Geniella’s lips twitched at the question from Kim Jonghyun. In the eyes of Kim Jonghyun, Geniella still didn’t look too slighted by his question.
However, Kim Jonghyun couldn’t believe what his eyes were telling him, he knew that much. Geniella was always a fickle person.
Although she was not impulsive, Kim Jonghyun was not confident that he could predict every emotions in Geniella’s brain.
“The Dragons.”
Geniella’s mouth opened.
She squinted at Kim Jonghyun with her eyes that could see through everything.
For vampires, ‘to see’ was done not only with the eyes.
Especially for the Vampire Queen, the bloodthirsty Geniella, who had reached the apex of all Vampires.
Geniella had three powerful hidden powers, from what Kim Jonghyun could tell. He wasn’t exactly to sure what they were, but he had some guesses.
All he knew about her was that she could see through everything.
“You realize what you’re saying is ridiculous, right?”
“Yes.”
When Geniella smirked and asked the question, Kim Jonhyun nodded his head without bluffing or holding anything back from her.
Geniella had a relationship with the Dragons. In fact, there was no evidence of that for Kim Jonghyun to suddenly ask her about it.
“Why don’t you tell me the truth?”
Geniella did not reveal her intentions of murdering him just quite yet.
However, Kim Jonghyun was already preparing for such a situation in his mind. But… she ended up answering his question.
“I don’t think there are many things in the world that can hold them back. At first, I thought a god might. Though I may have thought so since they are called gods, they can’t actually exert much power in this world if you look at it simply by force when referring to the Gods’ power and influence. Those who are called gods are actually even weaker than me based on their restrictions.”
“That’s right.”
Geniella smiled and nodded her head as Kim Jonghyun agreed with her. She then continued to speak.
“Leaving aside the question of whether I can kill a god or not, their power is not a big threat to me. They’re not even in a position to manipulate their powers.”
“Then only the Dragons are left.”
“You pretend to be smart, even though you don’t know anything. Just like a true wizard.”
Geniella spoke sarcastically and slowly raised her body up. Kim Jonghyun immediately reached for Grimoire when Geniella moved. The dark-colored leather book floated up into the air.
“Don’t be so scared.”
Geniella spoke as she smiled creepily, showing her canines to Kim Jonghyun. Her white fangs accentuated her blood-red eyes that were symbolic to vampires.
“I don’t want to kill you. Your question was rude, but it wasn’t something I wouldn’t kill you over. Dragons…… Dragons. Do you believe those cowards who left this world from the fear of their own deaths are in a position to force me down in Travia?”
“……what do you mean by that?”
Kim Jonghyun shuddered at Geniella’s ridicule. Shhhh. Geniella brought her index finger to her lips with her fingers, showing a hint of playfulness.
“Did he say anything to you? I’d be very disappointed if I heard that Volander was the one to tell you such things.”
Volander, the King of the Death Knights, was wandering the sea with his own army of multiple Death Knights.
He left in search of the Dragons, which had disappeared, and nobody had a clue to their whereabouts. Though, the Dragons were last seen in the sea, hence why Volander had been wandering aimlessly atop a Ghost Ship.
‘She knows the whereabouts of the Dragons.’
Why had such powerful people been silent in the North for so many years?
Kim Jonghyun naturally had many questions about it.
Naturally, he thought there might be someone restricted on her movements, and he thought it might be the Dragons who were putting restrictions on her, since he couldn’t think of anyone else powerful enough to tie her down like she had been.
However, according to Geniella, it appeared that the Dragons did not impose any sort of restrictions on her movements. But if not them, nor the 3 Absolutes, then who could?
What could be holding onto such a powerful Vampire like Geniella? What was the reason for her suddenly starting to make administrative moves after decades of silence?
People speculated that the Vampire Queen was reigning free in Travia due to rumors of her former master dying there, and she was staying out of attachment. But those rumors were not true.
“What do you mean they left this world because of fear of death? Do you mean the Dragons ascended to a higher realm because they feared something here? What do you mean by all of this….?”
“The Dragons ran away.”
“Erebrisa….”
Kim Jonghyun mumbled. The words made Geniella burst into laughter.
“Erebrisa’s purpose is to control, or support variables. Variables are the world’s-…… in this case, it’s the variable of fate. I know that much. I’ve thought there was a Dragon managing that broker guild from the shadows. They use space travel in a way that defies common sense, which I can only assume Dragons are capable of, in which it seems I’m wrong though since you said the Dragons have already left.
“It is true that the Dragons created Erebrisa.”
Geniella replied to Kim Jonghyun’s rambling, confirming Erebrisa’s existence, and continued to speak.
“It’s a huge magic system that the Dragons have left for this world.”
“What is certain is that there are no more Dragons in this world. And that means… you’re not being pressed to stay here because of them……I still have questions. Why are you now resuming your activities after hundreds of years of inactivity?”
“The time is coming.”
Geniella replied with an alluring smile.Little by little.Kim Jonghyun felt that he was slowly approaching the identity of Geniella’s secret.
“Are you saying the end is coming?”
“It was always coming.”
“Are you waiting for it?”
“There need to be sacrifices for him to come….”
Geniella murmured. The Predator of Massacre. The apocalyptic being that was only rumored of and told in stories. It was an absolute predator that would end all of humanity.
Kim Jonghyun frowned at the words. In Kim Jonghyun’s view, the closest monster to the Predator of Massacre was none other than Geniella, who was in front of him.
As a vampire, Geniella accumulated power simply by drinking blood. She had to be the closest being to fit the description….. Or it could be Lee Sungmin and/or that other child with a black heart.
“The Predator of Massacre is a symbol of the end of humanity. Call it rumors or superstition, but it’s not; it’s a monster that’s bound to appear someday.”
“You sound as if you know the future.”
“The future changes a lot depending on the variables of fate. Don’t put the words “know the future” in your mouth so easily. That’s incredibly arrogant.”
“But you…….”
“I don’t know everything. My eyes see only a fragment of the future that’s mixed up with the myriad of variables.”
Through the words, Kim Jonghyun was able to vaguely notice what one of the means of power Geniella had.
Peering into bits of the future. Kim Jonghyun was sure that it was one of Geniella’s three hidden powers.
“I see.”
Kim Jonghyun nodded his head.
“You’ve seen the future where the Predator of Massacre emerges and slaughters humanity. You were just waiting for it to happen.”
“That’s right.”
Geniella nodded her head with a gruesome smile. She did nothing but stand still and look directly at Kim Jonghyun.
Kim Jonghyun, however, felt suffocated and his blood was boiling as soon as he looked at her. Kim Jonghyun chewed his lips and extended his hand toward Grimoire.
“I don’t kill you in the future I saw. The future I want to reach does not have you dead.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
At the words of Geniella, Kim Jonghyun nodded quickly. It was a misjudgment on his part. He had become overconfident in his own powers since becoming a half-devil.
Geniella was right. Kim Jonghyun showed off his power too much and didn’t even properly measure the level of Geniella, the strongest monster right now in existence.
At least one arm. Kim Jonghyun didn’t want to risk an arm as collateral.
“I apologize for the rudeness.”
“Whatever.”
When Kim Jonghyun realized their difference, he bowed his head in respect. Seeing this, Geniella withdrew a part of the hideous and monstrous power she had only slightly revealed to him.
“The Magic of Reversion.”
Kim Jonghyun, who stepped back, heard Geniella’s voice. She was staring out the window as if she was no longer interested in Kim Jonghyun.
“Although you are no longer able to use that magic, you can use it on others.”
“If there are enough sacrifices.”
“No matter what you ask for, if you really need them, there are plenty of people who want to fulfill that request. Now that you are a half-devil, I’m sure there will be many people groveling to your feet and even revering your existence.”
“I know.”
Geniella turned around and left Kim Jonghyun in the room after she spoke. Kim Jonghyun gathered his thoughts and prepared himself to leave Travia.
‘There are no Dragons in the world anymore.’
Geniella’s words were certainly true. That meant that Volander and the wandering Death Knights would never be able to save themselves from their own curse.
However, Kim Jonghyun had the means to undo that curse for them through the power of the Grimoire and his newfound knowledge with the arcane language of Demons, since becoming a half-devil.
‘Is this part of the future you’ve seen?’
That’s probably why she didn’t kill him. Kim Jonghyun wanted to hear what the end of the future would be…… Kim Jonghyun swallowed his regret and opened the closed door and went outside.
* * *
‘I thought you were dead.’
Kang Seok sat in front of the bonfire and dug into his food.
After fighting Jehu in the forest of Edor, he had left the area and wandered around aimlessly for Lee Sungmin.
He would have to meet with Lee Sungmin and have their promised duel, but he was no longer in a hurry.
Jehu protested to the Divine Maiden and Musin that he almost died because of Kang Seok, but that did not change Kang Seok’s position within Beyond the Heavens as one of the Six Divinities.
Kang Seok, as the Spear King, was itching to find a worthy opponent. He immediately thought of that brutish monster that had appeared in the Forest and attacked Jehu.
If Jehu had succeeded in escaping against that monster, it was clear to Kang Seok that Jehu was holding back a lot of his power when fighting against Kang Seok, since that monster was something even Kang Seok was unsure of defeating.
‘It’s important to keep our numbers of capable fighters secure right now.’
Recently, Kang Seok had found out from the Divine Maiden that An Zun had died.
An Zun…… Kang Seok felt tight-lipped and his tongue-tied. Aside from his martial arts that were secretive and sly, An Zun was not a man that Kang Seok hated. He only disliked the fact that An Zun was blindly devoted to Musin, who was an individual that Kang Seok found rather suspicious.
‘There was no separate order for me.’
Thanks to there being no new orders from Beyond the Heavens, Kang Seok decided to do what he originally wanted to do.
The Divine Maiden said that it was Lee Sungmin that killed An Zun. Kang Seok had no intention of avenging An Zun. Rather, Kang Seok was actually interested in the story of An Zun’s death.
Aside from Qian Zun, who couldn’t move due to the curse, both Guan Zun and An Zun had died to Lee Sungmin, the Ghost Spear in their optimal conditions. Kang Seok grinned.
“Maybe I can go and meet him now.”
He had no intention of hurrying this time. He was going to relax and let’s fight in optimal condition at any time. Kang Seok was going to go all the way to Hadras, where the Sama Order was. Lee Sungmin was definitely there.
‘Maybe I can even fight with Sima Ryunju.’
Kang Seok had high expectations in his heart.(T/N : This guy is such a suicidal idiot, but I love him lmao.)
* * *
“Eh……heheh……hehe….”
Lloyd looked at the Blue Tower Master, which had collapsed with a silly look on his face. He was sitting helplessly on the floor, drooling, blinking his vacant eyes.
Near the Blue Tower Master, a tall man was searching the place drawer by drawer with an irritated face.
“Do I have to use this rough and ridiculous method?”
Lloyd asked cautiously. At the question, the Leader of the Wizard Guild turned his head and looked at Lloyd.
“He wasn’t going to just give it to you unconditionally, so I had to play around with his memories a bit.”
“I think he’s already gone crazy though.….”
“He didn’t turn retarded. I merely distorted his memory, and if time goes by, it will go back the way it was. Of course, with distorted memories.”
“How long does it take for him to regain them?”
“Well, maybe a week or so. But for that week, he’ll have to be a complete moron.”
“If he regains his memories, are you sure he’ll not remember that we’ve been here or find out that something weird happened?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve set up the distortion in his memories to plant a memory of him messing up a potion and causing him to turn like that for the week.”
The Leader of the Wizard Guild answered without any hesitation. Lloyd still had an uneasy expression though.
Abel, the sworn brother of Envirus, who was Lloyd’s teacher, The Leader of the Wizard Guild. He was a completely different persona than Lloyd had expected.
He was not as serious as his teacher was, nor did he discriminate between morals and means of purpose.
“I found it.”
Abel exclaimed in a cheerful voice. He took out a bottle containing a potion of sorts hidden deep in the drawer.
“Is that what it is? The Dragon’s….”
“Although the purity is low. It is the only serum in the world right now. The Blue Tower Master must have had a hard time.”
The blood received from Lee Sungmin was created into a serum purified by mixing arcane spells and alchemy, which the Blue Tower Master had studied all his life. Abel grinned down at it.
Then he put it in his robe sleeves without hesitation.
“Don’t you feel sorry for the Blue Tower Master?”
“He won’t remember that he even received the blood of a Dragon.”
“No matter how much you distort his memories…….”
“This is just what dirtying your hands looks like when you’re forced to.”
Abel put on the robe he had taken off, as he spoke
“My stupid brother who taught you seems to be very strict with manners and morals. Not me.”
“Khhmm.”
Listening to Abel, who called his teacher a fool, Lloyd gave a fake cough.
“Let’s go.”
Abel approached the open window. As he did when he first broke into the area, he was about to leave through the window again.
“But I’m glad Hadras isn’t too far from here.”
Abel laughed as he put his foot on the window frame.
It was not long before Lee Sungmin finally returned to Hadras.