No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 146

“That mad dog…!”

The moment one of them, whose cheekbone was shattered by a slap, was about to angrily leave the front line,

“Don’t get too excited! That one is different from a relic like Damyeon. Attack together! A relic and a mad dog can’t break through our wall anyway!”

Another one stopped him. The head of the Hanra clan, who had secretly hoped for the collapse of the front line, glared at the bastards while grinding his teeth.

‘Damn it. If we engage in a full-scale battle like this, the Hanra clan might be annihilated.’

Nevertheless, he had no intention of giving up. It wasn’t the arbitrary decision of the clan head. All of Hanra was like that. Before they knew it, their proud son had gone from being a foreigner rejected by everyone to being recognized by all as the next head of the Hanra clan…

“Who said there’s only one mad dog?”

Warriors who were risking their lives began to stick their heads out of the forest one by one and gather. Eyes burning with the will to protect their families were glaring at the direct descendants and popping out one after another.

Endlessly, continuously…

“Ahem. This is a bit of a fucking situation…”

“H-hey. Mad dog. No. Bullshit. Mister Clan Head? We said we’ll protect your son, right? Why are you getting angry…”

The direct descendants of Demillang attempted to communicate in clumsy Korean, but the clan head, with tiger-like eyes, commanded the world with a high-pitched shout.

“You bastards dared to target my daughter-in-law! Let’s kill them!”

“Uooooooh! Let’s go!”

It was around thirty-six hours after Cassice Demillang and Ryuseong fell into the Black Light.

***

Since the joining of the Hanra clan, quite a lot of Demillang’s chess pieces began to shatter.

But it was too late anyway. After twenty-four hours, the effect of the demon-repelling boundary slowly starts to break down. That happens to anyone, so how could that brat who fell down there thirty-six hours ago survive? Unless his resistance is exceptional, he would have turned into a monster by now… Even the elders weren’t confident they could survive being stuck in the Black Light for thirty-six hours.

Ryuseong may be next to him, but so many shadows have been dispatched.

Cassice Demillang will undoubtedly die. Then, regardless of what happens to the direct descendants, it’s none of the elders’ business. So no one paid attention to the chessboard.

“What a waste…”

Only the chairman clicked his tongue at the shattering pieces, and the head snorted at that.

“What is there to be troubled about, Father? They’re all just experimental subjects anyway.”

In fact, even the youngest one here, Romanov von Demillang, is older than the head.

However, the position of the head in Demillang was absolute except for a vote of no confidence.

The elders might jokingly confront the chairman, their great-grandfather, behind his back, saying, “Why did you raise your child like that?” but they did not disrupt the military discipline in front of him. That way, the lower ones wouldn’t dare to look down on the higher-ups.

That was the only point of agreement for the council of elders, and the confident attitude of the head, who was sitting with someone’s hand bones attached to his black mask, often stemmed from there.

Not knowing that it was a safety net that would shatter the moment even one person discussed a vote of no confidence.

“No, I’m surprised they’re putting up a better fight than I thought. ‘You,’ that is.”

The head’s face stiffened. And his shoulders opened up as if he was about to rush forward at any moment.

“Did you really think I would lose to that kind of thing? To a mere experimental subject?”

Then the corsage trembled slightly as if letting out a chuckle.

“Experimental subject, you say. He’s your grandson. Why don’t you cherish him a bit?”

“You call that a…!”

At that moment, the goat skull mask said,

“Please refrain from remarks that could identify you.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Considering that he was running his mouth until just now, regardless of whether his identity was revealed or not, it wasn’t something he should be saying. The head gnashed his teeth, but the great-grandfather with the corsage smiled softly under his mask.

Cassice Demillang’s great-grandfather was the chairman of the council of elders and at the same time respected the elders. The united opinion of the outstanding elders he led. That was the very reason he could pressure the head.

“Anyway, we came here to play chess, so let’s get back to the topic. What will you do? Do you think you have a way out?”

“Don’t say such ridiculous things. It’s already been this long, and no one has been able to dispatch a rescue team. Even the Hanra clan was blocked at the entrance! My move definitely killed that thing─ the Queen is dead, so how can the game continue?”

“Hmm. Well. I’d like to see for myself.”

A suspicious tone. He’s not the type to speak like that if he’s not confident, but could it be? The head, who had his eyes wide open under the mask, looked down quickly, with the hand bones on his head shaking, and witnessed it. If the life of the human linked to the piece is cut off, the pieces end their lives by self-destructing.

The white Queen did not shatter herself.

She was standing intact.

“How?”

First, the head expressed doubt. Then suspicion followed.

“The sorcery must be wrong…”

“Head. Please maintain the pride of the elders. No matter how young Romanov is, you can’t deny that she’s an elder.”

Perhaps all the chairman’s schemes to topple the head were intentional from the beginning. Anyway, it was also the great-grandfather, the chairman, who chose the head as a ridiculous fellow.

But rules were rules, and once the chairman put on a serious face and took care of the elder, even the head could no longer open his mouth.

“…I apologize, Romanov.”

“Yes. I accept.”

But the head could not accept this situation.

‘How is he still alive?’

For thirty-six hours, at the source of the black fog…!

The head clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms and trembled.

And the great-grandfather smiled brightly.

“I am certain. Of my victory.”

For some unknown reason, there was a conviction in his voice. It was a conviction that only the chairman could have, who had hidden his own right-hand man among the dispatched shadows and told him to rescue Cassice Demillang.

But a few hours later,

“What is this…!”

A situation occurred that even the chairman could not predict.

***

“So, how do you plan to escape? It’s been twenty-four hours, so the demon-repelling barrier is shit, and I’m in this state, so I won’t be of much help.”

Ugh. That spiteful bastard Ryuseong. He’s taking my words and being sarcastic…

Still, I didn’t forget that Ryuseong broke his Innate True Energy to save me when my mana heart was about to shatter completely. Ryuseong must also be on the verge of delirium by now.

That was enough of a condition for me to be kind to him for the time being.

“I have a plan.”

“Explain it.”

“Pardon?”

But why is this guy suddenly getting serious?

‘Look at this?’

But strangely, the following words were proper.

“I said explain. Share with your comrade what the plan entails instead of running off on your own as you’ve done so far.”

“…”

I suddenly became dumbfounded and blankly looked up at him, then tilted my head.

“…Uh, this is the right argument, but why does it feel so unfamiliar?”

“Because you’ve never followed it even once.”

“Me?”

“…Are you asking seriously?”

Ryuseong didn’t add where my conscience had gone. But somehow I felt like I heard the added words.

‘Damn it. How could I trust you until now?’

I turned my eyes away, feeling sulky, and looked around the cave we were in.

The inside of the cave looked like a space where someone had lived a long time ago and had rotted away with time. Interesting? Was it used as a temporary shelter by someone who fell into the Black Light?