Chapter 208

Words : 1789 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Chapter 208 Thud, thud, thud! A deafening stampede sounded from behind him. Without looking back at the horde of undead that were furiously pursuing to tear him apart, Se-Hoon swiftly activated the Edict of the Eternal Nocturne. Whoosh! A portal opened in the air, from which a fully formed beast spider stepped out. Upon seeing it, Se-Hoon leaped onto its back without hesitation and lightly tapped its ribs with his foot. “Let’s go.” “——!!!” With a soundless roar, the beast spider began scaling the UD Group's headquarters, which had once again been reflected in the underworld. And like before, the real onslaught of the undead army began in earnest now. Whish! A volley of arrows and magical bombardments assailed them from below. In the past, Se-Hoon would have immediately found himself busy dodging, but not this time. Woong- Reaching out, Se-Hoon drew two lines along the building's exterior wall, forming a straight path leading straight to the top. Then, confirming he succeeded, Se-Hoon immediately directed the beast spider so its legs came into contact with the new path. Whoosh! The spider accelerated at an incredible speed. Thud, thud, thud, thud! The undead army's attacks missed them entirely, and the spider's speed only increased with every stride. From a distance, its acceleration looked less like it was climbing a building and more like it was falling at breakneck speeds. The rooftop rapidly came into view, and the noise of the undead chasing them grew distant. A moment later, the beast spider shot up to the building's peak and into the air. Thud! Gracefully descending, it landed cleanly on the rooftop, and Se-Hoon dismounted. “Whew...” All he could see was the pitch-black darkness of the underworld and the undead army approaching from afar, yet, in the fleeting moment, the scene was just as breathtaking as any magnificent view he’d ever witnessed. They’re finally retreating. The undead, who had been charging so fiercely toward him earlier, had begun drawing back the moment Se-Hoon reached the rooftop. They weren’t showing any expressions, but their oddly deflated postures made Se-Hoon grin as he watched them retreat from above. “You finally used your brain.” Wurgen's eye appeared behind him. “I never expected you would alter the boundary and flip the entire space.” By drawing a boundary along the building's wall, Se-Hoon had inverted the concept of up and down within that area. That allowed him and the beast spider to seemingly “fall” up the building, giving them far greater acceleration than usual. “The underworld has no clear distinction of up and down, so I thought it might work.” Rather than painstakingly modifying the beast spider with limited resources, Se-Hoon found it more efficient to reshape the underworld itself. At his response, Wurgen silently observed him for a moment before calmly declaring, “You passed.” Whoosh! The world around them instantly shifted from the underworld to the surface, transforming the pitch-black darkness into a bustling cityscape filled with towering skyscrapers. And at the center of his view stood Benjamin, carefully holding a cushion on which Wurgen's skull rested. “I’m surprised. I thought you never left your office,” said Se-Hoon. “I usually don't because it’s simply not worth it.” His explanation made Se-Hoon raise an eyebrow in mild surprise. If it hadn’t been worth it until now, did that mean Wurgen had changed his mind? An agreement to help eliminate the Dream Demon... I guess I managed to build quite a relationship. Of course, it wasn’t one built on the type of trust where they could fully rely on each other. Their relationship was merely a mutual alignment of interests, so Se-Hoon couldn’t afford to let his guard down. “You seem to have many questions in the back of your mind.” “Pardon?” “Every time I read your thoughts, I can sense a lump of curiosity piled up within you. Perhaps there are things even about the very nature of a Perfect One like myself.” Wurgen's glowing blue eyes, which glowed like pupils in his pitch-black eye sockets, were focused on Se-Hoon. “Since you’ve completed my training, I’ll reward you with answers. Go ahead, ask your questions.” “...” Was this Wurgen’s way of rewarding him? Regardless, Se-Hoon began contemplating, eventually deciding to ask what had been on his mind recently. “How did you end up in that state?” Although Se-Hoon had a rough idea of the situation, hearing it directly from the person involved would be entirely different. Wurgen gave him a strange look. “That’s something one would typically ask upon first meeting me.” “Well, I didn’t want to pry into something you keep hidden from the public.” “Hmm. I suppose that makes sense.” Accepting the explanation, Wurgen began telling his story. “There was a time when I traveled around the entire world, studying necromancy. To conduct my research, I often chose dangerous areas and used Ludwig’s Void Space Terminals to get there.” “...” “Then, one day, while traveling through a gate as usual, I sensed something was wrong. It felt like an elevator had suddenly come to a halt, and I found myself in a vast, empty white space.” And in that void were three sinister figures waiting for Wurgen. “Apostate, Beast King, and Tuner ambushed me there.” For most S-rank heroes, three of the Ten Evils launching a sneak attack would have been a death sentence. However, for Wurgen, a Perfect One, it wasn’t. “Up until a certain point, things weren’t too bad. Apostate was still new to the Ten Evils, and Beast King was as weak as ever, so I could handle them. The real problem was Tuner.” Hmm... I can basically guess what this call is going to be about. Se-Hoon glanced at Eun-Ha. “I need to take this call...” “All right.” Eun-Ha took a single step away from him. Given her sharp senses, she would hear the conversation no matter the distance, but Se-Hoon just accepted it and answered the phone. —Hey, I’ve got an urgent issue. Is this a good time? “It’s fine, so go ahead. What’s up?” —I got a call from the Marionette Factory. Both of us got accepted for the on-site training. “Well, that was expected.” If Dawn had already infiltrated the Marionette Factory, there was no way they would be rejected. What mattered would be the conditions that followed. —But because of security reasons, only a single designated person can accompany us. They’re also limiting what we can bring. Are you okay with these conditions? The conditions themselves weren’t particularly unusual. The problem lay in the fact that Dawn, an infamous group even among Watchers, was going to pull some kind of scheme. Hmm. Given the circumstances, they may see this as their last chance to strike. Even if Se-Hoon walked into their trap fully armed, it would still be a risky situation. So now that he was only allowed limited equipment, it should’ve made him even more uneasy. “I’m okay with that.” However, he had just finished receiving Wurgen’s teachings. “I’ve learned some clever tricks recently.” With his own plans already prepared, he didn’t see any major issues. Sensing Se-Hoon’s confidence, Luize similarly became more confident as well. —Got it. We’re going tomorrow, so if you need to prepare something, do it today. “Will do. See you tomorrow.” Ending the call, Se-Hoon put his phone away and Eun-Ha approached to ask, “Do you have plans for tomorrow?” “Oh, yes. The Marionette Factory is holding an on-site tour, so I signed up for it. It starts tomorrow.” “That event... Professor Lan Fei is the leader, right?” Eun-Ha’s eyes were full of disapproval. With only one professor accompanying them, and an A-rank hero at that, it wasn’t surprising that someone as protective as her would be anxious. “...Do you really have to attend it?” “I’m really interested in this field of study. Who knows when I’ll get another opportunity like this? I’m anxious to check it out.” “Given what happened recently, wouldn’t it be better to stay at Babel for a while?” “Dean...” Se-Hoon met her worried gaze. “You may find me lacking in some areas, but never have I once acted without a plan. So you don’t need to worry so much. Even during this training period—” “Things didn’t go as planned.” Eun-Ha interrupted him. Her expression was still neutral, yet her tone carried a hint of self-blame. “Because I wasn’t there.” Though she spoke calmly, there was an underlying tone of guilt. And sensing it, Se-Hoon gave her a wry smile. “But everything turned out fine in the end, didn’t it? I’ve already accounted for such variables.” “...” “Of course, I might make a few mistakes here and there, but if I let fear of the unknown control me, I’ll never be able to go anywhere freely. Maybe that’s exactly what the Demon Force is aiming for.” While caution was necessary, he couldn’t allow fear to halt his growth. That was one of Se-Hoon’s core principles and the reason behind his meticulous preparations for various dangers. Having heard his reasoning, Eun-Ha’s expression remained complicated, but she eventually nodded. “Understood. But please make sure to take the self-defense devices I gave you.” Recalling the mountain of protective gear she had given him during her last visit, he replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll pack them all.” “Thank you.” Though Eun-Ha nodded in agreement, her eyes still reflected concern. For now, her emotions hadn’t spiraled out of control yet, but if they intensified further, she would likely try to stop him no matter what. Hmm. I need to cheer her up somehow so she won’t argue about this later... Mulling over how to lift her spirits, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something she had mentioned before. “Actually, Dean.” “Yes?” “I’ve been working on something interesting since the last evaluation exam. It’s an enchantment that can replicate the traits of a monster. I’m curious how it will taste—” Growl! Before he could finish speaking, a loud growl echoed in the air. Looking at Eun-Ha, who awkwardly averted her gaze, Se-Hoon grinned. “Would you like to try it?” “...That would be nice of you.” *** Upon returning to Babel, Se-Hoon accompanied Eun-Ha to her house to forge the equipment with the enchantment. “Just kill me already!” Meanwhile, at some other place, an unfortunate phoenix, which was used as the material, could be heard wailing in despair. Apparently, the equipment tasted like spicy fried chicken.

Chapter 208

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