<Episode 242 Rescue (3)>
The goat head began to speak in a raised pose.
“I will report.”
It seems like he's trying to show the appearance of a disciplined soldier, but it feels a bit sloppy. The higher-level demons are more aggressive. Is it because he's an intermediate level?
“There are three loaches who dared to infiltrate our sect’s territory.”
“Three of them······.”
Mr. Yuhwa, Mr. Maiden, Hermit
Does this mean three?
"ah!"
The goat's head suddenly roared.
“I will correct it.”
And then he changed his words urgently.
“I heard some additional information just before departure, but I forgot about it for a moment. Could you give me another chance?”
He must have been squinting his eyes when he saw me open them wide.
“Okay. Listen.”
“There are five prey in total. In addition to the three prey we were aiming for previously. Including the two added yesterday. A total of five.”
five?
Five?
Why five?
According to Jia, I heard that there were three people who went on an infiltration mission.
Could it be five?
“Is there anything special about those prey?”
I asked because I wondered if the prey might be referring to Ms. Yuhwa.
“T, what are the characteristics?”
The goat's head rolled its eyes.
Haven't you heard anything about the features?
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I never received a separate report on the characteristics······.”
As expected.
The expression on his face was exactly like that.
I clicked my tongue.
"ah······."
The goat's head took on a serious expression once again.
'I'm worried that the top secret mission will be ruined if things continue like this.'
The reason the goat head is so devoted to me is because he needs a top secret mission.
Within the sect, a top secret mission is considered an icon of success.
If you succeed, you will be accepted into the elite group of the main unit, which is practically a promotion.
If you make a face that says you don't like me, I can't help but get impatient.
“I don’t know about the three prey you designated in advance, but I have heard about the characteristics of the two prey that showed up yesterday!”
The goat's head cried out desperately, as if it were desperately squeezing its brain.
“What is that?”
I asked, pretending to be indifferent.
“One is a traitor. A traitor to the Dream Tribe, and the other one is a monster. I heard he’s a golden tiger!”
Dreamcatchers and golden tigers?
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, that’s for sure.”
“······I see.”
If it's five including those two, then the number is correct.
'Mr. Yuhwa, Mr. Maiden, Hermit, Ai, Geumho.'
The five that the goat head called prey were as follows:
'The 4th and 5th prey. Ai and Geumho suddenly appeared yesterday······.'
It makes sense situationally.
'The child must have joined to help Yu-hwa, who was in danger.'
And at that moment, he sent me the White Tiger. To ask for my help.
'I kind of understand.'
The situation has been assessed.
I knew everything from how the situation was going to flow to what I should do now.
'This is the end of information gathering. Next is······.'
First, we need to deal with this goat head.
“You pass.”
“Oh, oh!”
The goat cheered, looking excited at the thought of promotion.
“Then I will give you a new mission from now on. Listen closely.”
"yes!"
He turns his head toward me with a hazy expression, as if he is thinking about his own dazzling future that will unfold before him.
“The new mission is······.”
Of course, no dazzling future awaits this man.
“Go to hell and deliver a message to King Yeomra.”
"······yes?"
Choaaaaaaah!
At that moment, the man's head flew into the sky. The goat's head spun around, spewing out a fountain of blood.
“······.”
A moment of silence.
The remaining 19 demons seemed to be assessing the situation by following the goat head flying through the air with their eyes.
“The captain is dead!”
“You are a traitor!”
How can they be so slow in making decisions like this? They are truly low-level, inferior demons.
Humanity has become a super 'eul' after being pushed out by these guys.
It's such a shame.
I clicked my tongue and swung my magic sword.
Choaaaaaaah!
“Kwaaaaak!”
“Cough!”
At least one bet per turn.
The heads of demons decorated the sky.
"Kill."
“Exactly. Good. Devil meat. Eat it. I wanted to see it.”
Heedless of the deaths of their comrades, the remaining demons breathed life into me.
Maybe it was because his intelligence was lacking, but he didn't seem to be able to sense the difference in strength.
No, is it that there is no emotion called fear?
“I was curious too! What is the meat of an intermediate devil······.”
The demon who was looking at me and opening his mouth lost his neck and fell to the ground.
“I’m not interested in men… Ugh!”
The demon that tried to run away was crushed by my magic.
“Kill him! Kill him!”
“Kihahahahaha!”
He slaughtered the demons that approached him like moths to a flame, without any emotion, giving in to his instincts.
'As expected, a low-level demon. Even weaker, he's too weak.'
With the intermediate demon stigma activated, demons of lower level and lower level do not interfere with me at all.
Even eating rice cakes while lying down seems more difficult than this.
Choaaaaaaah!
In an instant, the remaining 19 demons were annihilated, and after confirming that there was no longer any magical energy nearby,
“It’s over. You can come out.”
I said calmly.
"and······."
Siyeon flew towards me like that.
He holds a white tiger in his arms and has fluttering wings on his back.
Maybe it's because it's been a long time since I've seen Bingik, but I'm really happy to see you.
“Wow. Even though they’re low-level, they can defeat demons so easily······.”
I was so surprised that my pupils shook like an earthquake.
I was once surprised by the fact that I dealt with the demons in an instant.
“You can now transform into the appearance of not only elves, but all other races?”
You must be twice astonished that I have transformed into a demonic being.
"that's right."
"and······."
I am amazed once again.
Now, he has an expression on his face that says he doesn't know how to be more amazed or astonished.
I shrugged.
“By the way, did you hear what the goat head said earlier?”
“Huh? Oh. Yeah.”
Siyeon's expression instantly became serious. She shut her mouth tightly and put strength into her eyes.
“The Mongma woman and the golden tiger who suddenly barged in yesterday were also······.”
“That’s right. I and Geumho.”
I told him about the child's abilities in advance. Otherwise, he might be suspected of being a spy for the sect later on.
“Then the three prey from before······.”
“Ms. Yuhwa, Mr. Maiden, and Allen. That would be the three of them.”
That's for sure.
“I think that the three people who went on an undercover mission got caught by demons from the other world and ended up in a dangerous situation, and that the child came forward and saved them.”
“So Baekho sent Seoyul to you after that? To ask for help.”
"maybe."
Given the circumstances, that is highly likely.
Of course, not all questions have been resolved.
'I still wonder how he ended up seeing my press conference while he was being chased, and how the child ended up meeting Yu-hwa and her group.'
You'll know when you meet him. Right now is not the time to worry about that.
“Then what are we going to do? We’ve killed 20 demons, so they must know about our existence.”
Siyeon asked cautiously.
He was saying that it was now difficult to move around while hiding in a stealth robe.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Oh. I won’t hide behind you and avoid you anymore.”
If I had intended to hide more in the first place, I wouldn't have killed the demons or anything.
The goat head must have believed that it was a top secret mission and must have tricked them into sending it somewhere else.
“This is not a situation where I can just hide away.”
“What does that mean?”
I looked in one direction.
It was the direction we were heading to.
“I’m saying that Yuhwa-ssi can’t hold out any longer. The magical power felt among the group of Magi is somehow vague.”
Either he was exhausted or he just used up all his magic power.
Anyway, it will be close to the limit.
“Can you feel it from this distance?”
“Ah. Because of the characteristics of the demon tribe.”
"ah."
It is clearly visible thanks to the naturally increased detection ability that comes with activating the Demon Tribe's stigmata.
Even now, the magical power is weakening with each passing moment.
There is a need to hurry as much as possible.
“Siyeon. I’ll hug you.”
"uh?"
I hugged the demonstration.
It was a demonstration that seemed to be taken aback for a moment, but then she seemed to immediately notice what I was trying to do and kept her mouth shut.
“Hold on tight. It’ll be quick.”
"huh."
After confirming that Siyeon was hugging my back tightly, she spread her pitch-black wings wide.
“This pose. It’s been a while. The wings are different though.”
It reminds me of the time I went to catch a fire lizard.
It's definitely a similar posture to that time.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Yeah. Ready… Gyaaaaah!”
I flew through the sky at full speed.
* * *
“Sister! The north direction is clear!”
“I know!”
Meanwhile, the makeshift battle fortress where Yuhwa and Maiden were holding out was in chaos.
A simple dungeon-type battle fortress created using the Maiden's characteristics.
It is a state-of-the-art fortress that is outstanding in both its workshop and defense, and can even be stored using Maiden's latest technology.
There is no need to explain how great the fortress was, as it was able to last for three days in the realm of the undefiled.
“Do you still have any repair kits left?”
“There’s one left!”
But no matter how great a fortress is, it has its limits.
The demons' attacks are becoming more and more fierce, and more than anything, the materials needed to maintain the fortress are running out.
“Allen! Please support the North!”
While Hermit was buying time, he planned to use the last remaining repair kit.
“Mr. Allen went to block the west side of Geumho.”
However, Hermit had long since moved on to stop the raiders from the west.
“Oh, right. That’s right.”
Maiden clicked her tongue and manipulated the holograms that appeared everywhere.
The manipulation is so fast that you can't even see your fingers.
I don't even know what I'm doing.
By looking at the constantly changing holographic screen, it is only possible to guess, 'Oh, they are doing something.'
“Then you should be angry······.”
“I will go.”
The child interrupted Maiden's words and stepped forward.
“All we have to do is chase away the northern raiders, right?”
The child's face was haggard.
It was a face worn down with fatigue, showing the hardships he had endured.
“Child… Can I ask you a favor?”
“Yes, yes. Leave it to me.”
“Okay, please.”
A feeling of regret flashed across Maiden's eyes.
It was enough to thank you for helping me when I was in a desperate situation, but I can't help but feel sorry that you're still working me so hard even after three days.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’ve told you over and over again, I’m not helping you because I like you.”
“I know. I’m helping you because of the kid… Seo-yool.”
“Yes. If you die, Seo-Yul will be sad. That’s the only reason I’m helping you.”
The child who said that turned around and walked towards the north.
And so the child completely disappeared from Maiden and Yuhwa's sight.
“······.”
“······.”
Only Yuhwa and Maiden are left.
In the silence, Maiden spoke first.
“That kid······. Is he really coming back?”
It was a question that had been on my mind for a long time.
"well."
Yuhwa smiled bitterly.
“I think it’s half and half. Just because a being called ‘High Elf’ has appeared doesn’t necessarily mean that Seo Yul will return, but it is a keyword that reminds me of Seo Yul.”
The five people in this fortress did not see Kang Seo-yool's press conference.
In this crisis situation, there is no way to get information from the world.
“It also included the keyword ‘Shinhwa Group’.”
The oil painter manipulated the hologram to match the maiden's mood.
The task was to repair the magic barrier of the fortress that had been damaged by enemy attacks.
“Well, I think the demons probably know about the relationship between us and the Shinwha Group, so they might have just muttered it out loud.”
About two days ago.
The mid-high level demon who was the commander in chief of the raiders said.
―You dare to invade the territory of the fallen world without fear. Do you not see anything because the high elves have started helping humanity?
After that, they started talking about the word "Shinwha Group" and the incident where they defeated Savior.
To sum up, a person claiming to be a high elf appeared in the myth group and overcame the crisis of Savior's attack.
The child who heard that immediately dispatched Baekho to the Shinwha Group.
-Seoyul is back.
Saying something like that.
And it continues to this day.
“If you really came back, it would be perfect······.”
“Yes. Because they are the strongest support force.”
The two of them each let out long and short sighs.
“Even if Seo-Yul doesn’t come back, if you hold on, Baek-Ho will send reinforcements······.”
It was at that time that Yuhwa was mumbling words full of hope.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh …
“······!”
There was a loud explosion from the west.
An explosion was heard from where Hermit and Geumho were blocking.
Maiden hurriedly manipulated the panel, bringing up the western section's screen as the main screen.
“······You’re here.”
Maiden covered her eyes with her palms and lamented.
“Yes. This is the headquarters of the Breaking Order.”
The main force of the Pakai, which had been busy fighting Savior, returned.
And then, without resting, they moved to repel the invaders.
“Fuck.”
Maiden cursed without realizing it.
Even though Maiden's fortress is strong, it is not strong enough to withstand the main force of the faction armed with A-rank artifacts.
“······I guess this is where it ends.”
“In the end, I couldn’t last three days.”
Maiden manipulated the panel urgently.
Processing is being done to hide the terminal that stores the information.
'I have to convey this information somehow.'
Infiltrating China and learning new top secret information. I have to somehow convey this to humanity.
“Hwa, I’m sorry, but go out and buy me some time.”
Buy time at the cost of your life.
That was the order.
"yes."
Yuhwa answered indifferently.
From the moment Yuhwa saw the main force of the wave of destruction, she was already prepared for death.
“······I’m sorry. It’s because of me.”
“No. I think it was worth it.”
Yuhwa walked slowly towards the west.
“Okay, sis. See you later.”
Yuhwa smiled one last time, waved at Maiden, and disappeared out of the control room.
“······.”
Blood flowed from Maiden's lips, as if she had bitten them so hard.
“······Fuck.”
I was so angry, frustrated, and pathetic that I couldn't help but swear.
All kinds of regrets flowed through my head like a panorama.
“How did it end up like this······.”
It was at that moment that tears began to well up in Maiden's eyes without her knowing it.
-came.
A child's voice was heard over the communication equipment.
―Who would call him a hero? It's perfect timing, as if he was really aiming for it.
A voice that seemed happy, and at the same time bewildered. A voice with all sorts of emotions mixed in.
“A hero? You came?”
no way!
Maiden instinctively knew what the child meant and quickly turned her gaze to the image to the west.
-Oh, I thought I was going to die.
Hasiyeon appeared first.
Ha Si-yeon holding a white tiger in cat form in her arms.
And the man who is embracing her like that.
"ha ha ha."
Red eyes.
Horns on the head.
Jet-black wings on the back.
Anyone who saw it could clearly see the devil, but they could be certain that it was not an enemy.
-That's a joke.
"ah······."
The moment a man's voice came through the speaker, tears flowed down Maiden's eyes without her knowing.
– Fortunately, it's not too late.
That voice.
That face.
That expression.
– A rescue request came in, so I came to rescue you.
That's for sure.
-Seo Yul··· Mr.?
―······Haha. It's been a while. You're still the same.
The bewildered expressions on Yuhwa and Hermit's faces spoke volumes about the man's true identity.
“Come back soon······. You damn brat.”
Kang Seo-yool.
He came back.
<Episode 242 Rescue (3)> End
