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[Chapter 176]

[Baek Myeonsang (4)]

In the previous life, Baek Myeonsang was a nightmare.

Baek Myeonsang dug into human psychology, making them split, hesitate, and sometimes break down on their own.

Hiiieek!! I, I don't want to die!

Send me home! I don't want to live in Uijeongbu!

Hurry! Hurry and liberate... You bastards, what are you doing to me... Kuhehuk...!!

Uwaaaaang!! Don't do this! Please don't kill... Kuheukuk...!!

Hey!! How could you do this to... Kuluk...!!

Without being consumed by madness.

It was impossible to kill him in a sane state of mind.

Especially for players who had lost comrades in the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle, they broke down when facing him transformed into their comrades.

Those who were angry at Baek Myeonsang couldn't easily cut down their comrades even knowing it was Baek Myeonsang.

In the end, they had to swing their swords in utter madness, even if it meant killing themselves.

Hesitation on the battlefield is poison.

If you've decided to kill, you must kill no matter who the opponent is.

Thus, the 2nd Uijeongbu Recapture Forces were able to kill Baek Myeonsang.

But instead of killing him, they fell into psychological trauma they had to carry for life.

For Eunha, who had memories of the regression, he didn't want to see players breaking down like that in this life too.

So he had been prepared since deciding to take down Baek Myeonsang.

Moreover─.

─They're people I don't know.

If he had transformed into family members, I might have hesitated too, but...

He can only transform into beings he has devoured.

Unlike Kang Hyeonchul.

The human figures Baek Myeonsang showed were people Eunha didn't know.

So he killed whoever the opponent was.

There was no need to hesitate.

Everyone in the hole except his companions were monsters.

There was no reason to be confused no matter what he transformed into.

You... Are you really human?

How can you show no sympathy or hesitation in killing your own kind?

"The one wearing a human disguise talks a lot. That's why I'm trying to end it in one blow. So you can die peacefully even if you die twice."

What nonsense...!!

Eunha grinned.

As if to demonstrate, he beheaded a nearby person.

Then the body turned into white mud and flowed to the ground.

Immediately after, he stepped on and crushed the mask.

"Still say you're human?"

Don't make me laugh.

No matter how much you try to imitate humans, you whose heartbeat can't even be heard, your essence is still just a monster.

Eunha mocked as if to say so.

You...

Did he read his mind?

Baek Myeonsang growled.

Soon he laughed loudly.

Alright, fine! I'll admit this method doesn't work on you!

But let's see if this works!!

Wriggle wriggle.

The white liquid that had flowed onto the burning battlefield raised its body.

The liquid wearing masks one by one formed human shapes.

Eunha clicked his tongue.

Just when he thought he had reduced their numbers, they increased again as if it was a lie.

Hamper Wave doesn't work.

Is this not magic but his trait, so I can't use it?

Eunha, who was about to activate Hamper Wave, frowned.

It seemed Baek Myeonsang's ability was indeed his trait.

Soon─.

─Hyeonchul, are the kids doing well? You don't possibly not remember me, do you?

Ah, that young brat from Blaze Clan. My, quite some time has passed. To think that young brat has changed like this. So, is that Dojin bastard doing well?

Baek Myeonsang transformed into players who had lost their lives in the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle.

The difference from before was─.

─Vajra

They decided to fight instead of just being victimized.

Eunha raised his guard seeing the lightning-charged vajra appearing in the air.

He instinctively felt it was quite a dangerous attack, though he didn't know what kind.

To this, Eunha asked Kang Hyeonchul beside him.

"Do you know them?"

"...Yeah. The one calling my name is one of the former Eight Jades who founded Blaze Clan with me."

"What about that old man?"

"Seong Inho Caster, one of the founding contributors of Shilla Clan. But I heard that old man was killed by Ishimi, not Baek Myeonsang?"

What does it matter who killed me? The fact that I ate him remains unchanged.

Borrowing the players' mouths.

Baek Myeonsang cackled.

...He transformed into named players among those who participated in the 1st Uijeongbu Recapture Battle, huh.

Eunha grasped the situation.

Among those filling the area, there were some people Eunha knew.

"Huh, really... To think even those people are here."

Kang Hyeonchul seemed to have discovered them too.

He clicked his tongue.

Loading magic bullet.

1st generation Twelve Seats <Magic Bullet> Son Jihee.

Fortunately, the future seems bright. With many people like you remaining... It seems people outside the barrier are maturing quite deliciously.

1st generation Twelve Seats <Heavenly Sound> Oh Geonhu.

The two shuddered when even they appeared.

Eunha was inwardly surprised too.

In his previous life, Baek Myeonsang hadn't borrowed the appearances of Twelve Seats.

It meant the future had changed.

Right after that─.

──!!

They began their attack.

Guardian, Dealer, Hunter, Ranger, Caster, Supporter, Sniper, Telepath, Navigator, and so on.

Their attacks poured in.

Nevertheless, the two were preparing to attack without avoiding.

Because─.

─Film Disposal

Rewind

Priscis Memory activated magic to block the attacks.

A barrier enveloping the two in a hemisphere cut off the incoming magic.

The world lines were subtly divided, preventing magic from invading the world line where the two were.

Also, for incomplete magic, it rewound the magic as if pressing a rewind button.

The magic was returning to the players' internal mana as formulas.

Eunha didn't miss that moment.

─Hamper Wave

He poured in internal mana.

Without pouring it in, he couldn't damage those strong ones.

When he sent out waves throughout the area, the players who had returned to the state of activating magic screamed.

Causing jamming at the peak moment must have dealt a big blow to their circuits.

Despite transforming into strong ones for once.

They suffered damage to their mana circuits from Eunha and Priscis Memory's combined attack.

Eunha spoke to Kang Hyeonchul covered in flames.

"I'll handle the Twelve Seats."

"Then I'll take care of that side."

"You're not hesitating again, are you?"

"I'm really heated up right now, you know? How dare they act out my friends. I'll finish them off for sure, so don't worry too much. The old man is a bonus. Great, I've been scolded by that old man so much!"

"I'll spread poison. Block it yourself, avoid it yourself."

"Got it!!"

As soon as they finished talking.

The two kicked off the ground.

The two who split left and right quickly activated magic.

Boom boom boom boom boom boom!!

As if to show no mercy.

Kang Hyeonchul caused explosions from the start, devastating the area.

Meanwhile, Eunha activated an artifact.

Gift-granting artifact

<Amplification >

All abilities increased.

Eunha, who started accelerating again from top speed, cut down the flash flying at him with his sword.

He immediately jumped towards <Magic Bullet> Son Jihee while raising flames on his sword.

Blaze Crusher

Invisible Tracker

Flame Thorn

A whip-like strike flew.

Son Jihee rolled on the ground to avoid it.

But as long as she was grazed by the blade, she could be considered marked.

Flame bullets that bloomed like a chilling winter flew towards Son Jihee in succession.

Then Son Jihee showed the marvel of blocking the incoming bullets with bullets.

To this, Eunha swung his sword again, scattering the flames gathered on the blade.

Invisible Tracker

Violent Flame

This time you can't block it.

Finally, the poison seeped into the slightly grazed wound.

She, who had been screaming covered in flames, vomited blood as soon as the poison seeped in.

The blood she vomited splattered everywhere, causing chain infections.

You think I'll be the only one to suffer!!

Speaking in Baek Myeonsang's voice.

Son Jihee used all her strength to rush at Kang Hyeonchul.

At that moment, other Baek Myeonsangs also started jumping at Kang Hyeonchul following her.

Of course, they couldn't withstand the poison and collapsed dead on the ground.

But the blood they vomited ended up splattering on Kang Hyeonchul.

"With mere poison...!! You think you can kill me!!!"

Whoosh.

The color of the flames covering Kang Hyeonchul's body changed to purple.

The flames burned away the poison.

No, how...!!

Seong Inho, who had summoned the vajra, said.

He didn't know the fact that poison didn't work on Kang Hyeonchul at all.

Kang Hyeonchul bared his fangs.

"Yeah, this is good. I wanted to fight that Dojin bastard, and there's someone proficient in lightning magic."

He launched his body.

Using his left leg as an axis, he half-rotated and stabbed his friend.

He attacked the old man in the same way.

He no longer showed hesitation.

Meanwhile, Eunha circled the hole once, spreading flames and poison everywhere.

Right at that moment─.

[─Stop it. No matter what you do, you can't defeat us. Give up now and become one with us.]

1st generation Twelve Seats <Heavenly Sound> Oh Geonhu.

He flew into the sky and endlessly sent telepathy to Eunha.

Eunha grunted.

My head is shaking. I can't concentrate properly like this.

A telepath's mental attack.

Since it was simply stimulating the mind, the gift didn't activate.

Eunha gritted his teeth.

At this rate, he felt like he would go crazy from the noise constantly ringing in his head.

Long-term exposure to telepathy can even make one lose their sense of self.

Eunha changed his priority.

Phantasmal Beast Transformation

Phoenix's Wings

He immediately flew into the sky.

Shaking off the rushing players, he swung his sword towards Oh Geonhu.

[...Whaaat...?]

He didn't seem to know Eunha was capable of aerial combat.

Eunha split Oh Geonhu in half, starting from the head.

The bird-type Ein's form turned into liquid and fell to the ground with a splat.

Right at that moment─.

─Crackle!!

A magic circle appeared above Eunha's head.

Multicolored light clusters began falling towards Eunha.

Blast Counter

Eunha caused an explosion in the air.

Heat, storm, and flames burst.

Not only did he change the trajectory of the magic, but he also reduced the damage.

Furthermore, he tempered his sword with the magic that grazed and fell.

Dunning Blade

Ubo

Using Ubo to land on the ground.

Eunha decided to eliminate the annoying casters first.

The glowing white swords tore through the casters' magic.

Rather, by receiving the casters' magic, the destructive power of the swords increased.

When he struck the ground once, the ground instantly split and large debris rushed at them.

"Blaze Clan Lord!"

"What!"

"Avoid it yourself!"

"What!?"

Flying into the sky again.

Eunha poured down flames that seemed about to explode, gathered in the chilling winter.

Blast Cross

☆

Flames soared.

Eunha's attack pushed to the limit truly devastated the area.

Damn it...

Only one Baek Myeonsang survived.

The other Baek Myeonsangs were nowhere to be seen.

This one is the last.

The damage is severe.

I'll have to accumulate power and wait for the right time again like in the old days...

Nevertheless, Baek Myeonsang sent his thoughts confidently.

It was understandable because Eunha's mana had hit rock bottom.

The same was true for Kang Hyeonchul.

Too bad.

You could have won if you had just a little more, but your stamina and mana held you back.

This is why humans are weak!!

Hahaha.

Baek Myeonsang swelled his body and chattered excitedly.

The masks attached to the white liquid all showed sinister smiles.

At that moment, he flinched.

─Gift <Unknown >

This is why humans are annoying.

To think they would struggle until the very end when the outcome has already been decided...

Baek Myeonsang said mockingly.

But Eunha could tell.

"Are you scared?"

...What?

"You're scared, you're scared."

Don't talk nonsense.

"Then why are you wary of me?"

There was fear in his voice.

Eunha could sense it.

Although he was pretending to speak calmly, in reality, he was afraid of them.

Don't put on airs.

"You're the one putting on airs."

The fact that he was silent was proof.

Feeling his heart beating faster than before as the gift activated.

Eunha smirked.

He pointed his sword.

"I've been thinking this for a while, but your appearance is really hideous and disgusting. Is that your true form? A liquid mass wearing masks without any form."

...

"Ah, do you actually dislike that appearance so you transform into other beings? You know how hideous and disgusting your appearance is too."

Shut up.

Baek Myeonsang's words decreased.

Eunha wore a faint smile.

It seemed he had hit the mark.

"They named you Baek Myeonsang (Hundred-Faced) because you can act out a hundred faces, but among the faces you can act out, none of them are your face."

...

"Now that I look at it, you're not Baek Myeonsang but Kaonashi (No-Face). A faceless bastard. A pathetic monster who can only live by borrowing other people's faces. Who the hell are you? Why are you living when you don't even have a face?"

I said shut up.

Eunha sneered.

Baek Myeonsang reacted violently.

Then this time he mocked.

It's useless no matter how much you try to buy time.

Do you think I don't know you're recovering mana?

"The faceless monster sure talks a lot. You ugly thing."

...

"Yeah, that's right. I'm buying time."

It's useless anyway. How much power do you think you can gather in that state?

Do you think I'll wait!!

Suddenly, Baek Myeonsang rushed in.

Dozens of tentacles stretched out from his body.

The tentacles became swords, axes, saws, and various blades.

They aimed for Eunha.

Right at that moment─.

─Shadow Step

Spider Web Domination

Han Changjin, who had been out of Baek Myeonsang's detection network, revealed himself.

He stepped on Baek Myeonsang's shadow.

Baek Myeonsang's movements stopped.

He too had lost as much strength as he could, and couldn't resist Han Changjin's magic.

Whoosh

At that moment, flames arose.

Kang Hyeonchul cut off the tentacles that had stopped right in front of Eunha's face.

Eunha walked towards Baek Myeonsang, protected by the two.

Also at that moment.

A huge clock appeared in the air.

─Turn Back The Clock

Tick tock.

The clock's second hand moved.

The light scattering under the huge clock seeped into the bodies of Eunha, Kang Hyeonchul, and Han Changjin.

Im, impossible...

This can't be!!

Baek Myeonsang denies reality.

But Priscis Memory's magic turned their body conditions back to just before the battle started.

Eunha's body was being healed.

His internal mana was also filling up.

Yet the gift was still in an activated state.

The effect of <Amplification > had already disappeared as its activation time had passed.

It's close to full recovery, but...

It's a magic with equally big side effects.

Magic that returns the subject's condition to within a day.

It was magic close to complete healing, but after a day when the magic's effect ends, one had to pay an equivalent price.

For a day or two, the body becomes unable to use magic.

Eunha, who had experienced her magic in his previous life, couldn't not know.

Eunha gathered mana in his sword.

"─Farewell, you ugly thing."

Damn it all!!

Platinum Cross

The moment Han Changjin dodged.

Eunha released the compressed mana.

All the masks attached to Baek Myeonsang's body shattered.