Episode 38: The Demonic Humans (2)
Deep within the forest, at its very center.
The only thing to rely on was the moonlight.
There were people present, yet their presence could not be felt.
“You have arrived.”
A voice emerged from within the shadows of the forest.
As the darkness wavered, one by one, figures stepped forward—first one, then two, then three.
A masked man, a hooded figure, and a man of massive build.
The masked man stood at the center.
Even within the darkness, his presence was undeniable.
The very air around him seemed to waver subtly.
The hooded demonic Human cautiously spoke.
“Is the plan progressing smoothly?”
Moras.
Even among the demonic Humans, few were unaware of his name.
A mid-ranking figure within their ranks.
Specialized in temptation, he was one of the most troublesome foes.
The hooded demonic Human, tense, looked toward the masked man and spoke.
“For us… Just having you with us, Lord Morath, is an honor… but securing Medusa was difficult.”
A quiet chuckle spread through the air.
The masked man tilted his head slightly and replied.
“And?”
His tone was languid.
“You proposed the plan, and I devised the most optimal strategy in response.
Now, at this stage, questioning its feasibility… What exactly do you mean by that?”
The massive demonic human cautiously interjected, rubbing his large hands together as if making an excuse.
“… That’s not what we meant. Lord Moras, we just… wanted reassurance.”
“Reassurance?”
The masked man chuckled softly, as if amused.
Then, he slowly began to walk.
“Reassurance, huh…”
As his fingertips brushed through the air, faint traces of mana rippled around him.
“As long as you keep them occupied, everything will be resolved effortlessly.”
The moment he finished speaking, a brief silence followed.
The hooded demonic human whispered in a hushed tone.
“Will the students really turn?”
At that moment, the masked man laughed.
Though his face was hidden behind the mask, the twisted amusement in his voice was unmistakable.
“As long as they have desires, they won’t be able to resist.”
He extended his hand.
The lingering energy of magic spread ominously through the air.
“They will.”
“Fall into the illusion that they chose of their own free will.”
“And eventually, they will succumb.”
Hearing this, the two demonic human nodded.
The massive demonic human clenched his fist, suppressing his excitement.
“So, please—just make sure you summon Medusa properly.”
Moras’s voice was quiet, but the authority in his command was absolute.
The leaves in the forest swayed gently.
The demonic humans’ plan had already begun.
***
I am now at the highest point of Gaon Academy, in a VIP room.
Or rather, on top of the building.
From here, I can see the entire Gaon campus at a glance.
The reason I’m here is simple.
‘Because I can see everything.’
I looked down.
From this dizzying height, I could see the crowd of students below.
The flow of people moving through the campus, the faint echoes of their cheers.
For now, I can’t pinpoint exactly where the demonic humans will summon Medusa.
There are four possible locations:
A Stadium Plaza, B Stadium Plaza, C Stadium Plaza, and the Central Plaza.
Medusa will be summoned randomly at one of these four locations.
Since I don’t know exactly where she will appear, I climbed up here-where I can see everything at a glance.
The effort of climbing up since dawn was worth it.
This operation will be all about speed.
Medusa is nothing more than a distraction. The real threat lies elsewhere.
Moras.
He’s neither an executive nor particularly powerful in combat, yet he is a remarkably troublesome demonic human to deal with.
Charm and Cloning.
Those are his core abilities.
While all the heroes on campus are focused on Medusa, he will approach the outstanding students-or the ones who are lacking something.
He identifies their unfulfilled desires, tempts them by making it seem like they can attain what they long for, and lures them into betrayal.
Among the students who will become his targets, the key figures are Cheon Yeoul and Yu Hana.
To Cheon Yeoul, he will offer the highest position within the Order as a temptation. To Yu Hana, he will fuel her desire for overwhelming martial prowess.
And beyond them, many other students will be targeted.
But I can’t be everywhere at once.
That’s why I need to take down Medusa quickly, shift the atmosphere, and stop him before he gets too far.
That is why I obtained Harpe.
In the distance, I can faintly hear the host’ s announcements.
By now, battles should be unfolding in each stadium.
I slowly crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes, gazing at the plaza.
From this point forward, I have to monitor the situation.
***
VIP Room – Lounge
“What… What the hell have you done?”
Inside the lounge of the VIP room.
Present were Sung Yeongil, Bishop of the Arcadia Order’s Hero Faction, and Crusader Jayden.
Scattered across the table were numerous documents.
One was a petition for the removal of Crusader Jayden’s title, submitted from within the Order.
Another was an official complaint and disciplinary request from Gaon Academy.
The seals stamped on the documents symbolized the pressure behind them.
Jayden stood silently before the bishop, hands clasped behind his back.
One side of his face was already swollen red.
-Smack!
The bishop’s palm struck Jayden’s face once more.
Blood seeped from the corner of his lips.
“You pulled that kind of stunt in front of so many people?”
“If you were going to do it, you should have handled it quietly.”
That was what enraged the bishop.
Not the act itself-but the fact that it was done in front of too many witnesses.
He was reprimanding Jayden’s foolishness for failing to anticipate how this would escalate into an attack on the Order.
Jayden merely took the blows without resistance.
But this time, he spoke.
“… I am a Crusader. I acted for Lord Yohan.”
His gaze was unwavering.
“The opponent went too far, and if I had not intervened, the Order’s dignity would have been damaged. I had no intention of killing him.”
The bishop gritted his teeth.
Even he hadn’t expected Yohan to be beaten so badly.
It was the first time he had seen such a thing.
But he quickly regained his composure.
The real problem was Jayden.
He had raised a brute. He had always known this.
This fool, blindly devoted to the Order and the Hero (Warrior) Faction, was an easily wielded blade-
But also a ticking time bomb.
He just hadn’t expected him to act so recklessly.
And as if things weren’t bad enough, there was that sly fox, Cheon Yeoul.
Lately, because of her, the Order’s internal influence had been shaking.
But for even Jayden to go so far as to cause trouble and set fires—
-Smack!-
A sharper strike landed.
Jayden’s head tilted slightly.
Yet, he remained standing without the slightest movement.
“Do you really think that kind of logic will protect you forever?”
The bishop’s fingers, pressing against the desk, had turned pale.
“Wolves are closing in from all sides.”
“Even within the Order, they’re already demanding your suspension. A petition for your dismissal has been submitted. Gaon is the same. The actions you took, thinking of the Order, are now tarnishing its name.”
He picked up a document, shook it bitterly, then threw it at Jayden’s feet.
“I blocked it as far as my influence could reach, but now that Gaon has officially sent a request, there’s no avoiding it anymore. …You’ll have to take responsibility.”
But Jayden did not move.
He calmly looked at the bishop and spoke just one word.
“Understood.”
The bishop let out a dry laugh.
Then, rubbing his forehead with a fatigued expression, he muttered,
“Just my luck… Of all people, you had to be the damned Vanquisher’s brat.”
The air grew heavy.
The bishop sank onto the sofa with a sigh.
—WEEEOOO! WEEEOOO!
Then, suddenly—
A blaring siren shook the entire break room.
The bishop instinctively rushed to the window.
At the same time, he pulled out his vibrating watch from his pocket and answered the call.
“…Yeah, yeah. Got it.”
With a curt reply, he ended the call.
Then, stepping away from the window, he swiftly approached Jayden.
“Grab your weapon and head to Plaza A immediately.”
Jayden lifted his head.
“…Excuse me?”
The bishop roughly grabbed the remote and turned on the massive TV mounted on the wall.
On the screen, an emergency broadcast was reporting a crisis within Gaon Academy.
“…Medusa.”
Jayden muttered. The bishop bit his lip.
“This is your last chance.”
His gaze locked onto Jayden’s.
“You’ve disgraced the Order’s honor—so now, reclaim it. Even if it’s just a speck.”
“…”
“Go now, at once!!!”
***
Plaza A
By the time Jayden arrived, the battlefield had already taken shape.
The vast academy plaza was littered with broken stone pillars and deep fissures.
Professors and heroes lay fallen throughout the area.
Hair writhing like enormous serpents.
Cold, gleaming reptilian eyes beneath a shadowed face.
Medusa.
Jayden instinctively froze in place.
Even from a distance, the aura emanating from her sent chills down his spine.
“Don’t look her in the eyes! You’ll turn to stone!”
A hero’s desperate warning rang out.
Without direct sight—combat options were drastically limited.
Medusa slowly turned her head.
Her forked tongue flickered, revealing sharp fangs that glistened under the sunlight.
Raising one hand—
-Piiiiiiiing!
A pulse of petrification shot from her eyes.
A metallic hum cut through the air as those nearby screamed and stumbled backward.
“Tch.”
Jayden shifted his gaze slightly.
From a distance, he noticed heroes from the Order running toward him, carrying something.
What they held—
“We brought the shield!”
The Order’s greatest holy relic.
A shield forged from sacred power, capable of blocking any attack.
[Aegis (Αἰγίς)].
Jayden gripped the Aegis tightly, then raised his mace from behind the shield.
He slowly stepped forward.
He had made up his mind.
With this shield, he would restore the tarnished honor of the Order.
At that moment-
-Tatadadak.
A rapid approach from behind.
Not the steps of a person, but the agile movements of a beast.
-Thud.
Then, a heavy pressure pressed down on his head.
Jayden instinctively looked up.
A lone silhouette used his head as a foothold, soaring into the air.
“Thanks.”
A voice rang out.
It was Jung Haein.
Effortlessly propelling himself upward, he shot toward Medusa, his figure descending mercilessly against the backdrop of the sun.
Medusa had yet to grasp the situation.
However-
Jung Haein, gripping his Harpe midair, had already locked onto his target with precision.
He clutched the Harpe tightly.
‘Cadenaccio.’
Jung Haein twisted his stance midair, defying gravity as ashen mana surged around him in his descent.
Perhaps the highest leap of his life.
Yet, failure was not an option.
He recalled the day he first used this technique. Since then, he had practiced it endlessly, day after day.
Though this time, he wielded a Harpe instead of a spear- the principle remained unchanged.
Pouring every last drop of his mana into his body, he unleashed it all at once.
In an instant, four identical copies of himself formed in midair.
One more than last time.
Jung Haein was satisfied.
Sensing the killing intent, Medusa abruptly raised her head.
Five figures now rushed toward her.
She twisted and writhed, desperately shifting her gaze, but she had no idea where to look.
“Try and guess.”
Jung Haein tightened his grip on the Harpe.
Medusa had no choice but to decide.
Her eyes flashed with petrifying light once more.
One of the figures turned to stone.
But then-
-Crackle…
It crumbled away. A clone.
At that moment, a whisper brushed against Medusa’s ear.
“Wrong answer.”
She flinched and snapped her head around.
But it was already too late.
-Slash!
A gray arc sliced through the air, cutting across her neck.
Medusa’s head spun once in midair before falling.
The snakes in her hair hissed and thrashed in agony.
Her body stiffened as crimson blood sprayed into the air.
“You missed.”
Jung Haein flicked the Harpe.
The bloodstained blade gleamed coldly.
This time, it wasn’t a clone.
It was the real Jung Haein.
Jayden stood there in a daze, staring up at the sky.
In his hands, he still held Aegis-
But neither he nor the Order had been the heroes of this battlefield.