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It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Black Screen is the most knowledgeable being in this world.
The secret source of information of the Black Screen wasn’t revealed in PMH until the end.
In the first place, even their identity was kept secret.
But now, I’ve found out one thing thanks to the watchman.
‘The source of information of the Black Screen is some sort of a hit list.’
A hit list says who to kill and who to save.
However, since the book is made from information stolen from the bridle of reincarnation, there must be something more than what meets the eye.
I don’t know if that hit list contains information of the killer or his power.
However, now that I know the source of information, I have a way to do things.
‘I’m thinking of two things right now.’
First, mix false information with the one leaked from the bridle of reincarnation to confuse them.
I don’t know how and what secrets are being leaked so I can’t think of a specific plan, but there would be something depending on the amount of information that the watchman can provide.
Second, I should also try to figure out the secrets of this world that the Black Screen has secured.
If I know what secrets the Black Screen learned and how they created the hit list, it would be easier to stop them.
I decided to ask about the secret for now.
“Can you tell me what secret they found out?”
“I could, but uhm… How should I put this?”
The watchman was at odds with my question.
Is it because he doesn’t trust me yet, or is it because I’m alive?
I didn’t know why the watchman was hesitating so I decided to just wait.
“If you get an important clue and you can catch him, does that mean I choose to stop existing?”
What?
The watchman talking to himself brought me to my senses.
“Is there a relationship between the leakage of secrets and your extinction?”
“Yeah, it’s my duty to keep the secrets of death. If I do this, the contract I made with the masters of the underworld will be broken and they will not forgive me.”
I didn’t have to ask more.
The watchman will be extinguished if he reveals the secrets himself.
He should’ve turned me down right away, what is wrong with this watchman!
“Then you don’t have to say it.”
“But don’t you need it?”
“No, it’s okay.”
If the watchman disappears because of me, I will not be able to face the Tiger Clan, most especially the descendants.
Even to the Silver Hero.
Anyway, if his family knew that he’s talking like this now, it would be a huge mess.
“I heard that I am the dawn star who came to this world to save you. I will not be the cause of your extinction.”
I told the watchman who seemed willing to tell me the secret in any case.
The watchman smiled awkwardly at my words.
“The benefactor is a good kid. I think I know why my kids follow you like a hyung.”
The watchman was exaggerating.
He continued to make exaggerated remarks as he painted my face with gold.
‘That’s what the tigers do.’
He really is the Tiger Clan’s son-in-law.
After pouring out his compliments, the watchman said something.
“Let’s go to the source of the shockwave. This one was pretty big so we’ll be able to trace it.”
I was relieved that the praise shower was finally over.
I quickly got up from the sofa and got ready to go out.
“Will we learn something if we go there?”
“Yes, I think so.”
The watchman led the way and looked very happy as if we weren’t just talking about his extinction.
He seemed to think that there was a clue at the source of the shockwave.
He explained.
“You have to have a strong soul and strength in order to shake the bridle of reincarnation. A strong kid like you could’ve come with a lot of help.”
If I could’ve come to the bridle right away, I wouldn’t have waited in the underworld for a long time.
I would’ve been lost in the dark if Ereshkigal hadn’t guided me.
“There are many great men who are against you, but there is no one as strong and clever as him.”
I realized it when the watchman spoke those words.
None of the men of the Blac Screen is strong enough to enter or influence the bridle of reincarnation.
So the one that caused the shockwave is…
“Is it the Black Screen who attacked the bridle of reincarnation?”
“Yes, the man himself.”
Creak.
The watchman opened the door as he said those words.
As we exited the place that looked like my dorm room, I saw a confusing landscape.
It was a very chaotic sight, with sandstorms swirling over ice cliffs and pylons stuck in the forest.
‘The landscape kept changing while we were on the way here, but it wasn’t like this.’
The dormitory room directly protected by the watchman’s power was peaceful, but the impact outside seemed to be quite great.
The jumbled landscape looked so precarious that it wouldn’t be strange if it collapsed at any time.
‘This is all shocking, but is the watchman okay?’
I couldn’t tell if he was or if he’s pretending.
He seemed to pretend to be okay while we were talking about extinction.
“That person is refraining from activities in this world to bring down the bridle and me. That’s why he usually uses his subordinates.”
So far, the only direct involvement of the Black Screen with all the incidents were summoning otherworlds.
If he hadn’t used Uma and Jogangryeob and moved on his own, I might have not been able to prevent things.
Then why is the Black Screen obsessed with the bridle of reincarnation?
“If the bridle of reincarnation is broken, the concept of reincarnation will disappear until the bridle is revived and a new watchman is selected. The bridle serves as a bridge between the dead and the underworld, so its disappearance will cause many souls to be lost…”
Hearing that made me feel eerie.
If the Black Screen’s plan succeeds, the dead cannot be reincarnated or reach the underworld.
Unless there is a means to revive them, the souls will be worn out wandering the earth.
If that happens, extinction is the only path for them.
“That person is obsessed with superior beings. Maybe he wants to mess up here because the bridle is close to the superior beings. If he can’t find his way here, he wants to meet the superior beings on foot.”
“Wouldn’t the superior beings help then?”
“That would be difficult.”
The watchman shook his head, making a firm statement.
“The reason why I was given a lot of power when I was selected as the watchman is to keep superior beings from intervening in the bridle. They swore that they wouldn’t touch this place.”
Things started to make sense in my mind.
The watchman is strong enough to offset a shockwave with one clap.
Restrictions and obligations.
The watchman on the brink of extinction.
The superior beings of the underworld swore not to intervene with the bridle of reincarnation.
And Ereshkigal, who was strangely cooperative.
Putting these together, I could see what kind of situation the bridle is in now.
“The Black Screen is aiming for that loophole. The oath of the superior beings not to intervene in the bridle.”
The superior beings can’t intervene, that’s why they help indirectly.
That’s why I was allowed to come here like the Silver Hero.
“And when you received the power of the watchman, they started to aim for you.”
The watchman was too powerful.
They couldn’t have just given him this power.
The superior beings would’ve been insured in case the watchman was incompetent or his will to protect the bridle disappeared.
That’s why he’s given conditions.
Spilling the secrets of death on his own would mean his extinction.
Even if it’s not voluntary, he disappears slowly when the secrets of death come out.
‘This kind of contract has plenty of room for the Black Screen to dig in.’
Even if the watchman is competent and has a strong will to protect the bond, if he’s alone for a long period of time, he will inevitably have a strong sense of confidence.
If the Black Screen persistently digs into him, they could make the watchman disappear.
Superior beings can’t intervene and they’d have no choice but to watch it all happen.
“Wow, the benefactor described it perfectly. You’re correct.”
The watchman marveled.
Is it the time for that when his life is at stake?
Then, he stopped to see if we reached the destination.
The ground was strewn with broken windows and wilted flowers as if a meteorite had fallen.
It looked like a broken glass greenhouse.
“This is where the shockwave occurred. Why don’t you take a look before I fill in the gap?”
The watchman’s fingertips pointed to a lump of soot.
Traces of energy waves remained faint, so I used the glare skill to see closely.
<Skill Glare activated.>
With the system notification, energy waves flooded my eyes.
I stared at the soot in the bright open view.
After observing for a long time, I was able to properly recognize the shape.
“The pattern is still there. It kind of looks like Jin.”
“Really? I can’t see it well. Is it because it’s left by a living person?”
“I’ll draw it for you.”
Fwaa…
I drew what I saw using energy waves.
As it was completed, the watchman’s face became tense.
“This is what I saw when I died.”
Did the Black Screen himself kill the watchman?
As I was organizing my thoughts, the sky suddenly distorted.
In the gloomy landscape, a resonant sound similar to the sound of a boat spread along with heavy energy waves.
Wooooong!
“Is it another shockwave?”
“No, the gods are calling! Why all of a sudden… Oh?”
Are the superior beings of the underworld calling for the watchman?
Looking up at the sky, the watchman suddenly took something out of his arms.
It was a small hand mirror the size of his palm.
“I got a call!”
“Is it from the gods of death?”
“No, it’s from somewhere else. A precious person called me. It wouldn’t have been easy though…”
So a superior being is calling him from the sky, and another one from his mirror?
On the rim of the hand mirror, the phases of the moon and a rabbit beating a rice cake were depicted.
“It’s a gift given by Toyeon-nim. I can’t use it often because it takes a lot of energy to contact through this, but it connects with the mortal world.”
There was a way to get in touch with the mortal world?
He said that the gift was from Ok Toyeon, but there seemed to be someone else beyond the mirror.
Thinking about it made the seal on my wrist itch.
For a moment, a golden light came out of the hand mirror.
[Jo Euishin.]
Hwang Jiho’s voice.
There was no trace of a smile in it.
[Are you there?]
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