Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: The Eve of the Decisive Battle - 2
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Whoooosh.
My vision shifted.
The first thing I saw was Sovieus.
He looked endlessly worried as he spoke to me.
“Mother. Are you alright? Your face looks pale.”
I never had a son like you.
And I'm definitely not your mother.
That was when Adwin's voice rang out.
[I’ve lightly connected our souls to Idria’s world.]
[…You do everything, don’t you.]
[Thanks to that, I can borrow Idria’s senses right now. This way, I can observe the special room with my own eyes.]
He was right.
I tried to look around, but it was impossible.
All Adwin had done was borrow Idria’s senses—he hadn’t taken over her body.
That was when it happened.
[What kind of trick is this? Maide Mohan.]
It seemed Idria had noticed our presence too.
The special room, viewed through Idria’s eyes, was a bizarre place.
The sky turned red one second, then blue the next.
The ground alternated between desert and swamp, rising and falling.
A warm spring breeze would blow, only to be replaced by a winter gale that cut like knives.
But none of the surrounding scenery caught my interest.
I hadn’t expected the special room to be normal like the world we lived in anyway.
What drew my attention was Idria and her minions themselves.
Pirensha asked cautiously.
“Mom. What’s wrong?”
“Shh.”
“Ah, okay.”
Idria calmed her minions and addressed me.
[How are you speaking to me? Even for a hero, this is a bit much.]
[I don’t need to know the method. And no need for compliments. It’s just secret conversation level—we can’t exert any physical influence on the special room.]
[I wasn’t complimenting you.]
[How’d you end up like that?]
It wasn’t sarcasm.
Idria and her minions were in a state that truly fit the phrase “like that” perfectly.
At Idria’s sides, Sovieus, Pirensha, and Sabak were restrained.
They were bound head to toe in translucent chains, stuck flat against a wall rising from the bare ground.
It was like they’d been wrapped head to toe in spiderwebs.
That was when Adwin touched the other soul bubbles.
[I’ve connected to Sovieus, Pirensha, and Sabak’s souls too. I left out Batore, though.]
[Obviously. Good call.]
Our conversation must have reached the other three minions too.
Their pupils dilated massively.
But they were sharp enough not to let out a sound.
Pirensha’s sharp voice came first.
[Maide! Where are you right now?]
[I’m not inside the special room. And that’s what I should be asking you.]
[What?]
[Where are you? Yeah, I know you’re in the special room… but exactly where in it?]
At my question, Sabak seemed to catch on and asked cautiously.
[Why are you asking our location? Don’t tell me you’re planning a rescue?]
[Unfortunately, yes. You and Idria have something you need to do for me.]
[That thing from before…?]
[Your tone sounds unhappy. Don’t like it?]
Sabak fell silent.
Sovieus spoke for him.
[It’s not about liking it or not. If Mother has decided, we follow.]
[Good. Glad you understand your situation.]
[…]
[Then answer my earlier question. Where exactly are you in the special room?]
Idria spoke up.
[I don’t know.]
[Why not?]
[The special room isn’t just some ordinary chamber. There’s another world beyond that door.]
Even through her soul, I could almost hear her sigh.
[This place is a world unto itself.]
[It’s so vast you don’t know where? That’s a pretty crude excuse.]
[Batore threw me in carelessly the moment he entered. I thought I tumbled to the floor. But it wasn’t the floor—it was a wall.]
[What philosophical nonsense is this?]
[I’m just calmly describing what happened. The floor turned into a wall in an instant. Do you get how bizarre this world is?]
She chuckled.
[When I came to, I was stuck to these translucent chains, along with the others.]
[…]
[The door we entered through is gone too. Did the distance stretch instantly, or did the space itself change? Who knows. This inner world is full of inexplicable phenomena anyway.]
[What about Batore?]
[Gone.]
Pirensha ground her teeth.
[That traitor…]
[Pirensha. As I said, Batore didn’t betray us. He just ate some spoiled food in the past.]
Spoiled food.
An interesting way to put it.
Even so, Idria’s words didn’t seem to convince Pirensha or the other minions.
Sovieus said,
[To begin with, I didn’t have a good feeling when Mother took Batore in.]
[Enough.]
[You accepted us others for reasons and circumstances, but Batore was just a snap decision, wasn’t he? I’m asking now—why did you choose him?]
I recalled the scene I’d seen through the Eye of Omniscience, when Idria welcomed Batore.
She’d picked up a mad youth possessed by evil spirits who’d been beaten to death and made him a minion.
Compared to the other fingers, it did seem impulsive.
Idria said,
[Idria’s thoughts came to mind.]
Silence fell over us all at once.
In that moment, Adwin, I, and the Fingers of Falsehood were of one mind.
[What kind of bullshit is that?]
[I understand Mother’s profound intent.]
No, not quite.
Pirensha snapped at me.
[Bullshit? Watch your mouth.]
[How else do you interpret it? She’s referring to herself in third person like she’s someone else.]
[I don’t know either, but it’s meaningful. She said it for a reason.]
[I can’t talk to you lot. Idria, you answer.]
Idria spoke nonchalantly.
[When humans create an abundance of malice, a Demon King is born, right?]
[Yes.]
[But malice doesn’t just coalesce into a Demon King on its own. There needs to be a catalyst.]
[A catalyst… like a Demon King’s core?]
The Demon King of Destruction had been Baharma Mountain.
The Demon King of Greed was a liquid.
The Demon King of Corruption’s form kept changing, but there was still some central “something” that served as a focal point.
[For reference, the Demon King of Corruption’s true core was basic elements. Elements can be mixed and transformed into anything.]
[That wasn’t my question.]
[And my core is a heart.]
I knew that.
Before my regression, Kild had briefly clutched Idria’s heart in his hands.
She’d devoured him through that heart back then.
[The heart I inhabited. Its original owner was named Idria.]
[…!]
[Well, after my birth, I devoured her instantly. Anyway, after I took over that body, the original owner’s memories started surfacing bit by bit.]
She cut herself off there.
I had the feeling her mouth wouldn’t open again.
Not that there was any real need to ask.
But one thing I wanted to say.
[The things you did to that heart’s original owner? Your so-called child Batore is going through the exact same right now.]
[You’re a natural at sarcasm.]
[The one possessing Batore’s body now is some guy named Aktions. Aktions Oscar.]
[…What kind of guy is he?]
[Figure it out yourself. For now, try looking around.]
Idria moved her neck as I instructed.
Her whole body was tightly bound in translucent chains, so it wasn’t easy, but enduring the creak, she forced it, and more of the surroundings came into view.
The terrain and climate shifted every second, leaving no clues to pinpoint anywhere.
‘The silver lining is that Aktions isn’t here, I guess.’
Maybe he believed we couldn’t reach the special room, or that even if we did, we couldn’t find Idria.
Either way, it was the one piece of good news in this situation.
‘Velosian is asleep, and Aktions is absent.’
It looked complicated, but the conclusion was simple: sneak in and extract them.
Now I just needed to figure out where it was.
Was there some good way?
…
Ah!
I spoke quickly.
[Pirensha. Bite your tongue.]
[Wow. That came out of left field.]
[Not now. When I give the signal.]
[Sovieus, does that make sense to you?]
That was when it happened.
My vision darkened slightly.
Idria had closed her eyes.
Soon, she spoke as if realizing something.
[Do it.]
[Mom?]
[Maide isn’t telling you to kill yourself. He probably needs your blood.]
Hoh.
I grinned and said,
[You caught on. No need to explain then.]
[Yeah.]
[One more thing—can you break those translucent chains on your own?]
Idria writhed.
Then she sighed and answered.
[I don’t think so. It’s not just the strength; our powers aren’t manifesting either.]
[Because of the chains too? Aktions made them, right? Is he that strong?]
[I’m not sure exactly, but when he entered the special room with me… he’d become something else. His appearance didn’t change, but his aura did.]
[…Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.]
I was about to tell Adwin it was time to head back.
Idria hurriedly continued.
[Does your rescue plan include Batore too?]
[Not at all?]
[Maide.]
[Fortunately, Batore hasn’t been front and center among the minions so far. We won’t miss him in the battle lineup.]
[Think again.]
[Sorry, but it’s not worth considering. Even if Batore wanted to join, wouldn’t you have to stop him? He’s basically Aktions now.]
I was borrowing Idria’s vision, so I couldn’t see her own expression.
But I was sure it had hardened.
[But.]
[Above all, he’s your child, right? Shouldn’t you take care of him yourself?]
[…Understood.]
[Alright, heading out. Be ready to react the moment I signal.]
Swish.
With that, my vision shifted.
Adwin had separated the soul bubbles from our souls.
He rapid-fired questions.
“Hyung. What’s the plan? Why bite her tongue? Why do you need blood?”
“Hmm. Well…”
Ding-a-ling. Ding-a-ling.
The bell rang again.
Shaking the bell in the same pattern and speed for so long was more tiring than expected.
“Let’s head back first. Neril’s arm must hurt.”
“Haha. You’re so attentive.”
“And you’ve gotten cheeky.”
“Anyway, let’s go. We all have to enter together anyway.”
Fwaaah.
Adwin’s arm glowed brightly.
I closed my eyes lightly.
When I opened them again, my companions came into view.
Neril was about to shake the bell once more but flung it behind her.
Adwin yelped.
“My bell!”
“Oh, sorry. Slipped my mind.”
She apologized in a voice with zero sincerity and grabbed my face.
“You were gone too long. You okay?”
“Odd phrasing. Anyway, I’m fine. Your arm hurt a lot?”
“That’s why I’m doing this. I was worried.”
“Adwin was with me. What’s to worry about?”
That Adwin blew on the bell Jenia had given him and said,
“Yeah. Maide hyung has done this twice now. Shouldn’t you be worried about me, the first-timer?”
“Oh, sorry. You okay?”
Neril apologized again with zero sincerity and inspected me closely.
“You have to listen to the answer after asking…”
“Give up. That couple’s overprotective—it’s not new.”
“Serein noona, that had some real emotion in it.”
“Did not.”
“Anyway, here’s the report.”
Adwin first explained the overall sequence of this underworld trip.
Everyone listened with interest at first, but by the end, they were all puzzled.
Risel turned to me and asked,
“You told Pirensha to kill herself?”
“I said no. And people don’t die that easily from biting their tongue.”
“She’s not human.”
“Then she definitely won’t. What I needed was Pirensha’s blood. The Demon King and minions are bound so tight, I couldn’t think of another way to get it.”
Step.
Neril, satisfied with my perfect condition, stepped back and asked,
“Why do you need blood?”
“The inside of the special room is vast, like another world. Plus, the terrain and climate shift constantly, making it hard to pinpoint location.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“So I’m going to use a wide-area search magic circle.”
Opense reacted faster than anyone.
He always looked the same whenever this topic came up.
Makes sense—it was his first promise, to find his parents using that magic.
“Wide-area search magic circle. The one Biond made?”