episode_0086

*****

A swirling snowstorm. Biting cold. A scenery that anyone would think of when thinking of winter unfolded before my eyes.

It’s not just cold. The sun will not rise here and if you grow crops, they will dry out and die. The other world has such separate laws.

The surrounding situation, the name Winter Castle, and the intense magical light I last saw. Perhaps the lich who broke the priestess’s barrier caused the other world’s core to go berserk, trapping the surrounding area within the crack.

In other words, this area could be said to be the deepest part of the other world.

Fortunately, the law of ‘winter’ is easy to understand even in our world. Sometimes, there are other worlds that come with laws that we don’t even understand.

The first thing to do was to thicken the magical energy surrounding the body even further. Even if I stayed still, the cold feeling that felt like my life force was being sucked away had eased a little. If you have the will, there will be no major problems with your activities at this level, even if it is not as bad as in the old days when Hanseo was unstoppable.

“… Don’t… !”

Bake it… .

A fierce snowstorm drowned out the sights and noises of battle. Even if you could use communication magic, it would be difficult to use it in here. Well, I can’t use it myself anyway.

For now, I will have to give up trying to find Hwain’s house with my eyes. In that case, the only remaining method is to feel the energy, but it is difficult to detect accurately enough to distinguish Hwaini from within the other world.

So what is the best way to act?

“Phew… .”

Concentrate even more than usual and spread magical power around. An image that seems to be ‘eroding’, which is different from the usual ‘dominance’ of the surroundings. Although speed and precision are low, I tried to make the range better than usual.

Fortunately, the effort seemed to have been worth it, as I felt quite a bit of energy at the front. If you guess at the speed and direction of movement, it’s probably a one-armed swordsman. If so, we can guess the direction in which the lich that holds the core of the crack is located.

You probably don’t need to worry about that. The main force of the guerrilla force will also be heading there, and above all, the one-armed swordsman is quite strong. It’s the type that makes up for the lack of typical utility with means. Just like I did.

In the end, the problem is how to find the overseas Chinese who are far away from the main university. I came up with a good way to do this too.

Crack.

He threw his body lightly and kicked the snow. Perhaps it was because it was light in weight, but it was good to be able to secure mobility even with low horsepower.

When it seems to have moved a certain distance, it stops and detects again. I felt like it was moderately powerful up front.

Hwa-in, as the main character, has been embroiled in incidents so far. So, the theory is that if you look for someone who can threaten the main character team, you can find Hwa-in. Maybe I’m a genius?

“… ?”

“What is happening?”

“No. Nothing.”

Of course, it takes time to deal with an opponent of that size, so I avoid battle. He sent the two Death Knights past and quickly moved on after confirming that Hwain was not there.

How much did it move like that? Suddenly, I felt something that bothered me.

The reason you stop when you sense it is so that you don’t miss anything. Even though I was looking so closely, there was a faint sign that I missed it.

It’s okay if an injured ally is hiding from the battle. However, if the enemy had a plan, we had to find out.

And what I encountered there was a completely unexpected situation.

“As expected, it’s not that easy.”

“Please refrain from making comments. It will become even more painful.”

A gentleman, Guche, had collapsed while leaning against a rock wall, and Sahee Chae, who was sitting next to him as if taking care of him. Since they were both affiliated with Genesis, they could at least provide help, but Chae Sa-hee’s attitude was too polite to be considered a superior.

Around the two, a strange mechanical device was creating something like a barrier. Maybe that’s what makes the two people’s faces fade. They say that when science reaches its peak, it becomes indistinguishable from magic, and the Sphere Shrine is definitely in that realm.

Chae Sa-hee had expected that the Guche Shrine would be here. But I didn’t expect it to be in a tattered state, convulsing and spewing out something black.

Having dealt with that guy countless times, I know. It wouldn’t be strange if ‘that sphere gentleman’ died at any time now.

“Whoever is hiding there, please come out. Otherwise, cut it off.”

click. Chae Sa-hee declared, slightly pulling out her sword. Judging by his posture and gaze, it wasn’t a bluff, but how did he get caught?

… Come to think of it, there was a record of Chae Sa-hee’s detection ability when she was infiltrated as an intern. It was a mistake to miss Chae Sa-hee because I was preoccupied with the state of the Guche Shrine.

Still, once the location has been discovered, it is not difficult to escape from here. Should I continue like this without knowing, or should I contact them?

After a short period of thought, I showed myself.

“You… .”

“It’s been a while. Last time, I heard my kids were in trouble?”

The last time I met Chae Sa-hee was during Chuseok. Since it wasn’t a bad farewell for either party, Chae Sa-hee also nodded lightly and returned the greeting. Although he was still showing sharp caution towards me.

“So, what happened this time?”

The number of cases I was most wary of—the case where the old gentleman was moving to secure Hwain—was almost half gone. So, I wanted to give priority to information now.

“Do you think you will tell me?”

“You can make me want to tell you.”

I took a stance facing Sahee Chae, who was taking a stance. Chae Sa-hee’s calm expression distorts into embarrassment. It was probably because I couldn’t find any loopholes in my posture.

Do you think it is different from Chuseok? At that time, Chae Sa-hee avoided bumping into Hwa-in. So there was no need for me to show my skills.

According to what the priestess said, I am now in a state where my body and soul are more assimilated than before. Unless you are an awakened person who can use concept manipulation, it will not be easy for you to surpass me in terms of output.

“Did you hide your power back then?”

“Is that important? Okay, so just say it. Otherwise──”

“Now, wait a minute. all right. This is not a matter I can decide, so please wait.”

It would have happened long ago. Chae Sa-hee said, ‘This isn’t a bad thing either… .’ He grumbled, but it’s none of my business.

We know that Chae Sa-hee is resistant to the villain’s evil deeds due to her work at the ruins and her internship. But in the end, Chae Sa-hee is also a servant who moves according to someone’s will, and what drives her now is the Sphere Gentleman.

How could a guy who tried to cause massacre in the metropolitan area for a simple experiment be okay?

“There, you.”

However, before Chae Sa-hee could approach the sphere gentleman, the sphere gentleman opened his mouth first. Well, I didn’t really hide the conversation so far.

At the same time, I realized the sense of discomfort I felt in my own thoughts. The Sphere Shrine is a monster whose entire body is made of black material. Of course, there were no noses, ears, or eyes. Of course, mouth too.

My gaze reflexively turned to the open mouth. Instead of making sounds like usual, the boy imitated the shape of his mouth with his mouth.

The movement read by the enhanced senses.

if,

Are you Seong Kwon?

Quang!

A loud noise, like shells hitting each other, spread out in all directions. The fist I stretched out was blocked by Chae Sa-hee before it could reach the sphere gentleman.

Does not matter. I already knew that the first attack would be blocked. He continued to fire two and three strikes towards Chae Sa-hee, who was blocking the front of the sphere shrine.

The number of consecutive hits with a sword is much higher than with a sword. If you can get close, if you have enough physical strength to not be cut by the sword, this is the advantage.

“Tch!”

Of course, Chae Sa-hee was not a fool either. Originally, he would have tried to adjust the stance by somehow increasing the distance. He must be calculating that if he can show off his sword energy with the right posture, he can cut me down.

But now there is a sphere shrine behind her. I don’t know why they are trying to protect that guy who is dying, but the sphere gentleman who cannot move is a huge penalty for Chae Sa-hee.

Even if you increase the distance in the first place, nothing will happen. Because I have that much confidence, I showed up.

“Pfft!”

A feeling of urgency makes you unconsciously make bigger movements. As the movement increases, the gap also increases. I threw a low kick with powerful magical energy at the bottom, which was empty from the sword strike.

They would have judged that if they avoided it while their posture was broken, they would expose a critical gap. Chae Sa-hee held on firmly, as if she was going to hold on or give up at least one leg. It was evident in his eyes that he would strike down his sword as soon as his leg broke.

As expected, she is too upright for a villain.

“Kyaaah!?”

Whirling, Chae Sa-hee turned half a circle to the side. Competent steel making. It is as if the direction of the force that was trying to withstand was channeled into centrifugal force.

Even when her entire body was flipped into the air, Chae Sa-hee swung her sword. Of course, there was no way in that situation that a proper blow could be landed, and I was able to easily subdue her in the air and pin her to the ground.

I don’t think there’s any need to kill him. I hit her with the back of her head to just faint her.

“Wait, please, clack.”

My hand stopped when I heard the old gentleman’s voice.

“Please send that child away. You didn’t even hear it anyway.”

“But, father!”

“Not your opponent. Anyway, you won’t need an escort anymore, so you can return as is. Please take care of ‘the next me’.”

“Wait, I didn’t say I’d send it to you yet?”

Instead of responding to my words, the Sphere Gentleman just made a grinning face. He seemed confident that I would not kill Chae Sa-hee.

Actually, I had no intention of killing Chae Sa-hee. If we fight for a long time, our understanding of each other increases unnecessarily.

“Hold on a little.”

“Qu… !”

Crunchy. Chae Sa-hee’s arms were broken. If this is the case, you will be better if you go back immediately and receive recovery magic. It was a measure taken to prevent people from doing unnecessary things while returning.

“… Next time, it won’t end like this. today… !”

“Okay, okay, okay, go quickly.”

“Oh, indeed. Don’t reveal what happened today to your ‘next self’. This is a [command]”

I understand that Mu-in’s unique desire to win is due to the fact that the situation was unfavorable. In fact, if it weren’t for this situation, Chae Sa-hee would have been a difficult opponent in her own way. But now I couldn’t wait to talk to the Sphere Gentleman.

After hearing the last words of the old gentleman, Chae Sa-hee lowered her head and ran somewhere. After confirming that the presence was beyond my detection range, I started asking serious questions.

“How did you know?”

“What sad words. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize you.”

“Not even the teeth.”

It is true that the Sphere Gentleman was the type of villain that came back to life several times, so he was the one who clashed with me the most. However, that doesn’t mean he saw more than his colleagues.

The one who knows me the most as a person is Sia, the one who knows me the most as a hero is Changhyuk, and the one who knows me the most as a martial artist is Junseok. They didn’t recognize me just by looking at me, so it makes no sense for the Sphere Gentleman to recognize me.

“Cough, hehe. Because there is someone who speaks passionately about you.”

Indeed, was Cheongun the culprit? He’s already saying creepy things about his wife and all that, but this gives me one more reason to beat him up.

The body of the gold dragon, believed to be Cheongun’s wife, was handed over to the association. It was impossible for it to remain intact, so in fact, Cheongwoon’s wife was as good as dead.

Originally, Cheongwoon lost his purpose there and should have returned to his original world. That may have been the reason why Cheongwoon did not appear in the original work.

But then the religious leader made a bombshell announcement. Cheongwoon’s wife is alive.

“A dragon in the form of a human girl with blonde hair and red eyes. This is how Cheongwoon expressed his companionship.”

If it’s so characteristic, it’s hard not to recognize it. As soon as the Sphere gentleman saw me, he would have realized that I was the target of that nonsense.

“At first, I felt a deep sense of defeat. Studying a soul suitable for a dragon was something I had been aiming for for quite some time.”

During the Calamity Dragon era, this guy forcibly crushed the souls of countless people and tried to turn them into souls suitable for the dragon’s body. The result was a miserable failure, but it is said that some data about it remained in that subspace.

Gentleman Gu appears to have thought that the Association had completed its research through the materials. I don’t know how it feels for a scientist to have his or her research results stolen, but from hearing his voice, he seems quite upset.

Unfortunately, it was my presence that took away that resentment.

“Familiar attitude, familiar tone of voice, even familiar posture. When I first saw you, I couldn’t believe my eyes. As I watched my child fight, my doubts gradually turned into confidence.”

“Did you really notice it just by looking at it? .”

“Didn’t you say that from the beginning? Ah, a human soul is equivalent to that of a dragon. What a feat! It is truly the limit of humanity, the highest level to aim for!”

After that, the old gentleman kept repeating absurd things praising me. I guess the sight of me slaying a dragon was impressive. Is it like this even though the dragon must have realized that it wasn’t being eaten properly?

Anyway, this would be quite difficult. The Sphere Gentleman already knows that ‘there is another soul within this body.’ If that premise is established, the level of difficulty required to realize my identity is drastically lowered.

In other words, the next time you meet the Sphere Gentleman, there is a high probability that his identity will be revealed at a glance.

“First of all, I’m glad I’m not caught right now.”

“Haha! It looks like it would be difficult if his identity was discovered. Cough. When I was young, that was what a hero was. I’m glad the timing was good.”

Gentleman Guche openly confirmed what I had just glanced at. Although I expected it, I was worried that it might happen, but I’m glad it didn’t happen.

The black body of the Sphere Shrine kept losing its shape and collapsing. It was the same as it was in the past when the priestess placed a soul seal in an attempt to prevent this guy’s resurrection.

A sphere gentleman in this state cannot inherit his memories even if he dies. I don’t know what happened, but it’s safe to say that my identity won’t be discovered right now.

“What did you do to make you look like this? There are only a few cases where you can touch the soul.”

“I committed a fraud that risked my soul.”

It was a question I asked without much thought, but surprisingly the answer came back. But wait a minute, a hoax?

What immediately came to mind was a contract with one’s soul. This guy has torn his soul into pieces, and even if one were to risk his soul, only the soul that had been torn into pieces would receive the reward. It’s hard to stop it if you don’t know, but it’s too old-fashioned to use now.

“Your information has already been distributed all over the world. What kind of idiot would risk his soul and make a contract with you?”

“Haha. Isn’t it too much to describe the ancient lich as an idiot?”

Ha, indeed. Since it doesn’t work against the world, they turned their backs on beings from other worlds.

“When I risked my soul and pledged to help Cheongwoon, he said he was happy and rushed to me. It seems like he really wanted the priestess.”

Even so, undead like lichs tend to be overconfident about their souls. Because you are the one who keeps your soul separate and lives eternally. You would have thought that if you risked your soul to make a contract, you would never get stabbed in the back.

Of course, there are nasty exceptions everywhere in the world.

“Thanks to you, I was able to deal with the Elder Lich. I almost want to be thanked.”

“You’re talking nonsense. There must be a different original purpose.”

No, even dealing with the Elder Lich may not be in our favor. It seems that Chae Sa-hee took those words at face value.

As I said before, the Hero Association wouldn’t have stopped advancing north just because of a guy like that. Whether it is for political purposes or because of an alien monster, there is ‘something’ that has stopped the northward advance. The Elder Lich’s hunt may touch on something like that.

“Can you tell me its original purpose?”

“It was a pleasure meeting you. Let’s look forward to our next meeting.”

Is it really that far? Still, just discovering the cause of the Elder Lich rampage is a great achievement. If I had taken the time to discover this type of concrete shrine, I could have revealed it.

Kuuk. I stepped on the sphere gentleman’s face and applied a little force. Since he broke the contract with the Elder Lich that staked his soul, he will die on his own if I leave him alone, but I told him various things. I’m trying to relieve some of the pain.

“I hope you regain your original strength as soon as possible. My gift is waiting. Hehe, it’s a pity I can’t see your expression when you face it──”

Kwasik.

I finished it quickly because I didn’t want to hear anyone complain about being weak to a past enemy. I plan to do that even if I don’t say it.

Perhaps because his soul was already in tatters, he only smashed his head and it did not regenerate. After wiping away what was on my legs and rubbing it into the snow around me, I started walking again.

A little while ago, I started to feel a huge presence nearby. Let’s hurry.

*****