The Illusionist
A flustered voice came through the phone.
"Ah… are you okay? There was a really loud noise…."
I let out a deep sigh and steadied my breathing.
"I'm fine. Tell me about my brother—quickly."
"Yes! Your brother was just attacked by villains from the Sword Ghost Church. Our Gaon of Light holy knights were guarding him, and it looks like they escaped together, but the enemies are so powerful they won't hold out much longer. I'm sorry."
"Got it. Do you have any info on the attackers?"
"Yes, based on witness statements, they seem to be the Illusionist and the Red Ghost King."
The Illusionist and the Red Ghost King… I knew those bastards well from past regressions.
"I see. I'll head there soon. Oh, and send a hunter rescue team to this phone's location right now. There was an accident—the driver's unconscious."
"Pardon?! Ah, yes! Understood. We'll dispatch them immediately."
I hung up and unfurled the wings of Seraphim from my Great Extermination Armor, soaring swiftly toward home.
"Huff… huff…."
Kwon Sang-hyuk was fleeing with the holy knights who had been guarding his house from the sudden villain attack.
'Why me…?'
Was it just because his little brother had joined the Gaon of Light association? He couldn't make sense of it.
He vaguely suspected they wanted to capture him as a hostage to bind his brother, so he ran with all his might—nothing else mattered.
'If they catch me, who knows what'll happen to Mu-hyuk!'
That terrified him most of all.
His brother getting held back because of him.
The holy knights protecting him were battered, locked in endless combat with the illusion legion swarming them.
Yet they knew their duty's importance, fighting desperately with their lives on the line.
The first knight to spot the illusion legion had activated the emergency beacon from headquarters, requesting backup from the Hunter Association and the Gaon of Light main temple.
No telling how much longer they could hold, but their job was simple: endure and protect.
The chilling illusions were gnawing at the knights' minds and bodies—they wouldn't last long.
"Filthy Sword Ghost Church bastards!"
The knights burned with rage at the Black Sheep Salvation Church for their blatant ploy targeting the hero's family.
It hit close to home; if they were chosen as heroes, their own families could face the same.
"Hold on just a bit longer! Reinforcements and the hero are on the way!"
Hm? Hero? Sang-hyuk, baffled why the legendary hero would come here, nearly stumbled as a hunch hit him—could it be my little brother?
If his brother was the hero, it all clicked at once.
The stern guards around his house, the Sword Ghost Church obsessively hunting a nobody like him.
"Mr. Kwon Sang-hyuk, watch out!"
Thud!
"Urk!"
A holy knight blocked the Illusionist's attack for Sang-hyuk; his armor crumpled, blood spraying from his mouth. Even veteran temple knights were helpless against the illusions dodging and confusing them.
"Knight! Are you okay?"
The startled Sang-hyuk supported the fallen knight's upper body.
"I'm fine… more importantly, run…!"
Blood trickled from the knight's mouth, but he still urged Sang-hyuk to flee.
Sang-hyuk couldn't abandon him. This guy's someone's family too… can't let him die pointlessly because of me!
Sang-hyuk shielded the knight from an incoming illusion.
"Gah!"
Blood poured from Sang-hyuk's mouth too.
His guardian knights lay scattered like dolls, his pained groans echoing alone.
"Is that it? Holy knights really are clueless idiots who can't fight."
An illusion mimicking the Illusionist prodded the knights with his toe, cackling eerily.
Sang-hyuk set down the unconscious knight and crawled desperately away.
"What? This loser thinks he can escape in that state?"
The Illusionist laughed in delight.
In his fading consciousness, Sang-hyuk strained to keep his eyes open. Can't get caught… it'll ruin everything for my brother.
Then.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave—and someone landed before Sang-hyuk.
Unfurling dazzling golden feathered wings, clad in radiant golden armor.
'It's Mu-hyuk after all….'
No voice came, but his lips formed "Mu-hyuk" as Sang-hyuk blacked out.
My brother was badly hurt. The holy knights had given their all—I saw them collapsed first—but he was hurt too much.
I activated Dimension of Evil Extermination, enveloping the knights and my brother in a protective barrier.
Hero Kwon Mu-hyuk creates a massive sphere of light within 500m, inflicting mental attacks on enemies inside while gaining a critical chance bonus. He also forms a sacred barrier on himself and allied forces, blocking dark energy damage for 10 minutes.
"Bro, get some rest. It'll all be over by the time you wake up."
I used a grade-1 recovery potion on him, soothing him, then drew my holy sword from inventory and aimed at the Illusionist.
Even in past regressions, they'd hounded my brother relentlessly.
To bind me when my mind cleared briefly.
The Illusionist, Joo Jung-hoon, and the Red Ghost King, Jo Hoon. Those pests had targeted my brother again this time, hurting him like this.
The Illusionist's mocking illusion fueled my rage further.
'You're dying here today.'
Wrath of Evil Extermination (Active)
Hero Kwon Mu-hyuk inflicts 2000% holy damage on a designated enemy using divine power, gaining a 700% critical bonus. Holy damage from allied forces also locks onto the target. — Costs 15,000 Divine Power
A colossal surge of divine power erupted from the sword's tip.
Like a golden tsunami crashing down on the Illusionist and his illusions.
The area blazed like midday, the light reaching the approaching Gaon of Light temple knight squad far off.
Kieeeee—
Kieeeee—
Shaaaa—
The illusions touching the light wave vanished like lies.
Only the central Illusionist illusion remained standing.
I knew the real one hid beyond it.
As I pinpointed the Illusionist, the temple knight squad and Captain Jeong Hyun-seop arrived.
"No way…."
Sang-hyuk and the recovering knights staggered within the barrier.
Around the hero, countless paper dolls—the Illusionist's illusion mediums—lay scattered like festival debris.
Jeong Hyun-seop picked one up, gasping.
Over five hundred paper dolls, sliced cleanly like with scissors.
As a holy knight swordsman himself, he knew the feat's impossibility—one strike cleaving five hundred airborne fragile dolls!
While Shin Yu-ra directed casualty triage, Jeong Hyun-seop just repeated how?
"Take care of my brother. I haven't beaten the Demon King yet, so no cradling, but please let him stay safe at the temple."
I handed over the unconscious Sang-hyuk to Jeong Hyun-seop.
Their eyes met as he took him; Jeong shuddered.
He'd read the killing intent in mine—but my fury was beyond caring.
The vehicles from the temple were packed with wounded.
"Go first."
"Pardon? But Hero, this was clearly aimed at you. You should come with—"
"I need to clean up the rest."
"No! It's dangerous."
Jeong Hyun-seop and Shin Yu-ra objected fiercely, half-fearing I'd abandon the hero role.
It had happened right after my appointment.
"Please handle the wounded transport. Follow my order this time—my first as hero."
"…Understood. If you insist."
"We'll go ahead. Please be careful."
"Yeah, I'll come back, so don't worry."
Only after their vehicles left did I blank my expression and turn toward the Illusionist's hideout.
I'd kept them away to handle the villains—and hide the dark energy skill I'd use next.
The Illusionist attacked via paper doll illusions.
Holy power alone could never kill him permanently. That's why holy knights and past heroes always failed against him.
'That's why only I can kill him.'
A spirit sorcerer reaching unheard-of heights in his mid-20s. Rejecting all normalcy and goodness to become a legend of evil… that madman.
"Tower Master, please forget what you see today."
I flew toward their lair from past regressions: an underground bunker.
It never changed over 998 loops.
Through the dark, damp tunnel, amid nose-stinging stench and thinning air dulling my mind, twisting a filthy old handle revealed a vast empty cavern.
Press a small pedal in the corner; a cheerful elevator hums, opening a new door in the wall.
Beyond: their hideout, the Forest of Spirits gate.
A beautiful garden for a garden corrupted by evil, hating humanity.
"Hey, stop glaring and come out already."