Chapter 698 – Different Front and Back (1)

Explorers’ Federation.
“There’s nothing unusual to report!”

It was the conclusion reached not by one or two, but by all the explorers of the Federation gathered together—yet even they could hardly believe it themselves.

One explorer-player began to stammer.

“I–I arrived near Seoul a bit earlier than the others! So I saw it happen. I saw Agares appear! But then, within just a few seconds, everything vanished. It was as if… as if someone had cut a strip of film right out of my memory…!!”

“Someone” cutting the film of memory.

-That doesn’t sound wrong.

When the Pointed Hat spoke, Jesse nodded.

“Yes. Because the cause of it is right there, plain as day.”

That “someone.”
It wasn’t hard to guess their identity. After all, in a Seoul where not even a single ant remained, there was one presence alone still shining forth.

“…The Silver Eye.”

Silver that still brought to mind that Chief.

-If all of this is the Chief’s doing, then there’s nothing to worry about. It only means our own sight is too narrow—we can’t see the forest for the trees.

…Nod.

Jesse still held trust in Hoyeol.
Even if not a single ant had been left alive in Seoul, if it was Hoyeol’s action, then Jesse could follow it without doubting the intent.

However—

-But what if it isn’t the Chief’s will?

Conflicting thoughts collided with the common sense of the Arcana Continent Chronicles.

“The Chief is a Demon Hunter.”

That was the class you yourself declared openly, hiding nothing—[Demon Hunter].
The natural enemy of demons, the one who could never turn a blind eye to them. Could you really have a reason to reveal an Evil Eye over Seoul…?

What’s more, negative emotions are food for demons.

The setting still held true, proof of its validity.

“What… what on earth is going on here?”
“We rushed all this way, only for everyone to vanish…”
“We’re sorry, King Hakuna. With our knowledge, it’s beyond us.”

Seoul, emptied of every living breath.
The Holy War Alliance that had arrived began to grow steadily more shaken.

The Pointed Hat spoke to Jesse.

-And within seconds, this news will spread across the entire adventurers’ world. Through that little machine in your pocket, Jesse. Damn it. Now I see why demons set their sights on this world more than on Arcana.

Sure enough, Jesse’s smartphone buzzed incessantly.

“Could this just be an illusion?”

The silver eye hanging loftily in the sky seemed to sharpen in clarity. Perhaps it was as the Master said—every negative emotion was being drawn toward that silver eye.

Jesse remembered.

“Chief Lee said so.”

That it was also his pride—that he would hunt it down.

“In that case…”

Jesse’s eyes began to narrow.

“Was that eye aiming for the Chief, seeing him as a threat?”

For the Eye’s master, the timing was perfect. Hoyeol and Agares had no choice but to focus entirely on each other. Which meant… this was the moment to strike at their blind spot.

-Perhaps it meant to swallow everything.

Goooooh.

Even as the words left the Pointed Hat’s lips, mana surged violently from Jesse’s body. Not ordinary mana, but the violet twilight mana.

The Pointed Hat quickly restrained him.

-I understand how you feel, but you know it, don’t you? That you can’t reach it. If, as we suspect, that Eye has swallowed both the Chief and Agares, then we’re left with only one choice.

And because Jesse knew what that choice was, she forced the mana down.

“…In the end, once again, all we can do is trust Chief Lee and wait.”

*
*
*

It wasn’t perfectly clear—because not all the arrangements had been retrieved.
That’s actually a blessing.

Even hallucinations and phantom voices alone were almost unbearable unless ignored. And now, on top of that, the legends had been made flesh? I could say with certainty—if this weren’t the realm of consciousness, I’d…
I might already have lost my sanity.

The realm of consciousness, the Exorcist. Wounds dealt to body and mind weren’t accumulated in real time. Only when the Exorcist ended would they be engraved in full. That was why I had to seize the title of [Tyrant].

Well, time to grow some thick skin.
Wouldn’t it lessen the aftereffects?

“…Lee Hoyeol?”

Agares threw a question my way. I wondered why he’d suddenly called my name. The reason wasn’t hard to guess.
Ah… it must be because of the embodied legend.

Even I couldn’t know the legend’s name exactly. My system window had shattered long ago, after all. But I didn’t need to check with my eyes to understand.

I could hear it without end:

-How could you…?
-Even in death, even in rebirth, I will never forget this grudge.
-I will curse you for all eternity.

Agares stammered.

“N-no. You’re not Lee Hoyeol!!”

And to prove his words, the embodied legends—starting with the Dark Dragon—turned their hostility upon me. Until now, they had bared their fangs only reluctantly, compelled by Agares’s commands. But now—

“CRAAAAH!!”

—now it was enough to make me feel a little hurt.

Of course, I still have a conscience.

I knew. Even if these weren’t sins committed by the present Hoyeol, the sins of the previous cycle’s Hoyeol hadn’t disappeared.

I have to shoulder them myself.
Because I was an adult now.

Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise.

At least I didn’t need to chant embarrassing incantations anymore. I raised my right hand, and spacetime warped, trembling like waves. It wasn’t easy to judge myself with my own gaze. Perhaps I should borrow Agares’s words again.

“How can a human wield such negative emotions…!!”

Negative emotions were the domain of demons alone. For humans, nothing good came from drawing too close to them. And yet—

Let’s say it plainly.

Even those negative emotions become the past as time flows. In magical terms, that meant negative emotions could become suitable mana.

Not that it’s necessarily a good thing.

As I said before, I could use such mana only because this was the realm of consciousness. Simply put, it’s a kind of turning point.

If I couldn’t secure arrangements through the title of [Tyrant]…
I might be swallowed forever by Blackening.

That would be horrific in more ways than one.

So I didn’t hesitate. I charged at the Dark Dragon blazing with hostility toward me. They say if you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear defeat.

But it won’t do to be someone who only looks the part.
Like a gilded fruit that’s rotten inside.

The Dark Dragon’s overblown physique had one glaring weakness: close combat. That reverse scale was the one thing he most desperately wished to protect. And sure enough, like “someone else,” he revealed his defensive reflex.

A breath attack.

For a melee class, there’d be no way to dodge breath at this range. In Arcana Continent Chronicle terms, it was stepping into an instant-death zone.

But I’m not a melee class.

To a mage, teleportation was an evasive art. With low health and defense, letting an enemy close in meant death.

Not that I’m really a mage, either.

On player forums, I sometimes saw threads like this:
If you could take one skill without class restrictions, what would it be?

For ranged classes, opinions varied. But among melee classes, there was no disagreement.
Yes—[Teleport].

For melee fighters, teleportation could skyrocket their effectiveness.

Swish.

This wasn’t mere evasion. With consecutive teleports, I guided the direction of the breath itself. The breath that had been meant solely for me instead scorched Agares’s demon army.

“GYAAAAH!!”

I spoke to the Dark Dragon.

“Thanks.”

And that was the end of it.

Clench.

I reached out toward its nape and grasped empty air. Whether it was magic, a skill, or an anomaly, I didn’t know. Only that it was the power of the former Hoyeol made flesh.

When the Dark Dragon reverted to legend, Agares was once again seated on his great crocodile throne. His gaze still looked down, but his pupils shook violently.

He forced out words:

【The Land of Anomaly is watching you.】

Of course.
Even in the realm of consciousness, nothing vanished without consequence. Once the Exorcist ended, all would be settled at once. The aftermath would be carved upon the citizens of Seoul who had been caught up with Agares and me.

【Seoul sees you as a fear greater than me.】

Is that so.
Hard to believe, honestly.

If it had only been Agares, I’d have dismissed it as a demon’s usual deceit. But the reactions of the embodied legends—including the Dark Dragon—were the same.

All of them looked as though they’d seen something they should never have seen.

As Agares said—Seoul as a whole now looked upon me with fear. Yet I myself didn’t feel it.

The reason?
Perhaps because this was the realm of consciousness. Or perhaps because the former Hoyeol had endured far too much to be shaken by emotions anymore.

But that wasn’t what mattered.

What mattered was this cycle’s Hoyeol.
My resolve.

The sense of a Demon Hunter—an enemy’s natural predator—told me the outcome was already set. From the moment I embodied the legend of the former Hoyeol.

The initiative of this realm had already passed to me.

Now, with the conditions of [Tyrant] fulfilled, all that remained was to hunt the reeling Agares. He must have felt the killing intent from me.

【Wait! Do you not understand?】

Agares’s voice grew desperate.

【I still have the “Eternal Suggestion.” Even if I die by your hand and fall to Hell, my domination will not end. So let us negotiate…! How about this? Yes, I’ll concede! I’ll give you the head of the third Demon King, Vasago!】

Vasago, is it? Of course he’d need to be hunted.
Though I don’t know where he is right now.

Even in the previous iteration, Vasago had always survived to the end, second only to Bael among the Ten Thrones. Never to be underestimated. But the order of things didn’t need to change.

Ttogak.

【Not satisfied with Vasago? Th-then… what if I abandon Seoul? I’ll yield its throne to you! I could even release my authority of Eternal Suggestion—!】

Foolish. Far more foolish than I thought.

Too bad. You’ve just admitted you’ve given up the initiative entirely.

In this realm of consciousness, the initiative ruled all.

“?!”

Just as Agares had twisted Seoul with his initiative, I twisted Agares—remaking him into the form of his worst fear.

So that’s what you were afraid of.

Flesh stripped away. Powers lost. Agares shrunk to a speck so small he was barely dust.

“U-ugh…”

At last he croaked:

“…I was gravely mistaken. The one I should have feared wasn’t Grandfell, but you, Lee Hoyeol. You’re the true cause of all this disaster!!”

Perhaps he really was at death’s door. Demons only ever spoke nonsense—but when a demon spoke the truth, you knew the end was near.

Whoosh.

At last, his tiny body was swallowed in Hellfire. Agares hurled curses at me.

“Though I burn in Hellfire, my hatred for you will never vanish! How arrogant, Lee Hoyeol. Do you think a mere human can endure the weight of such boundless hatred?”

His lips twisted in a vile smile.

“I’ll not say farewell.”

That was his last will.

“You and I will meet again soon enough.”

I thought that was the end of everything.

Just as I’d braced for.

That with me, Lee Hoyeol, ascending as Seoul’s Tyrant, the plan was complete. Yes—until the sky of Seoul was revealed after the Exorcist ended.

I looked at you and muttered:

“…No way.”

At my ear, Grandfell—your voice spoke:

“Like a child left unattended by the water.”

…What?

“As expected, you can’t be left alone for even a moment.”

T-that’s what you choose to say now?!!

.

.

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[In the Land of Anomaly, Seoul, “Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo” has appeared.]
[※ Warning: The appearance of an immeasurable being causes all stats to plummet drastically.]
[※ Warning: The appearance of an immeasurable being causes all senses to become distorted.]

…!