Chapter 167 : Chapter 167

Chapter 167 - Sacrifice (2)

The Association’s observation department was, in fact, always a group steeped in injustice.

It was a group where everyone knew exactly what they were doing and how important it was, and the corresponding treatment and rewards all followed, but.

“Uh, Mom. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can come home today-”

“Honey, how many times do I have to tell you I’m not cheating. It’s because a real emergency happened today, so...”

“Hey! If you have that much time, come over here and help with the work!”

Even taking all those things into account, it was the same that they always had to live swamped with work.

At least a small gate or the always-occurring demonic beast attack incident would end with a few all-nighters, but if an urgent situation like now occurred, where the cause was unknown, the reality was that they didn’t know when they would be able to go home.

Therefore.

“No, what on earth is it this time that everyone’s making such a fuss?”

“Stop talking and just come and see.”

An employee sat in front of the monitor according to the team leader’s instructions.

The employee, who was tapping the circuit board of the measuring instrument here and there, soon frowned slightly and tilted his head.

“...Is this a bug?”

“If it was, you and I wouldn’t be making such a fuss, would we?”

A sufficiently persuasive rebuttal was presented, but the employee couldn’t take the words at face value.

No, and for good reason.

“This, the mana type is a gate, but... the ‘strike range’ is the whole world, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“...No. Team leader. It says the whole world.”

“I know, you bastard.”

At the employee’s dumbfounded voice, the team leader replied, lighting a cigarette.

There was a sign that said ‘Absolutely no smoking indoors’, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

And seeing that, the employee, only then, with the feeling of being hit on the back of the head with a hammer, widened his eyes.

“...No, wait a minute. Then, this.”

“Contact the Magic Tower immediately.”

It was a place no one wanted to contact because it was a group that always exuded a sinister aura, but in a situation like this, there was probably no choice.

It wasn't that everyone liked them, but nevertheless.

“...It’s an omega-class demon-related phenomenon. It’s the resurrection of the ‘King of Flies’.”

In a situation like now, the only ones they could cling to were, in the end, them.

“No, team leader. Wait a minute. The official classification system only goes up to EX-class, right? What on earth is omega?”

“Well, the official classification system is like, ‘It’s this powerful, so deploy this many strong climbers to take it down’.”

“...Then, does that mean we can’t catch this omega now?”

The team leader looked at the employee silently.

As if asking if he really wanted to know.

“...No, no. Wait a minute. Then what happens if we really can’t catch it?”

“What do you mean, what happens.”

The team leader, who had lit another cigarette, said dejectedly.

The billowing smoke was on the verge of setting off the ceiling’s fire alarm, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

No, what would it matter even if that went off and he had to write a report?

Because.

“The world ends.”

The employee’s face turned deathly pale.

***

“He... He is coming!”

I could hear Raven, who was almost in a state of ecstasy, chattering something in front of me.

Glossolalia burst out incessantly with an extremely excited air, as if a shaman were possessed.

“...That person, she looks a bit dangerous. Is it okay to just leave her like that?”

Seo Ah-in, who was watching from nearby, whispered that to me, but I instead flicked her forehead.

“...Where on earth is the reason for me to be hit here?”

“If a person accomplishes something they haven’t been able to do for a long time, they can be happy. Don’t be so heartless.”

“Is that something to say to a person who just summoned a demon?!”

I left the whining one alone and approached Raven, who was filled with joy.

“Ha, haha! I can’t thank you enough, no matter how many times I express my gratitude! My lifelong wish! To be fulfilled so quickly!”

“Yeah. Good for you.”

I answered so indifferently, but around me, there was a very flustered air as they saw the black energy slowly rising from the magic circle Raven had drawn.

“...Wait a minute. This is really no joke?!”

As Meirin-ssi said that and pointed out the window, the entire city, centered on the building we were in, was being engulfed by a billowing black fog.

It was a similar sight to when I had a showdown with Edgar before, but the sinisterism lurking within was like heaven and earth.

“The demon hasn’t even revealed itself yet, but the ripples of mana from just the premonitory symptoms are this much? Unbelievable...!”

“Ooh, compared to my master’s true form, this much momentum is merely a speck of dust! Hahat, hahahat!”

Raven, whose mad laughter never ceased, said with glistening red eyes, so happy was she.

Perhaps due to the influence of releasing all the mana she had been suppressing under her human form, the black energy crawling in the blood vessels that popped out on her skin was noticeable.

“Originally, according to my master’s will, I would have transformed all of you into ‘glorious forms’ right here and now, but in honor of your participation in my master’s resurrection, I will give you time to escape! Although you will be caught and eaten by us in the end, try to run until the end! It’s only about a week until the souls of all humanity fall into his hands anyway...!”

“Hey. Wait. Wait a minute.”

I waved my hand at Raven, who was still chattering something, as if to calm her down, and took out my phone from my hand.

“No, I even helped you, but it’s a bit troublesome if you talk like that.”

“...What is it? Have you perhaps now realized the danger of the great King of Flies? Come to think of it, you did chatter about killing him or something. I want to tear you to shreds right now for the crime of insulting him, but...”

“No, not that.”

“...What?”

Ah, really.

So clueless.

I sighed and tapped my phone.

“Tell me the resurrection schedule accurately, you bastard.”

“...”

“What do you mean, about a week? Don’t you work properly? If it’s going to happen, you have to say exactly when it’s going to happen.”

I'm a busy person.

It could be said to be a characteristic of Conqueror, but in this damn game, when one big event happens, other things tend to follow in quick succession.

In other words, tight schedule management was practically essential.

But, what?

‘About’?

Are you crazy?

“Spit it out accurately down to the hour, minute, and second. Uphold the terms of the contract.”

“...”

I threatened the speechless Raven.

“...We have never done anything that could be treated as an official contract.”

“Isn’t a verbal promise a contract? Why are you acting like an amateur?”

I smirked and said that to the sharply responding Raven.

The demon race itself tended to react a bit sensitively to the word ‘contract’.

In the lore, these guys were often in situations where the content of a deal was more important than their own lives.

‘Well…’

That would be the decisive means to slit the King of Flies’ throat.

For now, there was no need to tell this one that much.

“Anyway! Spit out the date properly!”

“...Uh.”

“Quickly!”

Seeing me urging the demon like that, I heard murmurs from the people around me again.

“...Doesn’t it sound like he’s asking if he made a reservation for a restaurant to have dinner at next week?”

“Judging by the opponent’s mana, she’s a great demon class, but why is Mr. Kim Gyu-sik completely berating her like a superior...?”

“...”

It can happen.

What’s the big deal about that.

***

Cornelius rushed into the building.

Considering his large build and the physical force it contained, it was no exaggeration to say that it was like an elephant ramming, and unfortunately, the marble door that was in its path was shattered into pieces without even a scream.

The people working inside the Magic Tower looked at him as if wondering what kind of crazy person this was, but Cornelius didn’t even blink and looked for the Master of the Magic Tower first.

Now was not the time to care about such trivial things.

“Hup!”

He took a breath and did a sergeant jump from his spot, soaring at least 40 meters high.

The Magic Tower staff passing by screamed and collided like cardboard, but thanks to that, he was able to arrive at the Master of the Magic Tower's office right away.

“Master of the Magic Tower!”

As he said that and threw open the door, the wooden door, unable to withstand his strength, was again pitifully shattered.

Thanks to that, the Master of the Magic Tower inside was looking at him with a very flustered expression.

“...Cornelius? What are you doing right now?”

“It’s none other than the resurrection of the ‘King of Flies’! You must evacuate immediately...!”

“Ah, you mean that. I understand the urgency, but please calm down a bit first.”

“...?”

Seeing the Master of the Magic Tower’s utterly calm attitude, a question mark the size of a door was embedded in Cornelius’s forehead.

No, of course, he knew well that the Master of the Magic Tower was a wise man who oversaw all the mages in the world and was a leader for exterminating demons.

But the opponent was the strongest demon that still drove old mages into PTSD. How could his reaction be this nonexistent?

“Well, I heard about it in advance.”

“...You heard in advance? From whom?”

As soon as Cornelius asked that.

Someone casually walked out from a slightly dark shadow at the back of the office.

“...!”

Startled, Cornelius took a combat stance and turned to look that way.

‘I didn’t notice at all...!’

A stealth ability that escaped the eyes of none other than himself?

Unless it was an enemy of the great demon class, such a thing would never...!

“That’s right. Great demon class.”

“Pardon?”

“To be precise, it’s not that ‘person’ but the ‘weapon’ that person is holding.”

The Master of the Magic Tower said that and looked at the opponent with an interested gaze.

She was wearing a modest nun's habit, but what she was holding in her hand was a monstrous two-handed sword that didn’t match it at all.

And even now, black mana emanating from that sword was spreading billowed inside the office.

“...A bold demon. To appear in the deepest part of the Magic Tower, of all places, while spreading mana.”

Cornelius said that and opened his mana circuit.

To be precise, he was about to.

Until the Master of the Magic Tower raised his hand to stop him.

“No, wait a minute. Wait a moment, Cornelius. I know that person.”

“...Pardon?”

“Darien Anfeld. Joseph Anfeld’s... ‘adopted daughter’.”

The Master of the Magic Tower, who said that, smiled at the woman who had her eyes closed and was looking down at the floor with a blank expression.

“She was also the culprit of the test subject escape incident that happened 10 years ago. Isn’t that right?”

The Master of the Magic Tower’s mumble echoed meaningfully in the room.

“You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you. So. What brings you back to your ‘hometown’?”

Darien’s head shot up.

“Don’t worry.”

A sticky madness.

It was a voice imbued with boiling hatred.

Enough to make even that Cornelius flinch for a moment.

“I’ll tell you right away.”

And then.

Malice began to boil over.

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