Chapter 246. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 6

“We’ll be arriving soon,” said Jeong In-Chang

A tall building in the distance marked their destination as everyone nodded.

Yeouido.

After a short rest, they had set off from where they had last fought, soon arriving near the district.

“Everyone is gathered in one place,” Heracles said.

Just as he had pointed out, there were signs of the ordinary humans being gathered into one building. Having investigated, they realized the possibility that there was a trap set up to lure them in.

Just as when the veil had been lifted and the Hunters took the ordinary humans hostage, the same could happen now.

“Hmm…”

Thrymr suddenly let out a small sigh as if something wasn’t clear about the situation. However, Jeong In-Chang only moved faster in response.

“Let’s hurry.”

Even if there were a trap, they would have to go through it anyway, so it would be better to move quickly. Thus, Jeong In-Chang took the lead and walked forward.

“Huff.”

However, Fenrir, in his human child form, also let out a small snort. Still, as Jeong In-Chang was the current leader, the party took his lead.

Soon, they arrived at a golden building[1], the symbol of Yeouido.

“Mr. Lee should be doing okay, right?” Jeong In-Chang suddenly wondered. However, he immediately shook his head. If it was that group, they must be doing well.

So, if that group was going to be coming back after solving their problems, Jeong In-Chang knew that they would have to finish their part too.

“Let’s hurry,” Jeong In-Chang urged the group once again.

***

“Thank you so much, thank you!”

Inside the symbol of Yeouido that had stood tall despite the hell of the cataclysm was a cacophony of gratitude as families hugged each other and cried.

“Ungnyeo, please take care of them,” Jeong In-Chang said with a stoic expression.

“Understood.”

Although she had never stood at the forefront of the battle, Ungnyeo had always taken the lead in saving people. She motioned to a certain pair. They were Fenrir and Sangun, the two who could move this great amount of people. Moreover, to be able to protect them from harm, she also asked for aid from several Hunters.

“Please help those people as well.”

An operation was launched in order to rescue all of the people in the building as Jeong In-Chang asked the survivors about the situation as they moved. “Is there anything you would like to tell us or the others?”

“Thank you…thank you…”

However, as they had been in pain for so long and were unable to maintain their sanity, none of them could give Jeong In-Chang the answers he wanted. All they had were gratitude, tears, and a desire to escape quickly.

“Let’s scout the area.”

Eventually, Jeong In-Chang just chose to reconnaissance, assuming that it was quicker for them to search on their own rather than asking people.

Even after they entered the building, no enemies appeared. They had thought that there would have been a trap, but there seemed to be nothing that could stop them, as if the enemies had thought it to be a fruitless endeavor.

There were only a few wandering monsters around, and they didn’t seem to be a part of the army of monsters they had fought just after the veil. But that was why it all seemed even more ominous.

Jeong In-Chang stated, “We need to look closely.”

Everyone agreed with him.

Just what could lay in wait?

“There must be something here.”

Was something waiting for them?

Although there hadn’t been anyone guarding the ordinary humans, they had been unable to leave the building. Even though it might have just been fear, Jeong In-Chang could see that something else was wrong.

‘Their reactions are strange—they can’t even answer properly.’

Eventually, they began their reconnaissance. First, their goal was to search through the inside of the building and rescue the ordinary humans who might have otherwise been left behind, while their second goal was to find the enemy.

****

They had searched every nook and cranny of the building, saving many of the ordinary humans that had been lost or wandering around.

However…

“There’s no one here…” Jeong In-Chang muttered despondently. “Not a single one of them is here.”

He had used every method at his disposal, looking for any signs of the enemy. It wasn’t just himself, either, but also all of the Hunters that had come with him. However, the building was full of only ordinary humans.

“There are no Hunters.”

Not a single existence that could point to an enemy.

–There aren’t any issues outside, either.

The voices of Thjazi and Thrymr could be heard.

Due to the nature of the giants, they were unable to enter the building, leaving them to scout around the area, finding nothing.

Thrymr’s voice was heard again.

–I couldn’t feel the aura of any Hunters in the first place.

When Thrymr had entered Yeouido, he had noticed something strange. Now, he realized that had probably been the lack of any signs of Hunters. There was still one place that they hadn’t searched yet.

“There’s only one place left.”

He was talking about the observation deck of the building. No one had gone up there yet. However, Jeong In-Chang couldn’t tell why, but the ominous feeling still hadn’t gone away.

“Everyone, stay alert.”

He couldn’t sense even the presence of a rat, let alone a human, when he released his mana to the utmost, but something was nagging him. It was almost like intuition.

Ungnyeo, Fenrir, and Sangun were moving far away with the ordinary humans, so there was nothing for them to be worried about. The party slowly walked toward the observatory, going past the frozen elevator and up through the emergency exit slowly.

Thud.

Jeong In-Chang took a step forward, and the sound of the heavy weapons and armor clinking together echoed through the stairwell. When they opened the door to the observation deck, the ominous feeling reached its peak.

“...!”

Jeong In-Chang’s face had a stony expression.

“Ungnyeo, are you sure that there’s nobody left in the building?” he asked, sending a message to Ungnyeo, far away, through mana.

Then, in response, Ungnyeo’s voice came clear as day.

–Yes. There are no more ordinary humans left in the building.

It was only then that Jeong In-Chang shouted loudly, his greatsword in hand.

“G-RAM!”

Right in front of them, there he stood.

“You must be Siegfried.”

***

Athena, who had stayed silent all this time, muttered in a flustered voice, “N-no, that’s ridiculous.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong and his group were frozen in place. However, that only lasted for a moment as Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted happily.

“Hyung!!”

A figure with a stylish face and shiny, bald head stood before them. It was Heimdall, who had headed for Seoul earlier.

“Seong-Gu Hyung!!” Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted again. “What happened? After you went to Seoul, we couldn’t contact you anymore!”

He had opened the veil and sent Heimdall, who had gone to Seoul to gather information, away. Soon after that, they had lost contact with him. But now, he stood before them.

Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly approached him with shaky steps.

“Most of the ordinary humans were rescued,” he said as he walked toward the figure. “A lot has happened.”

While Heimdall had been away, Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone to Andlangr.

“I also got a lot of information about the Sponsors.

He had found Saeynkaed and heard many of the tales from her.

There was so much for them to talk about.

“What happened to you, Hyung? What about Odin…? And where is the Demon King?” Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a bright smile.

Considering how long it had taken for Heimdall to reach them, there was no way that he hadn’t gotten any information.

“Odin…”

When Heimdall finally opened his mouth, Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing right before him. It was such a close distance that if either would extend an arm, they would be able to grab their opponent’s neck.

“He’s in Yeouido.”

The faces of the party hardened at the answer that came from Heimdall’s mouth, but Lee Jun-Kyeong still maintained a small smile and responded quietly, “Fenrir is there. What a relief. We were worried it was going to be the Demon King.”

This time, Heimdall didn’t reply. The two men stood quietly. None of the other members of the party could relax a nerve.

“...”

Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out, “Hyung, it’s not, right?”

It was a simple question. It wasn’t: “What side are you on?” No, it was just Lee Jun-Kyeong asking him to say he wasn’t.

“...”

However, Heimdall stood silent.

***

“G-ram!”

Jeong In-Chang’s reactions were quick.

Someone was sitting at the observatory and the cafe there, looking over the panoramic view of Yeouido. As there was an eyepatch covering one of his eyes, it was clear that the man was Odin.

WOOSH!

At the same time that Jeong In-Chang cast Gram, merging with his greatsword, Gram itself shot towards Odin with a wave of destruction.

BOOM!

Intense waves of mana and wind swirled.

RATTLE!

The force was so intense that it even shook the extremely sturdy windows of the observatory.

“It’s a good welcome.”

However, Odin’s voice had come from behind him. Jeong In-Chang quickly turned around and settled into a defensive stance, holding Gram aloft. Unexpectedly, there wasn’t a subsequent attack that followed.

It was only then that Jeong In-Chang took a look at his surroundings, seeing Won-Hwa, Heracles, Odysseus, and even Liu Bei and his brothers kneeling on the ground, weighed down by Odin’s mana.

“Ugh!”

However, they soon slowly stood back up, resisting the pressure of Odin’s mana.

“You’re later than I thought. Or was your perception just better than I thought?”

Odin was wondering if they had subconsciously realized he was there at the observatory and unconsciously came up last. Jeong In-Chang stiffened in his defensive stance as his companions were still struggling to overcome Odin’s mana.

Odin passed them and approached the window once again. Just moments ago, cracks had begun to appear in various parts of the pane due to Jeong In-Chang’s blow.

“The end is coming soon,” Odin said, looking out the window.

“Odin,” Jeong In-Chang said. “What is your true purpose?”

“Oh, Siegfried. I never knew you could ask questions. And here I thought all you amounted to was the Underdog’s puppet.”

Despite Odin's provocation, Jeong In-Chang just waited for an answer.

Odin smiled kindly and looked out the window again. “I wish for all of the Sponsors to die.”

“...?”

“That’s all.”

His answer was so simple. But that was why Jeong In-Chang couldn't understand it.

“Then, are you saying that the Demon King’s purpose is to kill the Sponsors, too?”

“Well, you could say that.”

“If I do?”

“Then don’t you think this sort of situation wouldn’t ever have happened?”

According to Odin, if the Demon King had protected Seoul and united the Hunters like he was supposed to have done originally, then he and Lee Jun-Kyeong would never have collided. Both of their purposes would have been to kill the Sponsors. That didn’t mean that they would have had to be on opposite sides.

“You don’t know anything.”

However, all Jeong In-Chang heard was Odin’s cold voice.

“Do you even understand this long and far-reaching story?”

There was clearly mockery hidden in his voice.

Jeong In-Chang laughed in response as Odin made a puzzled face.

“What’s so funny?” he asked before quickly shaking his head.

At that time, Jeong In-Chang also wiped away his smile and spoke coldly, “From the very beginning…”

He looked beyond Odin.

“I had no intention of trying to understand you.”

It was only then that Odin had felt the coming aura and turned around.

“...!”

SCREECH!

All the windows of the observatory broke as there was a loud noise, the rushing wind sucking them in like a tsunami in the ocean, opening its jaws to the depths of the ocean. There, a long chain shot through the sky, tearing through space.

Ssssss!

“I found you,” Fenrir’s voice came from the air.

1. 63 Square, which is arguably the most famous skyscraper in Korea. ☜