Chapter 175: Two Choices

Chapter 175: Two Choices"Where is the soul of the recently deceased Lord Magan?"

It was a riddle-like question.

Deus' body trembled. He was shocked that the Secretary seemed to have seen through his real identity.

What would happen if he said the wrong thing here?

Would she really let him go?

And despite these thoughts, he couldn't help but feel a little greedy.

If she truly was a demon, could she possibly bring him back to life again?

After all, there were many instances in legends or fairy tales where demons often granted humans' wishes.

"So, what is your response?"

Deus took a deep breath at the Secretary's question—he didn't know the answer.

How could he possibly know where Magan's soul was? His head felt hot, and just as he was about to blurt out that he didn't know, the throbbing pain in his right arm silenced him.

Even the great Kim Shinwoo, who fought with his life on the line, couldn't kill the Demon Lord.

Kim Shinwoo had even used the gem called Lemegeton to bring about mutual destruction, and yet here, just a few days later, the so-called Demon Lord was smiling and shaking hands with them as if nothing had happened.

Did he really die that easily?

That Demon Lord Magan?

He still felt like his whole body was being oppressed by Magan's creepy smile; his empty right arm was telling him the answer.

"It is not here."

The others were puzzled by his curt reply, but the Secretary's eyes twitched slightly.

"Magan's soul is not here."

Seeing the Secretary's trembling eyes, Deia stood beside Deus and supported his claim.

Although she couldn't see souls, Deia had also reached the same conclusion.

"Because he is not dead."

There was pressure in his firm declaration. After all, the words had already been spoken. Even if it wasn't the correct answer, he needed to assert it confidently as if it were.

Those who didn't know Magan was a Demon Lord looked puzzled as they checked his corpse again.

His dead body was still lying there in a wretched state.

However, the Secretary's lips twisted with a sense of disgracefulness as she glared at him.

"Heh... hehehehe!"

Maniacal laughter suddenly echoed from the darkness. The laughter, which was filled with immense joy, only made everyone more uneasy.

"Hahahahaha! Yes! That is right! You are Deus Verdi! That is exactly how it should be!"

From the opposite side of the Secretary, the owner of the voice coming from the shadows was someone they all knew well.

President Magan.

Hidden in the darkness where the light couldn't reach, he continued to laugh.

"That is the only way I can enjoy the taste of you again! That is the only way I can savor you, my special delicacy!"

The Demon Lord was truly delighted. Now, he was convinced that Deus Verdi was the real one.

"Has your momentum and spirit dwindled because your right hand was cut off? That is human! That is truly humane! That makes you all the more delicious!"

"..."

"There is nothing more special than a human who bears burdens, overcomes hardships, and possesses a stronger conviction."

Whoosh!

As a fierce wind blew, the white light created by the Saintess’ Holy Power vanished. Thick darkness enveloped them once more.

"You're annoying, Saintess."

The moment the Holy Power disappeared, they realized that Magan started moving.

Deia urgently shouted to protect Lucia, but it was already too late.

"Ugh!"

With Lucia's scream, flames appeared again, illuminating the surroundings.

But this time, it wasn’t the white flames created by Holy Power, but purple flames conjured by Magan.

In front of the rising flames stood Magan, holding the fallen Lucia in his arms.

Seeing this, Tyren urgently swung his staff, about to rush forward. However...

"Shhhh."

He had no choice but to stop when he saw Magan's hand gripping Lucia’s neck.

"Make the slightest move and I'll break her."

Magan's long tongue licked the unconscious Saintess’ cheek as he giggled.

"H-how could this happen?"

"Welcome."

"Ah."

However, Han So's hand, which was reaching for the cigarette, started to rise even higher.

BAM!

In an instant, he clenched his fist and delivered a precise blow to the Secretary's jaw.

"How dare you test my loyalty!"

Han So continued to strike the suspended body of the Secretary. The envoys from the Han Empire, realizing that he hadn't actually defected but was instead fighting for his life, erupted in cheers.

The God of War Han So realized that this moment was his peak, the final blaze of his dwindling life.

Reflecting on one's original nature.1

At this moment, he displayed the force he once wielded as the God of War. However...

Crunch!

However, he bit his lip once he saw the flying bugs that had flown to his feet gnawing at his flesh.

Smash!

He slammed the ground roughly, using mana and wind pressure to blow them away.

"...!"

However, only a few were pushed back while many more insects swarmed his body.

"Ahh, aaaaargh!"

As screams and blood gushed out, the Secretary rubbed her sore jaw, frowning deeply.

"Old man, you still have some strength, huh."

Crash!

The secretary's hand took the form of a spearhead and pierced the heart of Han So, who was covered by insects.

The life of the man who once dominated an era as the God of War ended in vain—consumed by the insects to the point that even his corpse could no longerbe found.

"Alright, everyone from the Han Empire is to die now."

The first to move at those words was Tom from the Duchy of Valestan. He immediately rushed at the Han Empire’s envoys, tearing them apart.

His huge build was fitting for someone who was likened to a bear, and his fighting style was just as ferocious.

Despite a massacre happening, the others couldn’t move carelessly because the Secretary's gaze was fixed on them, daring them to try.

Perhaps it felt like looking into the eyes of Medusa, a creature who could turn people to stone.

After a moment, the insects that had devoured everyone from the Han Empire gradually began to take human form.

Starting from the God of War Han So, who had fought and died valiantly, and moving on to the other members of the envoys.

The Secretary pointed at them with a laugh.

"See? No matter what choice you make, it doesn't matter to us. Things will always go the way we want."

However, the reason they offered such a choice was because they were demons who reveled in toying with humans.

"Of course, that’s the only way you can think of it."

A solemn woman's voice broke the somber atmosphere. Standing between her brothers, Deia fixed her unwavering gaze on the Secretary.

"That is because you are demons. That is why you take these complicated steps, just to toy with humans."

"..."

"Do you really think you placed comparable values on the scale? From my perspective, it seems like you just want us to smoke that cigarette."

The choice between certain death and abandoning one’s humanity for a chance of survival.

However, if you delved deeper, there was another way to look at it.

Even though they didn’t know how the cigarette would control their minds once they smoked it, it somehow offered a future.

Because once they return to their respective countries, they might be able to find a way to heal.

In essence, smoking the cigarette means abandoning their present in the hope of a future.

Hope.

A hope that perhaps if they managed to survive and escape this place, something might change.

And those demons used that to subtly pressure the people to smoke the cigarettes. And in reality, most people here were thinking that they couldn’t afford to send the fakes to their respective countries if they lost their lives here now.

Deia emotionlessly pointed a finger at the fake envoys from the Han Empire.

"There must be something wrong with those things, right? Isn’t that so?"

"Hooo..."

"You pretend it’s a choice, but in reality, you just want to handle things your own way."

The corner of the secretary's mouth, which was raised, dropped slowly, very slowly.

"You siblings are really the same. Annoying!"

1. 회광반조(Hoegwang-banjo) was a basic practice method of patriarchal Seon, through prior studies related with banjo or reflection in Seon Buddhism. Hoegwang-banjo means to turn one’s attention which is ordinarily directed to external things back to oneself. Especially in Patriarchal Seon, there is sudden awakening or 'empty quiescence and spiritual awareness' according to the experience of Banjo or reflecting on oneself. Just as the eye cannot see the eye itself, this banjo or reflection is only possible through non-dualistic awareness.