Chapter 611 – Drowning (2)

My head can’t keep up.

“I just wanted you to be happy. Happiness isn’t a word for those of us born with damned blood… but still, I hoped for one thing.”

The Great Claudi Family.

They’re damned blood.

Happiness is not a word for them.

“I only hoped you wouldn’t go to hell, Grandfell. If I could burn in hell in your place, I would. Only because that was my goal in life. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of you.”

Pride

On behalf of Grandfell.

Wanted to fall into the fires of hell.

“No matter what choice you make, I love you, my brother.”

And with those words, he disappeared.

I realized in hindsight. This is not the effect of a headache. Even in my dizzy, numb, and disoriented state, something was going on that I, Lee Hoyeol, would never understand.

But one thing was clear.

Sssshhh

Pride is gone, scattered like dust.

Bael’s grasp was on me.

Desperately, I racked my brain.

It was to make an estimate.

‘It was a fake, but it was Pride that was reborn as the head of family.’

In the name of a system that didn’t lie, Pride had wielded the power of the Claudi family. It may only be a moment, but if the words that oppressed the body are evidence, it can be said to be evidence.

‘But.’

Bael had ruthlessly killed even Pride.

Maybe Bael is even stronger than I thought.

It was at this moment that concern began to take over my mind.

‘No, wait.’

Claudi’s power was stronger than that.

Now that Pride, the patriarch, was dead.

Where did that power go?

I thought back to Pride’s words again.

‘Pride called Claudie’s power a damned power, and I still don’t know why, because it’s part of the 30% that Grandfell is desperately hiding from me.’

But Pride did say.

-”……I, Pride, will give up the power of the head of the family.”

According to what he said, Pride died while giving up Claudi’s power, which was no different from a curse. What if he died without giving up his power?

‘Everything would have gone according to Pride’s plan.’

However, Pride was unable to fulfill his plan.

It wasn’t because of Bael’s sudden appearance.

Pride knew that Bael would come to this place.

That’s right.

The variable that suddenly appeared was me.

No, it was Grandfell.

I stammered in disbelief.

‘Is this what you wanted, Grandfell?’

My creaky head somehow manages to piece together the flow of events.

What if.

What if he had heard the truth that Pride had kept from him.

What if Grandfell had taken the position of Claudi patriarch……?

It was understandable that Pride, who had become a demon for Grandfell’s sake, who had brought down the family with his own hands, and who was about to go to hell as head of the family, would suddenly give up the seat of household.

-“I love you, my brother.”

The demon hunter’s senses had told him.

Pride’s last words.

He meant it.

‘Damn.’

My vision is blurry, but I open my eyes to find clearer evidence. There is no clearer evidence than a system message. However, there were more than one or two messages that came to mind, and the text was not even legible.

kkudeudeudeudeug.

Because Bael’s grip, which had been stopped, began to move again.

It was a different kind of momentum than before.

In his grasp was a weapon unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

A red sword body that appears to be soaked in blood.

A weapon wielded by a creature that could destroy continents with its bare hands.

A simple dodge would send it straight for the Arcana continent.

Sreum

It wouldn’t be strange if the Arcana continent, let alone the Claudi Territory beneath my feet, was cut off. Even as Bael’s grip tightened on the Blood Sword, I thought desperately.

‘It’s impossible to offset the damage with reversal magic, and I don’t understand Bael. So it’s architectural magic? What on earth can we build to prevent an attack that could lead to destruction of the continent……!’

My thoughts were interrupted by a swarm of light.

Emanating from my body.

No, not exactly.

Dalkag.

The [Six Sight Brooch] was back to its full six-piece form. Yes, the last piece had been filled in, and it wasn’t hard to guess why.

Grandfell already knew about the Six-Sight Brooch.

That meant it was most likely connected to the Claudi family.

Besides, Pride had just died.

The last piece of the Sixth Sight Brooch must have been in his possession. With Pride’s death, the last piece of the brooch and its place in the Claudi family tree would be left to Grandfell.

A single message appears in the precarious field of vision.

[The True Head of the Great Family, Claudi, appears.]

*

The Iron Castle.

The player’s field of vision.

The message flashes.

[□00 0O, 00000 □O0 □O0 □□ooo.]

There was no panic.

There before them was Bael, the incomprehensible being, the Ten Thrones.

It must be a message about Bael.

“Can we at least guess the number of letters?”

It was the moment someone muttered.

“Something’s wrong.”

It was Baek Yiseol who broke the silence.

Nam Cheolmin looked at Baek Yiseol. Since then, Yiseol had always been aware of her weight. The point was not to act or speak hastily.

So I listened.

“To be honest, I don’t really know what the energy in the air is, whether it’s the ‘strange malice’ or the ‘negative emotion’ that was posted in the message, I can’t even tell. But ……. ”

So I recognized it.

Baek Yiseol’s voice was different than usual.

It was shaking a little bit.

“…… All that energy is directed at the Commander in Chief.”

Someone said.

“Hua, surely the Commander-in-Chief of our Holy War Alliance would not allow any malicious or negative energy to spread across the Arcana Continent!”

“That’s right, He can purify even the most corrupt of evil dragons.”

“It won’t be easy to deal with Bael…!”

It was a common way of thinking.

“Brother, is it okay for us to stay like this? Bael, I know he’s on a different level, but isn’t there a way to divert attention?!”

Even Taemin, who had a good sense, said so.

But Nam Cheolmin didn’t say anything.

He finished his sentence and walked over to Baek Yiseol, who had stepped back.

“Yiseol.”

“Dragon?”

“You know something more, don’t you?”

“Have you always been unnecessarily quick-witted?”

Baek Yiseol looked at Nam Cheolmin and laughed.

Gaon and Shinhwa.

Ever since they were fighting for the number one guild in Korea.

Nam Cheolmin was truly a nuisance.

“Yiseol, you’re guessing the reason, right?”

Even when we tried to do something underwater.

He would sniff around like a ghost and sabotage things early on.

But now that we’re in the same boat.

“Well, yeah.”

Nam Cheolmin was trustworthy enough.

‘Above all.’

Baek Yiseol added meaningfully.

“You’re the kind of person who doesn’t do things like ‘betrayal,’ right?”

Gulp.

Nam Cheolmin swallowed dry saliva without realizing it. He looked around, just as Baek Yiseol did, to see if anyone was listening.

Luckily, Baek Yiseol was more subtle in this regard.

“Ah.”

That should do it.

“You’re very precise, Yiseol. Are you sure you’re speaking from experience?”

“That’s rude, I’m not good at that.”

“Huh? Did I say something wrong?”

Nam Cheolmin stammers to Baek Yiseol, who is typing on her smartphone.

Baek Yiseol showed him the screen.

There weren’t many words on the notepad app.

However.

“……Are you serious?”

It was enough to make Nam Cheolmin’s face go white.

Baek Yiseol stared at him.

Even a fleeting look, voice, or action.

That’s right.

From now on, I couldn’t completely trust even if it was Cheolmin.

Baek Yiseol said warningly.

“I will make it clear.”

“……?”

“You’re not going to do anything nonsensical, are you?”

She secretly activated the skill [Telepathy] towards Nam Cheolmin.

-Even if the commander-in-chief is a ‘demon.’

*

The Claudi family.

Their memories flood my mind.

Their images unfold in my mind like an afterimage.

Maybe that’s why.

I understand.

Why, Grandfell, why did you treat those people so harshly.

-”……Gra, Grandfell-nim.”

-“You’ll leave that to us, right?”

-“Kindness is rather a burden to me!!! I, I’m sorry. How dare I shout at you, Grandfell-nim, please kill me……!”

Like Grandfell, they had brilliant silver hair.

No matter how you looked at it, it seemed to have lived longer than young Grandfell.

No one ever spoke to the younger Grandfell at ease.

Only.

-“Why are you looking so upset today, Grandfell?”

Except for Pride.

Pride was the only one in the Claudi family who treated Grandfell as Grandfell.

Everyone else saw Grandfell as the heir to the throne, the one to be feared, the object of envy, or the object of regret, depending on how they saw him.

‘Grandfell.’

To you, our Lee family must have been a family with a human touch. Well, sometimes the smell is too strong, which can be a problem, but whatever.

‘It’s you, really.’

That’s all I could say to that.

For the people who don’t see you the way you deserve to be seen.

What you’ve been through.

I knew better than anyone what you’ve been through.

‘Starting with your sister’s hair.’

So now it’s starting to feel real.

The former Claudi family patriarch

A man who appears to be Grandfell’s father.

A six sight brooch adorns his clothing.

From the moment I realized it was a strange item.

I began to wonder.

Why was it broken into six pieces?

‘You may say something, but it was because of superstition.’

Wasn’t it commonly said that if 4 was the number of death, then 6 was the number of the devil, right? Yes, as if my guess was correct, Grandfell’s father said.

-“Remember, Grandfell. It’s a symbol of submission.”

Like a real idiot, you found out too late, Lee Hoyeol.

-“The power of great evil resides in this brooch.”

The set effect of the Six Sight Brooch was bizarre.

An effect that should never be given to players.

To put it simply, it was full of effects that could only be given to a ‘top boss monster’.

And yet, it all made sense.

Except for one thing.

If you admit the one thing you don’t want to admit.

All questions were resolved.

Why Pride had gnashed his teeth at Claudi’s family and treated Claudi’s power as a damned thing.

How he’d desperately refused to give it to Grandfell.

Why the House of Claudi owns the Six Sight Brooch, which symbolizes the submission of six of the seven deadly sins.

Why am I the only one who shares a body with you after awakening, unlike other players?

I gritted my teeth.

‘Only one thing.’

That’s right.

Grandfell.

If you’re a demon.

Eventually, light broke out in the infinitely deep darkness.

[A status abnormality, ‘possession’, occurs on you.]