Chapter 243

The first to discover it was a group of four Exorcists in a team, scouting the vicinity as usual.

“Team Leader, what on earth… is that?”

On the Han River Bridge, where only a few abandoned cars had remained until yesterday, something enormous now blocked the way.

It resembled some kind of cocoon, or perhaps a membrane of blood.

One thing was certain: this bizarre phenomenon was absolutely not a good omen for the Exorcists.

“Damn it, what the hell is this now?”

The team leader, Exorcist Jeong Gilho, was a veteran with considerable experience.

That’s why he knew. This was definitely not a normal situation.

‘There’s no way some low-rank Specter could do something like this.’

Jeong Gilho stared directly at the giant cocoon with worried eyes.

And for a moment, he met the gaze of something within it.

“Huh-uhk! Huh-uhhk!”

“Team Leader!”

“What’s wrong?!”

Jeong Gilho saw it.

And in that brief moment, he came to fully understand one fact.

That thing was an entity on a completely different level from any Specter he had ever faced.

“R-run, we have to run…!”

“Team Leader!”

“That’s a monster! A monster!”

In the end, the team members had no choice but to leave the spot, taking the completely panicked Jeong Gilho with them.

“Now, then. Let’s summarize.”

That evening, a meeting of Exorcists was held at a hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

And at the same time, Exorcists active in other regions also gathered in similar ways, holding their own meetings.

The content was simple.

They had to overturn the current situation where resources and manpower were being continuously consumed.

“Therefore, we will now divide the entire country into eight major zones and construct large-scale Barriers.”

It was truly an unprecedented plan.

But if successful, it was a secret strategy that might indeed turn the tide.

“However, wouldn’t it ultimately be meaningless against high-rank Specters?”

“Correct. The Barrier can only hold back Specters up to A-Rank on its own; anything above that cannot be stopped.”

However, at this point, the ones practically threatening the safety of citizens were not the high-rank Specters, but those below them.

So, by simply installing the Barriers, Exorcists could protect citizens much more easily.

“If we leave only a portion of personnel inside and focus our defense on the outer perimeter of the Barrier, we will surely be able to endure day by day much more stably than now.”

Since that statement was undoubtedly true, the Exorcists listening to the plan found themselves nodding unconsciously.

“To deploy the Barrier, we need to occupy a total of 27 zones and simultaneously conduct a large-scale ritual.”

“So that’s what we must do.”

“Yes. However, we received some bad news a few hours ago.”

Something of unknown origin had appeared on the Han River Bridge, the zone assigned to those gathered in this hall.

“The first discoverers were 2nd-Rank Exorcist Yoo Gilho and his team members scouting the area. The team leader, Yoo Gilho, was in a state of complete panic. While not certain, it is believed that this ‘something’ is quite dangerous.”

“Hmph, that kid Gilho really lacks nerve.”

“Still, if a fairly skilled Exorcist like him showed such a reaction, we should be cautious.”

Just then, contact came from the reconnaissance team sent to the Han River Bridge to gather more accurate information.

Leading them was none other than Baek Jibong, the 6th Elder of the Baek Family, one of the Three Great Noble Families.

As someone holding the title of Special-Rank, he would surely be able to identify the nature of that ‘something’.

“Elder, what is the situation?”

[Gather all nearby forces immediately.]

“Pardon?”

At the unexpected message from Baek Jibong, the Exorcists in the hall each flinched and focused their attention.

“You mean gather all available forces?”

[There’s no time. That bastard Gilho was right. This is… an existence that should not have awoken!]

A palpable urgency, even heard through the Communicator.

Baek Jibong was a Special-Rank Exorcist. There was absolutely no way he would misjudge the opponent’s power.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation immediately, the Exorcists began contacting their respective groups.

“Hwang Soo, how many available personnel do you have on your side?”

“Battalion Commander, it’s an emergency. I think you need to dispatch all combat personnel except the minimum required staff here.”

And so, an unmistakable air of impending conflict began to swirl over Seoul.

By the time I heard Seo Jian’s words and headed to Seoul, a large-scale Subjugation Force had already been formed there to retake the Han River Bridge.

‘It must be to activate the Great Barrier.’

The original story’s progression, as I knew it, was finally beginning to reveal itself one by one.

However, I couldn’t rejoice at that.

Because ultimately, it meant my bad premonition had come true exactly.

‘Given this much time for growth, the difficulty would naturally have increased.’

Now, even I couldn’t predict what might jump out and plunge us into crisis.

Also, although in a slightly different way from me, the Exorcists were also showing considerable unease.

“They say the thing on the bridge might be S-Rank? Damn it, aren’t we just screwed?”

“If that Baek Jibong personally reported it and declared an emergency, how vicious must it be?”

“Hah… Honestly, I don’t want to face it.”

The Exorcists shook their heads and voiced their worries, but even that felt like a luxury to me.

‘…It would be a relief if it were just at the level of the S-Ranks I’ve seen so far.’

After sending the Black Bird to observe the Han River Bridge directly, I was certain. That bastard was definitely one of the main players of the 3rd Night Parade of One Hundred Specters I knew.

A true evil spirit belonging to the most dangerous Predator class among the countless Specters imprisoned in the Oracle Bone Casket.

The Great Specter, Bikang.

That was the name of the being slumbering inside that mysterious cocoon.

“You’re here. I was waiting.”

Greeting Arietta and me upon our arrival in Seoul was Seo Jian, who had been active nearby at my request.

She guided us to the person in charge of the Subjugation Force roster and began briefly explaining the current situation.

“As soon as reinforcements sent by the Three Great Noble Families arrive, the battle will begin immediately. Nighttime is disadvantageous, so the operation will probably commence tomorrow morning. We’ll likely be assigned to the support unit.”

Thanks to Baek Jibong, the Baek Family Elder, personally warning of its danger, quite a number of highly skilled individuals had gathered here.

The main assault force would handle the primary attack, so it wasn’t strange for us, still holding the 3rd-Rank designation, to be assigned to support.

‘And probably, among those leading the assault force…’

There was a high possibility that the protagonist Yoo Haon and his party were also included.

In the original story, due to their previous exploits, they were recommended by a fairly renowned Exorcist group and assigned to the assault force.

Furthermore, Yoo Haon’s Demon-Suppressing Trait proved highly effective against Bikang in the original.

‘But now, even that doesn’t exist.’

This was the part troubling me the most right now.

Facing Bikang without Yoo Haon’s Demon-Suppressing Trait. Honestly, from my perspective of having directly witnessed that absurd strength, it’s hard to even imagine.

Sorry to say, but most Exorcists would likely have their spirits broken before they could even exert any power in the face of the aura he emits.

In the original, Yoo Haon resisted him with the Power of Demon Slaying and boosted the Exorcists’ morale, but that too was now something we couldn’t expect.

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean we can just sit back and do nothing.’

I don’t know if it will work, but I did prepare a countermeasure for him.

And soon, after registering our names on the roster and heading to the waiting room, that crucial countermeasure revealed itself before us.

“…It’s been a while.”

The Spanish princess, Laura.

Her Path of the Sovereign Trait might just be the key to changing the game.

Time passed, and finally, massive reinforcements arrived from the Three Great Noble Families.

From the Cheong Family: 5th Elder Cheong Kilyeong and his Faction.

From the Baek Family: 6th Elder Baek Jibong and 7th Elder Baek Sanghwa.

From the Hwang Family: 11th Elder Hwang Cheolho and elite troops to assist him.

It wasn’t just nominal support; with the actual pillars of each family personally arriving, the Exorcists in the Subjugation Force expressed their astonishment.

“Four Elders? Does this mean we won’t even have a role to play?”

“Honestly, it’s amazing. There’s no precedent for the core figures of the Three Great Noble Families gathering like this.”

“Looks like it’ll end more easily than we thought.”

The Exorcists’ reactions were positive.

With four Elders from those great families gathered, from the perspective of those who had just been worrying about their own survival, it must have felt like gaining a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.

Unfortunately, however, this wasn’t something to be taken so lightly.

‘Baek Jibong must have sensed it—the danger of Bikang slumbering inside the cocoon.’

That’s why, even discarding face, he mobilized such forces from the Three Great Noble Families.

In fact, except for the Hwang Family’s 11th Elder Hwang Cheolho, their expressions weren’t very bright either.

‘But it’s a huge relief.’

If, by some twist of fate, even they weren’t here, honestly, defeating Bikang would have been outright impossible.

At least with four Elders present, there was some hope.

“Everyone, steel your resolve. We depart for the destination in ten minutes.”

Choi Myeongseok, the Exorcist serving as squad leader of the support unit I was assigned to, spoke in a grave voice.

Under Squad Leader Choi Myeongseok’s command, there were a total of eight personnel, including our party.

And the support unit consisted of eight squads.

Even this was after excluding those assigned to the main assault force or other duties, so it was truly a massive gathering of military strength.

“We’re moving out. Everyone, act only according to the instructions you’ve been given.”

And so, following behind the main force, we finally headed towards the Han River Bridge where Bikang slumbered.

And the moment we faced the mysterious cocoon before us, those with exceptional senses, including myself, could feel it.

What lay before our eyes was an entity worthy of being called a true, unadulterated calamity.

“Huh-uhk! H-how can this be?”

“This aura, what in the world…!”

“D-damn it. This is insane! I’m getting out of here.”

Among those who witnessed its true power, some even abandoned all dignity, hastily breaking formation and fleeing.

As most Exorcists were bewildered by such reactions, the being, having sensed the presence of numerous humans, finally began to react.

Creeeak!

Crackle-crackle-crackle!

The cocoon split and vanished as if melting away, gradually revealing the space inside.

And the moment they sensed the aura beginning to flow from within, everyone gathered there could understand why their comrades had reacted that way.

“…M-monster.”

Specters are the sworn enemies of Exorcists, and Exorcists are the sworn enemies of Specters.

However, the relationship in this place, at this moment, was different.

Before that being, we were merely prey in the food chain.

It was the moment when the common sense and beliefs that Exorcists had held as a matter of course in their minds their entire lives were torn apart and vanished in an instant.