Chapter 148
“Kuh-heok!”
Hwang Dongseok was so shocked that he collapsed onto the floor.
But at this moment, no one in the room cared about him.
“…Arsha, what did you just say?”
The old man’s sharp eyes glared at the Queen of Bees.
Bzzzz—
Queen Arsha.
The swarm of bees that had hidden her slowly dissipated, revealing her alluring human form. She met the old man’s gaze and spoke.
[I said I’m withdrawing from this.]
“…Why? Don’t tell me—the so-called queen is afraid?”
[Hmph. Afraid?]
Despite his provocation, Arsha merely scoffed, crossing her arms.
Her gaze drifted toward the window.
All throughout the village, countless bees under her command were buzzing about.
And at this very moment, she was receiving a strong warning signal from them.
Arsha smirked and replied firmly.
[And why not? When faced with a predator beyond one’s capability, fleeing and hiding is the natural course of survival.]
“…A predator? Are you saying you’re afraid because someone with Body Reinforcement has appeared? This insignificant wound is nothing to me.”
The old man noticed that Arsha’s eyes were fixed on his charred, blackened hand, and his expression twisted in irritation.
“Restoration.”
With a simple incantation, he flicked his burnt hand in the air.
Screeeech—
Wisps of distorted spirits let out agonized screams as they were absorbed into his body.
His hand was restored in an instant.
Flexing his fingers, he turned his gaze back to Arsha, his tone smooth and persuasive.
“Queen Arsha, an unexpected event may have occurred, but my plans remain unchanged. No, rather—they are moving forward faster than expected.”
[Even though your illusion was shattered by Body Reinforcement?]
“…It’s true that Body Reinforcement and the Illusions of the Maeryung Clan do not mix well. But the same applies to him.”
The Monarch of Body Reinforcement, Taranark, the ruler of goblins and orcs.
His Body Reinforcement Technique pushed the physical body to its limits—ultimately surpassing even the soul itself.
A force that ignored the laws of physics and allowed even incorporeal beings to be struck.
In contrast, the illusions of the Maeryung Clan used souls as fuel to gain physical form.
In short, the two abilities were exact opposites.
“I may have been caught off guard and lost my illusion once, but it won’t happen again. That intruder still hasn’t found my location and is wandering lost within my labyrinth.”
[And what if he eventually finds you?]
“Then I’ll simply cast another illusion. He has already stepped into my domain—it is impossible for him to escape.”
[Impossible, huh… Confidence is good, but is there truly anything in this world that is impossible? Even the Monarchs, even so-called gods, have met their end.]
Arsha’s mocking words finally made the old man rise from his seat.
“Heh. And isn’t that precisely why this is such a wonderful era?”
A frail and withered body.
This elderly frame had originally belonged to the village chief of Yamiri.
Despite the presence of stronger bodies, he had specifically chosen this emaciated vessel for a reason.
“I am Harmakan, Grand Chieftain of the Maeryung Clan, and the next great king of our race.”
With a cruel smile, Harmakan raised both of his bony arms.
Kuaaaaaah—!
From the void, agonized wails echoed through the room.
Ghostly figures writhed and screamed, emerging from his fingertips like misty phantoms.
As he toyed with them, his grin widened into something utterly sinister.
“Look at this. Do you really think I would be foolish enough to rely solely on a mortal body’s strength?”
Hiccup.
Huddled in the corner, Hwang Dongseok’s face turned deathly pale.
Among the spirits writhing in torment—
Were the souls of his subordinates, the ones who had just been slain in battle.
That’s right.
Harmakan’s illusions were powered by the souls of the dead.
And considering how many people had perished in this village, it was no wonder he was so confident.
Laughing mockingly, Harmakan twisted and tormented the spirits between his fingers like playthings.
“Heh. Heh. A true Maeryung Clan warrior always fights with meticulous preparation, hidden in the shadows. I have more than enough pawns to send forward.”
[…Tch. And you call me a coward?]
Arsha clicked her tongue in disgust and shook her head.
But Harmakan remained unfazed.
“And yet, you are the one choosing to flee without a fight. I’ll give you one last chance—stay and aid me.”
[No. If I had known ‘he’ would be here, I would never have come in the first place.]
Arsha’s body of bees stirred anxiously, revealing her genuine unease.
[…I lack both the strength and the forces to face him right now.]
At this, Harmakan’s curiosity was piqued.
“…Just who exactly is this ‘he’ you fear so much? If he inherited Taranark’s legacy, then shouldn’t you, as the heir to the Plague Monarch, be his natural counter? Together, you and I—”
[He is not the heir of the Body Reinforcement Monarch.]
“…What?”
Arsha’s words left Harmakan stunned.
She continued, her voice filled with certainty.
[He is the heir of the Fang Monarch.]
“…Fang Monarch? What are you talking about?”
Harmakan’s confusion deepened.
But then, a realization struck him.
The massive wolf that the intruder had been riding.
If he was the heir of the Fang Monarch, then controlling such a beast made perfect sense.
But one thing still didn’t add up.
“If he is the Fang Monarch’s heir… how can he use Body Reinforcement?”
[That, I do not know. But one thing is certain.]
A grim expression overtook Arsha’s face.
[He… has grown far stronger than when I last saw him.]
Biting her lip, Arsha clenched her fists.
After her previous defeat at Suho’s hands, she had lost all desire to face him again.
The situation was far worse than before.
Back then, Arsha had lost all her Lancers, weakening her forces.
Meanwhile, the Suho she had encountered again had grown far stronger than before.
[The plan to train new Lancers using the villains here is canceled. Now that he’s appeared, they’re all going to die anyway.]
With those final words, Arsha’s body dissolved into a swarm of bees.
Without a moment of hesitation, she flew out the window, as if even speaking with Harmakan any further was a waste of time.
Seeing her decisive retreat, Harmakan let out a laugh of disbelief, mocking her.
“…And to think she claims to be Querehsha’s successor. It seems the Insect Queen won’t be making a return anytime soon.”
Shrugging, he dismissed Arsha from his mind entirely.
“Well, this works out perfectly. That pesky fly was just trying to leech off my plan. Now, all the souls in this place are mine alone.”
Then, he coldly extended a hand toward Hwang Dongseok, who was still cowering on the ground.
“…K-Kehuk?!”
With just a flick of his fingers, Hwang Dongseok’s body stiffened and lifted into the air.
Suspended midair, his limbs restrained, he began screaming in terror.
“Y-You! Sir! No, Elder! What are you doing?! W-We had a deal—!”
“Heh heh. Yes, we did have a deal.”
Harmakan’s eyes gleamed with a twisted smile.
The reason he had sought out Hwang Dongseok, the real power behind Jisan Prison, and orchestrated a mass escape had always been for one simple purpose.
“Our agreement was that I would grant you power to lead your men outside the prison. And in return, I would claim the souls of those you killed.”
“Y-Yeah! That’s right! So why—why are you doing this to me?!”
“Why?”
Harmakan tilted his head, feigning confusion at the frantic man.
“You’re asking because you genuinely don’t understand?”
Hanging helplessly in the air, Hwang Dongseok’s struggles intensified.
And then—
“You can still lead your men… even after death.”
“…Kuh!?”
CRACK!
Harmakan clenched his skeletal fingers—
And Hwang Dongseok’s body folded in on itself.
His bones shattered, his body crumpling like discarded paper.
Blood spewed from his mouth as he perished instantly.
Yet even as his corpse fell limp, a dark, eerie voice whispered to his lingering soul.
“Rejoice. I shall grant you the honor of becoming a Death Knight of the Maeryung Clan.”
Kuaaaaaaah—!
The moment Harmakan seized his soul, Hwang Dongseok let out a harrowing scream.
Harmakan licked his lips in satisfaction, savoring the cries of agony.
“I do so love wicked souls like yours.”
—
Meanwhile…
“S-Surrender! We surrender!”
“Just take us back to prison!”
“……”
Esil stared, completely dumbfounded, as the villains suddenly threw up their hands en masse and surrendered.
“Wait, seriously? Just like that? Shouldn’t they at least try to resist a little?”
“What do you expect?” Suho chuckled, shrugging. “Their leader ran away first.”
However, just because they surrendered didn’t mean the battle was truly over.
Spat!
Pshhk!
Gurgle—!
“Ghh—!”
“Cough…!”
“P-Please! Stop! I beg you, please make this stop—!”
Even as they raised their hands in surrender, an invisible force continued slicing through their ranks, mercilessly severing heads.
To Kang Taesik, Suho’s shadow soldier, this was the perfect moment to finish them off.
After all, the moment they surrendered—they could no longer fight back.
[Impressive.]
Beru nodded approvingly as he watched Kang Taesik work.
[He isn’t just killing at random. He’s specifically targeting those who reek of blood.]
“…Blood? Wait, are you saying—he’s only killing those who have committed murder?”
[Indeed.]
At that moment, Kang Taesik materialized before Suho, bowing slightly.
[Even when I was alive, I could usually tell at a glance who had taken a life. But the ones who actually enjoy killing? Those, I could always sense immediately.]
As a killer himself, his instincts were attuned to recognizing others like him.
[Now that I am dead… That ability has become even clearer.]
“…So, in other words, you’re a walking evil detector now.”
Suho tilted his head, finding the ability fascinating.
He turned back to the remaining villains and asked Kang Taesik,
“Then, what about the ones still alive?”
[They may be criminals, but none of them have personally taken a life. Most were probably small-time offenders in prison.]
“M-My god, that’s right!”
Seizing the opportunity, the villains scrambled to prove their innocence.
“I’m just a scam artist!”
“I-I only threatened people, I swear!”
“I beat people up, but I never actually killed anyone—! Ack?!”
Shlkk—
Blood sprayed into the air.
Before the last man could finish his sentence, Kang Taesik had already severed his throat.
With his usual stoic expression, he turned back to Suho and bowed once more.
[Apologies. That one was… ambiguous. Killing him seemed the better option.]
“……”
“……”
Suho and Esil fell silent.
Their eyes met.
And in that moment—
Suho witnessed something truly rare.
The Demon Aristocrat Esil mouthed words at him without speaking aloud.
‘He’s kind of terrifying.’
Suho responded with just his eyes.
‘…You’re a demon, though.’
But just then—
“……!”
Suho’s gaze sharpened.
Without hesitation, he reached out and snatched something from the air.
Bzzzzzz—!
A single bee, struggling in his grasp.
Suho’s lips curled slightly, but his eyes remained cold.
[The King of Insects, the Plague Monarch, greets you with an intrigued expression.]
“Come out, Arsha.”
At his words—
The bee quivered violently in his grip.
