Chapter 67 - Episode 10. The Rebirth War (5)
Chapter 67: Episode 10. The Rebirth War (5)
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The Inner Fortress of 「Manticore」, built on thousands of years of history, was crumbling.
The Nether Ghost Envoys stared blankly at the lion statues atop the collapsed spires.
The last remnants of their humanity were vanishing along with the fortress. Some stood frozen in a daze. Some fell to their knees. Others howled.
Even at that moment, which would become a historic tragedy for someone, Sirwen's eyes held no emotion.
She had seen the fall of fortresses with this much history far too many times.
Perhaps tedious was the better word.
Living through history and becoming part of it.
Reading the history in which she was recorded.
Then living through the history that came afterward.
That was life for Sirwen, a repetition of history.
Dream demons were guaranteed lives that nearly reached eternity. Compared to the 「Masters」 who had lived for tens of thousands of years, Sirwen's two thousand years were but a fleeting moment, yet she often grew sick of life.
Maybe my Suicide Period is coming again.
Other species had mating seasons, but dream demons had a special period called the “Suicide Period.” It was a time when they grew numb to every kind of stimulation and yearned for “death” amid their contempt for life.
To get through that period, dream demons sought new stimulation. Something stronger and deeper. Something more chilling. In search of life-giving stimulation, dream demons wandered endlessly and never remained in one place.
Sirwen was no different.
Today, after wandering for two thousand years, Sirwen encountered a strange stimulation unlike anything she had ever experienced.
What the hell is this man?
Combat Power strong enough to collapse a fortress through raw force alone.
Over her two thousand years, Sirwen had seen Awakened Ones several times. A few had even pursued her. But she had never seen anything like this.
A Stab powerful enough to create a rift in the world.
She had witnessed it by chance.
...He distorted the System through physical force alone. Just how solid is his Unique World?
Sirwen knew techniques with a wider range and greater power than what she had just witnessed.
An Awakened One at the fourth stage or above could unleash attacks with far greater killing power.
Yet even they could not break the world through physical force.
Breaking the existing world was on an entirely different level from opening one's Unique World.
Any third-stage Awakened One could open their Unique World. More precisely, they had to open it. Only then could they resist the pressure of the Adaptive System created by the System.
But opening a Unique World did not create a rift in the existing world.
The System's world was not so fragile that it could be broken by the will or imagination of a single being.
When one number vanished, another replaced it. When one particle disappeared, another took its place.
A world where everything could replace everything else.
It was like nature, no, closer to the universe. Something a single being could neither dare oppose nor fully imagine.
That was the Adaptive System, the “world of the System.”
Yet that man had created a temporary rift in that world.
A rift that could perhaps be called a path.
The instant Sirwen saw that path, a shudder ran through her entire body.
It was a sensation intense enough to blow away the boredom of her Suicide Period.
The strange scent rising from Jaehwan stimulated all five of her senses even more sharply.
She knew a similar scent. It belonged to a dream demon she had envied and respected more than anyone else.
But that was impossible.
He possessed a human soul.
“What are you?”
Even as she asked, it did not feel real. The scent coming from him made her face flush and her heart grow hot without her realizing it. Those were traits dream demons showed when filled with curiosity.
“What are you, then?”
“...Huh?”
Sirwen was shocked.
“You do not know me?”
“I do not.”
His expression suggested that it would be stranger if he did know her.
Sirwen bristled and asked again.
“You do not watch 『Hot Ten of the Week』 or 『Top of Tower』?”
Jaehwan's eyes showed that he had no idea what she was talking about. Sirwen grew excited without realizing it.
“Do you not have a hologram panel at home?”
Her pride was wounded.
Any Adapter or Awakened One who had spent enough time in the 《Great Realm》 should have known her.
Among the five hundred ranked as 「Master Craftsman」, she was the dream demon most frequently featured in the media. She had also taken first place in the 《Little Brother》 popularity poll time and time again.
She was Sirwen Armelt, the Flame of Enchantment.
Unable to watch any longer, Cheongheo cleared his throat and spoke.
“Brat, that woman is a dream demon.”
“A dream demon?”
“And a very famous one.”
For the first time, Jaehwan's expression changed.
He had assumed dream demons would naturally look more like demons, so he could not help being surprised.
She was even dressed in a black tank top and hot pants. It was fashion commonly seen on Earth during the summer. If not for the small horns growing from her head, anyone would have believed she was human.
“So the old man already knew.”
“Of course I did.”
Cheongheo trailed off as he glanced over Sirwen's slender body.
“There is no man in 《Chaos》 who does not know that woman.”
Sirwen smiled.
“Old child, it seems you have a good eye after all.”
“O-old child?”
“You should watch that tongue of yours. You know it is taboo to call a dream demon a ‘dream demon,’ right?”
“What the...?”
“Every dream demon is a ‘different species.’ At your age, you should at least know that much common sense.”
Dream demons.
A species that valued individuality and self-awareness more than life itself, and hated being grouped together more than anything. They belonged to the dream demon species, yet lived while denying that they were dream demons. They were complicated beings.
“My name is Sirwen Armelt. I am not just some ‘dream demon.’”
Cheongheo frowned.
“Brat, all dream demons are like that. Their defining trait is that they all spout strange nonsense.”
“...”
“Anyway, this is my first time seeing one in person too. The broadcast and reality really are different.”
Sirwen's eyebrow twitched sharply.
Jaehwan's gaze deepened as he watched her. Come to think of it, he had heard that Geumcheon Hall kept a dream demon.
That woman was probably the dream demon in question.
Until just before becoming the Fortress Lord of Gorgon, he had searched diligently for a dream demon. There were things he wanted to ask, such as how to reach the 《Abyss》 and about the 「First Nightmare」 said to be at the top of the Tree of Illusion.
But he did not have time to ask those questions now.
“I have heard your introduction. Now move aside.”
Sirwen's body flinched at his indifferent tone. Had anyone ever treated her like this after learning who she was?
She lightly bit her lip.
“Sorry, but that will be difficult.”
“Why?”
“I was asked to stop you.”
“Me?”
“Well, the one who asked is probably hovering between life and death after your last attack.”
Sirwen said this as she looked toward the collapsing Inner Fortress.
Jaehwan gripped his sword again.
“Then I have no choice.”
“Wait!”
When Dokbul made an unusual movement, Sirwen was suddenly the one in a hurry. She hesitated over what to say, then blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“How about becoming my 「Product」?”
Jaehwan stabbed without hesitation.
Kuaaaaaah!
A casual Stab swept the Nether Ghost Envoys away in a straight line. Just before she was caught in its shockwave, Sirwen swallowed hard and used Warp.
She dodged?
Jaehwan narrowed his eyes.
“Wow, I almost died.”
Sirwen was already standing on the roof of a building to his left. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted at Jaehwan.
“You do not seem completely stupid, so why are you acting so strangely? You know exactly what kind of situation you are in, do you not?”
Jaehwan's expression stiffened slightly.
There was a reason he was hurrying, even while using excessive force. Since earlier, powerful Spiritual Pressures had been approaching from outside 「Manticore」's Outer Fortress.
They were coming from the direction of the 《Palace of Rebirth》.
...The Lords have noticed.
Some of the approaching Spiritual Pressures were terribly threatening. They might even be the Warlord-class Lords he had only heard about.
Sirwen continued.
“Darkness is after you. I do not know where you came from or what you were doing, but you know what it means to be marked by a Great Lord of the twelve zones, right?”
Sirwen quickly continued before another Stab could fly at her.
“I can hide you. I can make sure Darkness cannot touch you. You know about the 「Nonaggression Pact」, right? The Lords of the twelve zones cannot interfere with dream demons... No, they cannot interfere with me. If you become my property, neither Darkness nor anyone else in the twelve zones will be able to lay a hand on you.”
Even in her haste, her words were full of confidence. Jaehwan could tell she was telling the truth.
Of course, whether it was true or not, his answer was already decided.
“No.”
“As expected.”
Sirwen looked as though she had expected that answer. In truth, she did not seem to have hoped for much. If he could be swayed by such a small temptation, she would not have found him appealing in the first place.
“No choice, then. I will have to take you by force.”
In the next instant, Sirwen's body vanished.
Cheongheo shouted urgently.
“Be careful!”
Jaehwan felt the ground around him bulge and rise. Hardened rocks crumbled inward and swallowed the Nether Ghost Envoys.
“Kyaaaaaah!”
The rocks became pebbles, and the pebbles soon turned to sand.
The piles of sand writhed as if they had a will of their own, then rose high from the ground all around them like snakes.
The sand snakes, each easily dozens of meters long, looked around for a moment before rushing at Jaehwan with agile movement.
What is this? A skill?
This was the first time he had seen anything like it since entering 《Chaos》. He had seen many people reshape spiritual power to attack or coat their weapons, but he had never seen anyone manipulate matter itself in this way.
He had seen the 「Cultivator」 Beastrein use the Tower's control device to do something similar in the 《Tower of Nightmares》, but even then, it had not been on this scale.
Cheongheo narrowly avoided the jaws of a sand snake and shouted.
“It is Magic! A dream demon's authority!”
Jaehwan repeatedly unleashed Stabs at the sand snakes.
But since they were not living creatures in the first place, the snakes quickly regained their forms even after being struck.
Jaehwan chased Sirwen, and the sand snakes chased Jaehwan. Their game of chase continued as they pursued one another.
Then Jaehwan felt his body grow heavy.
Kugugugugugu.
The surrounding buildings were collapsing inward as if being sucked toward Jaehwan. He hurriedly took several steps and avoided the debris.
But the debris he avoided pursued him as though it possessed magnetism.
Magic.
The authority granted only to dream demons in this world was unfolding.
Large piles of stone clung to Jaehwan as if drawn to him.
The dream demon intended to imprison him within the rubble.
I will not let that happen.
Jaehwan released all the spiritual power pouring from every pore in his body through Stabs.
Stabs sprouted like a hedgehog's spines, piercing and shattering every rock closing in around him.
At that moment, a sand snake that had rushed in through an opening swallowed Jaehwan whole. Its throat bobbed as it twisted in satisfaction.
Then its middle burst apart.
As she watched the sand scatter brilliantly through the air, Sirwen's expression hardened.
“What...?”
Jaehwan did not miss that brief opening. He swiftly stepped between the rocks and caught her from behind.
“...You turned your mental image into physical form. You really are a monster.”
Sharp energy pierced Sirwen's arms and legs, but she smiled faintly.
The fight had been decided in an instant.
Gravity returned to normal, and the sand snakes collapsed.
“Stop.”
Jaehwan extinguished the energy rising from his body as he spoke.
He had no intention of killing her. During the fight, he had realized that she held no hostility toward him.
Besides, she was a dream demon. If he could keep her alive and bring her with him, she might be useful when he went to the 《Abyss》.
But Sirwen's expression was strange.
“Surrender? Do not be ridiculous.”
The moment Jaehwan realized something was wrong and tried to release spiritual power again, Sirwen warped behind him and tightly embraced him.
Jaehwan had not expected her to throw herself at him, so he hesitated for an instant before releasing his spiritual power.
That was a mistake.
Sirwen's body, which had been holding him, vanished like snow melting in the sun. The scenery around him changed. Something had activated through their brief contact.
As the surroundings turned blue, Jaehwan thought,
A Unique World? No. An illusion skill.
He soon realized that he had seen this scenery before.
Eight Gates of Hell.
It resembled the highest-grade formation skill recently used by the Deputy Hall Master of Scholar Forest Hall.
Jaehwan stepped into the world of illusion without hesitation.
The First Gate.
The world of Wind Path Hell, where terrifying knife winds blew.
It felt far more real than before, but he had already experienced this world. There was no reason to hesitate.
Jaehwan knew how to clear Eight Gates of Hell. Kill whatever approached, then destroy the gate once it appeared.
Once he destroyed every gate, Eight Gates of Hell would end on its own.
In the blink of an eye, Jaehwan broke through the First and Second Gates. In less than a minute, he reached the Third Gate, Fever Hell, and destroyed the boss, Tiamat.
He defeated the Fourth Gate, Black Rope Hell, and the Fifth Gate, Equal Living Hell, just as quickly.
“What, you know Eight Gates of Hell?”
Although Jaehwan had entered Eight Gates of Hell, he did not seem troubled at all. Sirwen's voice changed strangely.
“You are pretty good. But it will be different from the fake Eight Gates of Hell you know. Because...”
Her next words blended into the illusory world and echoed around him.
“Eight Gates of Hell was originally a skill created by dream demons.”
Regardless, Jaehwan had already defeated the Sixth Gate, Frozen Hell, and reached the Seventh Gate.
The Seventh Gate was practically the final hell of Eight Gates of Hell. The Eighth Gate was not a trial to overcome, but a space that existed as a kind of reward.
In other words, clearing the Seventh Gate would naturally dispel Eight Gates of Hell.
But Jaehwan did not yet know.
Since Eight Gates of Hell had been created, no one had ever cleared the Seventh Gate.
The Seventh Gate, Hell of Self.
The instant he opened the Seventh Gate, Jaehwan saw the backs of countless human figures.
Those backs were utterly unfamiliar, yet somehow felt familiar.
Familiar yet unfamiliar.
How could such a contradiction be possible?
But when every figure turned their head at once, Jaehwan understood that contradiction.
Thousands of “Jaehwans” were staring at him.
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