Episode 565. The Being in the Well (3)

Barbatos thought.

Things are going in the wrong direction.

A variable that even the Objective Eye could not penetrate.

The Magic Tower was to blame.

In the past, Barbatos had evaluated it. The appearance of the Magic Tower, which calls itself a symbol of truth and an ivory tower of the Arcana Continent while being swayed by a worthless demon, is laughable.

The arrogance of the mages was the worst of it all. Just because they can wield magic. It was disgusting to see them looking down on other ants when they were supposed to be working together as a community.

So I readily accepted the offer of the Magic Tower, figuring that it would be enough to shake things up without the use of power.

But.

‘It’s not the same.’

The Magic Tower mages showed no signs of their past.

They can’t deceive my Objective Eye.

Then…….

Does that mean the once arrogant mages have truly changed?

‘No, I knew about that a long time ago.’

As I said, I’ve been watching them.

I recognized it because of them.

Facing demons has changed the bastards in the Magic Tower.

Even if they didn’t realize it.

Hadn’t I seen it in their resolve when they faced Paimon?

‘Changed enough to risk their lives.’

So now.

What am I freaking out about?

As if to answer that, the cocky man opens his mouth.

“You may go to the next room.”

Bensch William.

He was wounded on Jeju Island, the island Paimon had targeted. How such pride could come from a body that could not even summon magic was beyond me. I did not wonder why.

I only wanted to know one thing.

‘What do you mean, pass?’

Barbatos didn’t have a good answer to Bensch’s question. Because he had hit the nail on the head. Bensch didn’t let the sophisticated answer go unanswered.

Not just persistent, but childish.

Barbatos was overcome with impulse.

‘I should kill him.’

Even if this was the Magic Tower, he was the Ten Thrones. Taking out a mage who couldn’t even use his magic was a waste of effort.

Then, he clenched his fists.

“Are you hesitating because you’re moved? Or do you not want to?”

The result dropped: pass.

“Of course not, and I will thank you for your mercy.”

Barbatos said and stood up, heading for the next room.

I didn’t need my Objective Eye to recognize him.

Bensch William.

From the moment that man showed mercy.

That the initiative had passed to the Magic Tower.

Chuck.

Barbatos’s eyes narrowed as he reached for the doorknob.

‘I thought I was the only one who knew how to lower a tail.’

Magic Tower.

Maybe.

Maybe they were smarter than Barbatos had expected.

But it didn’t mean much.

Like I said, whatever the flow.

Whatever the outcome.

‘Too bad, because I have nothing to lose.’

Barbatos’s smirk returned to his face.

A feigned weakness.

The kind of weakness that even the Ten Thrones don’t like to see.

Barbatos opened the door.

‘Because I have you, Charmen.’

He bowed once more.

“I, Barbatos, greet the Chief of the Magic Tower.”

*

VBC’s Today’s Arcana production team was the only media publication to enter the Crystal Hall with proper authorization from Magic Tower. However, the expression of the head camera director, Yoon Jong-jin, was not happy.

“Senior, how long are we going to be filming an empty lectern? Didn’t we postpone all of the later episodes based on this one?”

Hyun Yongseok snorted.

“What’s the harm in having a little funk? It’s the ratings I brought in, the advertisers I brought in, and there’s no one who can blame us if we leave.”

“No, that’s very reassuring.”

Yoon Jongjin glances over and whispers again.

“Do you think we’ll be able to pass the pre-verification in the first place?”

If you say that you entered the Magic Tower after going through the procedures and ask who you are watching from earlier. It was none other than the mages of the Magic Tower who were staring at them in the same audience.

Yoon Jongjin lowers his voice a bit more and continues.

“No, senior……! Didn’t you hear what the adepts over there were saying? The pre-verification at the Topaz Hall, not many people pass it, even in the Magic Tower.”

That wasn’t the only notoriety heard.

“They say that if you get caught, especially by Mr. Hoyeol, you can’t help but just burst into tears! Why, one adept mage said he stopped eating and drinking for days after failing the preliminary verification……!”

There were still more anecdotes to tell.

When Hyun Yong Seok didn’t seem interested, Yoon Jongjin sighed.

It was best to cut to the chase.

“I wonder if Barbatos, the Ten Thrones, will be able to pass the test! Even from the stories of the adept mages, it seems like all the senior mages are all in the pre-verification……..”

“You don’t believe me?”

“Believe who, you mean you, senior?”

Yoon Jongjin replied with a frown.

Of course I don’t trust you!

Thinking about what he had suffered for believing in Hyun Yongseok.

No wonder his brow furrowed.

Of course, Hyun Yongseok had a conscience.

“Are you crazy? I’m from the station.”

“Yes, you are, and you’re the most evil station bastard of all!”

“I’m not talking about me, I’m talking about whether you trust Lee Hoyeol.”

“…… Lee Hoyeol? Suddenly?”

Hyun Yongseok still stared at the blank monitor.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but Lee Hoyeol. Mr. Hoyeol has always taken responsibility for his words. Jongjin, do you think his words weighed lightly?”

“To put it mildly, they were never light.”

Why, a raid that everyone expected to be defeated, and yet it succeeded.

Unrealistically overcoming a situation that was predicted to be devastating.

It was Lee Hoyeol who made all sorts of impossible things happen.

Hyun Yongseok nodded.

“Yeah, this is a trivial promise compared to that, right?”

It was only to set up Barbatos in Crystal Hall, to make sure he passed the preliminary verification so that he could answer all the questions.

Hyun Yongseok was sure of it.

“If he wasn’t going to pass, Mr. Hoyeol wouldn’t have kept us waiting in the Crystal Hall, or given us permission to film in the first place.”

Yoon Jongjin scratched his head.

“……You know you’re just paying lip service, right, senior?”

“Really? That’s what you think?”

“Of course I do!”

We didn’t know anything about Lee Hoyeol in the first place……!

But we had more proof than anyone else.

More than anyone else.

That was the attitude of the mages who watched Hoyeol up close.

Hyun Yongseok opened his mouth.

“Do you know, mages, not a single one of them left the hall?”

“……!”

“Everyone is just waiting for the right time.”

Yoon Jongjin suddenly realized.

He realized that his whispering had become too loud. Suddenly, a prickle in the back of his head made him turn around to see an adept mage glaring at him.

“Okay, let’s say you’re right about everything.”

Isn’t it almost beyond belief at this point?

I remember a theory that people were talking about not too long ago, about why they had more faith in Lee Hoyeol than in the Gods of the Pantheon, and that’s why they were able to win overwhelmingly…….

“Even so, Homen is a bit creepy…….”

Yoon Jongjin couldn’t let go of his regret.

It was a moment of ‘blasphemy’ with a secret word.

An urgent transmission came through the headphones he was wearing.

-The director is coming!

“What? Coming? Who?”

-Who could it be!

Ugh, I reflexively sigh.

“Dude, you were all excited about Jesse Heinness earlier, and it was Jesse Heinness. Are you kidding me, asshole, even if this is your first time seeing Jesse Heinness in real life…….”

-No, not him, Barbatos!

“Barbatos too……. What?! Bar, Barbatos?!!”

At this point, the Crystal Hall begins to stir.

“……No way.”

Cleodia, an adept mage, stares at the back of Yoon Jongjin’s head.

She muttered to herself.

There was no way she could get through.

She, too, had been through the Topaz Hall’s preliminary verification.

And this one was special. It was of extreme difficulty, requiring one to pass the verification of twenty senior mages, one after the other, before finally passing the verification of the Chief.

Klee tried to be understanding.

‘……Senior mages can do that.’

But in the end, he couldn’t believe that Chief Lee would allow the demon to be placed in the Crystal Hall. The horrors of pretesting returned.

‘You can’t tell a lie in Topaz Hall.’

Of course, you can, if you give an answer that cleverly skirts the truth. Indeed, some skilled mages have been known to pass pretesting that way.

But since Chief Lee stepped foot in the Magic Tower.

No one has ever passed pre-verification with such a trick.

Then…….

Klee’s pupils fluttered.

‘Those words…….’

The abominations that Barbatos spewed.

-“I’m happy to hear them, to restore the broken trust between human and demon.”

-“Not all demons are created equal, so are they good or evil? What makes them good or evil in the first place? Tell me, and I’ll answer.”

-“I’m willing to sacrifice myself for peace anytime. If my death will bring peace to your world, you are welcome to kill me if you truly believe that.”

‘All true?’

It was a natural reaction.

If you ask me, why would it be a surprise?

Because it wasn’t just Klee who was shaking.

The players were rattled.

“Yeah, you could tell he meant what he said.”

“You’re serious about risking your life?”

“Why, a demon is a demon.”

The players from the Holy War Alliance were no exception.

“……Shouldn’t we just use it as a cover?”

“Sure. He’s the Ten Thrones, so he’s bound to know a lot about the Demon World. I can see why Barbatos would want to work with you, given your interests.”

“If you just suck up and throw away your spine……. No, then you have no pride?”

Leonie sneered sarcastically.

“You’re just a bunch of grown men.”

Leonie didn’t miss a beat.

Barbatos.

The message that popped into her mind the moment he entered reality.

[Barbatos’ influence reaches into Seoul, the Land of the Anomalies. Your understanding in all areas is greatly increased].

Now that she realized it, it was no more than a buff disguised as a status abnormality, because her mind was still trying to make sense of Barbatos’ situation.

But Leonie did not waver.

‘No, not yet.’

It was all speculation. Barbatos hadn’t shown up at the Crystal Hall. So Leonie glared at the door of the Crystal Hall.

It was then.

Kugugung.

The door opened with a loud boom.

“……!”

Barbatos stepped out.

Including Leonie.

The faces of everyone in the Crystal Hall changed.

And it’s as violent as the waves shaking.

They even believed in Hoyeol.

that Barbatos would definitely show up.

Hyun Yongseok was no different.

He stuttered.

“Jo, Jongjin, am I seeing things right?”

It had to be that way.

“Bar, Barbatos, why is that carefree guy wearing a ‘dog collar’ when he’s dead?!”

.

.

.

[Lucifer’s Chains of Atonement]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Restriction : Lv.1000, Demon Hunter]

[Effect : ‘Suppresses’ the demon race].

[Description : An artifact of Akshan that is said to have been used to suppress the demons. Its authenticity cannot be confirmed, but its appearance is so extraordinary that no one can doubt its authenticity].