Ch.132Strike Declaration Is Dangerous (4)

In response to that intense attack, Henesia quickly deployed a protective spell formation, and Astride blocked our path.

Click.

Shing.

The sword at her waist that she hadn’t used in battle until now.

It was the holy sword called Ulferia in Thebe, a weapon that was like Astride’s other half.

“…Stay back.”

From what I could see, the opponent was using sword techniques. That’s why Astride seemed to think she should step forward, as she also wielded a sword.

“……”

CRASH!

The ensuing battle was fierce.

They both slashed at each other at speeds invisible to the eye throughout the boss room, literally shredding everything in sight.

A battle even more intense than the one with Julian Chenbiltz, who had been one of the Seven Stars.

Even Astride seemed to be drawing out almost all her power without holding back.

SLASH!

CLANG!

BOOM─!

In an instant, a massive impact sent both of them flying backward, and Astride caught her breath before speaking.

“…You’re strong. It’s been a while since I faced an opponent of this caliber.”

However, unlike the man who had sustained a small laceration on his abdomen, Astride still appeared unscathed.

It meant she had a slight advantage in skill.

After assessing the level of both sides, I gestured to Astride and slowly walked forward.

“I-I’ll take it from here.”

“…Teacher, will you be alright?”

I nodded, calming my churning insides.

I didn’t know the man’s identity, but he surely contained important information.

This was a golden opportunity to unravel the secrets behind this dungeon incident—a chance we had to seize no matter what.

WHOOSH!

CRACK!

Without hesitation, I took out the Book of Death and summoned Khan, then immediately gave a solemn command.

“Necromancy.”

“…Are you sure about this?”

“Just do it quickly.”

As my soul was stimulated, I felt the restraints surrounding it gradually weakening.

Of course, the enemy didn’t remain idle, but Astride kept him in check before retreating behind me after assessing the situation.

Realizing my preparations were complete, I loosened my hands slightly and quietly summoned my refined aura.

“If you have any sanity left, why don’t you try talking?”

“……”

“I guess he’s not in his right mind either.”

CRASH!

As soon as I finished speaking, the man lunged at me with all his might.

There was no will visible in his eyes, but it was clear his body had instinctively reacted after sensing my immense power.

“Geonkon Yeonhwan Talbakdo.”

A sword strike with an even more intense aura than before.

But it didn’t matter.

After all, between him and me, there existed a level difference that could never be overcome.

“I’ll end this quickly since we’re in a hurry. Don’t hold it against me.”

Whoosh.

CRACK!

In an instant, enormous hands emerged from the splitting ground and grabbed the man. He struggled fiercely but couldn’t break free.

And somehow, an ominous eye that had appeared in my palm began to stare directly at the man.

“Now, let’s take a look at what’s inside you.”

Crack.

Rustle.

In a moment, the vast memories contained in the man’s soul began to unfold before my eyes.

They were cracked and split in places, but still readable to some extent.

However, as I tried to grasp those memories, they lost their color and collapsed without a trace.

When I relaxed my focus and looked at the man, his body was already turning to dust and scattering.

‘As expected…’

I didn’t know who was behind this, but there was a strong determination not to leave us any clues.

This powerful man was merely a pawn on a chessboard.

I clicked my tongue and returned to my place, while Henesia and Astride looked at me with expressions of amazement.

“…Now that you’ve gotten stronger, I can clearly see just how absurdly powerful you are, Teacher.”

“Well. Perhaps in another decade, I’ll see something new again.”

Although Henesia had achieved tremendous growth compared to before, she still wasn’t at a level where she could fully gauge me.

Also, now that I had released some of my power, I could clearly determine:

Astride was stronger than the current Henesia. She likely had hidden techniques she hadn’t shown in the recent fight.

‘…If I were still under 50 years of experience, I couldn’t have guaranteed victory.’

Back then, I would have been at the point where I had destroyed a Necromancy school renowned across the continent and was engaging in fierce battles with monsters from various secret realms in search of undead materials.

And Astride would have been a match for me at that point.

‘Henesia isn’t far behind, but…’

If the two were to fight now, Astride would win eight or nine times out of ten.

I could also predict why such a gap had formed.

‘Henesia probably took on most of the work tracking my activities.’

Such tasks would be too much for Astride. This meant Henesia had less time to spare, resulting in different amounts of time devoted to training.

‘Being too competent really is a disadvantage.’

But perhaps the current situation was the most ideal form.

Henesia was honestly more talented in areas other than combat.

As if to prove this, she was now carefully analyzing what had just happened and expressing regret.

“We missed a good opportunity. I never thought they could interfere to that extent…”

This meant we had taken a risk for nothing.

But I smiled at her words and muttered:

“Who says so?”

“Pardon?”

“Tsk. You should have anticipated this much.”

Leaving Henesia confused, I headed toward the dungeon exit that had appeared at some point.

“Let’s get out of here first.”

This isn’t our territory. Though it seemed the attention had been withdrawn, it never hurts to be cautious.

“You’ll probably see quite an interesting sight.”

At least, in a way that’s good for us.

#

Leaving behind the startled Vice President Seo Dahye and her associates, we moved to a quieter location.

‘Now, let’s open this treasure chest.’

Actually, even before fighting that guy, I had recalled what happened with the previous returnee, Shin Doyoon.

Back then, when we made a serious attempt at contact, the opponent completely erased Doyoon’s memories, eliminating all connections.

‘There’s no guarantee that person was the same as the mastermind behind the dungeon incident, but…’

A similar situation was entirely possible this time as well.

That’s why I had already taken out an insurance policy in advance.

Swish.

Henesia and Astride tilted their heads at the object I held out.

“What is this?”

“A hair ornament. The one that guy was wearing.”

While the man’s body and everything else turned to dust, I had managed to secure this hair ornament thanks to my advance preparations.

‘Actually, everything except his body and this ornament was completely empty inside.’

They were real objects, of course, but somehow they contained no trace of time within them.

And now, while the power returned through necromancy still persisted, I would delve into the memories contained in this hair ornament.

“Of course, I won’t be able to discern much.”

Looking into a human soul is already a difficult task; this is merely an object. If it hadn’t been made from living wood, even that much might have been impossible.

However, that tiny bit of information would be the key to our answers.

“I need to concentrate, so keep watch around us.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Rustle.

Whoosh.

Very carefully, I placed the wooden hair ornament in my hand and connected my soul to it.

As I did so, images began to unfold little by little.

By matching the wavelengths meticulously without rushing, the forms gradually became clearer.

‘This place…’

An unfamiliar architectural style and unfamiliar scenery filled the world.

It wasn’t a completely alien civilization, but there were clear differences from Earth.

And inside the tallest building there, the man received this hair ornament from a woman.

‘However, the atmosphere…’

It wasn’t a gift meant to commemorate or celebrate something.

As if saying farewell, the woman handed over the ornament with an infinitely heavy expression. Her hands trembled slightly, revealing complex emotions.

And the man placed it on his head and silently walked toward the place he needed to go.

Many backgrounds flowed past like mist being cleared away, and soon the man stopped in his tracks, raising his head to gaze at something.

What the man looked up at.

Surprisingly, it was none other than an immensely large dungeon gate.