Kugugugu!!
– What the heck!
– The ceiling…?
– Kyaaaaaah!
– It’s collapsing! Everyone, escape!
– Run away!!
The underground market is crumbling.
No matter how fortified the underground market is with Level 1 spells, magic arrays, and various protections, the opponent is a sorcerer exceeding Level 1.
And since it’s located underground, where not a single ray of sunlight penetrates, everyone is at risk of being buried.
Even sorcerers can’t stop the power that’s crushing the entire underground market.
Just as everyone is about to meet a grave fate.
“Cheol. Absorb. Domain expansion.”
Kwagagagaga!!
I unleashed a domain similar to what Ryuin used, pulling all living beings, except for the three of us, into it, narrowly covering the spot with debris.
Of course, it’s the same for me.
This top level should have been the first to sink, but I was currently preventing the collapse with my spiritual power.
If I let go, it would come crashing down at any moment.
“Let’s go.”
“…Nya? How… Oh, I get it, nya.”
“Wait a moment!”
The dazed Yena clung closely to me, while the equally dazed Wuz reached out.
Though the effect of reversing spiritual power spread throughout the underground market, the original reverse power simply returns the attack of the received spiritual power.
Wuz’s body was in tatters, having gone through dozens, if not hundreds, of regenerations.
With the jewel and magic array completely destroyed, being crushed under those heavy debris would surely mean the end for him.
“Please, save me! If you save me, I’ll give you anything!”
“What will you give me?”
“I have a bunch of Level 1 spirit stones and jewels right behind here! I have a lot outside too! Far more than what’s here, so you have to save me to get that…”
“Um. I don’t need it.”
If it were before the sealing was lifted, maybe, but now spirit stones aren’t that important.
Having Level 1 spirit stones would be nice, but my spiritual power is already overflowing.
‘Exorcism is of no use now either.’
I know from trying to inject spiritual power.
The Level 1 information seal can’t be lifted with exorcism or infusing spiritual power.
[Ah, lol, I don’t need it]
[Pathetic]
[Let’s just kill him]
[Chuz is pretty strong]
[Hahahahahahahaha]
[Can’t we just take it and kill him?]
[Look at Yena becoming all nice in the meantime]
[Big relief]
“We probably need some more conditions. Something system-related…”
“That’s what I said. Something systematic…”
“What?”
“Anyway. Isn’t there anything else to give?”
“…There is! There is! If you just save me, I can offer you something invaluable—”
“That’s a lie.”
Thud!
A space opened behind us.
The unique domain unfolding like a wolf’s mouth, used by the Six Stars member Ryoko.
Yena and I stepped back slightly, and Wuz, with madness shining in his eyes, began to charge at me.
It seemed he was desperate to get into the domain and escape together.
“Uaaah!!”
“Don’t worry. The death of the body isn’t considered death…”
“Please save me, you bastard!!!”
“The death of the soul is true death. Living a second life as a ghost isn’t so bad…”
Smack!
He vanished.
As Wuz’s blood-soaked hand sliced through the air, he crawled back toward the wall with furious eyes, starting to unlock the devices.
Boom! Boom!
This place is about to collapse.
With the magic array and jewel shattered and spiritual power running low, if we get hit by the debris now, there’s no coming back.
The only way out is to use up all the Level 1 Spirit Stones and jewels stored inside for a chance to escape!
Of course, doing so would severely harm the spirit and deplete the spiritual power, but Wuz valued his life above all else.
“…Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! You bastard women! Just let me live, and I swear I’ll kill you all!”
Creak! Creak!
Boom!
“Please hurry…!”
The complicated mechanism didn’t open easily.
Wuz cursed his past self as he narrowly dodged the collapsing debris and finally managed to fully open the device just as everything was about to come crashing down.
Crash!
“Starting with the Level 1 Spirit Stone… huh?”
Nothing.
Crash! Boom!
The storage room where spirit stones and expensive jewels should’ve been piled up was empty, not a single rat in sight.
All that remained was a single note.
A beautiful piece of white paper with neat handwriting.
– Life is precious. Please cherish it.
“…You bastard.”
Snap!
■
“I’m flying in the sky, meow.”
“Yena has flown before too, you know.”
“…That doesn’t seem like me, meow.”
A vast area of land with a deep pit.
As Yena and I flew above the collapsed underground market, we admired the scenery and drifted somewhere.
All the people siphoned from the underground market were laid out above the ruins, looking around in a daze.
‘Except for Wuz.’
Yena flew with a complicated expression and suddenly tilted her head at something sparkling in my small realm.
“What’s that?”
“Oh, this? It’s the price of life.”
“?”
I pulled out a Level 1 Spirit Stone and various jewels from the realm.
They were all the treasures Wuz had mentioned.
[?]
[Lily?]
[LOL]
[I said I don’t need it, Lily]
[Ah, loot is a must]
[So you brought it but didn’t revive him?]
[Wow]
[As expected, looting is Lily’s style, LOL]
“Hey, I actually saved him.”
“…Saved him?”
“When cornered, you’ll do anything to survive. If I left him, he would have ‘directly’ used the stone.”
“Like Lily?”
“Just like me.”
It’s not about absorbing the stone; it’s about unleashing the raw spiritual power as it is.
There’s no need to absorb it, and you can use spiritual power much faster and in greater quantities, but it puts a serious strain on both the body and soul.
“I might just get a little hurt, but if Wuz had used it, his soul would definitely still be in trouble. By bringing this, I ensured that only his body would perish.”
In conclusion, it was because I brought this that Wuz could remain in this world.
It’s practically the same as fulfilling his request.
[Is that so?]
[As expected, Lily is so kindㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[Great Lily]
[Mercy belongs to Lily, LOL]
[As expected of Lily, resurrection is basic for her, her mindset is different]
[LOL]
[Just an angel]
After hearing my explanation, Yena seemed a bit puzzled but somewhat understood.
“…So he’s not dead, right?”
“Technically, his body is dead, and he’s become a wandering spirit. He’ll live as a ghost, but can’t exist in physical form.”
“Hmm…”
“Since he’s a wandering spirit, he won’t be able to come out unless the entire Underground Market is dug up. Even if he does, he won’t be in a normal state.”
“I understand.”
“Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Say it now, even now. If you want revenge on his soul, I can do that.”
Wuz was in such a ruined state that revival was impossible, but his soul was still alive.
And I was the person who could take action if Yena wanted to.
Yena paused for a moment and then shook her head.
“Let’s leave it at that.”
“Why?”
“I believe there’s a reason for leaving his soul intact. Whether it’s Lily’s belief or a burden on her heart, whatever it may be. Since you helped me, I will follow Lily’s wishes.”
“……”
“You’re a pretty good friend, even if you’re not Lily.”
Yena smiled at me.
I laughed back and patted Yena’s head, and she let out a little growl but soon settled down, comfortably flying through the sky.
I gently stroked Yena’s head while she let out a little growl and went wild, but soon calmed down to comfortably fly in the sky.
“…But where are we going now, meow?”
“We need to go watch the ending.”
“Ending?”
“Our goal is the Iron Soul Sword, you know?”
The Iron Soul Sword is the key to this dungeon and the reason we came here.
And that Iron Soul Sword is located at the headquarters of the Sorcerers’ Association, which took Ryuin away.
■
“…I understand. Let’s get ready.”
Thud.
A parrot made of jade lost its light and faded away.
The top floor of the Sorcerers’ Association’s headquarters.
Ryoko, who was sitting on the top floor listening to the report, swallowed hard and tapped the wooden table.
“The underground market has collapsed…”
The moment she saw that existence named Lily, Ryoko realized something.
Just like the other Six Stars, she could somewhat foresee her path and the path of the Sorcerers’ Association.
‘Bad luck (凶)!’
She knew that the moment she faced her, ‘bad luck (凶)’ would come.
She would be swept away by an uncontrollable disaster and die just like that.
This wasn’t the first time she had been wrong about the discussions regarding “the handling of the Iron Soul Sword,” so despite knowing about Lily’s existence in advance, she had been as cautious as possible and avoided confrontation.
“…Is she a ghost? But I couldn’t feel any ghostly aura…”
But ultimately, the fears she had came to pass.
Lily revealed her true identity and crushed the underground market with her immense spiritual power.
According to the sorcerer in the underground market, she was currently flying here without any hesitation.
Her purpose must certainly be the Iron Soul Sword possessed by Cheolhon.
It would be right to give it to her as a disaster would come if they confronted her…
“…Is it bad luck (凶) or great bad luck (大凶)?”
If confronting her brings bad luck (凶), then not having Cheolhon possess the Iron Soul Sword is ‘great bad luck (大凶).’
To prevent bad luck, allowing great bad luck is a headache-inducing situation.
Caught in a situation of no advance and no retreat, Ryoko ultimately injected her spiritual power into the jade parrot.
Soon, the parrot began to chirp and spread five wills across the world.
There was no way out.
One cannot invite a greater disaster to prevent another disaster.
“I summon the stars.”
Seal that existence before bad luck (凶) arises!
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