My Uncle is the Strongest Dark Mage

In the world, there existed a special power called magic, and long ago, humans who studied this magic devised five distinct ways to harness it.

Martial Arts, Magic, Spirit Magic, Black Magic, and Supernatural Power.

Martial Arts is a discipline that maximizes the user’s physical capabilities by directly absorbing magic power into the body.

Magic, on the other hand, does not absorb magic power into the body but isolates it in one part of the body, using it directly to forcibly alter external laws.

Spirit Magic, while seemingly similar to Magic, differs in that it does not alter external laws but instead understands and accepts their will, conforming to nature as it is.

Black Magic, completely opposite to the three disciplines above, does not govern the world’s laws as they are but reverses the very nature of magic power, dealing with negative-dimensional magic and utilizing the inverted laws of the world.

Finally, Supernatural Power refers to an ability fundamentally different in mechanism from the four above. Unlike the others, which are developed postnatally, it is an innate ability, making it difficult to strictly classify as a discipline.

Additionally, there was a branch called ‘Holy Magic’ claimed by the church, but strictly speaking, it was more a form of prayer for self-discipline than a discipline aimed at reaching mastery.

Broadly speaking, it was considered a branch of Spirit Magic that conformed to external laws, so the public generally recognized only the five aforementioned disciplines as ‘fields of study.’

“…….”

Cain’s study.

A space filled with a haphazard collection of books accumulated by Cain, who had a fondness for reading.

Of course, even more books lay quietly in a Dimensional Space, and the ones here were merely those he had taken out to read immediately.

Without any particular preference for genres, he had collected a wide variety of books, so the types and numbers of books in this study were incredibly diverse.

From basic works like fairy tales, novels, essays, diaries, histories, and myths.

To magical theories, the latest academic papers, introductory and advanced Martial Arts manuals, books on Spirit Magic or the church’s teachings on mental discipline, and even new insights or unconventional opinions on Black Magic, which he had studied professionally.

‘The world is remarkably fair and harmonious.’

It was thoroughly balanced, without leaning to one side.

Even the five Absolutes who had appeared in the world were no exception.

Absolutes who had reached the pinnacle through entirely different disciplines.

There was never any bias suggesting that one discipline was superior to another.

Whether by coincidence or destiny.

In such a fair world, there was no rule dictating that one had to master only a single discipline.

It was possible to learn both Magic and Martial Arts simultaneously, to study Spirit Magic alongside Magic, or even to learn Black Magic and Magic at the same time.

It was just that the vastly different systems and theories made mastering them simultaneously extremely difficult and arduous.

However, it was entirely possible to focus on one discipline as the main field while learning the others as secondary fields.

This was true for Cain and the other Absolutes as well.

With determination and talent, even one of his subordinates, like ‘Greed,’ could master multiple disciplines equally and achieve greatness.

Of course, in Greed’s case, it was an irregularity caused by his bizarre and insatiable personality, which never let go of anything that came into his hands.

In any case, while the world granted equal and identical opportunities to everyone, exceptions always existed.

Among the five disciplines, Supernatural Power was uniquely exceptional, standing apart from the world’s rules.

Supernatural Power was a discipline accessible only to the chosen.

As mentioned earlier, unlike the other disciplines learned and developed postnatally, it was an innate ability.

If others used methods to gradually increase their power from zero to infinity, Supernatural Power worked in the opposite way.

It was a discipline that controlled innate power by gradually diminishing and managing it, reducing its magnitude over time.

Unlike other disciplines, it had a fixed upper limit, with the strength of the power varying randomly—some were weak, while others were strong.

As a result, throughout history, the number of Absolutes who mastered Supernatural Power was overwhelmingly smaller compared to other disciplines.

The very existence of the ‘Ice Queen,’ who currently ruled the northern continent, was one of the rare exceptions in the continent’s history.

As far as Cain knew, in the current era, only two Supernatural Power Users had reached the level of Absolute: the Ice Queen and himself.

Supernatural Power Users were, in some ways, even more ostracized than Black Mages.

It wasn’t simply because they were chosen and envied by others… it was far more complex than that.

Unlike Black Mages, who voluntarily descended into criminality, most Supernatural Power Users caused extreme damage to their surroundings when they first awakened their powers, unable to control them.

For instance, when the Absolute-level Supernatural Power User Ice Queen first awakened her power, she turned the northern continent into a permanent frozen wasteland, uninhabitable for humans.

Cain also remembered struggling significantly to control his power when he first awakened it while studying Black Magic in a graveyard.

Of course, in his case, his type of Supernatural Power was different from hers, so he didn’t cause any conspicuous incidents like she did.

“…….”

With such thoughts, Cain adjusted his thick glasses, hiding his violet, flickering eyes.

For such reasons, many Supernatural Power Users across the continent were driven into the Dark District, pushed by people’s criticism and ridicule.

This was precisely why many of the rare Supernatural Power Users ended up as his subordinates.

In conclusion, Supernatural Power Users were that extraordinary.

And recently, Cain’s greatest interest had been focused on these Supernatural Power Users.

‘It’s strange.’

There was no clue at all.

The one who killed his older sister.

An individual or a group.

The ones who caused the Airship accident and erased all evidence of it.

There was no information about them.

Even after scouring the entire Dark District, he couldn’t find anything.

No matter how well-hidden the information was by the nation, his subordinates, who could uncover anything, had failed.

Was it because he knew his subordinates’ abilities so well?

Cain understood all too well how absurd this situation was.

‘It’s not you.’

In this situation, the first people Cain investigated were, of course, the other four Absolutes besides himself.

For such a thing to be possible, they would have to act directly.

However, even so, the result was a failure.

None of them were the culprit.

Then there was only one possibility.

Another Absolute had emerged after Cain.

‘No one can grow unnoticed.’

A needle in a pouch.

An old saying from the eastern nation of ‘Hwan’ on the continent, meaning that someone with exceptional talent or ability will inevitably be noticed, no matter how much they try to hide.

Cain, too, had been unable to hide, no matter how much he tried.

Even when he subdued the Dark District, while ordinary people might not have known, the world’s elite must have been watching his every move.

There had even been a few attempts to interfere.

No matter how much someone tried to hide and grow, it was impossible for there to be absolutely no clues.

But that didn’t mean it was entirely impossible.

A Supernatural Power User, especially one as uniquely awakened as himself, unlike the Ice Queen.

If such a person had appeared, it might explain this situation.

‘And that person is definitely operating within the Dark District.’

As the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp.

The Death King, who ruled the shadows of the continent and controlled a broader domain than the other four Absolutes.

Ironically, this made it easier for someone to evade his watchful eyes, which only added to his irritation.

Whether or not that person was aware of his pursuit, their actions seemed to mock Cain himself.

“Uncle.”

Cain, lying on the floor of his study with a thick book titled “100 Dishes of the Noble Chef Buck” under his head, turned his gaze toward the door while reading a book on Supernatural Power.

The one entering the room with a knock was, as expected, Arina.

Holding tightly to the “Beginner’s Magic Theory Book,” which had caused a sensation as it was written personally by the Demon Lord Ern Benedict, Arina cautiously approached him.

“Um, are you busy right now?”

“No.”

“Then, could you perhaps explain this part to me?”

Had she realized something after the Grant Department Store terror incident?

Since that day, she had suddenly started borrowing Magic theory books from Cain’s study to study.

‘It must have been a wake-up call.’

A near-death experience.

Wouldn’t anyone face psychological trauma in such a situation?

She had even witnessed someone dying firsthand.

For someone so young to overcome such an ordeal was truly remarkable.

‘Though she did tremble for a few days.’

She seemed to have hidden it, perhaps to avoid worrying Cain.

But there was no way Cain hadn’t noticed her subtle changes.

Especially when she clung to her blanket and sobbed quietly in her room every night.

But in the end, she overcame it.

And she resolved to change like this.

Cain, though he didn’t explicitly show it, thought she was truly admirable.

That was why.

It was why he, who would normally dismiss her requests as bothersome, started listening to her.

‘She has a decent amount of talent, too.’

Even in Cain’s eyes, Arina possessed a remarkable talent for magic.

She wasn’t a monstrous prodigy like Cain, who had awakened Absolute-level abilities upon first delving into Black Magic, reached the 3-star level instantly, and later achieved the 8-star level in just three years.

However, reaching the 2-star level in magic at the age of twelve, even without dedicating herself fully, was undoubtedly a talent worthy of being called a genius on the continent.

There was no reason for Cain not to be pleased at the thought of her fully blossoming her talent and reaching great heights in the future.

After all, no matter what anyone said, she was his older sister’s daughter.

If she was determined, he hoped she would grow enough to scoff at the Grant Association, which had tried to abandon her.

“What is it?”

Cain, lying down and reading, gestured for her to come over without even glancing away from his book.

She sat down in the spot he indicated and opened her book, while Cain moved his gaze slightly to look at her.

“…….”

As Cain skimmed through the part she was curious about, Arina, without realizing it, sneaked a glance at the book he was reading out of curiosity.

It seemed to be about Supernatural Powers—a field distinct from other disciplines, described as a mutation formed by the condensation of magic power in a corner of the brain at the time of life’s inception, and so on. The size of this mass was theorized to determine the degree of synchronization with the brain and, consequently, the scale of the Supernatural Power.

From that point on, the text delved into neuroscience, and Arina, unable to grasp the technical terms, blinked with a somewhat overwhelmed expression.

‘Is Uncle a Supernatural Power User?’

She had seen a fragment of his abilities at the department store not long ago, but she had been unconscious and asleep, so she couldn’t fully grasp it.

By the time she woke up, Cain had already resolved everything, and the situation was more or less wrapped up.

‘Or maybe he’s a Magician.’

Recalling how he always answered her questions without the slightest hesitation, she thought he might be a Magician.

“The pure white book on the third shelf, fifth row.”

“Pardon?”

Just as Arina was speculating about his profession, Cain, after checking the book she was looking at, shifted his gaze back to his own book and spoke.

“There’s a book there that explains the techniques related to that content. It was written by someone named Maguni or Magutgan or something like that.”

Cain fundamentally encouraged self-learning.

His philosophy was that teaching someone who lacked the will to learn would be ineffective.

Thus, instead of giving the fish, he taught how to fish.

At his words, Arina slowly got up and walked to the spot he had mentioned.

There, she spotted a book titled [Magnus Theory Book].

“The content you’re looking for starts on page 36.”

Cain, yawning as he precisely pointed out the page, added.

“And just read up to there for today. Don’t be late for your first day at the Academy tomorrow.”

“I won’t. I wake up earlier than you, Uncle.”

Arina, slightly annoyed, glared at Cain in response to his remark.

But Cain, unfazed, calmly turned to the next page of his book and said.

“That’s because I sleep at dawn.”

While he stayed up late, he still had the audacity to tell Arina to sleep early.

However, strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely Cain’s fault but rather his older sister Cayenne’s.

She had always nagged him about how staying up late would stunt his growth when he stayed up reading books late into the night.

Cain was merely passing on what he had endured.

To raise his niece according to his late sister’s values.

“…….”

Perhaps because she had already heard about this long ago.

Arina could no longer argue and quietly hugged the two books to her chest.

She then slowly walked toward the door, bowing her head as she did.

“Good night, Uncle.”

“…….”

Knowing she wouldn’t get a response, she simply opened the door and stepped out.

Cain, meanwhile, continued staring at his book for a long time after.

‘Supernatural Power, huh….’

A field with more unknowns than knowns, unlike other disciplines.

Most of it remained in the realm of hypotheses and conjectures—an enigmatic study.

Thus, the number of theories rivaled those in the field of magic, seemingly endless.

So, what kind of abilities did that Supernatural Power User possess?

‘Even if they forget kindness, they never forget grudges.’

Cain placed the book over his face, covering his ominously flickering eyes, and closed them.

He felt as though he might see his sister in his dreams after such a long time.

As if he were finally ready to follow her nagging advice to stop reading and get some sleep.