"Heh, hah, hahaha…."
A man, covered in blood, rolling on the ground.
He struggled for a while, then slumped down.
"If only it wasn't that demon!"
"…."
"If only I had realized its fraudulence a little sooner, maybe….!"
"Stop blaming yourself."
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I desperately tried to staunch his wounds in the middle of the ruined city of the former duke's territory.
But it was too late.
I couldn't stop his life slipping away rapidly.
After all the atrocities Salio had committed, it was a common sight.
I could do nothing but helplessly watch his inevitable death.
Even as he was dying, he glared at the sky with eyes full of resentment.
"It's my… my fault… if only I had, been sure…."
"Please, calm down."
I supported him with a pained expression.
It wasn't a long journey, but we had been companions.
Let's be together until the end.
"What I couldn't do, I will finish."
"Ah…."
"Don't worry. Once, I was the ruler of this land. I'll find a way."
Of course, I wasn't certain, but maybe saying so would help him close his eyes a little more comfortably.
The man stared at me blankly, then smiled meaninglessly.
"…I beg you."
With those words, he shook his head.
The man's name was Nam Gung Joo-shun.
He had come across the continent to stop a calamity, but ended up just another victim.
I closed his eyes and asked, turning away, "So, what do you plan to do now, Alanso?"
"…."
Alanso confirmed the death of the Traven owner who had shown him kindness, then fell silent for a while.
And after a moment.
"We thought he was dead, so confirming his death is somewhat of a relief… I guess."
He said so and stared blankly at the sky.
"Whatever it is, if we get rid of Salio… it should be resolved."
"…."
"Let's go, young duke."
Alanso stood up with a gloomy expression.
All I could do was watch his back and force a bitter smile.
I don't know why this memory came back to me now.
I don't particularly want to remember, but it happened.
Well, that's how it goes.
—
As I recalled old memories, my head throbbed.
There were so many things that had happened.
"How… can you be so sure? Even my father, who was a master of observation, couldn't notice it. How could you…?"
"Well, I'm not obligated to tell you everything in detail, am I?"
"Ugh…."
Nam Gung Joo-shun looked confused.
Understandably so.
What I'm saying now is denying everything he has believed up to this point.
But what can I do, it's the truth.
"So, are you saying that the demon's heart inside this box could explode at any moment?"
"That's right."
"But if there's still time, why hasn't it…?"
"Well, you know."
I glanced towards the box.
"Maybe it was waiting for a moment to cause even greater destruction?"
"….!"
"It's hard to believe, I know, but I can show you some evidence."
"How… do you mean?"
"Like this."
I said, raising my right hand. I traveled through various worlds and learned many skills.
From mechanical engineering to alchemy.
While my main focus was magic, I didn't forget the knowledge I gained from others.
All that knowledge is still in my head.
"Of course, it's not easy."
The power of a world belongs to the people of that world.
"But I'm different."
I had already succeeded in summoning Hercules, which was a specialty of Jiso-won.
And I have some idea of how to use the power of other worlds.
"Ouroboros."
It is related to the strange phenomenon of Ouroboros parasitizing my body through regression.
If that's the case, I should try.
I've already succeeded once, why not twice?
With my eyes closed slowly, I imagined the technology of the survivors that I wanted to reproduce.
"Of course, simply reproducing it is not meaningful."
We need to go further.
To properly utilize the technology of another world, we must not be content with just reproducing it.
Twist.
Deep in my chest, the Ouroboros that had been crouching reacted.
And.
– Saa!
As if it had been preparing, it immediately sprang out of thin air.
Unlike before, its tail or scales were more clearly visible.
"Has it grown?"
The Ouroboros flicked its tongue and circled around me.
Is it asking me to command it?
"Help me."
At my words, the Ouroboros quietly looked at me, nodded a few times as if understanding, and then…
Cook.
It bit lightly into the back of my hand, where scars were starting to form.
And at that moment…
Thunk!
Starting from my hand, a heat like Tao surged up.
"Grr!"
Starting from my hand, the heat spread throughout my body along my veins. At the same time…
Whoosh!
Memories surfaced in my mind.
The survivors who stood with me against Jormungand before my regression.
How did they move, and how did they exert their power?
"Ah."
And among those survivors, there was one who possessed the power I needed now.
Goeseon, Jang In-so
His image came to mind.
With heavily wrinkled skin, white beard down to his waist, and two eyes hidden behind a bundle of colorful cloth.
Madness peeked through the smile that was always on his face.
Although he was a blind , he had seen much more than others.
He called this .
' Eye insight.'
His skill as a blind ironically began with 'seeing.'
"Kuk!"
I felt a burning pain in my eyes, but I endured it and opened my eyes wide.
And then, I saw things differently from before.
"Ha."
Red threads clearly visible around the neck.
They were intricately tangled and trying to spread in all directions.
But it was quite peculiar.
When viewed broadly, the spreading threads looked like the tails of nine foxes.
"Hmm."
When I realized this and stared directly at them, the tails all reacted simultaneously.
– Crack!
At the same time, a huge gust of wind blew around my neck.
Was it instinctively sensing a threat?
"S-Suddenly, this place…!"
Namgoong joo-sun also seemed to sense something, trembling and showing a defensive posture.
"I see. Is this the feeling?"
I roughly understood.
How the creature had maintained its existence so far and how it would cause chaos.
If that's the case, I can't just sit still.
I stared at the creature and reached out my hand.
"With this, I should be able to apply my magic to some extent."
Rainbow light rose brightly from my outstretched hand.
Goesun had been learning a technique called the ' Myeolyo Kwon (滅妖拳).'
But as a magician, I couldn't fully reproduce it.
So.
"
I decided to transform Goesun's technique into magic.
Since I had seen it hundreds of times, it was not difficult to apply it.
Ooong.
The rainbow light turned into arrows of different shapes and aimed at the creature.
And then.
Thunk!
At my gesture, five arrows shot toward the creature.
—
In an instant, I sensed it.
Danger.
I couldn't describe it exactly, but my instincts were loudly sounding the alarm.
"What is it."
It was a being that had been called the King of Calamity, scattering countless blood in the distant past.
Even if it had declined, its instinct was to destroy someone.
Once great, it had an excellent foresight ability.
The power to see the flow of time.
And according to its foresight, a tremendous opportunity would soon come.
A giant snake would approach and give it immense power.
Then, it would regain its flesh, unleash its power from its prime, shed the blood of many, and absorb despair.
But.
"Dangerous."
There was no mention of this 'foresight' regarding the creature in front of me. Clearly, it had no relation to its calculations, a presence beyond calculation.
Danger, danger, danger!
My mind was constantly ringing the alarm.
So what should I do?
I thought endlessly.
To break through this unexpected situation, which was not predicted by foresight.
"Ah."
And finally, I came up with the 'best move' to overcome this situation.
I must follow my instincts.
Devour it.
If you eat that, it could actually be an opportunity.
Yes, if you were to eat that thing that makes you feel uncomfortable and wary right now, what great strength you would gain!
Maybe it will be a better opportunity!
The being she was when she waved his nine tails, shaking the earth and causing numerous disasters.
This is a decision that would not have been made if it had been in it prime.
However, it has now been weakend due to a long period of sealing, and has not fully regained its strength.
And the moment she was dominated by greed.
– Kigek!
It opened its mouth towards the "prey" in front of its eyes with a laugh.
It can devour.
Thinking of it as a delicious prey that will give strength.
But that moment.
Kwack!
– Keok?
Pain.
Something sharp and dreadful pierced it.
It couldn't know the exact identity, but it instinctively felt that what had pierced it was extremely toxic.
"Ouch!"
Unable to maintain composure in pain, it went on a rampage.
But that wasn't the end.
"You still have four more feet left."
Once again, another thing pierced its body, shaking its soul with excruciating pain.
– Ka, ak!
Even though screams continued, the opponent did not act hastily.
They pierced the most suitable part to feel the pain, calculating and cruel, at the most appropriate timing.
The pain intensified.
Eventually, the consciousness, which had been holding on somehow, collapsed.
– Ki, kii…!
Just look for a gap.
It hadn't given in yet.
With such thoughts, it waited for a moment to stab with its dagger.
While enduring and looking for a chance.
– Kiik?
It felt the attack stop.
Finally, it judged that the opponent was exhausted and thought it was time to counterattack.
As it raised its head with that thought.
– Ka, a.
It felt a sense of betrayal.
And soon realized.
The reason the opponent stopped the attack was not because they were exhausted.
– Ka, a.
Kideuk, kideuk.
Laughter echoed.
The opponent stopped the attack not because they were exhausted, but because there was a more efficient means.
At that moment.
Kwack!
Something swallowed it.
Without even a chance to scream, it was buried in darkness.
Break out.
In the midst of pain, it writhed and constantly thought.
If only, if only it had stayed a little longer.
If there was only a "trigger" to refine and spread the concentrated power, things could have been different now.
– Kaak…!
With such thoughts, it disappeared in pain.
Too easily, as if it were nothing.
—
"…."
TL:NOTES:-the demon is hare is nine tale fox she not actually demon but kind mythical spirits
No.
No, no, this isn't right.
I looked towards the direction of the noise because I was so dumbfounded.
The Ouroboros in question was confidently raising its head, boasting of its innocence.
"Hey, you."
– Kiguk?
"I did everything, so what are you going to do if you devour the prey?"
You sneakily devoured it after I had completely knocked it out with the arrow of annihilation.
An ungrateful beast.
No, I was the one who brought it to its knees, so is it true that you sneakily deliver the final blow?
"What are you going to do, really!"
– ...
Only then did the Ouroboros seem to sense my anger, and it began to slink away.
Truly disgusting.
This is why I don't trust snakes.
No, more than that.
"To the horn of the yellow dragon and the heart of the nine-tailed fox! What will you gain by devouring these?"
– Kiguk...
With a sullen expression, the Ouroboros lowered its head.
Pfft.
It spat something out.
What did it do, I wondered as I looked.
"…. Horn and heart?"
Contained in the prey was the horn of the yellow dragon and the heart of the nine-tailed fox.
Moreover, the heart of the nine-tailed fox was perfectly purified of its ominous aura.
"Hmm, I guess I didn't eat these two."
– ...
"Don't look at me like that. If you didn't want to get into a fight in the first place, you shouldn't have devoured it without my permission."
I wonder who this brat takes after to act so impulsively.
It was when I was relentlessly harassing the Ouroboros like that.
With eyes that seemed to say, "What's wrong with you being dissatisfied?" the Ouroboros suddenly spat something out again.
Once again, the horn of the yellow dragon and the heart of the nine-tailed fox.
"Wait a minute."
What? Not only do they look similar, but are these the 'real' horn of the yellow dragon and the heart of the fox spirit?
"What is it?"
Did you copy them, or what's going on?