The Protagonists Are Murdered By Me Chapter 31: 156-160, a 13 tzameti fanfic

It has been 6 months since I arrived in this world. After killing Ahinal, I spent my days hunting ghosts with Aracelli. Time itself wasn't much of an issue here. The time here flows 21 times faster than Earth, in other words, only around 10 days passed on earth.

The ghost hunting could be said to be smooth sailing. One of the reasons why it was smooth sailing was because of Aracelli's ability. Even though she had no spiritual powers, and had no knowledge of how to seal a ghost, she could kill a ghost through magic which was only possible because she studied demonology from the moment she reached the 7th circle.

It was also thanks to the skills I had acquired after killing Ahinal.

[Level 150 protagonist has been killed.]

[1500 days of lifespan has been paid.]

[Your current lifespan: 5093 days 6 hours 49 minutes]

[Your level has been raised by 4.]

[You have acquired the skill 'Soul Piercing Eyes (C)'.]

–

Yoo Seodam

[Level: 161]

Stats

[Strength 157] [Strength 173] [Agility 159]

[Energy 1] [Mana 265]

Talent

[Swordsmanship S] [Hunting D] [Shooting S]

[Cooking D-] [Intuition A] [Quick-wit A]

[Insight B] [Vital SS] [Others…]

Skills

[Protagonist Hunter Lv. 4]

[White Swordsmanship (S)] [Sixth Sense (B)]

[Inventory (S)] [Dharma Heavenly Wind God Technique (SS)]

[Concentration (SS)] [Holy Conversion (F)]

[Ara-Sunyoung Mana Circling technique (SS)]

[Library Of The White Witch(C)]

[Soul Piercing Eyes (C)]

–

The effect of Soul Piercing Eyes was self-explanatory.

The other day, when I was dealing with the Thirteenth Step Ghost, I couldn't kill it no matter how many times I beat it with a sword clad in divine power. Unlike humans, ghosts did not bleed, and their heads and hearts were not their weak points.

However, thanks to Soul Piercing Eyes, I could now see the ghost's weakness. I could see places that would deal damage to the ghosts if I attacked them there. For that very reason, the diary was no longer a necessity for hunting ghost stories.

Of course, several ghosts were trickier to hunt because of Aracelli's lack of mana and my little amount of holy power. But all in all, Aracelli and I had quite a bit of fun hunting ghosts.

Principal Malea hadn't appeared again since then. We don't even know where she lives, or why she doesn't go to work. However, when I dug deeper to get more information about 'Malea'. I found something very good.

[About psychic phenomena]

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[What is a pure and clear soul?]

[How to treat the soul?]

Malea was headmaster of the magic school as well as an extremely rare 'soul magician' in this world. If you asked most people in this world about soul magicians, they wouldn't know about it. It's just a made up word after all. I've also yet to meet anyone who deals with souls.

Perhaps because of that, the book about souls that was written by Principal Malea was not popular. I bet most people in this school don't even know that such a book existed. Of course, their ignorance was a boon to me. The books were very helpful to me. The reason I came to this world in the first place was to learn about 'separation of soul'.

Before I came here, I didn't even think that I could find the way right away. But boy! Should I say I'm lucky? I was able to find the information I was looking for, in the very first world to boot!

[How to separate souls?]

This method could only work if the user had spiritual power (holy power) and the ability to manipulate souls (spirit eyes). I met all of those conditions. In other words, it may now be possible to separate Yekaterina's soul from me.

Of course, it was by no means an easy method. Rather, it was fairly difficult and complex. There was also a chance of failure which would lead to damaging the soul itself. But I still wanted to guarantee Yekaterina's freedom.

"Wow, Professor. There are books like this."

Aracelli exclaimed and skipped around the empty library. As for the woman named Malea, the more I researched about her, the stranger things I found.

[Survival of Tutorial Tower.]

Somehow… the title overlaps a bit with the survival series I read often as a child.

"What is this tutorial tower?"

"I did a little research about it, Professor. In this world, a certain 'giant tower' has risen. It suddenly appeared out of nowhere and recruited what they called 'challengers'… It seems that there are people from not only this world but many other worlds that came to the tower."

"Is that so? Sounds exciting."

People from different worlds gather in one space. I don't think anything good is going to happen inside the tower.

"And Principal Malea has survived through it. It was said that those who survived the Tutorial Tower were given enormous abilities and rewards. According to the records, each and every one of them possessed unbelievable power that could upset the balance of the world…"

Aracelli frowned.

"Principal Malea also killed all the survivors who caused havoc in this world. But, for survivors who did not cause trouble, she gave them a place to live in comfort."

"She has great determination… She is also great because she has the power to implement it."

"Right?"

Anyway, I had learned about the Tutorial Tower.

But the last question still remains. Why does Principal Malea, whom I have never met, know me?

It seems that the timeline is slightly off.

'How?'

Hunter Yoo Seodam, as you know, you travel around the world by adjusting the 'time difference'. Perhaps there's a big difference between the time in the Tutorial Tower and the time in this world. And when you take account of the time you spent on Earth, the past and the future could be mixed.

'Then what? Am I going to the tutorial tower in the future?'

Probably so.

'…..'

Even after listening to the system's explanation, I still had my doubts. It was an explanation that was difficult to stomach, but it was impossible to ask any more questions since I did not fully understand the concept of time and dimension in the first place.

[Tutorial Tower Survival Journal]

I sighed as I stroked Principal Malea's diary. In the end, I had to wait. There was no point in thinking about what this diary was about.

"Are you okay, Professor? You look very troubled."

"It's okay. I'm okay."

I stroked Aracelli's hair. She smiled pleasantly and lowered her head more. She was a young-looking woman, but in fact she had a similar mentality to me. She was also someone I could trust and rely on because she's been through all sorts of bizarre things I'd never been through.

For half a year, I had been hunting ghost stories and telling Aracelli about various things. In particular, I properly explained my goal to enter 'Hell Gate'.

Aracelli's answer after I told her about 'Hell Gate' back then was still clear in my mind.

'Isn't that probably a residual located at the far end of the dimension?'

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'Residual? So, like garbage?'

'Yeah. Even though it can't belong to the centre of the dimension, It still struggles to make itself belong to the world….'

'….'

That was her opinion.

In this universe, there were numerous dimensions, including Earth and Vivienda. And all those dimensions were tied together. Just as stars gather to form galaxies. So, dimensions combine to form a 'dimensional system'.

But in the end, even in that dimension system, there were bound to be limits.

"Hell Gate… might be a gathering of places that had been expelled from its original dimension", Aracelli guessed.

"Then, why is there such a thing on Earth?"

"Should we conclude that it is only on Earth?"

"What do you mean?"

"Earth is, after all, only one of the intersections of many dimensions. Perhaps… Hell Gate exists in other worlds too. My guess is that Earth is located at the very centre of the dimension, so maybe you can see Hell Gate too if you go to another central dimension."

'….'

Perhaps it was because she was a scholar who studied dimensional science, every word she said seemed to hit a mark. She approached Hell Gate from a perspective I had never thought before.

'So, there's a good chance that that woman, Reina Ju, is still alive. If that Great Rift is also a different dimension, there's no way to prevent it from going through the Hell Gate where the residual of all dimensions gathered. No, maybe the Great Rift itself was the entrance to the Hell Gate.'

And, she said somewhat bitterly.

'However…. I don't think it's wise to go looking for her, Professor.'

'Why?'

'I told you. It's a place where the residuals from every dimension struggle to somehow remain in the universe. Unless that Reina Ju was born with a very strong power…there's a high probability that she's already been blown out of the dimension.'

Outside the dimension. In other words, the world without any story.

I suddenly became terrified.

Story exists in every dimension, and they gather and assemble to form a complete story. As I wandered around the world, I encountered so many stories, and I took them for granted.

The story of the Earth, the story of Vivienda…

But, what will happen if one falls to the world with no story?

In a world where there was no story, no plot, no probability, really nothing…

What kind of world is that?

'Is it possible that Reina was thrown into such a world…?'

'I'm sorry, Professor. I don't know much…'

Even though Aracelli was so knowledgeable, there were still parts that she didn't know, and she had an apologetic expression on her face. even though it wasn't necessary.

'Still, if I have to guess a little bit, that woman, probably, is already dead, Professor.'

I tried hard not to argue with her. She said that if I had to go through Hell Gate, it wouldn't make any sense.

I couldn't help but be confused.

Both the system and Aracelli, who were more knowledgeable in terms of dimension than anybody else, viewed my ambition of raiding Hell Gate negatively. Even though I had seen Reina at Hell Gate just a few years ago, currently, she may have already been kicked to the world without a story.

It was confusing. It seemed that my goals so far were being denied. It was as if I was running down the road to Chunha University, and people were telling me, 'Chunha University doesn't really exist! It was only in the drama!'

Should I despair here? Or should I just sit back and give up on everything?

"Professor….."

Feeling Aracelli's hand on my head, I closed my eyes.

No, It's still too early to despair. Because everything was still no more than a speculation.

I guess I'll have to worry.

A lot.nov𝖊𝔩𝓤𝓈𝑏dot𝐂\o\𝑚

On a lazy afternoon during a sunny day, Principal Malea looked at the scenery outside the window while doing nothing.

Today too, the students of Cheongyeon Private Magic Academy should be engrossed in their classes, and teachers too should be busy working hard in passing their knowledge.

The peace was abruptly broken by the knock she heard on her office's door. Malea sighed and turned her head helplessly. Out of nowhere, a piece of cloth wrapped around her face and hid it from anyone prying eyes.

"Come on in."

The door opened, from the other side of the door, a professor walked in. His expression told her that he was nervous for some reason.

"Excuse me, Principal. Student Yoo Seodam said he wants to meet you…"

Originally, words of an ordinary student would have never reached Malea's room. However, Yoo Seodam was special. He had a powerful presence that couldn't be handled lightly by students and teachers alike.

"…it can't be helped. Please tell him he can't."

"I understand."

After the teacher left, Malea touched her lips bitterly. Her fingers slowly began to scatter. It was the side effect of forcibly prolonging her lifespan. She did it just to meet one person.

Suddenly, a memory from the distant past came to Malea's mind. It was a memory from a time when a young wizard named Malea was taken to a place called 'Tutorial Tower'.

'Do you believe in me?'

How did I reply back then? As she scoured through her memories, Malea couldn't help but burst into laughter without realizing it.

'No?'

'Kid who are you? In any case, all you have to do is follow this oppa.'

'I don't call people I don't know oppa, Ahjussi.'

'Hey kid, if you keep doing that, you'll die.'

Most of their conversations were pointless bickering. Fighting each other with chopsticks to eat extra pieces of meat, pushing each other out to sleep on a flatter place, or even fighting for their lives over a piece of candy. At that time, she didn't value her time with him very much.

But, after seeing him once again, she realized that she couldn't get those happy little moments back ever again.

The current Yoo Seodam wasn't the Yoo Seodam she knew from Tutorial tower. She was certain that he had yet to experience it. And because of the 'Time Paradox' she couldn't share her memories with him.

She couldn't say anything to him. She can't ask him whether he remembered what happened back then? But every time she tried to say those words, her heart throbbed over and over again painfully. As if this 'world' was trying to keep all of it inside her.

"….."

So, she had no choice but to relieve those memories alone.

'It's not there. Let's go to the right.'

'Why? The one on the left is prettier, isn't it?'

'Really? But you said the same thing for the right one earlier!'

'Eh? Me? When?'

He was a mysterious man who knew everything. He had always carried a journal with him, but he never explained what it was to her. All that time, Malea had always wondered why he knew everything? And why, amongst all the people in the tutorial tower, did he choose to stick with her.

As time passed while she kept pondering about it, she realized something. The reason why they met back then was because the future and the past overlapped with each other.

And then she remembered their very last day on the tutorial tower. She had asked him, perhaps while crying. 'Ahjussi, will we ever see each other again?'

Unlike her, Yoo Seodam didn't cry. He smiled, but for some reason, he had a guilty expression on his face while answering her question.

'Yes, we can meet again.'

And Malea believed it. That was why she kept delaying her death.

Currently, her hand had already disappeared. Her ankle too, had disappeared. She also didn't have a face, but it has been several years since her face had disappeared. She had endured and persevered for a very long time just to meet Yoo Seodam for one last time. However, her limit was swiftly approaching.nov𝔢𝔩𝑢𝑠𝗯\𝓒/o/𝑚

'In the end, even after meeting him again, I will be leaving without saying anything.'

Because of the 'Time Paradox', her own existence will disappear the moment she shares her memories with him. The 'Time Paradox' was just that powerful. But, it's fine. In exchange for Malea's 'existence', she had handed him the journal.

Perhaps in the future…. The girl, 'Malea', from the past would be able to spend a happy time again with Yoo Seodam. It would be a never-ending loop. She could be happy forever.

Isn't that enough?

With that thought, Malea closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep while reminiscing about the happy days in the past.

However, she couldn't do it.

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-Wait! Wait a minute, student… Khhhhhhhhh!

-Get out of the way.

-Professor, should I clean them all?

-Yeah, throw them through the ceiling!

Pabaabak!

With the sound of something shaking the building, the hallway became completely silent. Then the principal's office door burst open.

"Yoo Seodam."

"Yes, that's me."

A bizarre way of speaking that was a mixture of slander and respect. Malea smiled. Eventually, he couldn't contain his curiosity and came to this place.

Yoo Seodam frowned as if he didn't like it, but he still confidently came closer to her.

Then he reaches out to her veil.

Malea didn't want to let him see her missing face, she could prevent it from happening, but… She didn't want to. She could see Yoo Seodam's face harden the moment he saw her face.

"You, what is this…"

This is the price of overcoming probabilities by force. Her existence itself is disappearing. But it's still amazing…

"Crazy… But whatever it is, try to do something!"

As if he was talking to someone else, Yoo Seodam muttered and stroked Malea's cheek.

'Ah?'

Then, to Malea's surprise, the sensation of her face, which she had forgotten a long time ago, came back to her. Malea unknowingly raised her hand to touch her face. However, another surprise struck her once again because her hand had also returned. For the umpteenth time in a very short time, she was surprised again as she could feel her 'face' on his fingertips.

The face, the very feature that defines one's existence, had returned.

"I'm sorry, it is only temporary. I can't help you because you have lived for far too long."

"I see."

He was still a very mysterious man. Even if she asked him what magic he used to temporarily fix her, she was certain he wouldn't give her an answer, just like back then.

"The remaining time… is probably less than half an hour."

Yoo Seodam looked into her eyes. It was a face that told her that he really didn't remember anything about what they had gone through in the past. Malea was a little bit disappointed, but it didn't matter much at the moment.

30 minutes.

It was a long time for some, and a short time for some.

If someone was told that they only had 30 minutes left to live, they would say that they were unhappy, but at this moment, Malea felt blissful.

Like a midsummer night's dream, dreaming a sweet dream that seemed impossible, for that to come true just when her life was about to end… Wouldn't it be the happiest 'last' in the world?

So Malea smiled. In order to not miss the dream in front of her, to not waste even a minute or one second, she looked at him.

Even at her very last moment, the smile never left her face.

Inside Area B of Library of the White Witch, Yekaterina hummed as she flipped through a pile of books on her lap.

Spellbooks, spellbooks, and more spellbooks! There was no other place as comfortable as this place for her. She was happy whenever she came to this place.

Yekaterina's pace picked up matching the rhythm from the automatically playing piano. Even though it had been ten days since Yoo Seodam went for his mission, Yekaterina was still energetic as she felt she still had a lot of energy left on her body.

"Today, shall I read this?"

Magic had become 'everything' for Yekaterina. However, like any other students, there will always be a limit to their development. Every time that happens, many scholars fall to their knees in despair, but not Yekaterina. Afterall, she didn't have to walk the same road as other scholars.

The reason was simple; the place she is currently at, the Library of the White Witch, was a place full of the knowledge of a witch who had developed their magic to the extreme. Although it was impossible for her normal brain to comprehend everything in the library, Yekaterina had written a separate book which consisted of 'human-only magic'.

"Ummm…"

A satisfied voice leaked from her mouth. With a rocking chair embracing her, and a book of new magic on her hand, she was fully prepared to enjoy her leisure time.

Yekaterina lifted her legs and read the book. When she was young, she couldn't eat that much, affecting her growth. She was short and sometimes her legs couldn't touch the floor, but that could be easily solved by lowering her chair with her thoughts.

Still, lately, she had been eating quite well partly because Ye Sa-hye had been forcefully feeding her, so she felt like she's a little taller. Her body was also fuller than before.

Within a short period of time, she managed to complete ten spell books, and the moment she picked up the eleventh spell book,

'…..'

Something warm touched her heart. It was the very same feeling when Yoo Seodam, someone her soul resided in, had returned to 'this world'.

Yekaterina's face brightened. She immediately returned to reality and opened her eyes. Wave of dizziness assaulted her for a moment, but she didn't waste any time to feel it. She jumped up from her sofa before running towards the doors and yanked it open.

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"Long time no see."

"Ah… Seodam-nim!"

As if he was hastily doing something with his smartphone, he looked at the screen for a moment before putting it back in his pocket. Yekaterina knew what Yoo Seodam had done. He must have texted his acquaintances and let them know that he had returned.

"Let's go in. I have something to tell you."

"Is that so?"

Yekaterina nodded before giving Yoo Seodam a questioning look. A story to tell as soon as he returned? She wondered what it was.

As Yoo Seodam sat on the sofa, Yekaterina quickly brewed an expensive coffee for him before following Yoo Seodam to sit down.

Yoo Seodam then placed three books on the table.

"Yekaterina, you know that I am the master of your soul, right?"

"Ah yes…"

"By any chance, did you feel the side effects?"

Yekaterina's face hardened. His question had been spot on.

These days, Yoo Seodam's feeling were continuously conveyed to her and had assimilated with her. Her own thoughts had also been conveyed to Yoo Seodam. As the frequency got worse and worse, it was likely that sooner or later the existence of 'Yekaterina' would completely become a part of Yoo Seodam. And when that happens, will Yekaterina's ego remain?

"I want to give you complete freedom."

"Yes?"

"This book contains an essay about 'soul'. I brought it from another world. It is very precious because it was written by a very great person who even beat up ghosts with her bare hands."

A magic that didn't exist on Earth! The moment Yekaterina's eyes about to twinkle with curiosity, she could hear Yoo Seodam's voice once again.

"With this, let us search for a way to separate our souls."

Yekaterina, who had stretched her hand to reach the book, suddenly froze. She could see Yoo Seodam smiling as if he was satisfied with her reaction.

"I want to give you complete privacy. Oh, don't worry about the White Witch's library. It will be difficult to open the next library without your help… But anyway, I will make copies of as many books as you want to read and take them out-"

"I don't want to."

"For you… huh?"

Yekaterina raised her head and threw a cold gaze towards Yoo Seodam.

"No, why, that, it's not harmful to you either…"

"Why did you assume that it was not harmful to me?"

Yoo Seodam clearly could not understand her reason. He had told her that he would return her soul, and yet she refused it.

So, Yekaterina told him,

"I….I just don't like it."

And then silence descended between them.

Yekaterina bit her lip and put one of her hands on her chest. She thought that maybe, for the rest of his life, he wouldn't understand. She was happy that she had a mysterious connection with the person she cares most about and would always know that he was alive.

She never wanted to lose this sense of being connected to him. She didn't want it to be cut off. The Library of White Witch? She didn't really care about that. She only wanted the fact that they were connected.

However, Yekaterina chose to not explain that part. With eyes filled with various emotions, she looked at Yoo Seodam, who was bewildered.

He was really a foolish man.

Yekaterina took a deep breath and reached out for the book. As the pages went by, a rough idea entered her head. The ability to instantly scan text was a basic skill for a magician.

"…it has a lot of good content."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It was very detailed. In particular, about the soul."

And then, Yekaterina dropped the book. She half-slammed it and repeated what she had just said.

"It's very, very detailed."

"….?"

"It is detailed. Don't you know? There are countless ways to stop the 'assimilation' that is happening to us right now. Without even having to separate the soul."

"Uh…!"

Then Yekaterina said with a soft smile.

"You saved me. You can find it through this book. How to explain what is happening to us now, and how to solve it."

In the end, Yoo Seodam could only smile and nod at her words. He still couldn't understand her decision. However, he wasn't the type to force someone to do something they didn't like.

And just like that, the three books found their way to Yekaterina's arms.

As for Yoo Seodam, he wouldn't know what the three books about 'soul' means for Yekaterina, a witch as well as a genius magician.

The roar of a gun echoed through the air, deafening the world. Without waiting for the earlier sound to subside, a sharp sound of metallic thing hitting the solid ground could be heard.

Thanks to [Shooting(S)] talent, every action I took with a gun came to me naturally. Moreover, it also allows me to clearly predict the movement of the monster I aim for, its weak points as well as its behaviour pattern, which was impossible to do even with my 17 years worth of experience.

At first, I felt really empty after receiving this talent. It was as if this single talent mocked all my long-life hard work. However, I had come to terms with it.

With another shot, a giant rock pterosaur in the red sky above shrieked. It fell to the ground after a bullet dug deep into its chest.

After seeing the monster crashing to the ground, I could feel a tap on my shoulder. It was Taylor Nine, she tapped on my shoulder using her baseball bat. It seems like her hunt for a rock giant in the distance had also finished.

"Oh? If I remember correctly, you always said that rock pterosaur's weakness was its eyes. Wasn't that the case?"

Just like always, Taylor didn't even question the fact that I had killed an A-rank monster with a single shot.

"It used to be."

Every monster had its weaknesses, and I became aware of them through my experience. In rock pterosaur case, its eyeball was the weakest part of its entire body; hunters could kill it easily if they focused their attack on it.

Of course, it wouldn't become an extremely easy hunt just because they know its weakness. Afterall, the rock pterosaur was a flying monster. It was hard to even reach it, forget knocking it down. Moreover, it's impossible to fight it with a gun unless someone uses a special bullet called 'magic bullet' like me.

"It seems that we have discovered a new weakness."

"Really? Let's write it down on Another League information channel then. Our great CEO wanted it to be filled up."

It seems that Yekaterina had once again made something ridiculous when I was away. This time, it seems to be an information channel. Certainly, it would come handy to have an information channel exclusive to guild members which also allows guild members to communicate with each other. However, the real question is, just how did Yekaterina, someone who was locked away from the outside world for so long, could think of that?

"Well, that's indeed a good idea. But unfortunately, my method isn't something that can be written there."

The reason I was able to kill the pterosaur with only one shot on its chest was purely thanks to [Soul Piercing Eyes]. When I focused my holy power on my eyes with [Holy Conversion] and looked at the opponent, I could see the weakness of the soul that moves fluidly.

It also works on humans. Not only the heart and head, any fast-moving 'point' just like the collarbone, waist, and right chest could also become a weakness, not only head and heart. and if you hit it, it could be overpowered with a single blow.

Of course, it is a weakness that appears and disappears in less than 0.3 seconds, so even if you know it, it is virtually impossible to hit it. Would it have been possible with my old talent, which was [Shooting(C)]?

Well, honestly, I don't know. Perhaps it was impossible.

In any case, even when I had trained in both swordsmanship and magic, I would still use guns as my main weapon… Since it's a weapon I've been with for 17 years.

"Anyway, it's all sorted out, so let's go out~ I'm craving for a beer."

"Is that so?"

After defeating the boss monster alone, Taylor headed to the exit of the dungeon. It was an A rank dungeon, but it was refreshingly easy. In the past, to enter a place like this one, one had to wear at least several hundred million won worth of equipment. Reminds me of old times, really.

Then suddenly. I remembered what happened two weeks ago. I had met a woman with spiritual power in another world. But could I really use the modifier of 'spiritual power' on her? She was at least 100 years old, but I believed that she had lived many years longer than that. That very woman… knew the future me.

Of course, she doesn't know where the future me was, or what happened to him. She didn't tell me all the details, she only told me 'In the past, you too looked at me with such a playful face, but sometimes seriously…' as if recalling her memories. I couldn't understand any of it, but I just nodded my head without saying a word.

I wonder how it felt when the person she remembered doesn't remember her at all.

Even though they shared the same time with each other, they couldn't share the same memories with the other person.

I could still remember her face that was filled with happiness for the last 30 minutes of her life. It was as if she was reminiscing about her long life in that short amount of time.

'It was a pleasure meeting you, Yoo Seodam.'

With a beautiful smile, she disappeared as if the existence of a woman named Malea was only a dream that lasted only for a moment.

The system had told me that she also didn't know where she went. She could be dead, or she could wander in the flow of time forever.

"Hey. What's wrong with your expression?"

"…."

When I looked up, Taylor was looking at me with a grim expression. Regaining my expression, I threw a smile at her.

"Why are you smiling like a fool, now?"

"Nothing. I just feel that I like being like this."

"Huh? I think you've been a little more honest these days. Well, you should, because you had done something bad to me."

What did I do wrong…

As I was about to say that, I remembered the press conference I had before leaving for another world.

Taylor and Seol Jungyeon. I pushed the two women away, and that should have been very painful for them. But neither woman seemed to care, and they kept treating me as usual… No, they were just pretending not to care about it.

For that, I was quite grateful.

"Let's have a drink next time."

"Really? You know I don't drink cheap stuff, right?"

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"What are you talking about when you drink beer every day?"

"When you ask someone to drink with you, you have to go big! Aren't you making good money these days?"

"It's all gone as an investment cost. I don't have any money."

Saying that, we walked out from the dungeon. Our current location was in Gangwon-do. As it was close to North Korea, there was a very sensitive fuss about the 'ownership' of the dungeon, but in the end, it was taken over by South Korea. It's a really nice country to live in. Even now, Southeast Asia must be in trouble because they couldn't manage the dungeons properly.

As I got on the parked bike, Taylor sat in the back seat and grabbed my waist. It's a pretty expensive bike in its own right, and it had a name that contains a lot of alphabets and numbers… but I gave it a very nice nickname, which impressed Taylor when she heard it for the first time, it was 'Another Private Vehicle'.

-Hey witch~

Suddenly, a shining spirit came out from my hands. Her 'body' was still a flower pot in a special glass tube that I made for her, but now she was able to fly by taking off some of her body.

Seeing the little girl-like child, Taylor instantly rubbed her cheek with her finger. The Flower Pot had always said that it's annoying when I touch it, but she enjoyed Taylor's finger on its cheek because she said that it's okay for women to touch her.

"Why did you come all of a sudden?"

-The wind is nice~

"Is that so?"

Flower Pot likes soju. She also likes the cool breeze. Our speed was no joke when we rode the bike. Normal people wouldn't even be able to open their eyes because of it.

"Then let's go back."

Upon his return from another world, Yoo Seodam had been quite busy traveling around the world. He filled Yekaterina's role who didn't have any spare time to meet numerous companies and guilds. Luckily, he wasn't alone. With Taylor in tow, both of them traveled around each country, feeling once again how big Another League had become.

"My name is 'Al', team leader of the engineering technology development department of Cage Industries. Nice to meet you."

The first time they met, Yoo Seodam was in the position of bowing his head towards them. On the second meeting, they had become an equal. But in the third meeting, which was now, Yoo Seodam had become someone to bow to.

Cage Industries was a weapons company that specifically produced weapons for hunters. It was a company that manufactures the world's finest ether weapons. So, it was natural that a huge company like them had a stake in the development of new weapons related to 'essence'.

Although the Russian side said that they were also working hard to develop a magic weapon, their magic was very inferior to magic from Another League, it was to the point it was embarrassing to even call it 'magic'.

For that reason, numerous world-class corporations have reached out to Another League, and Yekaterina only needs to hold the hand that suits her own taste.

Cage Industries had been maintaining a close relationship with Another League until now because it was a company that had invested in Another League since the early days.

"This one is the blueprint for the 'Level 3 Auto-Augmented Magical Shield' that President Yekaterina is developing. Even if monsters appear in the city, measures can be taken to isolate and protect citizens and monsters by installing barriers at the coordinates. Advice on this……"

"Oh, yes. Oh, I see."

To be honest, Yoo Seodam had a hard time understanding what Al was talking about. The Library of White Witch could not help him, and the Flower Pot knew how to use purely memorized magic, not some magic technology, so it made him sweat even more.

In the public eye, Yoo Seodam was known as an Archmage comparable to Yekaterina (after all, she was the highest level Magician on Earth), so it was only natural for engineers to seek advice from him.

'Just what are you talking about…'

Yekaterina also sees Yoo Seodam as some kind of her magic teacher. And she trusted him a lot, but such trust was only burdensome for Yoo Seodam.

Yoo Seodam glanced around to see Taylor yawning with her legs crossed. She was clearly bored out of her mind. If Yoo Seodam was to interpret her expression roughly, it would be along the lines of, 'Oh, I want it to finish quickly and go to the dungeon…'.

A few members of the Cage Industries development team were also stealing a glance towards Taylor. Well, no one could fault them, Taylor was a woman in her twenties who had a striking appearance and had a great sense of fashion. A combination that could shake the hearts of any man.

Yoo Seodam, who was struggling with a cold sweat trickling on his back, quickly came up with an appropriate answer to the situation.

"I will put a separate inquiry to the Another League magic development team."

It was nothing but an excuse. An excuse he made with the thought of 'I don't know how to do it, so I'll pass it on to my subordinates anyway!'

But the reaction he got back was something he didn't see coming.

"Ah! Thank you very much!"

Team leader Al thanked Yoo Seodam with all of his body, he bowed deeply as well as shaking Yoo Seodam's hand with both of his hands. Yoo Seodam was clearly taken aback by his reaction. He only became aware of Al's reason once he contacted Yekaterina.

-There are a lot of people who want to borrow the knowledge of our magic development team.

Another League 'Magic Development Team' was a team made up of very few scholars who were chosen directly by Yekaterina. It was said that they were a bunch of talented individuals who gave up all their status and honor in society to develop magic in Another League's 'Magic Tower'.

Their actual ability as a magician could be said as non-existent due to their lack of 'mana', though, their knowledge was already high enough to the extent that they could become a professor at any magic university.

'Wow, if it was to that extent… I can't even throw a jab at them…'

Then Yekaterina continued:

– Well. It would be strange for Seodam-nim to be involved to that extent. Your feeling of wanting to support the Magic Development Team is already a huge blessing.

"No, well, it's not really like that…"

-Seodam-nim is working on something more important.

"Well yeah, you are not wrong…"

Yekaterina clearly misunderstood something. But Yoo Seodam decided to just let it go because he doesn't know how to correct it.

-Anyway, once the magic battery is developed, it could be used forever. You made a wise decision. Don't worry, we'll start developing it.

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"Okay…"

After the call was disconnected, Yoo Seodam scratched his head.

"It's been a while since I've worked, I don't even know what is what for God's sake."

"Is that so?"

After everyone was gone, Taylor Nine, who was busy slurping on her coffee through a straw while playing a game on her phone, whipped her head towards Yoo Seodam.

"Is it hard?"

"No, well, it's not that hard…"

"But, why are you so obsessed with the guild? Do you want to win over Lost Day?"

"Ummm… that was only one of the reasons."

But in the end, his original purpose was only one, and now he can honestly tell her about his concerns. But, the moment he was about to tell it to Taylor, both of their phones vibrated.

It was an emergency message. However, except for Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine's cell phones, no other phone rang.

[Emergency Disaster Message: An unknown monster with an estimated rank of SS appears in Pretoria, South Africa! Unique and different from the past… (Link)]

Yoo Seodam and Taylor Nine are currently in London. There was no reason for them to get an emergency message of a disaster that occurred in a faraway place like in South Africa here. However, if they still received the text message that came only to S rank hunters or higher, there was only one reason: some kind of problem that was different from any before had occurred. And that problem could possibly become a global problem sooner or later.

[Emergency Disaster Message: For now, we will assign the code name 'Demon' to the creature.]

"What? Demon…?"

In the photo attached to the disaster message was a figure of a demon, a monster humanity had never seen before.

Southwest Africa, Kalahari Desert.

Spanning around 900,000 square kilometers, Kalahari Desert was one of the largest desert in the world.

Since monster appearances 32 years ago, deserts that were sparsely populated had no choice but to become the land of monsters. Most of those monster-populated land such as the desert, the North Pole, and the mountain range had not been reclaimed by humanity, and now only hunters aiming for a fortune dare to enter these areas.

That's why it was very strange to see Avon, master of the Morian Guild of Russia crossing the desert.

"Ha ha ha ha ha."

At one time, she was destined to become Earth's first and greatest magician. Her guild had a considerable number of witches, and amongst them she herself was the most outstanding one. Moreover, her guild even had a 'prophet' once.

Her guild kept getting stronger and stronger as they secretly sold amulets that could only be created by witches at a high price all over the world. She even gained influence over the Russian government through that endeavour.

But now, it was all over.

The world no longer saw Morian Guild as Another League's rival. Magic was now synonymous only to Another League. There were also rumours that said that some of the magicians taught at Another League were better than them.

It was disgraceful, but it was true.

So, by all means and methods, she had tried to give Another League a blow. She used all kinds of political and legal plots with an overwhelming amount of money to perform conspiracy tactics, slander and dirty media fabrications.

However, all of it was to no avail.

Avon had to admit it. The Prophet, Yekaterina, was a monster. She could not defeat Yekaterina through resource, magic, or anything else.

But that doesn't mean she had any intention of staying still.

She was a witch. It means that she had lived in this world in hiding before the appearance of monsters. It was so painful for her. And yet, when she finally appeared in the world, she lost all of her value?

Blood dripped from Avon's parched lips. The existence of the monster 'Sand Hell' which couldn't be predicted when and where it would attack was more painful than the scorching sun hanging at the sky above, and the existence of the 'Rain Scavenger', which robbed the area of all moisture, was even more painful.

And yet she had endured it.

"Found it."nov𝑒𝓁𝐮𝔰𝕓dot𝗰/o\𝑚

Avon took a deep breath while standing in front of a certain 'defective dungeon'. The huge black tombstone that stands upright to the point where it feels foreign on the scarlet-colored desert was the entrance to the dungeon, but it will not be opened by ordinary means.

But Avon was certain. She could open the dungeon. It just hadn't happened just yet. She might have lost all of her feelings, but she was still able to distinguish the things that should not be done.

But what use is that now?

Right now, she needs that power for herself.

When Avon finally placed his hand on the black tombstone, an eerie black energy emanated from it.

She was a witch, she was born as a witch, and she had lived as a witch. Witches have always existed in history, and witches have always existed in every world, it was just that the world wasn't aware of their existence.

And, just like witches, there was something else that also existed in every world.

'Demons.'

Either by word of mouth or by tradition the existence of demons would always remain in history. Why? Is it because the demon was the only incarnation of evil that can be imagined by living beings living in countless worlds? No, no.

Just like humans who exist in many worlds, demons also exist in many worlds. To be exact, they always exist in the world where humans exist.

Avon was well aware of this fact, and she and the witch under her had set out to find the one that had disappeared into history.

Eventually, the black tombstone tilted like a door with a rumble, and then, a portal connecting the desert and the dungeon was created. Without waiting any longer, Avon set her foot to the dungeon…

Towards the demon resides inside.

As soon as Avon entered the dungeon, she could feel that the flow of mana had completely changed. As with any dungeon, the environment inside was completely different from Earth. However, as she was a high-level magician and witch, she did not need any special equipment to adapt to this place.

"…."

Avon held her breath and looked around the interior of the dungeon. It was a weird place; a mountain range of dark rocky masses surrounded the area, all the rocks were sharp to the point that there seemed to be no place to even step on.

Something was not right. Avon thought. Because she had entered the dungeon many times, she knew. This place was not a dungeon.

The sound of her feet stepping lightly on the stone floor echoed loudly in a quiet space filled with only the sound of the wind whispering in her ears.

Avon kept walking forward.

After walking for such a long time, she finally arrived at the place she had sought.

"The altar."

It was a huge temple painted in many shades of colour. In this place, where there was no trace of civilization, let alone living things, the existence of such a structure stood out a lot. It was an old temple that seemed unmaintained, yet there's a fire burning in the braziers.

Avon followed the stair and walked down the hallway. After she entered the innermost altar, Avon looked around.

There was nothing on the altar located in the middle of the great cavity. It's really empty. When Avon frowned, the fire burning on the braziers suddenly burst in all directions one after another. And then, a shadow appeared.

It was… a huge shadow. Its figure easily filled the ceiling reminiscent of a dome to the very top.

Even though it had no form, it certainly existed right in front of her. Avon opened her mouth, forcing her trembling voice to come out.

"Are you… a demon?"

-·········.

The shadow did not answer. But Avon knew that it had certainly turned its head and stared at her.

And then, the shadow coalesced together into a huge skeleton. Between its sharp ribs, a gloomy bonfire burned quietly.

-A witch from an unknown world.

"…."

A witch was a witch, but just what was a witch from an unknown world? The incomprehensible sentences were translated into mental waves and assaulted her mind one after another.

– That's weird. I thought witches were wise… Why did you do this?

It was still full of incomprehensible sentences. So Avon didn't answer, and the demon smiled as if it understood. The only reason Avon could recognize that the demon in front of her was smiling was because the shadow that she assumed to be its mouth was torn to the sides.

– I see. Mixed with human blood, she became an imperfect witch. Mana, soul, everything is bad.

"Is that so?"

Avon couldn't feel any strong 'power' from the demon. Her thoughts were running wildly. Clearly, the demon in her memory had bizarre power. So, Avon forced a question lumping on her throat to come out.

"Demon. I have come here to receive your power."

-Hmm… a witch receiving Demon power? The tribes of witches in your world are…

"Yes. But now I feel no power in you."

The evil snorted, finding her word to be ridiculous. But soon it laughed.

-Of course you can't feel it. Our powers are fundamentally different.

"Then…."

At that moment, Avon lowered her head as a chilling sensation pricking into her skin. Her heart was pounding wildly, and her hands and feet trembled. It was hard to even lick her lips because of the sudden chill, and tears seemed to drop from her eyes.

It was simply the feeling of 'fear'.

It was also the first emotion she felt as a witch who lacked any semblance of emotions.

'What is this!!!'

– A witch with many flaws. Human blood is mixed inside your bloodline, and you also harbor a faint trace of emotion.

The shadow began to hang down and arrived at Avon's feet. It looked like it was smiling.

– Playing with a witch like this is a new feeling… I think your world will be more interesting.

"…heh!"

Soon, the demon retreated, and Avon gasped shakily, stumbled back and fell down. The feeling of fear had completely gone, but she could still feel it imprinted in her chest and head.

'The power of the demon is… the power that governs emotions, or even the soul itself….'

In addition, the power of demons which would directly interfere with the soul cannot be repelled by any physical science, magic, or martial arts.

It's a new technique altogether. A completely new power that never existed on Earth before! Avon's eyes slowly cleared up. She quickly raised her head and looked at the demon.

"Can you give me that power?"

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-I can… but In return, a 'door' will be opened to your world. Do you know what that means?

Avon did not know. But it didn't matter that much. All that matters right now is to receive that mystical power that governs souls from the demon. Avon nodded her head, and soon after, the shadow condensed with a strong wind, and she burrowed into Avon's chest.

"Gasp!"

-Good…

Before long, Avon's body slowly swelled up and took the shape of a giant skeleton towering at 100 meters in height. However, the bones were completely red with no trace of any white. On her forehead, a pair of horns that point to the sky grew.

The skull's face was wrinkled, and it was very similar to the 'demon form' that humans had imagined in the history of the earth.

-Let's take a look around the world you used to live in.

The administrative capital of South Africa, Pretoria.

The population of Pretoria had grown rapidly after the Great War, and currently around 3 million people were living in the city. Amongst the civilians, mercenaries and hunters could easily be seen anywhere on the street because of the dungeons, gates and monsters around the city.

In the first place, due to the geographical characteristics of the plateau with an elevation of 1,400m above sea level, there were bound to be many monsters around, and after being defeated by monsters during the Great War 32 years ago, this place could be called monster-populated land.

However, the mercenaries and hunters who had made this city as their home had made Pretoria stronger and safer. They never let monsters invade their city.

So, the citizens had always thought.

'Our city is safe.'

It was quite reasonable thinking, and it was a common thought for anyone in the world who had been to this place at least once.

However, Pretoria and the world were currently in a state of confusion.

– Breaking news! In the capital of South Africa, Pretoria, a gigantic skull-shaped monster presumed to be an SSS rank, or more, appeared…

– Delivered by AAA. Appearing in South Africa, code-named 'Demon'…

– This is reporter Ormon. Currently, the city of Pretoria has dispatched its hunter to find out the identity of the demon…

People were shocked when a huge, red skeleton appeared out of the blue in the middle of the city. Everyone shared the same question in their head.

'Where did that monster come from?'

The mercenaries and hunters who were around the city were dispatched as soon as possible to quell the demon, but it was to no avail. They were swept away with one snort of the devil. Numerous buildings collapsed, and the ground also caved in with every step.

But… for some reason, the monster seemed to be unwilling to actively attack humans. It just looked around the city with curious eyes, as if it found the city interesting.

-There are no traces of mugong or magic here. That's interesting. Interesting.

After roaming through the city for around 30 minutes, the demon suddenly turned to dust and disappeared and left all the hunter and mercenary alike in a state of confusion.

It's only 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes, half of the city was destroyed.nov𝗲𝔩𝓊𝗌𝒷.𝐜\o\𝑚

A day later. Pretoria, South Africa.

Since the appearance of the demon, guilds from all over the world had gathered in Pretoria. I also came to Pretoria as the representative of Another League.

Among the wreckage of the collapsed building, furious howling of people could be heard. They all cursed the demon.

It was a common scene from 32 years ago, but the hunters mourned with a miserable expression at the sight that they thought would never be seen again.

"You are hunter Yoo Seodam…!"

I didn't even need a fancy arrival. The hunters found me first as I scrambled through the wreckage caused by the demon. And as I was walking closer to the yellow barrier that surrounded the place where the demon last appeared, all the hunters smiled at me brightly.

It was only natural, every person here was wondering why the devil appeared, why did it disappear, and why did the hunters' attacks didn't work on it?

There was no one who could answer those questions. And the one who had the superpower of the 'dimension' in this world, I was the only one who could give an answer.

"It's really reassuring to see Master Yoo Seodam here."

"Please, an unidentified monster has appeared, and as a hunter I have to come."

Even the government of South Africa rushed towards me and asked me to shake hands with them. It was so burdensome, I could die.

To be honest, I didn't know much about this case either. I have no choice but to conduct an obvious, scientific investigation.

I roamed around the city for a couple of hours to learn about the devil, and listed the information that anyone other than me couldn't provide.

"The footsteps of the code-named 'Demon' are getting shallower. This means that its weight has decreased with every step. Perhaps, it has difficulty moving. Also, the footprints are gradually getting smaller, it seems that its size has also decreased. It consumes a lot of energy this time, so I don't think it will appear for a while."

"Oh, I see!"

My guess was based on scientific evidence, and I used my own state-of-the-art equipment to observe every minute of the difference. But I had my own doubts.

'The demon ran out of energy after wandering around the city for 30 minutes before disappearing… is that really the case?'

Maybe it came here to replenish its energy?

It may be so.

'What?'

Demon is a being who gets power through 'emotions'. This demon appeared here for a very short time, but in that short moment, it got a lot of emotions. Confusion, fear, despair, sadness. They all are great source of power for a demon.

'Hmmmm…'

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As I was stroking my chin and contemplating, the system continued.

Besides, I don't sense the spirit of Earth from this demon.

'What are you talking about?'

There must have been a lot of demons on Earth. But I couldn't feel the spirit of the Earth from this very demon. In conclusion, it was its first time here. And there is no way for such demon to have enough power to manifest for 30 minutes.

'Then… is it a demon from another world?'

Yes. But more precisely, it is a demon from the Demon Realm belonging to another world.

It's not just another world, it's a Demon Realm belonging to another world!

"Why is it so complicated…"

As for how to deal with the demon… it was only unfamiliar to people on Earth. People from other worlds were familiar with ways to handle a demon. Even Aracelli's original world had been invaded by the demon in the past, and the demonic traces remained clearly in the magic academy I went to before.

The same goes for Earth. It means that the story of confronting demonic invasion was too cliché for every world. Although there were no more protagonists on Earth.

Probably, the demon is still hiding somewhere in the society.

"Why?"

The human society, which is famous for being the most emotionally active, would be like a food warehouse for the demons.

I roughly understood that demons always made a pact with humans, or whatever, it's a development from most of the novels I'd read.

"Are you saying that there is a possibility that this demon possessed a specific human?"

That's right.

"Hmmmm…. How do you tell them apart?"

Usually, it would be difficult. The power of demon is… as you know, strong enough to ignore people's strength.

At her words, I fell silent. Clearly, the power of 'Saekgong' that Bang Ho-win used was so powerful to the point that most experts couldn't even resist it. I will be no exception.

But, have you not seen the power to resist it before?

"What? Aracelli's magic?"

No. It is 'spirit magic'. Emotions are mystical mental waves that are inherently deep in the soul. A deeper understanding of the soul will help you figure out how to deal with the demon, and how to deal with it.

"Oh, really?"

Also, it is only natural that my head flashed when the system said that if I deeply understood the soul, I could find the person possessed by the demon. Because the other day, I had brought three books about the soul or what the system called 'Spirit Magic'. And it must be in Yekaterina's storage now. If I use them to fight the demon, and ask for advice from Aracelli, who used to be a demon hunter, I would be able to respond as much as I want.

"Humm~"

Yekaterina hummed a delightful tune inside her library. It was not the Library of the White Witch but a real library that goes with the name 'Another League President Yekaterina-only library'. Although the guild had not been established for long, this library was full of top secret technology and confidential documents that everyone in the world wanted, including books that she read as a hobby.

And, recently, the book she cherishes the most was none other than a book about 'spirit magic'.

[About psychic phenomena.]

[What is a pure and clear soul?]

[How to treat the soul?]

It was only three books. But… Yekaterina understood the value of this book better than anyone else.

The soul, the power to deal with itself! In a way, wasn't this a technique with a completely new value and concept that was completely different from magic and martial arts? Moreover, these books, which were easily over a thousand pages per volume, were so unkindly written that some would say they would die of boredom, but it was the right way for Yekaterina, who had a strong desire to explore.

Every time she read a letter in the book, her whole body was thrilled. The feeling of new knowledge coming into her head was really unbearable.

"Wow, umm, ummm…"

It was a study by a very powerful Soul Magician, so it was very difficult for Yekaterina, who did not know about souls at all, to understand.

She struggled to keep her happiness inside. The knowledge itself was powerful, but what if this spirit magic was applied to the development of the guild?

'Our guild can grow stronger even faster!'

With that thought in mind, Yekaterina turned the pages, and she felt a sense of déjà vu.

It's purely a witch's sense.

Yekaterina hurriedly turned her head, an emergency text message from her smartphone arrived belatedly. She quickly checked its content.

"A demon has appeared?"

She hurriedly returned to her office, and as she turned on the news, she could see a giant red creature striding in a city in South Africa.

"What is that…"

As Yekaterina looked at the screen with bewildered face, her phone rang. It was a unique tone dedicated for Yoo Seodam. When she hurriedly answers the call, the voice on the other side of the phone speaks at once.

– Yekaterina. Are you keeping the three books I gave you?

"Yes yes. Absolutely. I was just reading it. But now, something happened…"

-No. Read on.

"Yes?"

When she answered blankly, Yoo Seodam said once again.

-I think it will help with demon hunting.

Yekaterina looked at the book that had fallen to the floor and she stood idly for a while.

Soul magic. It is a branch of magic which exclusively deals with souls. And because of its nature, soul magic isn't the perfect countermeasure against the threat of a demon.

However, even though we knew about it, Yekaterina had made an announcement regarding Another League official standing.

[We are researching ways to combat the existence called 'Demon', and things are going smoothly.]

It wasn't some sort of political move or something they did to raise the stock price of Another League. It was just that we were aware that a demon could only appear when someone summoned it, and there was a high possibility that the demon currently possessed someone. Another League's move was aiming to keep the demon in check.

But despite all these efforts, three nights later, in San Francisco, a horrific event dubbed as 'insanity contagion' occurred. Out of nowhere, on a normal mundane day, people went crazy and ran rampant. They suddenly killed each other. And among them was an S rank hunter, So, the scene of the incident was very disastrous.

"It's serious…"

When I arrived at the scene, I frowned when I saw the tattered corpses that looked like they had been bitten by a wild dog. I thought I'd been through a lot of unusual things, but the very scene in front of me was really unique in a terrible way. Every corpse had completely been minced from scratching whoever their target was. Their teeth were also completely gone for probably the same reason. it seems like they didn't feel any pain nor care about their own body being torn apart.

It seems that a very powerful demon had hid in society.

And then, on the fifth day after the demon first appeared, China was struck by the demon's power. Numerous people broke down in despair as they weep and scream non-stop like crazy. It was ordinary compared to the 'insanity contagion' several days prior, but the event was enough to instill fear in the world about the unknown existence called 'Demon'.

The media was a great outlet to spread fear quickly, and the demon had used it very well.

Around that time, Yekaterina finally got some decent research results. Using those results as the base, she developed a 'meditation' to combat the Demon's influence. When she heard that many people were getting hurt and dying because of the demon, she hurriedly spread the meditation through her own YTube channel. The title was simply [How to Protect and Control Your Emotions From The Power of the Demon]. The video instantly garnered a lot of interest from the masses, but at the same time it also garnered a lot of malicious comments.

Most of the malicious comments were saying 'Are you trying to take advantage of the incident to get views?' or 'It's very disappointing to use the demon to get attention'. The mass media too, criticized Yekaterina severely, and there was nothing she could do. Afterall, Yekaterina suddenly uploaded a video with a keyword 'demon' where nothing aside from its existence had been published.

After receiving criticism from numerous media, three days passed.

Another 'insanity contagion' occurred in the United States. But… this time, things went a little differently. Most of the people gathered at the scene were infected with madness, but, an A rank hunter who was by chance present at the scene did not become infected. As the only sane person, he used his power, telekinesis, and suppressed the crazed civilian. Thanks to that, the incident was concluded without any major damage.

Then, in an interview, he made a shocking statement.

-The video posted by Miss Yekaterina of Another League was really helpful.

Of course, it was. The meditation method Yekaterina had posted was the only way for people to protect themselves from 'madness'. It couldn't be used by ordinary people, though. But still, because the level of the 'insanity contagion' phenomenon itself was very low, when a hunter with an A rank or higher learns how to protect their own soul, the contagion rate drops sharply.

As soon as the interview was released, Another League made an additional announcement.

-We are looking for the 'Demon' host, and we have almost reached the crux of the issue.

Of course, the statement was also a lie.

"I will be honest. With the soul magic we have right now, even if we encounter a demon, it will be impossible to immediately recognize it. It may be possible to pinpoint a suspicious person and track them using a special spell, but it is impossible to search all 7 billion people around the world."

Yekaterina sighed, and I agreed with her opinion. It has only been less than two weeks since she started researching soul magic. It means that stopping such a weak 'Insanity Contagion' that was only at best C rank ability was some sort of miracle.

All the magicians belonging to the Another League—which were said to be the best geniuses in the whole world—were all asked to suspend any of their research and told to prioritize researching soul magic. If it's not because of them, Yekaterina said that things would be different in a bad way.

"The demon…." Yekaterina chewed her nails, anxiety was palpable on her face. "In the past, when I was still being held in the Morian Guild, I saw such a book a few times. A book about demons."

"What? There's nothing like that in the 'Library of The White Witch'."

There should be no special contact between demon and witch. Their nature was too different, one deals with soul while the other one deals with natural energy. Even if they meet, it's almost impossible for them to inflict damage on each other. It was only natural that they weren't connected at all.

"It was probably because the 'Library of The White Witch' belongs to a normal witch. As you know, the witches of Earth didn't even know their origin, and their magic is well….weak."

"So, are you saying that the witch on Earth was also seeking the demon's power?"

"It's just a guess."

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However, it was a very plausible guess since in order to summon a demon, one needed a very special method and medium or had to take a special route. Such knowledge was non-existent on Earth. It was only natural to suspect the witches who had knowledge of it on Earth.

"First of all, after the official announcement that we could uncover the demon, things have become a little quieter. That means that the other person is cowardly enough to fall for such nonsense, or it could be that they are in a position where they can be easily caught, so they are being extremely careful about the smallest things…"

As I checked Yekaterina's opinion through our conversation, I found out that people who posted malicious comments on Yekaterina's video had become the object of scorn from the masses instead of her. They were in a hurry to delete their malicious comments either in Yekaterina's SNS or video. And conversely, Another League's 'Demon Hunt' had climbed through the internet popular search rankings.

Although it is nothing but a lie, I intend to make it true.

"Do you have any way, Seodam-nim?"

Currently I don't. But from what I know, demons don't just appear with all their power in many worlds, unlike what had happened on Earth. They had to be stopped before their power became fully developed and become completely on par with humans and start a war.

In order to do that, we need to find out about its origin as soon as possible…

While I was reviewing the plan in my head, my phone suddenly rang. When I checked, it was Seol Jungyeon noonim who called. I hurriedly answered her call, and she spoke to me at once before I could say hello.

– Can you come here now? There is someone who wants to meet you.

"It's been a long time. It's hard to see your face."

Noonim said to me as she ruffled her platinum coloured hair. Her newly designed pure white uniform fluttered as she walked.

With an apologetic expression on my face, I said awkwardly to her, "The situation is a bit…."

"I can't help it, then. It will not be too late to see your face once all is resolved."

"Thank you. But why did you call me today?"

"There's an expert who wants to see you."

In the living room, someone was standing, probably waiting for me. He was an ordinary man with appearances of someone in mid to late 40s, and he was said to be a peak rank Expert.

"My name is Chang Baek-ju of Haomun (下午門)."

As soon as I heard his self-introduction, I could barely hold back my expression from crumbling.

Haomun. It was a name that anyone who enjoys reading martial arts novels is familiar with. It was an organization that was in charge of information on Murim along with the 'opening'. They cry, laugh and move with gold, and although they don't have a very good image in Murim, I know that they were known as a very free-spirited clan.

I'd been told that even Seol Jungyeon noonim did not know why someone from Haomun—which was once a dark force that controlled the Black City and had suddenly disappeared one day— came to modern Murim.

"My name is Yoo Seodam of Another League. Have a seat."

Contrary to his infamous origin, Chang Baek-ju had an innocent first impression to my eyes. After confirming that he was seated, I sat across from him while Noonim sat next to me.

"….?"

I tried to ask her why she sat close to me, but when Noonim tilted her head with an expression that said she didn't know anything, I just let it slide without saying anything.

"Yoo Seodam. How much do you know about Murim?"

"I haven't been there personally, but I've heard a lot of stories."

From the person sitting right next to me.

"Is that so?"

Chang Baek-ju pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.

"In our world, that is, in Murim, Haomen was destroyed once."

"Yes. I know from the story I have heard that your clan had suddenly disappeared at some point, leaving many questions behind. What kind of Murim warrior did it to your clan?"

"It's not the work of Murim warrior."

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Chang Baek-ju chided before continuing his word.

"It couldn't even be considered as a human's work."

His story went back to an ordinary day just like any other about 7 years ago, before the Murim people were expelled to the modern day.

"It started with an ordinary stable master. As he spoke, he burst into laughter, then suddenly all joints in his body broke apart."

It was a kind of fear that even Murim couldn't stomach.

"Then, one of the Murim warriors who was trying to help him also burst into laughter before all his joints broke down, the other Murim warrior who tried to restrain him also had the same thing happen to them."

The phenomenon of 'contagion' of bizarre emotions. It was very similar to what was currently happening on Earth.

"There was no end to it. 'It' was transmitted to everyone over and over again until the joints of everyone present were broken and they died. It was pure luck that I was able to survive… I had to go far away that day."

He said that by the time he returned to his clan, most of the Haomen members had already been engulfed in madness. The sound of giggles resounding from all directions together with sounds of broken joints.

"Until now, I've been hiding it. No matter how poorly the Murim Alliance treats us, it was so shameful for Haomen to be destroyed that way. I came here today after hearing about the phenomenon of 'insanity contagion' which happened all around the world. No doubt, that was the doing of something that did it to my clan."

"…"

In conclusion, the demon that had appeared on Earth was not the demon from the far world but from Murim.

Considering the genre of Murim, which might be a fusion martial art, it wasn't so strange. There were also demons (succubus) that were taken advantage of by people who seek to play the mind of other people.

But, whatever it is, it had no relation to Earth's current predicament.

Seodam, it might be a good thing.

'How so?'

Because it is now certain that the demon was from another world, not a native demon of Earth… Now, if you could close the door to that dimension altogether, the demon should return to its original world without any need to defeat it.

'Is that possible?'

It's possible. However, we should find and eliminate the 'cause' that connect the Earth and Murim.

'….'

Thinking about it, her words make sense.

From the beginning, the boundary between Earth and Murim was very loose. To the point that Supreme Dharma, who had no knowledge of dimensions, could freely go back and forth with only one sword. And as of now, it could be said that in that very boundary, a hole had been made.

'So, you were saying that if we just go into that hole and close it, the current situation will be resolved?'

Yes. That's right.

Her affirmation made my head cool down considerably.

My head was full with complicated thoughts as I had no way to hunt the demon. Traveling to another dimension and removing something was far simpler than this demon hunting business.

If so, now what matters is where the portal is located at. But that's an easy matter to resolve since I had someone who could sense the dimension more sensitively than anyone else.nov𝖾𝗅𝑈𝑠𝒃\𝓬\o\𝗆

"I think I have found a way."

"Is that true?"

Chang Baek-ju was startled while Noonim looked at me with wide eyes. After nodding my head briefly, I suddenly made eye contact with Noonim, and a thought occurred to me.

If there was a hole in the dimension.. Wouldn't it be better to bring an assistant? Even if it's not me, isn't it possible for anyone to move between dimensions? A low-level person may not be able to withstand the backlash of an unstable dimension shift through a hole, but if the person was strong enough to not worry about it… and if they were also familiar with Murim…

"Noonim…"

"What's the matter?"

This was a very sensitive issue. Seol Jungyeon doesn't have very good memories of Murim. But I was aware of the fact that she sometimes stayed up all night crying, remembering the loss of her clan.

"Will you go to Murim with me?"

At my words, Noonim's pupil shook violently.