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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 216: There was no scream.
There is a right time for everything.
Although I was tired due to almost getting no sleep for several days since the battle with Vassago, there was no time to delay.
If I wasted time here, I might miss the movements of the Myriad Demons Assembly.
Swoosh!
As soon as I left the splendid Keplan, a dark landscape enveloped all sides.
After scattering light widely and running for a long time, the ridge of a rocky mountain appeared at some point.
The 〈Clown〉's base, 'Black Mountain.'
Walking around the flatland below the steep cliff in the form of a rock wall, the narrow path from before appeared.
The signpost, tilted at a 45-degree angle, was the same as before.
[Lile, do not enter.]
As soon as I entered the mountain path, darkness descended on all sides along with a cold wind.
Soon, a circular basin appeared.
The old wooden houses seen everywhere gave off an eerie atmosphere under the faint moonlight.
...Still, there was no sign of people.
Even when I expanded my sensory perception to the entire basin, there were no signs of life.
Immediately entering the narrow uphill path behind the basin, sheer rock walls on both sides blocked the moonlight, and complete darkness came.
Each time a fork in the road appeared, I headed towards the darker places several times.
In an instant, my vision opened up, and full moonlight illuminated the area.
Whoosh—
Only the sound of a silent wind filled this place under the full moon.
It was the top of a steep cliff, the summit of 'Black Mountain.'
I momentarily opened the heart's circle in the reverse direction and looked around.
Now, I could feel it naturally.
Although there were no external peculiarities, there were roughly twenty points where unnatural sensory perceptions were felt.
The Demonized Humans were buried under the ground.
I deliberately stepped near them as I moved, but no form of movement was felt.
Reaching the opposite side of the cliff and looking down, thick fog was obscuring my view.
There was no reason to hesitate.
I opened all the circles and threw myself down.
6th Circle, Space Acceleration.
Whoosh—
As my body plummeted in an instant, the fierce wind violently struck my eyelids as acceleration increased.
Just as my entire vision was enveloped in a hazy fog, my vision suddenly cleared, and a landscape with a bottomless cliff surrounding all sides was presented.
With my head accelerated downwards, I glared at the landing point.
The ground seemed to ripple, and the full moon was reflected.
'Reflection?'
It was water.
A lake.
The surface of a large lake located below the cliff was reflecting the moonlight.
Immediately, I opened all the circles and quickly surveyed the left and right.
Although the canyons surrounding the lake in layers obscured the view like a maze, it was not a problem at all.
Weeing—
The moment one more circle faintly appeared beyond the six circles swirling in my heart.
Like a blind man gaining sight, my sensory perception expanded, and the terrain of the canyons surrounding the valley began to be felt in detail.
The hundreds of unnatural sensory perceptions felt everywhere clearly indicated areas where Demonized Humans were buried.
Even the most strongly felt point was below the surface of the lake.
Perhaps the largest number of Demonized Humans were concentrated under there.
Scan—!
Suddenly, I turned my head to the left, staring intently at one part of the canyon. At the same time, I stopped my descent as if defying gravity for a moment and changed direction.
The faint sensory perception felt there was clearly different from that of the Demonized Humans.
Releasing some wind pressure forward, I ran through the air as if embroidering it.
My figure was reflected on the lake under the moonlight.
It was a comical sight, blinking and disappearing as if with flickering lights, my legs paddling in the air incessantly, but in reality, it was a level where not a single sound was made in the silent space.
Finally, the pinnacle of the Crazy Mage's footwork was completed.
A level beyond walking on grass without shaking the tips and walking on snow without leaving footprints.
Finally, a footwork that silently stepped through the air.
“……”
Swoosh—
I silently entered a small cave in the middle of the canyon.
* * *
As soon as I took a step into the pitch-black cave, a pungent smell wafted from inside.
Drip—
As soon as a drop of water fell from the damp ceiling, I immediately scattered fireballs widely forward.
'…Bizarre.'
What first caught my eye were the dozen or so masks adorning one side of the wall.
All were grotesque clown masks.
Suddenly, Fichte's words came to mind.
When the Black Magic Tower last appeared in the past, the name it outwardly proclaimed was 'Clown Troupe.' Wasn't the true nature of the Black Magic Tower ultimately Demonized Humans controlled by a clown?
Whoosh—
It was then that an alien sound was heard from the dark cavity inside.
Immediately, as I reversed the heart's circle, space rippled, and a man wearing a mask appeared.
“Clown-nim!”
“Number 3.”
I stared at the masked man in front of me.
I knew him.
The masked man who appeared under the cliff when I killed the 〈Clown〉, Number 3, it was him.
“What were you doing? Not even coming out.”
I had already expected this guy to appear.
The variable was that the timing of his appearance was much later than I had expected.
“……Where on earth were you? I only noticed you arrived a moment ago.”
“You didn’t know I arrived? You should have noticed the moment I entered the mountain?”
“I’m sorry. I naturally assumed you would contact me as usual. The Demonized Humans planted in the alley didn’t react either.”
It seemed there was a means of communication between the Clown and Number 3 that had been used before.
The Demonized Humans buried in the path were acting as a kind of alarm.
I didn’t show any reaction and carefully examined Number 3’s appearance, then suddenly let out a sardonic laugh.
“Number 3. You really didn’t know I arrived?”
“Yes, Clown-nim.”
I asked cynically, recalling the Clown's tone.
“Hmph, you weren’t sleeping with someone else, were you?”
In that instant, a flustered emotion flickered in Number 3’s eyes.
“What are you talking about?”
"Suspicious indeed."
"Yes?"
As soon as I unleashed the mana of the Yin dimension, Number 3, sensing unease, slumped to the floor, raising both hands towards the sky.
"The Revelation shall be completed! I have dedicated everything to the Assembly. Why do you doubt my loyalty? If you must reprimand me, I will gladly accept it."
"......"
I stared intently at Number 3 and then said,
"Never mind."
Number 3 immediately continued, as if wronged.
"I have been waiting for Clown-nim's contact, staying only in this mountain. The Assembly is in turmoil. Where on earth have you been?"
"Keplan."
"Keplan... Could it be, the summons?"
"There is someone within the Assembly who is targeting me."
"......"
"There is a traitor."
I could feel it.
For some reason, this guy was now hiding an extremely anxious emotion.
"Surely, you don't mean there is someone among the Seven Demons who is targeting Clown-nim?"
"There is someone who is betraying the Revelation and disrupting the Assembly's unity. You know the summons failed, don't you?"
"......Yes?"
I immediately asked Number 3.
"Get up. Has there been any contact from the Assembly?"
Number 3 straightened his posture and replied in a calm voice.
"I have something to report."
"What is it?"
"Yesterday, Thousand-Faced Fox-nim came by."
"Thousand-Faced Fox?"
Thousand-Faced Fox, the fox mask.
The woman who claimed to have taken control of the Bellusia clan and who held great hostility towards the Clown when the Assembly was last convened.
"What did she do?"
"She asked about Clown-nim's whereabouts."
"And the answer?"
"I answered honestly."
"And then?"
"She delivered a letter and left."
Number 3 didn't seem to be lying.
Thousand-Faced Fox, the fox mask.
There was only one reason she, who should be in the Bellusia clan of the Southern Jungle, would suddenly appear here.
The summons.
Did this woman sense something?
I took a deep breath through my nose.
The pungent smell was getting stronger.
"Let's see the letter first."
"Yes."
As if accustomed, Number 3 moved towards the inner part of the cave, and I followed him nonchalantly.
After entering the increasingly narrow and dark cavity for a long time, crimson light suddenly illuminated, revealing a large space like the inner room of a wealthy house.
On the large wall in front, I could feel a magic circle similar to the one in the Attendant's base.
"I will bring it."
While Number 3 disappeared to the left, I felt a surge of anger.
The unnatural sensory perception felt beneath my feet indicated at least ten or more Demonized Humans.
Once again, I felt disgusted by the actions of these crazy bastards in the Myriad Demons Assembly.
"Clown-nim."
Number 3 reappeared from the left, carefully handing me a half-folded piece of paper.
Before unfolding the paper, I looked at Number 3 once more.
"Go wash up a bit."
"Yes?"
"You smell terrible."
"......"
The increasingly strong pungent smell was piercing my nostrils.
An ordinary person might not notice, but I knew the source of this smell.
"Look at me."
"Yes?"
I stared into Number 3's pupils and murmured.
"By the way, how did Thousand-Faced Fox know about this place?"
Surely, the Seven Demons didn't know each other's identities.
〈Carpenter〉 and 〈Thousand-Faced Fox〉 had made remarks that seemed to suggest they were aware of the Clown's identity, but knowing the exact location was a different matter entirely.
"Surely, there is a traitor."
"If you're worried, I can check on Number 20."
Instead of answering, I unfolded the paper and checked the contents of the letter.
Fortunately, it was worth suppressing my fatigue for this.
After folding the letter neatly again, I stared intently at Number 3.
Number 3's pupils ripped apart along with the pungent smell.
"Number 3."
"Yes, Clown-nim."
"Am I strange?"
"......"
It was shallow.
I had experienced mental manipulation magic for more than just a day or two.
Immediately, White Heron, that Vassago bastard, used the Fog of Annihilation, which was also a technique for manipulating the mind.
Now that I had reached the 7th circle, there was no way I could be affected unless it was a mental magic like Pelleer's Unique Insight.
"Clown-nim."
"What are you doing now?"
Surprisingly, even as I stared intently into this guy's pupils, I felt his inner thoughts instinctively.
It was a strange feeling, but also a familiar one.
I had experienced this kind of nonsensical thing several times already.
It was a feeling as if the other person's intentions, actions, and realm were felt exactly as they were.
This guy didn't betray me.
Rather, he was afraid of me.
The very act of manifesting mental magic was to try to read my intentions secretly.
"Clown-nim."
"Don't try cheap tricks, Number 3. I am not a traitor."
"I'm sorry."
"Report everything that has happened since then."
Number 3, who seemed to be relieved at last, sighed and briefly bowed his head.
In that instant, I concentrated the mana of the Yin dimension surging in my heart into my right hand.
Crack—
I placed the edge of my hand on Number 3's chest.
Before the slight question that arose in Number 3's pupils could be resolved.
The sharp dark band emitted from my fingertip pierced through his heart and passed through.
Dark Sword.
Thump—
There was no scream.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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