I Give Up on Conquering the Heroines chapter 115

115 – 115. Taesoo (3)

Once the smoke clears up completely.

The space that seemed enormous has suddenly shrunk to about the size of a gymnasium.

And in the middle of it is……

“What are you?”

[Er, eh. Mr. Taesoo has momentarily left his station! I am a direct subordinate of Mr. Taesoo! If you misbehave, Mr. Taesoo will come back and wipe you out without a trace, so you better run away quickly!]

“No, isn’t the voice the same? Who would fall for this?”

Claiming to be Tae-su’s subordinate.

A small fox trembling with its head pressed into the ground, its eyes covered.

Well, it’s not small.

The size of a large dog, it seems meager compared to the massive fur ball from a moment ago.

[Achievement Complete]

[Tae-su, Encounter with Gwi-ho!]

Only then does the system log appear.

Apparently, the enormous fox I had seen up until now was an illusion.

This appears to be Tae-su’s true form.

[As an achievement reward, the feature ‘Ju-sul Formation’ is awarded.]

[Feature: Ju-sul Formation]

[You can now draw formations.]

As an achievement reward, I acquired a feature called Ju-sul Formation.

Meanwhile, basic information about Ju-sul becomes embedded in my mind.

I start to feel the magical energy stirring at the tips of my fingers.

The energy that seemed only faint before, now I can handle it like power directly.

‘I can use Ju-sul.’

While receiving a new feature, I apparently forced an insight about Ju-sul.

Of course, I know nothing about using voodoo dolls, amulets, or totems.

But this vivid sense of magical energy means I can learn Ju-sul in the future.

From a simple explanation saying I can now draw formations, it seems this feature isn’t particularly unique.

For Ju-sul, I will ask Ginny for help.

Of course, it’s a request, but it’s really no different from semi-coercion.

[Accumulation: 49,980/62,500]

Meanwhile, the accumulation of Cali’s soul has sharply increased incredibly.

Whereas I hardly managed to gather 3,000 so far, at once it increased by 50,000.

It seems that the magic contained within Tae-su’s formation is tremendous.

‘So what happens when I gather all 60,000?’

On the other hand, that means even after absorbing all of this massive space warp formation, it’s still not enough.

There are still about 10,000 left.

“Would the spirit of Cali transform into something once it is fully accumulated?

Now it’s getting a bit chilling.

[Ah, yes! The fierce fire flower is about to explode! Don’t you think it’s better to run away as fast as you can?]

“What a wasted effort. Did you hate revealing your true form that much?”

[Arggh!]

I snatch Tae-su by the throat, silencing his nonsense.

Immediately, Tae-su stops resisting, slumps down, and reveals the elongated face of the silver fox.

Seems like he has accepted it.

“What is this all about? Why such illusion, Tae-su?”

[Now that you have seen my true form you should know… I’m not Tae-su anymore. So just call me Gwi-ho. I was severely injured a long time ago and lost most of my powers. I am merely left with the strength of a typical monster. I have been secretly gathering strength here to return to my prime someday.]

Now I understand.

Why the character Tae-su remained quiet even when the Sacheonwangs were rampant.

Why, when the final boss appeared, he was killed in one hit without even using his strength.

Gwi-ho had lost his power as Tae-su long ago.

This place must be the formation he created before losing his power.

Gwi-ho can only exert his power and dignity as Tae-su within this space.

So, he didn’t go out until he regained all his strength.

He must have ventured out hidden under illusion and was miserably defeated.

The pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

“Yes, at this point, isn’t it better to just hand over Tae-su’s position? There must be stronger monsters than you.”

[No, I can’t! It is unthinkable!]

“Why is it impossible?

[It’s embarrassing… I explained that these were minor flaws and ignored. If it were revealed that I had weakened so much due to those injuries…]

“……..”

Avoiding my gaze, Gwi-ho muttered in a crawling voice.

For those who were neither Tae-su nor monster, their oversized pride seems to remain intact.

What do I do now?

[Please don’t utter a word about me! If you do, I’ll give you anything valuable, my secret books, anything!]

“I don’t need it. Rather, I’d like to learn how to create spatial distortion formations.”

[Oh! Yes! Excellent! Feel free! Stay here with me-“

“No, from outside.”

[Huh?]

With a flash.

As soon as he hoists Guiho back by the neck, the creature’s expression goes blank.

This monster has lived for thousands of years, amassing a vast wealth of knowledge.

It would be foolish to leave such an entity alone.

Having the opportunity to learn sorcery, it would be best to learn from Guiho.

Learning swordsmanship from Transylvania, who has lived for hundreds of years.

Learning sorcery from Guiho, who has survived for millennia.

Perfect.

Waaah!

At that moment, the light in the room turns a fierce red, and a jarring siren starts wailing.

Guiho’s face breaks into a smug grin.

[You’re in big trouble now! They must’ve noticed an intruder in the Hundred Flowers Gala! Despite its mundane appearance as a gambling den, it’s actually a force dedicated to protecting and hiding me! There are many experts enough to slaughter someone of your level instantly! If you let me go and vow not to leak my identity while swiftly leaving, they might let you leave unscathed…]

“Hey now…”

Are you still not comprehending the situation?

Ignoring Guiho’s warning, he climbs the stairs with the creature in hand.

He is forcing his way through.

***

“…Fold.”

The rustle. The rustle.

Every time Mijung shuffles cards in her hands and opens her mouth, the gamblers pay close attention to her every move.

But Mijung’s face, like a dead body, showed no signs of movement, and there was no change in her voice’s tone.

Even her hand movements were devoid of any habits or quirks, making it impossible to find the slightest trace of emotion in her.

A perfect poker face.

The gamblers playing against Mijung felt a strange unease, as if they were against a machine.

‘…Time to take action. Play the trick.’

A change has started on the gambling table for a while now.

What was once filled with ordinary customers are now replaced by professional gamblers.

The newly arrived dealer, taking over from another who had claimed to be sick, was clearly using sleight of hand.

Every element on the table exuded an all-out intensity to clear the mountainous pile of undefined chips.

With a keen perception of everything, Mijeong said,

“·····Not fun. I’m leaving.”

“What? We were just about to start having fun, weren’t we?”

“·····Sleepy. It’s bedtime.”

“Unbelievable!”

Defying admonishing co-workers and spectators alike,

Mijeong loaded the mountain of chips into a cart and took them to the exchange counter.

The staff could only watch as she exchanged a large amount of cash and put it into her bag.

If you cash in a little later, we’ll discount the fees for you.

Stay just one more day, and hotel accommodation and room service will be free.

Despite various temptations, Mijeong held herself steady.

“·····Fun’s over. I’m leaving.”

Mijeong departed the ruckus, and shortly after,

Waaaii!

The entire area was filled with siren sounds.

Panic arose.

Customers evacuated out of the area without understanding the situation,

And the few remaining employees inside began to grab weapons.

Dressed as ordinary casino staff,

But their demeanor drastically changed once they gripped the swords and axes.

This siren sound meant there was a problem with the boss.

The staff stopped in front of a hidden door, with tension straining their faces.

“Over there! Watch out. This is not a light opponent who broke through the stealth and intruded-“

Boom!

With a loud crash, the wall formed a hole,

And a man, with a black mask pulled over his face, swiftly escaped and started fleeing the spot.

In his hand, he held a silver fox.

The employees were stunned, their mouths agape, as they waited for the door to open.

“Catch him! Catch the intruder!”

“Boss! The inside is empty!”

“What?”

“Master Tae-su… He’s vanished!”

Startled, the boss swung open the door to see inside, only to stare dumbfounded.

This room, distorted in space, was known for its massive size.

All he saw, however, was a room much smaller in contrast.

Tae-su was nowhere to be found.

The boss clenched his teeth and shouted.

“Chase him! It’s clear that bastard did something to Tae-su!”

“Bug! Activate the spell formation!”

“Bug? What does that mean?”

Just as the employees were showing confusion,

A massive Jinni who was eavesdropping from the sewer began to stir and shuffle quickly.

“Damn it! How much magic do I need to use?”

Despite grumbling, the Jinni broadly deployed a sleep spell.

It wasn’t hard.

Already having set spell formations here and there, citing that he had drawn a spectacular map.

All he had to do was layer a sleep spell over it, a simple task.

But the critical factor was, of course, the amount of magic.

With the building being so massive, it also consumed a tremendous amount of magic.

So, its power was unavoidably weakened.

Nevertheless, the Jinni somehow managed to complete the sleep spell formation.

“Block it with the Inhae strategy!”

The flock of employees crowded, completely blocking the man’s way out.

It appeared as though the man had no way to escape now.

“Bug! Now!”

But as the man’s voice echoed resonantly,

With the spell formations laid out across the entire building activated, a sumagi enshrouded the building.

Then, the employees who are blocking the man fell into deep slumber and dropped.

“Damn it! What trick did he use?”

But not everyone had succumbed to sleep.

For the experts who had trained day and night, such a late hour was just enough to make their eyelids heavy.

They chased after the man, slapping their own cheeks to stay awake.

“A fox? What in the world?”

In the man’s hand was a large silver fox, yet they couldn’t make heads nor tails of what the fox really was.

There was certainly no way that tiny creature, emitting a weak energy, could be the Grandmaster.

They could only guess that it had fur similar in color to that of the Grandmaster’s.

“Just who are you?! We will chase you to the ends of the continent, arrest you, and find out how you made the Grandmaster disappear!”

The man was slowly moving away from them.

They were all experts who had trained their bodies to the limit for nearly 20 years.

But the man was starting to gain distance, evading their thrown weapons and arrows, as if jokingly avoiding them.

They must catch him.

Even if he slips through here, they will chase after him to the ends of the earth.

The leader made such a pledge to himself, accelerating even more.

They had received their food, drink, and shelter from the Grandmaster.

And all the blessings in the North were given by the Grandmaster, the ruler of the North.

To repay that grace and loyalty, they couldn’t let the man escape.

“hahahahaha! Are you curious about my identity?”

“Unsheathed your swords?”

“Rabbit! Now is the time!”

The man who called out for a rabbit, pulled out his sword with a hearty laugh.

Soon, his sword followed a curved line.

Sharp wind followed the path of the sword and attacked the experts.

Startled, they blocked the wind with their swords and shields.

However, they were thrown into confusion.

A sword technique that creates a sharp wind with the sword.

As far as they knew, there was only one person who used such a technique.

“T-Tyrantsilvia?”

“Yes, that’s me! Tyrantsilvia! A narcissist with the beauty comparable to the famous courtesan, Ora, and a swordman who ascended to the top after hundreds of years in a mortal body! If you want to find the Grandmaster, come find me! Tyrantsilvia! hahahahaha!”

“……”

With that shout.

The man in the mask fell off the high cliff and disappeared.

He could not be chased any further.

For a while, the masters gritted their teeth as they gazed down at the bottom of the cliff.

His swordsmanship was an ancient one only Trancilbia used, one that had been already put into real battle.

His voice was hard to remember, but it seemed roughly similar.

Except for the impression that his pectoral muscle was slightly thinner, it was definitely Trancilbia.

“Trancilbia! This damned murderer dares to touch Taesu!”

“Are you mad? Are you not even afraid of the lord of the Northland!”

“Revealing your identity was a big mistake! We’ll definitely catch you! Brace yourself!”

They must catch Trancilbia – this blood demon.

All of the masters vowed to do that, savoring the taste of defeat.