Chapter 617. Drowning (8)
“Wallswail!”
“You don’t even need to say it—I already know!”
Clank.
The gears roared as they interlocked. The Iron Castle Ship, at full power, vibrated from within. Chainwalker staggered, clutching the control panel.
“Something’s happening in the darkness...!”
Unlike those who had been delayed by Bael’s influence, Nam Cheolmin had been observing the entire sequence of events.
Thanks to that, he could deduce what was happening.
“...I think the battle is about to end.”
“End? What do you mean, end?”
“What? Hyung, explain properly!”
Nam Cheolmin pushed up his glasses.
‘If that infinitely deep darkness itself is Commander-in-Chief...’
Then Bael had no chance of winning.
It seemed absurd—even to him—that the First Throne, a being who transcended all the other Ten Thrones, would be in a losing position.
Still, Cheolmin swallowed hard.
“I think Bael is already terrified.”
“Terrified? That monster is scared?”
“No matter how powerful the Commander is, that’s a bit...”
“Be quiet for a moment!”
Finally, the scene unfolding outside the Iron Castle Ship’s window lent weight to Cheolmin’s unbelievable words.
With the ship at maximum output, the obsidian light further illuminated the darkness.
It was only a tiny crack, but through it, they could see something.
Nam Taemin’s eyebrow twitched.
“That’s... a dimensional rift?”
It wasn’t just Nam Taemin. Any player would recognize it.
The void space encountered when entering a portal that connected reality and the Arcana Continent—it was unmistakably similar.
Indeed, Bael was trying to manifest something resembling a portal to escape to another world.
It made no sense.
After causing this much chaos, he was just going to run?
This wasn’t some insignificant demon. This was Bael—the First Throne of the Demon Kings.
“Hyung, is he really trying to flee? Why did he even start all this?”
“Bael... he’s clearly not in a complete state.”
“...Your Majesty Hakuna?”
Hakuna’s head was still throbbing, but he stood on his own, without assistance, and stared into the darkness toward Bael. Indeed, it must have been the lingering effects of having his body and mind overtaken by the Great Evil.
“The remnants of the Great Evil within me tell me so.”
“...!”
The remnants of the Great Evil.
Hakuna’s words made Nam Cheolmin sure of his guess.
Indeed, Hakuna and Baek Yiseol had something in common.
Both had experienced possession by extraordinary demons.
And afterward?
Both had achieved unprecedented growth.
‘Hakuna can now unleash his sword aura, and Baek Yiseol made it into the ranks of the top players.’
Growth like that couldn’t be achieved by effort alone, not in such a short time.
Effort? Time was fair to everyone. None of the players or Arcanians who had survived until now had ever neglected their own growth.
Hakuna and Baek Yiseol were aware of that, at least to some extent.
“Analyst Nam Cheolmin, you’re right.”
“What?”
“Bael is afraid.”
“...!”
“Terrified, in fact.”
Hakuna’s words made Cheolmin instinctively glance at Baek Yiseol.
His expression seemed to ask if she agreed.
Baek Yiseol silently mouthed, “He’s right.”
Nam Cheolmin was an analyst.
His mind was imprinted with knowledge beyond that of an average player.
That included knowledge of demons.
No, it went beyond that.
Having experienced possession himself, Cheolmin had been wary of demons more than anyone.
‘Demons exist to deceive humans.’
Players had slain countless demon monsters.
And yet, players always found demons unsettling.
Why?
Because demons were disturbing even in death.
—“No, it cursed me even as it died, you know?”
—“It said it’d rip me apart in my dreams tonight.”
—“...It’s not really going to haunt me, is it, Analyst?”
...
Demons mocked and tormented humans, whether strong or weak, even in their dying moments.
That was why Taemin had once said,
—“Hyung, those bastards don’t seem afraid of me at all.”
They should’ve realized it sooner.
‘Why were the demons only terrified in front of the Commander?’
Some naïve person might ask: Wasn’t it because the Commander-in-Chief’s class was [Demon Hunter]?
To that, Cheolmin would respond with a question of his own.
“You dare step into my mind.”
It was Bael.
“This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this.”
A voice so distinct that there was no mistaking it.
An immense pressure enveloped my body.
The gap was so wide that my position as a demon hunter seemed meaningless.
“You were scared?”
Could it be a trap?
I started to suspect if this was all an illusion.
However, Bael continued, as if he had seen right through my thoughts.
“No, it’s not an illusion.”
“... What?”
“I am truly afraid of you.”
You? Are you talking about Grandfell?
Naturally, I couldn’t help but think in that direction.
It wasn’t some kind of victim complex.
I mean, there was no reason for Bael to fear me, right?
But...
“Do you still not understand? Look at yourself.”
...Look at myself?
At Bael’s words, I reflexively glanced.
I looked down at my own body.
And then I saw it.
Long, black hair, no longer silver.
“What...? Why is my hair color...?”
Before I could even panic, the words continued.
“Yes, I am afraid of you, Hoyeol.”
Clank—
Amid the clanking sound of gears, I trembled in fear.
As I said before, Exorcist was a transformation skill of the exorcism ritual.
The battle of willpower between a demon hunter and a demon was no different.
In that situation, without Grandfell...
I couldn’t win the battle for control against Bael.
Bael whispered.
“Fine, this time, I will show mercy to you, ignorant one...”
That’s when it happened.
Ttogak.
I heard the sound of his shoes.
Instinctively, I turned my gaze, and there was Grandfell.
Grandfell, with silver hair, just like me.
Grandfell murmured, gazing at Bael and the massive gear cluster.
“You’re chatty, Bael. You must have been lonely for quite a while.”
Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo.
“But still, you are as foolish as ever.”
Their conversation was about something I couldn’t even begin to understand.
“I am the only one who can converse with you.”
Grandfell’s words held no emotion.
But perhaps it meant something different to Bael.
I could sense it.
‘The space of consciousness is collapsing.’
At the same time, the gear cluster began to creak.
With Grandfell’s appearance,
Bael could no longer speak to me and fled.
I looked at Grandfell.
Behind him, an otherworldly landscape appeared.
The Demon World.
Only then did I realize why my hair had turned black.
It wasn’t that it turned black.
It had returned to its original color—Hoyeol’s natural hair color.
As if to make me aware of that fact, my vision flickered.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to look away.
“Don’t go.”
That was all I could say.
Because I knew Grandfell and his temperament better than anyone.
I knew that no matter what I said, I couldn’t change his mind.
All I could do was speak with sincerity.
To that, Grandfell spoke.
“This is my request.”
That was Grandfell’s wish.
“나를(naleul) Me.”
The slight, sorrowful smile on his lips.
That was the last thing I saw.
[Status abnormality, ‘Possession’ has been dispelled.]
–
–
–
tl/n: Wallswale -> Wallswail, idk what Grandfell is about to say, it was Me or Take me, ah maybe just wait for the next Chapte