I Picked Up a Grimoire and Became a Wizard - Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Let’s Become a Wizard (1)
TL/ED – Miso
Once upon a time, back when Zeus was screwing nymphs.
In the backwater countryside of Greece, there lived a shepherd named Gyges.
By chance, he picked up a magical ring that made his body invisible.
Using the power of the magic ring, Gyges stole without being discovered and accumulated wealth.
In the end, it was said that he infiltrated the kingdom, killed the king, and became king himself.
It was truly a ridiculous story.
Anyway, the interesting part of this story was that no one could pass judgment on Gyges’s crimes.
That was because they could not find proof that Gyges had killed the king.
If a person were to gain the ability to not take responsibility for their own actions…
For example.
If, like Gyges, one became an invisible person and did not get caught for the crimes one committed.
If one were to obtain a Grimoire that caused things incomprehensible by human common sense.
How would they act?
How should they act?
I wish someone would tell me.
***
No matter how roughly you choose a university major based on your scores.
Personally, if you are poor or have no parents, it is better not to go to the philosophy department.
Because you have to buy major textbooks that are of no real use while saving money for food.
…Well, guys with good social skills get them from university sunbaes.
To add a bit more, if you have no parents and are not socially adept, it is better not to go to the philosophy department.
[Blah blah philosophy book – 34,000 won]
“Tskt.”
I clicked my tongue while looking at the price of the book required for class at the bookstore.
Every time the professor casually told us to bring a basic 30,000 won philosophy book. I regretted getting into university by taking the exam just because they said support funds would come out if you went to university from an orphanage.
Or I wanted to bury the professor in the ground like those memes floating around on the internet.
When I complained before that I was buying books too often. I was told I was a poor beggar who did not even have 30,000 won.
The words Fucking Son of a Bitch came out on their own.
If you buy a book, then you buy the next book, and then buy the next book, how is that 30,000 won? There’s no other crazy bastard like them.
I did not like philosophy professors to begin with.
They talked about how they studied philosophy at Peking University. How they studied abroad in Germany. How you had to study abroad.
They said it easily, without a second thought.
They were just guys who lived well at home, comfortably full, and got their PhDs.
My scores were ambiguous, and I chose philosophy over the Arabic language department. I was a Moron, a total Moron.
I left the bookstore and went to an old used bookstore I had seen while passing by before.
I had no money, and I absolutely did not want to pay full price.
If I thought optimistically, this was near the University district, and maybe someone who took the same class as me bought that book, thought it was a waste of money, and sold it to a used bookstore after the class ended.
The old bookstore I stopped by had a dusty exterior and was owned by an old man wearing glasses.
‘…This kind of place still exists. It is refreshing in its own way.’
It was obvious at a glance that there would be no search computer, so as soon as I stepped into the Old Bookstore, I directly asked the old man sitting at the counter.
“Do you have a book called Blah Blah Philosophy Book?”
“Look over there. If it is not there, then we do not have it.”
“………”
…Well, if it is not there, then it is not there. That was true enough.
I went to the bookshelf the shop owner pointed at, where thick-looking books were gathered, and searched while looking around.
It seemed like a junk bookshelf where various kinds of books were all piled together.
<The Eighth Book of Moses>, <The Book of the Angel Raziel>, <The Lesser Key of Solomon>
Moses? Angels? Were religious books gathered here too?
There were also books with occasionally curious names. And one of the books wedged in the bookshelf caught my eye.
It was far too much like steel to be called a book.
“…What is this?”
I absentmindedly pulled out the lump of iron that sat boldly on the bookshelf.
The cold sensation of iron was felt starting from my palm.
Since it was on the bookshelf, this too was a book, but it was a book whose cover was made of dark iron.
Making a book cover out of iron. Was it some kind of special edition hardcover?
‘…What book is it? The title?’
<De Vermis Mysteriis>
And at the moment Yo-han tried to read the title engraved on the iron cover, the letters on the book flickered and changed into Korean.
<De Vermis Mysteriis>
‘The Mysteries of the Worm? Did Fabre write this?’
I opened the book out of curiosity and skimmed through it. Contrary to the title, this book was not an insect encyclopedia.
A spellbook? No, the expression Grimoire would be more accurate.
Anyway, it was that kind of Occult book.
It was a book that contained methods of using Magic, such as how to summon Elementals or Necromancy, full of absurd content, but it was fun to read.
‘…A medieval Magic setting book is pretty fun.’
At the very least, it was more interesting than philosophy books. Considering that neither of them gave much meaning to daily life, the Grimoire that was at least entertaining won.
Thinking I might as well read it properly, I turned the page to the book’s introductory section.
There was a passage written by someone who appeared to be the author of the book.
[This book is a record of the Magic I learned while living as a prisoner in Damascus, as a survivor of the 9th Crusade and a seeker of sorcery.
The one who becomes the owner of the Grimoire ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ shall obtain a Familiar comparable to the ‘Invisible Monster’ served by the mad poet Abdul Alhazred. The owner of the ‘Invisible Vampire’.]
I laughed absentmindedly.
An Invisible Vampire? It is not like some invisible dragon…
Still, it succeeded in catching the reader’s interest. At least, I became interested.
Of course, I did not believe the contents of the book. I was not at an age to believe it, and even if I were that age, I still would not believe it.
Standing there and continuing to read felt awkward, so I took the book and went to the counter.
I was just buying the book because it piqued my interest and looked fun.
It was a natural action, but one I had rarely done, so I decided to do it.
Back when I was at the orphanage, I did not have money to buy personal books.
And now, I had only bought books required for my major classes. Would it not be okay to occasionally buy a book I wanted?
Books needed for class? I will just attend without them. To hell with it.
I placed the book that looked closer to a lump of iron than a book onto the counter.
Thump-
“How much is this?”
“······?”
The old man who owned the shop briefly frowned and looked at the book with a gaze that seemed to say, ‘Was there a book like this?’ Then he soon adjusted his glasses and spoke in a calm voice.
“…If you brought it from that bookshelf, it is 30,000 won.”
I had expected it since the cover looked special and made of iron, but it was expensive for a used bookstore book.
Still, well, it was 4,000 won cheaper than the major textbook I was originally going to buy.
“Do you only take cash? Can I do a bank transfer?”
“…Card payment is fine.”
Contrary to the old exterior and atmosphere, card payment was possible.
I did not bother buying a bag.
When I came out of the used bookstore, it was dark outside. Maybe because it was winter, the sun set early.
‘Let’s just go home and eat.’
Since I saved 4,000 won, should I buy a can of tuna on the way?
I hunched my body against the cold air and walked down the night street with the book tucked under one arm.
And then someone grabbed my upper arm with their hand, shoved me aside, and passed by.
While walking with my body relaxed, I was suddenly pushed sideways, and I looked at the back of the guy who shoved me even though the road was wide, coolly passing by with a woman at his side.
I was so dumbfounded that I was not even angry. I was just incredulous.
‘That bastard is showing off like crazy in front of a woman. Die on the way.’
To make an excuse for myself here, I was not some crazy bastard who genuinely wished for someone to die just because I got pushed aside a bit.
Does not everyone have experiences like this?
When you happen to have an unpleasant incident with a stranger, you think at least once that you wish they were dead.
Here, wishing they were dead is just an exaggerated expression. It is not murderous intent where you actually want to kill that person yourself, but more like the feeling of ‘I hope they trip over a rock while walking’.
…So, it was not that I truly wished to see that show-off guy, who tried to show off his cool self in front of his girlfriend, die gruesomely with his guts spilling out.
“Kyaaaaaaah-!”
“Eo-eoaaaaaah-!”
A shrill scream of surprise and a scream let out from pain spreading through the body, without understanding what was happening, rang out together.
Like a beast being subdued with its neck bitten by a wolf, the man’s body was lifted up. Blood flowing down from his neck, legs dangling unnaturally in the air.
“Aaaaaaaaah-!”
Not understanding what had happened, but in order to survive, the man screamed and flailed his arms. Movements meant to somehow push away the existence that had done this to him. However.
Chwaak-
“A- aaaaaaah!?”
As if the movement had offended the ‘something’ that had done this to the man, one of the man’s arms was torn off, exposing bone and red flesh as blood sprayed everywhere.
“Heoaaak-!”
Part of the flesh on the man’s neck was ripped away, and his body fell to the ground. Even though part of his neck flesh had been torn off, the man did not die.
“Eo- aaaaaaah!”
Pouring blood from his neck and looking as if his life was already forfeit, he screamed to survive, trying to raise himself and flee, but because of the severed arm, he could not keep his balance and failed to stand.
…And then the slaughter by the ‘invisible something’ began.
As if showing off, the man’s body split and blood, intestines, and organs were scattered in all directions.
That was when I came to my senses.
If you ask whether I was sane, then no…
But I regained control over my body, which had been frozen stiff in fear by the utterly unreal situation.
I immediately turned around and ran. I fled.
I did not scream. I needed to conserve the air in my lungs.
Perhaps because my fear had exceeded its limit.
Instead of panicking, my fear-stricken body moved for survival.
I did not do something like pulling out my phone and filming a video, unlike other people nearby.
I could become the next prey. There was no room for that. I had to get farther away from this place, even by a little. Thinking only that, I moved my legs.
I ran to my limit until my breath was completely spent.
Then I entered an alleyway, gasping roughly, dry-heaving and spitting out the saliva that had pooled in my mouth.
“Haah… haak… keok- ptui.”
My legs trembled, and the cold air stabbed into my lungs, making them ache.
On top of that, I had been carrying a book that was closer to a lump of iron, so my right arm felt heavy as well.
“Hoo…”
Just as I let out a sigh of relief, thinking that I was safe for the moment.
Step-
A presence felt from behind sent chills through me. My teeth clattered as my body shook.
‘…It followed me.’
It followed me.
With trembling hands, I tightly gripped the book, from which I could feel the cold iron texture.
It was already too late to run away. It would be a meaningless struggle, but I had no intention of just dying quietly.
I would at least smash it once with the iron edge.
“………….”
When I slowly turned my body around, there was nothing there. Just an ordinary alleyway.
However…
“Kaak…”
Along with the cry of a beast, a wave of hot heat carrying a nauseating smell of blood touched my face.
There was definitely an invisible, transparent ‘something’ there.
My stomach churned. I felt like I was about to vomit.
“Haah- haah-!”
My heart pounded like crazy, and my pupils dilated. The image of the man being brutally killed overlapped in my mind.
A chilling, sticky sensation moved along my cheek.
“!”
That something licked my face.
“Grrrr~.”
“Uh…?”
Once, twice, it licked my face like a large, gentle puppy playfully teasing its owner, then stopped and obediently waited for my reaction.
“Gyaak~?”
Unable to understand the situation, my strength drained away and the book I was holding fell from my hand.
Thump-
Whether it was coincidence, or whether it was trying to remind me of the truth once again.
Chwararak-
The pages of the Grimoire flipped and opened.
[The one who becomes the owner of the Grimoire ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ shall obtain a Familiar comparable to the ‘Invisible Monster’ served by the mad poet Abdul Alhazred. The owner of the ‘Invisible Vampire’.]
I couldn’t laugh anymore.
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Mr. Fool
that was brutal. poor guy got torn in two just for showing off