Chapter 84, Demon Worshipers
Each of us wielded a different kind of power.
Hwa-ryeon used martial arts based on internal energy, while Arlin used magic fueled by mana.
Lee Yeonhee shaped divine power using the method Eriel had taught her, and I made use of the Mysteries wrapped around my body.
Internal energy, mana, divine power, and the power of Mysteries gathered together in one place.
Our preparations ended quickly.
We looked over one another.
Hwa-ryeon was holding a sword wrapped in thick, vivid red energy.
She moved the sword slowly, yet strangely, every time she did, the sound of air being torn apart rang out as though she were swinging it at tremendous speed.
“...”
Arlin looked as though she were surrounded by tens of millions of thin blue threads.
Her visible mana had been drawn out into strands as thin as thread, forming a circle around her.
Thunder constantly rumbled around them, and sparks erupted every moment.
Every single thread was wrapped in lightning.
It looked like merely touching one would be enough to get electrocuted to death.
“Hup.”
The last person I looked at was Lee Yeonhee.
With a shout, she spread her wings.
Three pairs of enormous white wings opened wide, proudly displaying themselves.
Every feather hanging from those wings contained enough divine power to be dazzling.
Simply standing near her made it feel like my lifespan was increasing.
The radiance was so intense that it seemed as though the sun itself had descended here, killing the darkness and illuminating everything around us.
As for me...
I didn't really have some impressive preparation process.
I simply sharpened my senses while tensing my body.
Feeling slightly awkward after looking at my companions proudly displaying their respective powers, I took a sword from my bag.
It was a long, finely crafted blade.
I thought I'd try looking cool too, so I made flames flow along the sword's edge.
Then the blade started melting.
I hurriedly lowered the temperature and properly gripped the sword.
My companions had already finished preparing and were waiting for me.
“Let's go in.”
I gave the instruction while sharpening my senses even further.
My five senses became vivid, while my sixth sense grew sharper.
Perhaps thanks to the Runestone, I could clearly perceive the existence of my sixth sense, which had always felt vague before.
It began picking up things that my ordinary senses couldn't detect.
I could roughly predict what lay ahead.
Is this what it feels like to have something close to foresight?
I knew that we would soon fight.
I also knew that if things continued like this, we would run into quite a bit of trouble.
But apparently, power like this didn't come without a price.
Before long, my head began hurting as though it were about to split apart.
I suppressed my sixth sense slightly and exhaled hot air.
“Haa...”
Feels like my brain got slightly cooked.
I should use this more carefully from now on.
Frowning from the throbbing pain, I warned my companions.
They trusted me completely.
Even though my warning lacked detail, none of them ignored it.
Their stances became even firmer, and the waves of power spreading around them grew stronger.
Then we began moving.
“Fifty meters remaining.”
At Arlin's quiet words, faint voices began reaching us from far ahead.
Hearing people speak from fifty meters away...
That would've been unimaginable for me in the past.
Instead of impressing me, though, it made me more alert.
From this point onward, we were entering a distance where the enemy might be able to detect us too.
Perhaps they had already noticed us.
We moved even more carefully.
A silence like the calm before a storm settled over us.
“Thirty meters remaining.”
The voices ahead became clearer.
I could occasionally make out what they were saying.
Words like Eye of Ra and Mystery Protection Association reached my ears.
Judging from how emotional the voices sounded, something had happened.
“Ten meters remaining.”
Now I could hear and understand every word.
Ten meters was close enough for a battle to break out at any moment.
Wearing the Invisibility Cloak, I looked over the group, who were now close enough to see with my own eyes.
As Arlin had said, there were ten people in total.
Seven of them wore matching clothes and held red books.
The other three were dressed differently.
Among those three was a familiar-looking woman.
The woman in the white kimono whom I had met just before returning to the Inner World.
She was angrily snapping at the others.
Her attitude was completely different from when she had stood in front of me.
Even her atmosphere was different.
Is that how she normally acts?
I observed her for a moment, then shifted my gaze to the seven people wearing matching clothes.
The dark red books in their hands were familiar.
They were exactly the same color as the book the Mimic had spat out, the one containing information about demons.
Are they the Demon Worshipers she mentioned?
Judging by their appearance, they certainly fit the image of demon worshipers.
Every one of them wore the same clothes.
Their dull, dark red robes looked somewhat similar to the uniforms worn by followers of the Order.
While I was looking over them, a voice reached my ears.
It was Hwa-ryeon's.
“What should we do, Yuhyeon?”
I hadn't heard it through my ears.
It felt as though her voice had been transmitted directly into my brain.
Surprised, I asked what that was.
She answered that it was voice transmission.
Apparently, it was an ability that used internal energy to transmit thoughts.
It felt similar to Lucy's telepathy.
Looks like she had learned another interesting technique.
I moved my lips and silently told her that we should wait for now.
“Got it.”
She sent another voice transmission, then turned toward the Demon Worshipers.
I looked at them as well.
Still wearing the Invisibility Cloak, I approached and began listening in on their conversation.
I had a strong feeling we would end up fighting them soon anyway.
But before that, I wanted to gather some information.
Their voices reached me clearly.
The first one I heard belonged to the familiar woman in the white kimono.
“Was it truly you who attacked the exhibition and killed all the Association members? I already knew you were deranged, but I never imagined you were this vile.”
Her way of speaking was completely different from when I'd met her before.
Her old-fashioned, noble tone carried unmistakable hatred.
That hatred seemed directed toward the Demon Worshipers in front of her.
Judging from the conversation, it seemed we had arrived at just the right moment.
“And how exactly do you plan to handle the consequences? More than twenty people have already had their minds destroyed because of you. Do you truly believe you can endure what follows?”
At her mocking question, one of the Demon Worshipers smiled and repeated the word.
“Endure?”
“Yes. Endure. Every single person you destroyed belonged to a major faction, the Martial Alliance, the Magic Tower, the Multi-Race Federation, the Cradle, the Scales Prayer Society, the Ark, and more. Do you think insignificant people like you can withstand the retaliation those factions will bring after losing their members?”
She named group after group I had never heard of.
Judging from her words, each one seemed to be a major faction on the level of the Company or the Order.
Yet I didn't know a single one of those names.
I felt slightly embarrassed.
Later, I should take some time and at least learn the names of the major factions from Arlin.
I was bound to run into them someday, so knowing them couldn't hurt.
While thinking that, I focused on the conversation, which was gradually racing toward its climax.
“...Wait. Don't tell me. You never intended to deal with the consequences from the beginning?”
The woman, who had been speaking rapidly, suddenly seemed to realize something.
She glared at the Demon Worshiper and bit her lip.
The Demon Worshiper's smile deepened.
“You catch on quickly. As expected of someone with the blood of the Martial Alliance Leader. If your realm were higher, our plan might have gone slightly wrong.”
“...”
“If your realm were higher, that is. How old are you? Twenty? Twenty-one? Reaching the Peak Realm at that age is an impressive achievement. You could certainly be called a genius.”
The eyes that had maintained a gentle curve until then suddenly sharpened.
His previously soft tone became pointed like a blade stained with blood dozens of times over.
“Unfortunately, that promising genius will have her mind twisted a little starting today. Well, such things happen all the time. It can't be helped.”
After saying that, he opened the book in his hand.
At the same moment, the brightness around us seemed to fade.
The boundary between black and white blurred.
The boundary between light and darkness became unclear as countless colors spread through the surroundings.
It looked like someone painting with a brush soaked in far too much water.
Every color overflowed its own territory, bleeding outward and mixing with the others.
Is this what hallucinations look like when you're drugged?
Just looking at it made my mind feel strange.
The blue of water bled into flames, dyeing the fire blue.
The red of the flames spread through the air, staining the world crimson.
Countless colors spread, stained, and mixed with one another, creating a colorful yet surreal scene.
Amid it all, the man continued speaking as though chewing out every word.
“You asked whether we'll take responsibility earlier, didn't you? I'll answer now. We will take no responsibility. Because no one will ever be able to hold us responsible!”
With that shout, he pulled a jewel from his clothes and raised it high.
A sacred and beautiful jewel.
The Eye of Ra.
The Eye of Ra was in his hand.
Gripping it tightly, he opened the book and began reciting a passage.
The other worshipers formed a protective formation around him.
The woman in the white kimono bit her lip hard and swung her hand.
Freezing air followed the motion.
But she was slightly too late.
“O Demon! Here are two kilograms of pure silver, thirty right eyes taken from the sick, and four kilograms of animal blood! And this is a place where countless minds have been broken, so surely it is more comfortable to you than anywhere else!”
The man was already almost finished preparing.
Strength entered his hand.
His voice filled with confidence, as though he believed he could accomplish anything.
His movements became exaggerated.
He raised his voice to finish the final line.
“So please! Descend upon this place and, in exchange for the Eye of Ra, grant our wi...”
That was the last moment.
The last moment he was alive.
Flames thousands of degrees hot surged forward like a wave and swallowed him.
After the fire passed, not even ash remained.
The brightly shining Eye of Ra dropped to the floor and rolled across it.
I immediately picked it up.
The worshipers around him stared at the Eye of Ra with expressions that showed they couldn't understand what had happened.
To them, it probably looked like the Eye of Ra had suddenly floated into the air on its own.
Before they could fully process the situation, I removed the Invisibility Cloak and swung my sword.
Flames erupted along the path of the blade.
And just like that, most of the Demon Worshipers fell.
Interrupting the boss while he's giving a speech is basically tradition.
I flicked ash from the blade with my finger.
My eyes remained fixed on those still standing.
I raised the flames again.
Roooooar...
Then the fire rose like a gigantic wave and crashed down over them.
