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[Chapter 175]

[Cocoon Retrieval (5)]

You shouldn't corner them.

A cornered rat will bite the cat.

Meow meow

3rd tier overrank monster Gyesini.

It knew what potential humans showed when cornered through the last Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

So it loosens the encirclement.

Humans with a breathing space will inevitably have no choice but to come out through the loosely tightened encirclement.

Even knowing that's exactly Gyesini's aim.

Meow meow

That's what humans are.

If there's even a thread-like chance before their eyes, they'll struggle desperately to cling to it to live even a little.

Even though the result of death before them won't change anyway.

It's quite amusing to see them keep struggling, clinging to non-existent hope.

When Gyesini was mocking human existence with such thoughts─.

""""─...."""

Finally, the humans came out.

Gyesini happily wagged its tail, waiting for them to come a little closer.

If it pushed them now and those humans went back inside the building, it would become quite troublesome.

From the start, the Arts Center was Gyesini's favorite den.

It didn't want to ruin its den.

So it was about to pounce using its forces when they completely exited the main entrance.

─Boom boom boom boom!!

Poof poof poof poof!!

As soon as the humans exited the main entrance, they suddenly caused explosions towards the forces.

It was instantaneous.

Flames obscured the world.

Nyaaaa!!

The flames were too fierce.

The dead crumbled as they burned, and the monsters at the front of the pack tried to shake off the flames clinging to their bodies.

But for some reason, the flames wouldn't easily come off.

And─.

"─Now!!"

Whoosh.

From within the fiercely burning flames, humans who hadn't taken any damage were running out.

They were trying to escape by taking advantage of the gap in the forces' formation being disrupted.

It can't let that happen.

Meow meow

Gyesini ordered its forces.

The dead can just be summoned again.

Gyesini, which spread its one huge wing on its back, grasped the flames and caught the direction they were escaping.

The forces began chasing them.

☆

Divide the party in two.

One transports the cocoon to Gangbuk, and the other takes on the role of shaking off the monsters.

When people first heard Eunha's plan, they couldn't readily agree.

Because the risk was too great.

The other party would inevitably be isolated in Uijeongbu.

"Kaede, Parang hyung, Bae Subin. You go down to Gangbuk with the others taking the cocoon. Kaede, you'll be able to see the path well, so you need to be the party's guide. Can you do it?"

"Noh Eunha. This is too dangerous. Think a little more. If you think carefully, you might find a breakthrough to overturn this situation."

"This is the breakthrough."

""""...."""

"I understand what you're worried about, but don't worry, that won't happen. I'll command the other party and send everyone back to Gangbuk without exception, so know that."

Including Hoshimiya Kaede.

Eunha's party members asked him to reconsider.

But Eunha's will was firm.

In the end, they couldn't dissuade him.

"Changjin hyung will stay with me, and as for the Blaze Clan Lord..."

"You'd be remiss to leave me out. I'll stay here with you and fight those bastards too."

"We're not fighting, we're luring them. The Blaze Clan Lord will stay with me too."

Entrusting leadership of the party transporting the cocoon to <Destroyer > Lim Chaeseong.

Eunha decided to keep Kang Hyeonchul and Han Changjin, and send his clan members.

And he decided to add one more person to his party.

"Would <Time Witch> like to stay with me too?"

"Yes, I will. Then I'll cast protection magic to ensure there are no problems in the process of transporting the cocoon."

<Time Witch> Priscis Memory.

She didn't refuse his proposal and willingly accepted.

Thus, Eunha and his companions, who divided into two parties, came out in front of the Uijeongbu Arts Center main entrance.

""""...."""

Seeing the forces positioned around.

The group wasn't flustered.

Han Changjin had already informed them, and it was nothing compared to the calamity they experienced in Gangbuk recently.

Soon Eunha executed the plan.

"<Time Witch>, I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, don't worry."

Priscis Memory stepped forward.

She extended her long staff.

Reconstruction

For a moment, mana rippled around.

Blue mana spread throughout the area, interfering with the mana dissolved in the atmosphere.

Mana remembering what Uijeongbu's environment was like in the past.

She drew out memories of the past, restoring the surrounding area to its past scenery.

Collapsed buildings suddenly rose up, and the area regained its past appearance.

Although it was only a temporary phenomenon.

Eunha aimed for that moment.

There are two gas stations in front of the Arts Center main entrance.

They're destroyed now, but if we reenact the past and blow up the gas stations...

It was a strategy he came up with knowing what kind of magic Priscis Memory was using.

Eunha gave instructions and.

Led by Kang Hyeonchul, the Blaze Clan members bombarded the gas stations that momentarily regained their past appearance.

Boom boom boom boom!!

The gas stations exploded.

Whether the oil tanks exploded, the explosion devoured the past that Priscis Memory had restored.

The flames burned fiercely, becoming a wall of fire separating the group and the forces.

"Bae Subin, spray oil."

"Got it."

Nevertheless, Eunha wasn't satisfied.

He had Bae Subin pour oil into the burning flames.

The flames soared high.

The monsters at the front of the forces couldn't withstand the fire and disappeared.

As the flames suddenly soared high, the monsters were flustered.

Eunha, who had been waiting for this moment, signaled.

"─Now!!"

When the flames filled their vision.

Now, when the smell of oil and burning fire numbed the monsters' sense of smell, was the opportunity.

The group immediately rushed out of the main entrance.

The Blaze Clan members cast magic to protect their bodies from the heat.

"Kaede, I'm counting on you."

"...Make sure to come back."

Eunha's party luring the monsters ran down Gyeongui-ro and.

Kaede's party transporting the cocoon ran towards Seobu-ro next to Gyeongui-ro.

At the point where the paths diverged, the two wished each other good luck.

Instant Replay

As Kaede's party gradually disappeared beyond the flames.

Priscis Memory grasped her staff and deployed magic.

Then Kaede's party rushing out of the main entrance just now appeared like a hologram.

The hologram figures immediately started running in the same direction Eunha's party was running.

Even looking closely, the hologram didn't seem fake, it was so elaborate.

Meow meow

Meanwhile, Gyesini, which had become heated, revealed one wing and tried to grasp the flames blocking its vision.

It caught sight of Eunha's party.

Soon the monsters found them beyond the flames that had split in two.

Eunha immediately looked back.

Phantom Eye

There's an illusion that seems real.

Then he just has to use the illusion to make them believe they're real.

The monsters who saw Eunha's eyes fell into the illusion.

He encouraged them to be certain the hologram visible beyond the flames was real.

The monsters caught in the illusion turned their thoughts into certainty and rushed straight in.

Even monsters not caught in the illusion were swept up in the other monsters' actions and chased Eunha's party.

As a result, Kaede's party will be able to safely escape Uijeongbu.

"The numbers are no joke..."

"Indeed."

However, as all of Gyesini's forces and monsters began chasing Eunha's party, they clicked their tongues.

They hadn't completely passed the forces, they had to deal with ones approaching from the sides or above while running.

Although Kang Hyeonchul spoke aggressively, his mouth wasn't actually smiling.

Dealing with monsters rushing in from all directions was quite difficult.

It's definitely tough like this.

Monsters that notice the commotion will keep swarming here.

We need to get out of here somehow.

If we're not careful, we could end up attracting monsters from all over Uijeongbu.

Having somehow escaped the crisis situation, he clicked his tongue loudly at the situation he faced again.

There was a way if there was one.

"Changjin hyung, do you remember where the Uijeongbu residents' village is?"

"...I know where the closest entrance is. We should be able to find it soon if we go a little further."

"Let's go there."

To escape from the monster wave.

It's hiding their presence by rushing into the Uijeongbu residents' village.

Others agreed saying that was the only option.

"But Eunha. Even if we take shelter underground, we need to avoid being detected by monsters, otherwise the people in the village will be harmed too."

"I know that. So we need to deceive those guys with illusion magic. <Time Witch>, can you reenact us with the magic you did earlier?"

"Yes, it's possible."

But there are too many.

It wasn't a number they could shake off.

Eunha gritted his teeth.

We need to reduce the forces to some extent.

If we could take down the dead that Gyesini commands, we might be able to breathe...

The ghouls are annoying. They didn't feel pain and were rushing in recklessly.

Because of them, it was difficult to break through the encirclement.

Meanwhile, the group was able to find the village entrance area Han Changjin mentioned.

The distance wasn't far.

Eunha immediately finished thinking.

"Blaze Clan Lord."

"Yes!"

"When I change direction towards them, raise flames to secretly enter the village. <Time Witch>, please reenact at that time too."

"What are you planning to do!?"

"Yes, I'll do that."

Kang Hyeonchul shouted.

But there was no time to answer his shout.

When they were close to the village entrance.

Eunha immediately took a step and changed direction.

Eunha's party members had no choice but to act according to the plan.

Meanwhile, Eunha─.

─Ubo

He rampaged to focus the monsters' attention solely on himself.

He plunged into the horde.

Phantasmal Beast Transformation

Phoenix's Cloak

Prominence Dance

Donning a cloak of flames.

Eunha swung the swords in both hands brilliantly.

The flames clinging to the blades fluttered and struck down the rushing monsters.

Not stopping there─.

─Violent Flame

There shouldn't be people nearby.

The monsters should be packed tightly together.

Eunha spread the poison of flames.

Soon monsters wounded by the poisoned flame blades convulsed and vomited blood.

Their bodies burned brightly, and the blood they vomited splattered everywhere, poisoning the monsters.

Grrrr!!

The monsters screamed.

The movements of the monsters who attacked using the advantage of numbers changed greatly.

They began to widen the distance while being wary of Eunha.

But Eunha wouldn't let them.

Ubo

Violent Flame

Eunha plunged into their midst and spread extreme poison.

The forces were greatly shaken, and the monsters felt threatened and retreated.

Tch...

As expected, poison doesn't work on those commanded by Gyesini either.

He broke the forces' momentum.

But he couldn't just be happy about it.

Eunha, who had plunged deep into the horde, frowned seeing the ghouls crowded around him.

The poison didn't work on them.

Rather, they even narrowed the distance trying to grab Eunha.

And Gyesini behind them was watching him with one wing spread.

To this, Eunha─.

Phantasmal Beast Transformation

Phoenix's Wings

Blast Cross

He soared into the sky, avoiding the ghouls rushing to grab him.

Gyesini probably didn't expect this either.

It looked up at Eunha soaring into the sky with wide eyes.

Eunha looked down at it too.

And suddenly unleashed a sword strike imbued with flames.

──!!

The area was engulfed in flames.

Even the ghouls couldn't do anything.

The monsters fled to avoid the flames.

Gyesini's control had weakened.

But that would only be for a very brief moment.

Meow meow

Suddenly a huge wing appeared from within the flames.

It spread its one black wing wide, driving away the flames.

Meow meow

Soon it tried to turn the forces that died in the flames into its ghouls.

Black liquid dripped from the wing tips onto the ground.

As it caused ripples, those dying in the fire showed signs of being reborn in new forms.

I've been waiting for this moment.

It was an expected situation.

The corners of Eunha's mouth rose to his ears.

He immediately activated magic.

Skill No. 001

Hamper Wave

Spreading waves centered on himself.

Disrupting Gyesini's magic.

The result was successful.

Nyaaaa!!

It cried out in a sharp voice.

It momentarily resisted with mana, blocking the waves from attacking its mana circuits.

As a result, the existing forces it commanded collapsed to the ground.

Needless to say, the monsters that were being revived were the same.

Blast Cross

At this moment, Eunha delivered the finishing blow.

Once again turning the area into a sea of fire.

Eunha dodged.

If I keep fighting like this, I might end up attracting other commander-level monsters besides Gyesini.

I can't face Gyesini and commander-level monsters in Uijeongbu without reinforcements.

I've bought enough time.

By now, Kaede's party should have arrived at Hoeryong Station.

Once they cross that, even commander-level monsters won't move rashly.

Eunha returned Buldak to normal and landed on the ground.

"─Hyung! Over here! Hurry!"

"..."

The village entrance where Han Changjin and the others had entered earlier.

Yoo Inhoo gently lifted the manhole cover and poked his face out.

Having found Eunha, he smiled brightly.

Then he gestured.

Come in here quickly.

"Did you wait for me? Thank you."

"Everyone suddenly came back, I was surprised. I'm really happy you came back to the village as you promised me earlier. And I'm glad to see you again, hyung."

"I'm glad to see you again too."

Going down into the underground waterway.

Eunha shook hands with Yoo Inhoo.

Yoo Inhoo grinned and.

Eunha smiled too.

I was originally going to return to Gangbuk and report that Baek Myeonsang was alive, but there's no need for that now.

I was in a situation where I had to rack my brains on how to prove Baek Myeonsang's existence.

This is better.

Eunha gripped Yoo Inhoo's hand tightly.

"The village chief said it would be better not to leave the village for a while because the monsters' momentum doesn't seem normal."

"Really?"

"Yes, so stay for a few days. Everyone will welcome you."

"Yeah, I guess that's better. Since it's come to this, I should stay in this village and take a rest."

"Really!?"

"Yes, really."

"I'm so happy you came back, hyung."

"I'm really happy to be back too─."

Yoo Inhoo is delighted.

Eunha raised the corners of his mouth.

─Because I got the chance to kill you.

The cocoon issue is resolved.

The only thing he needed to worry about now was his own body.

Truly, it was a satisfactory situation.