Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.49 – The Most Dangerous Creature in the World...(1)
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...Dizzy.
This was the first sensation Lee Han felt upon regaining his senses.
"Ughhh!"
It felt like a hangover—and not just any hangover, but an utterly wretched one.
His mind and body seemed to have been separated, only now merging back together...
If he had to guess, recalling his conversation with that [Gatekeeper] fellow, his mind had probably been lingering in that gateway or whatever it was, and had only just returned.
Hence the massive disconnect between his mind and body.
And as if to prove this hypothesis...
"......Did these guys die?"
"......"
"......"
"Nah, not dead.... In a coma, looks like."
Maximus and Lark.
The two men lay collapsed, eyes closed.
Knights of their caliber showed no reaction whatsoever to Lee Han's muttering.
They were still breathing, hearts beating, but without their usual vigor—it had to be a comatose state.
In other words, their minds were trapped in the gateway he'd just escaped.
"...Gonna take a little time?"
It was a certainty that wasn't entirely certain, but Lee Han was convinced it would take them a bit to pass the gateway.
He'd unintentionally fulfilled the 'conditions' to break through, but there was no guarantee they'd get as lucky.
At least, with souls as strong as his—or stronger, as the gatekeeper had said—they wouldn't be deluded by the gateway's illusory world.
So.
'Might take time, but they'll wake up. ...Probably?'
Lee Han felt ambiguous but certain. Rather than fuss over them, he decided to survey his surroundings more—and not even ten seconds later...
"......Live long enough, you see it all."
An exclamation of admiration escaped him involuntarily.
[Holy Treasury].
The vault storing the holy relics was literally a 'picture-perfect world'.
...Or, to be more precise.
'Like a world inside a watercolor painting?'
Lee Han felt like he'd become a resident of some mystical world layered with watercolor paints. He couldn't hide his amazement for quite a while.
If he had to name this watercolor world, [Museum] would fit perfectly.
It resembled the Parthenon Temple in form, but inside it was a museum displaying all manner of relics.
"Ooh...."
Splash!
Even walking felt strange.
Like treading on water—no, on paint itself—and the more he walked, the more it felt like sinking into a quagmire.
But as if to say this minor dissonance was trivial, the moment he entered the museum, Lee Han was utterly overwhelmed.
Whoosh!
"......"
...Countless holy relics, too numerous to count, each radiating an immense presence.
No fakes—only genuine artifacts.
Real holy relics, any one of which could set the world abuzz if carried out.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of such treasures, overwhelming him utterly and pressing down with such crushing pressure that he felt he might be pulverized.
If he weren't a knight who'd honed his body to its limits, he'd have burst apart long ago.
Splash!
"...They exist, but can't be touched, huh."
Lee Han pushed back against the overwhelming pressure and reached for one relic.
But rather than solid contact, it felt like splashing through water.
Clearly a formed object, yet his hand passed right through like liquid.
And this wasn't limited to that one relic.
"Everything here's like this."
Everything in this space had definite form, yet flowed like liquid, impossible to grasp.
Mirror flower, water moon.
Visible to the eye, but ungraspable—like the moon's reflection in water or flowers in a mirror...
'As expected, no pushover.'
Mystical, as befitting a mysterious treasury slumbering with countless holy relics.
Well, of course it was.
Even a single mystery was deemed miraculous, and here were hundreds to thousands of treasures harboring such mysteries...
This bizarre phenomenon seemed almost quaint by comparison.
'The place that summons souls from past-life enemies? This is small potatoes.'
Lee Han confirmed he couldn't touch them despite their presence right before his eyes and abandoned any lingering greed.
These were far beyond his league.
So...
"What now?"
He was utterly perplexed.
- Taking a holy relic with you probably won't be easy.
In truth, he'd received advice before coming here.
From whom?
- What're you talking about, old man?
From Raphael, the helper-who-wasn't-quite-a-helper.
He'd said:
- There's a prohibition on this matter, so even if I wanted to explain, I couldn't. No one can speak of the Holy Treasury—not by voice, not in writing.
- ?
- So, this is the best advice I can give: simply 'follow what draws you.' That will be your answer.
- ......What?
- Heh heh, the Light will guide you.
- ??
"...Still don't get it."
Recalling it now, he was just as perplexed.
It wasn't the usable kind of advice.
If anything, it only deepened the mystery.
"...Old man, nothing's drawing me?"
He respected the old man and all, but times like this made him a bit obnoxious.
Just explain it plainly...
"What the hell does 'the Light will guide you' even mean?"
"What bullshit—like that 'believe and be blessed' crap."
"Blasphemous my ass—I'm holding back from cursing way worse than that, and who the hell am I even talking to...!"
Lee Han freaked out in that instant.
Something had popped up in a place he'd been sure was empty—natural to startle like a normal person.
Too startled, a reflexive punch flew out, but unfortunately, it passed harmlessly through empty air.
Splash.
To be precise, like the other relics or the space itself, only the low echo of striking liquid resounded.
"......You?"
—Gatekeeper.
The hollow-eyed creature stiffly lifted its head in introduction.
Today must be a day for bizarre experiences.
Entering the Holy Treasury, reuniting with old connections in that weird gateway space, and now...
'...Even seeing a talking hollow-eyed critter.'
Live and learn, indeed.
"That's exactly why it's disconcerting."
He'd thought he'd never cross paths with this guy again, yet here he was.
"No 'really' about it—what the hell are you? Aren't you just in the gateway?"
Lee Han's bewilderment was perfectly understandable.
This guy exuded every mysterious vibe imaginable, talking about trials and such.
Their parting had been all mystery too.
So running into him again in a place like this? Baffling.
But,
"......"
"...N-no."
How did a hollow-eyed thing have such a varied range of expressions?
That smug, infuriating smile grated a bit, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
Lee Han decided to count this abrupt encounter as good fortune—no intention of picking pointless fights.
Still...
"But why show yourself? And in that form, of all things?"
Gotta ask what needed asking.
"You really get humans, huh? ...Nah, better productive talk than pointless shape-shifting games."
The hollow-eyed creature flapped its wings in delight, and Lee Han momentarily thought the gatekeeper was sly as hell.
'Damn thing's cute as hell...'
Snow-white fur gleaming with luster, plump body like a luxury plush doll.
Looking at it stirred affection naturally, and Lee Han gave high marks for mastering human psychology.
At that moment.
"......"
The hollow-eyed creature emanated a sharp aura clashing with its cute exterior, and Lee Han hardened his expression.
He didn't want to imagine it, but the gatekeeper's sudden appearance carried an ill omen.
And sure enough.
Shing!
"Nah, you didn't. Looks like company came from that side first."
The hollow-eyed one didn't grasp the situation at first, but a beat later flapped its wings wildly, sensing something.
Before Lee Han could even register the sight...
Boom!
He blasted off the head of the foe lunging at him.
A dullahan born in an instant, head severed from body—but sadly, it lacked the achievements for such an afterlife, expiring on the spot.
However, unlike Lee Han, this one had luck with comrades.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Ones in identical garb to the decapitated foe gathered one after another.
Easily over fifty just in sight, and Lee Han regarded the front with calm eyes.
"......"
Not out of wariness toward those small fry, of course.
The reason he stared straight ahead.
"Oh my, got one already?"
...Four presences he couldn't afford to take lightly.
"...Even without you saying, looks like I have to."
Because if he didn't kill them, they'd tear him to shreds.
......Bring it.