episode_0232

As she smiled faintly, the woman’s body began to sway like a snail. Soon, she dissolved into thin air and disappeared without a trace, just as she had first appeared.

I held the blade close to my body and kept a constant lookout in all directions, but I could not sense her presence anywhere.

And then suddenly, something stabs at my back from the square behind me.

I instinctively turned around and immediately cut it down.

Someone’s forearm, sharp as a spear, fell to the floor with a thud.

“Haa, haa… ”

“Wow… You kicked it out?”

Anyone who saw that sight exclaimed in admiration.

The woman who had disappeared before appeared again in front of me, covering her mouth and pretending to be surprised, as if praising a child who had just taken her first steps.

And her severed arm sprouted back from the empty space as easily as if new flesh was growing.

“Hey… You’re really fast… ?”

She, who was stretching her new arm with a stiff neck, looked at me with a smile.

“You’re the first human to react at that distance. As expected, you didn’t beat Regulus for nothing… If only I had been in good health… I might have lost without a fight… ”

“Shut up!”

As I jump in and swing my blade, she disappears again like mist.

While I was looking around with my senses sharp, an ominous feeling suddenly came over me and I hastily turned around.

And right in front of Yeon-i, who was as still as a dead mouse.

An arm suddenly shot out from the ground and was about to slit her throat.

“No!!”

-Thud!

I flew down and barely managed to cut it down. As I rolled on the ground, covered in dust, I heard someone’s laughter.

“Ugh… ”

“Awesome! Really great!”

The woman who had once again spread her arms was applauding enthusiastically.

“With that reaction speed, and the kinetic vision…! Out of all the humans I’ve ever seen, this is by far the best! Oh my gosh, I didn’t know there were other individuals like this besides Haewolhwa and Daejeokja…!”

“Haa, haa… !”

It was extremely unpleasant to feel like a monkey in a zoo. However, I was curious about the fact that I could not sense any hostility or murderous intent from the woman. Even more so when I thought about the nature of that creature.

“Yeah, I’m like this because of this taste… ”

“What are you doing now!”

It was about the time when the woman nodded with a pleased smile.

Someone shouted as if they couldn’t stand seeing that any longer.

Before she knew it, Baek Il-yong, with his face flushed with anger, was waving his sword at her.

“Hurry up and deal with them and move on to the next goal…!”

And the atmosphere changed in an instant.

A deafening roar rang out, followed by a powerful shockwave. When the dust cleared, a huge crater was visible right under Baek Il-yong’s feet.

The speed was so tremendous that it was difficult to react easily.

“Ah, really noisy and chattering… Hey, can’t you see we’re having a great time?”

And then the woman who had turned cold looked down on him and muttered threateningly.

“Or are you asking me to kill you first? Is that so? If it’s a wish, then I can grant it. I was already losing interest in you a little.”

“Ugh… ”

“If you understand, then get out of here quickly. I’ll take care of my own business. If you bother me again, then I’ll really stop caring, right?”

Baek Il-yong’s face was distorted as if he was displeased, but he soon lowered his head. He had no choice.

Soon the man turns around and disappears into the city center where the gunfire is heard. As I said before, it seems like a strategy to confront the punitive force directly. Did he think that Yeon-i and I were as good as dead anyway?

“Anyway, climbing up on a lower level creature… Have I been doing too well all this time… ”

The woman let out a deep sigh as if she was shooing away an annoying bug.

“Ahem, okay! There was a little commotion. Now, let’s go back to… the fun exploration time… Huh, huh?”

Then he turned around again and stared at me.

As if a broken lightbulb were flickering, the power and magical force that returned in an instant fiercely swirled through his body.

I didn’t miss that gap. I approached the woman straight away and swung the blade sideways with great force.

“Sleep, wait a minute…!!”

The destination was, of course, the woman’s head. She disappeared just as she had just done, and instead of avoiding the attack, she was stamping her feet with a bewildered expression. It seemed that she was unable to use her power because she was within the range of my power.

Within moments, the blade slashed through her arms without hesitation and dug right into her forehead.

But just before cutting the woman’s head in half.

As if the tide was receding, the strength that had been flowing through my entire body suddenly stopped again, and I, now naked, lost my balance and swayed for a moment because I could not overcome the acceleration.

And the witch in front of me turned into fog again and dispersed.

“Whew, that was dangerous… ”

And the woman who had fallen far away was sighing in relief and wiping her chest. With hands that had been regenerated vividly, without any trace of having been cut.

“Wow, the more I look at it, the more amazing it is… ”

She regained her composure and smiled at me with interest.

“How on earth do humans have the power of Polaris? It’s such a powerful force that even we can’t handle it… Oh, is that why it’s falling apart like that? Because it can’t handle it?”

The woman who had been asking herself a question asked me a question while I was out of breath.

“Hey, kid. What’s your relationship with Polaris? Huh? Can you just tell me a little bit about that?”

“Do you think I’ll answer you honestly? Get out.”

I don’t know the truth either. I just said that to get on someone’s nerves.

But the woman didn’t show any particular reaction. She just licked her lips as if she was disappointed.

“Pretending to be expensive. If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t tell me. Just tear out my hair and find out for yourself.”

Well, even if you tear it open, there’s probably nothing you’ll get out of it.

And then her body turns into fog again and disperses into the air.

Soon, indiscriminate attacks began pouring in from all sides. I had a hard time blocking the particle blades and living tissues that were piercing my vital points in an instant. It was even more so because I had to take care of Yeon-i as well as myself.

Considering the enemy’s true identity, this is a very cumbersome attack method. Considering the great power of the creature known as the witch, it would be easy to sweep away this area with just a snap of a finger.

My desperate defense seemed to have piqued the witch’s interest.

To me, it’s a fight for my life, but to that creature, it’s more like play or exploration.

“Amazing, really amazing.”

The sound of laughter clings to my ears like sticky fog. Even though I swing my blade in a fit of rage, it disappears in an instant and I can no longer see it. The scars engraved on my body only increase.

Even if it is called authority, is this power a valid power? I just can’t figure out the principle.

Witches are creatures who can freely manipulate particles. Perhaps they move quickly through the particles that fill the atmosphere.

So what we need now is range magic. And top-level magic at that.

To deal with that, you’d need to at least bring the entire space under control.

And that means our compatibility is the worst.

Although Black Lotus’s Prediction is a magic specialized for one-on-one attacks, it only strengthens my body and doesn’t have much effect on the surrounding space.

Damn, if only the power would just come back to its place…

-Phew.

And then suddenly I felt a terrible pain, as if the nerves in my back were being scratched.

Before I knew it, three or four particle blades were digging into my back at once. I was barely able to slash them away before they could dig in deeply.

“Ugh, ugh… !”

But eventually, his exhausted body gave out. He barely managed to avoid falling to the ground by stabbing the blade in the opposite direction.

“Eh… What, already… ?”

Then, with a rustling movement, the woman who had disappeared reappeared. Her face, which had a look of regret, was smooth without a single blemish. The complete opposite of mine.

“I was just about to get excited… How can I not do it a little bit…? Huh…?”

She walked towards me with a stomping motion. Then she came over to me, where I was standing, supporting myself, and bent down to look me in the eye.

Oddly enough, the pupils were completely empty, without any focus.

“… I see. Now it’s the limit.”

“Haa, haa… ”

“Still, it was really fun. Even while his body was being torn apart, he showed such movements. Perhaps, if he had gained more experience, he might have become a truly great wizard… ”

The woman’s voice, which had been lining up, gradually became faint. This was really vicious. After running all this way, she was on the verge of death without being able to do anything.

I thought I had grown a little. Does that mean I’m still the same as before?

‘no…’

But I shook my head, remembering someone standing guard behind my back.

Still, it’s better than two years ago. I didn’t faint and was even able to stand on my own two feet.

I wonder if I can somehow get him to give me one last hit. If I’m lucky and my powers return, I might be able to get him to Donggwijin at least.

If only I could protect Yeon-i like that…

“Well, you know. Would you like to hear my suggestion?”

“What?”

And then, out of nowhere, I raised my head at the sound of the witch’s voice speaking.

There was still no sense of hostility in her brightly smiling face.

I was extremely confused because I couldn’t figure out what his intentions were. However, considering my position of having to buy time somehow, I couldn’t help but think that it was a golden opportunity.

“Ahem, sorry for the late self-introduction. My name is Vega. I’m an anthropologist who studies your ecology. ”

And then, as if to scare me, the witch opened her mouth and began to explain excitedly.

“Coolook…! Anthropologist…?”

“Don’t think too hard about it. Mathematician, entomologist. You have jobs like that too, right? Think of them as something similar.”

So, from their perspective, are we like demons or insects? It’s an extremely unpleasant statement to even hear.

“And I am the only one who will remember you forever. After the unification is over… everything will crumble without a trace.”

The woman nodded her head very solemnly. In any case, expressing my displeasure is not a priority right now. Rather, I have no choice but to go along with the rhythm of it.

“… What on earth is this suggestion from such a great being?”

And then the woman said with a lecherous smile, as if she had been waiting for it.

“Interspecies crossbreeding experiment.”

“… What?”

A counter-question popped out of my head without me knowing. When I heard the word suggestion, the other side came to mind. Something like becoming a subordinate or a spy.

Of course, I had no intention of listening, but I could easily respond with a few words to buy time.

But what is this…?

“Aren’t you curious? What will emerge in the future when our species and yours unite?”

“… ”

And then the woman began to ramble on and on, her expression filled with ecstasy.

“The subjects are you and me. Of course, they are not our original forms, but even so, the composition of this body has changed to be exactly the same as our original form. I have always wondered, but I need an opponent. Oh, but I can’t let you live. Polaris’s power must be recovered. With that much effort, Regulus will probably turn a blind eye to my deviation. But I should be able to extend my life by a few more hours. What do you think? Wouldn’t that be better for you too… ”

“Reject.”

And then I couldn’t stand it any longer, and I cut off its rapid-fire words.

“Huh… ?”

“I refuse. You little monster.”

Before I knew it, I was starting to feel extreme anger at the toy I was being treated like.

“How dare you say such nonsense…!”

And I was about to scream in anger.

Suddenly.

The voice of someone I haven’t heard for a while rings in my ears.

“Yeah. As an educator, this is just nonsense I can’t stand to hear.”

“Huh…? Who is here right now… Kkaaaak!!”

And the witch’s face, having confirmed the presence, turned thoughtful.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar and a dazzling explosion of light struck the spot where she had been standing.