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Chapter 90: Star, The Phantom (7)

[The Authority ‘Kalokagathia’ has been activated, making you immune to mental debuffs!]

[The Skill ‘Viper Eyes’ has been activated, showing you the hidden path!]

The illusions could not inflict even the slightest damage on Chang-Sun, nor was the red fog a problem due to J?rmungandr’s bonus reward. All of Chang-Sun’s skills made him a poor choice of targets for the [Phantom Maze Circle].

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ pompously pounds the ground with his tail.]

As Chang-Sun was unaffected by the illusions, he was able to find the people who floundered helplessly in the [Phantom Maze Circle]. As he was tracking down Do-Woon, who had gone into hiding, Chang-Sun looked for Hye-Bin first, thinking, ‘No matter how tough she acts, she’s still a middle school student… That incident has to haunt her somehow.’

That was why Chang-Sun had decided to find her first, just in case; however, it seemed he was too late. As Hye-Bin looked at him with trembling lips, Chang-Sun lightly reproached himself.

『I don’t think that’s the case.』

Baek Gyeo-Ul suddenly said something..

『What do you mean?』

Chang-Sun tilted his head as he responded.

『She looks like… Hmm, what should I say…』

Gyeo-Ul laughed awkwardly, as he was bad at expressing himself.

Chang-Sun seemed unaware of it, but Gyeo-Ul could somewhat understand what Hye-Bin was going through, because he had been in the same position. For all his life, despair had driven Gyeo-Ul to the edge of a cliff, and only Chang-Sun had pulled Gyeo-Ul up with incredibly warm hands.

Because of Chang-Sun, Gyeo-Ul’s heart, which had been as cold as his name, finally melted. Did Chang-Sun know about that? Gyeo-Ul thought Chang-Sun could not possibly know how significant his gesture had been, even if he were aware of it. Chang-Sun was like a magic spell that had changed Gyeo-Ul’s entire life.

This girl named Woo Hye-Bin had no doubt lived an affluent life, but despite her past, she was going through the same experience. Yes, Chang-Sun had become her hero as well.

While Gyeo-Ul was lost in thought, Hye-Bin belatedly realized her mistake. She grabbed Chang-Sun’s hand and stood up, her face red as she murmured, “Thank…you.”

“Are you hurt?” Chang-Sun asked again.

“No, I’m fine,” Hye-Bin said, shaking her head.

“We can’t be sure how the illusion affected you, so stay close to me,” Chang-Sun instructed her.

“Okay!” Hye-Bin replied, her expression brightening. Chang-Sun had no way of knowing it, but Hye-Bin’s expression had changed more than it ever did with her uncle, Woo Yeong-Geun, as she thought she had nothing to worry about anymore.

“Then, Gyeo-Ul,” Chang-Sun said.

『Yes, hyung-nim.』

Gyeo-Ul answered quickly.

“Go get that person,” Chang-Sun instructed Gyeo-Ul. Hye-Bin looked around, wondering what Chang-Sun was talking about.

Pah!

Chang-Sun’s shadow suddenly leaped high into the air. The shadow, Gyeo-Ul, flew into the distance in an arc, crossing over the red fog. While he was clad in shadow, Gyeo-Ul’s black armor shone beautifully like obsidian; the white spear he received from Choi Bu-Yong had turned pitch black. Hye-Bin’s eyes widened upon seeing the phenomenon, which was beyond her wildest imaginations.

Swish!

As he landed, Gyeo-Ul swung his spear fiercely and cut cleanly through the red fog, just as Chang-Sun had done. The fog dissipated to reveal a strange man standing there, his eyes wide in disbelief.

“H-How… did you find…?!” the man stuttered.

He was one of the Highoff Clan’s remnants and an illusion mage; he had remained nearby in secret, helping Do-Woon to activate the [Phantom Maze Circle]. He was bewildered, never having expected someone to find him; however, he quickly channeled his magic to block Gyeo-Ul’s attack. A black haze rose up, emanating grim and dark energy.

It was demonic energy—the symbol of demonic beings, which only manifested around Players who had signed a contract with devils or been injected with monster blood serum. Normally, such Players would never reveal that symbol in public.

However, the illusion mage called forth his demonic energy to the fullest extent as if nothing could stop him from using it, as the public had found out the Highoff Clan’s true identity. He exclaimed, “I don’t know how you found me, but I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Rumble!

The illusion mage held out his palm, using [Jade Smashing Fist] the same way Do-Woon, the Highoff Clan members’ mentor, would. Do-Woon was not only famous for his title ‘Red Ghost’, but also for his close combat techniques. The illusion mage used Do-Woon’s technique with his mana, unleashing a vicious attack.

Boom!

“Urrggh!” The illusion mage yelled in pain.

Seemingly finding the demonic energy to be of little consequence, Gyeo-Ul slashed through it with his black spear, cutting off the mage\'s hand. However, that was not the end of his attack. He stabbed the mage with his spear as soon as he landed, unleashing a continuous barrage of powerful strikes.

[The Effect ‘Shadow Play’ has been activated, mimicking the stolen shadow.]

[The Additional Skill ‘Fierce Tiger Unleashed’ has been activated, raging against the opponent!]

Boom, boom, boom!

Rumble―!

Gyeo-Ul’s strikes resembled Chang-Sun’s attacks after acquiring [Fierce Tiger]. They were so fierce and direct that they left the illusion mage helpless. In the end, the illusion mage collapsed with several holes in his body, having failed to counterattack.

[The Skill ‘Shadow Tie’ has been activated, tying up the opponent.]

Just then, the illusion mage’s shadow divided into several strands, leaping into the air and tying up their owner. Gyeo-Ul dragged the mage along by his collar, then threw him to the ground in front of Chang-Sun.

“…!” Hye-Bin’s jaw dropped, and she stared at Gyeo-Ul.

She had not expected a person to jump out of a shadow, and with such impressive movements, no less. Gyeo-Ul made no unnecessary movements, making his fellow Player marvel; that was the result of Chang-Sun’s special training.

Hye-Bin’s expression stiffened as she looked at the illusion mage, who was writhing on the ground. She realized he was the one who had triggered her trauma.

“W-Who are you…?!” the illusion mage exclaimed with a trembling voice, looking up at Chang-Sun. His questioning gaze made it clear that he was having trouble understanding the situation.

Chang-Sun had remained unaffected by the [Phantom Maze Circle], which even famous rankers such as Seo Jeong-Gwon and Yeong-Geun could not nullify. Gyeo-Ul had cut through the illusion mage’s demonic energy with incredible ease, something the mage was unable to comprehend. Meanwhile, although Chang-Sun noticed the mage’s questioning gaze, he slowly approached without seeming to care about it.

“H-Haha! D-Do you think I’ll t-talk? You’ll get nothing from me,” the illusion mage shouted, inadvertently crawling backward despite trying to feign confidence. “D-Don’t come closer…! I-if you attack me m-more, you w-won’t get anything f-from me!”

It was impossible to get away from Chang-Sun in the mage’s current state, but he could not think about that at all, as he was overwhelmed with the urge to get away. Although Chang-Sun was not the one who had fought him, the instincts the mage had developed after becoming a demonic being were telling him to escape. They told him that the man in front of him was more dangerous than Gyeo-Ul, who had subdued him!

“D-Don’t come closer!” the mage shouted again.

Tap!

However, Chang-Sun continued to walk forward silently.

“Fuuuck!” the mage cursed.

Tap!

No matter what the illusion mage shouted, Chang-Sun did not answer, only making him more afraid. “G-Get lost! I-I-I said g-g-get lost!”

Chang-Sun stopped walking for the first time, just as the illusion mage wanted. The mage should have been happy, but...

[The Skill ‘Tiger Kill’ has been activated, overwhelming the opponent with fear!]

“Urgh, urghhhh…!” The mage groaned, trembling with fear.

Although Chang-Sun was right in front of him, the mage could not look up. It was difficult to meet Chang-Sun’s gaze, as his eyes blazed with fiery wisps. Looking at them made the mage feel as if his soul would be eaten.

“Gyeo-Ul,” Chang-Sun said without providing any specific instructions.

“Yes, hyung,” Gyeo-Ul replied with a nod, already understanding what Chang-Sun was asking him to do. He quickly covered Hye-Bin’s eyes and turned around with her; at the same time, he covered both of their ears with his shadow.

“You said I wouldn’t get anything out of you, right?” Chang-Sun asked.

The illusion mage looked up slightly, only to see Chang-Sun quietly drawing [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth].

“Let’s see if you can keep your word,” Chang-Sun said.

[Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] shone with unnatural brightness.

“Argggghhh!” The illusion mage soon began screaming loudly in pain.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ yawns loudly out of boredom.]

* * *

“I-I told you e-everything… so k-kill me…!” the illusion mage begged.

Smack!

[Level up!]

[Successfully eliminated the first focal point of the circle. Find the remaining focal points and eliminate them all. (1/9)]

When Chang-Sun killed the illusion mage, a message appeared to tell him he had leveled up. It seemed he had built up a large quantity of experience points from the Changgwi Cave.

“There’s a total of nine illusion mages, huh… So many of them were on standby,” Chang-Sun muttered. By torturing the illusion mage, he had obtained a substantial amount of valuable information, including the location of the Highoff remnants within the Dungeon.

‘The [Everlasting Ice Crystal] is in that place? I would have been in a real fix if I hadn’t figured out its location first,’ Chang-Sun thought, smiling faintly in satisfaction.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ has a demonic smile, as it seems you are drawing up secret designs in your mind.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ shakes his head, saying it is rare to see such a demonic expression.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ is looking forward to seeing you running wild soon.]

‘Still, he held out for quite a long time. He was pretty determined,’?Chang-Sun thought, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the illusion mage’s limp corpse.

The torture techniques Chang-Sun had acquired by fighting across various battlefields were so nasty that most Celestials would break down if he used them, but the illusion mage had tried to resist torture as long as possible, challenging Chang-Sun’s previous knowledge about demonic beings.

‘Is it just him? Or are the others also that tenacious…?’ Chang-Sun wondered for a moment. He then turned to Hye-Bin and called out, “Hye-Bin.”

“Huh? Yes, Mister,” Hye-Bin replied.

“We’re going to go look for the others now, so do you want to come with us? If you’re too tired, you can rest here. Other people won’t be able to approach this area,” Chang-Sun said.

At the moment, nine—no, eight illusion mages were hiding at fixed points along the edge of the circle to maintain the [Phantom Maze Circle], while Do-Woon wandered through the area like a ghost and eliminated the victims trapped within the spell one by one. Chang-Sun planned to not only take out the remaining illusion mages, but also track down Do-Woon.

‘There might be more information I haven’t found out,’?Chang-Sun thought; he could not predict what would happen from now on. At the very least, if Hye-Bin wanted it, he could carve a Concealment Rune to ensure her safety. However...

“Yes, I’ll go with you. Let me come too. I’m a good fighter,” Hye-Bin said, tightly clenching her fists.

Inexplicably, Chang-Sun was somewhat worried about Hye-Bin, but he soon nodded, thinking it would not be a good idea to argue over something she had already decided on.

‘She’s grown a lot,’

Chang-Sun thought; to a certain extent, Hye-Bin seemed to have already become an adult.

When they were in the Dungeon, the girl had often held back tears behind gritted teeth, but she was now able to pull herself together quickly. Gyeo-Ul looked at Hye-Bin worriedly, but he stopped and prepared to move when he noticed Chang-Sun saying nothing.

* * *

“So that’s what you’ve been through all this time?” Chang-Sun asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Hye-Bin replied, nodding.

As she walked through the red fog with Chang-Sun, Hye-Bin talked about everything that had happened to her until the present. She finally succeeded in telling him everything she had wanted to say if she met him again someday. While talking, she occasionally laughed brightly like an ordinary middle school student her age.

“What about the brand?” Chang-Sun asked.

“The people from the place you told me about erased it completely. My uncle was amazed by their talents and tried to recruit them into the Clan… but how did you know about such a place?” Hye-Bin asked, tilting her head.

Right before Chang-Sun and Hye-Bin split up during the Dungeon Closure, Chang-Sun had given her a bone dagger and told her to go to a certain place, explaining that the people there would be able to erase Mephistopheles’ false brand.

Indeed, Hye-Bin had been able to erase the hideous brand without leaving a trace when she visited that place. Although the expert who worked on her had charged her quite a lot, she thought it was worth it, as they had successfully erased every last trace of curse and demonic energy from her body.

Naturally, Yeong-Geun had wanted the experts there; even though there were many magical doctors in the world, he had never seen any as talented as they were.

“He must have failed to recruit them,” Chang-Sun said.

“Yeah, they disappeared overnight. Do you know them well, by any chance?” Hye-Bin asked.

“Well…” Chang-Sun smiled enigmatically.

‘I know them well, but they don’t know me.’

There was a group of doctors known as ‘Baero’s Poison’, which was a Clan that served the deity Dian Cécht. They had passed down exceptional medical techniques for generations, but due to their eccentric policies, they almost never revealed themselves in public.

However, Chang-Sun had met a certain someone while he was ‘Divine Twilight’, and thus learned the method used to meet the group. After finding out that Baero’s Poison also existed on Earth, he had shared the method with Hye-Bin. Although she was unaware of it, she had received more favors from Chang-Sun than she thought.

‘There’s no loss, seeing as I can contact them anytime I need to,’?Chang-Sun thought indifferently.

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ watches the two of you with pleasure.]

Meanwhile, Hye-Bin thought Chang-Sun was amazing as he walked around within the circle, which was filled with concealed Highoff Clan demonic beings and illusions that triggered people’s traumas, without blinking. Chang-Sun did not reveal the faintest hint of nervousness, making him seem like an iron man to Hye-Bin..

“You’re really amazing, Mister,” Hye-Bin remarked.

“Why?” Chang-Sun asked.

“Unlike me, you don’t see anything in this place. I guess that’s because you’re remarkable. When will I be able to become like you…” Hye-Bin continued.

“Why do you think that?” Chang-Sun suddenly asked.

“Pardon?” Hye-Bin replied.

“Why do you think I’m not seeing anything?” Chang-Sun asked calmly.

“…?” Hye-Bin tilted her head, unable to understand what Chang-Sun meant, but she gradually understood, and her eyes widened.

―Save… us…

―Twilight… Twilight…

―I curse you…

―I want to kill you…!

―What did I do… for me to look like this…!

Chang-Sun looked ahead and saw the ghosts he had fought and killed letting loose a constant stream of sorrowful curses at him.

1. A Platonic teaching consisting of the harmonious combination of bodily, moral and spiritual virtues.

2. As a reminder, ‘Gyeoul’ (??) means ‘winter’ in Korean.

3. The Irish god of healing.