NOVPUBWhen I visited the realm of the dead, the gods of death asked for my help, saying that the cycle of reincarnation cannot be maintained with just the dead alone.
The gods of death added their power to my Eye of Fate skill, granting me the ability known as The Eye of Life and Death.
The effect and description of the skill, as shown on my status window, were as follows:
[Effect] Imbues a gaze with the ability to trigger a special phenomenon.
By the will of the gods of death, the powers of life and death are added.
[Description]
The Eye of Fate engraved with the will of the gods of death.
Only those permitted by this will may use it.
The full power of this skill is yet unknown, but I understood what it could do.
When I first acquired this power, the shadowy figure had been using the gap in the cycle of reincarnation to steal the secrets of life and death and create a Death List.
With The Eye of Life and Death, I discerned the forces of life and death, identifying the crack the shadowy figure had created.
‘Without this eye, the tigers would never have agreed to my plan.’
When I proposed this operation, the tigers were initially against it.
Before I could finish my words, Hwang Ji-ho interrupted.
—Jo Eui-shin, Seong Guk-eon in the replay is dead. Are you now saying you’re willing to go die in his place?
Jeok Ho also expressed his discontent and added:
—It might be better to place someone skilled in reverse summoning instead of Jo Eui-shin. While he’s no match for my son, there are others who are quite capable. And don’t forget, I can handle Jeok Yeon.
Following Jeok Ho, Eun Ho spoke up.
—Eui-shin hyung, I think the plan you’re proposing will be hard for me or the other tigers to accept. None of us want to sacrifice you or the others. But if you’ve said it like this, it means you’ve thought of a plan that can convince us, right?
Eun Ho’s words sounded as if he would definitely oppose the plan unless I presented a convincing argument.
Baek Ho-gun, who sat next to Eun Ho, nodded in agreement, signaling his support.
It seemed the tigers were ready to openly oppose the plan, so I carefully chose my words.
—The enemy knows about the tigers. They’ll be cautious of reverse summoning. Of course, they probably also expect Jeok Ho to use Jeok Yeon. So, I’d like those using reverse summoning and Jeok Ho to be right by Seong Guk-eon’s side.
The shadowy figure likely knew that the tigers would be prepared for anything involving them, so we needed multiple layers of traps.
Even when I explained the necessity of using two players for the operation, the tigers remained unconvinced.
So, I explained why I had to be the one to go.
—This time, the shadowy figure will use the powers of the Reaper and the former head of the Korean branch. To reclaim them, I’m the only one who can do it. If we miss this chance, we won’t know when we’ll get the opportunity again.
The owner of the mental attack ability Seong Guk-eon experienced in the replay was the dead former head of the Korean branch.
And the power behind that ability was the Reaper.
Both were now being held by the shadowy figure as energy sources and mediums for the abilities.
In truth, preventing Seong Guk-eon’s assassination is simple, but if we miss this chance, we won’t know when the enemy will use those powers to attack again.
If that happens, it will be much more difficult to both defend and retrieve them.
—The gods of death granted me a power. With that power, I should be able to save them.
I explained how the power of The Eye of Life and Death worked and how it could be used.
The tigers, after hearing about the gods of death, grumbled, wondering if I was taking on unnecessary burdens, but they understood my intention.
Hwang Ji-ho still seemed skeptical and said:
—I understand what you’re saying, Jo Eui-shin. But there’s still something that bothers me. If we follow your plan, you will have to experience what Seong Guk-eon did in the replay.
—I said that to escape, I would have to make the same choice as he did. If I’m aware that I’m being affected by a mental ability, it shouldn’t be difficult.
The tigers were aware of the mental attack Seong Guk-eon had faced because he explained it immediately after the replay finished. Thankfully, because it was a matter of timing, Seong Guk-eon had summarized the process in a simple and straightforward way without much detail.
Moreover, since Seong Guk-eon hadn’t been affected by the mental ability itself, convincing the tigers was easier.
Thanks to that, I could hide the fact that I had been practicing against mental abilities using the old simulator.
—I saw what kind of ability it was through the game. It’s fine.
While affected by the mental ability, I couldn’t use my own abilities.
However, if I avoided the attack, I would lose the chance to track its power.
The trick was to wait for the moment when the ability was disrupted and act immediately.
I succeeded in convincing the tigers, who weren’t too keen on being affected by mental abilities.
However, Hwang Ji-ho attached one condition.
—Alright, Jo Eui-shin. But there’s a condition.
—What is it?
—You need to adjust the plan you’ve made with Jeon Mu-young.
Even though the condition was added, most of the plan proceeded as I had intended.
As scheduled, I broke the former head of the Korean branch’s Gwanglim, and now I activated The Eye of Life and Death to examine the power.
The Eye that separates life and death penetrated the source of that power.
‘Just as I thought. I can see three powers.’
The powers I was facing now belonged to those on the boundary between life and death.
The living subordinates of the shadowy figure.
The deceased former head of the Korean branch.
And the Reaper, bound between life and death.
The Eye of Life and Death precisely distinguished their powers.
Crack!
As the space fractured, the three powers intertwined through the cracks.
The power of the dead was clearly visible, showing where it connected, and the power of the living showed how it intertwined.
‘I’ve found where the former head of the Korean branch’s corpse is.’
True to the power given by the gods of death, I quickly found the power of the dead.
The problem was with the Reaper.
Although in a near-death state, the Reaper was still alive.
Even though I could see the Reaper’s power, tracing it was not easy.
Zzzing...
The overwhelming use of abilities made a ringing sound in my ears.
It felt like the ringing and vibrations were spreading through my eyes.
At that moment, a voice echoed through the cracks.
[Seong Guk-eon, impressive.]
It was a voice I had never heard before.
The voice seemed to look down on me, as if seeing me as a weakling, mocking me.
‘Could this be a subordinate of the shadowy figure who was sent to the demon world and returned? The body may be in the form of Seong Guk-eon, but if I look into their mind, I would know it’s not him.’
It seemed the shadowy figure’s subordinate couldn’t peer into my mind because they were using the Reaper’s ability.
I had expected that my identity would be exposed once the mental ability activated, but this was an unexpected gain.
‘But that means they still have enough energy left. I can’t let my guard down.’
As soon as I thought this, the shadowy figure’s subordinate spoke again.
[Your little tricks are useless in front of my power. I’ll crush you!] 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
The air grew heavy as the crack widened.
With the space that confined the mind partially crumbling, any attack from now on would affect my physical body.
I still couldn’t figure out who the shadowy figure’s subordinate was, so I had no idea what methods they would use to attack.
It was wiser to escape and avoid the attack.
But I couldn’t leave yet.
‘I haven’t found the Reaper’s position. Just a little longer!’
The Eye of Life and Death stretched through the cracks, trying to trace the Reaper’s position.
The Reaper’s aura spread throughout a huge garden, which made it hard to pinpoint their exact location.
[Are you trying to see through us with those eyes? How troublesome!]
The voice was laden with ability energy, and I felt a heavy pressure on my eyes.
The shadowy figure’s subordinate was targeting my eyes.
Since most of my physical body was still affected by the former head of the Korean branch’s mental ability, it seemed hard for them to track my location accurately.
That’s why they were trying to attack my eyes, sensing the power I was emitting.
Crack...
The dark clouds spilled from the cracks as the shadowy figure’s subordinate likely intended to use the Reaper’s power instead of their true strength.
I knew they were targeting my eyes, but escape was impossible.
I couldn’t withdraw my power either.
‘I told the tigers I’d find the Reaper. This might be the last chance. So...’
I had to make a difficult choice.
It wasn’t about whether I should avoid the attack or not.
There are players who fight even when they can’t see the way forward, but facing such a powerful opponent without training was reckless.
So, I couldn’t afford to lose both eyes.
‘I have to choose which one to save.’
After making my decision, I withdrew my power from my right eye and closed it.
The moment my left eye caught the Reaper’s position inside the furnace, I saw a flash.
Boom!
My left eye, consumed by the dark clouds, turned red, and my vision went dark.
The left eye, swallowed by the dark clouds, turned red, and my vision closed off.
A section of Eungwang District.
Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young, in the form of Kim Shin-rok, faced the blue-masked Fomor demon.
‘I understand, but I still have a bad feeling about it.’
The Fomor demon persistently tracked Seong Guk-eon, but there were plenty of ways to avoid it.
Eungwang District was under the influence of the tigers, and the Jeolheukpunglim (Black Wind) faction was openly wary of the Fomor demons, so there were limits to the Fomor demon’s movements on the Korean Peninsula.
Although it was irritating to see the Fomor demon operating on the peninsula, there was no need to engage them head-on.
However, Jo Eui-shin made a suggestion.
—I hope Seong Guk-eon senior will agree to a deal with the Fomor demon.
It was a strange suggestion, but Seong Guk-eon decided to listen to his junior.
—I want to eliminate the Fomor demon as a variable and utilize their power.
Jeon Mu-young, who was listening from the side, immediately disagreed.
—A member of a nation's parliament agreeing to a deal with a demon to destroy a religious artifact from another culture? If this gets out, not only will it lead to international disputes, but it will also hurt your approval rating. I oppose it.
Seong Guk-eon agreed with Jeon Mu-young’s concerns.
Leaving aside political reasons, he simply wasn’t keen on the moral implications of such a deal.
It would be better to oppose the Fomor demon instead.
Strangely, Jo Eui-shin seemed somewhat pleased at Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young’s opposition.
It seemed like he was satisfied with their attitude.
—No, I wouldn’t want to leave such a legacy for you, senior.
Jo Eui-shin then made another suggestion.
It was hard to believe, but Jo Eui-shin wasn’t one to lie.
Seong Guk-eon decided to trust Jo Eui-shin and follow his advice.
“Thank you for changing your mind. I’ve been so worried because you didn’t contact me.”
The blue-masked demon spoke humbly, but there was a faint hint of suspicion in his tone.
It was understandable to be suspicious, given that Seong Guk-eon had always avoided contact with the Fomor demons, yet now, he was revealing his identity and reaching out to them.
Seong Guk-eon responded casually.
“You must have seen it. There’s a group targeting me. If I’m to carry out my intentions, I must stay alive, don’t you think? I have to find a way.”
“The one with the qualities of a king is humble. From what I can see now, you could easily defend your life by yourself.”
“Haha, do you think they’ll only make one assassination attempt?”
The more Seong Guk-eon spoke with familiarity and experience, the less suspicion the blue-masked Fomor demon felt.
The demon quietly admired him.
The energy he radiated, and his way of speaking, were impressive.
Having served as a parliament member twice in a country that treated players poorly and being born with the qualities of a king that even the Da Nu god-tribe acknowledged, he was different from others.
“I’ve changed my mind after seeing the remarkable feats the Fomor demons have accomplished in myth. Considering the influence they wield even in lands devoid of knowledge, it’s worth putting my political life on the line to break the Da Gwan-seok.”
The blue-masked Fomor demon listened intently to Seong Guk-eon’s words, almost entranced.
The thought of the Da Nu god-tribe’s suffering if their Da Gwan-seok was destroyed was satisfying just to imagine.
“I would like the Fomor demon to act according to our agreement first.”
Before Seong Guk-eon could finish his sentence, the Fomor demon nodded in agreement.
