587

 [Chapter 158]

[Beyond Those Eyes (2)]

Rewinding time to the day Eun-ha heard information about <Madam > Bebe from <Chatterbox > Twenty-five.

Late at night, Eun-ha visited Ha-yang's house.

"─I was so surprised when you said you were coming at this hour. I'm not even wearing makeup now..."

"That's your face without makeup? I couldn't tell because you're pretty."

"Really?"

"Yep."

Jung Ha-yang came out in casual clothes.

Eun-ha gave a bitter smile seeing Jung Ha-yang grumbling about her bare face.

I've been seeing you since you were young, what need is there to hide your face?

With or without makeup.

To Eun-ha, Jung Ha-yang was Jung Ha-yang.

When Eun-ha showed such feelings, she brightened up.

But that was only for a moment─.

"─Did you bring what I asked for?"

"I brought it. But what are you going to use this for?"

Jung Ha-yang's expression darkened.

She held out the paper bag in her hand to Eun-ha.

It is the Goblin Lamp.

Eun-ha checked the artifact inside the paper bag.

The artifact Goblin Lamp that Eun-ha had given her recently.

It was the artifact he decided to borrow for a while before Jung Ha-yang started using it in earnest.

"I just have somewhere to use it..."

"Is it something dangerous?"

"..."

Meanwhile, Jung Ha-yang pressed him on what he was going to use the Goblin Lamp for.

Eun-ha evaded the question.

She persistently asked.

Finally, Eun-ha recalled the advice Han Seo-hyun had given him when he was hospitalized, and opened his mouth.

"I'm not sure what will happen either. But probably nothing dangerous will happen."

"Is it something you absolutely have to do?"

"There's something I want to confirm."

"...Alright. Don't get hurt."

But Eun-ha couldn't tell her everything.

Instead, he gave her words that could ease her worry a little.

Jung Ha-yang acquiesced to this.

Nevertheless, she was still expressing dissatisfaction.

"Then I'll be going now."

"You're leaving?"

"I need to go home too."

Now that he had received the Goblin Lamp.

Eun-ha tried to leave.

That's when she grabbed him.

She pouted her lips.

"Tch, how can you just take the item and leave? Someone was waiting like this thinking of seeing you..."

"I'm sorry. But it's late at night, so we can't stay here like this..."

"Come to my house."

"...Aren't your parents home?"

"My parents aren't home today. Ga-ram went out with them too."

"..."

"So stay for a little while. And I'm scared being alone too..."

"...I'll stay for a bit."

"Okay!"

"Papa!"

Eun-ha was caught by Jung Ha-yang.

In the end, he ended up entering her house.

☆

Though he couldn't know <Madam > Bebe's exact purpose.

Eun-ha could roughly infer why she was monitoring him for some reason.

The guys behind <Madam > Bebe are trying to check if I'll interfere with their plans or not.

I don't know what their plans are, but the point is....

Whether to persuade me.

Or eliminate me.

The fact that they assigned her, who had deliberately immersed herself in darkness, to monitor him meant just that.

And regardless of <Madam >'s choice, she would take action in some way, sooner or later.

So Eun-ha thought.

Whether she tries to persuade me or eliminate me.

In the end, <Madam > Bebe will aim for a situation where I'm alone.

In that sense─.

─Now, when academy students are out interning at various clans.

There was no better opportunity when there weren't many people around Eun-ha himself.

So she would try to approach him before the internship ended.

Eun-ha quickly finished thinking.

Therefore─.

─Then I'll set a trap in reverse and wait for her to fall into it on her own.

Turning the tables.

The first move wins.

Eun-ha decided to set a trap to draw in <Madam > Bebe, to make her reveal her true colors.

If she was aiming for a situation where he was alone.

Eun-ha decided to willingly create the situation she wanted.

Thus─.

─Goblin Lamp

During the clan internship, Eun-ha always moved around with someone else.

As a result, there were suspicious glances in the clan wondering if something was going on between him and Ryu Yeon-hwa.

But thanks to this, Eun-ha was able to make <Madam > fret because she couldn't create an opportunity to be alone with him.

And he waited for the moment when her impatience would peak and she would make a mistake─.

"─She took the bait."

"She took the bait, sir."

On the day the clan internship ended.

Eun-ha created a situation where the impatient <Madam > had no choice but to make a move, and drew her in.

"Kyaaaah─!!"

Thanks to borrowing the artifact Goblin Lamp from Jung Ha-yang in advance.

Eun-ha was able to cast a barrier that diverted the footsteps of people passing nearby.

The magic of the Goblin Lamp was at a level that even most players couldn't notice.

Eun-ha approached Bebe, who was caught in the net flowing with strong current, while leaving it to Twenty-five.

"Ah.... Aah.... You..., youuu!"

"As expected, she didn't faint."

When the current weakened somewhat.

With a smell of burning flesh.

Bebe, whose body was half blackened, opened her eyes fiercely.

Eun-ha clicked his tongue looking at her.

She must have quite some skill to not faint from this much current.

Twenty-five's binding magic.

Eun-ha, who knew his magic well, wasn't too surprised seeing that she hadn't fainted.

"If you had fainted like this, neither you nor I would have had to go through this difficulty..."

"Master, what should we do? Should I put her to sleep with drugs?"

"She's from the dark side. She'll probably have resistance to most drugs."

"Or should I just beat her until she faints?"

"That would be better. Increase the output."

"Kyaaaah!"

"I haven't increased it yet."

"Increase the output more, more."

"Yes sir."

"Shibaaaaaal─!!"

"Oops. If you subtract 3 from there, it would have been my name."

"You, shut your mouth."

"Yes sir."

"She's still not fainting. Increase it more."

"Kyaaaah─!!"

Blue current envelops her.

A scream that sounds like it's tearing her throat spreads.

Nevertheless, Eun-ha and Twenty-five silently watched Bebe trapped in the net.

Eventually─.

"─Is she made of rubber? How can she still endure? Is she a monster?"

"Increase the output more."

"Master, if we increase it any more, she'll die."

"Looking at her, it doesn't seem like she'll die. Just increase it to the maximum."

"Our master's personality..."

"Mouth."

"Yes sir."

But no matter how much they increased the output.

<Madam > Bebe didn't die even though her whole body was burned black.

It was the same even when Eun-ha ordered Twenty-five to increase the output to the maximum.

Now even Eun-ha couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

What kind of person is she?

She's really tough.

It's pain that wouldn't be strange to die from, but there's no sign of her dying.

Above all─.

"─Did Chang-jin snitch?"

""..."

Her eyes were still alive.

All the hair on her body had burned away and disappeared.

Her whole body was burned black, but she opened her eyes and spoke.

No, she sneered.

"That bastard, this won't do. I told him it wouldn't be fun if I said it..."

""..."

"I'll kill all your family mem...ack!"

"You should watch your words. How dare you mention my family?"

When <Madam > shouted in anger.

Eun-ha immediately turned and kicked her head.

She fell with a thud, her head hitting the ground.

"...Cough..., kuhek...!"

She coughed up dark blood.

<Madam >, who got up almost crawling on the ground, looked up at Eun-ha.

"Tch..."

Perhaps because she was hit once.

She gritted her teeth as if frustrated.

To this, Eun-ha─.

"─If you said something you shouldn't have, shouldn't you naturally pay the price?"

"..."

"Twenty-five."

"Yes sir."

"Pull them all out."

"But then it'll be hard for her to pronounce words."

"As long as she has her tongue, what use are teeth?"

"You're so cruel."

"N-no, don't!"

"That's why who told you to speak harshly? You should have just stayed quiet..."

Noh Eun-ha snickering.

Only then did <Madam > realize his words weren't a joke, and let out a startled cry.

She shook her head hurriedly, but.

Twenty-five slowly approached her to carry out Eun-ha's order.

Just then─.

"─Do you think I can't break even this magic?"

Suddenly <Madam > cackled.

Her eyes flashed.

No, her eyes glowed red.

"I was just playing along, but you really won't do, will you?"

""...!!""

With a rustling sound.

Her blackened skin fell off.

New flesh had grown in the fallen places.

Soon her hair also grew anew and turned red─.

"─Twenty-five! Increase the output to maximum!"

"I'm already doing that!"

"It's useless anyway!"

""...!!""

With a whoosh.

Suddenly her shoulder blades tore and a pair of wings appeared.

The wings flapping their feathers instantly tore through Twenty-five's binding magic.

Also, her wrists and ankles began to be covered in fur.

Finally─.

─She was a Ma-in!?

An appearance reminiscent of the 5th rank Harpy Podarge.

It was the appearance of a Ma-in with raptor feet that instantly crushed the concrete floor.

"─That's why, why did you make noona angry and make her take off her clothes, why."

"...We didn't undress her though."

"She was a Ma-in."

"Oh my. You even know she's a Ma-in? How did you know that? It seems you know quite a lot about us?"

As she took a step forward.

The concrete floor cracked.

Eun-ha and Twenty-five made disgusted expressions.

To think she was a Ma-in....

Eun-ha couldn't hide his bewilderment.

It was beyond his imagination.

Because in his previous life, there were clearly only nine Ma-in.

No, only nine Ma-in had shown themselves to the world.

So there could have been Ma-in living quietly without showing themselves to the world.

But even so─.

<Madam >, who was On Tae-yang's party member, was actually a Ma-in?

Eun-ha couldn't believe that fact.

Meanwhile, she groaned and opened her mouth.

"─I hate my appearance terribly. So I've killed everyone who's seen this form until now without leaving a single one."

""..."

"So I'm going to kill you two. How dare you see my bare face?"

""...!!""

<Madam > released killing intent.

Eun-ha and Twenty-five tensed at the suddenly emitted aura.

Eun-ha quickly drew his sword but─.

"─I'm faster than you!"

<Madam > charged in.

The concrete floor cracked with a screech.

As she flapped her two wings wide, her body lifted off the ground.

Then she flew at Eun-ha after gaining altitude.

Immediately─.

─What!?

"You didn't expect this!?"

Just before Eun-ha's sword could reach her.

<Madam > avoided the attack by suddenly ascending vertically.

Then she flew through the air, passing by Eun-ha.

Eun-ha and Twenty-five only then realized.

"Master!"

"Quickly catch her!"

"She's too fast and left my magic's range!"

"Damn it!"

<Madam > didn't choose to fight.

She just ran away.

☆

It was an incident that happened so long ago, she couldn't even remember it now.

Having lost her husband to monsters, she had to live a life selling alcohol while wandering the streets.

Then she happened to get caught up in a distortion.

Thus she became a Ma-in─.

'─If you have nowhere else to go, follow me.'

She met that person.

She, who didn't know how to handle her power, was aware that if she continued like this, she might be killed by people as a monster.

So she needed that person's protection.

And since she had nowhere else to go anyway.

She took that person's hand.

Thus─.

─Noh Eun-ha is dangerous. I must quickly inform that person of this fact...!

She became <Madam >.

And came to this point.

Contrary to her own expectations, <Madam >, who was instead caught by Noh Eun-ha, was busily flying through the air.

Am I crazy to face such a kid? If I face someone who can easily beat one of the Seven Lions without even using magic, I could die!

She knew her own strength.

Her capabilities would not be able to defeat Noh Eun-ha.

Even if she defeated Noh Eun-ha, her body would not be intact.

Though she served that person, she didn't want to die.

Above all, if she lost to Noh Eun-ha, she wouldn't be able to inform how dangerous Noh Eun-ha was.

It was a rational and reasonable judgment.

So she kept flying.

"Tch..., what's with this fog!?"

 But she just couldn't get out of the fog.

Only then did she realize.

She thought it was strange for fog to be in the city, but it was actually magic trapping people in fog.

This kind of magic...!

No matter how weak she might be.

She was <Madam >.

Using a Ma-in's power, it wasn't difficult to break through this kind of magic.

She shot at the fog-covered sky with magic that drew out all her strength─.

─It broke through!

The fog dispersed in an instant.

Moonlight poured down from beyond the cleared sky.

Upon discovering the light, she immediately stretched her hand towards the moon.

She tried to quickly fly beyond it.

Just then─.

"─Where do you think you're going?"

"...!"

A presence suddenly approached from behind.

She was startled by the voice from behind.

When she hurriedly looked to the side─.

─Summon Transformation

Phoenix Wings

Scattering embers.

Noh Eun-ha was there.

─I didn't hear he was capable of aerial combat!?

An unexpected situation.

She flailed her hands trying to react belatedly in her panic, but─.

─Prominence Lance

Noh Eun-ha's sword was enveloped in flames.

The flames engulfed even Noh Eun-ha.

Then it became a giant spear.

That fell upon her.