Countless questions without answers (1)

Category: Main

Difficulty: A++

Clear conditions: Hunt the demon species, collect nine Demon's Proof and place them on the altar on the 2nd floor.

Time limit: 23 days

Rewards: 50,000 coins

Failure: ―

+

It had been five days since they entered the first floor of Dark Castle. Lee Jihye ran down a corridor of Dark Castle with Jung Heewon.

[The 5th grade demon species, Dark Tracker is chasing you.]

Yoo Jonghyuk had mysteriously gone missing when this scenario began and Cale accompanied by Shin Yoosoung and Yoo Mia had decided to fight separately.

"Jump!"

Lee Jihye avoided the scythe that appeared from the dark tracker and used Demon Slaying. Magic power scattered through the air as she ran with all her strength.

On the side, she saw Jung Heewon using Time of Judgement on the monsters behind them and looked at her enviously.

There were roughly 10 demon species following them. The 5th grade demon species were stronger than other monster species. Lee Jihye's skills weren't enough and she couldn't use her stigma in this environment.

'I shouldn't have come in.'

She wondered if Cale and the two children were fine. She shouldn't have separated from the teenager. If something happened to them, she wouldn't be able to explain to her master.

Lee Jihye didn't know that 'Kim Rok Soo' who was ranked third was actually Cale.

"Damn!" Lee Jihye kept cursing as she ran.

The dokkaebi had told them when the scenario first started,

[This scenario… Um. Haha, maybe you'll fail.]

Lee Jihye's reaction had been disbelief. They were going to fail? The scenarios always seemed impossible but they always won. Thus, they could do well this time.

At least, that's what Lee Jihye had thought.

'Go right now. Smash all these scum!'

She didn't know why she had been so hasty. They prematurely rushed to the scenario area to get rid of their insecurities.

After all, they were the strongest rankers in Seoul and the strongest incarnations. However, Lee Jihye soon realized that it was a mistake.

'Shit, this is ridiculous… ridiculous'

Lee Jihye's power didn't work in Dark Castle. The trajectory of Kendo, which reached level 7, rarely hit and the power of Demon Slaying only provoked the demons. Her sword had broken a long time ago.

She picked up a weapon dropped by an incarnation and used Sword Training and Ghost Walk.

"Behind you!"

Dark liquid from the dark trackers scattered through the air. Jung Heewon came forward and slashed her sword at the liquid before it could hit Lee Jihye.

The blade hit by the liquid experienced a bizarre deformation and exploded.

Jung Heewon's sword couldn't be used anymore. However, thanks to the time she bought, Lee Jihye was able to deal a bit more damage to the dark trackers.

"Aaaaaaack!"

The armour around the neck of a dark tracker broke and it fled.  However, there were still nine remaining. Besides, the dark trackers were just a joke. The really scary thing was the guy on the other side of the dark trackers.

[Demon Viscount Noslocke.]

He had a human body with a rhinoceros head. Lee Jihye's body shook every time he approached. She had never seen such a monster before.

In terms of individual strength, he wasn't as strong as the Flood of Disasters. If the Disaster of Floods had her power suppressed, the demons had no such thing.

Moreover, Lee Jihye's higher strength had become a poison to her. She knew the opponent's strength and this only raised her fear. Lee Jihye raised the blade and bit her lips. Thus, here…

[On the first floor of the Dark Castle, the 'Ancient Magic Power Barrier' has been formed.]

"Over there!"

A blue room was created at the end of the hallway. It was the only resting place in this Dark Castle.

Lee Jihye and Jung Heewon rushed to the room with all their might and barely escaped from the pursuit of the dark trackers. It was a small space that was less than two square metres but the two of them barely managed to fit in.

[You have entered the Ancient Magic Power Barrier. The special barrier will be activated for 30 minutes.]

If it wasn't for this safe zone being activated three times a day, Lee Jihye and Jung Heewon might've been killed already.

The dark trackers groaned as they touched the barrier and retreated. They tried to enter several times before giving up. However, that guy was different.

"Why isn't he leaving?"

The demon resembling a rhinoceros. The Demon Viscount Noslocke sat on the gorund a few metres away, as if it knew the principles of this barrier.

"…It is waiting."

The demon's long tongue swept over his lips. Like a gourmet waiting for delicious food, he watched Lee Jihye and Jung Heewon.

"Now what?"

"There are still 30 minutes. Let me think."

At the edge of the barrier, Lee Jihye was able to see the outside world through the windows of the castle. They couldn't leave through the window because of a special enchantment but they could see the outside anyway.

Demon species poured from the entrance of Dark Castle that Lee Jihye and her companions had opened.

More of them were lesser demons but they were too much for ordinary incarnations. The demons of Dark Castle devoured and infected the incarnations of Seoul.

Thanks to this, many of the demon species outside the fortress were people she originally knew.

Min Jiwon and the Hwarang. The members of Nirvana's Salvation Church. The people she knew were walking down the streets and tearing people apart. All of this was the result of her impatience. If she had been a bit more careful…

[Didn't I tell you? The difficulty of this scenario is on a completely different dimension.]

Lee Jihye heard the voice of the dokkaebi in the air and realized. It wasn't because she was strong that she could survive until now. It was because she was lucky.

'Damn! Damn! Foolish girl!' She blamed her own impatience too late. The people who entered without preparation scattered in the maze of darkness and she met these children. What happened to the other party members? She didn't know. Maybe they were all dead.

'If only Master were here.'

[There is one minute left for the duration of the Ancient Magic Power Barrier.]

Lee JIhye came to her senses as the darkness in front of the barrier shook. The demon's smile widened. Lee Jihye realized it was time.

Jung Heewon addressed Lee Jihye.

"Go up at my signal."

"Huh?"

"Listen to me."

Lee Jihye clenched her hands. She knew that Jung Heewon was stronger than her, so she would be able to hold down longer. In fact, she was dragging her down. If she hadn't been here, maybe Jung Heewon would have already gone up…

"Quickly! Run away and ask someone for help!"

Perhaps there wouldn't be anyone else there. In that case, they would surely be done for.

"…No, you are stronger than me, you're the one who should go up."

Jung Heewon was surprised.

Lee Jihye rushed forward the moment the barrier disappeared. The surprised demon jumped but that was it. The demon species surrounding her aimed for her body. Blood flowed from her white thighs and arms.

"Don't be stupid…!"

Jung Heewon gritted her teeth and resigned herself.

She glanced a last time behind her and ran up.

Lee Jihye exhaled. If only there was a lake nearby. No, if only she could get in touch with her sponsor whose link had been disconnected a few days ago.

"…I don't want to die."

The trajectory of Kendo was gradually disturbed and she weakened. The demon's smile became bigger. There was a big hit to the back of her head and her vision shook for a moment.

Lee Jihye muttered to herself. "I want to live…"

It seemed that something similar happened before. What had happened at the time?

At this moment, light appeared in front of her. The bodies of the dark trackers were split into two. It was as if the Messiah had descended and waves were splitting in two.

Lee Jihye watched in a spellbound manner.

The confused Demon Viscount Noslocke turned his head and a powerful electric current appeared around it. There was a man in the path of light created by the electric current.

It was a man in a white cloak.

[You have defeated a noble of the Demon World!]

[10,000 coins have been acquired!]

[The item 'Advanced Demon's Proof' has been acquired.]

[The sub-species of the Demon World will be afraid of you.]

Originally, killing a demon servant would gain the attention of their 'demon king' but this scenario was different. All demons in the Dark Castle scenario were ones waiting for their new 'master'.

Han Sooyoung looked at Lee Jihye then turned back.

Lee Jihye hesitated. She was on guard against the stranger. However, if she didn't follow the man, she would undoubtedly die.

After all, the man in a white cloak was able to knock down a noble-grade demon in one blow.

She gritted her teeth and tried to run after Han Sooyoung, but she didn't have any strength left.

Lee Jihye fell forward and lost consciousness.

Han Sooyoung's avatar, donning Kim Dokja's appearance, heard the thud behind her and stopped.

She sighed and picked up Lee Jihye before looking toward the direction where Jung Heewon had gone not long ago.

[A few constellations are amazed by your overwhelming presence.]

[A considerable number of constellations are questioning your probability.]

Han Sooyoung blatantly ignored the messages. She purchased the Ellain Forest Essence and fed it to Lee Jihye.

In another part of the Dark Castle, Cale holding Shin Yoosoung and Yoo Mia's hands used the Fire of Destruction to destroy everything in their path.

He had to use more power than expected since the demons were a bit strong, but it wasn't a big deal.

All the demons in the room fell to the ground with a myriad of messages accompanying their deaths.

In this place full of corpses, Cale heard a strange sound and paused.

It was the sound of footsteps.

Cale frowned. There shouldn't have been anyone else here.

He looked down at the children with a bad feeling.

The sound of footsteps was calm and unhurried, then stopped.

[Premonition Lv.2 is activated!]

When he saw the woman smiling kindly at him, he had a hunch.

Cale felt the terrifying strength of the woman.

Then, she suddenly attacked them.

He instinctively knew that she was a hunter.

The crimson-haired teenager protected the two children with the Indestructible Shield.