Chapter 163
association headquarters.
It was after Kang Tae-min left for the Veritas Guild, but Bae Seung-ju had no time to rest.
“Each branch has been reported to be acting in accordance with emergency guidelines.”
“There are citizens who escaped by subway instead of shelters. But the entrance has collapsed.”
“Attempts were made to break through the outer perimeter, but they failed. It’s a situation similar to dungeon formation.”
“Excluding Veritas, the four major guilds are focusing on removing mutants.”
It was because the personnel he had sent asked for information. Bae Seung-joo, the decision maker, had to make a decision based on that information.
“Tell them to avoid exposure to moonlight as much as possible, and encourage them to accompany healing-type hunters and mental-type abilities.”
“I’d rather be locked up in the basement for now. Unfortunately, the rescue operation is postponed until after the situation is over.”
“Escape is discouraged. Right now, saving lives and securing safety are the priority.”
“The clones created by the iron man are helping, so we focus on contact.”
When a leader hesitates, the organization falters. Bae Seung-ju never showed a disheveled appearance.
In response to his immediate response, the association hunters moved to deliver the news again.
“Chief!”
“What is it?”
what else is the news?
Bae Seung-joo focused again without a chance to catch his breath. However, it was not his subordinates who came this time.
“I am the messenger of the Veritas Guild!”
It was a wizard wearing a patterned robe with a book that means truth, ‘VERITAS’.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes… There were dangerous situations along the way, but I survived because the iron man helped me.”
He gave a hard smile and got to the point.
“This is the message from the majestic. If you inoculate sanity, mutation can be prevented, so he told the hunters to inoculate first.”
“Senity… ?”
For the first time, Bae Seung-joo’s eyes shook. It wasn’t because I didn’t believe Johanna’s words.
“But doesn’t mutation make civilians faster?”
“… You didn’t say anything else about it.”
Bae Seung-ju covered his mouth with one hand with a serious expression. I couldn’t keep my expression, so I had to cover it with my hand.
“… Okay. You worked hard for once.”
At Bae Seung-joo’s words, the others moved away without noticing. Left alone for a while, Bae Seung-ju sighed deeply.
‘I don’t know when this situation will be resolved.’
People exposed to moonlight became hosts. Those who saw the moon directly accelerated the transformation.
Fortunately, inoculation with Sanity prevented the mutation. However, the number of Sanities is not large enough to save everyone.
‘That’s why I should rather inoculate the hunters.’
When the hunters act freely, it becomes easier to deal with the already mutated followers of madness. Then, once the situation is stable, the additional Sanity is inoculated into the civilians.
That was the ‘reasonable’ decision made by Johanna.
However, on the contrary, shelters where civilians are gathered are like embracing a time bomb that may explode at any time. Some of them will explode before the situation is resolved.
‘I know I can’t save everyone, but… .’
There is a difference between accepting a decision and making it yourself. His decision would cost countless lives.
Bae Seung-ju felt an unprecedented pressure.
‘… I have to do it nonetheless.’
When the situation is over, countless accusations and resentments will pour down on him, but there may be some who call him a slayer rather than a savior.
‘For the lesser evil, not the worst.’
take responsibility for decisions
The place he was in was for that purpose, and Bae Seung-joo was the one who was ready.
“You are too stubborn.”
Bae Seung-ju was taken aback by the voice he heard then, and turned his eyes away.
“The president of the association?”
Seol Gyu-jin walked with the support of Seol Ga-eun.
“why not… It’s dangerous here!”
“Shouldn’t the president of the association be silent in this situation?”
Seol Gyu-jin struggled to settle down and looked back at her daughter. Seol Ga-eun looked back at Bae Seung-ju with a determined face.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on it, but I thought Daddy should know.”
Bae Seung-joo heard the conversation with the wizard of Veritas and reported it to Seol Gyu-jin.
“Chief, prepare the sanity. And all the mana potions in the headquarters.”
“The president of the association?”
“… I once tried to catch two rabbits and failed.”
Seol Gyu-jin smiled self-deprecatingly. The double life of the president of the association and Lee Young-mi’s lover gave birth to a monster called Hands.
“I can’t fail this time.”
“Chief of the Association, please… ?”
“If the amount is insufficient, why not increase it?”
Through Seol Ga-eun’s efforts, Seol Gyu-jin’s body has repeatedly recovered. And just as the body affects the soul, the state of the body also affects the soul.
Thanks to this, Seol Gyu-jin had enough mana to use his abilities, although not as much as he did in his prime.
He planned to supplement his limited mana by taking mana potions.
“You are not alone.”
* * *
“What can you do alone?”
Ann Najoz twisted her mouth. In front of her was a scarred Johanna.
“Big… .”
“Do you think the knowledge and memories of only you are in my head?”
The magic confrontation between the two seemed to be on the same page, but the gap widened.
Unlike Johanna, who studied and realized herself, Ann Nahoz easily took the knowledge and memories of others.
“Besides, don’t you think it’s too arrogant to fight while protecting those humans?”
When Ann Nahoz deployed the magic circle again, a dark green beam of light shot towards the researcher.
“Kyaaa!”
“Ouch!”
Min So-yul and other researchers hurriedly ran into a corner and crouched down. The barrier hit by the beam of light bent and became thinner.
Yohanna wrinkled her face and hurriedly deployed the magic circle, and the layered ice mirrors blocked the beam’s trajectory.
“Cheuk… !”
As if waiting, Ann Nahoz summoned a rock thorn and stabbed Johanna. Ann Najoz tilted her head at her who was bleeding.
“I really don’t understand.”
Watching Johanna breathe thinly, Ann Najoz showed pure curiosity.
“If it were you in my memory, you wouldn’t even stay here, let alone save them.”
“Reason… don’t insult… .”
Johanna glared at her with ferocious eyes.
“Umm, is it a responsibility?”
“… what?”
“No, you know that too, right?”
Ann Nahoz’s eyes and mouth drew an arc as she spoke. It was like a child playing around and expecting a funny reaction.
“The reason we were able to come here is because you opened the way.”
Johanna’s pupils trembled.
“There’s no way you don’t know what I know, right? But you didn’t tell the humans here, did you? There will be no reason to hate you for talking about it. Because it’s not ‘reasonable’ behavior.”
Ann Najoz let out a laugh. She whispered, pressing close to Johanna’s face.
“Even now it is not too late. Run away to another world like last time.”
Johanna gritted her teeth. In front of him was a face identical to his own, but inside the pupil was a parasite like a thin ball of thread.
“And again, guide us.”
Johanna bowed her head.
‘Yeah, that’s not wrong.’
It would take time for Lunatic Dawn to take over the world. If he escaped to another dimension like this, he would be able to enjoy the peace of that time. Although I’ll have to throw away everything I’ve accomplished here, wouldn’t it be better than being eaten by madness?
‘I would have thought so in the past.’
If he had been a reclusive archmage, he would have left without hesitation. However, Johanna, who has lived here, had a different idea.
The soul is formed based on experiences and memories. It also includes the experience and time she has accumulated on Earth and in Korea.
Unlike when studying alone, numerous guild members by her side, people who praised and appreciated her inventions, and even the strongest standing on an equal footing.
Although her single-minded personality did not change easily, she also had a ‘relationship’ that she wanted to maintain.
‘… Reason is not a means of escape.’
If they only pursue survival, they are no different from animals. The intelligence she pursued existed to pursue a better value than survival.
She thought it was ‘the truth’. But it wasn’t until the crisis struck again that she realized that death was hovering in front of her.
‘The truth I know alone has no meaning.’
Johanna condensed mana. She snapped and grabbed Ann Najoz.
“You, now… ?”
There were no magic circles. But Ann Najoz felt terrified.
“Let’s get along well.”
A spell that sends souls through dimensional rifts. But this time he wasn’t going to take her alone, but Anne Najoz.
Of course, unlike before, the probability of failure was very high. Otherwise, the soul could become a dimensional lost child.
The resolution of Dongguijin (同歸於盡).
“Do you think I’ll let it go like that?!”
Johanna’s attempt was thwarted with the cry of Ann Najoz. But Anne Najoz didn’t stop it.
The ceiling collapses with a bang. And a spinning saw blade that fell faster than the wreckage.
“Yeah, I can’t let you go.”
An iron man appeared from behind Anne Nahoz’s body, which was split in half. Johanna had an unusually surprised expression.
“… you?”
“for a bit.”
The iron man, Kang Tae-min, lightly pushed her away from Anne Nahoz and moved his hand.
The serrated swords in both hands shattered Anne Nahoz’s wriggling body. However, without stopping there, Kang Tae-min expressed his ability to form an iron pillar and crush the cracked pieces as they were.
Amid the soggy blood, the soul rose like a haze.
“In addition… !”
“That, that iron man!”
“I lived… !”
Min So-yul and the researchers’ faces turned red. Having already received help from him once, I was relieved.
Johanna blinked at Kang Tae-min.
“It was you.”
Eyes that can see mana.
She knew right away that the iron man’s identity was Kang Tae-min. It wasn’t hard to accept that fact.
It was because when they recognized that the two were the same person and that they could create an alter ego, all of their previous actions aligned.
“… Are you okay?”
Taemin Kang supported her. As he came to the Veritas Guild, he had already expected his identity to be revealed.
“Thank you for being alive. The secret… Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Johanna smiled lightly while frowning.
“Majessi!”
Min So-yul hurriedly ran and took out a recovery potion. When I poured it on the wound, it began to heal little by little.
But the pain must have been considerable, even Johanna was sweating.
“Thank you so much!”
“For us… !”
The researchers took turns greeting Yohanna and Taemin Kang. After completing first aid, Johanna turned to the researchers.
“Thank you. Hurry production of Sanity.”
“Oh yes! All right!”
“Me, Majessi.”
As the researchers were about to turn around, Min So-yul raised his voice.
“For intranasal inoculation, a slightly thinner concentration would be sufficient.”
At those words, the other researchers put on their faces. It was not something a mere researcher would say to arbitrarily change the formula of sanity.
However, Min So-yul’s eyes were full of confidence.
“It is more useful that way even for fast production.”
Everyone thought that Johanna would refuse with a single stroke. But instead of answering immediately, she averted her eyes.
Kang Tae-min was in the place where his gaze was directed.
Can you accept your student’s words? Realizing the meaning of that gaze, Kang Tae-min answered.
“You can trust it.”
As for other alchemists, Min So-yul was trustworthy.
“Do it.”
“Yes? ah… Yes!”
Min So-yul, who was choosing the next persuasive words, was surprised, but then nodded. Then, he hurriedly took other researchers to the production facility.
“Sanity transportation will be handled here.”
The produced cure should have been transported by the alter ego. It would save many lives.
However, Johanna’s expression was not bright.
“… But this is only a temporary measure. If the pale moonlight continues to shine on you, you will eventually be consumed by madness.”
While saying that, Johanna suddenly felt strange. The ceiling had collapsed, so the moonlight should have leaked in, but it didn’t.
Naturally, her gaze turned toward the collapsed ceiling.
“… Dom?”
A huge iron dome covered the sky beyond the collapsed ceiling.
“It’s improvisation.”
Taemin Kang replied.
He not only created alter egos to protect those who could not evacuate, but also erected dome-shaped steel structures to avoid the moonlight.
“really… I can only say great.”
“But it is not a solution. Do you know how to change this situation?”
Kang Tae-min immediately got to the point. In the first place, he came to the Veritas Guild to get information.
“… The fact that the pale moon has risen means that the high priest has arrived.”
“If it’s the high priest… .”
“full moon.”
Johanna swallowed dryly.
“We need to find him and get rid of him.”