556

 [Chapter 150]

[Misfortune or Perhaps Fortune (3)]

Thoughts deepen.

A means to become much stronger than now is in his hands.

Though the risk is high, if he succeeds─

─It may not be impossible to become the strongest among humans.

Though at that point he should say Mayin rather than human...

Eunha smiled bitterly while opening and closing his palm holding the inner pill.

The disasters that will strike the world in the future.

Among those disasters, ones that can only be defeated by forcing many sacrifices.

For example, the 2nd tier monster Maegu ruling as a boss in the Uijeongbu government building.

And the nine disasters calling themselves new humanity, the Demon Lords.

Since Belphegor was defeated, they'll be called the Eight Demon Lords now...

Besides them,

There's also the 3rd tier overrank monster Yekyung coming as a disaster in just 2 years.

"...I don't know."

"Pipi."

No conclusion is reached.

Whether he could survive eating the inner pill. There was also anxiety about whether mental problems would occur while evolving into a Mayin.

Also how much time it would take to digest the inner pill in his body.

I can become stronger.

But I don't know if becoming stronger here is really the right answer...

He doesn't know.

No answer comes out.

Today too, Eunha spent time boringly sitting on the hospital bed.

Then─

"─How have you been? Are you feeling okay?" "Ah, noona. Welcome."

The hospital room door opened.

Ryu Yeonhwa poked her head through the door gap.

Eunha who was lost in thought put the inner pill in the drawer and greeted her.

"I'm coming in."

"Why are you asking permission to enter the hospital room? Come in."

"Papa!"

"Yes. Hello Fire Chicken too?"

Pitter patter.

Hearing that, she entered shaking her long hair.

Carrying a spear on one shoulder with one hand.

Hugging a pure white bag with the other hand.

☆

"I bought egg bread."

"Oh, thank you. I've been wanting to eat this so much lately. Sit there. I'll make coffee." "No. I'll do it. Eunha, you sit there."

"I have problems with my mana circuits but my body is fine now. This is just light exercise."

"...Then I'll drink well."

"Papa!"

Hearing Ryu Yeonhwa's words, she apparently ran into grandmother in the hallway.

So grandmother said to be comfortable and decided to take mother away to give them space.

Ryu Yeonhwa said shyly.

Meanwhile, Eunha brought hot coffee from the coffee pot.

"But... I'm sorry."

"Hm? What are you sorry for?"

"Pipi?"

Eunha returned to his seat.

She who received the coffee hesitantly spoke.

Eunha tilted his head receiving Ryu Yeonhwa's sudden apology.

Fire Chicken sitting on Ryu Yeonhwa's lap playing was the same.

"Well... I used magic to run here in the middle to bring it before it got cold..."

"...Huh? You didn't have to go that far..."

Eunha opened his eyes wide.

He almost laughed thinking of her running through the city center hugging the egg bread bag with one hand.

But he shouldn't laugh.

Unlike the situation, she was explaining the circumstances to him with a deliberately serious expression.

Her confession continued.

"But when I manifest mana, it changes to ice regardless of my will..."

"..."

"So it probably cooled down a lot. I'm sorry. I don't usually do this... I made a mistake at a time like this..."

As if the world had collapsed.

Ryu Yeonhwa apologizes with an unexpectedly gloomy atmosphere.

Eunha couldn't erase the thought that she looked unfamiliar with her long hair drooping dejectedly.

Of course it was unfamiliar but─

─It's not bad.

It's human.

Compared to her icy personality, Eunha preferred her like this, bowing her head saying she made a mistake.

Honestly, the I remember was really reliable in skill, but she was a person who was too blunt.

Though I shouldn't be the one to say it...

He didn't know from where the future had changed, but

Eunha viewed her changes positively.

Moreover─

─This noona is unexpectedly clumsy too?

Though she's 4 years older than him.

She's unexpectedly clumsy.

So she looks cute sometimes.

Of course, she would obviously get angry if she knew.

He inwardly giggled and snapped his fingers.

Snap

He borrows Fire Chicken's power.

Eunha's hand was enveloped in flames.

"If it's cold, we can just reheat it. I'll warm it up like it was just made."

"Pipi!"

"Is it okay... to use magic?"

"I can do this much."

Right hand burning with fire.

Eunha grabbed the bag with that hand.

Then the fire blazing in his hand moved to the bag.

Strangely, the fire only heated the contents inside without trying to burn them.

"...Amazing. You're finely controlling and adjusting the flames." "Can't you do this kind of thing too, noona? You should be able to distinguish between people you should freeze and shouldn't freeze."

"That's true... But you're not using the help of a Gift. What you just did is a difficult area even with Gift power." "Hmm, is that so?"

"Yes."

Since he was so accustomed to mana control,

Eunha didn't feel much difficulty controlling flames after borrowing Fire Chicken's power.

So Yeonhwa's admiration didn't really resonate with him.

Then─

"─Ah, it's all warmed up. Let's eat now."

"Okay."

Egg bread warmed up.

Eunha handed one to Yeonhwa and immediately bit into one.

It was indeed a taste that could be said to have a whole egg inside.

Eunha was satisfied.

"This is the taste. I really wanted to eat this. It's delicious, right?"

"...Yes, it's delicious."

"Drink the coffee too. It'll be dry." "Okay."

"Pipi!"

"Yes, you eat too."

"No, I'll give it."

Fire Chicken is also clamoring for some.

As Eunha was about to tear off a handful, Yeonhwa tore off a piece of the bread she was eating and gave it to Fire Chicken.

Fire Chicken also happily pecked at the egg bread.

"But aren't you drinking coffee?" "Ah, this?"

It was when Eunha had conquered his second egg bread.

She who took a sip of coffee soon asked pointing at Eunha's cup.

The coffee level hadn't changed since he first poured it.

At this, Eunha shrugged.

"I'm not good with hot things so I'm letting it cool for now."

"Come to think of it, Eun-ah isn't good with hot things either... You too, Eunha."

As if some memory came to mind, Ryu Yeonhwa suddenly held back laughter.

Then she put her hand on Eunha's cup.

"...Here. You should be able to drink it now. Eun-ah liked drinking at this temperature too."

"Wow, amazing. It's perfect."

"I'm glad."

Ryu Yeonhwa was skilled at handling cold energy, so cooling coffee wasn't difficult for her.

On the other hand, Eunha who wasn't used to handling cold energy couldn't help but find even that amazing.

When he marveled, she squirmed shyly.

Then she made cool ice for Fire Chicken.

Fire Chicken stopped eating bread and played looking at the ice curiously.

"Really... I sometimes think this, but noona's ability is really useful." "I envy your ability more. I can only handle cold energy..."

"It's the same for me. It would be perfect if we mixed our abilities half and half. Don't you think?"

"...Yes, I think so too."

Chewing a mouthful of egg bread,

Ryu Yeonhwa smiled softly.

☆

"─By the way, what were you pondering earlier?"

"Huh?"

"When I came in earlier, you seemed to be thinking deeply about something..."

Grandmother and mother came in midway and brought snacks.

Then mother and grandmother went out of the hospital room again saying to have a good time.

At this, Eunha had casual conversations with Yeonhwa while eating dessert.

If there was an interesting point in the middle, it was that Ryu Yeonhwa tried to forcibly eat the dessert mother and grandmother bought.

It was funny seeing her trying to somehow swallow it even though she was full.

Considering Ryu Yeonhwa's face,

Eunha decided not to mention her appearance trying to forcibly swallow while covering her mouth with her hand.

It was then.

Ryu Yeonhwa suddenly asked.

What he was pondering about earlier.

"..."

"If it's hard to say, you don't have to. I'm sorry for asking unnecessarily."

Eunha hesitated.

And perhaps sensing his hesitation, she added awkwardly.

"Why are you apologizing for something like this?"

"...Because I have to be careful now. Me saying something to you... might be impolite to the people you're dating."

"You don't have to worry about that."

"Still..."

"Noona is also our noona's friend, so why are you worrying about even that? Treat me like before, like before." "..." "You don't like it? If you don't like it, it can't be helped but..." "No, that's not it. Yes... I'll try."

Somehow it seemed like she was being strangely careful to the point of being burdensome.

It seems she was thinking that way.

Eunha answered her as nonchalantly as possible.

As if it wouldn't do him any harm even if she stayed close to him.

It was effective.

Ryu Yeonhwa reluctantly nodded carefully.

Anyway─

─Should I tell her...

Eunha recalled the question Ryu Yeonhwa first asked.

The dilemma about Belphegor's inner pill.

Until now, Eunha had been pondering alone without telling people around him.

Twenty-five didn't come to visit to avoid being noticed by people around, and Bruno had a ban on approaching him for a while from family members.

What would you do if you could become stronger than now?

It's not something I can tell other people...

I could ask Seoyoung noona for advice but... she's busy so she doesn't visit often, and mother and grandmother are here...

In that sense,

Ryu Yeonhwa who doesn't neglect training herself would be perfect to ask for advice.

As it happened, mother and grandmother weren't in the hospital room.

Eunha who changed his mind opened his mouth.

"─There's something I'm pondering." "What is it? I'll help if it's something I can help with."

When Eunha readily brought up the topic,

Her expression noticeably brightened as she responded to his words.

"Hmm... If I had a magic potion that could make me even stronger than now, what would you do, noona?" "..." "Would you eat it even if you had to take the risk?"

He didn't say specifically that he could become a Mayin.

Eunha decided to speak vaguely without saying concretely.

Nevertheless, Yeonhwa seemed to seriously think about the hypothesis he brought up.

She asked after a brief pause.

"When you say take the risk, do you mean you might reach a different level from now if you absorb it?"

"...That might be the case." "..."

Ryu Yeonhwa closed her mouth.

She was silent for a long time while patting Fire Chicken's head sitting on her lap.

"..."

A long time passed.

Eunha waited for her answer.

Eventually she seemed to finish thinking and opened her mouth.

"─My master doesn't like things like magic potions. Especially things like spirit pills or inner pills." "..."

"Potions are separate, but he's someone who originally doesn't try to consume magic potions that are absorbed into the body and become part of your power."

Then out of nowhere,

She brought up the name of her master, former Twelve Seats Nam Gung Seong-un.

"My master says one thing. You shouldn't forget what kind of being you are, intoxicated by the power given by spirit pills or inner pills."

"..." "Magic that implements in the world based on imagination is ultimately a process of exploring 'myself' and defining oneself. Training is leading to reach that process."

"..." "But if you try to move to the next stage at your own discretion, relying on the power of magic potions without refining yourself, can that really be said to have reached a certain level? You'll get stronger, but can that person's magic be said to have depth?"

Clearly.

Ryu Yeonhwa continued the story she must have heard from her master until her ears wore out.

Eunha listened attentively to her words.

"The meaning of reaching a level doesn't simply mean reaching a certain orbit. It means you've embodied many things while climbing to that level, he said."

"Noona's words are right." "So I... I think it's better not to eat such things, at least for me." "..."

Ryu Yeonhwa's words were right.

How you became stronger was more important than simply becoming stronger.

Power wasn't something to use recklessly, but to use wisely.

There were no easy paths in the world.

"─You shouldn't be devoured by power. If that happens, how are you any different from monsters?"

'─How are you bastards devoured by power any different from monsters?'

Ryu Yeonhwa finished speaking.

At that moment, Eunha remembered the words she said through the media before his regression.

The day the Demon Lords appeared in the world.

Armageddon, who called himself the leader of the Demon Lords, declared to the world that they were the new humanity with legitimacy to rule over people.

At that time, she who was at the scene spat out those words to prevent people from wavering.

That you Demon Lords are not seekers of humanity with noble purposes, but beings no different from monsters.

"...Noona's words are right. Thank you."

"I'm glad I could help."

Ruminating on that time,

Eunha nodded.

As she said in his previous life, the Demon Lords were no different from monsters devoured by power.

Perhaps I could become like that too.

If I eat Belphegor's inner pill.

He too could become no different from them, an enemy of humanity.

That's what being intoxicated by power is.

No matter how much he resolved not to be intoxicated by power, the situation wouldn't flow that way.

So─

─Let's put Belphegor's inner pill on hold.

Without such things...

Let's just keep training as much as I can get stronger.

I thought I had hit a wall until now.

Now that I look at it, it seems the wall is still far ahead.

There's still room for growth.

Even if there's no more room for growth, there's a lot of room to become more seasoned.

So he didn't want to absorb the inner pill by leaping the remaining distance.

Let's think of the inner pill as a trump card.

At a truly critical moment... Let's think about it when a situation comes where we must overcome even by becoming a Mayin.

If he eats Belphegor's inner pill, he'll establish a foundation to control a Mayin's power before that.

Noh Eunha resolved.

☆

Goyang city, Gyeonggi province.

Even the place that was called Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals' research institute until recently was now just barren land.

There were no intact buildings, and it was hard to find even traces that a research complex had stood here.

Let alone that this was the hotbed of the New Humanity Project.

"..."

The man, the old man was there.

 Wearing a black fedora and leaning on a cane, he endlessly gazed at the barren land where nothing remained.

"Tsk..."

After a long while.

The old man clicked his tongue.

The old man wearing black sunglasses eventually turned away from there.

"Someone hit me from behind while I was distracted for a moment..."

Grumbling.

The old man spoke in a low voice while leaning on his cane.

"Judging by the traces, it seems that Belphegor fellow has been annihilated. Who on earth could have eliminated that guy who freely controlled dreams..."

How strange, he said.

Saying he couldn't predict it at all.

The old man grumbled.

If he had been even a step faster, he could have found it.

Someone had intentionally erased the traces, making it impossible to track.

"─It can't be helped. One shouldn't cling to past connections, indeed."

Soon the old man nodded.

Then he stopped walking.

─Tap

As if waiting for that moment.

Suddenly Players appeared surrounding the old man.

"..."

Players who each seemed to possess extraordinary power.

Six in total.

The size of one party.

The old man soon looked around at them through his black sunglasses.

"Hehe."

And for some reason he found it so amusing.

The old man let out a short laugh.

At that, the Players frowned.

"What brings you to a place like this? We surely posted no entry signs outside."

"Who are you, sir? No, who the hell are you? How could you enter without being detected by the sensing net?" "Just come with us quietly. Then we'll treat you with consideration so you suffer less harm, sir."

The Players pressured the old man while drawing out their internal mana.

Nevertheless, the old man─

"─Hehe." """"...."""

The old man just laughed.

Soon he tapped the ground with his cane─

""""─...!!""""

At that moment.

The Players all collapsed at once.

The old man leisurely passed by them.

"You ask who I am?"

How foolish.

If you saw me, you should have run away immediately.

The old man who was laughing hehe split his mouth and cackled.

─Dimension Gate

Then he murmurs his name.

I am Armageddon.

The new humanity that will someday rule over you humans.

When the old man finished those words.

The old man was no longer there.