Chapter 185

Choi Suhyuk spoke as if he had expected Lee Eunho’s appearance.

"Wanted criminal Lee Eunho, I wanted to see you at least once. Ah, Ji Seokhyeon should have been here. That fellow also needs to see how much you've changed."

"...Who are you?"

"Are you unable to even recognize your senior? Well, it's not a strange thing. There has never been a sane person among those involved with Demonic Beings."

Lee Eunho’s gaze turned venomous.

He immediately approached Choi Suhyuk and said.

"I do not care who you are. Who are you to go on and on as if you are close to Seokhyeon?"

"Go on and on? Rather, when that fellow and I were together, we talked of nothing but you."

Choi Suhyuk, who had expected Lee Eunho’s intervention, had swallowed a specific potion in preparation for paralysis.

However, Lee Eunho’s ability was more powerful than imagined, and his efforts were completely useless.

Even so, thanks to preparing for the status abnormality, he could wiggle his fingers, but if he moved unnecessarily and suffered severe retaliation, it would be irreversible.

The intimidation Lee Eunho exuded was that great.

It was to the point where Choi Suhyuk wondered if he was the most powerful being in Seoul.

"What did you and Seokhyeon talk about regarding me?"

"He said he would bring you back even if he had to break your legs."

"Hmph, I am not going back."

"It seems you are quite late, as I see it...!"

In an instant, Lee Eunho grabbed Choi Suhyuk by the collar and lifted him up.

"The place I am heading to is a new world where impure elements like you do not exist. I do not permit unnecessary fellows to reside there."

What was he talking about?

Choi Suhyuk had questions, but he could not speak.

He realized his body was controlled by Lee Eunho.

Surely, if he resisted even a little, the man would do something terrible using bioelectricity.

Cha Yeri, who was watching that scene, shouted.

"Stop this right now!"

Then, Lee Eunho turned his head toward her.

"Cha Yeri... I will give you a chance to run away. Seokhyeon will be sad if I kill you too."

"What?"

In an instant, the paralysis restraining Cha Yeri vanished.

It seemed Lee Eunho’s words were not empty.

However, her choice was to raise the MA6 and aim it at Lee Eunho.

"I told you to run away."

"I am sorry, but I do not listen to the words of someone stupider than me."

"Insolent girl, you do not know you will regret this."

Along with his words, a lightning strike was discharged.

The MA6 also emitted flames, but unfortunately, the lightning strike neutralized the bullet and then struck Cha Yeri.

CRACKLE!

A clear difference in skill.

Perhaps because he discharged a considerable amount of power, Cha Yeri collapsed in the corner and could not raise her body.

She only barely let out breaths, unable to even properly open those characteristically sharp eyes.

"Now, it's your turn."

Lee Eunho looked at Choi Suhyuk again.

Would struggling even be meaningful against such an opponent?

He did not seem to be at this level of skill until before he left Hero Prep.

Was there an external reason?

For example, that he received some kind of power from a Demonic Being.

Choi Suhyuk felt despair before he could even reach an answer to his question.

But at that moment, Do Minyeong shouted urgently.

"Stop! Stop now!"

"..."

Do Minyeong, who had also collapsed after being paralyzed.

However, her desperate voice was clearly conveyed to Lee Eunho.

"Stop?"

"You came here targeting me, anyway. I will follow you obediently, so let these people go."

"Are you begging for other people’s lives by sacrificing yourself? Unfortunately, I am the one who decides who lives and who dies. It is not for you to meddle."

"You are right. But if even one person dies, Seokhyeon will be sad."

"...Pointless talk."

"So let them go. I will follow your words unconditionally. Please."

"..."

Lee Eunho threw Choi Suhyuk far down the alley.

Then, he approached Do Minyeong and lowered his stance to look her closely in the eye.

"I feel a power similar to Seokhyeon’s mana from you. What is it? What are you to that fellow?"

"I, I am..."

"Enough. I will hear the details after we move. Some uninvited guests are approaching."

Lee Eunho grabbed Do Minyeong’s hand.

At the moment he was about to force her up...

"COUGH!"

Lee Eunho let out a sudden scream and hunched his body pathetically.

"What! What is this! What on earth is this power!"

Lee Eunho repeated incomprehensible words.

At the very least, what could be inferred was that the hand he had grabbed was Do Minyeong’s left hand.

That is, the left hand wearing the Platium ring he had received from Ji Seokhyeon.

"ARGH! AGHHHHHH!"

The screaming continued even though he had already let go of Do Minyeong’s hand.

Unable to control his power, he discharged lightning in all directions.

It was a seizure due to a psychological problem rather than pain.

Meanwhile, Yu Hyeonjeong, who had become free from paralysis at some point, approached Lee Eunho with a worried heart.

A reckless choice.

As expected, Lee Eunho subdued Yu Hyeonjeong and trampled on her abdomen after she collapsed.

"Ca, cadet Lee Eunho..."

Lee Eunho’s shoulders heaved like a runaway train.

He looked ready to burn Yu Hyeonjeong to death with lightning at any moment.

"I, I! What on earth am I doing!"

But Lee Eunho kept talking nonsensically.

The Phantom Thief Lee Eunho, who had been cold and even heartless until a moment ago, was nowhere to be found; he only looked with unstable eyes.

As if he had gone mad.

"I only...! I only killed a Demonic Being! I only moved for the sake of my hometown!"

Soon, the presence of a group following them from nearby was felt.

In the end, Lee Eunho could do nothing and left the scene alone.

He vanished, leaving only the traces of sparkling lightning.

The people who arrived soon after were Kim Shinwoo and Yun Jeongseop.

This was thanks to Cha Yeri and Choi Suhyuk having contacted them before they raided the scene.

Kim Shinwoo approached Do Minyeong, who had collapsed, and took her into his arms.

"Thank goodness. I am truly glad you are safe..."

It was a desperate voice, unlike his usual self.

A side that contrasted with his dignified appearance.

"Great-great-uncle..."

He spoke to Yun Jeongseop.

"Call all the instructors of Hero Prep to the principal's office. From now on, I have a very important story to tell."

***

A few days had passed since the incident with Hyeon Jinseok.

I thought we would be able to reach Gangneung within a day or two according to what I saw on the map, but the terrain of Gangwon-do was not easy.

In the first place, was there even terrain that was easy to move through?

As one would expect of a land of mana, weather changes were also frequent.

Of course, that was something I had kept in mind.

The setting of Gangwon-do was something I had created, after all.

"According to my memory, we should have reached the vicinity."

"I think I heard that yesterday too. To be precise, thirteen hours ago."

"Tsk... I am certain this time. I have been smelling the sea since a little while ago."

As he said, it was a believable basis.

Sure enough, a little later, white bricks entered my sight.

Specifications that would have been used as building materials.

In the settings, I had once described Gangneung by bringing in the background of Santorini, Greece.

Blue roofs and white walls.

Soon, I could also discover the traces of blue roofs.

However, some were scorched black, revealing the situation of that day.

We would likely set foot in Gangneung soon.

At that thought, I stopped walking without realizing it.

"What is it?"

"No, it's nothing..."

Why did I stop walking?

To speak coldly, the Gangneung incident has nothing to do with me, a being from another world.

Therefore, there is no reason to be afraid, and no reason to feel guilt.

But even so, I could not take a step forward.

"Is hometown truly a hometown?"

"I suppose."

"I am fine with resting for a while near here."

"There is no need. Let’s enter right away."

"Are you truly all right?"

"Yeah, because we do not have much time. Immersing myself in reminiscence is a luxury."

"I see."

Bruno moved first.

I walked three steps behind him consciously.

Soon, the panorama of Gangneung unfolded.

The blue roofs and white walls were nowhere to be found; only a scene that had been scorched and burned black remained.

It was clear that it had not been touched by human hands since the incident thirteen years ago.

Traces of monsters were visible here and there in the distance.

Since Bruno and I were using stealth and assimilating our mana with the environmental mana, there was no possibility of them discovering and attacking us.

I looked around once and asked.

"Is there nothing you feel in particular?"

"It would be faster to see than to smell."

"I am sorry, but this land is so full of mana that it is difficult to distinguish."

"There are times when those eyes are not helpful."

A sarcastic remark.

When I did not reply, Bruno headed toward the old plaza of the city.

To be precise, a wide area that appeared to be the plaza.

"...These things are."

"Yes."

Only after reaching that place did the traces of the incident thirteen years ago reveal themselves starkly.

The corpses of the awakened beings who were sacrificed at the time were scattered all around.

They had already decayed, making it difficult to identify them, but there was no way I could fail to recognize a human skull.

Looking at that sight made a corner of my chest throb.

I looked away as if to avoid it.

But just then, I discovered an unusual stone pile.

An artificial structure that anyone could see was built to appease the souls.

For the first time since entering Gangneung, I moved ahead of Bruno.

The size of the stone pile was about the size of a piece of construction equipment.

No identifiable traces could be seen.

There was no ribbon tied to it, no text carved nearby, and even the shapes and colors of the stones were all different.

The only noteworthy trace was...

"There is someone in this city."

That in my Demonic Eye, I could see a mysterious light of mana I had never seen before.

"Is that true?"

"Yeah, if my eyes are not mistaken."

Bruno immediately took a defensive stance.

Even in a situation where we were clearly concealed, who would discover us, but he must have been keeping even the slightest possibility in mind.

"Can you let me appease them for a moment?"

"As much as you want."

I picked up a white stone that had rolled onto the ground.

The promise with the dragon Rachel, whom I had met at Platium in the Pacific Ocean.

To appease those who had been sacrificed by her.

Did Rachel ask for this favor knowing there was a stone pile in this location?

Well, that won't be important.

I placed the white stone at a suitable height.

Then, I closed my eyes for a moment and held an indefinite silence.

"..."

Was it because I had fulfilled Rachel’s wish?

The dragon mana I possessed seemed to react.

Furthermore, I felt the mana of another entity besides Bruno and me approaching.

"Hey, it seems she has come looking for us."

At Bruno’s words, I opened my eyes and turned back.

Then, a beautiful human—no, an entity of a different race—was watching us.

Since when had she been there?

Well, I can at least perceive that it is a female.

And clearly, these people would be called Elves.

After all, she had an appearance that could only be that of an Elf, no matter how one looked at it.

In this case, the race from beyond the rift that had betrayed the promise with Hyun Yuyeol.

If it is an Elf, she can use an assimilation ability even more outstanding than mine.

Since it is a race without attribute penalties, she would be able to blend into the mana of nature better than anyone else.

It meant it was not a strange thing for her to have approached right in front of us.

I moved past Bruno again and faced the Elf.

Then, her clear voice flowed out.

"I have been waiting for you, bloodline of Hyun Yuyeol. You... have come to find the hat, have you not?"

"Do you know where it is?"

The Elf nodded without a change in expression.

"I have it."