Episode 580. The Easiest Way (2)

‘Eclipse.’

Among the trees stretching as if to touch the sky.

The hot black sun burned the trees, colliding with a black pillar.

KWAANG-!

Hudu-du-

A huge roar, enough to make birds take flight.

At the same time, the ominous pillar that had stood tall slowly toppled over.

Kung-.

“Cough. Cough. Ah, shit.”

Lee Hoyeon, who flicked his fingers to send the dust flying, stepped back, squinting.

He didn’t forget to extinguish all the flames, just in case they spread into a forest fire.

“This won’t do. The efficiency is too poor.”

Lee Hoyeon muttered, shaking off the remaining magic in his hand.

The smell of earth, which he hadn’t smelled in a while, somewhat soothed his mood, but this was physically impossible to continue.

The day he realized he could break the black pillars.

His deliberation was short.

Immediately after informing the Iris Guild, Lee Hoyeon went around breaking the black pillars.

For now, he intended to break all the ones in France.

Since he had just broken one, he needed to increase the number of attempts to figure out if there were any exceptions.

…And so, he spent two whole days just breaking black pillars.

“What kind of bastard’s idea was that? Fuck.”

He wiped the sweat running down his cheek.

He wanted to punch himself in the back of the head from two days ago.

Because the strength of each black pillar varied, some broke with a light spiral, while others, like the one just now, required him to brute-force magic into them.

Blocking the negative energy emanating from the black pillars demanded a lot of concentration even from Lee Hoyeon.

Moreover, since the pillars weren’t clustered together but were far apart, the travel time was no joke either.

He definitely felt it after running around frantically for two days to break the black pillars.

Breaking all the pillars worldwide alone is too difficult.

Of course, if I had a few months, I could do it… But then who would meet the heroines?

Nor was it easy to break them slowly, bit by bit. Because the black pillars were scattered across various countries.

“… Should I head back for now?”

Tomorrow was already the time to return to Korea.

Going home after only breaking black pillars like this wouldn’t do; there was still work left to do at the Iris Guild.

I can think about the black pillars again later.

Crushing the rustling fallen leaves, Lee Hoyeon exited the forest.

*

The Iris Guild’s Team 1 Leader’s Office.

Lee Hoyeon leaned back on the sofa, drinking the coffee Irene had personally brewed.

He needed to relieve the exhaustion from his body, which had been worn out breaking the black pillars.

“… Did you go off and do that brute force thing again today?”

“What do you mean ‘brute force thing’, Irene-ssi? Haven’t you seen the news? It’s being called the magnificent achievement of Mage Lee Hoyeon.”

“It is magnificent… Yes. You’re right.”

Irene looked at Lee Hoyeon sprawled on the sofa with a reluctant expression.

It wasn’t that she didn’t acknowledge it as a magnificent achievement.

The Iris Guild was also reaping enormous benefits thanks to Lee Hoyeon.

It was just that, having finally gotten some free time, she had planned to watch Alice’s childhood videos saved on her smartwatch, but Lee Hoyeon happened to show up then, making her feel unfairly burdened by having to pretend to focus on work.

Tadak- Tak-

Only the sound of the keyboard echoed in the quiet office.

Lee Hoyeon lay on the sofa as still as a mouse, while Irene glanced at him and spoke.

“… Ahem. If you’re tired, why don’t you go rest at the dorms.”

“Am I bothering you by being here? You said you were just killing time with your smartwatch anyway.”

“What bastard said that? Is it a guild member?”

“I’m kidding.”

Irene glared, frowning, and Lee Hoyeon subtly avoided her gaze.

“Haa.”

In the end, Irene was the one who lost.

This was her office, and unless she kicked that ruffian out, it was her defeat.

“So why are you here? Just visiting? Want another cup of coffee?”

Lee Hoyeon smiled at Irene’s words.

Lately, he felt comfortable enough with Irene to visit often, and surprisingly, she seemed more receptive than Alice.

Alice gets angry if you bother her while she’s working.

“That’s part of it… and I have something to talk about too.”

“What is it?”

“The black pillars, of course.”

Lee Hoyeon checked his smartwatch while continuing his conversation with Irene.

[Lee Hoyeon destroyed a black pillar.]

A large-scale manipulation of consciousness performed by this world’s god.

Thanks to that, the black pillars were becoming natural phenomena, like dungeon generation or dungeon rampages.

It meant one more problem humanity couldn’t solve.

But then, the genius mage Lee Hoyeon shattered it.

Furthermore, with the Iris Guild’s help, the danger of the black pillars was becoming known worldwide, amplifying the impact.

• Black Pillars. Simply ignoring them is not the answer. Recent research suggests a connection between the terrorist group Pandemic and the black pillars….

• Iris Guild of France, Mage Lee Hoyeon played a part in informing the world about the dangers of the black pillars.

• Genius Mage Lee Hoyeon. Dreaming again. He found a way to break the black pillars, a global nuisance!

• [Real Situation] World leaders kneeling before Korea’s Mage Lee Hoyeon?! China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which used to look down on Korea. ‘Please, Big Brother.’

“What kind of crazy bastards are these. Tch.”

Lee Hoyeon chuckled, looking at the last article.

Well, China had been having a tough time with the sinkholes appearing in Beijing.

Irene asked, watching Lee Hoyeon suddenly burst into laughter mid-conversation.

“The black pillars? Weren’t you going around breaking them all yourself?”

“That’s basically telling me to die. If I really push myself, 10 a day is the absolute maximum.”

“10 isn’t that many, is it? There are only about 500 black pillars worldwide. You could break them in two months.”

“I said 10 is pushing it! I used magic for 24 hours straight, so I need a day to rest.”

“So, four months?”

“I’m telling you, I have to break black pillars 24 hours a day! No, Irene-ssi, you’re deliberately asking me this, aren’t you?”

Irene subtly avoided his gaze.

Of course, she knew.

Lee Hoyeon’s condition after smashing about 15 black pillars in France over the last two days was far from normal.

That’s probably why he was acting out like this.

“I wish I could help, but right now, you’re the only one who can approach the black pillars.”

“… Yes. That’s right.”

For the record, the media reported him as a genius mage who awakened the magic related to the black pillars while continuing his battle with Lucifer.

“Alice, the other Iris Guild members, and I are researching Hell’s magic too. Don’t worry too much.”

“Hmm… I know that.”

Honestly, I’m not expecting much.

It’s a bit awkward to say myself, but probably very few people will awaken Hell’s magic faster than I did.

It took Lee Hoyeon himself over a month to master it perfectly like this.

But the Iris Guild members?

‘At least a year, maybe several years if it takes long.’

By then, the Demon King would already be dead, or the world would have ended.

“Aren’t there any people with outstanding magical talent who also encountered Hell’s magic early and are researching it? … Huh?”

Lee Hoyeon, who had been lounging on the sofa, straightened up.

Someone with immense magical talent who experienced Hell’s magic early on.

There are two.

“What’s wrong all of a sudden? Are there such people?”

“… Yes. Professor Im Sol. And Ms. Rebecca.”

It seems I’ll need to ask them for help.

Since tomorrow is the day I return to Korea, I can talk to them once I get back.

“Can those two handle Hell’s magic as well as you can?”

“Even if not as well as me, they’re the ones who will develop the fastest.”

“Then should I assign some Iris Guild members to Ms. Rebecca and Professor Im Sol? They’ll need assistants, right? And people to guard the surroundings too.”

“Hmm… I’ll think about that.”

I can sort out the details when I get back to Korea and consult with them.

Even if I decide everything here, it’ll be useless if they refuse.

“More importantly, hey. You don’t have anything to do today, right?”

“… No, I have a lot! Can’t you see I’m busy right now?”

“I came here knowing all that. Surely I wouldn’t come bother you when you have so much work, Irene-ssi?”

“… “

So this guy knew she was just pretending to work?

… What kind of person is this?

“Let’s talk about something more important than that, Irene-ssi.”

*

Ttuk. Ttuk.

Gleaming iron bars and a leaking ceiling.

Faint moonlight filtering through a small window.

It seemed to be a place that had been used as an underground prison.

In a quiet basement, now one of Pandemic’s many hideouts, a man was praying with his eyes closed.

“….”

Maestro.

His quiet prayer was always the same.

‘What should I do?’

A cursed fate, trying to destroy humanity with a human body.

Every day, he cursed and resented himself.

Every night, he spent apologizing.

But eventually, he adapted to this fate that wouldn’t disappear no matter how much he resisted.

Maestro felt his guilt disappear.

He was born human, but he was different from humans.

Yes. Let’s call myself a ghost.

Because I’m a ghost, I can control human minds.

Because I’m a ghost, I kill humans.

Because I’m a ghost, I did nothing wrong.

“… No. Ghost? I am a Mind who lives for the Demon King-nim. … Demon King? Who are you?”

Maestro no longer cursed this life of his.

He didn’t despair.

Because it was all fate.

All he had to do was await the Demon King’s advent.

Kkumteul-

Just then, a lump of rotten meat in the corner of the cold basement stirred.

It gradually regained vitality and slowly increased in size.

The mass of flesh, growing in size as if inflating a balloon, soon took on a human form.

Red demonic eyes.

Goat-like horns extending above the head.

Ominous yet sharp eyes.

“… Yes. Defeat, it was a good experience.”

Lucifer, who had been subjugated by Lee Hoyeon, was now reborn.

It was one of his abilities, ‘Consciousness Transfer’.

Just before dying, Lucifer transferred his consciousness to a clone he had hidden in a hideout.

And until now, he slowly gathered magic to reconstruct his body.

“It’s fortunate there was a black pillar nearby. I revived faster than expected.”

It was a precaution.

He knew dying on Earth was absurd, but just in case, he had detached a part of his clone and placed it in the location with the strongest Hell’s magic.

If not for that insurance, Lucifer wouldn’t have been able to open his eyes again.

However, the joy of resurrection was short-lived.

Soon, Lucifer looked around and felt something was wrong.

“… Where is this?”

The place where he had hidden his clone was right next to a black pillar, the place with the strongest Hell’s magic.

Why did I wake up in a place like this prison?

Jeobeok. Jeobeok.

“Oh…, Lucifer. To think you would actually be defeated. I never imagined it even in my dreams.”

“… “

Hearing the unpleasant human voice, Lucifer looked towards the prison entrance.

And he saw Maestro approaching.

“Do you know your sins, Lucifer?”

Maestro felt displeased.

Because Lucifer’s defeat had made Lee Hoyeon even stronger.

The proof of that is the ‘Gate of Hell’.

“I allowed your solo actions because I trusted you. But you didn’t kill the Adversary; instead, you made him grow.”

The stronger the Adversary becomes, the sooner the Demon King’s advent will be.

That was by no means a good thing.

“We cannot force the Demon King-nim’s advent. Yes. We absolutely cannot see his power being limited. That’s right.”

“… Human.”

Lucifer instinctively felt it.

Maestro was aiming for his life.

And he seemed even crazier than the last time Lucifer had seen him.

His mental state, readable through the demonic eyes, was utterly chaotic.

“I know mind control doesn’t work on you. … But you probably didn’t expect me to target a clone that hadn’t revived yet.”

Lucifer immediately mustered magic intending to smash Maestro’s face, but his body wouldn’t obey.

Just as Maestro said, Lucifer’s body had been mind-controlled without him realizing it.

“H-haha. Don’t worry. If you are offered as a sacrifice to the Holy Grail, you will have another chance to take revenge on him.”

Maestro cackled like a madman and approached Lucifer.

Lucifer hadn’t fully grasped the human known as Maestro originally, but he realized it at the last moment.

That guy is completely insane.

Lucifer soon sensed his own end.