< Chapter 186: Objective (1) >
“What’s with that guy… Do you know him?”
Ini asked while glaring at Unknown from the side.
“I do know him.”
I know him very well.
“The problem is our bad relationship.”
“… So he’s an enemy.”
As soon as she said that, Ini’s expression turned cold and stern.
It reminded me of the cold Dragon Lord I once read about in a novel.
All emotions were gone, and all that was left was a sense of lifelessness.
I felt relieved seeing her like that.
No matter how powerful Unknown might be, there’s no way he could defeat the Dragon Lord.
Unlike before, the odds were now leaning in my favor.
“Hold on. Let’s talk. I have some questions.”
So, I decided to initiate a conversation. I had the time and confidence for it.
“… Okay.”
Ini relaxed slightly and took a step back. It was a gesture of entrusting the situation to me.
“Did you gain a new ally in the meantime? And with quite the impressive power.”
Unknown spoke with a relaxed demeanor, different from the desperate expression I saw the last time before coming here.
Just like the Dragon Lord, he looked exactly like the Unknown from the original work.
“You did well, getting Ai and Allen. I should give you some praise.”
Unknown mockingly clapped with exaggerated gestures.
“And to think you even neutralized the Vow of Absolute Obedience…”
Even as he spoke of his failure, he didn’t seem regretful. It felt as nonchalant as commenting on the sun rising.
“… Boss.”
Ai, who had been trembling quietly behind, softly called out to Unknown.
“I have something to ask the boss.”
“Hmm.”
The corner of Unknown’s mouth slightly curled up.
“I’ll answer most questions out of goodwill.”
And then he chuckled softly.
“To steal my power… did you deliberately wreak havoc around me? Is that true?”
“Ho.”
Unknown’s eyes sparkled as if he found it very amusing.
“Who told you that?”
Unknown didn’t deny it. Which meant…
“It’s true then…”
Blood dripped from Ai’s lips. She must have bitten her lips hard.
“Kang Seo-yul. Did you say that?”
Without being fazed by Ai’s expression, Unknown turned his gaze to me.
“Yes.”
“I see. As expected, you know a lot about me.”
A chilling silence descended around us.
“… Why did you do that?”
Breaking that silence, Ai asked.
She wanted to know why Unknown did what he did. I did provide a rough explanation based on my speculation, but she probably wanted to hear the exact reason from Unknown himself.
“I coveted your power.”
Ai’s expression turned even more hostile.
“Just… for that reason?”
“Referring to it as ‘just’ seems to make me a bit angry. From my perspective, it was an important project that I had invested in over a long period of time.”
A sinister smirk appeared on the corners of Unknown’s mouth.
“If you knew how much effort I put into awakening your power properly, you wouldn’t use the word ‘just’.”
“What?”
Ai’s pupils quivered as if there had been an earthquake.
“It was really hard. Twisting the love of your parents, altering the perceptions of those around you…”
Euphoria. Or should I say, fervor? It was a gaze filled with such intense emotion.
“How hard it was to ensure that your psyche didn’t collapse in the midst of all that.”
He said such trashy words with that look in his eyes.
“You should be grateful to me. Thanks to me, your worthless life became a little more valuable.”
“You…!”
It seemed like something snapped inside Ai’s head.
I forcibly held back Ai, who looked like she was about to jump at him.
“Hold back. If you rush him now, things will play out just as he wants.”
“Seo-yul…”
She stared at me with eyes red from a mix of sorrow and anger. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the emotions she was feeling.
“Hmm.”
Unknown, watching us, stroked his chin.
“You’ve grown mentally, quite a bit. Is it thanks to Kang Seo-yul?”
He looked impressed that Ai had shown restraint.
“That’s none of your business.”
Stepping forward to shield Ai, I reached into the space given to me by Ini.
“I also have something to ask you.”
I took out and held my highest-grade artifact, Mephisto’s Spear, ‘Thorn that Swallows Flesh’.
“Kang Seo-yul! That form…”
Ini exclaimed, seemingly startled.
At that moment, a chilling malevolence surged around me. It was the activation of the mark of the demon race that had evolved to an intermediate level.
“Ho.”
Unknown’s smile deepened.
“A demon, huh? And an intermediate one at that.”
In the blink of an eye, I had fully transformed into an intermediate-level demon.
“Enough. Just answer my question.”
It was a show of force, a precaution against whatever might happen. Because one couldn’t know what Unknown would do.
“What did you do in this timeline?”
Now that I knew Unknown had traveled to the past with me, I had to find out what he did. That way, I could predict some of the future variables.
“What did I do?”
Unknown’s expression brightened ever so slightly.
“Well, I don’t think I did anything particularly special.”
“Bullshit.”
There’s no way that guy did nothing in this situation.
“All I did was about this much.”
At that moment, a black magical power surged from Unknown. The evil energy felt surprisingly similar to the energy I have in my body.
“That guy… was he a demon? That aura…”
Ini exclaimed in more than just surprise, looking horrified, and stepped forward. I raised a hand to stop Ini’s actions. Sensing my intent, Ini stepped back again.
“You consumed a demon.”
“It was a quite satisfying consumption.”
Unknown’s power is [Consumption]. He consumed a demon using that power. Judging by the felt energy, he must’ve consumed at least an intermediate-level demon.
“Thanks to that, I learned a lot. As expected of an intermediate-level demon, it knew quite a bit.”
Unknown slightly shifted his gaze to look at Ini, who was on guard behind me.
“Of course, I also know about the Dragon Lord.”
It seems that Unknown’s consumption can even absorb memories.
‘He knows Ini is the Dragon Lord and is still so relaxed?’
Is he confident he can defeat the Dragon Lord?
That’s impossible.
Even if he consumed an intermediate-level demon, and even if he gained a variety of attributes, it’s not enough to defeat the Dragon Lord.
“Don’t be too wary.”
Unknown said calmly, slightly folding his demon wings.
“It seems like you misunderstood, so I’ll clarify in advance. I have no intention of being your enemy.”
From my perspective, his words were very unexpected.
“In fact, Kang Seo-yul, I want to join forces with you.”
I chuckled.
“With you? Ha. Why would I ever trust you enough to join hands?”
The likelihood of him betraying later is close to 100%.
It’s a worthless proposal.
“You probably think you can’t defeat the Dragon Lord, so you’re putting on a show…”
“Well, I suspect the Dragon Lord can’t currently use its full power.”
Unknown cut off my words.
“In a place like this, if he uses his power, a demon would immediately emerge, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
He’s not wrong.
“All I’m saying is that running away from the Dragon Lord, who can’t use its inherent power, is quite possible. You, Kang Seo-yul, who understands all of my characteristics, should know this well.”
“…”
This isn’t wrong either. Unknown has multiple abilities specialized in escape. It’s challenging to suppress Unknown in an open space like this, even if the Dragon Lord sets up a barrier. Unknown would probably flee during the preparations.
‘So, his claims aren’t just bluster…’
I narrowed my eyes.
“What are you thinking?”
There’s a saying: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“What does that mean?”
Even if they’re enemies, if their immediate interests align, they can work together.
“My enemy is the Demon God.”
“!”
My eyes widened at that. Unknown’s enemy is a Demon God?
“Why are you surprised? You clearly know who I am, and what purpose I hold. Why would you be shocked?”
“…”
Unknown’s goal is to clarify the truth of the world. Specifically, to analyze the ‘system’ that made him this way and to completely destroy it.
“So, to achieve your goal, consuming the Demon God is the best course of action? Is that it?”
“Yes.”
Unknown affirmed with a smile.
‘He’s not wrong.’
If Unknown consumed a demon and absorbed its memories, targeting the Demon God, who is the supreme and strongest being in this world, isn’t strange.
Clearly, in this world, the entity closest to the truth of the world is the Demon God.
“As long as you’re aligned with the Dragon Lord, your enemy is also the Demon God. Isn’t that enough reason to form an alliance?”
Unknown, standing a distance away, reached out to me. The term “demon’s temptation” seemed most fitting for this gesture.
“Think about it. There’s no reason for me to target you now. I’ve realized that I can’t do anything with my ability.”
“…”
Unknown’s consumption doesn’t work on me. He knows this better than anyone. After all, two of his attempts have already failed.
“Why would I want to carry the unpredictable factor of not knowing when you might betray me?”
“If you feel that way, feel free to refuse the alliance.”
Unknown flashed a sinister smile.
“However, in that case, I would have no choice but to target the Heavenly God. Though not as good as the demon, if I target the Heavenly God, I can still achieve my goal to some extent.”
“You’re resorting to that?”
Unknown smirked.
It was a threat.
Meaning, that if I don’t accept his proposal, he will side with the opposition and thoroughly obstruct me.
‘He’s not wrong.’
From Unknown’s perspective, targeting the demon or the Heavenly God isn’t much different. The knowledge both possess would be comparable.
“It seems you’re contemplating. Let me break it down for you. Kang Seo-yul, you have three options.”
With his usual composure, Unknown held up three fingers.
“First, let the Dragon Lord behind you fully unleash its power, defeat me, and then engage in a full-scale war with the demon in this distant land.”
That option is out of the question.
We cannot defeat the Demon God without any strategy.
“Second, refuse my proposal, let me slip away, and then face the threat of me as an enemy.”
This isn’t an option either.
With our current strength, we have no way to capture Unknown. 99 out of 100 times, we’d fail. If that happens, Unknown would become our most formidable enemy. He’s that kind of man.
“Or, third, join forces with me and peacefully combat the Demon God.”
“…”
In reality, there was only one viable choice. By the process of elimination, it’s the best option.
‘However…’
I glanced at Ai, who stood behind me, clutching my sleeve, trembling.
‘Considering the relationship between Ai and Unknown, forming an alliance is impossible…’
The third option was also problematic.
It’s a no-win situation.
“Why hesitate? Being wise, you should know there’s only one answer.”
Moreover, Unknown’s confidence is unsettling.
He surely has something up his sleeve.
‘But the first two options…’
No matter how I look at it, battling Unknown is not the right choice.
While I was lost in thought, biting my lip,
“…Seo-yul.”
Ai tugged on my sleeve.
“Let’s do it. The alliance.”
“…What?”
It was unexpected.
“If you’re hesitating so much, Seo-yul, it must be the only option, right?”
Her voice sounded a bit calmer as if she had managed to contain her emotions somewhat.
“I’m not the kind of person who would let past grudges dictate my present actions.”
“Ai…”
“So, please don’t worry about me. Make the rational choice.”
As she spoke, the corners of Ai’s mouth trembled.
She was probably suppressing her cold anger. Feelings of gratitude and regret rushed over me simultaneously.
“Thank you.”
“…Yes.”
Ai responded weakly and buried her face in my back.
She then took deep, rhythmic breaths, likely trying to calm herself.
“…You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you. That inconsequential girl…”
Unknown looked a bit taken aback. I smirked.
“She was always a good person; she’s just become even better.”
Shirakawa Ai.
She truly is a wonderful woman.
I wonder if I’ll ever encounter such a connection in my life again.
“…So, what will it be? Will you form an alliance?”
A peculiar silence settled between Unknown and me.
“…Yes. Let’s join forces.”
“A wise decision.”
Though I’m still concerned about Ai, this truly is the only option.
‘Besides, if I have the power of Unknown on my side targeting the Demon God, it’s certainly an advantageous position for us.’
Of course, this assumes that he won’t do anything strange.
Regardless, if he’s going to act weird, it’s much better for him to do so near me.
‘Considering the behavioral principles of the character named Unknown, it’s natural for him to target the Demon God.’
I’m not overly concerned that Unknown will betray us anytime soon.
‘What worries me is if Unknown genuinely absorbs the Demon God, or if he sides with the Demon God at a crucial moment…’
I nodded subtly.
There probably won’t be such an issue.
No, I just need to devise a strategy to prevent such an occurrence.
‘I’ll turn him into a subordinate under the guise of an alliance.’
With that thought, I withdrew my magical power.
Whoosh-
As if sensing my intent to end the battle, Unknown also retracted his magical power and returned to his human form.
I stored the “Thorn that Swallows Flesh” entirely into the pocket dimension and reverted to my human form.
The cold land, once filled with malevolent energy, regained its original chilly atmosphere.
“Kang Seo-yul. To commemorate our alliance, I’ll give you a gift.”
Brushing his hair against the cold wind, Unknown casually remarked.
“A gift?”
“Yes, a gift.”
Unknown tapped his temple with his index finger.
“It’s information I gained from the memories of the demon I absorbed.”
“…Information?”
Unknown took a few steps closer.
“Exactly 8 days from now. The Demon King is planning a direct attack on the Savior’s 2nd headquarters.”
“…!”
Looking at my surprised expression, Unknown wore an even deeper smile.
< Chapter 186: Objective (1) > End
