< Chapter 165: Adam’s Mark (1) >
The world was shocked.
[The One Guild, the failure to conquer the Dragon’s Lair!]
[Zero survivors!]
[The demise of The One Guild. The reasons behind it.]
The downfall of The One Guild.
Four single-number members, including the master, lost their lives.
There was no one who wasn’t surprised by this fact.
-What on earth is in the Dragon’s Lair?
-Already the fourth total annihilation, really?
-If even The One fails, isn’t it practically impossible to conquer?
Most expressed their doubts.
-Ah, what now?
-The villains must be having a field day.
-What will happen to the U.S. now?
Some were worried about the crime rate.
-Ah, I utterly detest The One Guild.
-So freaking annoying. Ah ??
And the Koreans were enraged.
-If these bastard-like guys are going to die, they should die alone. Why are they taking Kang Seo-yul and making such a fuss!
-Ah, he was truly a historic promising individual.
-Does it make sense to take a 20-year-old cadet into such a dangerous place? Honestly, there should be international protests.
This kind of public opinion formed as it became widely known that Kang Seo-yul participated in the Dragon’s Lair raid.
People couldn’t contain their anger at the fact that the most promising individual in Korean history died before he could shine.
-Shit! It’s really a waste. Considering Kang Seo-yul, he could have been the first Korean top ranker
└ Is being a top ranker a big deal? Honestly, considering his current performance, growth speed, potential, and form, it was entirely possible for him to become the number 1 ranking following the master.
-No, no. There are many who shine for a moment during their promising period and then disappear. Kang Seo-yul was all bubbles.
└ Wow, shi-. Do people hating on Seo-yul only have noodles for brains? They are criticizing Kang Seo-yul even in this situation?
└ He has all the attributes, professional-level weapon proficiency, and unprecedented ability growth speed. A dual player who can use both magic and swordsmanship. Tell me if there is another bubble like this.
└ Yeah, all that was hyped up.
└ What nonsense. Haven’t you seen the video?
└ Yeah, it was manipulated.
└ Don’t feed the troll. This bastard only appears in posts about Kang Seo-yul to stir trouble.
└ Bullshit.
Although there were some ignorant people, the majority were mourning and regretting Kang Seo-yul’s death.
However, here, at Yu Hwa’s house, the atmosphere was slightly different.
The place that should have been filled with despair over the death of a close acquaintance surprisingly had a brighter atmosphere.
“Seo-yul isn’t dead.”
Maiden spoke with a firm expression.
“Yes. He probably isn’t dead.”
Hermit supported her opinion.
The two members of Kang Seo-yul’s rescue operation had somehow managed to return safely. They almost got killed by being caught in the space collapse but somehow survived.
“What makes you think that way?”
Shin Jia glared sharply at the two.
“Three people disappeared at the same time.”
“…Simultaneously?”
“Yes.”
Maiden recalled the situation at that time and spoke.
“Suddenly, without any warning, Kang Seo-yul, Shirakawa, and Unknown, all three disappeared at the same time. Those strong three disappeared in the blink of an eye.”
If only Kang Seo-yul had disappeared, it would have been highly probable that he disappeared due to Unknown’s attack.
But Unknown and Kang Seo-yul disappeared at the same time. It’s not very likely that both of them died.
“Isn’t there a possibility that they were consumed by the phenomenon of space collapse?”
Yu Hwa asked with a calm expression.
“That possibility isn’t high.”
Hermit replied.
“The space collapse wasn’t so fast that it was unavoidable. They would have sensed the anomaly in the mana beforehand and evacuated.”
“Yeah. Even this dark and gloomy guy and I could feel it because there was a significant distortion in the mana.”
“…I see.”
Yu Hwa nodded.
“There, you said that as soon as the three disappeared, the spatial collapse ended, right?”
Quietly listening until now, Ha Si-yeon opened her mouth for the first time.
“Then, could there be some secret in the unidentified phenomenon itself?”
“Right. That’s what I wanted to say.”
Maiden nodded her head.
“If my guess is correct, that ‘spatial collapse’ began shortly after Seo-yul started fighting with that unknown person.”
It was likely to be the case when considering the timeline.
“And it stopped as soon as the two disappeared.”
It was clear that the key to solving the incident lay in the spatial collapse. That’s why Maiden came up with a hypothesis.
“I suspect that the spatial collapse might have been a precursor to ‘some kind of seal’.”
“…a seal?”
“Yes.”
Maiden turned her head toward Shin Jia.
“Jia, didn’t you say that one of the Angel race’s traits is ‘sacrifice’?”
“Huh? Yes, I vaguely remember… It was certainly called that.”
“What is its effect?”
“It isolates oneself along with a specific target by sealing them in a separate dimension, using oneself as a nucleus…”
Shin Jia broke off, her lips quivering.
“Don’t tell me…?”
“Right. I think he might have used that trait. Deciding that he couldn’t beat the unknown, he resorted to his last option.”
The spatial collapse was a precursor to the seal. Considering this, it was natural for the spatial collapse to end as soon as the sealing was completed.
“Then what happened to the woman who disappeared with them?”
Ha Si-yeon cautiously asked.
Hermit responded.
“Lust probably just got caught up in it. She was holding onto Kang Seo-yul at the moment of disappearance.”
“I and Hermit were keeping a distance to guard against the unknown, so we were fine.”
“I see…”
Ha Si-yeon was convinced.
“So you mean this? Kang Seo-yul isn’t dead. He chose to be sealed with the unknown, using himself as a sacrifice.”
“To sum it up, yes.”
A silence descended upon the room. Everyone seemed to be organizing their thoughts.
“…Indeed, if it’s as Maiden-ssi hypothesizes, everything adds up.”
“There’s something strange, but nothing absurd.”
Shin Jia and Yu Hwa were the first to conclude their thoughts. They agreed that Maiden’s hypothesis was highly credible.
Ha Si-yeon didn’t say anything but seemed to agree with Maiden’s thoughts.
“Then we need to find a way to release the seal.”
Yu Hwa leaned her chin on her hand and squinted her eyes.
“When the seal is released, that monster… the unknown, was it? It will be released too. So, we should also prepare a way to confront it.”
Shin Jia had the same expression on her face.
“There’s no need to worry too much about the seal. There’s no way that kid chose to seal without any countermeasures. Probably, he arranged for the seal to naturally break after a certain period of time.”
“Right. Seo-yul’s goal is to prevent a second race war. He would have made arrangements to return before that.”
Ha Si-yeon’s words were met with a reaction from Hermit.
“…A second race war?”
“Ah, Hermit, is it your first time hearing this?”
Maiden massaged her furrowed brow as she spoke.
“I’ll explain it to you separately later. Since you’re now virtually onboard, I should tell you about it.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“Anyway, that’s the end of the explanation.”
Maiden met the eyes of the other four one by one and spoke.
“We will wait for that kid to return while solidifying our foundation as much as possible and preparing for the future catastrophe.”
Maiden asserted with confident eyes.
“That will be what the kid expects of us.”
The eyes of the four filled with determination, gleaming intensely.
* * *
In the center of Alfheim.
Where the World Tree Park was established in modern times, a building of the Alfheim royal family stood.
A harmonious building erected with the branches of the World Tree as its roof.
Its mystical charm was more than enough to evoke admiration.
“Wow….”
I wonder if Aide shares the same thoughts as me, as they open their mouth wide and their eyes sparkle like a child.
“Seo-yul, look there. How can such a structure come about? There are no signs of the tree being cut.”
“That’s true.”
I find it extremely fascinating as well.
I wonder what advanced architectural technique was used.
—Look there. They are the foreigners brought by the queen.
—If the queen brought them, they are not at least evil people.
—Should we try to talk to them?
—Don’t they emit a pleasant fragrance?
Anyway, I wish something could be done about these pouring gazes.
It feels like I have become an elephant in a zoo.
I sneakily looked around.
Both men and women were incredibly handsome and beautiful.
I thought Koreans were known for their beauty, but compared to these real elves, they were nothing.
Moreover, their outfits are quite desirable.
Between clothes seemingly made by pulling out threads from leaves, flesh colors are plentiful.
To sum up, the exposure level is high.
I wonder if it was designed considering mobility, or if it is a traditional attire.
Anyway, thanks to that, it’s hard to know where to rest my eyes.
“…So, Seo-yul is also a man?”
The aide looks up at me sharply.
A curious emotion flickers in their eyes.
“Must be nice, right? Getting the attention of those beautiful ladies all to yourself. It seems like the queen is also favorable towards you….”
I could instantly perceive what that emotion was.
“What, are you jealous?”
I smiled mischievously.
At my smile, whether something irritated her, Lust narrowed her lips and spoke.
“Yes. I am jealous.”
She answered firmly, with a serious face.
…Isn’t that too candid?
“Even though you don’t properly pay attention to me, do you like those clothes? Or do you prefer blondes?”
Her face gradually got closer. I could feel that her eyes harbored jealousy and a sense of being left out.
“No, more than that, I heard it from Hermit. Did you notice how I feel about you, Seo-yul?”
“…Eh?”
“He even said you knew I was an executive of the Saviors of Truth. Don’t tell me you approached me to use me?”
“No, that’s not it….”
Our noses nearly touched as we got closer.
—Look there. They are having a lover’s quarrel.
—It seems like the guy did something wrong.
The whispers around us grew louder.
“Please explain.”
She stared straight into my eyes, seemingly unconcerned about the gazes from the surroundings.
“What am I to you?”
Her pupils were trembling slightly. They looked anxious.
I scratched my cheek and casually replied,
“A reliable colleague.”
“…A colleague?”
“Yes. The benefactor who saved my life, and a very important colleague.”
She looked at me with a strange expression, seemingly dissatisfied.
“If you don’t like the term ‘colleague’… friend?”
Their eyes narrowed even further.
It seemed the word ‘friend’ was even more unsatisfactory.
“Is there no consideration of a relationship between a man and a woman, or something like that?”
“…Not yet?”
Right now, romance is a luxury to me.
I don’t have the luxury to entertain such thoughts.
“Perhaps, is there someone else you have in mind?”
“Hmm. Not really?”
Right now, all of my romantic cells have been annihilated. Perhaps I should say I can’t spare the energy for it because my survival cells are working overtime.
“…I see.”
Lust stroked their chest.
It was a very relieved expression.
—I’m sorry to interrupt what seems to be a pleasant conversation.
Illyna approached us.
—The preparation for the treatment is all set. Please come this way.
* * *
We followed Illyna and moved inside the building.
Inside, like outside, it had a unique interior with naturally grown trees intertwining, as if they were born that way.
“Seo-yul, do you really not need any support?”
Lust, who was walking beside me, looked at me with a worried expression.
“It’s okay. I’ve recovered a bit while resting.”
Walking is not a problem. Well, I mean walking.
‘Why can’t I use divine power even though my mana has recovered?’
The problem is that even though my mana has recovered, sacred power doesn’t activate.
‘My Artisan’s Portable Forge is still inactive.’
None of my abilities are responsive. Considering the slow recovery of stamina, there seems to be a problem with ‘Boiling Pure Blood.’
‘It’s as if all my traits have disappeared…’
I glanced at the back of my hand. The mark of the Spirit race had turned white.
“Could white mean that it’s deactivated? Or did something change when I came to the past?”
It seems certain that my abilities have changed due to contact with the heretic, Unknown, another system-errored person, but the nature of that change is still a mystery.
‘If there were ancient artifacts, I would check…’
I can’t retrieve ancient artifacts because my Artisan’s Portable Forge is inactive. Well, even if I could, there are no artifacts I can wear.
―Seo-yul.
Illyna, who was walking in front of me, matched her stride with mine and asked,
―I have something I want to ask. Is it okay?
―Yes, what is it?
Illyna stood in front of me and stopped walking.
―Why do I smell the scent of our race on you, Seo-yul?
It was a suspicious, almost expectant look, filled with curiosity.
―Do you really smell that scent?
―Yes, it’s like the scent of nature, I should say. The distinct refreshing scent of the race. It’s strong on you, Seo-yul.
Is it because of the complete assimilation of the Elf’s ‘scent’?
That possibility seems likely. In that case, the effects of complete assimilation are likely still in place.
―Um… I don’t know.
For now, I let out a sigh.
―Hmm. I see.
Illyna looked at me meaningfully for about three seconds.
―Then I guess that’s what it is.
Then she immediately turned into a bright smile.
―Oh, right. I almost forgot to give you this before the treatment.
Illyna took out a green bead.
―It’s the medicine you need for the treatment. You should take it in advance.
―Ah, I see.
It’s not a bead; it’s medicine.
―Here.
―Thank you.
I took the medicine that Illyna handed me.
And at that moment.
Crack!
A brilliant light spewed out from the medicine.
“Seo-yul!”
I felt intense heat in my throat.
A sensation as if someone was holding my vocal cords. It was painful enough to make me lose consciousness immediately.
Fortunately, the pain subsided quickly.
“Heuk… heuk.”
It hurt so much I thought I was going to lose consciousness. I looked at Illyna with resentful eyes as I gasped for breath.
―What… what’s the intention behind this?
But Illyna didn’t answer.
―Ahh…
She just stared at me with a rapturous expression.
“Seo-yul…?”
Even half of her mouth was open, and she seemed to be absentminded.
“Your… eyes and ears…”
“Ears?”
What’s wrong with my eyes and ears?
I brought my hand to my ear.
“Huh?”
It’s long.
My ears are incredibly long.
“Is this for real?”
Are these elf ears?
Why did my appearance change to look like an elf?
Why?
At that moment, Illyna suddenly knelt down.
“The child of the forest greets the great father of the woods.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
What is she talking about?
<Chapter 165: Adam’s Mark (Part 1)> End
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