252. Trap
252. Trap
Lucifer, who was absentmindedly staring at the sky from a throne made of all sorts of unidentifiable skulls, suddenly shook his body.
Lucifer, who had absentmindedly covered his left eye, squinted his right eye and looked down.
Take in the sight of the countless armies lined up beneath your feet.
“Wherever my eyes meet, there he is.”
Then, one of the demons lined up takes a step forward and kneels.
“Oh, indeed! The king’s wisdom is beyond measure. I will convey the news that you may join the incompetent king of sloth and lust.”
“no.”
Lucifer moves only one eye to keep his men in sight.
At that moment, the devil who had been looking only at the ground shrugs his shoulders.
“Tell them to support greed.”
“If you are the King of Greed… aren’t you preaching evil on the front lines? Or are you trying to take over one of the cities of humanity as you did before?”
“No. Those two attack other front-line cities.”
Then the devil’s mouth forms a sincere smile.
“Disturb! Then they won’t dare to worry about the rear.”
“We follow only the prophecy of the Apocalypse as we have decided. Mobilize all available energy on the ‘Mortal Hill’ and send the legionnaires who can go here. My lightless eye will be the sign to guide them.”
“Just transmitting a small army would consume all the extra energy.”
“That alone should be enough to tie up my feet. That should be enough.”
The devil nodded enthusiastically at Lucifer’s indifferent words.
“What will you do with the remaining three kings of female sins? Will you do as planned? Or…?”
“Tell them to lead their legions and go out. While the other three kings are distracted, we will have an opening to infiltrate through the mountains where they are less visible. … As the prophecy says.”
Lucifer finished speaking like that and leaned back deeply into his throne.
Then, all the demons who had been lined up simultaneously knelt down and bowed their heads in worship.
Dismissing all that awe with an indifferent gaze, Lucifer recalls the situation he had been through through his ‘eyes’.
“… … It’s truly amazing. How could he do it with exactly the same method as that guy… .”
Lucifer, who had been muttering to himself, closes his lips tightly.
“Descendants… If that’s the case, then it’s not impossible. They were so ridiculously weak that it’s ridiculous to compare them. … If that’s the case.”
He remains silent for a moment, as if thinking about something, and then closes one eye tightly.
In order not to disturb their master’s thoughts, the demons disappeared from their spot without leaving even a rustling sound of dust.
* * *
The party, joined by the Holy Knights and Battle Priests, quickly ran up the hill and arrived at the base camp.
Lee Soo-chan, who had been waiting anxiously, suddenly runs and holds his beloved disciple in his arms.
“Wow, my arm…!”
Then he discovers an empty arm and becomes lost in thought.
“The possessed demon guy was tearing it apart to make his own weapon.”
Lee Seon-hu, who spoke coldly, looked straight at Park Han-eul.
However, Park Han-eul had already taken his eyes off Lee Seon-hu and the others.
Lee Seon-hu snickered and laughed.
“You too were a human being.”
“… … .”
“Hold on tight. The presence of the Demon King’s eyes means that there may be a descendant somewhere.”
“I know.”
Park Han-eul sighed and turned around.
“How can the Demon King appear in a demon execution…?”
“These days, those guys who weren’t even visible for decades seem to be coming out in droves.”
“Hmm. And in this brief moment. How strangely… .”
Park Han-eul’s gaze, which had been wandering around looking for Park Jin-woo, suddenly stops.
This was because they found two people receiving urgent treatment, surrounded by several people.
Park Han-eul frowned.
“Why is that guy doing that? And why is the president….”
“Thanks to you two, we were able to escape safely. So, come to your senses. While the principal is out of his mind, we have to take the lead and lead the kids.”
“… … .”
Park Han-eul looked dissatisfied, but he was aware of the situation, so he didn’t say anything.
Instead, he walked towards the professors who were gathered at the back and keeping their mouths shut in a serious atmosphere.
“While you were cowering, things got worse. Now it’s time to pay the price for letting things slide.”
“What, what? What are you talking about? A price, Professor Park Han-eol!”
“Are you saying that darkness is our fault? Wasn’t it all their fault?”
“What on earth was the wise man doing inside…!”
It was a time when they were gathering together and looking at each other with accusatory eyes.
– Boom!
Did a bomb drop?
Several professors were rolling on the floor in panic in the flying dust.
A pure white blade is pointed at them.
“What the heck is this…!”
Those who barely maintain their balance look puzzled.
A uniform with a red border and a cross pattern embroidered in gold thread on a pure white background.
This was because the one wearing silver armor glared at them with fierce eyes.
——————
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“Seeing you insulting the devil’s adversary, I can definitely see that you are a heretic.”
The atmosphere that had been soaked in embarrassment suddenly cooled down.
Because it was so obvious what would happen if the inquisitor, Saint Cetrine, who was recognized by the Vatican, declared heresy.
Above all, since President Lee Ji-ah was clearly an ally of the wise man, even the name tag that said ‘Guardian Academy Member’, which could be considered the strongest fence, would immediately become powerless.
‘f*cking priest bitch…!’
Andrei, an assistant professor of archery who had been standing at the very front and rolling around in an ugly manner, gritted his teeth.
Suddenly, he noticed the professors from the president’s line laughing at him near Park Han-eul.
Should I just crawl around like a dog that got beaten up like this?
He finished his calculations and stood behind Professor Luton of the Archery Department, whose face was filled with anger.
“I can’t just let this happen, Professor Ruton.”
“I know, Associate Professor Andrei. But the person you’re dealing with is the Vatican’s inquisitor.”
“So shouldn’t we make responsibility even clearer? Above all… If we continue like this, I don’t know what Professor Basil Jeong over there will say.”
Luton’s gaze shifted beyond Setiren.
Then, Professor Jeong and Basil, standing near Park Han-eul, made eye contact and gritted their teeth.
“This position as the chief of staff… is that okay? If I fail this time, the promises we made before will be…”
Before Andrei could finish speaking, Ruton stepped forward, slamming his fist on the floor.
“I don’t know what that is, but it’s not a good sign. You started it, and now you’re taking it out on us?”
“Are you criticizing us without even knowing the circumstances? Do you think you have the right to criticize us when you are a coward who ran away without saying a word?”
“We also risked our lives to come here. And yet you are talking about qualifications!”
Setiren openly laughed and mocked Ruten.
“If you came here risking your life, then risk your life. And don’t just say it.”
“… … !”
“The situation is set, right? You are a professor yourself, so you must be able to sense the malice that it exudes.”
Although not as sensitive to evil as Setiren, Luton was also a superhuman who had devoted himself to the study of archery and cultivating his mind and body for decades.
Who is stronger or weaker is just a secondary factor.
“… … Ugh.”
What was revealed in the distance was true malice coming from the very essence of the living being, no, the soul, so it was impossible not to feel it.
Ruton absentmindedly averted his gaze from the mass of malice, forgetting even the anger that had risen to the top of his head.
Seeing that sight, Setiren snorted again.
‘Well, they were the ones who were scared of the devil and backed away earlier…’
There was no way that people with flashy appearances like the professors of Guardian Academy could withstand the malice radiating from the Demon King’s eyes.
No longer feeling worthy of conversation, Setiren turned away from the terrified puppies.
“Ma, stop talking and go where…!”
Ruton’s voice did not continue.
It wasn’t that there was some external factor, he just kept his mouth shut.
Setiren tried to ignore him and walk away, but Luton’s subsequent actions forced him to turn his gaze towards him.
– Pfft!
Suddenly he ran like the wind and climbed the tallest tree.
“Professor Ruthin?!”
A bewildered Andrei called out to him, but Ruton did not respond, his gaze fixed in one direction.
“radish….”
Setiren was about to ask, “What are you doing?” but before he could even open his mouth, he doubted his own eyes.
Until just a moment ago, Ruton’s face had been frightened by the malice coming from afar, but this time, it had become extremely serious.
‘If you’re a professor of archery, your vision is bound to be much brighter than others. So, what if…?’
Even the direction he was looking was not towards the mirror labyrinth, so Setiren’s expression naturally hardened.
“…What is there?”
“… … .”
Luton, who had been looking into the distance with wavering eyes, lowers his gaze.
He mutters in a state of deep thought, as if he had witnessed an unbelievable sight.
“Waves… no, tidal waves. A tidal wave is coming.”
Even though it’s not a coast that borders the sea, the nonsense that suddenly flows out.
“A tidal wave? Are you saying there was a flood or something?”
Andrei asks, as if he finds it absurd.
However, Setiren immediately noticed what Ruton was trying to say and kept his mouth shut.
He looks back at Namgung Seorin and Lee Seonhu with a much more serious expression on his face.
“We need to move now.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s a monster.”
Setiren added, glancing at Ruten, who had lost even the thought of coming down from the tree.
“A monster of estimated legion-level scale.”
Namgung Seorin and Lee Seonhu, who looked at each other, kicked the ground and climbed up the tree at the same time.
Park Han-eul, who was listening to the story, turned his head and winked at Basil, another professor of the archery department.
Soon the two of them run quickly and climb to the top of the highest hill.
Then, with narrowed eyes, he scans the direction Ruton was looking at.
“… … !!”
And then, Basil’s eyes widen even further.
His black pupils contract and relax repeatedly due to the enormous shock.
I’m shaking without any reason, having lost my way.
“The horizon is….”
Park Han-eul, standing next to Basil, frowned.
He quickly scans from left to right with a frowning face.
“… It’s pitch black.”
“Oh, how come there are so many…!”
“It seems like the front line collapsed overnight.”
“Are you saying that those strong cities have fallen?”
“Yes. Or maybe they were just lying in wait until we got there….”
Park Han-eul looked back at Basil with a stern expression.
“If not, then the scene just now doesn’t make sense.”
“Is such an absurd… case, even possible? A city on the front lines collapsing, or a monster ambushing you… something like that…”
“Isn’t that what you see because it’s possible?”
Park Han-eul, who answered coldly, suddenly turned his gaze towards the lump of malice that made his skin tingle.
The evil that had covered the mirrored labyrinth and was now creeping up to the vacant lot.
It was so intense that he couldn’t recognize it right away, but Park Han-eol soon realized that it was refined magic.
“Maybe… it has something to do with that.”
Park Han-eul turned his back without any hesitation.
As if he sensed the atmosphere slowly hardening, he looked at the students becoming quiet and muttered softly.
“We need to evacuate the children first.”
“Evacuation… where on earth are you going?”
“… … I don’t know. There’s no one here right now who can tell me.”
Park Han-eul, who was looking at Park Jin-woo who was receiving intensive care, quickly moved towards Namgung Seo-rin who was talking with a serious expression on her face.
“Professor Basil, please keep watching.”
“Yes, yes…!”
At present, while Lee Ji-ah and Park Jin-woo are still not in their right minds, the only people with the highest authority are Namgung Seo-rin of the Special Forces, Setiren of the Vatican, Alex of the Sky Tower, Lee Seon-hu, Lee Ji-ah’s agent, himself, and… the ‘deputy captain’ of the Hwarang unit.
– Bam!
When Park Han-eul arrived, the key figures were already gathered together and holding an emergency meeting on the street.
The only difference between the Hwarang unit and the other unit is that a proxy, not the unit leader, is present.
“Are you here?”
Park Han-eul responds by nodding his head once to Lee Seon-hu who welcomes him.
I check on Han Se-yeon, who is naturally among Park Jin-woo’s friends, and then I join the group of people who are gathered together with serious faces.
“From one end of the horizon to the other, it’s all monsters.”
“Have you confirmed it properly?”
“Professor Basil Jeong personally confirmed it. If you think about it in conjunction with Professor Ruton’s response, it’s certain.”
Lee Seon-hu sighed with a deeply frowning face.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this, even during my active duty days.”
“In terms of direction and scale, the monsters’ advance route cuts perfectly between the fortress port city and us. It’s a perfect ambush.”
“But even though I’ve been reconnaissance here all along, I haven’t felt any signs of that. Aside from wild monsters, it’s a no man’s land.”
The Hwarang Corps Commander’s representative said so and glanced at Han Se-yeon for a moment.
Then he lowered his gaze with a stern expression.
“If only we hadn’t been so incompetent that we didn’t notice their ambush….”
“That’s not true. Jinwoo, of all people, planned most of the operations and even commanded them. The reconnaissance unit wasn’t just comprised of students, but also comprised of more professional agents.”
Namgung Seorin, who was saying that, smiled bitterly.
“Of course… there were exceptions, but I don’t think those exceptions were enough to cause us to miss out on so many monsters.”
“Then how come so many people suddenly-.”
“Hell Gate.”
A feeble voice cut through the crowd of those arguing.
Everyone’s eyes are instantly focused on one place.
I shake off the healers who are trying to stop me, telling me to stay calm, and take in the sight of the person approaching me, panting heavily.
“Mr. President!”
Hong Ki-rin comes up to her from behind, supporting her shoulder.
“If a hell gate opened in that uninhabited mountain, it’s not impossible.”
“Hell Gate on the front line…? That’s ridiculous!”
At the rebuttal that came flying straight at her, Lee Ji-ah turned her gaze to where the voice had come from.
Andrei was looking at her with a bewildered expression, clutching the gun tightly in his arms.
Lee Ji-ah asked.
“What do you mean, Associate Professor Andrey?”
“They say a hell gate is opening on the front lines!”
Andrey answered, spitting.
“I have never heard or seen anything like that before! Not in any article, news, or material!”
“… … .”
“Isn’t that right, gentlemen? Why, Hell Gate! A gate opening in the realm of humanity? Then there’s no reason to maintain the front line! The rear will be breached by Hell Gate anyway! You know you can do such a thing, but you can tell just by looking at the fact that you haven’t done it yet!”
Andrei’s argument was certainly persuasive.
The professors who heard his story nodded their heads in agreement.
Then, Lee Ji-ah sighed and covered her forehead.
“If it were Jinwoo, he would have said this.”
“what?”
“Prejudice is such a scary thing.”
Even though she was leaning against Hong Ki-rin’s body, Lee Ji-ah straightened her back and stood firm with her legs strong.
Where did her usual gentle smile go? She turned her fiercely open eyes towards Andrei.
Andrei unconsciously shrugged his shoulders at the creepiness that was difficult to ignore.
“What kind of idiot superhuman would say something like, ‘It hasn’t happened until now, so it won’t happen in the future?’ Is that something a writer who is a professor at an academy that nurtures future leaders would say? It’s really, really embarrassing to see other people’s faces.”
“Huh…! What on earth were your intentions in saying that…!”
“I didn’t mean to. I was just stating the truth.”
Ezia glared at Andrei with sharp eyes that seemed to flash hostility.
Andrei and the other professors, who remembered Ezia, who had always been soft and fluffy like a marshmallow, were swallowing their saliva without realizing it, as Ezia was showing such cold anger.
Lee Ji-ah refused Hong Gi-rin’s hand that was supporting her, and, although she was a little shaken, she walked on her own and stood in front of Andrei.
Andrei greets her with trembling eyes.
“First, President… .”
“I can vouch for this as a space wizard and a disciple of siege. They came through the Hell Gate. I can see traces of it.”
“That’s, that’s nonsense!”
“That doesn’t make sense? How dare you say such things to me?”
Magical power swirls around Ezia.
“To me, who was called the Blood Witch on the front lines?”
The aura that Lee Ji-ah displayed to the outside world was so fierce that Andrei unconsciously groaned and took a step back.
Who would dare open their mouths at the sight of that?
Andrei kept his mouth shut and absentmindedly looked for someone who would become his shield.
Then, he finds Professor Luton still not coming down from the tree and becomes cheerful.
“Lu, Professor Luton! What do you think? If it were you, wouldn’t it be visible?”
At those words, Ruton lowered his head.
She looks at Andrei with her dead, black eyes, as if she is consumed by deep despair.
‘What on earth did you see…?’
Andrei, whose cultivation was not yet that deep, could only perceive the horizon that had been dyed black.
That’s why I asked him for an answer, still looking for a way to survive.
“What do you think? Do you see it that way too? Hell Gate!”
“… … .”
“Why aren’t you saying anything! Professor Ruthin!”
“ha….”
A deep sigh bursting from the leaves of Ruten.
Andrei involuntarily felt a pang of sadness at the strong feeling he felt there, but he maintained his attitude as if he had already taken it as a given.
Lee Ji-ah looked at it with a look of astonishment, and at that moment.
“It’s true.”
Luton answered briefly in a very subdued voice, as if he was very tired.
Andrei opened his eyes wide as if he had misheard.
“What… is that true?”
“That is true, Associate Professor Andrei. Everything the President said is true. Behind them… there are many Hell Gates that have not yet closed.”
“what…!”
Andrei, who had been vehemently refuting the argument, as well as those who had been quietly listening, all looked astonished in an instant.
It was something I couldn’t believe, but I couldn’t help but believe it.
This was a story that was guaranteed by Lee Ji-ah, a high-ranking magician in the space realm and a disciple of the siege, and confirmed by Luton, who had been secretly at odds with her.
“At this moment, several Hell Gates appeared blocking the road, along with a large number of monsters… What a coincidence.”
“It can’t be a coincidence. Phew… I guess this is what the wise man meant by ‘interference.’”
“It’s too early to call it interference, since the execution has already been completed.”
Namgung Seorin laughed bitterly and cleared her throat.
Soon, he shouts at Lee Dae-cheol, who is waiting on one side.
“Hey, Lieutenant! Get ready to move right away.”
“Yes, team leader!”
Starting with Lee Dae-cheol, who saluted, moving quickly, the representatives of each force began to give orders.
At that moment, Alex, who was fiddling with his smartwatch to contact the Sky Tower, asked.
“So where are you planning on going? Even if you just try to run away, this is Brian Plains. Even though there are some obstacles thanks to the mirror labyrinth, there aren’t many places to hide.”
“What about the mirror labyrinth? If we can just get rid of that ominous aura, we can even hold out from the inside-.”
“No. The mirror maze is absolutely not allowed.”
The labyrinth entry team, including Lee Ji-ah, simultaneously shook their heads.
Park Han-eul narrows his eyes at the intense reaction and asks.
“What on earth is inside?”
“The Demon King’s Eyes.”
Setiren spoke to Park Han-eul, who was looking at him with wide-open eyes, in a steady voice.
“The wise man said, ‘He is the Demon King of Arrogance.’”
“Oman… I see. Then the Mirror Labyrinth is absolutely not a good idea.”
Unlike Park Han-eul, who immediately nodded in agreement, those who heard Setiren’s voice were greatly shocked and held their breath.
Soon the entire base camp began to erupt in a huge commotion.
These were much more direct and far more powerful reactions than when I heard about the legions rushing towards me, filling the edges of the horizon.
“But then, there are limits to where you can move. If you go this way, you’ll only be blocked by the mountain range, and beyond that, the realm of hell unfolds.”
“Why not just hide in the mountains and hold out?”
“There is a lack of map information on the mountain range. If you don’t know the geography, you could end up like a rat in a trap. It is likely to be a bad idea.”
“What is the nearest human-run metropolis?”
Lee Seon-hu snatched the map that one of the professors was holding and spread it out.
A few quick-witted men quickly airlifted tables from the tent.
“There are even small and medium-sized cities here and here. If you turn this way and go in-.”
“It’s not possible.”
Lee Seon-hu frowned at Ruton’s firm answer.
“why?”
“Because I could see that the Hell Gate was open over there too.”
Then, draw a line with your finger around the mirror maze in the back.
“There were also those advancing in this direction. They blocked the direction towards the city. It means they have no intention of letting us escape.”
“You want to surround us? You crazy guys…!”
“This level of leadership is not something a simple monster could possibly be capable of. Commander. There must be a demon involved.”
“Dozens of Hell Gates, massive monster legions, demon commanders, and the eyes of the Arrogant Demon King…”
Park Han-eul chuckled and laughed.
“What a terrible trap you’ve set. What the hell are we? Or… Are those demons just special?”
“That’s not it. The Lord of the Tower tortured them and found out that they were nothing more than mere puppets.”
“Then, doesn’t that mean they’ve pinpointed us and set a trap for us? No, really?”
It was when Park Han-eul’s gaze inadvertently turned towards the barracks.
– Ouch!
Suddenly a sharp sound spreads throughout the surroundings.
Eyes suddenly gather together.
At the center of it all was a woman, Han Se-yeon, who was holding her hands together and closing her eyes tightly.
As if aware that enough attention was being focused on her, Han Se-yeon slowly opened her eyes.
The crystal light of her eyes, which sparkle as if engulfed in flames, captivates them all.
“The way you came.”
Han Se-yeon raises her head and looks down the hill, in the direction they came from.
She captures in her gaze a black dot faintly visible on the horizon, far away.
“Forest of the Dead.”
“… Ah! Horizon!”
Namgung Seorin raised her head and exclaimed in admiration.
It was the same for others.
As soon as I hear the word horizon, a bright color comes to my face.
“That will serve as a sufficient wall. If you somehow manage to hold out there… .”
“If you break through by force, what are you going to do?”
Baek Eun-seol, who had been listening quietly, interrupted and asked.
Luna, who was standing nearby, nodded.
“It was even weakened by the last incident. An unsound Horizon cannot serve as a wall. Especially not when a demon is in command.”
“If you look at it that way, there really is no other alternative. In the open plains, fighting a full-scale war with so many monsters is suicidal. Even if a wall is not possible, if you can at least provide a small fence… .”
It was when Lee Seon-hu was speaking as if trying to persuade Baek Eun-seol.
“Hey, hey…!”
Among the crowd of people gathered around, a pure white hand rises high into the sky, asserting itself.
Among those who looked there, Luna’s face showed a look of delight.
“Senior Lee Yu-jin…!”
“Ah! Junior!”
Lee Yu-jin, who was approaching Luna with a smile, stops for a moment.
They are simple students, agents, and even the backbone of the execution squad.
It was because of their heavy gazes gathered around him.
“Ah. That, that….”
“Student Lee Yu-jin? Come to think of it, you’re a member of the Department of Necrophilology. Tell me. What’s going on?”
“Ah, me, me. Well… I’ve been in the Forest of the Dead for quite some time, so I just found out without realizing it…”
“yes.”
“I, uh… um. I think maybe I can do it.”
Lee Ji-ah blinked her eyes.
“You can do what?”
“The fence you mentioned….”
Lee Yu-jin, who had difficulty meeting eyes, swallowed hard and raised her head confidently.
“The work of building a wall.”
