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Chapter 208

Without looking back at the horde of undead that were furiously pursuing to tear him apart, Se-Hoon swiftly activated the Edict of the Eternal Nocturne.

Whoosh!

A portal opened in the air, from which a fully formed beast spider stepped out. Upon seeing it, Se-Hoon leaped onto its back without hesitation and lightly tapped its ribs with his foot.

“Let’s go.”

“——!!!”

With a soundless roar, the beast spider began scaling the UD Group\'s headquarters, which had once again been reflected in the underworld. And like before, the real onslaught of the undead army began in earnest now.

Whish!

A volley of arrows and magical bombardments assailed them from below. In the past, Se-Hoon would have immediately found himself busy dodging, but not this time.

Woong-

Reaching out, Se-Hoon drew two lines along the building\'s exterior wall, forming a straight path leading straight to the top. Then, confirming he succeeded, Se-Hoon immediately directed the beast spider so its legs came into contact with the new path.

Whoosh!

The spider accelerated at an incredible speed.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The undead army\'s attacks missed them entirely, and the spider\'s speed only increased with every stride. From a distance, its acceleration looked less like it was climbing a building and more like it was falling at breakneck speeds.

The rooftop rapidly came into view, and the noise of the undead chasing them grew distant. A moment later, the beast spider shot up to the building\'s peak and into the air.

Thud!

Gracefully descending, it landed cleanly on the rooftop, and Se-Hoon dismounted.

“Whew...”

All he could see was the pitch-black darkness of the underworld and the undead army approaching from afar, yet, in the fleeting moment, the scene was just as breathtaking as any magnificent view he’d ever witnessed.

They’re finally retreating.

The undead, who had been charging so fiercely toward him earlier, had begun drawing back the moment Se-Hoon reached the rooftop. They weren’t showing any expressions, but their oddly deflated postures made Se-Hoon grin as he watched them retreat from above.

“You finally used your brain.”

Wurgen\'s eye appeared behind him.

“I never expected you would alter the boundary and flip the entire space.”

By drawing a boundary along the building\'s wall, Se-Hoon had inverted the concept of up and down within that area. That allowed him and the beast spider to seemingly “fall” up the building, giving them far greater acceleration than usual.

“The underworld has no clear distinction of up and down, so I thought it might work.”

Rather than painstakingly modifying the beast spider with limited resources, Se-Hoon found it more efficient to reshape the underworld itself.

At his response, Wurgen silently observed him for a moment before calmly declaring, “You passed.”

Whoosh!

The world around them instantly shifted from the underworld to the surface, transforming the pitch-black darkness into a bustling cityscape filled with towering skyscrapers. And at the center of his view stood Benjamin, carefully holding a cushion on which Wurgen\'s skull rested.

“I’m surprised. I thought you never left your office,” said Se-Hoon.

“I usually don\'t because it’s simply not worth it.”

His explanation made Se-Hoon raise an eyebrow in mild surprise. If it hadn’t been worth it until now, did that mean Wurgen had changed his mind?

An agreement to help eliminate the Dream Demon... I guess I managed to build quite a relationship.

Of course, it wasn’t one built on the type of trust where they could fully rely on each other. Their relationship was merely a mutual alignment of interests, so Se-Hoon couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

“You seem to have many questions in the back of your mind.”

“Pardon?”

“Every time I read your thoughts, I can sense a lump of curiosity piled up within you. Perhaps there are things even about the very nature of a Perfect One like myself.”

Wurgen\'s glowing blue eyes, which glowed like pupils in his pitch-black eye sockets, were focused on Se-Hoon.

“Since you’ve completed my training, I’ll reward you with answers. Go ahead, ask your questions.”

“...”

Was this Wurgen’s way of rewarding him? Regardless, Se-Hoon began contemplating, eventually deciding to ask what had been on his mind recently.

“How did you end up in that state?”

Although Se-Hoon had a rough idea of the situation, hearing it directly from the person involved would be entirely different.

Wurgen gave him a strange look.

“That’s something one would typically ask upon first meeting me.”

“Well, I didn’t want to pry into something you keep hidden from the public.”

“Hmm. I suppose that makes sense.”

Accepting the explanation, Wurgen began telling his story.

“There was a time when I traveled around the entire world, studying necromancy. To conduct my research, I often chose dangerous areas and used Ludwig’s Void Space Terminals to get there.”

“...”

“Then, one day, while traveling through a gate as usual, I sensed something was wrong. It felt like an elevator had suddenly come to a halt, and I found myself in a vast, empty white space.”

And in that void were three sinister figures waiting for Wurgen.

“Apostate, Beast King, and Tuner ambushed me there.”

For most S-rank heroes, three of the Ten Evils launching a sneak attack would have been a death sentence. However, for Wurgen, a Perfect One, it wasn’t.

“Up until a certain point, things weren’t too bad. Apostate was still new to the Ten Evils, and Beast King was as weak as ever, so I could handle them. The real problem was Tuner.”

Boom!

Tuner’s body had exploded without warning, forming a black hole at the center of the blast. The white space they were in had then begun rapidly compressing around it, making Wurgen’s figure appear to crumple like a drawing on paper. And caught in that bizarre phenomenon, Wurgen hadn’t been able to escape, even with his power of Boundaries.

In the end, only Wurgen\'s skull managed to fly out of the gate as the compressed space reached its peak and unleashed a devastating shockwave.

“Tuner had compressed space itself and then forcibly unraveled it. Simply put, he crumpled space like paper and then pulled it apart. And within that space, my body ended up like torn paper in that process.”

Left behind, Wurgen\'s body was shredded and scattered when the space expanded with immense outward force, leaving only his skull intact.

Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. The full account was something he was hearing for the first time.

I didn’t expect three of them to ambush him at once...

He also would have never thought that Tuner had been the one responsible. It was a story that he had to digest for a bit. A moment later, Se-Hoon asked, “What did Ludwig have to say about it?”

“He apologized, saying it was his mistake. He even restructured the entire Void Space Terminal to prevent anything like it from happening again.”

“Any compensation...?”

“I received enough to be satisfied.”

For Wurgen to be satisfied despite the severe injury, what could the compensation have been? With a curious look, Se-Hoon looked toward Wurgen.

But Wurgen just calmly replied, “Don’t expect me to tell you.”

“...”

The answer only deepened his curiosity. He wondered what it could have been if it was something he didn’t want to talk about right now. Unfortunately, he was well aware that pestering Wurgen wouldn’t yield any answers.

So, he brushed off any lingering questions about it and moved on to the next question that intrigued him.

“Why do you leave your scattered body parts unattended?”

Previously, Se-Hoon had assumed Wurgen had put considerable effort into recovering his body. But after regressing and acquiring the Eternal Nocturne’s Phalanx, Se-Hoon realized something upon witnessing Wurgen’s condition in person.

Wurgen has no intention of reclaiming his body in the first place.

If someone found his body parts and returned them, Wurgen would compensate them fairly. But that was all; he wouldn’t search for them himself.

“I want to uncover their entire plan,” Wurgen answered without hesitation.

“Their entire plan...?”

“If their goal was simply to kill me, they wouldn’t have attacked me with just the three of them. They must have been after my body from the start.”

In that case, Wurgen decided to deliberately leave his scattered parts unattended to find out what the Ten Evils intended to do with his body.

“Transplanting my body parts into monsters is quite a novel idea... but that shouldn’t be all they are after. It’ll only be once I’ve discovered what they truly want that I’ll go reclaim my body.”

“...Wow.”

To Se-Hoon, who also viewed his body as a tool, Wurgen’s detachment was even more remarkable. Had Wurgen lost his attachment to his physical form upon becoming a Perfect One? The thought fascinated Se-Hoon.

“This is your last question. What else are you curious about?” Wurgen asked, meeting Se-Hoon’s gaze.

At that moment, many questions popped into Se-Hoon’s mind, but out of them all, only one truly mattered.

“What exactly is a Perfect One?”

He wanted a precise definition of the Perfect Ones—those who had conquered a mysterious Tower of Heroes and transcended all of humanity.

But Wurgen fell silent, just staring at Se-Hoon.

“We’re wraiths,” he finally answered.

“...A wraith?”

“Yes.”

Wurgen’s gaze shifted to the distant cityscape, recalling the white tower that lay beyond it.

“A wraith that is neither dead nor alive.”

***

“Well then, see you next time.”

With a polite farewell, Benjamin left in a limousine. Watching him go, Se-Hoon stretched and then glanced at Eun-Ha, who stood beside him.

“Time really flies, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does.”

Eun-Ha nodded, agreeing without changing her expression. It was just like normal, from her expression to her stance, but one thing was different—the distance she was standing from him.

She’s standing way too close.

Normally, she would keep a respectable distance. However, now she was standing so close that even a fist could barely fit between them.

She was so close that the curious gazes of the people around them had intensified, making Se-Hoon feel awkward.

“Is there something you want to say?” Eun-Ha asked nonchalantly.

“Well... you’re standing too close.”

“It’s for your protection. Please bear with it while we’re in public.”

Se-Hoon sighed, realizing that arguing would be pointless. Her firm response made it clear she wouldn’t take any objections.

“All right.”

Like that, the two of them entered the Void Space Terminal, naturally drawing even more attention from onlookers. It made Eun-Ha press even closer to him, which caused Se-Hoon to frown slightly.

I know our Relationship has changed after regressing, but... I didn’t expect it to be this different.

Eun-Ha, who could rip a demon’s head off without flinching, now displayed an unsettling attachment and anxiousness when it came to him. He couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. To think it all stemmed from nothing more than him preparing equipment that suited her tastes.

Well, raising the bond level isn’t a bad thing, but... the direction of our Relationship is a little concerning.

A Relationship that was overly dependent or obsessive could turn sour very quickly. And since Eun-Ha was an S-rank hero, dealing with her would be especially difficult if she ever lost her mind and decided to lock him in her basement.

She shouldn’t go berserk if I just do what she says, but that’s just a temporary solution.

To fully prevent such a thing, he needed to figure out exactly how Eun-Ha viewed him. Only then could he address the issue at its root.

As he pondered how to handle the situation, his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he checked the screen, he recognized the caller immediately: Luize Valent.

Hmm... I can basically guess what this call is going to be about.

Se-Hoon glanced at Eun-Ha.

“I need to take this call...”

“All right.”

Eun-Ha took a single step away from him. Given her sharp senses, she would hear the conversation no matter the distance, but Se-Hoon just accepted it and answered the phone.

—Hey, I’ve got an urgent issue. Is this a good time?

“It’s fine, so go ahead. What’s up?”

—I got a call from the Marionette Factory. Both of us got accepted for the on-site training.

“Well, that was expected.”

If Dawn had already infiltrated the Marionette Factory, there was no way they would be rejected. What mattered would be the conditions that followed.

—But because of security reasons, only a single designated person can accompany us. They’re also limiting what we can bring. Are you okay with these conditions?

The conditions themselves weren’t particularly unusual. The problem lay in the fact that Dawn, an infamous group even among Watchers, was going to pull some kind of scheme.

Hmm. Given the circumstances, they may see this as their last chance to strike.

Even if Se-Hoon walked into their trap fully armed, it would still be a risky situation. So now that he was only allowed limited equipment, it should’ve made him even more uneasy.

“I’m okay with that.”

However, he had just finished receiving Wurgen’s teachings.

“I’ve learned some clever tricks recently.”

With his own plans already prepared, he didn’t see any major issues.

Sensing Se-Hoon’s confidence, Luize similarly became more confident as well.

—Got it. We’re going tomorrow, so if you need to prepare something, do it today.

“Will do. See you tomorrow.”

Ending the call, Se-Hoon put his phone away and Eun-Ha approached to ask, “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”

“Oh, yes. The Marionette Factory is holding an on-site tour, so I signed up for it. It starts tomorrow.”

“That event... Professor Lan Fei is the leader, right?”

Eun-Ha’s eyes were full of disapproval. With only one professor accompanying them, and an A-rank hero at that, it wasn’t surprising that someone as protective as her would be anxious.

“...Do you really have to attend it?”

“I’m really interested in this field of study. Who knows when I’ll get another opportunity like this? I’m anxious to check it out.”

“Given what happened recently, wouldn’t it be better to stay at Babel for a while?”

“Dean...”

Se-Hoon met her worried gaze.

“You may find me lacking in some areas, but never have I once acted without a plan. So you don’t need to worry so much. Even during this training period—”

“Things didn’t go as planned.”

Eun-Ha interrupted him. Her expression was still neutral, yet her tone carried a hint of self-blame.

“Because I wasn’t there.”

Though she spoke calmly, there was an underlying tone of guilt.

And sensing it, Se-Hoon gave her a wry smile.

“But everything turned out fine in the end, didn’t it? I’ve already accounted for such variables.”

“...”

“Of course, I might make a few mistakes here and there, but if I let fear of the unknown control me, I’ll never be able to go anywhere freely. Maybe that’s exactly what the Demon Force is aiming for.”

While caution was necessary, he couldn’t allow fear to halt his growth. That was one of Se-Hoon’s core principles and the reason behind his meticulous preparations for various dangers.

Having heard his reasoning, Eun-Ha’s expression remained complicated, but she eventually nodded.

“Understood. But please make sure to take the self-defense devices I gave you.”

Recalling the mountain of protective gear she had given him during her last visit, he replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll pack them all.”

“Thank you.”

Though Eun-Ha nodded in agreement, her eyes still reflected concern. For now, her emotions hadn’t spiraled out of control yet, but if they intensified further, she would likely try to stop him no matter what.

Hmm. I need to cheer her up somehow so she won’t argue about this later...

Mulling over how to lift her spirits, Se-Hoon suddenly remembered something she had mentioned before.

“Actually, Dean.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been working on something interesting since the last evaluation exam. It’s an enchantment that can replicate the traits of a monster. I’m curious how it will taste—”

Growl!

Before he could finish speaking, a loud growl echoed in the air. Looking at Eun-Ha, who awkwardly averted her gaze, Se-Hoon grinned.

“Would you like to try it?”

“...That would be nice of you.”

***

Upon returning to Babel, Se-Hoon accompanied Eun-Ha to her house to forge the equipment with the enchantment.

“Just kill me already!”

Meanwhile, at some other place, an unfortunate phoenix, which was used as the material, could be heard wailing in despair.

Apparently, the equipment tasted like spicy fried chicken.