Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Bodyguard (7)
I didn't immediately understand why I needed to see the footage displayed on the monitor.
It was footage of a fire at a mansion somewhere in Europe, with fire trucks dispatched in great numbers.
The strange thing was that there were far too many fire trucks compared to the scale of the fire.
"Look here."
The spot the Witch pointed to was the lawn.
Now that I looked, unusually large flames were spreading across the short grass.
"Are you saying this is the work of that mage named Rena?"
"Right. She burned down the mansion with magic."
"Where is this place?"
"The Royson family's mansion. It was one of the expected locations."
"Expected for what?"
"The starting point of the Hunters."
Now I understand why she had me watch the footage.
The Royson family.
They were plutocrats who moved global finance. A family known to actually possess greater power than nations.
"So Rena found it first and cleaned it up."
"She's trying to collapse Hunter Hall and make it her own force."
I took a moment to organize the situation.
Recently, Hunter Hall's power had collapsed rapidly. 176 masters had died in battle with Rena, and that had served as the decisive blow.
I was also planning to completely finish them off once my objectives became clear.
"Hunter Hall seems like it will disappear. The power structure will be reorganized."
"But that doesn't seem to be the real problem, does it?"
The Witch didn't object, as if she was thinking the same thing.
"The existence of reincarnators will be revealed."
Rena didn't seem to be particularly trying to hide the fact that she was a reincarnator. Once she gathered the necessary forces, she would show aggressive behavior.
"A mage who sold her soul to a demon..."
I couldn't predict to what extent she could exert her power.
"Is Rena at a level we can handle right now?"
"I don't know. It won't be as easy as last time."
She had become an opponent even the Witch couldn't be certain about.
"The problem is that she'll eventually create her legion. There's no way to stop it."
"Once that legion appears, the real chaos will begin."
The storm was gradually approaching.
"Once reincarnators are revealed, all those who have been gathering power will appear as well."
It wasn't just Rena's problem.
The Ten Great Masters who had died by my hand hadn't shown themselves yet either.
What would happen if they all appeared at once?
"That will be interesting."
At my words, the Witch glared at me sharply.
"This isn't something to take lightly."
"It's not something to overthink either."
I said while looking at the Witch's serious expression.
"It's a path we walked once in our previous lives. Would it be difficult just because it's the second time?"
Worrying about it wouldn't solve anything.
I just needed to do what I could in the current situation.
Being a bit weak didn't necessarily mean losing in battle.
'When I started my training journey, there were many stronger than me. By the end, there weren't.'
The memory of growing like that remained intact in my head.
"Six years. I need time."
The Witch seemed to have a different growth method from mine. She stated precisely six years.
"After six years, it doesn't matter what happens?"
At my question, the corners of the Witch's mouth rose. It was her characteristic arrogant smile.
When I first met the Witch, she had been smiling like this.
"After six years, no one can stop me."
Cold confidence. Then it must be true.
Why was the Witch telling me this?
I didn't know how she would become strong six years later. But normally, one would keep such information hidden.
'Six years.'
This couldn't be precisely defined, but it was no different from a request.
'If I help for six years, she'll definitely compensate me.'
I didn't voice this out loud. It was a matter that would scratch at her pride.
I returned to the main topic.
"If reincarnators are going to be revealed anyway, wouldn't it be better to make the first move?"
"The backlash would still be severe."
"So you want me to appear like a hero after Rena shows up?"
"It will be a good stage."
This seemed to be the real reason she had called me.
The Witch wanted to coordinate the timing of fighting Rena again.
She had discovered footage of Rena and would eventually meet her again, but she had calculated what timing would be best.
"Tell me when you need me. I definitely want to kill that one too."
I accepted the Witch's opinion.
Thinking the conversation was over, I turned to leave, but the Witch called me again.
"I'm thinking of giving you a gift."
"A gift?"
I hadn't expected to hear such words from the Witch.
"Including you and your friends."
"What kind of gift?"
"A tattoo. How about permanently engraving that tattoo I temporarily inscribed on you before?"
This wasn't something to accept immediately.
"Don't worry. The tattoo will only appear when you use its power. It won't be visible normally."
"Let me discuss it first."
"Alright. Let me know in advance if you need it. Preparation is necessary."
It wasn't a gift I could accept without a burden.
From the Witch's standpoint, it had two meanings.
'She wants me to hold out for six years. It's also a real gift.'
Although we were together under the name of a transaction, the Witch had apparently felt indebted until now. That's why she wanted to feel more comfortable in this way.
If I had been in the same position, I would have tried to compensate somehow as well.
'She's opened up quite a bit.'
It was definitely worth discussing.
Three days later.
So Iryeon was the first to lie on the ice bed.
"Can't you draw it as a flower for me?"
The Witch's eyebrows twitched.
"It has to be drawn exactly as specified, without a single error."
"That's a shame. Then sexily on my buttocks..."
"The location is also predetermined."
So Iryeon had decided to receive the tattoo first. It was what she wanted.
"It will take two days. Are you going to keep watching?"
"Can't I?"
"You'll need to undress."
In the end, I was kicked out of the laboratory.
'To think it takes a full two days, it seems like it's not an easy task.'
Though temporary, the shield the Witch had given me definitely had an effect against magic. It couldn't absorb physical impacts, but it definitely reacted to mana.
If it was a permanent tattoo, it would be even more effective, making it much easier to face mages.
No one except me had any reluctance about the tattoo.
Jimun Seo-saeng had already built trust through many conversations with the Witch, and So Iryeon actually liked it. Cheong Ak-sal said he would simply follow my decision.
'Am I the only one wary of the Witch?'
I, too, didn't have the intense rejection I had before, but it was still a stretch to say we were close. And this wall was far more solid than I thought.
'Heavenly Demon Cult.'
I had watched my subordinates die until the very end.
Whenever I recalled the scenes of those who fought with me on the battlefield dying, I had to suppress the surging anger.
'Can I rebuild the Heavenly Demon Cult?'
Creating a force like before was impossible.
Fundamentally, there were too few reincarnators.
Many reincarnators, including the Hunters, had already died.
'About a thousand?'
Just a thousand out of a seven billion population.
Even gathering them all wouldn't amount to ten percent of the Heavenly Demon Cult's original forces.
'Still, I have to call in any survivors.'
I needed to prepare for when reincarnators are revealed. At that time, all things considered, I would have no choice but to accept them.
'I must become stronger.'
Jimun Seo-saeng said to take it easy, but the appearance of the mysterious old man and Rena urged me on again.
'I need to resolve Baekhoehyeol.'
All training was now focused on Baekhoehyeol.
'Training first.'
I focused on training while my subordinates received their tattoos.
Ten days later.
It was my turn.
After engraving a tattoo for two days, the Witch also needed a day's rest. Those who received tattoos also had to sit in the mana magic circle for one hour daily in the Witch's laboratory.
This process took ten days.
'It's not an easy task.'
It was only possible in this time because it was the Witch.
"Lie down."
I lay on the ice bed.
"Lie down with your clothes off."
"All of them?"
The Witch glared at me.
The Witch, exhausted from fatigue, showed a sharp reaction.
In the end, I took off all my clothes and lay on the ice bed.
As the Witch closed her eyes and chanted a spell, intense cold enveloped my body.
"Don't resist."
Having instinctively drawn up my internal energy, I took a deep breath and maintained composure at the Witch's words.
The cold spread throughout my body, and my eyes closed.
"Just fall asleep."
The Witch casually took out an ice awl.
However, perhaps extremely tired, the tip of the awl trembled.
"You seem too tired?"
"Are you worried about me?"
The Witch sneered and asked back. Sharp as always.
"I'm worried about myself. Your hands are shaking right now."
"Why, afraid I might kill you?"
The trembling had already stopped.
"There won't be any mistakes, right?"
"No."
"But just in case..."
"I said no!"
Eventually, the Witch exploded.
The atmosphere suggested she might stab the awl into my body at any moment.
I pondered briefly but decided to trust her. I had never seen the Witch fail at magic.
She was the Witch who had precisely pierced my heart even on the verge of death. The most painful memory now reassured me.
"Whew."
I took another deep breath and accepted the oncoming drowsiness.
Chaeng!
An unexpected sound woke me from sleep. Whether it was the aura of magic or not, having slept soundly for the first time in a while, I instinctively opened my eyes.
The Witch was frowning while looking at a broken awl.
'Something went wrong.'
For now, having opened my eyes, I examined my body.
'Gasp!'
I saw something I shouldn't have seen.
The skin on my chest and abdomen was completely peeled off. The peeled skin was completely frozen and placed beside me like armor.
Although it was skin, the feeling of my body being separated gave me a mental shock.
But the Witch spoke as if I had done something wrong.
"Don't move."
The Witch warned me and created an ice awl again. This time it was much larger and sharper at the tip.
"Why does your body have cold energy?"
I quickly organized my shock and spoke calmly. Somehow, it felt like my life depended on the Witch, so I couldn't help but be careful.
I doubted whether I could speak, but fortunately, my voice came out normally.
"Cold energy has settled in my Danjeon since fighting the Grim Reaper. Is that a problem?"
When I rescued the Witch, I suffered serious injuries from the Grim Reaper and received treatment in an ice coffin. Since then, cold energy had remained in my Danjeon.
"No. It will just take a bit longer. Go back to sleep."
"How can I sleep when my body is like this?"
"Then you won't sleep? It will hurt, though."
Something was humiliating. It was clearly a threat, but I couldn't resist.
But the corners of the Witch's mouth were slightly raised.
"Are you laughing right now?"
"Does it look like it?"
This time, she was openly laughing. She was like a cat satisfied while pressing down on a mouse's body.
"How long will it take?"
"A week. There will be some breaks in between, too."
"Breaks? After making me like this?"
"Then do you want me to make a mistake?"
The knife handle was in the Witch's hands.
"You won't be able to fall completely asleep. If it hurts, just endure it."
"You call that advice?"
"It's for your sake. Let me be clear, this isn't for my sake. You should at least endure that much."
I had nothing to say. In the end, I closed my eyes.
"I'll work while sensing the cold energy you have. So if your internal energy moves, let it flow naturally. It shouldn't be too strong, so control it appropriately."
The word ‘appropriately’ sounded quite irresponsible.
In any case, light was scattered by the Witch, and the magic circle on the laboratory ceiling was activated. It was a different process from before.
'Can't be helped.'
For now, I followed the Witch's words.
It wasn't perfect sleep.
My consciousness remained faintly awake, and though not clear, I felt the sensation of my body being carved.
Each time, my internal energy stirred, but the Witch's work continued.
"You can hear me. Try making your internal energy a bit stronger."
I followed her words.
The sensation moved from my abdomen to my legs, then continued to my arms.
"Now it's really important. I'm going to turn your body."
I felt my body floating and then fell onto the bed face down.
"I'll come back after resting a bit."
Why would she leave after deliberately doing this?
'I shouldn't have agreed to this!'
I regretted it, but there was no way to resist.
I accepted the cold of the ice bed and just waited for the Witch to return.