Deliberately echoing with a dull thud, as if to flaunt its presence, the approaching footsteps made everyone’s hearts race.
“…….”
A chilling aura of murderous intent came from beyond the door.
The red mask, an evil spirit that had blindly slaughtered humans, finally revealed itself.
“It’s definitely changed.”
Not just Taeseong, but everyone present could feel it in their skin—the undeniable fact that it had grown incomparably stronger than before.
The red mask pointed at each person, counting them one by one.
“One, two, three, four. There are four of you in total? How many were left again…?”
Taeseong was the first to move.
Kicking off the ground, he drew his sword and aimed for her neck.
Clang!
Her reaction speed was impressive, but what shocked him even more was her overwhelming strength.
The force was so great that Taeseong, who had swung his sword, was repelled and barely managed to regain his balance in mid-air before landing.
An almost acrobatic movement.
Had it been anyone else, they would have been sent flying straight into the wall.
‘…Deputy Lee Eunha was right. I don’t know what method she used, but she’s become incomparably stronger than before.’
At this level, those weak in close combat could be taken down in an instant.
A quick decision.
“Deputy, keep your distance and engage with Gi-jun as much as possible.”
Understanding the implication behind his words immediately, Eunha nodded with a tense expression.
“Oh Haeyoung, no need to counter recklessly. Just focus on supporting me.”
“Y-yes!”
Nothing was more foolish than dying from unnecessary bravado.
Each person needed to do their part—that was the foundation of strategy.
Taeseong smirked as he focused on the red crystal embedded in the red mask’s forehead.
Unlike before, it now emitted a faint glow, and the rhythmic pulsing of her heart was proof enough.
‘Finally, I can see it.’
Everyone here had overlooked one crucial fact.
Taeseong had never once been afraid of her.
Yes, when they first faced the red mask, everyone’s heart pounded.
But not for the same reason.
The reason his heart raced…
It was the expectation that he might regain his lost memories and the primal predator’s urge to consume that.
Now he understood.
This instinct was his only guide.
The signpost that pointed him toward his path.
Ta-da-da-dak!
Dashing along the wall, Taeseong’s sword gleamed with a blue aura.
In the blink of an eye, he reached the red mask and swung his sword at her chest.
A strike faster than the initial surprise attack.
“You smell similar to me. What are you?”
As if she had anticipated it, she blocked effortlessly and thrust her scissors without pause.
“Do you know that man too?”
Of course, she had never been trained in swordplay; there was no form or technique.
Her attacks were purely focused on tearing human flesh apart—wild and unpredictable.
That made them all the more troublesome.
It was impossible to predict where the next strike would land.
Not to mention, her strength and speed far exceeded Taeseong’s expectations.
‘The biggest issue is my weapon. At this rate, my sword will break soon.’
Taeseong wasn’t bad at hand-to-hand combat, but his best weapon was still his sword.
However, he realized that compared to the red mask’s scissors, his sword’s durability was laughably weak.
It was only natural.
The sword he used was a standard issue for an Epsilon-level administrator—just a mass-produced supply.
Moreover, Taeseong wielded a high-level technique known as Aura.
The sword’s collapse due to overload was inevitable.
“Handsome guys are always the same. Satoshi, you, all of you! You always have a string of pumpkins following you around. Men are all the same!”
The red mask murmured, eyes bloodshot.
“You lustful beasts. But I love men. I love them so, so much. But why don’t men love me back!?”
“…Do you think men only care about a woman’s appearance?”
“They do! You all judge by looks! Always whispering behind our backs, calling this one ugly and that one pretty! You only like the pretty ones!”
“You’re right.”
“Dieeeeeee!”
Enraged, the red mask swung her scissors even faster.
“Everyone likes beautiful people. But that’s just the surface. To truly capture someone’s heart, your inner self must be beautiful. Your exterior and interior are both so ugly they’re disgusting.”
A piercing screech, like nails on a chalkboard, echoed throughout the basement.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut uppppp!”
Her attacks became even more relentless.
Taeseong’s flesh was sliced off in real time—left shoulder, right chest, left side, back, right thigh.
Blood pooled across the floor in an instant.
If he hadn’t consumed Orochi’s tail, he might have died already.
Though, if that had been the case, he wouldn’t have fought so recklessly.
But since he had consumed it, he could afford to execute such a reckless strategy.
‘Now.’
Gi-jun clenched his fist, twisting the red mask’s legs grotesquely.
Seizing the opportunity, Oh Haeyoung lunged from the left and swung her axe at the red mask’s shoulder.
Whoosh!
The arm holding the scissors was severed cleanly.
The ambush succeeded, but Haeyoung was sent flying into the wall by the remaining arm.
Still, this was all within expected parameters.
Finishing it was his task.
Now that both legs and the weapon-wielding arm were gone, there was no way for her to block his final strike.
“It’s over.”
His target was the red crystal on her forehead.
Taeseong leapt into the air, infusing his sword with Aura.
At that moment—
Crack!
The blade of his sword shattered into dust.
The worst-case scenario had unfolded.
The red mask, sensing her survival, smirked.
“You missed your only chance.”
“No. It’s over.”
With Eunha’s voice, a sword flew through the air.
Its blade was engraved with the 28 constellations and ancient characters.
Its name was Four Tiger Demon-Slaying Sword.
A sword meant to slay evil spirits.
Catching it mid-air, Taeseong drove the blade straight into the red mask’s forehead.
However, she wasn’t done yet.
With her remaining hand, she grasped the fallen scissors and struck first.
Slice!
Taeseong’s left hand fell to the ground with a clean cut.
“…….”
But the tip of his sword was embedded in her forehead.
Taeseong picked up his severed hand and pressed it to the wound.
“It’ll heal once I reattach it.”
Eunha, who had been about to rush toward him, clicked her tongue in disbelief.
‘Who’s worrying about who here?’
“That only applies to you, Taeseong…”
Leaving the worry-free man aside, she turned to Haeyoung.
“Haeyoung, are you okay?”
“Hehe, I’m fine.”
Despite being covered in debris, Haeyoung’s bright smile indicated she wasn’t in critical danger.
“Why aren’t you asking about me?”
“Have some conscience, will you?”
“Yes.”
Deflated, Gi-jun went to help Haeyoung.
While reattaching his hand, Taeseong gazed intently at the sword in the red mask’s forehead.
Eunha peered over his shoulder.
“What are you staring at so intently?”
“…This sword… When did you prepare it?”
“From the beginning.”
“Did you know that the sword I originally used would break?”
“I wasn’t certain. I just thought there was a chance it might happen. It looked unstable at a glance. I simply did what I could, and it just happened to work out.”
Taeseong was impressed.
‘She says it was luck, but from preparing the weapon with that possibility in mind to handing it over at the perfect moment… The fact that she turned a crisis into an opportunity was entirely thanks to her.’
If it weren’t for Lee Eunha’s support, the battle would have dragged on much longer. Perhaps there would have even been casualties.
Her support was executed perfectly, right when it was needed. Even someone as stoic as Taeseong was genuinely impressed.
“Can I ask just one more question?”
“What is it?”
“Where did you get this sword?”
“I drew it myself…”
“Deputy. You can’t draw, can you?”
“……”
Her eyes were smiling, but the corners of her mouth didn’t move an inch.
“You probably think that because of the drawing I did last time… I was in a rush then and drew it hastily. Normally, I can draw to a decent extent.”
“I see.”
“And just so you know, it’s disposable. It’s nothing more than a replica created with my abilities, mimicking the original form.”
‘Judging by how pale she looks, it must have taken a significant toll on her mental energy.’
When Taeseong casually responded and drew the spectral sword, it disappeared instantly.
While Lee Eun-ha was pondering how to handle things…
“So, what do I do with this now…?”
“Taeseong? What are you doing…?”
“……”
“Taeseong! Lee Taeseong! Hey, Lee Taeseong! You crazy bastard! What are you doing now?!”
Taeseong plucked the crystal embedded in the red mask’s forehead and swallowed it.
Crunch. Crunch.
Gulp.
This time, the memories that surfaced belonged to both Taeseong and the red mask.
Taegorang (太古狼).
The primordial wolf that has existed since ancient times.
A year had passed since he became its apostle. The wolf’s body, torn to shreds by countless gods, was scattered across various parts of the world. Most of those fragments had fused with ‘humans.’
—With your current self, you won’t even find my body, let alone defeat those cowardly followers. Take this.
—What is this?
—My eye and a portion of the power of ‘Devour.’ Though I may look pitiful now, I once consumed even the gods of ■■■. Once I regain my true strength, these chains will be nothing.
—Your ‘eye’ and ‘Devour’…
—Don’t look so clueless. That eye allows you to see the ‘core’ of souls. Normally, you’d be able to see through anything, but in your incomplete state, you can only see those you perceive as ‘prey.’
—So it’s useless against those stronger than me.
—That’s why you have ‘Devour.’ Keep consuming, and grow stronger. The more you consume, the stronger prey you can take down.
—How do I find your ‘body’?
—You’ll instinctively know when you’re close. When my body draws near, you’ll feel an unbearable hunger.
It was exactly as he had said.
The devouring force within me reacted automatically when his body fragments were nearby. Thanks to that, I was able to locate them without much effort. Though, what I had found so far was less than five percent of what had been scattered across the world.
“This time… it’s here.”
An insatiable hunger was a curse far too burdensome for a mere human to bear.
The feeling of fullness lasted only for a fleeting moment. Once the meal was over, I had to wander in search of the next prey to fill the void.
The only thing sustaining me through this relentless cycle was the hope that one day, I could return home.
“…It won’t be easy.”
My next target was a middle-aged man with graying hair.
At first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary human. But the closer I got, the stronger my hunger grew, proving that the fragment was within him.
Moreover, the fact that I couldn’t see the core of his soul meant that I subconsciously recognized him as someone stronger than me.
“Just wait a little longer.”
Without even glancing at me, the middle-aged man muttered softly. His gaze was fixed on a distant snow-covered mountain peak.
In his hand, he held an old, toothless sword.
I felt a rising desire to devour him immediately, but I exercised superhuman patience, waiting for his next move.
This was the last shred of conscience I upheld as a human. Or perhaps, it was the final thread of humanity I clung to in desperation.
“Hoo…”
The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Then, he swung his sword.
“I finally… finally cut it…”
The mountain peak before him split diagonally.
“Helena… Are you watching? I did it. I… kept my promise…”
With a sorrowful smile, he collapsed, as if all lingering regrets had dissipated.
“Now… I can go see you.”
He had cut the mountain.
I knew he was strong, but I never imagined he was at this level.
The only saving grace was that he no longer had any will to live.
If he had struggled even a little, I would have had to give it my all.
“Can I stop waiting now?”
“…Yes. I’m tired too. I just want to see Helena.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
With those words, I swung my sword.
Blood trickled down the line drawn across his nape, and his severed head rolled onto the ground.
“Now I see it.”
I reached into his chest and extracted a crystal the size of a fingertip.
Then, I placed it in my mouth and chewed it thoroughly.
Gulp.
A wave of fulfillment rushed through me.
If the crystal hadn’t appeared, I might have had to resort to other methods—methods I preferred not to think about.
Soon, his memories flooded into my mind.
A young man and a beautiful woman making a promise of eternity, the man suffering as she fell ill, and him holding her lifeless hand, weeping sorrowfully.
—Darling, do you remember what you said when we looked at that mountain as kids?
—Helena… Please… don’t leave me…
—You said you’d become strong enough to cut that mountain and protect me forever. I… I want to see it. You cutting that mountain.
—Helena… Please… don’t leave me alone…
—I’ll be watching from above. Don’t follow me until you’ve cut it, okay? Promise me.
And the man dedicating his entire life to slicing that one mountain.
“A man who swung his sword his whole life for a single woman…”
Gazing at the blade shimmering with blue flames, I briefly fell into deep thought before moving on in search of the next fragment.
“You’re fortunate… to have a place to return to.”
