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Chapter 136

“Make sure to expel the fire mana that accumulates in your body! You’ll burn to death otherwise!”

Unlike the other buildings, where the attribute conversion devices were able to convert the ambient fire mana and prevent any explosions, the effect of Vermillion Sky was far stronger in the main building of the Department of Pharmaceuticals due to the presence of the fire pillar.

Whoosh!

Here, the fire mana would create flames in midair, like will-o’-wisps, every time it accumulated to a certain level. Those flames would then rapidly grow by consuming the newly converted fire mana. Thankfully, the built-in fire suppression system prevented the flames from becoming a large blaze, but it still wasn’t enough to completely deal with the situation.

“Ugh... that should be enough. Everyone, get out!”

“Evacuate!”

Having finished hurriedly dealing with all the items that could potentially explode when exposed to flames, the students and staff members quickly evacuated under the guidance of professors and teaching assistants.

Amidst all the chaos, Victor was at the center of it all. He also helped with the evacuation.

“This way!”

To everyone around him, he was an exemplary hero who was selflessly aiding the rescue of civilians and students despite unluckily getting caught in this whole mess when he had just come to Borsippa for a visit, and on a weekend at that. However, unbeknownst to professors and teaching assistants who favorably looked at him, Victor’s true intentions were entirely different.

Damn it... what the hell is going on?

When Victor was invited to Babel as a teacher for a special event of Aqar Quf, he received a simple order from Offering: insert a provided device, disguised as training equipment, into one of the red pillars created by a unique barrier. Aside from having to make it into Babel, which he already had the perfect excuse for, the mission was easy.

Moreover, every notable S-rank hero of Babel, including the Emperor of Ascension, was supposedly said to be out on the day the plan was to be executed.

Hmmm, Babel’s reputation for its strict security is mainly just because of the influence of the Emperor of Ascension....

Although not without risks, the absence of Babel’s top-ranking heroes and the simplicity of the task made the mission much cleaner compared to a regular assassination mission. On top of that, the reward was immense, making him hesitate no longer.

However, the scene he envisioned when reading the plan and what actually unfolded when the plan was initiated were entirely different.

They said everyone would flee immediately when the barrier was activated, but in what world is this fleeing...?

The Vermillion Sky had unfolded in a much weaker and unstable state than planned, and as a result, the staff members who should have fled ended up staying behind to deal with the barrier, preventing him from covertly approaching the pillar.

So, while contemplating how messed up the plan was from the start, he maintained appearances and continued to assist with the evacuation.

Should I just not risk it?

Offering had mentioned that if the situation didn’t permit it, it would be fine to just stay near the area. The reward would decrease, but it was better than ruining his life with just a single misstep.

But the reward becomes twenty times smaller...

As tried to figure out whether it was worth the risk, he heard footsteps behind him. Noticing that the footsteps were fast approaching, like someone was gaining on him, Victor startledly turned around to gaze at the owner.

Running straight toward him was a young man with a determined expression and a short spear in each hand.

Yeom Sung-Ha?

Famous both within Aqar Quf and outside of Babel as a successor to the Flame Sect, Victor couldn’t understand why such a person had suddenly appeared. They had only seen each other once during his spar with Se-Hoon, so Sung-Ha couldn’t be here looking for him.

Why is this guy here?

Had a professor asked him to come help with the evacuation? He wasn’t sure of the exact reason, but Victor decided not to dwell on it. It wasn\'t his concern after all, and more importantly, Sung-Ha\'s appearance helped solidify his decision.

Yeah. Let’s not go overboard.

If he kept a low profile like now, his identity wouldn’t be discovered and he’d still receive a small reward.

In the meantime, as Victor finished making his decision, Sung-Ha had silently gotten close.

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, Sung-Ha sent the tip of his red spear straight toward Victor’s heart.

“?!”

Shocked by the unexpected ambush that appeared from his blind spot, Victor instantly roused his mana and instinctively drew his short sword from his waist to block the thrust.

Thunk!

“Gah!”

It was a heavy hit that traveled up the blade.

Victor was sent flying backward by the thrust’s momentum, only managing to prevent his heart from being pierced. He was dizzy and unable to regain his bearings, yet he had no time to be. Sung-Ha immediately followed up with another attack.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Locked in battle, splatters of sparks scattered every time Victor’s sword clashed with Sung-Ha’s dual spears. The dance of steel was intense, with equal blows exchanged. But soon, wounds manifested on Victor’s body.

Slash!

Seeing that his attacks landed on Victor’s forearm and thigh, Sung-Ha, who was unscathed, closed the distance even more aggressively. On the other side, Victor was still dizzy from the initial exchange and could barely manage to defend against Sung-Ha’s relentless assault.

Meanwhile, the professors and teaching assistants of the Department of Pharmaceuticals who had been watching the two fight while frozen in shock, came back to their senses.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“Cease fire immediately!”

To them, Sung-Ha, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started assaulting an exemplary hero who had just been helping evacuate people, was the villain.

“Help! This student is suddenly attacking me...!” Victor urgently shouted, thinking he could the situation to his advantage.

And he was right. Alarmed by his desperate and aggrieved cry, the professors and teaching assistants began to cast their magic.

Whirr!

Magic rained down from all sides.

Even if their magic couldn\'t subdue Sung-Ha, Victor would seize the moment Sung-Ha lightened his assault to explain himself to turn the situation around.

I just need one opening...!

Victor desperately clung to the hope that Sung-Ha would naturally react like anyone else would to the onslaught of magic if placed in such a situation. Unfortunately for him, however—

Whoosh!

Sung-Ha swung his spear unwaveringly toward his neck.

Boom!!!

Leaving the onslaught of magic to his erupting residual flames, Sung-Ha pressed his attack on Victor even harder.

“If anything happens or if you see these guys lurking around suspiciously, kill them immediately. I’ll strike a bit off your debt for each one you manage to kill.”

Having seen Victor’s name on the list that Se-Hoon handed over, Sung-Ha unhesitatingly rushed Victor when he saw him lurking suspiciously in front of the building where the red pillar had risen.

That’s enough.

It could all just be a coincidence, a misunderstanding, or even a mistake on Se-Hoon\'s part; after all, Se-Hoon had no concrete evidence that Victor was truly working with the Demon Force. But it didn’t matter. Sung-Ha simplified his thoughts on the matter.

We’ll know once he’s dead.

Any further contemplation would only hinder the fight.

This rigid and inflexible thinking, which was devoid of any room for maneuvering, provided him with the intense focus necessary to complete the objective of the current battle.

Clang!

His opponent, who continued to overthink even in the midst of battle, was the complete opposite. His thoughts riddled his defense with gaps, allowing Sung-Ha to shatter his guard to pieces.

Slash!

The red spear slashed Victor’s sides and shoulders, leaving Victor with burns that made his body stiffen in pain. Victor’s “opportunity” had become Sung-Ha’s, and without missing it, Sung-Ha thrust his black spear toward Victor’s neck.

Distraught, Victor moved to block the incoming strike.

If I just block this one...

If he could avoid being killed by this attack, the professors and teaching assistants behind him would surely hurriedly act to subdue Sung-Ha. Praying that would be true, Victor braced himself for mana backflow and deftly swung his short sword to deflect the attack.

Stealth Shadow

Whoosh-

Ignoring Victor’s maneuver, the Nocturne Piercer changed its form into a shadow, piercing through Victor’s sword.

Thud!

The spearhead of the Nocturne Piercer punctured his neck. Time seemed to slow down around Victor upon the realization that he had been fatally struck. In slow motion, his eyes widened.

It was at this moment that he recalled the rapid demonification stimulant he had hidden in his left molar, something given to him by Offering that morning.

“If you ingest this ampoule, it will heal even the most fatal of wounds instantly and strengthen your body. However, you will lose your current life as a human. Choose wisely when to use it.”

He would no longer be able to live as a human if he ingested this ampoule, huh? As numerous possibilities flashed through his mind, he realized that, although his neck had been pierced, the spear had fortunately missed his spine. With some emergency care from those around him, he was sure he could fully recover.

I still have a chance...!

Clinging to the last bit of hope that his life wasn’t over yet, Victor mustered up some strength in his jaws to bite down on his molar.

“You think too much.”

Before he could do anything though, Sung-Ha’s spear literally cut off those thoughts.

Swish!

In one swift motion, the blade of the Nocturne Piercer cleanly severed Victor’s neck.

The professors and teaching assistants were struck with horror, having witnessed a murder firsthand.

“What the...”

“Did he just...!”

They had thought it was weird that Sung-Ha would attack a hero, yet they had never imagined that he would actually kill him. They all stood in shock, only able to yell at Sung-Ha to drop his spears.

Their words fell on deaf ears. Ignoring their warnings, Sung-Ha kicked the short sword Victor had been holding upward.

Slash!

And cleaved it in two with his flaming spear.

Crash!

Reacting immediately and leaving no doubt as to the cause, the red pillar shattered and vanished like it had been cut off from its power supply. The sight forced those who had been trying to subdue Sung-Ha to stop in their tracks.

“What... the...”

“Could it be...?”

Their heads were still spinning in confusion due to all of the sudden events, but there was one single thing that became very clear—Victor was indeed related to the chaos and thus, to their dismay, was collaborating with the Demon Force.

Having never spared a glance at the crowd, Sung-Ha just walked past the frozen professors and teaching assistant toward the location of another pillar.

“Wait a minute! If you know more about this, perhaps you should!” desperately called out a professor.

Finally reacting, Sung-Ha responded briefly, “No need.”

Dragging others along would only raise suspicion. Alone, it was also easier to handle things, since he could covertly slip through openings and make surprise attacks, just as he had done earlier.

The rewards are mine alone.

With a burning determination to kill as many of them as possible to clear his debt, Sung-Ha\'s eyes gleamed as he ran toward his next target.

***

Rumble-

One by one, the red pillars crumbled, naturally waning the influence of Vermillion Sky. Having been watching alongside Se-Hoon, Luize asked, amazed, “How on earth is he killing them so quickly?”

Most of the suspicious heroes on Se-Hoon’s list were either A-rank or skilled B-rank heroes. As such, it didn’t make sense that they were being dealt with so easily.

“Well, there\'s the difference in their equipment, but what’s most important is that the opponents don’t know that their identities have already been exposed. Using that as an element of surprise makes it easier to subdue them.”

“Still...”

“Also, Sung-Ha shows no hesitation in his actions.”

“Hesitation...?”

Unable to understand the relevance, Luize once again looked toward Se-Hoon. He explained further, “When fighting traitors like them, it’s absolutely crucial to have the right mindset.”

If the evidence had been collected and their betrayal became a fact, then even low-ranking heroes would easily make a decision and eliminate the traitor. However, that changed if all they had were ambiguous suspicions. A fear of making a misjudgment, and the potential problems that might ensue would make them hesitate, changing their goal to subduing instead of eliminating.

Sung-Ha is different.

If Sung-Ha believed his judgment was reasonable, he would disregard everything else and just push forward. Of course, it would be an utter disaster if he turned out to be wrong, but when he wasn’t, like now, he would efficiently eliminate the threats before they could even retaliate.

“And despite his temperament, his skills are pretty solid. He might even be able to advance to A-rank soon.”

Se-Hoon had watched him fight during the special event from up close, allowing him to find out that Sung-Ha seemed to be adapting to the new short spears and mastering the Inferno Ring at a pretty fast pace.

He was probably one of the strongest students Se-Hoon knew, second to only Aria.

“...I see.”

Hearing Se-Hoon’s praise for Sung-Ha, Luize’s expression soured slightly before she quickly wiped it off her face.

Don’t be so childish.

She felt like a little child again, one who became jealous upon hearing someone else being praised.

Pressing down her jealousy, she tried her best to act like nothing had happened and asked, “So, what’s the plan now?”

“We need to find out what those guys are planning to do with the Vermillion Bird.”

“Weren’t they going for the barrier?”

Se-Hoon shook his head at her question.

“This is probably just a preparation phase. The real thing should be coming soon.”

Remembering the way Offering did things, Vermillion Sky was likely just set up for a ritual. Their real plan probably involved the devices that those traitors had.

Since Sung-Ha is doing so well, they might decide to push ahead with their plan in its incomplete state with how things have escalated.

With the enemy’s exact plan unknown, it was impossible to stop them perfectly from the start. The key was creating openings and exploiting them to the best of his ability.

Deciding to move to the next phase, Se-Hoon asked Luize, “The automatons?”

“I’ve deployed them as you instructed.”

“Good. Let’s begin then.”

Luize nodded at Se-Hoon’s words and cast her prepared incantation.

“Assimilation.”

Thud!

Like during her fight, the moment the incantation spread throughout the building, the scattered automatons began resonating with each other and started to take control of the surrounding mana. Previously, they had forcibly assimilated the Vermillion Bird’s mana, but now, they were trying to mimic the enemy’s mana.

Whirr-

Thanks to Luize, he managed to make it through the binds of the Vermillion Bird. Connecting to it, Se-Hoon sent his thoughts through the mark on his left hand.

“Hey, Fire Chicken.”

The Vermillion Bird didn’t respond.

It still seemed to be subdued, but Se-Hoon was able to feel that the restraint on the phoenix had become weaker.

“Stop ignoring me. Let’s help each other out again.”

“Aren’t you just going to use me again?”

Finally hearing the Vermillion Bird’s prickly voice echo in his mind, Se-Hoon answered calmly, “When did I ever use you?”

“Didn’t you control my vision to make me kill your enemies?”

“Well, weren’t they the ones who were forcefully commanding you? What’s wrong with killing them?”

“That is true...”

It wasn’t difficult to convince the Vermillion Bird that what Se-Hoon had done wasn’t exactly a bad thing.

“I’m not going to ask you to trust me. But if you help me, I promise I’ll release all of the restraints they put on you.”

Considering Se-Hoon’s bold offer, the Vermillion Bird fell silent for a moment before it said, “But you’ll probably try to get rid of me after freeing me, right?”

“Of course. But isn’t it the same for you? I know you’ve thought of killing me once you regain your vision.”

“...”

“In the end, friendships between humans and demon beasts cannot exist. Let’s just deal with those guys together and then settle things between us.”

The Vermillion Bird fell deep into thought. Even though Offering had helped it revive after a long time, it was immediately chained and exploited by them. It hated Se-Hoon for controlling its sight, but it loathed the others.

With nothing to lose, regardless of which side it chose, the phoenix made a decision.

“What can I do for you? I won’t give you more control over my body.”

Sensing the firmness in its stance, Se-Hoon asked, “Tell me the place where your power is the most concentrated.”

That place was definitely Offering’s hideout. After a long moment of silence, the Vermillion Bird finally answered, “Underground.”

Underground?

Confused, Se-Hoon flipped through the possible locations in his mind. Then, his eyes widened upon realizing something and he slowly turned to look at the main building of the Department of Blacksmithing.

“My power is gathered in a hidden furnace underground.”