Chapter 41

As the Art Formula shattered and Spiritual Power scattered in all directions, Wang Wei, seeing this spectacle, shifted his gaze to me with an expression of disbelief.

“…What did you just do?”

“……”

As Wang Wei, who had seemed ready to kill me just moments ago, fell silent, his companion Choi Eunjin grew irritated.

“What’s wrong with you? You fail one attack and you’re acting like this?”

“Shut up if you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What?”

Certainly, someone of Wang Wei’s caliber must have sensed it at a glance. The Severance I had just used was a technique of an entirely different concept from simply blocking an attack.

Riding that atmosphere, to further shake Wang Wei, I posed a question first.

“If it’s the Art of the Golden Bell, are you a disciple of the Zhang Sect?”

“How do you know that…!”

As expected, it was the correct answer. I had thought the Art Formula felt very familiar; it was definitely one used by a member of the Zhang Sect, which appears prominently in Exorcism Academy Part 2.

‘I’ve never heard the name Wang Wei before…’

He was likely a figure active before the characters appearing in Part 2.

“…I didn’t expect to meet someone involved on foreign soil.”

The Zhang Sect is a group that privately researches their Faction’s Unique Arts and trains disciples.

Given that their name isn’t widely known at this point, Wang Wei’s bewilderment wasn’t unreasonable.

It wasn’t his ultimate move, but regardless, his Faction’s Unique Art had been perfectly Dispelled.

Wang Wei, unable to act rashly, merely gathered his Spiritual Power and watched warily.

“Ha, you pathetic bastard. I’ll handle it myself, so if you’re scared, get back!”

Finally, just as Choi Eunjin, unable to bear the situation any longer, stepped forward, Wang Wei, who had been waiting for his timing, launched a second surprise attack.

Whoosh!

“Art of the Golden Bell, Fourth Formula! Primordial Bloom!”

Golden threads erupted from the thrown Talisman, beginning to form a pattern resembling a flower.

The same incredible deployment speed as before. As a Unique Art of the Zhang Sect, which prioritizes practicality, its speed was so fast that anyone seeing it for the first time would find it nearly impossible to counter.

However, I had accurately predicted that an attack of this form was coming.

Well, the Zhang Sect’s Unique Art was once one of the Cursed Techniques that became almost essential meta in PVP.

Thud.

Stepping forward instead of retreating from the oncoming sorcery, I inserted a single Talisman between my index and middle fingers and stabbed it into the very center of the Art Formula.

“Void Boundary Erosion Gluttony.”

Crsssh.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz—!

The perfect, fleeting moment just before the Art Formula’s completion.

From my perspective, it was merely repeating something I had done countless times, but to Wang Wei, it must have seemed an unbelievable feat.

As expected, Wang Wei, whose decisive surprise attack had also been Dispelled, was completely shocked and unable to continue his actions.

To this Wang Wei, I delivered what should have been the finishing blow this time.

“Judging by what I’ve seen, you seem to have mastered up to around the Sixth Formula. Next, will it be the 5th? Or are you planning to counter with the 3rd?”

“You… Just who are you…?”

Frankly, the situation wasn’t entirely favorable for me either. Considering the types of Art Formulas I could currently use, I couldn’t block his 5th and 6th Formulas with Severance.

However, by pressuring the opponent this much through what’s commonly called ‘showboating,’ that alone would make the opponent imagine all sorts of things.

To the current Wang Wei, I must seem like an extremely vicious and powerful foe, right?

As if confirming my thoughts weren’t wrong, Wang Wei soon withdrew all his Spiritual Power, took a step back, and spoke.

“…I give up. I’ll stop here.”

“What? You big bastard! Are you crazy? Do you think this is some small-time request?”

“Hmph. I was just dipping my toes in for the experience anyway. There’s no reason to foolishly risk my life.”

With that, Wang Wei turned on his heel and left the battlefield without giving her a chance to say anything more.

“That, that crazy bastard…!”

Only Choi Eunjin remained. She wasn’t an easy opponent either, but honestly, compared to Wang Wei, she was a level I could sufficiently subdue.

“Damn it! Poison Dagger Hail!”

“Water Flow.”

Splash.

Whoosh!

Choi Eunjin, having decided to fight, launched an attack, but her timing was too obvious, likely because she was already psychologically unstable.

Thus, she couldn’t break through Seo Jian’s sorcery, which had been prepared in advance.

“What the hell is this now? Natural-Type Sorcery in actual combat?”

Not stopping there, Seo Jian drew up even more water from the ground and instantly wrapped it around her opponent, binding her.

Sploosh!

Already mentally frazzled and facing an opponent using completely unfamiliar Natural-Type Sorcery, the flustered Choi Eunjin couldn’t even put up a proper resistance and was incapacitated.

Crash!

“Guh…!”

Seo Jian, who had been tense to the utmost, finally relaxed her body and let out a sigh. I began approaching Choi Eunjin to cast a Binding Spell Formula.

Right at that moment. A voice that sounded quite pained came from the walkie-talkie—Lee Jeongil’s.

[Ah, Miss. You need to run, right now……]

“…Are you okay? What’s happening?”

[Guhk. A, a monster beyond handling… one person, heading your way. You absolutely must not fight! For now, leave the young miss and get yourself to safety first……]

Static.

Bzzzt.

As if the walkie-talkie had broken at the worst possible timing, no further words came through.

However, even without explanation, the situation itself wasn’t hard to grasp.

Because from right in front of us, someone emitting an immensely unsettling Spiritual Power was approaching.

“……”

Both Seo Jian and I were completely frozen, unable to speak.

Although I had faced what could be considered formidable opponents in this world until now, the aura I felt now was simply on a different dimension.

Without a hint of jest, a sense of crisis that I might truly die was swirling through every corner of my body.

Whoosh!

Thud!

As he threw something he was holding in his hand, it landed in a corner of the ground with an unpleasant sound.

Its identity was none other than the head of Wang Wei, who had tried to leave the battlefield just moments ago.

“Wh-what the hell? Who are you? Can you just kill people recklessly like this without any orders?”

To Choi Eunjin’s question, sounding disgusted despite being on the same side, the man let out a sinister laugh and opened his mouth.

“That’s for me to decide.”

“What about those guys over there?”

“A foolish question. I took care of them all.”

Despite his calm answer, Choi Eunjin seemed to detect something odd and, without lowering her guard, asked again.

“…But why did you only come this way? Where are the others?”

To that, the man only grinned without answering.

“Son of a bitch!”

Whoosh!

Sensing killing intent, Choi Eunjin immediately began deploying an Art Formula, but her opponent was faster.

Thump.

Fsssssh.

“Gkkk…!”

The man, who had somehow closed the distance to point-blank range near Choi Eunjin, stretched out his hand. Choi Eunjin let out a scream filled with horrific pain, her eyes rolling back as she collapsed to the ground.

‘…This is insane.’

At a glance, it was impossible to even guess what had happened, but I, possessing a Forbidden Technique Value at the limit, could see it clearly. The soul of Choi Eunjin, who was about to launch an attack, was being sucked into the man’s hand in an instant.

‘A Forbidden Arts Master, and at an absurd level at that!’

Absorbing the soul of a 3rd-Rank Exorcist-level practitioner with just such a simple action?

That meant an extremely vast difference in level existed between the two.

The man, looking satisfied, shook off his hand, then turned away from Choi Eunjin’s corpse and stared at Seo Jian.

“…So you’re the target. I can sense strong Spiritual Power fluctuations from your gaze alone. You must have been born with considerable talent.”

Then, meeting her gaze, he slowly removed the robe that had been covering his body.

Thud.

Swoosh.

Bandages covering his entire eye area. Long hair falling to his shoulders despite being a man.

Mysterious Cursed Tools dangling all over his clothes.

His identity was, frankly speaking, extremely shocking.

‘Why is he here now?’

As if voicing my bewildered feelings, Seo Jian, with an expression of disbelief, uttered the man’s name in a trembling voice.

“Hectail……”

“Hoh, you knew of me?”

“…How could I not know you, designated a Special-Rank dangerous individual by Headquarters.”

Forbidden Arts Master Hectail.

A vicious criminal known in the world as the Demon of Illinois.

Having deployed forbidden sorcery in the US, causing thousands of casualties, he escaped from a special prison after just three years of incarceration, leading to a worldwide manhunt.

And currently, he was also a member of the same Night School as that Bihyeong.

‘Appraisal.’

Ding.

【Hectail】

▶Level 64

▶Stats

【Stamina : B-】

【Spiritual Power : B】

【Art Formula : S-】

【Mental Power : A+】

▶Traits (7/10)

【Gu Poison (S-)】

【Gatekeeper of the Underworld (A)】

【Cursed Hand (A-)】

【Vitality Drain (B+)】

【Life Returner (B-)】

【Sensory Expansion (C+)】

【Self-Recovery (C)】

As expected, stats befitting a monster.

He possessed specs not far behind Cheong Soha, a Special-Rank Exorcist.

Considering the various special characteristics he possessed on top of that, his simple danger level could be said to be even higher.

“Your underlings were quite amusing. Their skill in running away was more considerable than I thought.”

“……”

“However, foolishly, they will come back here, see their master’s corpse fallen in vain, fall into despair, and be killed by me.”

The man, who had tilted his neck for a moment, soon wore a sinister smile and continued.

“That’s the only way for a soul to become most fragrant, you see.”

“You……”

Seo Jian frowned and drew up her Spiritual Power, but her opponent didn’t even blink.

And for good reason. Simply put, a gap existed between the man before us and ourselves akin to that between a predator and its prey, or even greater.

‘What should I do?’

I hadn’t anticipated this situation at all. Hectail was originally a being who first appears before Yoo Haon’s party only after the story has progressed to a certain extent.

Naturally, I hadn’t prepared any countermeasures for him at this point.

Glancing at his waist, I saw a primitive-looking circular waist ornament adorned with numerous beads.

According to the setting, each of those beads was a Stone of Forbidden Karma. And their color was a deep purple, close to indigo.

‘…He’s already reached the same realm as in the original.’

Though not as good as my black, at that level, he could be considered to have accumulated Forbidden Arts that transcended human limits.

The power of the Forbidden Arts used by such a Hectail would be on a completely different trajectory.

“Unlucky, I suppose. Honestly, I hadn’t planned on taking on this kind of job originally.”

“What?”

“But, that’s just how life is. Humans often find themselves close to death when they least expect it.”

And Hectail, smiling as if pleased, continued.

“The one who becomes that target has only two choices.”

“……”

“To submit, or to defy it.”

Simultaneously, immense Spiritual Power began to radiate from Hectail as he gathered his strength.