00648 A Dangerous Blind Date(?)
It all happened suddenly.
Truly, utterly out of nowhere. There was no time to react.
When we left the campsite, I was still worrying about how to deal with Jo Seong-ho.
When we entered the blood-red wasteland and spotted the tower’s signpost, I thought it was all over.
When the advance halted briefly, I felt a slight relief.
Even as the pause dragged on and murmurs rose from the front, I figured nothing serious could be happening.
But then—
A low hum.
Suddenly, a surge of magical energy.
A rising roar.
And in an instant, the entire spectrum of colors that made up the world twisted into a deep, ominous red.
‘What is that…?’
The moment I saw the crimson veil, like an upside-down round dish spread across the sky, my mouth fell open. Yet my body, driven by a rising sense of dread, moved forward on its own.
“Don’t go!”
Just as I took a step, Hwa-jeong’s urgent voice grabbed me back.
“Damn it, don’t go! Absolutely don’t! No, run! I’m telling you, run now!”
‘Hwa-jeong?’
With no explanation, only a desperate command to flee, I was thrown off balance. But her voice carried a desperation I’d never heard before. I immediately activated my Third Eye.
[Dimensional Interference Formation]
(Description: A countermeasure formation against dimensional transfer formations. When linked to an active dimensional transfer formation, it allows the caster of the interference formation to literally ‘interfere’ with the transfer.)
(Detailed Explanation: The formation confirmed by user Kim Su-hyun is an informal, incomplete version containing demonic blood as a component. Its interference effect liquefies all living beings within its range, using them as a source for summoning.)
‘…What?’
I couldn’t help but question the absurd explanation flashing in my mind.
“No, no! It’s too late…!”
Hwa-jeong’s voice cracked with despair.
Then, a grinding, rusty mechanical noise echoed out of nowhere. At the same time, an indescribable sensation crept over my entire body, as if the very fabric of space was being forcibly twisted and warped.
‘Wait a minute.’
As I processed the scene unfolding before me, a sudden realization struck me. This feeling—I’d experienced it before.
It was the same sensation I’d felt when we retook Atlanta, when the Hell Duke appeared…
‘…Ah?’
A flash of memory pierced my mind.
“……”
Despite my disbelief, I slowly lifted my gaze.
The first thing I saw was a sky flowing with an ominous, blood-red glow. Then, from the round veil, hundreds of crimson heat waves drifted upward in chaotic swirls, like a river of red flowing across the heavens.
And then, a reddish figure rose slowly into the air. The heat waves seemed to be drawn into it, as if absorbed by the form itself.
The moment I saw it, instinctively, I understood.
Hwa-jeong’s warning to run.
The Third Eye’s confirmation.
The memory of the first encounter.
And the words that it was already too late.
All the tangled thoughts and memories in my head suddenly merged into one overwhelming truth. At the same time, it felt like a hammer struck me hard on the head.
Right. Now I get it. Now I understand why Hwa-jeong told me to run.
The worst-case scenario I never wanted to imagine was unfolding again, right before Atlanta.
The figure ascending into the sky gradually became clearer, revealing the summoned being within. And I saw her.
Her features were sculpted like a statue—delicate and refined. Her crimson eyes held a detached, indifferent gaze. Her hair flowed like molten scarlet gold, cascading like a waterfall. A faint glow shimmered over her entire body.
At that moment, I involuntarily held my breath.
Only one thought filled my mind.
‘The Hell Duke…’
Thoughts about what had happened to the users ahead, or how the Hell Duke had been summoned, vanished instantly.
My consciousness froze. My teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
Since the moment I saw the Hell Duke, my body felt strangely weak. My mind grew foggy, my legs threatened to give out. Yet my heart pounded wildly, as if it would burst, and my breath caught in my throat. I closed my eyes several times, but each time I opened them, the figure hovering in the sky was unmistakably the Hell Duke.
…Only then did I realize I was trembling.
Yes. I was feeling fear. The overwhelming presence radiating from the suddenly summoned Hell Duke had shaken me to my core. Even standing before Kushan Thor hadn’t felt this intense. I tried to steady myself, but the pressure was beyond control, even with my clairvoyance.
Unable to withstand the tidal wave of oppression, I collapsed.
Glancing sideways, I saw the other users staring blankly at the sky, all stunned by the sudden crisis, their faces vacant as they gazed at the Hell Duke.
Still feeling as if my limbs were bound, I barely tilted my head back to look up again.
Under the twilight sky, the Hell Duke looked far from pleased. Her arrogant expression, as she calmly surveyed the empty air, was laced with fierce hostility. Then, she slowly lowered her gaze and swept her eyes over the users below.
At that moment, I realized how futile my faint hope had been—that maybe she would just pass us by. The crimson eyes looking down at us radiated pure disgust, as if we were nothing more than insignificant vermin.
As she turned her head indifferently, her gaze passed near where I stood.
Suddenly, the Hell Duke’s face, which had been twisted in discomfort until then, lit up with interest. The fierce glare softened into curious eyes—eyes fixed on me.
Yes, the Hell Duke was looking at me.
Frozen in place, I had no choice but to face her as she slowly descended from the air.
A sudden wave of scorching heat and the smell of burning filled my nostrils.
She stopped her descent about two meters above the ground, crossed her legs as if sitting in an invisible chair, and rested her chin on one hand, quietly studying me. The distance between us was less than a meter.
Silence settled all around.
Standing this close, the thought that ‘I can never win’ hit me harder than ever.
Long ago, I’d thought that as long as Hwa-jeong was with me, even if the Hell Duke appeared, we could handle it.
But now, I knew that was just an illusion. Though our powers might be comparable, the realms we had reached with those powers were worlds apart. So different, it was almost impossible to fathom.
Realizing this, I lowered my gaze. I couldn’t bear to meet her eyes any longer.
…But why did she suddenly come down to look at me?
‘Could it be because of Hwa-jeong?’
That seemed likely. Someone wielding the Flame of Species, unmatched in destructive power, would naturally attract the attention of the Primordial Flame.
“Ho. I thought this place was full of insignificant creatures, but there’s at least one that piques my interest.”
Then, the Hell Duke’s low, quiet voice echoed in my ears. Her voice was so mesmerizingly beautiful it almost hypnotized me, but I forced myself to focus.
“Truly a strange thing. By all appearances, you are but a mere human…”
“……”
“Given the vast difference in status, you should feel nothing. Like the other insignificant creatures.”
“……”
“But only you sense me. You recognize and understand my existence.”
“……”
Her words continued, as if she was questioning me, though I barely understood what she meant.
But one thing was clear: the reason she descended to me was not because of Hwa-jeong.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t sensed Hwa-jeong’s presence for a while. She hadn’t lost her strength. Though I hadn’t heard from her directly, judging by her earlier reaction, I strongly suspected she was deliberately suppressing her energy—to hide herself from the Hell Duke.
If that was the case…
“I’m curious about what’s going on. So, speak.”
Her urging voice made me swallow hard. I gave up on trying to dodge the question. I didn’t think lying would work on her.
“Speak quickly. If I like your answer, I might spare you.”
But telling the truth was difficult, especially with Hwa-jeong’s behavior weighing on my mind. She wouldn’t act like this without reason. Still, I couldn’t stay silent forever.
So what was I supposed to do now?
“…You really don’t listen, do you.”
Even the Hell Duke’s patience didn’t seem to run that deep.
After a moment, his hand suddenly appeared, the blade of his sword pointed downward as he kept staring at the ground. Then, the tip of his index finger gently touched my chin, pressing lightly beneath my mouth. It was a clear signal to lift my head.
Unable to refuse, I felt myself drawn upward, and when I looked up, there he was—the Hell Duke—still sitting cross-legged in midair, his gaze fixed on me.
Then, with a faint smile that seemed to say, “Go ahead, say something,” he finally spoke.
“Alright, this is your last chance. What are you hiding?”
And at that very moment—