Hmm.
“…?”
What was that? I thought I heard a trembling sound just now. Or was it the resonance that happens when magic flows?
I definitely felt a slight vibration against my eardrums. But when I looked around in all directions, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Thick fog still hung heavily all around, and the users were just chatting calmly, showing no signs of alarm.
Strange. Did I mishear it?
“Hmm, well…”
Just as I tilted my head and was about to move on,
Buzzzzz!
A deeper, more resonant hum echoed again—louder this time. I definitely heard it.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Where’s that sound coming from?”
It wasn’t just me. Everyone who had been whispering moments ago now looked around wide-eyed, clearly startled.
“The pillar! That pillar over there—it’s acting strange!”
Someone suddenly shouted sharply, pointing at one of the four pillars.
Wooooooong!
At that moment, the pillar standing at the upper left suddenly roared with a majestic, thunderous sound.
It was an utterly unexpected phenomenon. Before anyone could even react, the pillar began flickering with dark, black flames.
The surroundings dimmed and brightened repeatedly in quick succession,
Buz, buzz buzz!
Buz, buzz buzz!
Two more pillars started shaking violently, sending out loud noises. As if resonating with the first pillar, their lights blinked on and off in sync.
“Wha—? Wha-wha-wha—!”
Suddenly, the woman who had shouted earlier screamed and fell backward onto her butt. Her eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead as if they might burst.
Where the old, worn pillar had stood before, now there was a pillar painted entirely in pitch black, as if drenched in ink. It oozed a thick, shadowy aura that was hard to tell if it was a shade or a dark mist.
Meanwhile, the pillar at the upper right buzzed fiercely, emitting a sharp, piercing light that sprayed razor-like energy in all directions. It was as sharp and precise as a finely honed blade.
But that wasn’t all.
Amid the chaos, a sudden cold scent of iron mixed with blood hit my nose.
“This is…”
I instinctively turned around and saw that the pillar at the lower left corner had also changed, now stained in dark blue and deep crimson hues.
“What the…?”
In an instant, countless changes unfolded. The users gasped and stumbled backward in shock, but I calmed my pounding heart and observed the phenomenon carefully with my keen sight.
Let’s break down the situation. I have no idea what’s going on, but three of the four pillars have suddenly reacted. The only one untouched is the pillar at the lower right.
Buz, buzz buzz!
No sooner had I thought that than the fourth pillar began to change as well.
Woooooong!
At first, it flickered like the other three, but then it emitted a dazzlingly pale white light from its surface.
I just stared blankly at the four pillars, each showing wildly different transformations.
What on earth is happening?
I thought it would be the same as the first round.
I thought nothing would happen, just like before.
But this kind of situation wasn’t in my mental script. No, I never even imagined something like this could occur.
Kraaaang!
The finale was a spectacular explosion of light. The four pillars shot out beams of multicolored light from their tops.
The beams initially shot straight up, piercing the sky. Then, suddenly, they spiraled like the swirl of a conch shell, twisting and converging rapidly into a single point before bursting into an enormous blaze.
Fwoooosh!
The entire world lit up brilliantly. The scene looked like two suns shining side by side in the sky.
But it only lasted a moment.
Thud!
Without any warning or sign, it happened in an instant.
“Ah…”
I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, a pillar of black light was already descending from the sky. It wasn’t falling into empty space—it was piercing directly into someone’s crown.
No one else but Ko Yeon-ju.
“Huh?”
Could it be that even the Shadow Queen didn’t notice the attack?
“Su, Su-hyun!”
A scream burst out belatedly.
“Ko Yeon-ju!”
I reached out reflexively, but it was far too late.
In a flash, Ko Yeon-ju was swallowed by the black light. Without a moment to react, she was sucked deep inside the magic boundary. I had just seen it with my own eyes, yet it was still unbelievable. Was I dreaming?
Thud!
“Ahh!”
At that moment, another piercing scream came from the opposite side.
I hurriedly turned my gaze and saw Nam Da-eun stepping onto the altar, struck directly by a blue light. Before I could even turn fully, the light engulfed her, and just like before, she was pulled inside the magic boundary, sliding in as if on a slick surface.
My mind went blank. In less than five seconds, two people had vanished. At this rate…!
“Area Declared!”
As soon as I shouted the domain declaration, another pillar fell from the sky. This time, it was a mix of dark blue and crimson light.
But then—
Crack, crackle!
“!”
What followed felt unreal, like a cruel joke.
One second.
Not even one second passed. The domain, powered by Hwajeong’s strength, was torn apart like paper. The third beam of light broke through the barrier as if it were nothing, pushing fiercely inward.
Below it stood Han So-young, staring up with vacant eyes.
There was no time to think anymore.
I poured every last drop of magic into the orb,
“Istantel Low Road!”
I immediately activated the dimensional shift, moving beside Han So-young and pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Um…! M-Mercenary Lord?”
“Stay still…!”
The beam was almost upon us as I held her close—both events happening simultaneously.
Wooooooong!
Kiiiiiiing!
The grinding, clashing noise pierced my ears. When I glanced up, the view before me rippled like a stone thrown into calm water.
Thanks to the fortress’s sky-high defense, Gehenna’s protective stronghold seemed to block the beam to some extent.
But it didn’t take long to realize that was an illusion. The orb in my arms suddenly trembled violently. That meant it couldn’t withstand the beam’s power.
What should I do? My magic was already drained more than ever…
Crack, crackle!
Just then, even the red protective barrier began to crack. Could it be that even the barrier focused on defense couldn’t hold?
Meanwhile, the sound of the fourth pillar descending faintly echoed.
“Fa, Father…!”
Then, a flash of white light exploded, and someone called my name in a distant, faint voice.
I didn’t know who it was, and I had no time to look back. Beams were seeping through the cracks in the barrier like water pouring in. The shield was on the verge of breaking… no—
Kraaaash!
It shattered.
“No, no…!”
The next moment, the beams surged like a tidal wave, crashing down on us.
I squeezed Han So-young tightly and shut my eyes. My magic was completely gone, and there was nothing left to do.
“…!”
Surprisingly, I felt no pain. Or rather, it’s more accurate to say I felt nothing at all.
Only a muffled ringing in my ears and a sensation of being endlessly pulled somewhere engulfed my entire body in an instant.
How much time passed, I don’t know.
I didn’t open my eyes for a while. But at some point, when the surroundings fell silent, I felt ragged breathing tickling my throat. It wasn’t mine—then it must be Han So-young’s.
I moved my hands carefully. My left hand touched a firm back, my right hand ran through silky hair. Most of all, I felt the soft yet resilient weight pressing against my chest… no, no, that’s not it. In any case, Han So-young was in my arms.
I slowly opened my eyes and turned my head—and was utterly dumbfounded.
Because—
“Ko Yeon-ju?”
“…Grit.”
“Nam Da-eun.”
“…Hmph.”
“Mar-ya?”
“…Sob.”
The two women who had disappeared earlier were glaring at me fiercely from opposite sides. And why was Mar-ya here, looking at me with a sad, tearful expression?
“So.”
As I tried to piece things together, Ko Yeon-ju spoke quietly, her tone sharp as thorns.
“How long do you plan to keep holding her?”
Huh?
I looked down and saw Han So-young resting her face against my collarbone, trembling like a little girl with her hands tightly clasped. Her face was flushed red, like a ripe persimmon.
“Ah!”
I quickly stepped back, pretending to have just remembered. Honestly, I’d known for a while, but the feeling was just too good…
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Actually…”
“Huh?”
“Thank you for protecting me again… and for liking my body…”
For some reason, Han So-young was stammering unusually, unlike her normal self. Wait, did I just hear something strange?
“Goodness… it’s really warm in here, isn’t it? What’s wrong? Want me to give up my seat for a bit?”
I heard Ko Yeon-ju’s angry voice. I deliberately didn’t look away. My chest tightened.
“Seriously, there’s not a single person you can trust. Da-eun, I’m really hurt.”
“Me too. I’m so upset.”
“How can someone be like that? Some people cling desperately to protect you, while others just need to reach out their hand and it’s over?”
“Sis, I didn’t even reach out my hand at all… Thinking about it makes me mad.”
The two women took turns attacking me.
“Oppa, can we talk?”
Nam Da-eun suddenly plopped down and slammed her hand hard on the ground opposite her.
“Father… you didn’t even give me a chance…”
And then Maru made it worse, looking at me with eyes so glossy it seemed like tears would spill any second. Earlier, I thought I heard someone faintly calling me—it must have been Maru.
“Even Maru… Fine. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
“Why? Aren’t you going to sit? Are you really going to be like this? You just want to see me get mad, don’t you?”
Yeah, just kill me. Go ahead, kill me.
“Enough already!”
Then—
“I don’t think you realize how urgent the situation is.”
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the tension. Han So-young stepped in between me and the three women.
Unbelievable.
“Huh? Look at how you’re talking. Outsiders, step back?”
“Does it matter if I’m an outsider? I just can’t understand why you’re cornering Mercenary Road like this with such resentment.”
“Oh my. Our iron-blooded queen must have felt pretty good being held by a strong man, huh?”
“What are you saying? I was just telling you to tone it down.”
Han So-young—yes, Han So-young—was protecting me. Watching her shield me and take the blows on my behalf stirred an unexpected warmth inside me.
“And people, when pushed to their limits, naturally reveal their true nature…”
No. Please don’t pour fuel on the fire.
At that moment—
Hiding behind Han So-young, observing the scene, my eyes caught the surroundings. We were in a vast, empty wasteland. A place I recognized.
The first gate—the Shadow Zone.
Now that I think about it, it’s strange. The first time through, the moment we broke the barrier, this place appeared, and an enormous shadow burst forth, sweeping everything around. So why is it so quiet now? And how did we even get here?
“!”
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed from somewhere. At the same time, I saw something writhing faintly in the distance.
I wasn’t imagining it. Shadowy silhouettes were closing in on us from all sides. The barren field darkened as they crept forward—a truly terrifying sight.
“Stooop!”
I shouted, spinning around. Luckily, there was a barrier shimmering with glowing dust, just like when we saw it from outside.
Bang!
I struck with all my might, but it didn’t budge. Neither slashing with my sword nor using Hwa-jeong’s power made a difference. Every escape route was completely blocked.
Meanwhile, the silhouettes had closed to within fifty meters.
By now, the four women seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. They stopped arguing, looked around anxiously, then drew their weapons or began chanting spells. Slowly, they backed up, standing back-to-back.
“Everyone, stay close to me!”
I scraped together every last bit of magic and activated the protective fortress once more. How long it would hold, I had no idea. What to do next—I didn’t know. This whole situation was beyond any plan.
Then, the shadow shapes advancing from the front suddenly surged upward without a sound. They clung together, forming a massive shape that looked like a hand.
I remembered that too. It was part of the infamous Shadow Giant from the first zone.
Moments later, the shadow clenched its fist tightly and rapidly closed in on us.
It even bent its wrist back slightly, as if ready to strike. I gritted my teeth, bracing for impact. No matter what, I wasn’t going down without a fight. I’d hold on and wait for an opening.
Just then—
“It’s here!”
The shadow hand, over a meter long, was right on top of us.
“Everyone, be careful—!”
And then—
Tap. Tap.
“……”
Tap, tap?
“……?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Satan’s plan hasn’t fallen apart.
In fact, the real danger isn’t on Satan’s side. And it’s not Kim Soo-hyun either.
If you read the reminiscences from the previous two chapters, you might start to get a sense of what’s going on.
Thank you. Have a peaceful night. (__)