Chapter 186

“…I have the authority to grant most of the wishes you desire. However, if you cannot prove your worth, you will simply pay the price for your past atrocities.”

“Perfect. That saves me the trouble.”

In truth, he had known from the moment they first came face-to-face. The aura emanating from the old man was by no means inferior to Di Marte’s.

‘This old man is certainly a Bishop-level entity, or perhaps something even higher.’

Currently, from the perspective of the Apocalypse Society, Taewoon had positioned himself as a significant thorn in their side.

He raided the dwellings of followers and stole information at every turn, yet he acted in a way that left room for negotiation, ensuring he didn’t cause damage beyond a certain point.

In a situation where they were opposing the Assembly, it was impossible for them not to be interested in a powerhouse of Taewoon’s caliber.

“Very well, let us hear it. What is your objective?”

“The Blood of Adora. And if possible, I wish to cooperate with your upper echelon.”

“To desire that monstrosity… you are either insane or fearless. But do you possess enough value for me to grant you such a privilege?”

“Of course.”

As Taewoon summoned the Wax Mask and released the power of Apostle Transformation, the old man looked on with a hint of admiration, his reaction shifting markedly as he spoke.

“You handle their power with considerable ease. However, if that is all you have, I cannot grant your request.”

“I don’t know, I think differently.”

As Taewoon drew out more of The Red Man’s power, the mask vomited an eerie light and began to release a crimson mist in all directions.

‘Before, this was my limit, but…’

It was different now that he could handle The Red Man’s power far more skillfully.

As Taewoon focused his mind, the crimson mist condensed around him, forming a strange energy. He felt the surrounding space becoming isolated from the outside, similar to the ability of the Headless Prisoner he had encountered previously.

“Ho…”

“Has your opinion changed a bit now?”

“I admit it, Aberration Hunter of Tehesa. It seems the rumors that you destroyed the Well of Hell were not an exaggeration.”

Having readily acknowledged Taewoon’s ability, the old man cast aside the robe that had been hiding his form and revealed his name.

“My name is Gaspen, one of the four Cardinals within the Apocalypse Society. What exactly do you mean by ‘cooperation’?”

“I want help in hunting powerful Aberrations to offer to the Blood of Adora. Since the Apocalypse Society also captures or hunts all sorts of wicked beings, there should be mutual benefits. In exchange, I will lend a hand in your conflict with the Assembly.”

“Not bad. Provided there are no lies or deceits mixed into those words.”

Gaspen stared at Taewoon with a sharp gaze, but Taewoon did not easily back down from the aura.

Taking a step back, Gaspen delivered his conclusion with an indifferent expression.

“Understood. I shall convey this to the upper echelon. Can you wait here at the same time four days from now?”

“I will.”

Ultimately, the negotiation was concluded, and four days later, Gaspen returned to deliver the news that Taewoon’s proposal had been accepted.

“However, we have one condition. Upon receiving the Blood of Adora, you must have the Seal of Annihilation engraved upon your body.”

“The Seal of Annihilation? What is that?”

“Nothing particularly grand. However, should you betray the Main Base and attempt to hide, that seal will guide us to you. We need a minimum amount of insurance, do we not?”

“I accept. Provided there are no lies in those words.”

Since they were hardly a group that could be called moderate, there was a possibility they were plotting something with the seal, but it didn’t particularly matter.

Taewoon had already clearly defined his goal for this Cycle, and if it was a risk that wouldn’t hinder that goal, there was no reason to refuse.

“…Follow me. I will lead you to the Main Base. Should you happen to encounter the Cult Leader, it would be wise to show the utmost respect.”

“…….”

The Cult Leader. Was he the highest authority within the Apocalypse Society?

If so, confirming his existence in this Cycle might also be a tremendous help in conquering the Theater.

“Let’s go.”

Taewoon followed behind Gaspen, marching for three days and nights, and for the first time, he left the Tehesa region and stepped into a new territory.

‘This man is intentionally taking a convoluted route.’

Gaspen had personally delivered the news from the Main Base in four days; there was no reason they wouldn’t have arrived at their destination in a similar amount of time.

He was concealing his usual method of travel while simultaneously making it obvious to Taewoon.

It was essentially a direct emphasis on the fact that they did not trust him.

“We have arrived. Keep in mind that from here on, you are in an area directly managed by the Society’s Main Base.”

“…….”

At a glance, it looked like an ordinary city, but the humans residing here seemed far from ordinary.

At the same time, wicked energy could be felt from all directions, making it easy to identify the Remnants of the Aberrations they had collected and hunted.

‘The Apocalypse Society’s Main Base… the scale is truly beyond imagination.’

Then again, Taewoon had only encountered the followers dispatched within the Tehesa region; the number of followers in other regions was bound to be far more vast.

It was no exaggeration to say that the traces of Aberrations felt throughout this city represented the actual size of their power.

“Follow me. Our Holy Sanctuary is not far.”

Following Gaspen, he soon discovered a massive structure stretching across the entire underground of the city.

It was on a level that couldn’t even be compared to the research facility of the Apocalypse Society followers he had first witnessed.

The fact that he was in the heart of their power evoked an unknown sense of competitiveness and tension within Taewoon.

“Do all Cardinals like you reside here?”

“Not necessarily. Two of us reside outside; usually, only one is tasked with performing specific duties.”

Then, did the Cult Leader, one or two Cardinals, the Bishop-level members, and the general followers constitute the total strength of the Apocalypse Society Main Base?

Even that was a massive amount, but he had a firm intuition that this couldn’t be all.

“Follow me. Another Cardinal is waiting, preparations complete.”

“…….”

As Taewoon followed Gaspen into a mysterious room, a mysterious woman inside looked at him and wore a smile full of interest.

“That’s the Aberration Hunter of Tehesa? He’s younger than I thought.”

“Do not underestimate him. He is one who skillfully handles fragments of beings that bring about ruin.”

“Well… if he weren’t at least that capable, he wouldn’t think of using an anomaly whose Origin is this unclear.”

Inside the wooden box the woman held, a strange energy that stimulated the heart began to fluctuate.

Is that the Blood of Adora? It was certainly an anomaly as ominous as the Jar of Calamity he had seen previously.

“So, what’ll it be? The brand first? Or this first?”

“I’ll check the brand first.”

Once Taewoon answered, the woman, who called herself Aphrasia, gestured slightly and had Taewoon place his arm on the table.

“The Seal of Annihilation is a part of my ability. It is a curse, but at the same time, it is not. Because of that, it won’t be easy to dispel it on your own.”

“…I see.”

“I’m telling you this because I’m quite interested in you. It’s literally just insurance, so don’t find it too suspicious.”

She smiled as if she were a kind person, but for some reason, she was a woman whose true intentions were impossible to read.

Seeing as she was far younger than Gaspen, perhaps even her appearance was far from her actual age?

“Oh my, the resistance is quite strong. This is quite rare…”

“I’ll try to suppress the power, so try again.”

As he consciously controlled the power of the Artifacts he possessed that granted curse resistance and Chaos Resistance Effects, a dark red seal began to manifest on Taewoon’s wrist.

“All done. This should be fine. So, are you really planning to ingest that?”

“…Perhaps.”

Honestly, he was slightly conflicted. If things went wrong, there was a possibility that the Blood of Adora could blow this entire Cycle.

But he had already reached a conclusion.

To obtain an even greater power, Taewoon intended to shoulder the corresponding risk without hesitation.

“I’ll take it. Can you release the seal on the wooden box?”

“Oh, you have a good eye. Do you handle abilities of a similar nature to mine, unexpectedly?”

“I couldn’t say. This is the first time I’ve encountered the so-called Cardinals of the Apocalypse Society.”

Aphrasia, having released the seal on the wooden box, handed Taewoon a single silver bottle. After a moment of silence, Taewoon opened it and poured the contents into his mouth.

A heat like a thousand fires blazing, and a flame of Intent that seemed ready to incinerate his very soul.

‘Dammit! Calling it a monstrosity was no exaggeration.’

Taewoon had become able to effectively manage all the energy within his body through his experiences in the Heavenly Secret Manual Theater, but seeing that even he struggled to handle it, the power of the Blood of Adora was formidable.

‘Martial Arts alone won’t be enough! I have to use other methods.’

Ultimately, Taewoon activated the power of Apostle Transformation, blurring the boundaries of his existence and attempting to quell the fire somewhere between reality and the hidden space. Soon, results began to appear, bit by bit.

‘Whew… did I pass the crisis?’

It was a relief that the Five Elements Qi he could handle most confidently was this fire energy; if it hadn’t been, he might have simply burned up and become a handful of ash.

Finally, having quelled all the fire through arduous effort, Taewoon began to observe the internal changes, and the two Cardinals watching the situation could not hide their surprise.

As Taewoon steadied his breathing, his eyes, now containing an intense heat that had never been there before, met the gaze of the two Cardinals.