[Chapter 158]
[Beyond Those Eyes (4)]
The moment he looked directly into her eyes.
Eun-ha could tell.
That she was no longer
Her mind had been completely taken over by someone.
Who on earth is it?
He had dominated her mind with Stygian Eye.
But the opponent nullified it and completely shook off Eun-ha's control.
Moreover, even in a world with barriers, they ignored physical distance and dominated
Eun-ha couldn't help but be tense at the presence of the opponent inside her mind.
As if reading his tension─.
"─There's no need to be so tense. I just came because I was curious."
"..."
'She' twitched her mouth.
In fact, she was showing behavior indicating she had no intention to fight.
"Who are you?"
"Little one. I asked first, but deflecting with a question, what country's manners are those? I asked first..."
"..."
She, no, certainly the old man clicked his tongue.
Eun-ha silently responded to the old man scolding him.
He had no intention of telling his name.
He didn't want to reveal his identity in a situation where he didn't know who the enemy was.
"Seeing as there's no answer, it seems you have no intention of answering. How foolish..."
Soon the old man, realizing his thoughts, sighed as if he was foolish.
Then he said.
"It would be simple to find out who this child was recently monitoring. Certainly as far as I know..., perhaps the name of the human she was supposed to monitor recently was..."
"..."
"Yes, was it Noh Eun-ha?"
"It seems you knew from the start, so why ask for the name if that's the case."
"Because what I know and what you say are completely different dimensions. Still, since this is our first meeting, shouldn't we introduce ourselves?"
Eun-ha frowned.
He strongly disliked the old man's attitude that seemed to be mocking him.
"So who are you?"
"Since you didn't answer, I have no obligation to answer either. But I'll specially tell you. I am─."
The old man shrugged his shoulders.
Then he spoke.
Those words had the power to stir the soul.
"─I am Armageddon. The new humanity that will one day stand at the pinnacle of your human race. Is this answer enough?"
""...!!""
Language was also a function of the unconscious.
When hearing understandable language, it somehow affects the unconscious and imprints effects unknown even to oneself.
In other words, language had the power to bind the human mind.
Also, words filled with the emotion of certainty were one of the things that created the foundation of magic constructed by imagination.
The old man's words were a spell.
Though it was a spell that couldn't be achieved with a single magic, it was enough to have an effect on the world.
─Armageddon...!?
A sensation as if crushing the soul.
Eun-ha couldn't move his body.
Above all, he couldn't hide his shock at learning the old man's name.
Why is Armageddon appearing now!?
Armageddon, the leader of the Nine Demons.
It was the appearance of the Ma-in that could only be killed by combining the strength of all Twelve Zodiac, executives of S-rank clans, and On Tae-yang's party members.
Eun-ha couldn't believe what was happening now.
But reality didn't change.
"─You have quite a strong soul. You're the first to not kneel upon hearing these words, little one."
The old man didn't exert any power, but just his presence there exuded an overwhelming presence.
Twenty-five was already half-kneeling on the ground, crushed by the presence.
Buldak was also lying on the ground as if crushed by gravity.
In comparison, Eun-ha was enduring the strongly crushing force.
The old man grinned seeing Eun-ha, who was intimidated but not completely submitting.
"How can you endure when you're probably only 19 years old? I'm really curious. To the point I want to look into your soul once. Yes..., you are like─."
The old man's monologue.
The old man, who had been muttering something, soon seemed to organize his thoughts and opened his mouth.
"─You seem to be the owner of a soul that can fully embody myth."
The old man raised the corners of his mouth.
He cackled.
"Interesting, very interesting. To see such potential in a mere wet-behind-the-ears kid! To think someone like you might be able to reach a realm that even I couldn't achieve in this world!"
The old man's, no, Armageddon's admiration.
But Eun-ha, facing Armageddon, had no room to understand his laughing appearance.
Eun-ha was in a situation where it was difficult just to endure his presence.
He was busy thinking of how to break through the situation.
Just then─.
"─You're worth watching."
He said such words.
Then he said.
"I don't think you'll interfere with what I'm doing, little one, so it would be too wasteful to kill you like this."
"..."
"If you keep going like this, someday you'll come to embody myth too. Then, on that day, we'll be able to clearly see what your capacity is."
"What do you..."
"So it won't be too late to judge then. I have now become a being that can conquer even myths. So when that time comes─."
Incomprehensible words.
Eun-ha tried to ask him what he was talking about.
But Armageddon just uttered what he wanted to say until the end.
"─I'll just need to kill you or take over your body, little one."
"...Kuk...!"
"So, little one. Oh, impressive. But how unfortunate. I'm not leisurely enough to keep dealing with you like this."
At that moment.
Eun-ha barely managed to take a step.
Armageddon's expression changed as if interested.
But Armageddon didn't wait for Eun-ha to approach him.
Because he suddenly stabbed his own heart with his hand.
""...!!""
Blood flowed from his mouth.
Nevertheless, he was still smiling as he pulled out
A heart that looked like a mix of half monster mana stone and half human heart.
Blue blood dripped onto the floor.
Strangely, the heart in his hand kept beating even though it was separated from the body.
─Damn it...!
Eun-ha realized his purpose.
He's trying not to leave evidence.
He's not even trying to leave
"─Little one."
Armageddon gripping the heart with his hand stained with blue blood.
He called out to Eun-ha, who was slowly approaching him.
"─I look forward to the future when you embody myth and we meet again."
"...!!"
With a squelch.
He burst the heart without showing any hesitation.
Blue blood splattered everywhere.
"Let's see if you can survive tenaciously."
Armageddon cackling.
The crushing pressure on the soul was now slowly disappearing too.
"─Wait!!"
"What?"
As the pressure gradually faded and he could move his body, Eun-ha quickly shouted at him.
Armageddon responded with a curious face.
To this, Eun-ha─.
"─
"...!!"
"Seems I'm right."
One of the living myths said to no longer exist in the world.
He mentioned the name of a hero forgotten in people's memories.
He, who had tried to gain even the slightest thing, realized his guess was correct from the sight of him opening his eyes wide.
No─.
─It was just a random word I threw out.
It was nothing more than a guess.
But he reacted to words he hadn't predicted at all.
Then, with his body disappeared up to below his stomach, he made a vicious face and─.
"─Don't tell me Baek Seo-jin told you."
"Who knows?"
Twelve Zodiac
Eun-ha was inwardly surprised to hear his mentor's name come out of Armageddon's mouth.
But he didn't show his emotions.
He tried to get as much information as possible from him by pretending to bluff.
"No, it must be Baek Seo-jin's doing."
Armageddon speaking in a certain tone.
He twisted his face as if displeased.
Now only her face remained of her body.
He, who had been twisting his face until now, soon raised the corners of his mouth while looking at Eun-ha.
"─Yes, that's the correct answer. Little one."
"..."
Leaving those words.
What remained in her place was─.
─Roll
Only a lipstick that rolled to Eun-ha's feet.
☆
Armageddon, the leader of the Nine Demons, had been working behind the scenes since then.
Eun-ha, who learned this fact, couldn't hide his serious expression.
Above all─.
─To think a living myth became a Ma-in and is trying to cause terrorism....
He knew Armageddon's strength.
But he never thought his identity would be a living myth.
On the other hand, he could understand why he was so much stronger than other Nine Demons in his previous life.
What on earth is he thinking....
Through the conversation with
At a glance, he seemed to be building forces harmful to the Fairy Government while working behind the scenes.
Is Armageddon 'that person'?
If he's a living myth, he should have considerable connections even in the Fairy Government.
Moreover, he was also the leader of the Ma-in.
It couldn't be worse.
Eun-ha realized the identity of the enemy he had to face.
And he could understand once again how difficult the path he had to take was.
For now, judging from Armageddon's state..., it doesn't seem like he intends to do anything to me right away.
So while searching for him, I need to grow stronger than now until I meet him again.
I need to get stronger until I can become strong, and strengthen my companions too.
Also, I need to gather as much information as possible about Armageddon.
...Judging from Armageddon's attitude earlier, it seems Teacher Baek Seo-jin already knows about his existence.
Maybe Teacher Baek Seo-jin is tracking their movements.
Perhaps the darkness has been constantly monitoring
To track Armageddon behind
Eun-ha, whose thoughts reached that far, resolved to ask about him when he meets Baek Seo-jin later.
Meanwhile─.
It was an artifact Eun-ha had never seen before.
He put the lipstick in his pocket, deciding to check the artifact's effect later.
Then─.
"─I'm late.... Noona and Ha-yang will scold me."
Eun-ha looked at the time and realized his mistake.
The dinner time had long passed.
"I'll head back for now, so please take care of cleaning up here."
I'll have to think later.
Eun-ha decided to hurry back to the dinner venue even now.
Meanwhile, he decided to leave all traces of the battle to Twenty-five.
"Sigh.... Our master isn't scared even after meeting such a person.... Master, we could have died from that person, you know?"
"We didn't die, so it's fine. And he probably could only threaten us. What he could do borrowing
"Geez, you're so carefree. Is there nothing you're afraid of, Master?"
"I'm scared of our noona and Ha-yang, that's why I'm hurrying like this now."
"Those scarier than Ma-in are.... Sigh, yes, go safely. I'll clean up here."
Twenty-five sighing.
He, who thought he might die, complained about this and that.
But Eun-ha didn't listen to what he was saying.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Beep beep beep boop boop boop boop boop!"
The fog had long cleared.
Because Twenty-five was startled when Armageddon appeared and let go of the Goblin Lamp.
While Twenty-five, who sighed, picked up the fallen Goblin Lamp and spread fog around.
Eun-ha quickly escaped the barrier before getting lost in the fog.
Then he ran aimlessly.
And arrived at the meat restaurant that was scheduled as the dinner venue─.
"─Hey! The main character has finally arrived! Eun-ha! Why are you so late!?"
""""..."""""
Regulus Clan Lord Gu Yeon-su quickly stood up from his seat and welcomed him.
But the other clan members were busy watching Eun-ah and Jung Ha-yang sitting in their seats.
"You're here? Why did you come so late?"
"You're late, really late?"
"Well, unexpected circumstances came up and somehow..."
Noh Eun-ah and Jung Ha-yang.
The two people who had left a seat empty in the middle spoke to Eun-ha.
Eun-ha felt like a frog in front of snakes.
"Our main character! Noh Eun-ha! I saved a seat next to hyung! Come over here quickly!"
Just then, Gu Yeon-su called out to Eun-ha loudly from far away.
A seat made up of executives.
Eun-ha was disgusted.
But he didn't feel like sitting between Eun-ah and Ha-yang either.
It seemed like he would die if he sat there.
Just then─.
"─You're late?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa called out to him.
Across from Jung Ha-yang and Noh Eun-ah.
She gently moved her body, letting him know there was a seat next to her.
Yes, that's the only place.
He tried to choose the best option.
So when he was about to go sit next to Ryu Yeon-hwa.
The two people Eun-ha was afraid of said─.
""─Where are you going? Your seat is here.""
"...I was going to the bathroom."
Eun-ha was caught by the two.
In the end, he had to take a seat between the two.
While Yeon-hwa, who somehow seemed sulky, was stirring a glass of soju and beer mixed with chopsticks─.
"─If you're late, you have to drink a penalty shot, right?"
"Entrance drink too!"
The two thrust drinks at him as if they had been waiting.
No, there was one more.
"─After drinking the penalty and entrance drinks.... Want to drink this? I mixed a cool soju bomb..."
"..."
Ryu Yeon-hwa offering a soju bomb with frost rising.
Eun-ha could only laugh dryly looking at the glasses suddenly placed in front of him.
"Guys, but 3 glasses is a bit..."
"Chang-jin, you be quiet."
"Be quiet."
"Oppa, be quiet."
"Okay.... I'll just stay depressed..."
"─What on earth is this?"
"Beep beep?"
"It doesn't seem to be just a normal lipstick..."
Eun-ha examined the lipstick that
On the outside, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary lipstick.
But when Eun-ha infused internal mana─.
"─It's an artifact."
"Beep beep."
The lipstick reacted.
When he removed the protective cap, the lipstick shone brightly.
What kind of artifact is it used for?
I'll have to check its use later.
It was an artifact Eun-ha had never seen before.
He put the lipstick in his pocket, deciding to check the artifact's effect later.
Then─.
"─I'm late.... Noona and Ha-yang will scold me."
Eun-ha looked at the time and realized his mistake.
The dinner time had long passed.
"I'll head back for now, so please take care of cleaning up here."
I'll have to think later.
Eun-ha decided to hurry back to the dinner venue even now.
Meanwhile, he decided to leave all traces of the battle to Twenty-five.
"Sigh.... Our master isn't scared even after meeting such a person.... Master, we could have died from that person, you know?"
"We didn't die, so it's fine. And he probably could only threaten us. What he could do borrowing
"Geez, you're so carefree. Is there nothing you're afraid of, Master?"
"I'm scared of our noona and Ha-yang, that's why I'm hurrying like this now."
"Those scarier than Ma-in are.... Sigh, yes, go safely. I'll clean up here."
Twenty-five sighing.
He, who thought he might die, complained about this and that.
But Eun-ha didn't listen to what he was saying.
"Then I'll leave it to you." "Beep beep beep boop boop boop boop boop!"
The fog had long cleared.
Because Twenty-five was startled when Armageddon appeared and let go of the Goblin Lamp.
While Twenty-five, who sighed, picked up the fallen Goblin Lamp and spread fog around.
Eun-ha quickly escaped the barrier before getting lost in the fog.
Then he ran aimlessly.
And arrived at the meat restaurant that was scheduled as the dinner venue─.
"─Hey! The main character has finally arrived! Eun-ha! Why are you so late!?"
""""..."""""
Regulus Clan Lord Gu Yeon-su quickly stood up from his seat and welcomed him.
But the other clan members were all busy watching Eun-ah and Jung Ha-yang sitting in their seats.
"You're here? Why did you come so late?"
"You're late, really late?"
"Well, unexpected circumstances came up and somehow..."
Noh Eun-ah and Jung Ha-yang.
The two people who had left a seat empty in the middle spoke to Eun-ha.
Eun-ha felt like a frog in front of snakes.
"Our main character! Noh Eun-ha! I saved a seat next to hyung! Come over here quickly!"
Just then, Gu Yeon-su called out to Eun-ha loudly from far away.
A seat made up of executives.
Eun-ha was disgusted.
But he didn't feel like sitting between Eun-ah and Ha-yang either.
It seemed like he would die if he sat there.
Just then─.
"─You're late?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa called out to him.
Across from Jung Ha-yang and Noh Eun-ah.
She gently moved her body, letting him know there was a seat next to her.
Yes, that's the only place.
He tried to choose the best option.
So when he was about to go sit next to Ryu Yeon-hwa.
The two people Eun-ha was afraid of said─.
""─Where are you going? Your seat is here.""
"...I was going to the bathroom."
Eun-ha was caught by the two.
In the end, he had to take a seat between the two.
While Yeon-hwa, who somehow seemed sulky, was stirring a glass of soju and beer mixed with chopsticks─.
"─If you're late, you have to drink a penalty shot, right?"
"Entrance drink too!"
The two thrust drinks at him as if they had been waiting.
No, there was one more.
"─After drinking the penalty and entrance drinks.... Want to drink this? I mixed a cool soju bomb..."
"..."
Ryu Yeon-hwa offering a soju bomb with frost rising.
Eun-ha could only laugh dryly looking at the glasses suddenly placed in front of him.
"Guys, but 3 glasses is a bit..."
"Chang-jin, you be quiet."
"Be quiet."
"Oppa, be quiet."
"Okay.... I'll just stay depressed..."