Chapter 224

Words : 1688 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 224 The war against the Demon Force had left the village in partial ruins. With nothing particularly special remaining, it was rebuilt. However, after its reconstruction, it became one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. “The place you’re looking at now is where the Eternal Nocturne, Wurgen Kruger, defeated the Corpse Demon. According to the records, the Corpse Demon was a powerful fiend that took down countless S-rank heroes with strength comparable to today’s Ten Evils...” Standing before the tourists, the guide softly explained the village’s history. Everyone listened intently, and one of them, a young man with black hair, gazed out at the scenery beyond the fence. Whoosh- As if a massive monster had clawed through it, the land was grotesquely scarred, and not a single blade of grass was sprouting. It was so barren that it seemed like someone had thoroughly applied herbicide throughout the entire area, especially in the center where some of the ground had completely blackened and died. According to the guide, research had been done on it and they found out it was because of the poison that the Corpse Demon had scattered in its final moments. “The Corpse Demon’s thick cloud of demonic aura tainted this land, permanently corrupting it despite the multiple purifications that have freed the village of toxins. Even now, many researchers are working tirelessly to restore the ground, but progress has been...” Still listening to the guide’s long-winded explanation, the young man with black hair, Se-Hoon, narrowed his eyes. It doesn’t seem like demonic aura is the real problem here... In fact, he could sense a familiar sensation from the blackened land and the desolate ground surrounding it. And if the feeling was accurate, then it was undoubtedly the power of Boundaries. The poison part of the story must have been true, but it looks like Wurgen flipped the entire area to the Netherworld to minimize damages. It was likely during its time in the Netherworld that the soil had been tainted, turning it into a barren land where nothing could grow. “As you can see, the Eternal Nocturne didn’t hesitate to risk his own life to save countless people...” Though Wurgen was the culprit, the guide and the tourists all praised him while standing on the very land he had devastated. However, since Wurgen hadn’t intended for things to end up like that, it wasn't much of a problem. Still though, since Se-Hoon had instantly figured out the truth, he couldn’t help but feel it was a bit questionable. “Seems like Wurgen hasn’t changed a bit. Turning a village he destroyed into a tourist spot to make money...” Hearing the Seeker’s quiet embarrassed sigh, Se-Hoon was filled with curiosity. “It seems you’re not on good terms with Wurgen.” “How could I be? I once asked him for a donation for my research, and he just blew up on me.... All he cares about is money.” “What did you ask him to donate?” At the question, the Seeker hesitated before answering, “To research the conditions for suitable necromancers, I needed a bit of his mana and essence...” “By essence, do you mean... his soul?” “B—but Wurgen was researching it too at the time! So isn’t it not too unreasonable of an ask???” “...Sure.” No longer listening, Se-Hoon half-heartedly dismissed the Seeker’s indignance. Nobody in their right mind would willingly donate their soul. If only she offered something in return like how my relationship with Wurgen, maybe... Though Wurgen planned to use Se-Hoon’s soul to create offspring, that was still better than people who shamelessly asked for donations without offering anything in return. Maybe I’ll need to be unhinged like that if I want to become a Perfect One... At the thought, Se-Hoon sighed inwardly, doubting whether someone as decent and upright as him could ever do that. Though... if it became absolutely necessary, he would just have to try a little harder. Squeeze- While lost in thought, Se-Hoon suddenly felt the woman walking beside him embrace him. With her thick brown hair braided into a single strand, her sparkling green eyes, and a straw hat that was paired with a white dress, she looked like a character from a fairy tale. She, Lea, was so pretty that she caught the eyes of the tourists around them. “What’s wrong?” There was a smile on his face. “I’m just a bit scared about this place... It’s so hot, I’m sweating... Can we go back to the hotel first?” At the sight of Lea clinging to him and whining, Se-Hoon’s expression twitched briefly, but he quickly fixed his expression. “But we still have the tour...” “I don’t care! I don’t want to walk around anymore!” At the sight of Lea lightly bumping her forehead against Se-Hoon’s chest while grumbling, the tourists around them chuckled softly. “All right, all right. I got it,” Se-Hoon acquiescence with a wry smile. Patting Lea’s back, Se-Hoon approached the guide leading the group. “Is it okay if we leave early?” “Oh, yes, of course! Just make sure you’re back by the meeting time tomorrow.” “Thank you.” “It’s so hot outside...” Despite complaining about the heat, Lea continued clinging to Se-Hoon, and the sight made the tourists around them look on with warm smiles. Ah, young love... That guy’s one lucky man. To the tourists, the overflowing affection between the two was heartwarming. Leaving the group, the two returned to their hotel and Lea immediately dashed to the bed, throwing the blanket over her head. Clearly mortified, she rolled around wildly on the bed. “If you’re going to be that embarrassed, why didn’t you just play it cool?” Se-Hoon asked, exasperated. Why was she overreacting and getting embarrassed all by herself? “Since I’m already embarrassed about pretending to be a couple... I figured I should at least do it properly so no one notices!” Still hidden under the blanket, Lea vigorously rubbed her flushed face as if she was trying to scrub it off. “Don’t worry.” Nodding in understanding, Lea clung even closer to him than she had in the morning. Then, after confirming that they were fully prepared, Se-Hoon slowly activated Ethereal Vision. Woong- As his eyes turned a deep violet, their bodies blurred and they gradually crossed over the boundary of dreams. “Ugh...” Lea felt a chilling sensation; it felt like her body was dissolving. The new experience was so bizarre that she furrowed her brow. Moving to the next step, Se-Hoon summoned the power of Boundaries. Woong- The Inkstone Bracelets they were wearing trembled faintly, and the outlines of their bodies, which had started to fade, became sharp and clear again. “Oh...” However, their bodies were now so transparent that they could see through each other, yet their outlines were still distinctly defined. It was so peculiar that Lea couldn’t help but marvel. “We’re in a state that’s ambiguously between dream and reality. If we synchronize with the environment in this state...” Clearing his throat, Se-Hoon chanted an incantation. “Spatial Synchronization.” Sss... “Ugh...” It was another feeling. Shivering from the feeling of something permeating her body, Lea glanced around the room and paused when her gaze landed on the mirror in their hotel room. “...!” All that was reflected in the mirror was an empty room. Realizing that their bodies had turned completely transparent, Lea widened her eyes and turned to Se-Hoon. “In this state, our voices can’t be heard by others. But don’t speak too loudly, just in case.” “Mmm... Got it.” “Then let’s get going.” Moving locations, the two walked toward the hotel wall, striding forward without hesitation. Ssshhh... Easily passing through the hotel wall, the two began walking effortlessly in midair. “...” Still clutching Se-Hoon, Lea looked down with an incredulous expression. How is something like this even possible...? Unknown to her, they weren’t flying in the air but rather were walking in a separate dimension. As she looked around, amazed by the sights, Se-Hoon suddenly stopped walking after a while. “It’s just below us.” At his words, Lea looked down. They were now standing right over the center of the blackened ground, over the barren land that Wurgen had unintentionally created when he defeated the Corpse Demon. “Is this really the place?” “Technically, it’s somewhere around here, but this is the best entry point,” Se-Hoon said, examining the remnants of the power of Boundaries scattered throughout the ground. If they slipped in through those remnants, it would be harder for Puppeteer to notice. “Wow... So how exactly do we get in?” “We go straight down from here.” “From here?” Not understanding, Lea looked around her in the air, wondering if there was a hidden entrance. It was a sight that made Se-Hoon smirk. “Don’t scream.” “What do you me—” Whoosh! Before she could finish her question, she started plummeting toward the rapidly approaching ground. Unsure of what to do, she instinctively looked at Se-Hoon. However, all she saw was his amused smile, so she clung to him tightly with no other choice. Ssshhh... Their bodies passed straight through the ground, sinking deeper into the earth. At the sight of the dark soil rushing past her eyes, Lea became overwhelmed. It felt like she was being buried alive. Putting strength into her arms, Lea clung to Se-Hoon as if trying to squeeze the life out of him. “She’s scared, as expected.” “Most people would be. You're the odd one out for not being surprised. Casually chatting with the Seeker, Se-Hoon adjusted their speed as they descended further. Soon, special metallic structures began to replace the soil around them and a white corridor appeared. They had finally entered the artificial structure that was hundreds of meters beneath the surface, hidden from the world. And at the sight of the alien space, Lea instinctively realized something: they were now in Puppeteer’s hidden lair.

Chapter 224

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