Chapter 179 : Chapter 179

Chapter 179 - Treatment (2)

“This is...?”

“What is it?”

Kim Kang-in tilted his head and asked, seeing Selpas groaning with a very flustered expression beside him.

In any case, he was a man who was quite knowledgeable about spirits. He could at least communicate with the Spirit Queen, whom others kept their distance from, not even knowing how to treat her.

“An ominous aura is pulsing from inside there.”

The queen said, pointing at the building Kim Gyu-sik's party had entered earlier.

“...Hasn't there always been an ominous aura?”

“No. This is a sinister aura on a whole different level. If we don't handle it properly...”

Having said that, Selpas's voice trailed off.

It wasn't specified, but everyone present could immediately understand what that sentence implied.

The complete resurrection of the King of Flies. The beginning of the end for the material plane.

“After going in so confidently! Don't tell me he's going to say he failed now!”

One of the Knights of the Round Table burst out in anger.

It seemed he had quite a bit of a complaint against Kim Gyu-sik, who had been bossing them around with a nod of his chin until now.

Kim Kang-in sighed and rubbed his temples.

Well, he was the kind of guy who deserved to be ‘misunderstood’ like this.

“...Misunderstanding, you say? What part is a misunderstanding?”

“The part where you think he might fail.”

“...”

While Kim Kang-in silenced Selpas with a simple answer, the Knight of the Round Table who had just spoken out in anger poured out his complaints again.

“In the first place, it was strange to believe a human's words at face value! No matter how good his abilities seem, there's definitely a limit...”

The back of the knight's head, who was about to say that, was instantly caved in.

It was thanks to someone delivering a powerful blow to his occiput.

“...”

“...”

Evangeline, who confirmed the heavy silence that fell with the knight's limp collapse, let out a faint sigh.

“I told them not to pick a discriminationist. Do I have to petition the Guardian again?”

“...Didn't you also dislike humans at first?”

“No. I disliked humans who seemed to be sucking up to the Guardian. I hate those who approach someone I like without permission.”

“...”

In any case, that doesn't seem normal either.

Seo Hye-in, who had asked the question, tilted her head with that thought, but Evangeline continued without batting an eye.

“So I dislike you too.”

“...Pardon?”

“You're a potential rival.”

At the calm coming-out, Seo Hye-in's face instantly turned bright red.

“...Uh, I, I have nothing with Mr. Kim Gyu-sik! Nothing, for now, it's just, you know, a work relationship...!”

“I never once mentioned the name Kim Gyu-sik.”

“...”

“Yes. I heard you clearly. Ms. Potential Rival.”

Seo Hye-in's mouth clamped shut at Evangeline's calm words.

Seeing her mumbling and rubbing her face, it was clear that she had been hit where it hurt.

“...Alright. I don't care that you're filming a youth drama.”

Kim Kang-in, who had been pressing his temples, opened his mouth with a sigh.

“Didn't you guys go in there with the junior? Why did you suddenly come out?”

“The situation inside is over. We came out to assist in suppressing the aftermath that will burst out after this.”

“...What did you say?”

Selpas asked back with a bewildered voice.

No, she had just been nervous that the King of Flies was awakening. The situation inside was over? What on earth did that mean?

An expression that seemed to say that appeared on the faces of everyone present.

“Do you guys even know how serious the situation is?”

“Yes. The King of Flies' core is still inside. That man said it would soon resurrect using one of his comrades as a host.”

“...”

No, they knew that and just left the matter to him and sauntered out?

What if an accident happened?

“See?”

Kim Kang-in said with a smirk.

“He always gets misunderstood like this.”

“...”

Selpas, recalling what Kim Kang-in had said earlier, shut her mouth helplessly.

***

Her childhood memories were all fluttering in pink.

Of course, everyone's childhood memories, regardless of the person, were filled with happiness, but Seo Ah-in's childhood felt especially so.

Days spent with her father, mother, and sister, without a single shadow to be cast. Memories of every day being a continuous series of new, unknown happiness.

Perhaps.

There was also the feeling that it was because it contrasted so sharply with the memories that followed.

“...”

It felt like she was floating and drifting in the middle of her memories.

Seo Ah-in crossed her arms, sighed, and looked down at the burning mansion.

It was a scene that had plagued her with nightmares for days and years.

The Black Night Incident. The event that had thrown the Hunting Alliance, which was attracting attention as to whether it could take over the title of the world's best after being called Korea's best, into an immediate slump.

The incident where the family of Seo Jin-seong and Han Si-yeon was attacked by assassins.

She remembered being just a seven-year-old, a snot-nosed kid who knew nothing, and could do nothing but be protected by those around her.

A time when she held her breath, held back her tears, watched the servants die miserably, prayed for her sister and other family members to be safe, and was holed up in some corner, sobbing.

It was not a pleasant memory to see again.

Her fear of demonic beasts was probably triggered by the memory of being chased by the demonic beasts the assassins had released inside the mansion.

“...Hmm.”

Seo Ah-in closed her eyes at the unpleasant itching inside her head.

So, because of that.

Her mother was infected with a curse and had to be bedridden for so many years, her sister became strict with everyone after that, and she couldn't even reach her father.

Well, to be honest, it didn't matter anymore.

“...”

Seo Ah-in smirked, surprised at the fact that she could think that herself.

Well. The reason was obvious.

-Do you not desire power?

It felt like the guy who popped out spouting such a cliché line in her head also needed an explanation about that.

Seo Ah-in's brow furrowed rapidly as she saw the black smoke billowing before her eyes.

It certainly had a sinister air to it. Before coming in here, Mr. Kim Gyu-sik had also said something about an archdemon that could destroy the world.

-If you join hands with me, you will never have to experience such a terrible thing again...

“Shut up and come sit down.”

-...What?

“We don't have time to waste on that now. We have a lot to talk about.”

The other party fell silent for a moment, seemingly taken aback by Seo Ah-in's booming sentence.

It was a look of complete incomprehension.

The basic principle of a demon was to make a ‘contract’ with the other party. The quality of a soul absorbed through that and one that wasn't was worlds apart.

So, for this ‘sacrificial lamb’ as well, he had shown her the unhappiest memory of her life to entice her into a contract, but she didn't seem to have a single scratch on her mental state.

And somehow, she was gently taking the hand of him, the archdemon manifested as black smoke, and sitting down opposite him.

She even had a benevolent smile on her face.

-...?

“Yes. Well. I'm not very good at this since it's my first time, but I can at least listen...”

-No, wait a minute. What on earth are you talking about right now?

“You’re going to die soon.”

-...Huh?

At the sight of the King of Flies tilting its head as if to ask what kind of crazy talk this was, Seo Ah-in sighed again.

Geez, to be this slow on the uptake.

“Mr. Kim Gyu-sik said he's coming to save me.”

-...Kim Gyu-sik? Who is that? A human?

Slap. The King of Flies' head snapped to the side.

It was thanks to Seo Ah-in slapping it with a full swing.

“You're going to die soon because of that human! Get a grip on the situation!”

-...

“I'm the only one who can listen to your last words right now, so we can't waste time like this! We don't have enough time to sort out our feelings one by one!”

-N-no. If you hand over your body, I can easily dispose of such a human...

“Body? My body? Ah, you can do whatever you want with it! That human is the type to crawl back up even if you throw him into the depths of hell, so what's the big deal about an archdemon possessing me!”

-...

“In this moment, think only of yourself! The end is not far away!”

The King of Flies, which had been slapped on the cheek by a voice that seemed to contain a genuinely pitiful echo, just gaped its mouth.

Huh. What is this.

I'm an archdemon. A being with the potential to destroy the world.

And he was in a state of trying to cloud the mind of the human in front of him by releasing his aura to its limit.

But this atmosphere, as if he were being overwhelmed, what on earth.

“Now, don't be like that. Come and sit down. Let's talk about the happiest and most regrettable times of our lives first...”

At Seo Ah-in's calm continuation of the conversation, the King of Flies had no choice but to sit down reluctantly opposite her.

***

“...Let me sort this out again.”

Ms. Meirin spoke, looking at Seo Ah-in who was engulfed in the billowing darkness.

Inside, Seo Ah-in and the King of Flies were probably fiercely fighting for control of the body, but in any case, since the archdemon's core was embedded, it was inevitable that she would react hostilely towards us.

“Mr. Kim Gyu-sik, so.”

Ms. Meirin continued, trembling.

“You're saying the two of us should subdue her...?”

Ms. Meirin, who was creating a ‘scalpel’ at my request, asked with a trembling voice.

Well, a person couldn't just perform surgery without any preparation, could they? It was something that was possible only with a minimum of tools and preparation.

At her fingertips, several small mana blades made of mana were taking shape.

They didn't look like tools that could inflict great damage, but that was actually better.

What I wanted wasn't to ‘kill’ her anyway.

“Then I have a question.”

“Speak.”

“Is, is leaving her like that also a part of your ‘preparation’?!”

Ms. Meirin said, pointing at Seo Ah-in, who was slowly beginning to float in the air.

From near her, who was looking this way with unfocused eyes, the mana of corruption, which rotted anything it touched, was leaking out.

It meant that the King of Flies was beginning to completely take over her body. It was also what I had been waiting for.

Ms. Meirin was probably particularly sensitive to auras. She would have immediately noticed how advanced the aura that girl was radiating was.

Truly, the air of an ‘archdemon’.

Just facing it made your knees weak. Just facing it automatically engraved in your brain that this was a disaster.

And in front of something like that.

“Of course.”

I declared calmly.

“If she doesn't get that strong, she's too weak and will just die.”

“...”

“Surgery also requires the patient's basic physical strength. Got it?”

“...I'm really sorry. Are you crazy, for real?”

Why are you doing this to me too?

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