Chapter 228
All sorts of unrefined thoughts were tearing through my mind.
I carefully picked it up with trembling hands. When it touched the fourth finger of my left hand, it fit perfectly as if it were a lie.
Looking at it again, there was no mistake. This was undoubtedly my ring.
A cheap item that I bought from a peddler's stall after saving several months' allowance, but it was once my most cherished possession.
I could also clearly recognize the identity of the burn marks. High-Temperature Torture Magic. The Dark Mage's Scream, who suffered from the Great Flame of the Sky, still lingered in my ears.
However, this ring is an item that should not be here now. It made no sense at all.
Two years ago, I had left it behind on the ashes after riding through them. It was to disguise the traces of death, just in case of unforeseen danger.
And along with my past, which had lost all meaning, the ring left my hands that way.
Sometimes, I would feel the emptiness on my finger. On nights when I had nightmares, I even regretted leaving the ring behind.
Yet, I had given up on it completely, as it was an item that was obviously buried in the dirt or lost somewhere.
How could such an item end up in my pocket? It made no sense logically.
Unless someone who had cherished it all along finally returned it.
At this point, there was only one person who could have done such a thing.
And it wasn't difficult to figure out their intention either.
"No way..."
I staggered to my feet.
An ominous premonition suddenly struck me. That person's behavior felt exactly like they were tidying up their affairs.
Something people usually do right before they die.
"As soon as contact comes in, the Subjugation Army will move. Until then... what are you doing now?"
Mok Jinwoo blocked me as I headed toward the door. He looked bewildered but quickly understood my intent and shook his head resolutely.
"No."
"I need to go."
"I told you no. Your body still needs rest to stabilize. What are you planning to do in that state? Do you really intend to throw me to those women as prey?"
"Step aside."
"I won't say it twice. Go back to your seat. Now."
Instead of answering, I squared off against him, taking a stance. Mok Jinwoo widened his eyes, as if mocking me.
"Ha! Look at this brat."
I could see his determination to restrain me, even by force. But this time, I couldn't follow his words.
He took a martial arts stance and displayed a malicious aura. As expected of the Chief of the Intelligence Bureau, there wasn't a single opening.
It was like watching an experienced hunter. Naturally so, considering he was one of the few powerful mages who survived the witch-hunting operation alongside the Unit Commander. His accumulated experience couldn't possibly compare to mine.
Moreover, my current physical condition was far from ideal. Normally, it would be safe to assume I had no chance of winning.
Normally.
"Fine. Come on. I'll teach you a harsh lesson today..."
He was just about to start a lengthy scolding.
I rushed straight into his arms. Of course, Mok Jinwoo didn't miss my movement.
I could feel his sharp gaze tracking me. He deftly twisted his body and easily deflected my attack. Then, he immediately slammed down with a heavy motion.
So fast that I couldn't even react.
But at that moment, I spread the wave near my heart outward again and turned my body.
"What...!"
He staggered, losing his balance for a moment. The various Circulation System Magic he used to strengthen his muscles and senses had vanished without a trace.
A very brief moment, but enough of an opening to decide the outcome.
I twisted my body and slipped behind him. Then, I struck the back of his sturdy neck, built with hardened trapezius muscles, with precision.
"Ugh...!"
"...I'm sorry."
The large man rolled his eyes back and lost balance, collapsing.
Just before he hit the ground, I barely managed to catch him and carefully seated him in a chair.
"Ugh..."
I frowned instinctively from the stabbing pain in my heart that struck again but quickly turned away.
Why had that person possessed my lost ring? Why had they betrayed the father who had given them the power and wealth they so desired? What was the meaning of the apple they had asked me to deliver?
Those swirling questions were for later. There was something I had to do first.
The acrid smoke and sounds of gunfire still echoed from the eastern sky.
Before leaving, I looked around one last time. Just like when I first woke up, the quiet infirmary was void of any people.
Hesitating for a moment, I eventually left the room.
***
"..."
Yeon Minha had completely hidden her presence by receiving help from the spirits.
Just like when she had waited for a choice under the Centennial Tree.
It seemed there was a brief commotion inside the infirmary, but soon Hyun, gasping for breath, emerged into the corridor.
He appeared to hesitate for a moment, but upon hearing the gunfire, he quickly left the area and vanished.
Any rising hope that had briefly surfaced also chilled and dissipated.
Revealing herself, she leaned against the wall of the passage as if collapsing.
Whether Baek Seoyeon lived or died was not her concern. Thinking about the future, it might be better for her to disappear at this point. Yeon Minha might even feel a sense of relief, like pulling out a bothersome tooth.
However, seeing his heart break was something she could never bear.
There was nothing she could do. She didn't want to cruelly be hated by hiding the inevitable truth, nor did she want to see him suffer from loss and live the rest of his life in pain.
She turned her sorrowful face, soaked in grief, and silently stared eastward, where he had gone.
Yet, she prayed earnestly.
That this time, he would choose her.
***
"Ugh..."
The large man who had been slumped over groaned.
His pupils regained focus for a moment, and he frantically glanced around.
The empty infirmary didn't even have a trace of an ant. Realizing that Hyun must have already reached the capital, he chuckled bitterly and stood up.
"That brat, really... ugh."
Still in pain, Mok Jinwoo rubbed the back of his neck.
Soon after, a crow flew in and pecked at the window with its beak.
Mok Jinwoo opened the window and let it in. Watching as the crow hopped onto his arm, he spoke up.
"Recording. This is the Branch Chief. An unexpected variable has arisen. Confirm whether the Subjugation Army's deployment can be expedited, and if not, confirm whether we can at least extract the Intelligence Bureau staff. Over."
The crow nodded as if understanding his words and then spread its wings and disappeared.
Only then did Mok Jinwoo exhale a shallow sigh. The Subjugation Army, comprised of the private soldiers of each family, was meticulously coordinating the perfect entry timing.
This was because the Army of Paechun was just that powerful. No matter how much rebellion they stirred up alone, their strength far exceeded that of several combined families.
There was a reason they confidently initiated the coup d'état, and likewise, there was a clear reason the Subjugation Army hesitated to advance.
And with Lee Hyun's sudden actions, all the plans up to that point were completely ruined.
However, Mok Jinwoo somehow didn't seem greatly concerned. He merely let out a sigh of slight inconvenience.
Even he found the reason for this feeling perplexing.
Perhaps it was because Lee Hyun seemed like an immensely adorable and pitiful nephew.
Or maybe it was because he had personally tasted the fragment of the omnipotent power Lee Hyun harbored.
Although he had already learned about the Witch's Authority possessed by Lee Hyun through Sa Jaehyuk, this was the first time he faced it directly.
And this overwhelming sense of helplessness was also a first.
It felt as if he had become nothing more than a lowly creature crawling on the ground, neither a mage nor anything else.
The terror of standing completely exposed before a merciless predator.
"How fortunate it is that he's on our side..."
Moving his body urgently, Mok Jinwoo recalled a strange conversation he had with someone a few days ago in the name of interrogation.
***
"...The Dormant Egg emits a wavelength into its surroundings, stimulating nearby beasts. It makes them respond extremely sensitively to external intrusions, so they can protect it."
Inside the Isolation Room. The voice of a forlorn girl resonated beyond the glass window, amplified by a device.
"It waits for an intelligent being to approach whose body it can seize. Once it detects the pheromones of an entity with a womb, it breaks its shell and approaches..."
"They?"
Beyond the glass window, the phonograph was playing continuously. With a cold expression, Mok Jinwoo, who was conducting the interrogation, asked her curiously.
"Is there a specific reason you use the term 'they'? 'We' would seem like a more fitting term."
At that, the girl beyond the isolation wall bit her lip tightly.
Then, she shook her head.
"I... I am human."
"..."
Her voice was frail but extremely resolute.
Her attitude over the past few days had greatly complicated Mok Jinwoo's thoughts.
Witch Spica.
Disguised as a cadet of the Cradle, she was, in reality, an alien parasite inhabiting the body of a pitiable girl.
She had been remarkably cooperative all along, rather than plotting conspiracies to burn the surface.
Thanks to her, they were able to uncover many valuable truths.
One such truth was that the newly hatched beings had already infiltrated various sectors of society.
Another was that one of them had crossed into the Northern Lands, posing as a priest, gathering demons, and scheming an invasion.
And that they were constructing a "Nest," something that must be destroyed, in the Northeastern Region.
However, a witch is still a witch.
After all the interrogations were over, she was naturally slated for a death sentence.
Considering the girl's true identity and the atrocities she had committed, it was, in fact, the only logical outcome.
There was no room for compassion. The countless tragedies caused by them had already been witnessed over a decade ago.
However, the more he conversed with her, the more he couldn't help but feel it.
That what was in front of him seemed closer to an ordinary female student than a monster.
"Let's wrap it up for today."
Mok Jinwoo, who had just snapped out of his thoughts, turned off the phonograph and spoke. Just as he was about to leave, the girl beyond the isolation wall cautiously asked about someone's well-being.
"Um... how is Hyun...?"
"He still hasn't regained consciousness."
"Ah..."
At Mok Jinwoo's response, the girl clutched her chest. Then, as if she were about to burst into tears, her face twisted, as though feeling a pang of conscience.
"...Well, I hear his vital signs are improving by the day. They say he might wake up in a few days."
"R-Really?"
At that, she suddenly changed her tone, letting out an exclamation of joy.
"What a relief, truly a relief..."
"..."
She wiped away her tears as if embarrassed.
"Ah, and there's one more thing I'd like to ask."
Mok Jinwoo, who had been gazing at her with a complex look as she appeared like a soft-hearted student, suddenly opened his mouth, as if recalling something.
"The Authority harbored in Hyun's body. You said you saw it directly."
"...Yes. Even when Regulus seized his body, his consciousness remained intact..."
"Then do you know its true identity?"
"Yes."
At that, the girl gently nodded.
"Polaris. It is the Authority of the witch who was originally meant to become the Alpha of the Second Generation. A power that brings everything in this land to its knees... the King's Power."
"The King's Power, the King's Power..."
Mok Jinwoo, pondering the peculiar phrasing, asked again.
"How did it end up in that boy?"
"That part, I don't know..."
This time, she shook her head.
"They thought Polaris was dead. Just a few years before its hatching, the signals had completely disappeared. Sometimes an egg breaks, so they thought it was one of those cases. But... how Hyun came to possess that power is..."
"I see..."
"Yes. But one thing is certain. The power now residing in Hyun's body... is significantly weakened."
"That's weakened...?"
Mok Jinwoo murmured blankly. The Authority he knew was an unprecedentedly powerful and terrifying force. It rendered any form of resistance from its opponent utterly impossible.
If what she claimed was weakened, he couldn't even imagine what its original power might have been.
"Yes. It's still undeniably a strong power, but... perhaps due to being compressed to fit a human body... its range has been significantly narrowed..."
"...What was its original range?"
The girl, who nodded, paused briefly before answering.
"It could easily cover a radius of 50km."