Boom-!
"Ugh!"
A huge impact shook the vault.
Zhuge Xuan tried to maintain his balance in the middle of the shaking vault. He bit his lips and went to the room he controlled the illusions from.
'Damn.'
He frowned.
Had his words jinxed it? He’d never imagined that the Demon of Prophecy would really invade the vault.
'Don't tell me…'
Zhuge Xuan frowned. He remembered the faces of the two he'd seen that day.
The timing was too great to call it a simple coincidence.
"This isn't the time for that."
Zhuge Xuan shook his head. It wasn't the time to be thinking about something like that.
"Haa."
He took a deep breath. His body trembled only for a short while, and he soon regained composure.
It was the room from where he could control the illusions that were placed in the vault. He placed his hands over the restricting device while sitting on a big chair.
"The Demon of Prophecy, huh?"
He gulped. Zhuge Xuan moved his hands in excitement.
'Even if you're a monster…'
He wasn't planning to let him do as he wished.
Grace wasn't exaggerating when she’d said that even the Demon of Prophecy would have to be careful if he invaded the vault.
The vault was a territory controlled by Xuan’s illusions.
He'd created more than dozens of different illusions to protect the vault.
If it were a war, it was as if the opponent were rushing toward a place that had high castle walls and was protected by lots of cannons.
According to his calculations, not even the Demon of Prophecy would be able to do as he wished there.
"First…"
Before starting, there were some things he had to do. Zhuge Xuan grabbed a transparent crystal while putting on his mask.
[I'm asking for support.]
Leaving his confidence behind, the most important thing was telling Gaia about the situation.
He could stall for time by using illusions while waiting for support.
'No…'
A smile appeared on Zhuge Xuan's face.
'If everything goes okay, I could even defeat the Demon of Prophecy.'
He looked around the area, but it seemed that there weren't any other enemies.
That meant that Satan had decided to attack the vault alone.
He had jumped into the enemy's territory alone, so it might be a unique opportunity.
Ting-
[An unknown energy surrounds the vault. The S.O.S message has been restricted.]
"Damn."
All of his excitement disappeared. Zhuge Xuan anxiously bit his lip. He slowly looked at the message that had appeared in front of his eyes.
'It isn't that asking for help is impossible…'
It was being restricted.
That meant that if he weakened the strength of the Demon of Prophecy, he would be able to weaken the energy surrounding the vault.
'In the end, I'll have to fight.'
Zhuge Xuan put on the headgear he used to direct the illusions. As if he were playing a VR game, the situation outside entered his field of vision.
Illusion and headgear… It was a combination that didn't seem like it would work well together, but the synergy between them was better than imagined.
'Although the old people will never be able to understand it.'
His family had specialized in illusions before the Cataclysmic Day.
He was the heir of his family, so Zhuge Xuan had learned about illusions since he was a kid.
But he was more talented than other people; that's why he wasn't satisfied with learning only what he was taught.
What he'd tried was combining illusions and modern science.
The main family members criticized his decision to combine illusion and modern science, but that didn’t stop him.
"Should I start?"
He placed his hand on the keyboard while he was wearing the headgear.
After investigating for a long time, he'd created a device with modern science that controlled illusions.
[System Activated. Defense level increased to 2.]
"Not enough. Increase it to 4."
[Correction. Increasing defense level to 4.]
Zhuge Xuan's hands moved very fast, and typing sounds filled the room.
'He's moving.'
The demon wearing the red mask began to move.
Tap. Tap. The demon moved slowly and relaxed as if he were taking a walk in a park.
Zhuge Xuan frowned.
"So you're going to act relaxed, huh?"
He didn't like it. His hands began moving fast.
"Let's see how long you can maintain such an attitude."
[Beginning elimination of the infiltrator.]
Two magic circles appeared around the demon, and fire began to pour out from the magic circles rising into the air.
The flames bounced away from the black curtain and scattered around on the floor.
The demon didn't stop.
An ice spear came out of a third magic circle and targeted the demon.
Paf-!
As he waved his hand, the ice spear was destroyed.
The demon didn't stop.
The floor split, and rock rose from the ground. The demon stomped on the ground, and the rising rock and earth collapsed.
The demon didn't stop.
* * *
The 37 magic circles began to shine. Traces of light poured toward the demon as if they were a storm. Tap. He lightly bounced his finger, and all of the lights that were pouring toward him disappeared.
The demon didn't stop.
64 magic circles caused a huge explosion. An ear-tearingly loud sound scattered around the pieces of rock.
The demon walked out of the debris that scattered away as if it were dust. The dark curtain surrounding him was still thick.
The demon didn't stop.
"Increasing defense level to 5."
Cold sweat dripped from Zhuge Xuan's forehead. His typing speed increased.
[Increasing defense level to 5.]
BOOM-!
One of the walls of the vault was opened. Golems emitting a blue light poured out.
The group of golems leaped toward the demon.
The demon lowered its body, stretched out his arms, and extended them as if they were wings.
Crack-!
Dark swords rose from the ground and pierced the golems.
All of the golems were destroyed in a single attack.
"Increase defense level to 6."
[Increasing defense level to 6.]
172 magic circles appeared. The magic circles surrounding the demon shone simultaneously.
Attacks of light targeted the demon.
Black waves surged out from the demon’s body, and attacks of light exploded.
"Haaa, haaa."
Zhuge Xuan's breath became heavier. He began typing as if he were about to destroy the keyboard.
The wedges of light that poured in all directions hit each other and merged. The light spread out and created a glorious sight.
A spear of light over thirty meters long appeared.
'Here.'
He added illusions on top of that. Dozens of light spears appeared.
Only one was real, but someone who wasn't specialized in illusions shouldn't have been able to tell which one that was.
Spears of light began pouring out.
'You won't be able to block these.'
He was sure of it.
BOOM-!!
A huge explosion shook the Grand Canyon. One of the rock walls crumbled, and a dust cloud scattered away.
And…
"What the…"
He saw the demon grabbing the light spear.
Among the tens of illusions, the demon was able to tell the real one.
Bzzt!
A fissure appeared on the light spear, and the spear that was over thirty meters long was destroyed.
The demon laughed out loud. He was wearing a mask, so he couldn't see his expression, but Zhuge Xuan was sure that he was smiling.
"Haa! Haaa!"
He breathed heavily. A hot liquid came out of his nose. Blood ran down his lips and entered his mouth.
"D-defense mechanism, increase to 7."
[Increasing defense mechanism to the maximum. Activating 'Guardian's Sword.']
Crack-!
Before the system message could finish, the wall was torn down.
The illusion room’s wall was destroyed, and the demon wearing a red mask showed himself.
Zhuge Xuan shuddered,
"M-monster."
His body trembled. ‘Monster’ was the only word he could think of.
[Who are you comparing with something as lowly as a demon?]
The red-mask-wearing demon said in a low voice.
[Did you think you could stop me with such toys?]
The demon extended his hand.
A huge absorbing force dragged Zhuge Xuan's body.
"Cough!"
[Remember, human…]
Aggressive eyes were placed on Zhuge Xuan.
[I'm Death, I'm the End. I'm the father of all those that are angry. I'm Anger itself.]
The mask twisted.
[I'm Satan.]
After the demon finished saying that, Zhuge Xuan lost consciousness.
* * *
"Yes…?"
Gaia's voice trembled.
The tableware she had in her hand fell to the ground. Her hands that were holding the communication crystal ball trembled.
"What's wrong?" Kim ShiHoon asked while making a worried expression.
She was having a good time eating when her expression darkened as soon as she received a call.
KangWoo, Grace, and Han Seol-ah's expressions hardened after her sudden change in attitude.
"Th-the vault… was attacked."
"Attack? Was it the Demon Cult?" KangWoo asked in a hurried voice.
Gaia kept talking while making a pale expression.
"The one who attacked the vault… was Satan."
"Yes…?"
Everyone was astonished.
KangWoo, Kim ShiHoon, and Grace's mouths fell open at the unexpected development of events.
To think that Satan would move and personally attack the vault.
It might sound ridiculous, but they never imagined that Satan was going to personally move.
"S-Satan?!"
Kim ShiHoon grabbed her shoulder.
Gaia bit her lip and nodded.
"Yes… He invaded the vault an hour ago and took all of the seeds."
"Ugh!"
Kim ShiHoon hurriedly got up. He turned to KangWoo.
"Hyeongnim!"
"Let's go."
KangWoo nodded and also got up.
Kim ShiHoon opened a gate that led toward the Hall of Protection. Grace and Gaia followed him.
KangWoo walked behind them.
'Good.'
The Authority of Cloning had done its job well.
Of course, the Satan that had invaded the vault wasn't his clone.
There was no way a clone created with an Authority would be able to destroy the vault of the Guardians.
The clone could only do easy things like eating or talking.
"Oof."
He laughed lightly.
That's right…
The clone could only do simple actions like eating or talking.
'With this…'
He’d obtained all of the Fissure Seeds gathered worldwide and gained the perfect alibi that proved that he wasn't Satan.
He followed Kim ShiHoon, Gaia, and Grace through the gate.
KangWoo's 'clone' disappeared through the gate.
