Chapter 715 – Top Secret (2)

Park Hwigang’s NetTube community.

— So when are we actually exploring the Demon Realm?
— Seriously curious lol
— That place looks insanely creepy tbh
— Bet the views would explodeㅋㅋ

Just reading the comments made him sigh automatically.

“This really isn’t the time to be getting excited.”

If you hadn’t experienced it firsthand, it was easy to misunderstand.
Now that portals linked the Demon Realm, the Arcana Continent, and Reality—

Humanity was visibly filled with anticipation.

“It might look like we’ve achieved something incredible, but in truth…”

People probably thought that once the Demon Realm was conquered, they’d finally be free from the threat of the Great Cataclysm that had terrified everyone for so long.

But Park Hwigang could still see it.

“This peace could shatter at any moment!”

The beings that poured out of the collapsed curse.

After someone coined the term “curse-flesh,” that became what they were called.
Their appearance was horrific, yet they hadn’t shown hostility toward humans.

That was why the world was breathing a sigh of relief.

But Park Hwigang didn’t overlook it.

“If the curse-flesh suddenly change their minds…”

Just their sheer numbers were enough to make one gasp.

Especially when he remembered the moment right after the curse collapsed—
when the curse-flesh openly showed hostility toward the Holy War Alliance…!

After witnessing that, complacency was impossible.

“What are you muttering about?”
“Agh— P-President Fabian?!”
“Yes. It’s me.”

A steel helmet that completely concealed his face.
Without that thick, distinctive voice, he wouldn’t have recognized him.

Still— why was an explorer in full combat gear…?

Catching Park Hwigang’s questioning gaze, Fabian spoke first.

“Isn’t it about time we stirred things up a little in the Demon Realm?”
“You don’t mean… you’re heading out to explore?”
“Nothing grand. More like reconnaissance.”

So-called solo action.

“What?! President, alone?!”

Park Hwigang flinched at a decision that felt uncharacteristic of Fabian.

That reaction— fresh, yet understandable.

Fabian shrugged.

“It feels like it’s time to chase romance again.”

The Romantic Explorer, Lorenzik.

“And there’s something I need to reclaim as the leader.”

Lorenzik had vanished after absconding with the Explorer Federation’s treasure.
A cat couldn’t just walk past a fish shop, after all.

“So Lorenzik is in the Demon Realm?”
“Seems so. They say he stopped by the camp at dawn.”
“Really? And then just… left?”

Fabian nodded.

‘Truly impossible to pin down.’

Fabian confirmed it with a nod and summed things up.

Like Park Hwigang, Fabian had personally confirmed the danger posed by the curse-flesh when they displayed hostility.

To be honest, moving in a group would’ve been safer—

But he couldn’t drag others into danger just out of curiosity.

“If we don’t provoke them, there’s no reason for them to turn hostile.”
“That helmet… it’s a magical tool for that, isn’t it?”
“Does it look cowardly? It’s admittedly undignified—but the effect is certain.”

『Helmet of Silence』

Its effect drastically lowered the wearer’s combat power in exchange for completely removing them from the enemy’s awareness.

For an explorer— a non-combat class to begin with— it was far more benefit than loss.

As Fabian prepared to depart, Park Hwigang spoke.

“I know you’ll be careful, President… but I’m still worried. The Demon Realm is chaotic right now. Ah— also, the reinforcements will be arriving soon. They might look for you.”

The arrival of the moderate Holy War Alliance.

No matter how powerful their forces were, explorers were essential for opening paths at the front lines.

With Lorenzik’s whereabouts unknown, Fabian’s presence was indispensable.

Fabian replied casually.

“You’re here, aren’t you?”
“Well… yes. Of course I am.”
“Then that’s enough.”
“…What?”

Explorers grow stronger the more dangerous their expeditions become.

In that sense, aside from Lorenzik, Park Hwigang was the explorer who had faced the most perilous journeys.

What did he mean by that?

Fabian patted the clearly flustered Park Hwigang on the shoulder.

“To be honest, I don’t fully trust you. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a true explorer— unlike those fools obsessed only with power.”

‘A true explorer? Me?!’

“I only ever followed behind Mr. Hoyeol…”

Wasn’t this like tagging along with the top student to the library and getting better grades by accident?

If the system were intact, a [Class Quest] would probably have popped up right now.

Fabian smiled at the stunned Park Hwigang.

“I’ve already stayed on longer than I should have.”

Was this too an explorer’s intuition?

Fabian sensed that this would be his final expedition.

Even knowing the danger, he couldn’t help stepping forward.

Lorenzik— wouldn’t you understand that feeling better than anyone?

‘That’s why I need an answer.’

Fabian looked up at the Demon Realm’s sky.

The silver evil eye.

Facing the ruler of the Demon Realm, he murmured softly.

“Why is it…”

That the curse-flesh were directing their killing intent—

Only toward the evil eye.

*

read only on pindang

*

It was a long-overdue reunion between brothers.

“Uwaaagh!”
“Why are you yelling like that?”
“I don’t know if you’re just happy to see me, but you’re breaking my bones!”
“You’re the older one—stop being such a baby.”
“And you’re the younger one—does that give you the right to bully your brother?”

Crash.

Nam Taemin let out a short laugh at Nam Cheolmin’s scream, but only for a moment. Soon enough, the two shifted straight into discussing the Holy War Alliance.

“Anyway, I’m just glad you’re safe, Taemin.”
“That’s my line. I still can’t believe Agares actually manifested.”
“Putting that aside—how’s the hardliner force holding up?”

There were some injured, but not enough to call it a loss of combat power. Aside from fighting a pack of dragons inside the curse, they hadn’t engaged in any major battles to begin with.

“No different from when we first entered. How about Seoul?”

That question carried several layers of meaning.

There was no way Nam Cheolmin would miss that. Adjusting his glasses, he answered seriously.

“For now, the ‘King of Seoul’ plan failed.”
“W-What? Why?!”
“Agares beat us to it.”

After ascending the throne, Agares manifested his authority.

Carrying the loyalty of the people—Seoul itself—he fell into hell. Hoyeol hunted that Agares and claimed the title of [Tyrant] instead of [King], but that was information Nam Cheolmin couldn’t share.

Nam Taemin, who had been listening quietly, snapped.

“That bastard really is vicious beyond belief.”
“He’s a demon. What did you expect?”
“But don’t you think his final struggle felt… sloppy?”

Nam Cheolmin flinched internally.

‘Sharp instincts, as always.’

Having once been possessed by a demon, Nam Cheolmin had slipped free of Grandfell’s brainwashing. Because of that unique circumstance, he alone could question why Seoul’s hostility was directed at the silver evil eye.

Nam Taemin stared fixedly at that silver eye.

“How should I put it… it feels self-imposed.”
“Self-imposed?”
“You know….”

After hearing what happened in Seoul, it was now his turn to talk about the Demon Realm.

Of course, Nam Taemin still kept something from his brother.

‘That scent—I’m not certain yet.’

The curse-flesh.

The scent they carried—our scent. Nam Taemin refrained from mentioning it, but it was enough.

Before long, Nam Cheolmin nodded.

“Taemin. Don’t freak out—just listen.”
“Hyung, I’m Nam Taemin.”

Leader of the barbarians.
Pure ferocity.
A man with nothing but guts—

“I think the silver evil eye might be on our side.”

Despite all his fierce reputation, Nam Taemin turned pale.

“W-What?!”

An ally? The evil eye?

Stammering, Nam Taemin glanced around.

“Thank god no one’s listening. But still—how can you say that all of a sudden? You know this too, hyung. The one who owns the silver evil eye is supposed to be the source of all evil!”

On Today Arcana, where he’d appeared alongside Hoyeol, Nam Taemin had heard it with his own ears.

“Hoyeol said he’d hunt it down.”
“I know.”
“And he talked about pride when he said it.”
“I know that too.”
“Then how can you say something like that?!”

Why was Nam Taemin practically shouting?

Simple.

It felt like he’d been stabbed right in the heart.

The collapsed curse.
The curse-flesh that, for some reason, didn’t treat them as enemies.

Watching them, Nam Taemin had felt uneasy.

—“Isn’t this creepy?”
—“What now, trying to look cool again?”
—“They haven’t looked at us even once.”

They stared only at the sky of the Demon Realm.

A sight so grotesque it even shut Leonie up—those uncountable, indescribably horrific curse-flesh pouring killing intent solely toward the silver evil eye.

Watching that, Nam Taemin had entertained a thought he shouldn’t have.

—“…Do we really have to hunt it?”

He’d forced himself back into resolve after seeing the boy Hoyeol within the curse.

—“No. We do. We must.”

And now his only brother was saying this.

Yet Nam Cheolmin didn’t back down—not even a step.

It might’ve been presumptuous, but—

“This is just speculation.”
“Speculation, but?”
“I think maybe… none of this could’ve been avoided.”
“…Couldn’t have been avoided?”
“Doesn’t it feel strange to you?”

Nam Cheolmin knew.

The relationship between a demon hunter and a demon.
Between the possessed and the possessor.
Between Hoyeol and the silver evil eye.

Knowing all that, the contradiction became impossible to ignore.

“They have to hunt each other because they’re trying to protect one another.”
“…!”
“I think there’s a reason they have no choice but to hunt.”

Nam Taemin wanted to shout back immediately.

“If you don’t want to, then don’t! What kind of reason could justify that?”

But he knew—
the more you know, the more you see.

So he swallowed his frustration and spoke calmly instead.

“Then our job’s clear, hyung.”

They were brothers.
They didn’t need to spell it out.

Nam Cheolmin nodded.

“If there is one, we need to find it.”

A new option—for Hoyeol.

“And to do that, we’ll need to move fast.”
“Huh? I just finished rolling around in the Demon Realm.”
“I know. But you know it’s not just the Demon Realm left, right? From the Primordial Evil to Vassago—the last of the Ten Thrones. They’re still active, both in Arcana and Reality.”
“Man, those guys are relentless.”
“Exactly. So let’s hope the reward’s worth it.”

They were searching for another path.

That meant broadening their perspective.

To do that, Nam Cheolmin intended to step into the Demon Realm himself.

“At least the portals are open now.”
“Tch. I had to go in through Behemoth’s stinking mouth.”
“Thanks to my one and only little brother, I get the easy route.”

Just as he was about to accept that bow—

Bzzzz—!

Both brothers’ smartphones vibrated at the same time.

Nam Taemin spoke first.

“Tch… who is this again?”

The number was saved, so it was definitely someone he knew—but the face wouldn’t come to mind. Too many encounters lately? Or was it just the barbarian brain?

Nam Cheolmin asked,

“AAU?”
“Huh? How’d you know?”
“I got a message too.”

Unlike his brother, Nam Cheolmin remembered clearly.

[AAU Korea – Sung Hyunjoon]

One of the staff assisting Branch Manager Park Minjae.

Park Minjae contacting him made sense—but Sung Hyunjoon directly?

Nam Cheolmin recalled his earlier resolve.

‘Broaden your view, Cheolmin.’

Even if Sung Hyunjoon wasn’t a key figure, there was no telling what information he might have.

Thinking that, Nam Cheolmin checked the message—then stopped his brother from replying.

“Hold o—”
“Wait, Taemin. Don’t send anything yet.”
“Huh? Why?”

Checking the time, Nam Cheolmin answered,

“Let’s hear how urgent it is first—for him to contact us immediately.”

That judgment proved correct.

.
.
.

A distant past.

At a Korean restaurant where they would’ve talked together—
if Hoyeol hadn’t replied with “That’s troublesome.”

Inside a VIP room, Nam Taemin abruptly stood up during his conversation with Sung Hyunjoon.

Bang.

“If that’s true, then this isn’t the time to be sitting around.”

Nam Taemin’s eyes glinted coldly.

“We have to stop it. Even if it means turning every single player into our enemy.”

.
.
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[Myth Quest: The Great Sage’s Final Prophecy]