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 [Chapter 149]

[Belphegor (4)]

1st Bio Center Director's Office.

While most of the Players guarding the building went to check the mana detected from the 2nd Bio Center,

Bruno and Twenty-five were able to easily infiltrate the director's office.

"My goodness, creating a separate space behind a painting... Did they think no one would notice? I can see everything."

<Floater > Twenty-five.

Regardless of the information Eunha provided in advance,

He grumbled as soon as he entered the room, looking at the painting hanging on the pure white wall.

In a room with no notable decorations, an expensive-looking painting naturally caught the eye.

And someone skilled at controlling mana could tell there was some technique cast on the painting.

"Can you break it?"

"Oh my, uncle. Trust me. I'm an expert at breaking these things."

Twenty-five touched the painting.

In the time it took to exchange a few words with Bruno, he broke the technique on the painting.

When he boldly tried to push the fixed painting sideways─

─Click

The painting that shouldn't move slid sideways.

Twenty-five giggled.

"See? Told you."

"Hmm."

Pushing the painting all the way,

A space just big enough for one person to hide appeared.

Several bundles of cash and gold bars.

And a few books presumed to be ledgers made with hardcovers.

"Oh, quite a lot of physical assets. Uncle, I think we can split this between the master, you, and me?" "I don't need it." "Then just the master and I split it 50-50?"

"..."

"I'm joking, joking. We'll split it three ways." "Hmm."

There were traps in the space too but,

Twenty-five disabled the traps just by putting his hand in and out.

He hugged the gold bars and grinned from ear to ear.

Meanwhile Bruno─

"─This is it."

Without even glancing at the valuables,

He took out one book.

A book with no title on the cover.

When he roughly flipped through the pages to check the contents, the pages were filled with numbers.

"Wow!" "..."

"Looks like everyone has one foot in this somehow. Well... in a world where kids without resident registration are openly walking around, this isn't so strange."

A ledger recording the flow of funds from people in politics and business including the top 10 business groups, which would surely cause huge ripples if revealed to the world.

When Twenty-five tried to squeeze in to check the contents, Bruno closed the book with a snap.

"─We do our job. Whatever this is, it's not something we should concern ourselves with."

"Tsk, how stingy... I wanted to look a little more..." "..."

"No, we should take it to the master, of course."

Bruno cautioning Twenty-five with a few words.

Twenty-five just grumbled but didn't ask to see the ledger again.

Meanwhile Bruno put the ledgers in the bag he brought.

Just then─

─Boom

Another wave of mana detected.

Followed by a thunderous roar that shook the earth for a moment.

The two turned their heads towards the direction the mana was detected.

""..."" 

In the direction of the 2nd Bio Center.

From the window in the room, they could see the 2nd Bio Center at a glance.

Boom

The earth shook again.

They could see the building shake in the darkness for a moment.

No, it was still shaking.

Just how fiercely were they fighting there?

The window was rattling violently as if the building might collapse.

"...Uncle. I think we should hurry and go check it out?"

"Hmm..."

"It looks like Players are setting up barriers around the building, but even the master won't be able to handle all of them."

"I suppose so."

Twenty-five muttering with a serious face.

Bruno agreed with his words.

The enemy Eunha was facing now didn't seem easy either.

And the Players forming an encirclement around the building were no easy opponents.

Eunha needed helpers.

So─

"─You take this and go. I'll go to Eunha."

"Huh? What did you say?"

Bruno quickly handed the bag with the ledgers to Twenty-five.

Twenty-five who received the bag in a daze had a bewildered expression.

Regardless, Bruno's attitude didn't allow for objections.

"If the battle intensifies, we can't guarantee the safety of the items in the bag. Since that's Eunha's goal, someone must protect it and escape outside."

"So you're telling me to escape?"

"Who else here is capable of fighting besides me?" "..."

"The Myeongwang Clan people will be waiting outside the research institute in case of emergency. If you request protection from them, they'll surely comply."

It was a reasonable argument.

Their goal was just the ledger, not the being Eunha was currently facing.

They could lose the hard-earned ledger if they carelessly went to support him.

It was rational for one person to take advantage of the confused security now and go outside.

"─Go, hurry."

So Twenty-five nodded.

Though he was capable of fighting too, he was no match for Bruno.

Moreover, wasn't his ability specialized for this kind of thing?

But he couldn't help saying this.

"─Uncle. Do you trust me? What if I run off with this?" "..." "I thought you didn't like me."

Almost impulsively,

Twenty-five asked Bruno.

It was a ledger that could shake the world.

If Twenty-five wanted, he could use it as he pleased.

It was that important.

He couldn't help but question Bruno, who hadn't been very friendly to him since they first met.

But Bruno, as if his question was really nothing─

"─I find you frivolous, inscrutable, and above all, I don't like Rangers very much." "Hey, what's wrong with Rangers? I don't like Guardians who are also like Dealers like you." "If you're asking if I dislike you, yes, I dislike you."

"You're not listening to me."

"Nevertheless, the reason I'm entrusting this to you is─"

The conversation doesn't go back and forth.

They both speak one-sidedly.

Nevertheless, the conversation subtly connected, and Twenty-five took a breath and watched Bruno continue speaking.

"─I just believe your heart for Eunha is not a lie." "Hah, really... Uncle, that's so cheesy."

An infinitely serious and heavy voice.

Twenty-five pondered those words for a while, then deliberately acted silly to lighten the mood.

"I don't know if I lose this, okay? I might really take it and run?" "Go."

"I'm going even if you don't tell me!"

The two smiled bitterly.

☆

Power, overflows.

An unknown power boils inside to the point I can't control it.

Swoosh

The mana flowing from his body becomes flames and flutters.

All senses are on edge.

Mana is seen more clearly.

Uboshin

Stepping on the flow.

A time difference of just decimal points.

But that very small difference it brings creates change.

The field of view changes instantly.

No, perceiving and─

"─Kuhek...!!"

Uboshin

He is where he perceives.

Moving location meant nothing to Eunha.

If he saw with his eyes, he was right there.

If he swung his sword, the guy was right there.

...Amazing.

Gift <Unknown >.

And Gift <Amplification >.

The enhancement of abilities brought by the two Gifts kept making Eunha himself marvel.

Also─

─Flame Ghost

Blaze Crasher

The flames that could be called the familiar's power.

The scattered sparks acted on the world according to his will.

The vengeful spirit covered in flames continuously burned away the mana Belphegor had wrapped around his body.

"You monster..."

In a state where his existence was disrupted,

The guy blocking Eunha's attacks muttered that with slumped shoulders.

Eunha found it funny that the demon used the expression monster for him.

But he couldn't deny it either.

Because he was feeling it too.

Is this really me?

A sensation like transcending limits.

Eunha was caught up in the thought that he might be dreaming, at skills beyond a single human's cognition.

However─

─Crackle

It's not a dream.

He accepted reality while feeling his body scream at power beyond the human realm.

I can't drag this out for long.

I'm short on mana, and my body can't hold up.

Though he didn't express it outwardly,

His insides were already crumbling.

Peep

Fire Chicken seemed to feel that too.

The familiar that had become a cloak protecting Eunha cried softly in his mind.

It's okay.

Eunha soothed the familiar.

No, he told his body pleading that it couldn't hold on any longer.

It was still okay.

He could endure with willpower.

Hadn't he experienced pain far worse than this countless times in his previous life?

So─

─Violent Flame

He can keep fighting.

He suddenly 'perceived' the sparks fluttering around the area.

Just with that,

Boom boom boom boom!!

As if containing extreme poison,

The sparks turned black, black, black.

And they suddenly exploded.

The explosion caused by just one tiny spark was quite shocking.

The explosion caused simultaneously by sparks surrounding Belphegor was tremendous.

Explosions scattered like sparks scattering.

Thus the explosions filling the world finally─

─Rumble

Literally collapsed the world.

☆

I controlled my power wrong.

Though I can control the power of Gifts to some extent,

With <Unknown > plus <Amplification >, I can't grasp how much power I have.

I wielded power like usual, so the result was different from expected.

Moreover, Eunha himself couldn't objectively grasp his power enhanced several times.

In the end, the research institute collapsed.

"..."

He almost got buried underground.

Just before the ceiling collapsed,

He used Uboshin to escape outside and looked around the collapsed debris.

No trace of the research institute could be found anymore.

Meanwhile─

─I thought he wouldn't die, but to think he really didn't die...

Eunha clicked his tongue seeing Belphegor emerge from the debris.

"...Cough... Kuhek...!!"

The guy's condition didn't seem good but,

He survived such bombardment and was still exerting demonic power.

"You... are you really human? Did you perhaps undergo experiments like me..." "As if."

"You demon." "Look who's talking."

The emotion on Belphegor's face was clear astonishment.

Eunha retorted sharply to the guy looking at him with distaste.

Meanwhile─

─This is bad.

Why are there so many people?

Eunha inwardly lamented seeing the people standing around Belphegor.

He didn't know why but,

It seemed a lot of people had gathered around the 2nd Bio Center by chance.

Thanks to that, Belphegor seemed to be dominating their dreams and recovering.

And Belphegor─

"─It seems there's a limit to your brutal power after all... Well, there's no such thing as an eternal dream. Except for the dreams I show."

"Your dreams are quite ambitious."

Noticed his weakness.

He was already in a situation lacking mana as a result of continuously using Uboshin to escape the research institute.

Though he was absorbing mana dissolved in the air with Mana Drain─

─I can't keep up with Belphegor's recovery ability.

He frowned looking at the guy commanding Players around him like limbs.

It was a problem that the guy was recovering, but it was also a problem that the guy might enter their dreams if he made a mistake.

Sure enough,

"By the way, is this the outside world? The sky is quite wide. I like it very much. I wanted to live quietly in a place like this."

"..."

"Putting all you humans to sleep."

His existence that had been disrupted seemed to have regained stability,

The guy's attitude was very relaxed.

Kuooo

Behind Belphegor,

A giant with mountain goat horns rose up.

The giant that was only half-bodied until now was now completely standing on two legs.

The giant looked down at Eunha.

Also─

""""─...."""

With staggering movements,

Players were approaching Eunha holding weapons.

"It was truly a nightmarish encounter. An encounter I'll remember for the rest of my life even if I don't want to, so die now." "That's my line."

"Even in this situation, you're all talk..."

Belphegor spreading both arms wide.

The attack began with that as a signal.

Players unleashed their internal mana and rushed at Eunha en masse.

The huge mountain goat was following behind them.

─Uboshin

Nevertheless, Eunha wasn't flustered.

Ignoring the rushing Players, he charged straight at Belphegor.

But the guy─

"─As long as you dream, I can exist anywhere."

"...!!"

At the same time Eunha used Uboshin,

Belphegor disappeared into a Player's dream, then popped out to reality from another Player's dream.

But what does that matter?

Violent Venom

Then he just needs to annihilate all the dreams.

Of course, the guy seemed to have paid attention to the Players' placement considering that too.

But they were still human.

As long as blood flowed in their bodies, the poison became fatal death to them.

No matter how far away they were, it didn't deal much damage to him who could move quickly anywhere.

So he was about to take down the interfering people first when─

"─Got you." "...!"

Magic suddenly activated under his feet.

It was binding magic.

A technique that seemed to be elaborately and complexly made so it couldn't be avoided even with Uboshin.

Unable to move with his feet bound, he immediately tried to break the magic.

As if not to miss that moment─

"─Can you handle this with poison too?" "..."

The giant reminiscent of a mountain goat,

Was standing in front of Eunha.

The guy raised his fist high in the sky and grinned.

Whoosh

The sound of air being cut.

A fist that looks like it would pulverize you instantly falls from above.

It can't be blocked with strength.

It must be avoided.

But it can't be avoided.

If it can't be avoided─

─Pride's Counterattack

Just counter it.

If the giant's existence was made of mana, it could be said to stay within the range allowed by the artifact Pride's Counterattack.

Zing!!

The necklace flashed brightly.

The falling fist was blocked by a barrier and shot up in reverse.

The giant's face caved in.

And Pride's Counterattack even blew away the magic binding him to the giant.

In other words, the guy who can't move now is─

─A very good target.

Prominence Dance

Winter Blooming Coldly in the right hand, Winter Crawling with Snow in the left hand.

The two swords cried out engulfed in flames.

Two trajectories.

Those trajectories soon merged into one, ultimately slicing up the giant.

The giant's existence burned and crumbled to pieces.

"...You really annoy me."

"That's my line. Just die already. Let me go home and sleep."

"If you want to sleep that badly─"

The giant scatters becoming mana.

It returns to Belphegor.

Belphegor's face contorted seeing the collapsed giant.

But he soon regained composure.

Because an even bigger giant rose up behind him.

"─Just keep counting sheep. If you keep getting knocked down, you'll fall asleep someday."

"..." "Well, is this the third one? You still have a long way to go before sleeping. Yes, I'll keep you company until you fall asleep. Keep counting sheep."

Belphegor cackled.

The situation was clear.

The demon was still overflowing with power, but he was gradually showing his limits.

In the end, the match was decided in the battle of internal mana.

 "What do you mean three?" "What?" "Did you miscount?"

Nevertheless, Eunha remained calm.

Rather, he now smirked following Belphegor's lead.

"What are you─...!!"

At this, Belphegor was perplexed.

His consciousness had been focused entirely on Eunha from start to finish─

─spuntóne del diavolo

Devil's Spear

Belphegor failed to notice the presence that had approached to close range while erasing its presence.

No, he was bound to notice too late.

Because that being fell from the sky.

Boom!!

A ripping sound as if tearing the world apart.

The giant spear fell from the sky, splitting the mountain goat that had raised its head clean in half.

And the being that walked out from the crater in the ground─

"─Four."

"..."

Calmly.

While Belphegor was at a loss for words,

Bruno spoke with fighting spirit enveloping his body.