Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 96 - An Eye for an Eye (1)

A big stature.

 

A scrawny appearance.

 

A skinny face.

 

The interrogation led by Marcelo was unexpectedly powerful.

 

Enough that I didn’t regret passing it over to him.

 

Perhaps because it was related to the Mage Tower.

 

There was no feeling of mercy.

 

“I am  asking about Karimjeva’s whereabouts.”

 

“I told you I don’t know. Are you asking because you think that arrogant old man will tell me his hiding place?”

 

“I will make sure that you’re being genuine.”

 

“U-Uuurg!”

 

Crackle–!

 

A magic that made even people who watched it feel numb.

 

Marcelo didn’t change his expression and tortured Jang Hyundo.

 

No, he tortured the demon.

 

I realized it once again.

 

That the mages of the Mage Tower were beings that shouldn’t be touched carelessly.

 

‘In a way, it makes sense that they have no blood or tears.’

 

Of course, this interrogation process.

 

I was watching it calmly, so I had no right to say that.

 

I couldn’t help it.

 

I, Grandfel, felt sympathy for the demon?

 

It was impossible.

 

“S-Say something……!!”

 

It was no use looking at me like that.

 

I summarized the information obtained after the interrogation.

 

‘Demon of True Name, Akampatham.’

 

Akampatham was the demon possessing Jang Hyundo.

 

It sounded grandiose when you called him the demon of true name, but there was no big difference. Among the demons, those who were classified as named monsters were demons of true names.

 

‘They’re stronger than demons of the same level.’

 

They were named monsters.

 

I was tired of seeing them in the [Predator’s Swamp] rupture.

 

Even ordinary monsters matched the pattern when named.

 

Naturally, the demons got more than that.

 

“Didn’t you hear me? In the first place, I had no intention of cooperating with that old man, Karimjeva! I even thought of hitting him from the back. I also don’t want the high-ranking demon king to be resurrected!”

 

The same was true of Akampatham.

 

‘Especially his mouth was damn right.’

 

What the Mage Tower wanted was not a small fry like he was.

 

What they wanted was Karimjeva, the demon worshiper.

 

Realizing that fact in Marcelo’s question.

 

He cleverly made a point.

 

“I swear. I’ve told you everything I know.”

 

Karimjeva must have fallen for this.

 

Not only that, he almost got hit in the back of his head.

 

Well, thanks to that, we were able to figure out all of Karimjeva’s plans.

 

“Simultaneous creation of ruptures…”

 

Indeed.

 

Karimjeva was preparing a summoning ceremony for the high-ranking demon king.

 

Just like Decarabia did in Frost.

 

Sacrifices would also be needed for the resurrection of the high-ranking demon king.

 

Karimjeva and other demon worshipers would the ruptures.

 

The plan was to make up for the sacrifice through the ruptures.

 

“Senior Banglet must have almost become a sacrifice.”

 

Toward a senior mage of the Mage Tower, they dared….

 

Marcelo’s eyes were alive again.

 

He calmly grasped the situation.

 

“Now that two demon worshipers beside Karimjeva are trapped in Mugan. He won’t be able to afford to control as many ruptures as he planned.”

 

I agreed with him on that.

 

But even if the ruptures were less than what they planned.

 

I could guess the recommended level of the ruptures.

 

[Cracked Dimension Gap]

 

[Recommended level: Lv.900]

 

Of course, that had been a trap for Senior Mage Banglet.

 

The recommended level of that rupture could have been exceptionally high.

 

However, Karimjeva had a bigger variable than the recommended level.

 

‘Let’s just say Karimjeva is on standby at the rupture.’

 

The moment the players entered?

 

They would just be the sacrifice for the high-ranking demon king.

 

The problem was that there was a good chance that Karimjeva would act that way.

 

The fact that he confided all his plans to Akampatham was the proof.

 

Karimjeva was in a tight spot.

 

“I just couldn’t win against his threats…! The only thing I had to do was to hand over information about Lee Hoyeol. Then he would know how the Mage Tower was doing. But damn it. Why did the succubus…?”

 

Like Akampatham said.

 

If I hadn’t been contacted by Baek Yiseol, I would have gone a long way back. However, I was also the one who turned Baek Yiseol into a human through [Exorcism].

 

In that sense.

 

‘Well done, Lee Hoyeol.’

 

I couldn’t help but praise myself once again.

 

Now, as thick as it got, the iron skin had become thicker.

 

This kind of thing could no longer be included in the category of self-praise.

 

As if to prove that, I was calmly soaked in emotion.

 

‘It would have been terrible in the past. Seriously.’

 

Ruptures that boasted enormous recommended levels appeared all over the world at the same time, and there was a possibility that a monster called Karimjeva was lurking in those ruptures, and if those ruptures weren’t cleared, a high-ranking demon king might get summoned.

 

…Wow, isn’t that scary?

 

Not only that, my level was only 324.

 

Where should I start by myself?

 

It was definitely a scale that I couldn’t even imagine.

 

But I was no longer alone.

 

Yeah, at least I had authority.

 

“As of this time, I will grant senior mages access to the ruptures. Marcelo.”

 

That’s right, the full authority on the mages’ exit tower…!

 

Karimjeva was a criminal of high treason of the Mage Tower.

 

Since it was for the purpose of securing the criminal of high treason.

 

This tower’s exit permission didn’t against the procedures and pride.

 

Yeah, I was more confident than ever.

 

I could wield the power of the Mage Tower.

 

‘The Mage Tower quest is a given.’

 

The ruptures would also be cleared in the process of securing Karimjeva.

 

‘The experience and loot that will be acquired through him must be at a level that cannot be ignored.’

 

Of course, my self-interest was never revealed.

 

Marcelo replied.

 

“I’ll hurry up and get ready. Karimjeva will soon find out.”

 

Flinch–

 

I looked at Jang Hyundo, who flinched.

 

He’ll find out?

 

About what?

 

I told you the whole truth, didn’t I?

 

Jang Hyundo. No, Akampatham had such a questioning look on his face.

 

I looked coldly at Akampatham.

 

‘What are you gonna do with your barks?’

 

He really had no wits.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Clench–

 

Akampatham gritted his teeth with his head down.

 

‘…Damn it.’

 

Thanks to selling Karimjeva.

 

The vigilance against him was reduced.

 

Akampatham was relieved for now.

 

‘At least I can survive.’

 

He felt relieved, but he couldn’t help but tremble.

 

‘Crazy mages of the Mage Tower.’

 

Karimjeva and this bonehead.

 

All of them were ignorant.

 

To think there wasn’t even a stir in their emotions while wielding magic.

 

They had no awareness of the magic they were spouting.

 

In that sense, he couldn’t understand.

 

‘What the hell?’

 

Lee Hoyeol.

 

He didn’t feel magical power like Karimjeva or the bony guy from that man.

 

Akampatham knew the mages very well.

 

If they showed off their magic, they showed it all off.

 

Mages never hid them.

 

However….

 

Was this man hiding magic?

 

Or was it because he had no magic?

 

Either way, both options made no sense.

 

‘That’s right, since a while ago.’

 

Hadn’t this bony guy been speaking formally to Lee Hoyeol?

 

Not only that, his attitude was very polite.

 

He didn’t even feel any negative emotions.

 

The bony guy was being sincere.

 

‘That’s enough. It’s none of my business.’

 

He had to think about it more, but his mind was complicated.

 

Akampatham gave up thinking.

 

Instead, he turned his mind toward the side he was confident in.

 

‘By the way, there’s nothing they can’t say in front of Akampathan-nim.’

 

Lee Hoyeol and the bony guy, Marcelo.

 

Thanks to the conversation between those two, he roughly grasped the situation.

 

‘They’re trapped in a space called Mugan.’

 

Karimjeva.

 

The fellow demon worshipers he was looking for.

 

It was a surprise for Akampatham as well.

 

If it was Karimjeva’s colleagues.

 

They must have had an equal level of mana.

 

‘Did those monsters get subdued?’

 

How the hell did this place, the Mage Tower, come about?

 

To think that he got brought to such a place.

 

He got goosebumps again…

 

Anyway, he had obtained valuable information.

 

‘It’s fine to go back with this.’

 

At a time when Karimjeva’s whole plan was revealed.

 

He would have no desire to see him.

 

But he wasn’t the kind of guy who would stay still.

 

When Karimjeva would come to visit.

 

Akampatham needed to say something to save his life.

 

‘Of course, I’ll keep what happened today a secret.’

 

Tricking Karimjeva?

 

He was confident.

 

No matter how great Karimjeva was.

 

He was just a human being who had already been deceived once.

 

Deceiving him a second time would be easier.

 

‘To do so, I have to shut up for now.’

 

Akampatham held his breath.

 

Yes, all he had to do was return from here alive.

 

Then a voice came in.

 

“I’ll hurry up and get ready. Karimjeva will soon find out.”

 

“?”

 

He’ll find out?

 

What will he find out?

 

Am I going to shut up about this?

 

“!”

 

Akampatham looked up in bewilderment and then made eye contact.

 

Hoyeol.

 

And he remembered.

 

The voice that seemed to pass him by.

 

– “I don’t exchange words with prey.”

 

Indeed.

 

It was the gaze of a natural enemy toward its prey.

 

Akampatham’s pupils turned black.

 

“Y-You?”

 

Shake–

 

Even in front of the Fire Dragon, Karimjeva, his tongue, which was working fine, hadn’t listened.

 

Even Karimjeva couldn’t utter the sly words to trick him.

 

His brain stopped thinking.

 

Yeah, this was an irresistible tremor.

 

It was horror.

 

Hoyeol said to Akampatham.

 

“I see it.”

 

“…?”

 

“Your stupid misunderstanding.”

 

Misunderstanding.

 

He could immediately understand what it meant.

 

‘I was mistaken in thinking that I could return alive…?’

 

But he couldn’t say anything.

 

I don’t exchange words with prey.

 

As if it was a one-sided declaration, not a conversation.

 

There was no hesitation in Hoyeol’s behavior.

 

Akampatham was astounded.

 

‘I-Is this how it ends? Me, Akampatham?’

 

Squeak–

 

Of course, he couldn’t even utter that astonishment.

 

*

 

“It wouldn’t do any good for him to know what was going on inside.”

 

Marcelo erased Jang Hyundo’s memory.

 

I didn’t know how far he erased those memories.

 

I wished he could erase even the old memories.

 

At least until he got straightened.

 

‘Jang Hyundo is famous in a different way.’

 

Drugs, drunk driving, power trip.

 

Even before he was possessed by Akampatham, Jang Hyundo was a person who was in the newspaper with all kinds of gossip.

 

We couldn’t let that punk get away with it and try that habit again.

 

‘I wonder if Karimjeva will just watch.’

 

Since Akampatham’s memory had been erased.

 

There was no way they could communicate.

 

It meant that Jang Hyundo could be the target of his angry vent.

 

Of course, whether Jang Hyundo would reform or not.

 

That depended on how far his memory remained.

 

‘By the way.’

 

[Natural Enemy Relationship].

 

I had felt it when activating [Exorcism].

 

‘It’s kind of weird to say this myself.’

 

Apparently, I had grown considerably after clearing the [Predator’s Swamp].

 

Of course, demons didn’t exist in the [Predator’ Swamp].

 

There might be some dramatic effects in [Natural Enemy Relationship] because it hadn’t been activated for a while.

 

Even thinking about it, I never thought I would be able to hunt so easily.

 

I checked the status window.

 

Demon of True Name, Akampatham.

 

After defeating him, my level went up by 9 levels.

 

[Name: Gradnfel Claudie Arpheus Romeo]

 

[Title: The Last Adventurer]

 

[Class: Demon hunter]

 

[Level: 333]

 

[Stat]

 

Strength: 60 / Agility: 65 / Mana: 271 / Luck: 6 / Aesthetic: Low

 

[Point: 9]

 

When estimated from the amount of experience points gained.

 

Akampatham should be at least level 560.

 

Getting rid of a guy like that.

 

I didn’t even need grand magic.

 

──────

 

Silver Mastery (81%)

 

──────

 

I just wanted to improve my skill level.

 

All I had done was attack him with silver, which had roughly changed shapes.

 

However, an unexpected fatal blow occurred.

 

[‘Critical hit’ occurs to the demon of true name, Akampatham.]

 

I was just lucky.

 

Or was this also thanks to my investment in luck?

 

I could have thought nothing of it and moved on.

 

But I knew.

 

‘[Natural Enemy Relationship]. It’s not just an increased range of activation.’

 

The higher the level.

 

Like the activation radius of [Natural Enemy Relationship], which was getting wider and wider.

 

[Natural Enemy Relationship] between me and the demons had become more firm.

 

‘It means that I can gain an even greater advantage in the battle against the demons.’

 

I spoke brazenly.

 

“But I am not satisfied.”

 

I wasn’t being greedy, I was just lacking a lot.

 

There wasn’t much to look back for.

 

Even in the [Predator’s Swamp].

 

I had struggled pitifully.

 

Because I wasn’t good at swordsmanship.

 

I had walked around on a lotus leaf because of my lack of mana.

 

Wouldn’t it tell the pure spirit the bitter taste of a class society…

 

‘So I can’t be conceited.’

 

I didn’t know about Granfel, who was always confident.

 

But I had to stay reasonable until the end.

 

I shouldn’t forget my place.

 

In that sense, I was thoroughly prepared.

 

Sss–

 

Letters appeared on parchment.

 

──────

 

Enchantment of the magic tool you requested has been successfully completed.

 

──────

 

Clink–

 

I put down my tea cup.

 

[Due to the effect of the bi-herb, ‘Starflower Roots’, your intelligence increases by 1 point.]

 

I was fully prepared to dispose of Karimjeva.

 

That would be the same for the senior mages of the Mage Tower.

 

So I promised once again.

 

I would know my place.

 

I would make good use of the Mage Tower’s strong support.

 

Because I had no desire to get caught up in a whale fight and perish.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Yeah, that’s what I promised.

 

I didn’t mean to be treated excessively like this again.

 

‘… It’s more than reassuring, it’s burdensome.’

 

But as always, I couldn’t express it.

 

I looked at the middle-aged man sitting opposite me.

 

He spoke to me with a gracious smile.

 

“It’s the first time we’ve had a conversation like this. Let me introduce myself.”

 

He had a small build for a man.

 

However, the transcendental magic that swayed through his body revealed who he was.

 

I was reminded once again.

 

But I made no compromise.

 

‘This damn pride.’

 

That was why I quit the company!

 

Despite my echo of resentment.

 

I cheekily opened my mouth.

 

“No, let’s skip the introduction.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Elder Mage, Senios. Tell me the reason you come to me.”

 

Noblesse Oblige.

 

Until the Mage Tower reached its current state.

 

The two elder mages had just been on the sidelines.

 

There was no way Granfel’s pride could take it lightly.

 

Let alone respectful words, I couldn’t even say nice words.

 

I just wanted to close my eyes.

 

‘A quibble with the boss…  Even if I get fired, I have nothing to say. Seriously.’

 

Does Mage Tower also have a retirement allowance system?

 

What would they give me if they had one?

 

What would happen to the rented magic tools?

 

However, I heard a different answer than what I was prepared for.

 

“It’s a matter of business, so it’s not that simple. I want to obtain permission.”

 

…Wait, permission?

 

What permission would the elder mage want to receive from me?

 

I thought about it and remembered.

 

The full authority of the tower’s exit that was given to me.

 

Senios laughed and continued.

 

“Elder Mage, Senios, is formally requesting permission to exit the tower.”

 

He seemed to mean it.

 

In accordance with the procedure.

 

He added his purpose.

 

“My purpose is to punish Karimjeva, the criminal of high treason of the Mage Tower, with my own hands.”

 

…No, you’ve easily passed the qualifications to volunteer, haven’t you?

 

I was so surprised that my voice gasped.

 

But I couldn’t express it in my face.

 

Clink–

 

I calmly put down the teacup and said.

 

“I need you to be more specific.”