor harmful to you."

“I understand your concerns, but unfortunately, there is no mage in the world, or even myself, who can answer your questions.”

"If you really want to find the root of the problem, then my advice is to strive to become stronger."

"When you break through to the Grand rank and officially reach the Root level where the legendary Apostles reside, once you reach that level that everyone dreams of and can officially control the laws, then perhaps you will be able to unravel all the doubts in your heart."

“…I understand, thank you, Your Excellency Trotsky.”

John glanced at the silvery-white mark on the back of his right hand with a complicated expression, then put aside all his emotions.

He then intended to ask the old Demon King again about the Demon King candidates and why he had chosen to withdraw from the candidate process.

But at this moment, Trolowski on the other side seemed to sense something, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and then his lips moved slightly, as if he were having a conversation with some being from afar.

However, no sound was made.

As John watched this scene with suspicion, after a brief exchange, seemingly too lazy to continue the conversation, Trolowski directly raised his hand and erased the telepathic communication spell the other had constructed. Then, without hesitation, he turned to John and said:

"John, you should go back."

As he said this, Trolowski's expression was somewhat gloomy. It seemed that his conversation with someone had made him particularly unhappy, to the point that this good-natured old mage, who had always been indifferent to worldly affairs and immersed in the study of magic and limits for decades, showed a rare displeasure at this moment.

"Okay, Principal."

Seeing that Trolowski had inexplicably asked him to leave, John vaguely sensed that this might be related to his visit.

To be precise, it might be related to him withdrawing his own power.

The being who could intervene in such a matter and make the old Demon King, who was at the pinnacle of power, show such an expression must have been a Grand-rank being.

This level of confrontation is clearly beyond his current capabilities.

John suppressed his curiosity and doubts, bowed respectfully to the old devil who had helped him so much, and then slowly walked out of the fantastical study under the devil's gaze.

"despair!"

……

After leaving the old devil's study, John went into the magic elevator and turned the knob to locate the first floor.

As the elevator operated, amidst the subtle sounds of mechanical and magical operation, and gazing at the clearly visible clouds outside the glass doors, John couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

To be honest, this trip to visit Trolowski brought him many unexpected gains. Apart from regaining his power and the extraction marks comparable to a unique technique, what surprised him the most was the information about the original owner.

Although the old demon king did not elaborate on matters related to the original owner, he mentioned everything from the astral exploration to the deal between the two, and even the original owner's attempt to destroy the empire, which the other party did not stop.

All of this clearly proves that, before actively stripping away his power, Johann von Maslow was almost on par with Trotsky in terms of power level.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain Trotsky's almost absurd attitude of equality towards himself.

After all, even though the old demon king has been out of the fray for decades, as a true powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the world, someone who can be treated as an equal by such a powerhouse is definitely not weaker than the other party in terms of strength!

"But here's the question: given such immense power, why did Johann von Maslow choose to abandon it?"

Is it because this part of the cursed power is too dangerous, or is it because he foresaw the future of the power going out of control when he was peering into the River of Fate, so he chose to restrict it by peeling it off?

Or perhaps, it's a prelude to completing a subsequent plan?
Even the act of replacing the other party and choosing to reclaim that part of the power was within the other party's prediction?

John's mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts, making him feel as if he had fallen into an indistinct fog, and even had a fear of becoming a puppet, being manipulated by an invisible hand behind the scenes.

This intense sense of unease filled his mind, causing his breathing to quicken uncontrollably.

Only when the elevator bell rang upon reaching the ground floor did he slowly come to his senses. He took a deep breath, leaving behind all his doubts and worries, and calmly stepped out of the elevator. "Click!"

Outside the observatory, dark clouds had gathered in the sky and began to pour down a light rain. The fine raindrops gently pattered on the stone floor and eaves, making soft, rhythmic sounds.

However, what puzzled John was that Bruno, who was supposed to be waiting outside the Stargazing Spire in his car, was nowhere to be seen.

Even more bizarrely, the staff responsible for guarding and patrolling Eisencrownburg have also vanished without a trace.

It was as if this land had inexplicably fallen into a deathly silence, with no living beings except for the rain that kept pouring down from the sky and John himself.

not right...

John's gaze sharpened, and he subconsciously activated his Demon Eye, trying to analyze whether he had been invaded by some kind of force and fallen into a hallucination.

But under the scrutiny of the magic eye, he found nothing unusual, not even a trace of magic power used.

However, this situation only reinforced John's judgment. Therefore, without the slightest hesitation, he immediately activated his flight magic and flew at high speed towards the elevator he had just stepped out of, trying to tell the old demon king on the spire everything before the being that had inexplicably created all of this attacked him.

What John found incredible was that even though he was running at full speed, the distance that he could cover in a second seemed to be affected by an infinite force, transforming into a boundless galaxy.

No matter how fast he flew, he could never reach his target location.

Just as John was about to activate the Separation Mark in his hand and try to use the Sealing Box to completely break this strange state, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Tap, tap!"

The footsteps of the approaching person were very faint, but the sound could be clearly heard by John. John turned his head and was surprised to find that what came into view was a nun dressed in the robes of the Holy Light Church.

However, unlike ordinary nuns who always maintain a holy smile and look peaceful and serene, the other person's eyes were always kept closed.

Moreover, the clothing she was wearing was not the black and white attire typical of the Holy Radiance Church, but a pure gray nun's robe that had been abandoned long ago due to nearly a thousand years of church system reforms since the early days of the Holy Radiance Church.

The other person had their hands folded in front of them and was walking towards John at a leisurely pace.

It stopped slowly when it was five meters in front of John, and then stood still without saying a word under John's surprised and uncertain gaze.

What John found strange was that even though the gray-robed nun in front of him never opened her eyes, he could always feel a spying gaze fixed on him.

And as time goes by, this feeling of being watched is becoming stronger and stronger, and this feeling of being watched is not coming from the figure in front of them.

Instead, it came from behind him!
"!"

As if realizing something, John suddenly turned his head, but the sight that met his eyes instantly made his pupils shrink to the extreme.

Because the area behind them, which should have been empty, was now filled with illusory, semi-transparent figures. Among them were men and women, the elderly and children, but without exception, all of these figures were wearing the same gray nun's robes.

They all maintained the same gesture of folding their hands in front of them and wore almost identical smiles.

Unlike the nun whose eyes remained tightly closed, these 'nuns' opened their eyes, but the inside of their eye sockets was an empty darkness.

At that moment, the air inexplicably became thick and viscous like honey, each breath carrying a cloying sweetness like decaying flowers, making John feel intensely nauseous, almost to the point of vomiting.

"Clap!"

At the same time, black blood began to seep out from the stone floor beneath his feet, and quickly gathered into blasphemous runes in John's constricted pupils.

What is most unsettling is the absolute silence, as if even the sound of a heartbeat has been erased, and the entire world is now under the control of an unknown entity, tightly wrapped in a shroud.

What John found most unbelievable was that his body seemed to be shackled by an invisible force, making it impossible for him to even control magic. He could only watch helplessly as this bizarre scene unfolded before him.

Just as John was desperately trying to manipulate magic and break the damned illusion that was appearing before him.

As if they had anticipated his thoughts, the thousands of illusory figures that had remained silent all along suddenly began chanting in unison.

Lips opened and closed, but no sound came out.

But their silent prayers echoed directly in John's mind.

It was a chorus of thousands of different voices, each uttering the exact same words:
"Strip away the disguise of your humanity."

【Entferne die Maske des Menschlichen】

"Let us see the original appearance of your soul."

【Zeig uns das Urbild deiner Seele.】

"Buzz!"

As the prayers began, the view of the Stargazing Spire was rapidly stripped away, replaced by a dark church filled with various monster statues, resembling a true cult.

At the same time, thousands of 'nuns' dressed in gray robes raised their hands in unison and pointed at John.

And under the gaze of John, who had somehow changed into a black robe, their faces began to melt rapidly, dripping down like lit candles, revealing identical nun faces.

Stitched lips, hollow eye sockets, covered with dark, eerie, symbolic branding marks.

The prayer that had entered John's mind began to mutate at this moment, gradually twisting from standard scripture and turning into an extremely fanatical tone, like the preaching of a heretical priest:

"Our Lord is not the creator god, but the end of all destruction."

【Unser Herr ist nicht der Schpfer, er ist die verzehrende Leere.】

"Degradation is not a sin, but the path for the soul to return home."

【Nicht Sünde ist dein Fall, sondern die Heimkehr der Seele.】

"..."

Each word recited by the phantom struck John's mental defenses like a chisel, causing John's head to ache like never before.

At the same time, the figure who was praying began to move in a strange manner.

Their necks began to twist at impossible angles, and their limbs twitched and twisted in the opposite direction of their joints, like puppets being controlled, yet they always maintained perfect synchronization.

Large amounts of black blood surged and flowed along the shattered body, and under the guidance of some force, quickly gathered at John's feet and covered his black robe, allowing it to devour and twist until it enveloped John's entire torso except for his head, and extended outwards jet-black tentacles covered with sharp teeth, forming a bizarre and ferocious monster.

But the faces of the 'nuns' who were gazing at all this remained with eerie smiles, as if they were witnessing their god being reborn from the seal and rewriting the entire world with boundless power.

At the same time, a strong sense of hunger suddenly arose in John's mind, as if he had been trapped in the desert for more than ten days without eating a single grain of rice or drinking a drop of water. This unprecedented thirst almost drove him to madness.

As if sensing John's current state, a strange, monstrous stone statue placed inside the church seemed to revive and began to join the prayer procession.

The dried black bloodstains on the ground, after a moment of writhing, spread upwards, revealing their faces as they climbed, becoming every Allied soldier or Imperial soldier killed by his orders in John's memory.

John even saw Frank's figure in it, but strangely, the other party seemed to lack his own mind, but rather was like a controlled machine, joining the prayer under the control of some force, silently accusing him of his sins.

The space of the church began to distort at this moment, the stone bricks turned into writhing flesh and blood, and the burning torches turned into hanging corpses.

Tens of thousands of voices merged into one at this moment, transforming into an irresistible law that reverberated repeatedly within John's nearly splitting skull:
"Truth shines forth from slaughter!"

【Im ten finde die Wahrheit】

"Bathe in glory amidst blood!"

【Im Blute wasche dich rein!】

"Let the abyss of the soul be revived!"

【Erwache, Abgrund in dir!】

"Let my true self be born!"

【Komm hervor, du mein wahres Ich!】

"!"

The intense impact, like a surging tide, kept crashing against John. Just when John was about to give in and be controlled by this force, a sound like a mirror shattering suddenly rang out in his ears.

"Crack!"

Immediately afterwards, a golden arm phantom composed of countless extremely dense magical runes fell from the dome in the sky, and then tore apart the roof of the church illusion created by this being far beyond the power of a Grand rank with overwhelming force.

Then, accompanied by bursts of golden light, the twisted monsters that were chanting were mercilessly crushed by the magical runes that burst forth when they touched the ground!
"Oh!"

In an instant, the wall collapsed, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the prayer that had been chanted in unison came to an abrupt end.

However, she seemed completely unable to accept this outcome. The gray-robed nun, who had been smiling and calmly keeping her eyes closed, suddenly turned into a hideous figure. She opened her eyes, revealing the blood-red ring-shaped patterns inside her pupils, and stared at the terrifying giant hand that had descended from the sky above her with hatred and anger.

The black lips suddenly parted and closed, emitting a shrill scream powerful enough to instantly shatter the flesh and blood of a super-rank mage:

"heresy!"

"Crack!"

The ground cracked open, and countless sharp teeth and fangs spewed out from the depths of the blooming abyss, seemingly trying to erase the beings on the dome that were disrupting the resurrection of the true god.

However, the next second, as if sensing something, the gray-robed nun suddenly stopped controlling her kin. She then abandoned her impulse to fight the heretics again and turned sharply towards John, who was now surrounded by a large number of blood-red runes. He had already removed his original black robe and was filled with a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine.

Realizing that her mission had ended in complete failure with the involvement of the other party, a sense of resentment flashed through the gray-robed nun's heart.

But realizing that continuing to fight these heretics would only allow the already fallen monster to seize the final victory, she abandoned her previous idea with a gloomy expression.

Then, with a fascination in her eyes, she looked at John, or more precisely, at the 'Z'-shaped silver-white rune on the back of John's right hand, and without hesitation, completely erased the power that maintained the illusion.

Without the support of power, the entire church began to rapidly collapse and crumble, vanishing completely along with the entire world in an instant.

At the same time, John, whose consciousness was somewhat hazy, vaguely heard anxious shouts in his ears:
"General John? General John!"

……

(End of this chapter)