94
A spacious room underground.
On the square table, Aren and I sat facing each other, with Ivonne in the middle and two men and women who seemed to be part of the leadership on either side of her.
“You are Haesol. I have heard a lot about you from Aren,” Ivonne said calmly, looking at Aren and me with her sharp red eyes.
“The emergency warp of Mahwa is activated only in critical situations. I’m curious to know how you ended up here.”
“Due to being surrounded by the Alliance of Giants, I was led here in a hurry by Aren and found myself transitioning.”
Upon my response, Aren, looking astonished, spoke up.
“I did not bring him here, this guy just decided to tag along…”
“Aren, he is here to help us. Please watch your words.”
“Sorry, I apologize.”
With Ivonne’s calm words, Aren closed his mouth, wagging his tail like a puppy.
As I chuckled, Aren’s expression crumpled.
Perhaps my nonchalance irked someone, as the two men and women on the opposite side sent cautious gazes, but Ivonne remained quiet, subtly closing her mouth.
‘Is she the leader?’
I looked at Ivonne again.
At first glance, she appeared as a sophisticated beauty, but Ivonne seemed to command respect from her subordinates.
Aren, a strong individual who could strike Georg without hesitation, followed her without question.
‘Ivonne, the Witch of Flames.’
She possessed a strong willpower to resist August’s ‘dominance’ and had gathered demonspawn who had escaped the boy’s grasp to form an organization called Undemon.
“I see, so that’s why you’re here…”
After listening carefully to Aren and me, she nodded her head.
“I understand that you had to come here unavoidably, but unfortunately, leaving this place anytime soon, Haesol, will be difficult.”
“Is it because of security?”
“Yes, if the information of this base leaks out, it could be dangerous.”
The Undemon was currently being tracked by both Giants and Mages.
There were betrayers on the Mage side, and the Giants were cautious and rejected Mages, so if the base’s information leaked, there was no choice but to abandon it.
Therefore, to prevent the information from leaking, they would send me back through the warp, but since the warp facility was operated discreetly, it would take a minimum of three days to activate the emergency warp again.
Of course, this was just a formal explanation.
Ivonne seemed indifferent to such trivial matters.
“However, if you still wish to leave, I can send you out under the condition that you do not disclose anything to the outside. Feel free to stay here as long as you please.”
She even went as far as saying that.
The atmosphere was accommodating to whatever suited me.
‘If it were someone else instead of me, they would have been killed the moment they arrived with the warp.’
Security was directly related to the overall safety of Undemon.
And the reason Ivonne was accommodating to me, even sacrificing that safety, was obvious.
Escaping from August’s dominance was more important.
But first…
“I’m hungry, let’s eat.”
“······.”
The calm demeanor of the demonspawn was momentarily shattered.
Eivernia, who had been staring blankly, smiled with a hand covering her mouth.
“Ahahahaha, yes. Let’s start with the meal.”
***
Eivernia seemed to enjoy fine dining, hence the meal at Undemon was quite exquisite.
Starting with bread topped with salmon, she savored pasta, and for dessert, she ordered (?) cream truffles.
“Mmm, delicious. Please bring me one more of these.”
“···Yes, of course.”
The lady who brought dessert returned with another truffle, her expression somewhat frozen.
“The captive seems to be the master here······”
Ignoring Aren’s muttering, Eivernia took a big bite of the truffle dipped in cream with a knife, its softness almost intoxicating.
‘This flavor.’
Suddenly, as I looked around in the quiet, all eyes were on me.
Well, seems like I caught their attention.
I chuckled lightly and leisurely sipped my coffee.
Despite ample opportunities for questions, Eivernia did not bring up anything about August.
She was remarkably patient.
If it were me, I would have asked right away.
Aren and the two others couldn’t contain their itching expressions.
Eivernia remained unfazed until the end of the meal, even after I finished eating and drinking my coffee, she calmly spoke up.
“Lord Haesol, there is something I must hear before you leave.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“It seems Lord Haesol, you have a way for us to break free from August’s control.”
“Well, there is a way, but···”
I furrowed my brow.
“It’s a bit complicated. It involves using my life force.”
“······.”
Eivernia’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Well, I could probably handle treating a few people for a few months, but as you know, treating several would likely shorten my lifespan.”
“···I see.”
“Yes.”
As I simply responded with ‘yes,’ an awkward silence fell.
Aren, who was frowning, and the two others were as silent as statues.
“···Is there no way you could pass on the method?”
“Unfortunately, it’s an innate ability, so it cannot be passed on to others.”
“···Ah.”
An indiscernible sigh escaped simultaneously.
In the tense atmosphere that made it hard to ask for favors, I scratched my cheek.
“Well, it might be challenging to break free from control for a certain period, but it seems feasible somehow.”
“···We appreciate that alone.”
Perhaps because they found a glimmer of hope, the expressions of the four individuals brightened somewhat.
“Well then, if you don’t mind, can we confirm it?”
The man who had been sitting down as if he were a lab bench stood up.
“Of course.”
I chuckled lightly and activated my energy.
***
Eternity’s First Library.
Square··· Square··· Thud!
A crisp sound, neat at first, snapped.
“Se-Seyeon?”
As Han Seyeon’s grip on the sharp pencil split in half, not ‘heart’ but ‘sharp’, Kim Hayoon, who was asking a question, looked puzzled.
“······.”
The sharp pencil that had pierced through the thick textbook of over 300 pages was stuck in the desk.
However, there was no response coming from Han Seyeon, who had actually caused the incident.
The gentle smile that was usually on her face disappeared as if it were a lie, replaced by a chilling expressionless face.
However, that expression lasted only for a moment, and Han Seyeon once again smiled brightly as usual.
“It’s nothing.”
“Uh, uh, okay···”
Kim Hayoon’s face turned pale with fear at the terrifying change in expression.
“Something came up, so I’ll go first, Hayoon.”
“Uh, okay.”
Leaving Kim Hayoon behind, Han Seyeon grabbed her bag and left the library.
From Noble mtl dot com
“It’s my, my textbook······”
Kim Hayoon, who had tears welling up, looked at the sharp pencil, the desk, and the textbook that had become one entity, crying.
***
Meanwhile, there was no expression on Han Seyeon’s face as she left the library.
5 p.m.
She had suddenly lost track of Haesol while trying to check on his condition.
At 3 p.m., he had given her a ring, and at 4 p.m., he was at the black market, but by 5 p.m., the Cheollian didn’t activate.
As if blocked by a ‘wall,’ the Cheollian’s search couldn’t find Haesol, only illuminating the building where he was suspected to be.
The impending anxiety, worry, and unexplained anger hindered her thoughts from flowing properly.
Han Seyeon flew towards the direction indicated by the Cheollian without hesitation and stopped. Cheon Woojin was blocking her path.
“Move.”
“So, you heard it after all.”
Han Seyeon raised the gun without a word.
Cheon Woojin’s expression stiffened at the suspicious flow of magic.
“Haesol was abducted by Mine at around 4:20.”
“!”
The word ‘abducted’ widened Han Seyeon’s eyes.
“Haesol must be wearing the novice uniform, which is why the Association requested identity verification from the Academy. The instructors are now in an urgent staff meeting, warning the novices not to move recklessly.”
A massive amount of magic intertwined with Han Seyeon’s whole body.
“Of course, I have no intention of following that.”
The magic emanating from her began to tinge the red gem embedded in the abyssal ring a murky shade.
“Don’t calm down. Let’s all look for it together.”
“…”
In an instant, Han Seyeon’s energy gradually subsided. The ring, once darkly tinged, regained its original color.
At the mention of ‘all together,’ her mind quickly raced.
According to Cheon Woojin, the ‘Cathedral’ illuminated by the Thousand-Year Star was the stronghold of the Undemons.
And the figure at the black market around 4 p.m. with Yi Haesol was ‘Arlen,’ seen during Georg’s punitive expedition.
‘Undemon.’
Then the Cathedral was the Undemons’ stronghold.
It would be difficult for her to come out alone with Yi Haesol from there.
Han Seyeon realized she needed a ‘word’ to stir up a commotion and draw attention. She also realized that Cheon Woojin and the other novices in front of her could be that ‘word.’
“Hmm, seems like I’m interested in hearing the story.”
As Han Seyeon’s magic completely subsided, Cheon Woojin shuddered. And inwardly, he was surprised.
‘What on earth is this…’
It was a magic that even made him tense.
It was a sharpness he had not felt even in the duel with Instructor Kwak Jinho. Rather than a feeling similar to what he felt from Noah, Cheon Woojin brushed aside his thoughts.
It was unthinkable to associate Noah with a mere first-year novice.
That meant he was nervous.
‘Hmm, not to be underestimated.’
Amelia had come to the library upon Han Seyeon’s request, fearing she might move alone, but she never imagined this level of situation.
Even during the survival at Mount Taebaek, Cheon Woojin had not been deeply impressed by Han Seyeon.
And now he realized. Han Seyeon was definitely not beneath him.
He had been slightly proud of his strength, but it seemed like arrogance.
He definitely needed to put in more effort.
“First, let’s go to the classroom. The class is waiting.”
As they headed to the classroom with Han Seyeon, Cheon Woojin didn’t realize that he had almost lost his life just a while ago.
***
In the empty classroom of Class 1, four novices were seated.
“He has helped quite a bit.”
Nicolaï, with his arms crossed, spoke.
From the Tower of Training to the final exam at Mount Taebaek, he had received help from Yi Haesol, such as getting pointers. Nicolaï was a novice who felt at ease when he returned the help he received.
It was Nicolaï who first noticed and informed others about Yi Haesol being kidnapped.
“The Association is trying to track Haesol’s smartphone, but they can’t locate it.”
Amelia’s expression stiffened at Nicolaï’s words.
“Does that mean it’s within a barrier?”
“It seems so. However, since the warp disappeared, we can’t even track the location where the signal was cut off.”
“Maybe we can estimate the location slowly with the cursed potion.”
It was when Elaine, who had set down the teddy bear, approached Yihaesol’s desk to touch his belongings.
“No need for that.”
Swoosh. As the front door of the classroom opened, Han Seyeon entered.
Elaine, under the gaze staring at her intently, gently withdrew her hand that was reaching towards Yihaesol’s desk. Then, Han Seyeon shifted her gaze.
“No need for that?”
Eungaye asked with a puzzled expression.
“I know where Haesol is.”
“What? Then, right away…”
As Eungaye widened her eyes, Han Seyeon nodded her head.
“Follow me.”
With that, she turned around and leaped out through the window railing of the corridor.
***
Han Seyeon, who had secretly sneaked out of the academy through the back door, ran non-stop in the direction Cheollian was pointing without resting for a moment.
“Pant, pant, just a bit slower…”
Elaine and Amelia, who fell behind, eventually gave up chasing, decided to follow by car with the GPS on, while Cheon Woojin, Eungaye, and Nikolai chased after Han Seyeon.
Luckily, the Undemon’s base was not far from the academy.
After running relentlessly for about 30 minutes, Han Seyeon stopped in front of a secluded place near the outskirts where a certain cathedral was located.
Following her, a sedan stopped, and Amelia and Elaine got out.
“Is this the place?”
“Seems like it.”
Upon Cheon Woojin’s words, Nikolai looked around, his expression hardened.
The path to the fenced cathedral was tightly closed, tall trees grew densely on both sides of the path, casting a dark shadow even in the daylight.
“It’s risky for us to go in by ourselves. Contact the association.”
“Then it will be too late. To clear out Mine’s base, we need the association to prepare as well. It will take at least a day. There’s no guarantee that Haesol will be safe until then. We have to do it ourselves.”
Cheon Woojin, nodding his head, turned to Amelia.
“It seems like this is the right place. There’s a barrier blocking the detection.”
“So, we have to go in and look for ourselves.”
“Right.”
Amelia nodded.
“If there’s a detection barrier, it might be difficult to sneak in.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Cheon Woojin took the lead and moved towards the main entrance. The rest followed.
However, the main entrance, which they thought would be firmly closed, opened when Cheon Woojin pushed it.
“What? The door isn’t even locked.”
The group entered, puzzled. It was when they had walked some distance into the path.
Along with a sensation that seemed to surpass the barrier, the air changed.
And the expressions of the group stiffened.
A metallic scent pricked their noses, and people were lying bleeding on the ground at every turn of the path.
“What are you all doing?”
The man who had just plunged his hand into someone’s chest turned to them and asked.
The expressions of the group stiffened as they confirmed that the man’s eyes were tinged with a crimson hue up to the whites.
“…It’s Main.”
As Cheon Woojin muttered, Main chuckled softly.
“I don’t know what these kids are up to, but they’ve come to the wrong place.”
“What are these Io’zul?”
“I have no idea either.”
Two men and women who seemed to be Main’s comrades approached from behind him. Like the initial Main, their bodies were also drenched in fatigue.
“Hmm, good-looking fellas.”
A female Main, sniffing the scent of magic, suddenly sparkled her eyes.
“Oh, what’s this! Pure magic too?”
Amelia, who met eyes with them, shuddered and then—
Thud!
Cheon Woojin rushed towards them.
Swish—
A blue blade sliced through the air, and the female Main’s head fell in an instant.
“What?!”
Shocked by the sight of their comrade dying in an instant, a man extended his arm reflexively towards the sword coming down.
Clang—
The Main’s left arm was severed by the sword.
“aaargh!”
With a scream, the attention of the other Main at the cathedral’s entrance was drawn to the group.
“They’re in trouble trying to escape.”
Nicolaï, brushing off the fallen head with a sudden move by Cheon Woojin, raised his Bardiche.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
A Main, eyeing Cheon Woojin from behind, staggered back as the Bardiche stormed towards him like a gale.
Shortly after, the conflict at the cathedral’s entrance began with swords entwining and lightning flashing.
“…”
Hanseyeon, who was quietly observing from behind, disappeared from her spot.
She strolled through the darkness-filled forest by the side of the entrance, each step forward feeling like a spider’s web extending.
In a flash, she passed through the forest and entered through the cathedral’s back door.
There, uninvited guests stood ahead of her in the darkness.
Two Main, standing in the shadows, waving their swords.
Having already engaged in battle once, Hanseyeon silently raised her hand as the Abyssal Ring scattered a red light in the darkness, leaving one of the Mains looking bewildered.
“Hah! What’s with that cheap ring? A Crimson Stone?”
“…”
Hanseyeon’s face froze coldly.
In an instant, the already dark space seemed to grow even darker. Sinister darkness flickered and rose on the obsidian.