Chapter 271

With the help of Great Chieftain Hongrim, I entrusted my physical body outside to Arietta and plunged into the Soul Enchantress’s Mindscape in pursuit of Yoo Haon’s soul.

Whoosh.

“……”

As expected, it was a rather bizarre space. Was this what it felt like to float through the cosmos with nothing but your bare body?

At the very least, it was a place completely different from the real world, and it felt as though even ordinary Cursed Techniques would be unable to exert their full power here.

‘This won’t be easy.’

To think she could stroll through such a space as if it were her own home.

Whether I knew it or not, the Soul Enchantress would undoubtedly boast invincible strength here.

Tensing up, I followed Yoo Haon’s soul using the Art Formula Hongrim had taught me.

‘For me, staying here indefinitely is impossible.’

Hongrim had said the given time would be less than half a day at most.

In reality, my own perception wasn’t much different.

At best, about six hours. If I couldn’t settle things within that time, I would likely meet an unfavorable end, whether I knew it or not.

Whoosh.

After advancing for some time, the surroundings gradually began to change.

And before long, I could sense it. The presence of a powerful Specter waiting for me beyond these streams of light.

“…Are you the Soul Enchantress?”

“What if I am?”

“You must return my comrade.”

Glancing aside, I saw Yoo Haon, unconscious and restrained, behind her, who wore a leisurely expression.

Outwardly, no major injuries were visible. If I could just extract him from here, he would surely be able to return to his original body.

“Such obvious talk is boring.”

Flicking her finger, the Soul Enchantress summoned an elegant chair, sat down, crossed her legs, and asked me.

“I saw your memories. They were quite interesting.”

“…Is such a thing possible?”

“Normally, it’s not. But humans tend to leak their Mindscape unconsciously, you know.”

I didn’t fully understand, but it seemed true that she had grasped information about us through some means.

“Of course, it’s not perfect. Realistically plausible content makes up about ten percent of the whole? Perhaps even less.”

“……”

“Anyway, that alone was enough to pique my interest.”

Smirking slightly, the Soul Enchantress then raised a finger and pointed at me.

“Even among your companions, you are special. You must harbor some enormous secret. Am I wrong?”

“……”

Frankly, I hadn’t expected her to guess that far.

It seemed the abilities of this Specter named Soul Enchantress far exceeded my expectations.

However, from her reaction, I could be certain she hadn’t properly uncovered what I was hiding.

“What is it you want?”

“Nothing much. I’m suggesting we join hands. I can undoubtedly become a greater power than your current companions.”

Only then could I clearly grasp what she was trying to say.

After seizing Yoo Haon’s body and escaping the World of Forbidden Techniques, I should cooperate with her.

“Calling it a reward might be excessive, but if you do, I’ll help you achieve your goal. Isn’t that a fairly good deal?”

Certainly, gaining the power of a Great Specter like her would be a great help.

However, that was something not worth considering from the start.

“I refuse.”

“…Why? You surely viewed your companions merely as objects of amusement, didn’t you?”

It was such a sudden statement that it took considerable time to understand its meaning.

And after pondering for a moment, I soon realized why she had judged me that way.

‘Could it be she peeked into my Mindscape from the time I was playing the game?’

If so, it made sense she would make such a proposal to me.

I inwardly scoffed, but then, recalling one possibility, my expression hardened.

“Surely not…”

“Ah, of course, I had some fun with that. Since he’s such an upright boy, I couldn’t deceive him completely.”

As the Soul Enchantress turned her head and signaled, Yoo Haon, who had been restrained, opened his eyes with a dazed expression, approached her, and leaned his head against her.

“As you can see, at least within this space, he has become completely mine. Is there any way to reverse it?”

The situation was worse than expected.

Nevertheless, the Soul Enchantress still hadn’t taken possession of Yoo Haon’s body.

Ultimately, that meant she too had not yet achieved her goal.

“It seems there’s no need for further conversation.”

“So it comes to this. Well, it’s a pity, but it doesn’t matter.”

She wove the streams of light floating in the Mindscape and shot them toward me, but they scattered and vanished before even reaching my vicinity.

That happened even though I hadn’t particularly defended myself.

“As expected, it doesn’t work. You all are truly irrational beings.”

“If you release her obediently, I have no intention of fighting.”

“Aren’t you being overconfident? Sorry, but I’ve also gone through months of trial and error.”

Changing her gaze, the Soul Enchantress nonetheless gathered and compressed countless streams of light, creating an ashen sphere.

“This one works, I found. So if you can block it, try.”

The moment her Cursed Technique unfolded, another world expanded within the Mindscape, trapping me in place.

It was truly an immense level of Cursed Technique. Even though I had shattered Seo Cheonye’s Dream Phantom Bubble Shadow Formation, this time, I felt my movements being helplessly restricted.

Even straining, moving my limbs was the best I could do; I could hardly muster my strength.

“…To resist even that, it’s truly an unbelievable ability.”

“How can an individual’s power achieve such a Cursed Technique…?”

The level of the Art Formula itself was astonishing, but even so, performing such a large-scale Cursed Technique required truly enormous energy.

Yet she had succeeded in doing it alone, so it was impossible not to be amazed.

“It’s simple. It’s not an individual’s power, that’s why.”

“…I see. You’re borrowing the power of countless people within this Mindscape?”

“Quick-witted. That’s right. Even if each power is as tiny as a speck of dust, barely visible, when countless such powers accumulate, it’s a different story.”

She was truly an incredible Great Specter.

If she were an enemy in reality, not a being from the World of Forbidden Techniques, it’s unimaginable how terrifying it would have been.

The Soul Enchantress approached me, whose movements were restricted, raised her hand to my forehead, and muttered joyfully.

“If I obtain your soul as well, I will undoubtedly be truly reborn.”

“……”

“Don’t resent me too much. When you think about it, it’s all your fault.”

Certainly, with such an ability, the moment she became aware of our existence, she must have tasted immense despair.

I felt a twinge of sympathy for that fact. However, that didn’t mean I could show leniency.

“I anticipated it would come to this.”

“What?”

“Spirit Devouring Formation. Soul Spirit Gluttony.”

Literally, a Forbidden Art that greedily devours the opponent’s soul.

An Art Formula I had used when first meeting Kongsami or against specific enemies. If the opponent possessed a soul and mental power stronger than my own, it was a dangerous Cursed Technique that could instead strip me of everything and turn me into a wreck.

“Are you sane? You intend to contend against me with power of the same branch within this Mindscape?”

“Is there any reason it shouldn’t work?”

From the Soul Enchantress’s perspective, it must be absurd. She was a Specter who had reached the pinnacle of power in this kind of technique.

“…Do you think you can handle it, even as an outsider?”

Whoosh!

The tug-of-war between souls had already begun.

As she focused her mind and inhaled, I instantly felt my power and soul being sucked into her.

Indeed, truly formidable power.

I too had reached a high level in this kind of Forbidden Art, but in an instant, I recognized I couldn’t compare to her, who had engraved eons upon her being.

But it didn’t matter. The power I possessed wasn’t limited to that.

“…Huh?”

My soul, which had been endlessly sucked into her, at some point stopped moving and began to maintain a stalemate.

Startled by this sudden phenomenon, the Soul Enchantress panicked and exerted even more force. But it was futile.

“H-how, how can a mere human’s soul possess such power…!”

A Forbidden Technique Value exceeding the limit, and the fundamental difference between beings from the World of Forbidden Techniques and outsiders.

Combined, even a peerless Great Specter like her couldn’t overcome the immense power contained within my soul.

My utterly calm appearance compared to her straining with all her might.

Seeing this, the Soul Enchantress cried out as if she couldn’t believe it.

“It’s impossible! With a human body and soul, such a thing can’t be possible!”

“If you don’t return Yoo Haon, I will annihilate your soul right here.”

As the situation grew urgent, the Soul Enchantress employed various tricks and forcibly severed the Soul Spirit Gluttony Art.

However, having fled from a contest waged with souls as collateral, it was evident even outwardly that she had suffered a tremendous blow.

“Huff, huff. Insignificant human bastard…!”

“Having faced you directly, I now know. Within this space, you can absolutely never defeat me.”

“…I hate to admit it, but it seems that way.”

Though her pride was deeply wounded, the Soul Enchantress nonetheless didn’t lose her composure.

Truly a tenacity not easily seen.

As if my unease had hit the mark, the Soul Enchantress soon retreated far from me and embraced Yoo Haon with his dazed eyes.

Then, this time, the Soul Enchantress’s spirit lost strength, and Yoo Haon’s body seized it.

The cornered Soul Enchantress had hidden herself directly within Yoo Haon’s soul.

“I didn’t expect to be driven to such a pathetic act. If you don’t withdraw immediately, I’ll slice this child’s soul to pieces.”

“Can you really do that? He should be your only hope.”

She had clearly said it took considerable time to subdue Yoo Haon’s soul.

That meant, even now, the process of extracting someone new’s soul wouldn’t be favorable for her.

“……”

Struck squarely by my words, the Soul Enchantress fell silent and glared venomously into the void.

“So? What can’t I do? I have nothing left to lose anyway.”

Returning my own words verbatim, the Soul Enchantress wrapped her hands around her own head and issued a final warning.

“I’ll really do it. If you won’t back down, do as you please.”

“……”

If she was this resolute, I truly had no way to handle it.

As this tense, hair-trigger situation persisted, I sensed a stream of light with a peculiar energy trying to seep into my mind.

Of course, I could have blocked it, but I intuitively realized it wouldn’t harm me.

Whoosh!

Smoothly.

And as I accepted the stream of light, someone’s Mindscape began to flow into my mind.

It was none other than that of Yoo Haon, whose soul had been seized by the Soul Enchantress.