Chapter 376
Every time Lee Hyuk swung his sword, a huge wooden pillar rose from the ground and attacked Isshin, and the green dragon’s breath raged.
This is not an attack that can be avoided, much less an attack that can be blocked. Considering the accumulated damage to Isshin’s body, even if he was already knocked down, he should have been knocked down a long time ago.
“It looks like an undead.”
Lee Hyuk gave a concise evaluation of Isshin as ‘undead’. To say that he was prepared for death was not an understatement. Isshin, who bleed all over his body and used his life as firewood to light a white flame, looked like a true white ghost in Lee Hyuk’s eyes.
“But your tombstone is not here. So… why don’t you make a bet with me?”
From the 6th level boss, the Death Knight and the Millennium Old Tree Ent, to the Green Dragon Dertas, Lee Hyuk used as many as 10 Essences of Power.
“… Cool! bet?”
Isshin’s body was already like a rag. He knew right away that he had no chance of winning.
The blood-crazed white ghosts don’t care about the contractor. No matter how embarrassing the contractor may be, he faithfully takes away the promised price.
How much longer can I endure in the current state of being a rag and bleeding from a wound?
“You can knock me down anytime. But why do you need a bet…?”
“I understand your determination. At this rate, even if you die, you will never back down. That’s why… I don’t want to kill you with my own hands. You’re a hunter too good to die right now.”
Lee Hyuk follows Ha-yoon Shin, but is different from Ha-yoon Shin. I didn’t want to kill people for a purpose. In a world where cowards reign, it was even more so if you were such a proud Hunter.
“…Do you sympathize with me?”
“No, in a way, I admitted defeat. To be prepared to die for someone else… I’m stronger than you, but I can’t handle your madness.”
At Lee Hyuk’s words, Isshin looked down at his own body. It was impossible to defeat Lee Hyuk in his current state. But if he agreed to the bet, he had at least a glimmer of hope.
You shouldn’t be swallowed up by your own mood like any other. Which would be for Sumire: dying like an idiot, not recognizing the difference in strength, or risking even the slightest odds by accepting a bet?
“Where is the guarantee that you will keep your promises?”
“It’s the same with me that you can’t trust others. It’s difficult if you don’t acknowledge the bet and use the crowd. But I also have Ha-yoon under him and I have learned a thing…”
Fu-wook!
Lee Hyuk drove his sword into the dry ground. This was an action based on the trust that Isshin would accept the bet.
“It is the eye that sees people. I believe in your pride. Even if you die… you are not a liar who will bend your convictions.”
At Lee Hyuk’s words, Isshin looked at his bloodless palm. What did he want to hold on to this slowly dying palm?
“No, like you said, this is not a lofty pride… nor a belief.”
Pooh!
Like Lee Hyuk, Isshin drove his sword into the dry ground. It meant accepting Lee Hyuk’s bet.
“Because you’ve had everything you wanted so far… It’s the childish stubbornness of a child who is obsessed with what he doesn’t have.
The support and love of parents from Hunter. Tremendous growth based on exceptional talent and background. Isshin ran on the road to success while receiving attention from those around him.
This is the first time I haven’t had it.
Isshin was able to achieve all the relationships he wanted. If he had the heart to replace the vacancy with someone else, he could have done so.
However, Isshin still remained here and expressed his feelings holding the sword as an obsession.
“okay?”
Only then did Lee Hyuk realize why Isshin was not backing down. Lee Hyuk thought Isshin was a brave lion, but he was wrong.
In a way, Lee Hyuk and Isshin were the same.
It may seem foolish, but the sword does not work for a blind and pure heart toward someone.
“Nice.”
Lee Hyuk raised his index finger. Soon, the sparks that bloomed beautifully turned into purple jewels.
Lee Hyuk grabbed the essence. His fingernails were stained black and the mana concentration around him darkened.
“As I said before, I am not interested in killing you. Even if you get hit by this attack, your life won’t be affected. It won’t leave any scars.”
However, contrary to Lee Hyuk’s words, hideous black demons rose from his nails.
“But you will never be able to stand there.”
“…why?”
“You know? From a minor scratch to a burning pain that cannot be tolerated by the human mind… There is a scale for pain.”
Lee Hyuk laughed. I didn’t mean to scare her, but after hearing this explanation, I wondered if Isshin would accept the bet. Of course, I had no intention of being disappointed even if I gave up now.
“However, that is a physical pain that humans can feel in reality. …The power now held in my hand is the essence of Belial, the Demon Lord of Pain.”
The magic possessed by the demons each has its own symbolism.
Even that Lilith had the characteristic of ‘fascination’, so it would be shocking if it was the Demon Lord.
“The magi of Belial symbolizes pain. The pain you feel at the slightest touch… is more than a burning pain. It is a distant pain that goes beyond the body and destroys the mind.”
The rules of the bet were enough without further explanation. If you can withstand Belial’s demonic energy and stand still, Isshin will win.
“If you want to give up, now is the time…”
“Start right away.”
Lee Hyuk tried to give him one last chance, but Isshin stopped talking and calmly responded by spreading his arms.
Rather, it was the white demons, not Isshin, who made the noise.
– Are you really going to die?
-do not do that. If you go through that kind of pain, your brain will melt?
-Why are you stopping me? It’s a fun sight.
-If the contractor becomes an idiot, we’ll be in trouble too.
To think that the people who diligently take blood even to the point of death of the contractor would react like this.
A white flame faded from Isshin’s body. At the same time, the loud voices around them also died down.
Isshin, who had gradually reached his limit, breathed heavily and opened his mouth.
“…what are you hesitating about? Start quickly.”
Lee Hyuk knew. No matter how devoted she was, Shin Ha-yoon would never look back at her. It seems silly, but Lee Hyuk still couldn’t leave Shin Ha-yoon.
Reminding himself that he was Shin Ha-yoon’s only side, he remained by his side until the end.
“You look terribly like me.”
Lee Hyuk’s fingernails split the wind.
The ugly black demon became a three-pronged sword and hit Isshin directly.
Chew-!
With a sound as if cold water had been splashed on, Isshin bit his molars hard enough to break his molars.
* * *
A member of Rebellion.
The true ancestor’s vampire Erze looked down at the fainting student with a frown.
“Shin Ha-yoon doesn’t seem to have wide feet as rumored. Preparing a hunter like this at the altar… Oh, really, you’ve lost your appetite.”
It was a long outing. It was good that he was put into the operation, but Ergé never dreamed that his opponent would be such a small child.
“In terms of taste, Yuwol’s blood was really delicious… Yes! I wanted to meet Shin Yoo-seong!”
For Erze, drinking the blood of a hunter with high purity of mana meant more than just a meal.
It is thanks to the power of ‘vampirism’ that she changes her appearance to the age she wants and maintains her youth.
“Chloe. Are you not even responding anymore? Who do you resemble?”
-When the recovery is over, return to the hideout.
However, Claw, who always prioritized operations, did not accept the grumbling. Among the Rebellion, the ‘elite’ Erze was put in because the importance of this operation was high.
“There is no such thing as cuteness. You are starting to resemble your master more and more.”
Herze, who removed the glass heart from the altar, turned his head with a grunt. Now, return to the hideout through the Tower of Heaven and the operation is over.
But now, in front of Ergé’s eyes, there was a student who hadn’t been there before.
“…Hmm, what about you?”
Purple hair that I’ve never seen before, and an animal that looks harmless like a rabbit or a cow or a herbivore. I don’t remember it well, but it was definitely the face I saw in the operation report.
“Ah, I remembered! You must!”
Herze couldn’t remember the name of ‘Sumire’ until the end, but he could still remember that Sumire was a member of Shin Yoo-seong’s party.
“Give it back.”
Sumire reached out for the glass heart Ergé was holding and spoke with a firm voice she had never seen before.
“huh? what do you want back? Oh, you mean this?”
Herze deftly responded to Sumire’s request.
“Oops. This is what I need too… I can’t give it back. Or why don’t you split it and keep it in half?”
Let Ergé pretend to split the glass heart while laughing. Sumire hurriedly shouted.
“Stop that!”
Erze, who was playing around by rolling the glass heart around on the palm of his hand, looked at the nape of Sumire’s neck.
It wasn’t as much as Yuseong Shin or Yuwol, but Sumire smelled better than the blood of the student she just ate.
“…do you want this piece of glass?”
Sumire nodded at Erze’s question with a mischievous expression on her face. The two faced each other in tension because they did not know what Ergé would do to the Glass Heart if they made a hasty move.
“Then how would you like to make a deal with me?”
It was Chloe, not Sumire, who responded first to Ergé’s mischievous voice.
– Erze! You can’t!
Although a member of the same Rebellion, Erze was not loyal to Nameless and was a fickle person who didn’t know where to turn. He was a member who was even more uncontrollable with the hands of Claw, who was not even the captain.
Herze smiled at Sumire. The faint scent of blood was slowly covering the surroundings.
“I think you can give it to me.”
