Chapter 194
The familiar sound of explosions and ear-piercing screams echoed from all directions.
The Cradle’s vaunted defense system was now utterly useless.
Amid the chaos that unfolded without any warning, Lee Hyun was rushing anxiously toward the Main Building.
He seemed deeply engrossed in something, as if trying to forget what had just happened.
“Haah, haah…!”
Behind the Main Building stretched a vast garden, with the Centennial Tree standing tall at its center.
There was someone who had asked him to meet them beneath that tree by midnight.
“Get a grip! What’s going on all of a sudden…!”
“Aaaargh…!”
Even as he moved without rest, his Enhanced Senses continuously provided him with information about his surroundings.
The mayhem that had erupted without any forewarning was incomprehensible, with no discernible purpose or mastermind.
He took in the sight of rioters indiscriminately unleashing magic upon people and objects alike.
They ranged from the young to the elderly, sharing nothing in common except for the fact that they were men. There were no traces of Dark Magic or the stench of beasts.
The only thing that was clear was that these people were rampaging as if to further fuel the chaos.
Nothing about the situation was normal.
The ones recklessly casting magic were the very same people who had been laughing and enjoying the festival just moments ago.
The acrid smell of blood reached his nose. The suffocating smoke of death engulfed the area.
Yet even in such circumstances, Lee Hyun did not stop moving.
There was something he had to do before anything else.
He needed to confirm Yeon Minha’s safety.
“Blade… Damn it.”
He instinctively reached for his waist and muttered a small curse. The absence of weight at his side only made him more impatient. He cursed himself for having grown accustomed to the Cradle’s rule that prohibited carrying personal weapons.
But going back to the personal armory would waste too much time.
In the end, all he could do was keep running forward.
Before long, he reached the Main Building. The place, usually filled with the lively chatter of students, had long since turned into a chaotic mess.
Lee Hyun abruptly stopped in his tracks when he spotted something near the entrance.
Amid the blazing flames stood a massive man, lifting someone by the neck.
-Boom!
“Ugh…!”
The person, who was thrown against the wall after being flung through the air, was a member of the security unit permanently stationed at the Cradle. The ease with which the attacker had subdued him spoke volumes about his skill.
The massive man soon noticed Lee Hyun’s presence and began approaching, revealing himself fully.
“What’s this? A little runt this time?”
His appearance didn’t align with someone who would commit such atrocities. His slanted eyes curved into an eerie smile, making his expression grotesque.
The elegant uniform he wore only added to Lee Hyun’s confusion. It was the uniform of the National Guard, an elite unit of 100 powerful mages. During this social gathering, a few members had been dispatched to protect the Cradle.
To see one of them participating in this mayhem was nothing short of bewildering.
-Ding! Ding! Ding…
And the moment the man blocked his path.
Lee Hyun heard the Twelve Tolling Bells echoing from the Clock Tower.
***
“Move.”
Lee Hyun, his patience wearing thin, glared at the man and muttered.
The man scratched his head apologetically.
“Sorry, kid. I’ve got my own job to do.”
Despite his words, he showed no intention of stepping aside.
Just as the man was about to offer a troubled smile, he suddenly closed the distance in the blink of an eye, swinging a massive Blade as if it were no heavier than a pair of chopsticks.
“Ugh…!”
-Boom! Crash!
The deafening Sound of Air Piercing roared, leaving ears ringing. The stairs where Lee Hyun had been standing and even the surrounding garden trees were instantly shattered.
Lee Hyun swiftly closed the distance, forcing a close-quarters fight.
-Crash!
However, the man effortlessly deflected the attack by using his massive Blade as a shield.
Landing lightly after performing an aerial somersault, Lee Hyun clenched his teeth.
The attacker pressed forward without giving him a moment to breathe. The weighty Blade bore down on him, threatening to crush him entirely.
Though the man’s strikes seemed wild at first glance, there were no discernible openings in his stance.
He wasn’t quite at Sa Jaehyuk’s level, but he was undoubtedly a formidable opponent of a comparable rank. With no weapon at hand, it was impossible to put up a proper fight.
As Lee Hyun narrowly dodged the man’s attacks, he deliberated on something. Then, landing firmly on the ground, he crouched low as if preparing to charge.
In the next moment, he shot forward like an arrow, aiming a punch at the man.
“Haha! You should know that won’t work. That’s not enough to… huh?”
The man, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly froze, his expression turning peculiar. The Particle’s Power he had reinforced his body with was completely gone. It vanished as if it had never existed, leaving him utterly baffled.
Before he could process what had happened, Lee Hyun’s fist, enhanced with particles, struck the man squarely in the stomach.
-Thud!
“Ugh!”
The impact twisted the man’s insides, causing him to groan in pain.
Not missing the opportunity, Lee Hyun landed a series of blows to the man’s jaw.
-Thud!
The man’s massive body lost its Balance and crumpled to the ground as his brain rattled from the repeated strikes.
Using the man’s fallen body as a stepping stone, Lee Hyun leaped into the air.
He seized the man’s Blade, preparing to drive it into his neck.
“Big Bear located! Over here…!”
“Prepare to subdue him immediately! Form a perimeter… huh?”
Voices called out, and in an instant, several presences surrounded Lee Hyun.
“Who’s that? Did he take down Big Bear without even a weapon?”
“Wait, that mask… isn’t that…”
The mages approaching in well-practiced formation suddenly hesitated, their expressions filled with confusion. They were all dressed in the same National Guard uniforms as the massive man.
Judging by their conversation, it seemed they had been prepared to face the large man themselves.
“Stop, kid.”
From among the mages encircling him, a slim woman stepped forward, halting Lee Hyun as he prepared to finish off the man.
“…Are you with him?”
Lee Hyun, still wary, pointed the Blade at her and asked.
“Well, if you want to be technical, I am, but… no, no!”
The woman quickly corrected herself when she noticed the grip on the Blade tighten.
“We came here after receiving reports to apprehend this guy. Things are chaotic, so we’re still figuring it out.”
She glanced at the fallen man.
“Who knows why he suddenly lost his mind…”
Then, in a soothing tone, she addressed Lee Hyun, who still hadn’t lowered his guard.
“I’m Black Cat, ranked fourth in the National Guard. I’m the senior commander of the Cradle’s dispatch team. You’ve probably heard my code name, right?”
She shrugged her shoulders as if showing off.
“Come on, you must know. Just today, there was a big article about me in the morning paper. I’ve never missed the top spot in the National Guard’s popularity poll…”
“I don’t know. Never heard of you.”
“What?”
The woman’s face went blank at the curt response. Soft laughter rose among the other mages surrounding them.
Looking visibly embarrassed, she cleared her throat a couple of times before speaking again.
“…Ahem. Anyway, if an outsider lays hands on a mage from the National Guard, it’ll lead to trouble.”
“…”
“An interrogation will be conducted properly. I promise you that in my name. So, why don’t you leave the matter to us?”
After a moment of hesitation, Lee Hyun finally lowered the Blade. Only then did the woman let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, kid.”
As she approached the masked man with a friendlier demeanor, she added, “By the way, your skills were impressive. You’re the Second of Heukryeon, aren’t you? The one everyone’s talking about. Just from your mask alone, it’s obvious… wait a second!”
The masked man turned away as if he had no interest in her. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the chaotic entrance.
“Hey! Hurry up and cuff him! What about security?”
“Alive. It seems they were just subdued.”
“That’s a relief. Send them to the clinic, and let’s move to the next point…”
Amid the bustling crowd shouting orders and moving around, the magician known as Black Cat muttered as she looked at the spot where he had vanished.
“…Was I just ignored?”
***
“Haah, haah…”
After running without rest, Lee Hyun finally arrived at the Garden Entrance.
Just as he was about to enter the forest, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his attention caught by something.
Unfamiliar terrain features appeared scattered across the ground. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the immobile form of a person lying motionless.
Blood splattered in all directions, and broken trees bore clear marks of a fierce battle.
“No…”
Lee Hyun muttered under his breath, staggering slightly. Without delaying further, he dashed into the garden. Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, circling endlessly.
The deeper he ventured, the more the faint light of the sky seemed to brighten. Luminous blue leaves glowing softly covered the canopy above his head.
The vast garden stretched out before him. At its center stood a massive tree with sprawling roots and branches—the Centennial Tree.
Finally, he reached the base of the Massive Trunk of the Centennial Tree.
Confronting the empty space beneath it, Lee Hyun’s mind went blank.
There was no sign of anyone around.
“No… No…”
Despairing, he clutched his head and began trembling. He took unsteady steps, searching for someone once more.
“Senior! Where are you? Minha, Senior!”
His hoarse voice echoed as he shouted into the surroundings, but only his echoes answered back.
“Where are you?! Answer me!! Yeon Minha!”
Even as he shouted until his throat felt raw and tasted of blood, no reply came. He searched the thorny bushes along the path, now drenched in blood, but there was no trace of Yeon Minha anywhere.
“Damn it…”
He mumbled in a daze as he lost strength. Just then, his vision brightened, and Lee Hyun unknowingly lifted his head to look ahead.
“What…?”
A swarm of brightly shining butterflies appeared. Their translucent, fluttering wings made it clear that they were not of this world.
The sudden Appearance of Spirits captivated Lee Hyun’s attention. He stared at the flock of butterflies in the night sky as if entranced.
Just as he was on the verge of realizing something.
-Poof!
A soft and gentle sensation pressed against his back. Thin, delicate arms extended to wrap around him from behind.
“…You’re late.”
In the next moment, a sulky yet blunt voice reached his ears.