Ch.148Demon God. (3)

Olivia sighed with mixed feelings. It had been a week since clearing the Earth Realm, and she still hadn’t reached the Moon Realm.

In truth, she had arrived at the Moon Forest a few days ago, but due to poor timing, she couldn’t enter the realm.

‘If it were just a barrier, I could break through it.’

Because the Moon Realm was isolated in an entirely different dimension, even Olivia couldn’t do anything without knowing the exact coordinates.

No, even if she knew the coordinates, it would have been the same. Dimensional travel was impossible unless one mastered the extreme limits of spatial magic.

[You have 5 years. If you don’t come to the Moon Realm within 5 years, your curse will become irreversible.]

Those damned 5 years had already passed. She could assert that the sorcerer’s words were true because the “curse” hadn’t clearly manifested itself, but she couldn’t dismiss it either.

Recently, she had been losing control of her emotions more frequently. Though it was too mild to be called a curse, that very mildness irritated Olivia.

In battle, one must always keep a cool head. Only then can calculations remain uncomplicated, allowing one to read dozens of moves ahead and respond accordingly.

But when emotions can’t be controlled, all of that becomes impossible. Of course, power increases proportionally, but it’s meaningless if you can’t hit your target.

That’s why she was sitting cross-legged in meditation right now.

Emotional control.

‘…It’s getting harder.’

She still didn’t know what triggered her emotions to boil over. It wasn’t the smell of blood, nor was it combat. Without any warning, it would suddenly surge up from deep within.

Yesterday, she couldn’t contain her anger at seeing the Serial Murderer collapse after eating a poisonous mushroom. In the past, she would have simply ignored it, but this time she couldn’t help but hurl a fireball at him.

If she doesn’t consciously try to control it, she becomes consumed by emotion at some point.

‘I don’t have anger management issues, what is this…’

If not that, it could be because she’d been camping among insects for a week.

Unlike other realms, the Moon (月) and Sun (日) Realms were special. Starting with the fact that you needed three keys from other realms to enter.

Since the Water Realm doesn’t drop a key, users can obtain a maximum of four realm keys.

Fire (火), Wood (木), Metal (金), and Earth (土).

Therefore, no matter what, one couldn’t visit both the Moon and Sun Realms in a single run. Unless they split it across two runs.

So, Olivia couldn’t go to the Sun Realm in this run.

‘I wasn’t planning to go there anyway.’

Thinking this, Olivia lifted her eyelids. In the quiet night sky, a brilliant full moon shimmered at its center.

Moonlight descended in a straight line to where Olivia was sitting.

‘…Finally.’

The reason Olivia, who could freely use long-distance spatial movement, couldn’t enter the Moon Realm all this time was because of that damn moonlight.

The entrance to the Moon Realm only opens during a full moon. Until now, she couldn’t even use her keys because that cursed full moon hadn’t appeared.

Olivia immediately searched her pockets and took out the keys.

[Fire (火) Realm Key]

[Metal (金) Realm Key]

[Earth (土) Realm Key]

The keys on the ground slowly rose, emitting light symbolizing each element.

The keys flew toward an invisible space in the air.

With a “pachink” sound, the Fire Realm key dissolved into light and disappeared. The pure white moonlight instantly changed to a fiery red. The surrounding air swirled as if burning, creating an illusion of flames.

Olivia stared at the scene with a blank face. She had seen this spectacle dozens of times through the screen. But seeing it with her own eyes was definitely different. Is this how it feels to witness the aurora at the North Pole?

The Metal Realm key also burst forth. A massive dragon covered in gold appeared. After checking the key in Olivia’s hand, the dragon leaped right in front of her.

Whoosh! The next moment, the dragon’s form disappeared, and an “image” of the golden dragon with its mouth open appeared on the ground. Olivia identified a keyhole engraved near the dragon’s crown and inserted the Earth Realm key.

‘Now soon…’

The ground around began to vibrate. It wasn’t a magical element. Nor was it a spirit.

Sorcery.

Tsutsutsutsutsu!

Olivia looked down at the ground in surprise. At the mouth of the golden dragon, stairs leading underground had formed. The depth was so great that even with magical sight, she couldn’t see the end.

“If you don’t get up now, I’m going in alone.”

“…That’s not fair!”

The Serial Murderer, who had been groaning, jumped to his feet. He had already detoxified the deadly poison.

Olivia descended underground first.

The interior was dark, but not so dark that one couldn’t see. It was because a faint light, as if there were fireflies, illuminated the path ahead.

Honestly, Olivia didn’t know much about sorcery. She knew more about swordsmanship, if anything.

She had only been to the Moon Realm a few times. Whenever she obtained the keys, she always rushed to the Sun Realm.

‘Because there, treasures are piled like mountains.’

What’s in the Moon Realm are, at best, skilled sorcerers.

But in the Sun Realm, located in the deepest part of the Imperial Solar Palace, lie the legacies used by the emperors, knight commanders, and Masters of the Golden Tower of the Thousand-Year Empire.

It’s not even a game.

“How much further do we have to go down?”

The moment the Serial Murderer said that, the stairs shimmered and a massive iron door appeared before them. The door had no handle.

[Prove your strength.]

“…How troublesome.”

This is why she disliked sorcerers. Gloomy and indirect.

They must know that someone who had destroyed other realms wouldn’t struggle with a mere iron door.

It’s a very nasty prank.

Olivia tapped the shoulder of the Serial Murderer who was standing blankly.

“Should I just break it?”

“Yeah.”

Dark red darkness swirled around the Serial Murderer. A sharp aura settled on the tip of his scythe. Olivia’s eyes widened slightly as she sensed the energy contained within.

‘Did he absorb Agares’ energy?’

It was visible that he had become stronger than before. Though it was a minuscule amount, it was enough to be noticeable. How to put it… his energy had become somewhat more tyrannical.

Just as the Serial Murderer took his stance and swung his scythe—

The door flung open.

“Hmm.”

The Serial Murderer’s scythe stopped.

“I almost killed you.”

“If that had happened, the person behind me would have blocked it.”

The man who appeared from the door gap smiled. He was a face Olivia knew.

The sorcerer directly under the King of Martial Arts whom she met at the Attila Mountains 5, no, 6 years ago.

Rokpa.

“It’s been a long time, Great Witch of the North.”

“Great Witch?”

The moment Rokpa finished speaking, those words escaped from the Serial Murderer’s mouth.

“Ah, was I not supposed to say that?”

Olivia narrowed her eyes and glared at Rokpa. He was a sorcerer who had opened the Clear Vision (明境). Someone who could divine fate couldn’t possibly be unaware of the repercussions of what he just said.

“Olivia, you… are a witch?”

“Shut up.”

“…”

The Serial Murderer held his breath. But he didn’t refrain from letting his imagination run wild. The energy he felt a week ago could certainly be explained if she was a witch. And the fact that she was now seeking sorcerers…

‘Once more.’

She’s trying to bring about the end of the world again.

The Serial Murderer swallowed dryly. Indeed, it’s Olivia. Trying to destroy the world not once, but twice. Even the Demon Lord couldn’t do that.

‘I’ll try to hold out as much as possible this time.’

The Serial Murderer clenched his fist and resolved.

At the very least, he wanted to witness the moment of destruction before dying this time.

“Where is your master? And how did you get back in here anyway?”

“Haha. Since the story might get long, would you like to have some tea first?”

Before Olivia could say anything, Rokpa had already walked ahead.

The Serial Murderer standing beside her said:

“Olivia. He…”

“I know.”

He’s stalling for time.

“What are you going to do?”

“For now, I’ll play along.”

Because sorcerers are as dark-hearted as demons.

Of course, she’s doing this because she knows their intentions aren’t as dark.

“You must step exactly where I step.”

“What happens if we don’t?”

“Haha. I’ve never tried it, so I don’t know, but you’ll probably be banished back to where you started.”

The Serial Murderer stretched his legs to match Rokpa’s stride.

The sorcerers lived in dwellings built between tree gaps, much like elves.

Olivia, who was carefully looking around, said:

“I remember you saying you didn’t know your master’s appearance or voice.”

“That’s right. You have a good memory.”

“There are only about forty sorcerers here. No matter how much they try to hide their identity, I could figure it out by process of elimination.”

“Haha. A valid reasoning. But I truly don’t know even a fragment of my master.”

Olivia casually said:

“Your master. Is it Aurelia?”

“…”

Rokpa didn’t smile this time. Though he quickly returned to his original expression, Olivia didn’t miss that fleeting moment.

“Even if I don’t know much about sorcerers, I do know that names are exchanged when forming a master-disciple bond, right?”

Olivia blocked Rokpa’s path.

“Answer me. Is your master Aurelia?”

The Great Witch, Aurelia.

A comrade who had sworn to inherit the memories of previous runs, ten times, a hundred times.

“…Yes.”

Olivia closed her eyes tightly.

Something had definitely gone wrong.