Chapter 244

Words : 2259 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 244 She’s... angry at me? Se-Hoon raised an eyebrow. While he knew she was more expressive than the first time he knew her, it was the first time she had said something so directly. She used to always jump to action without even talking it out... He remembered how she’d once crushed a steel anvil into a metal ball due to a three-month delay in weapon delivery, and how she’d wiped out the entire hideout, leaving no trace of it behind, of someone who stole her weapon. Even the infamous Ryu Eun-Ha is changing... “Lee Se-Hoon.” Eun-Ha’s voice cut off Se-Hoon’s thoughts. Refocusing, Se-Hoon found that Eun-Ha had locked eyes with him. “I said that I’m really, really, angry at you right now.” Eun-Ha repeated herself, seemingly wanting to make sure he had heard her. Even with just a glance, Se-Hoon could tell she had a lot to say, so he quickly came up with the best response he could give. “Huh? What? Wait, why am I here?” Feigning confusion, he began looking around. “...Do you not remember what happened?” Eun-Ha stared at him suspiciously. “Hm... It’s all kind of blurry...” Continuing the act, Se-Hoon made sure to rub his eyes in confusion. Eun-Ha just watched him quietly. If what he had gone through was minor, he thought she might suspect he was making excuses. However, since it was such a large-scale battle, he was convinced she would believe him. The Three Dogs would’ve just beat me until I remembered... but Ryu Eun-Ha won’t go that far. Confident in his perfect plan, Se-Hoon kept up the act. And in the end, it seemed Eun-Ha had fallen for it from the small sight she let out. “...As far as I know, you went to the Pleasure District to assist Lea Claudell, who went there due to Puppeteer’s threats. But then you got captured by the Dream Demon.” “That... is absurd.” “To escape, you somehow managed to contact Wurgen, who arrived and ended up dismantling the Pleasure District and defeating the Dream Demon.” Se-Hoon was shocked by Eun-Ha’s explanation, at least on the surface; internally he was completely satisfied. No wonder he succeeded as a businessman. Even if he had Wurgen’s help, it was unheard of for a mere student to take down one of the Ten Evils, much less a Harbinger of Destruction. Should the rumors spread, Se-Hoon would find himself entangled in numerous challenges. Fortunately, though, Wurgen had tactfully claimed credit and minimized any fallout. The deal was to give him all the glory anyway... I just need to grab the leftover loot later. Having thought about it, Se-Hoon began strategizing how to claim his share. But then Eun-Ha’s calm voice pierced his ears. “Now do you remember?” “Uh... Bits and pieces, I guess.... Can I check the news for a moment?” “Sure.” Taking Eun-Ha’s phone, which she grabbed from the desk, Se-Hoon skimmed through the latest global headlines. “The Eternal Nocturne Slays the Dream Demon, one of the Ten Evils!” “Destruction of the Pleasure District: Is this a Turning Point in the War Against Demons?” “‘UD Group will fill the Heroes Association’s Gaps,’ says Chairman Wurgen, announcing New Military Projects using the Undead.” Seems like he’s having the time of his life. Wurgen had properly seized the moment, blasting the Heroes Association while unveiling his new business plans. Though it was an aggressive approach, the public supported him quite expressively due to his success, as they were tired of how the Heroes Association repeatedly failed to deal with rising demon crimes and other incidents, unlike Wurgen. “Massive Amount of Missing People Emerge after the Pleasure District’s Collapse. Suspected to be Traitors affiliated with the Demon Force.” “Heroes Association Branch Chief Accused of Hiding Information about Missing Personnel Connected to the Association.” “Hero Association President: ‘The Association Exists Only to Protect Humanity. All those involved will be Thoroughly Dealt With after a Full Investigation.’” It’s total chaos on this side. The ones caught in the Pleasure District’s collapse were mostly demons and criminals, but there were also those hiding behind false identities. And the exposure of those people caused massive turmoil across society. It’s mainly corporate and guild members who have been identified as traitors, but the Heroes Association is taking all the heat. Despite their sincere efforts to investigate those who betrayed humanity, they faced criticism for their lack of results. It made Se-Hoon feel sorry for them, but there wasn’t much to be done. They’re utterly powerless right now, after all. The Heroes Association, in its current state, couldn’t handle the Ten Evils and the Demon Force without the help of someone like Wurgen. However, they also had no means to force his involvement either. With such a feeble amount of strength, it was inevitable that their claim of managing the world’s danger zones and leading heroes was met with harsh skepticism. Things might have been different if they had even one Perfect One supporting them... but it’s hard to imagine those guys taking on such roles. Recalling their personalities, Se-Hoon shelved the thought and was about to continue scrolling through the news when Eun-Ha spoke again. “How is it? Did you manage to retrieve some of your memories?” Se-Hoon frowned and looked up at Eun-Ha. Given her earlier anger, she was calm, almost too calm. “Hm... I think it’s starting to come back to me.” “What do you remember up to?” “Uhm, only up to being overpowered by the Dream Demon...” Se-Hoon trailed off. He had been about to give a vague answer, however he realized something was odd. Before, if he told her his memory was hazy, she would drop it and move on. But today, she kept pressing, asking what and how much he remembered. It was as if... she were cross-checking what she had heard. “...” Se-Hoon stared at Eun-Ha. She was standing still like a statue, her lips tightly pressed together as she silently stared back. Getting a feeling that her reaction was about to be even more terrifying than when she had activated her Soul Furnace, Se-Hoon quickly decided to confirm his suspicion. “Who informed you about what had happened?” “The Pilgrim,” Eun-Ha replied calmly. “He told me you planned the entire operation with Wurgen.” Se-Hoon sighed inwardly. When did that old grandma spill that... If not Wurgen, then it had to be Baek-Yeon who spilled the beans to the Pilgrim because Ludwig wouldn’t have talked about it casually. Realizing things had gotten messy, he cautiously asked, “...How mad are you?” “Extremely.” Even he understood his lies had only escalated her anger. So, with his lies exposed, he began thinking about what kind of special course he would have to serve to calm her down. Raising his hands in surrender, Tuner turned to a puppet dressed in a black priest’s robe with a veiled face—Apostate. “What about your battle with the Pilgrim? Anything to report about it?” “Nothing.” Despite the extremely curt response, Tuner didn’t show much surprise and just moved on to the next puppet. “What about you? I heard you got tangled up with an S-rank and an A-rank.” The puppet covered in white thorns and stitching—Demon’s Edge—remained silent, seemingly in thought. “The redhead and the blonde’s strength both neared a Perfect One’s,” he bluntly said after a moment. The others’ interests were immediately piqued. Though the Ten Evils knew that Eun-Ha and Aria, who had fought alongside the Pilgrim to hold Demon’s Edge along with Apostate at bay, weren’t ordinary heroes, it was still surprising to hear they were so close to being Perfect Ones. “The Weapon Eater, sure, but the Myers family’s eldest daughter too? Should we consider her S-rank, then?” “Her physical stats are below the mark. The sword she wields is what’s dangerous.” “I see, then. Next...” Throughout the entire battle, the Heaven Eye only engaged in sniper duels with the Visionary and Beast King merely stood guard in front of Babel. Since there was nothing noteworthy about the two’s reports, the meeting quickly proceeded. Next, the puppet with a swirling black face—Doppelganger—spoke. “I couldn’t intervene because I was busy controlling different bodies. I’m assuming the other two will have more to bring to the table.” Doppelganger then looked at Tuner and Puppeteer. “How did the Dream Demon and the Destroyer of Fragmentation die?” The other Ten Evils all focused their gaze on Tuner and Puppeteer. They had finally touched on the main reason for the emergency meeting. Under the weight of their stares, Puppeteer thought for a moment before answering. “I don’t know. The Dream Demon attacked me, so I didn’t see what happened.” “...You didn’t manage to see anything?” “Yeah. By the time I came to my senses, it was all over.” At the disappointing answer, everyone’s gaze naturally shifted to Tuner, who seemed to have been waiting to answer. “The Dream Demon got a little greedy. She attacked Puppeteer to keep Se-Hoon all to herself.” “Is that kid really worth all that?” Heaven Eye asked, causing Tuner to shrug. “How should I know? The details of their fight happened in the Dream Castle. But considering the Dream Demon managed to awaken the Destroyer of Fragmentation, it’s likely she exploited the boy’s synesthetic mindscape.” “Do you know if a Harbinger of Destruction can become human again?” “How would I know? I’ve never researched them before.” “...Useless as ever.” Casually ignoring Apostate’s sharp remark, Tuner tried to continue his report. Before he could, however, the black puppet that was completely featureless—the Elder Lord, the first demon to exist in this world and the Ten Evil’s leader—expressed its will without moving. “Five remain.” Rather than coming from its head, the voice strangely seemed to come from its heart. And even though a puppet was being used as a medium, the Elder Lord’s presence was so overwhelming that everyone winced. “What is lost cannot be returned.” The Elder Lord declared his decree. “Do as you wish.” Leaving behind those words, the Elder Lord’s puppet collapsed, and the remaining Ten Evils glanced at each other. “So, just act like we normally do, then.” “Ugh. What a waste of time.” “I’m out.” Doppelganger, Apostate, and Demon’s Edge disappeared in turn, and the rest of the Ten Evils left without saying much. With them gone, Puppeteer looked down at the seven scattered puppets on the stage and smirked to herself. “What a bunch of misfits.” Despite the situation, they still decided to work independently. But while absurd, it was not surprising given their history. I guess this is what you get when making beings with perfected synesthetic mindscapes work together. The Ten Evils were all self-centered beings who couldn’t work with others, much like Perfect Ones. And normally, that wouldn’t have been a problem. Now, however, things were different. It’s probably because of Lee Se-Hoon. The audacious first-year student had used both the Ten Evils and Perfect Ones as tools to achieve his goals. It could just have all been a coincidence, but the evidence was damming. Shifting her gaze to the ceiling, Puppeteer’s eyes darkened as she watched the blue meteor shower shimmering across the Celestial Coordinate System. She had finally discovered the enchantment left behind to prevent her from taking control of her puppets in the Pleasure District. Not only did he sneak in secretly, but he also left something like this behind... If anyone still claimed that all of that was a coincidence, they were denying reality. “Wow...” While Puppeteer was staring at the meteor shower, Tuner appeared behind her and began admiring the enchantment hiding inside the Celestial Coordinate System with her. “That’s quite an impressive enchantment. Is this what got you?” “Just get to the point. I’m not in the mood to entertain you.” Hearing the irritation in Puppeteer’s voice, Tuner chuckled. “You’d have already lashed out at me by now. I guess being on your side paid off.” “Get it straight. You’d let him go on purpose, too.” “Yeah, I did.” Tuner’s eyes gleamed behind his mask. “He’s the kind of material I don't want to share with others.” At those words, Puppeteer turned to Tuner. “So, what do you want from me?” “I was planning to do this alone, but my body and resources both got trashed in this mess. So you see, I’m running a little tight,” Tuner explained before reaching into his robe and pulling out a frozen purple shard—the Dream Demon’s heart. Observing the shard, Puppeteer’s interest was finally piqued. And seeing that, Tuner confidently asked, “How about we form an alliance? The two of us can kill the Perfect Ones and share Se-Hoon’s body parts.” “...” Puppeteer seriously considered the proposal in silence. Before, she wouldn’t have even entertained such an idea, but now it was hard to resist. If the opponent has teamed up, we’ll have to do the same. Whether it was the Perfect Ones or the Ten Evils, the influence of a single person was bringing them together within themselves. And at that thought, of how much influence a single human was exercising, Puppeteer let out a faint smile. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Chapter 244

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