𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏𝟒
Prophecies are not absolute truths.
Even inviolable prophecies, which only truly great prophets rarely observe, have a small but non-zero chance of changing.
Ordinary prophecies, on the other hand, are effectively just photographs of one possible future, and thus are nothing more than valuable pieces of information.
However, depending on the situation, they can be more valuable than anything else.
“Are you saying that you’re that great of a prophet? That you know exactly what my purpose is without even knowing who I am?”
Echinacea Lianqi’s doubts were natural.
It was hard to believe that I had found someone who fit her purpose and her criteria after observing only one possible future.
But of course, I had an excuse ready to convince her.
“What if it’s someone who you had by your side in the future?”
That was a surefire sign. If it was someone that the future Echinacea Lianqi had chosen, then they were likely to be someone who fit her purpose.
Echinacea Lianqi’s eyes lit up slightly as she realized this.
“That makes sense.”
“I can’t guarantee that it’s the right answer, but it’s worth checking out at least.”
Echinacea Lianqi nodded and immediately began asking me about their identity.
“So, who is this great talent?”
“Yoo Ha-on from Cheonghwa Academy in Korea, who is currently staying with the Baek family.”
“Yoo Ha-on. . . . . . .”
It was probably an unfamiliar name to Echinacea Lianqi. She had played a significant role in the 2nd Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, but her fame had yet to spread far and wide.
However, Yoo Ha-on, the protagonist of the 1st installment of this exorcism series, was definitely the person that Echinacea Lianqi was looking for.
I had ended up being the one to connect the dots, but perhaps Echinacea Lianqi would come to realize it herself if she observed Yoo Ha-on.
“Alright, I’ll know once I see her in person.”
With that, Echinacea Lianqi glanced towards somewhere beyond the building and quickly disappeared.
And I, left alone, watched the spot where she had disappeared and prayed silently.
「. . . . . . .」
Hoping that she would help Yoo Ha-on and play her part in the great crisis that was to come.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
After that, the commotion that had suddenly hit Korea quickly subsided.
The Chinese prisoners, whose only purpose was to cause a commotion from the beginning, were quickly subdued or escaped, and the members of Yahwak also disappeared.
「𝙊𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙. . . . . . .」
At least it can be said that a little bit of time has been gained.
Anyway, as long as he targets me, Luke will show up again someday.
So, for me, it was best to focus on what I had to do right now and prepare for that time.
「𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩.」
By now, Arietta and Baek So-yul, whom I had asked in advance, must have accomplished their missions.
It was the destruction of the mobile medical teams that were located in the headquarters of other countries and various other locations that were going to be the next target of Yahwak.
Since Xiao Chen is not here now, they will not be able to recover it, so it is safe to say that extensive activities are virtually impossible.
It has become possible to roughly predict the direction of their actions, which were unknown.
「𝙃𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.」
In the end, the headquarters in Korea collapsed, and most of its members are said to have survived, but it will take considerable time to reorganize.
And the crisis will surely come faster than that.
In such a situation, it remains an uncertain factor whether the Exorcism Headquarters will be able to play its role.
Yoon Hae-cheol’s message that the survivors gathered to hold Baek Woong-gyu’s funeral.
I read it bitterly and opened the status window to check my information.
【Han Kang-yoon】
▶Level 54
「. . .𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.」
The condition for receiving the trial of the Blue-White Soul Mirror is level 55.
I thought I would achieve it through this battle, but unfortunately, it seems that I was lacking.
Perhaps the talent of my body is gradually reaching its limit.
「𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙭𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.」
Anyway, that part is out of my control.
There is no need to be impatient. I just have to find the best way to do it at the time.
「𝙎𝙤, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨.」
Fill the remaining level by all means and challenge the trial of the Blue-White Soul Mirror, and increase the size of the container.
At least as far as I know, that was the fastest way to grow in the current situation.
And coincidentally, a method that I had become interested in at the time and that would also help me level up came to mind.
It was the story about the Eternal Labyrinth.
“You said you heard a voice?”
“Yeah. I still hear it sometimes.”
Seo-ah’s answer as she returned to the shelter Hwang Jin-chul had provided and rested.
In that case, this can be seen as an event quest in terms of the game.
And the reason why I became directly interested in it was the Witch’s Echo trait, which had been very powerful in this battle.
「𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚.」
No matter how much it came from the same source and no matter how much it was an A+ rank trait, the power that this trait showed against Emeris’s sorcery was too great.
I thought about several possibilities, and I was able to come up with a few plausible hypotheses.
「𝙄𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩, 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝’𝙨 𝙀𝙘𝙝𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨?」
In fact, I created the Witch’s Echo trait itself, but as I said before, I never imposed the effect exactly.
In other words, I have no way of knowing what kind of effect it is having now that it has become a reality.
「𝘼𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩, 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.」
For example, even if there is a trait called a heart of steel, the heart of the one who possesses it does not really become Gang Cheol-i, does it?
I thought that Witch’s Echo was also just a trait that implied something else in its name.
But what if it was a literal meaning, not a metaphor?
「𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚?」
Perhaps the Witch’s Echo trait was also just something that was created by that mark.
In other words, the witch that the trait refers to had something she wanted to convey to me so badly.
「𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙤-𝙖𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙.」
I can’t be sure, but if she was calling so desperately, I couldn’t just ignore it.
Besides, in order to prepare for some unknown variable that will come in the future, I need to get my hands on more.
「𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜.」
Unlike the last time when I was suddenly caught up in it, this time, I can prepare and plan enough.
Fortunately, I already have the passage to the Eternal Labyrinth.
However, the problem was that I did not know which of the three areas other than the Black Forest that we cleared it was connected to.
「𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣.」
I said it was the most difficult labyrinth, but unfortunately, that is the answer now.
The Blinding Mountain is the only labyrinth that has not been cleared in the series, even when I was in modern times.
And in the other three labyrinths, I was able to obtain the witch’s knowledge and each of the rewards, but I didn’t find anything else.
So, if there is a secret related to the mark that was engraved on me and the voice that Seo-ahh hears, it was highly likely that it existed in the Blinding Mountain.
「. . .𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖?」
The space where I forcibly moved Xiao Chen using the Rift Stone in the Black Forest was also the Blinding Mountain.
Of course, it was hard to believe that she was still alive, but even so, it was a very coincidental thing.
「𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙤-𝙖𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚.」
I also need a strong force that can help me.
It would be nice if we could all move to the Blinding Mountain at once, but if we happen to go to a different place, we will have to go through all the labyrinths and get the Rift Stone in order to head to the Blinding Mountain for sure.
It goes without saying that such a process will be very difficult.
That is why it was necessary to be careful in selecting the people who will accompany me.
「𝙄 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.」
The relationships I have built here have not been in vain. In an instant, the names of those who are suitable for conquering the labyrinth came to my mind.
The first is Sophia Charlotte.
She was originally strong, but her track record after the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons incident has grown even more, so there is no need to explain it further.
Since the suspension of classes has been ordered, she will probably have plenty of free time for the time being.
The second is Shin No-eul, the leader of the Red Unit.
In Shin No-eul’s case, I heard that she is still very busy, but she was a talent that I had to attract no matter what.
「𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚.」
Why is the name of the labyrinth the Blinding Mountain? I don’t know the exact concept of the stage either, but perhaps Shin No-eul, who specializes in detection, is definitely needed there.
「𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. . . . . . .」
The gatekeepers of the Blinding Mountain, who are expected to be incredibly strong. I needed a powerful figure who could deal with them.
「𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 70 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.」
And among those I know, there are not many who can deal with such monsters.
I seemed to need to think a little more about this part.
After finishing my thoughts, I first asked Seo-ah, who was also one of them.
“What do you think? Do you want to go and check it out even if it’s dangerous?”
“. . .I don’t know. It’s true that it was really dangerous last time.”
That’s right.
I don’t mean to blame her, but if I, who knew the Black Forest well, hadn’t been there at the time, Seo-ah and Yoo Tae-jin’s party wouldn’t have been able to escape the labyrinth in the end.
However, despite being aware of that, Seo-ah continued to speak in an unwavering voice.
“But I think I should go someday.”
That was enough. My thoughts were not much different.
Anyway, there will be no time to worry about such things after the 3rd Night Parade of a Hundred Demons begins, so this was the only chance if there was one.
“I found the passage. And I have something to check inside it too.”
“. . .Is that true?”
“I’m going. So, take a day to think about it and decide.”
Although it is an unknown space in many ways, it is worth challenging enough.
At my words, Seo-ah nodded and soon fell into deep thought.
And I, too, started contacting people to prepare for it.
「𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧.」
Time does not wait for us. So, in order not to fall behind, we need to desperately chase after it.
This labyrinth exploration will be the stepping stone for that.
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