Chapter 182 – Dream of the Demon God (2)

The last descendants of the Magic Empire.

They were about a thousand humans who had lived isolated on this island for over a thousand years.

Long ago, descendants of over ten thousand natives of this island and hundreds of mages dispatched as administrators.

After time passed, only about a thousand remained, a race (?) heading toward extinction.

“Still, it’s amazing that they survived trapped for that long.”

“That’s right. Moreover, most of the island is occupied by god’s fragments.”

At the group’s words, the mages looked at each other with terrified expressions.

The group was currently walking toward the island’s center with mages whose arms couldn’t move because pressure points were pressed on both arms.

The mages had pressure points pressed so they couldn’t use magic, and even though they hadn’t spoken, Sun-woo had figured out their entire past, leaving them terrified.

Thanks to that, there was little resistance, so they could easily be moved.

“You don’t need to be so scared. We are adventurers sent by the gods to assess the situation inside from the outside. And we received permission from the sealed gods to release the seals on the temples. If we were enemies, there’s no way we would leave you alive like this, right?”

While the group talked among themselves, Daniel continued persuading the captured mages.

It seemed better to clear up the misunderstanding before arriving at where they lived.

However, it seemed difficult to persuade them easily. Among the young ones, a few seemed to be listening, but they couldn’t even respond because they were watching the old mage who appeared to be the mages’ leader.

Sun-woo, who had checked their memories, said it would be impossible, but Daniel didn’t give up.

“More than that, it seems we need to prepare soon.”

Sun-woo opened his mouth while looking beyond the hill. The earth spirits had informed him that a god’s fragment was approaching.

“Run! It’s coming!”

At that moment, the mages urgently tried to flee backward.

Of course, they immediately failed due to Sun-woo, but they squirmed with terrified expressions.

“Amazing. Did you notice at almost the same time as Sun-woo?”

The group looked at the mages with surprised eyes.

“They’ve lived together for over a thousand years, so their vigilance ability must have gotten stronger.”

At Sun-woo’s words, the group nodded.

A moment later, the rest of the group could also notice the god’s fragment approaching.

A loud sound came from behind the hill.

And the next moment, they could see a black mass climbing over the hill.

“Is it a centipede type this time?”

A long black mass with numerous legs attached.

Once the mass came over the hill, it rushed toward the group at tremendous speed.

Kwang!

But unfortunately, this god’s fragment was also destroyed before Sun-woo could step forward.

It looked weak because of Sun-woo, but the group’s abilities excluding Sun-woo were also not ordinary.

Unless it was a god’s fragment that had become much stronger, there was no reason for the group to be afraid.

However, the mages had somewhat different expressions.

There was surprise at how easily they handled it, but anger and worry were included more.

“Do you know what you’re doing now! You fools who don’t even properly understand the island. The corrupted gods never die! The island has become more dangerous because of you!”

“Ah, is it because they revive stronger?”

“You knew! And yet you killed it, are you in your right mind!”

“If we don’t kill them, we die. We can’t just let them kill us…”

“Because of such thinking, how many mages died! We became like this all because of thinking like you!”

When god’s fragments first appeared in the past, many mages still remained on this island.

Although trapped on the island for a long time, tens of thousands of people and many mages were protecting the island and facilities.

When god’s fragments appeared, the mages attacked to eliminate the monsters, and the attacked god’s fragments grew endlessly stronger.

And after the fight, most of the mages died, and the island people had to take refuge in the island’s center.

“There are two god’s fragments that became stronger back then. One in the north, one in the west.”

The old mage who had been rambling like a sermon closed his mouth at Sun-woo’s words.

“Doesn’t it return to normal after time passes?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case. According to memory, they’re still the same. Well, they’re not even approaching though…”

“Then we did something rather sorry. It seems we need to find a way.”

At Sun-woo’s words, the Prince scratched his head. He and the group remembered the god’s fragment they had made evolve when they first met.

Of course, Sun-woo had eliminated that fragment, but the group still thought it was wandering around.

“I’m finding a method for that. I think there will be a way.”

Of course, the way was already found (he had eliminated them all), but since he couldn’t show demonic energy, he could only say it was roughly possible.

“So you stayed behind saying you’d lure them, but you were finding a method?”

“Well, something like that.”

Sun-woo nodded at Van Shingwan’s words.

“More than that, let’s hurry and move. It will revive soon. Like before, I’ll stay behind and lure it.”

At Sun-woo’s words, the group set out again. Even while being led by the group, the mages had expressions of not understanding.

They knew that unless they hid in ruins, luring god’s fragments was impossible.

“Then shall I quickly finish it off.”

The group disappeared beyond the hill, and a god’s fragment with body wrapped in armor-like scales appeared before Sun-woo.

Sun-woo swung his sword wrapped in demonic energy toward the god’s fragment that had evolved one stage.

Whiiik

***

Some time later, Sun-woo caught up with the group, and the next day the group could arrive at the basin in the island’s center.

During that time, they encountered god’s fragments two more times.

They hurried to take refuge in ruins because of the mages who were afraid the group might attack the god’s fragments.

They could have released the magic circles of those ruins too, but the group decided to first go to the island’s center and check the situation.

The island’s center was surrounded by a circular high wall cut vertically.

It was nature’s gift created by wind over a long time, where a low mountain was carved to become a cylindrical cliff.

Inside that cliff were the village and facilities where the island’s people lived.

The group headed toward a small canyon between the cliffs.

A canyon split like a crack between the surrounding walls, it was a narrow path where about two carriages could pass side by side.

And in front of the canyon, there was a shabby watchtower and two men with spears standing guard.

The men, surprised by the group’s approach, hastily raised their spears, but soon relaxed and let the group inside.

“You’ve captured outsiders. You’ve worked hard.”

They looked at the group with surprised eyes but only glanced at them sideways, perhaps scared of the mages.

The mages who couldn’t speak with pressure points pressed turned pale at that sight.

‘What is this?’

Clearly they were being captured, but those guards saw it the opposite way.

It was thanks to Sun-woo’s illusion technique, but the mages who couldn’t know that had no choice but to become even more terrified.

After walking a while through the vertical canyon that seemed over a hundred meters high, a wide basin spread before the group’s eyes.

It was a giant basin surrounded by high hills.

The basin that looked like a giant crater or as if a meteorite had fallen looked like seeing a mountain village town, except for the giant building visible in the center.

The forest surrounding the outskirts, wide fields and ranches, and old houses gathered in the center.

The group that had only seen the natural forest outside felt relief and warmth at the sight inside.

The group headed toward the building in the basin’s center following the path that continued from the canyon.

While the group went, people working in the fields and children herding sheep-like animals all politely bowed toward the group.

Of course, everyone was bowing toward the mages.

Some people seemed to wonder about the group going with the mages, but no one rashly asked.

“It’s like seeing nobles.”

“It’s probably the same as nobles. In this place.”

Looking at the people who couldn’t raise their heads, Alda whispered to Sun-woo.

Although she knew people didn’t recognize them thanks to Sun-woo’s ability, Alda couldn’t quite speak loudly.

“You can talk normally. They can’t hear anyway.”

It wasn’t illusion technique but a soundproof barrier made with internal energy, but since the result was the same, it didn’t matter.

“But can this illusion magic fool everyone? Then it seems like you could do anything…”

The people of this fantasy world all understood the explanation about illusion technique as illusion magic.

It was actually completely different, but Sun-woo, who found it hard to explain every time, just left their misunderstanding alone.

“Illusion magic has limits. It doesn’t work at all on higher class mages or strong swordsmen. And it can also be broken by other magic.”

At the Prince’s explanation, Van Shingwan nodded.

And Daniel, who knew it wasn’t illusion magic, made a troubled expression.

Though there were wrong parts, it was correct that it didn’t work well on strong people.

Even now it worked because they were ordinary people, but there was a high probability of being caught by proper mages.

“Who are you bastards!”

Like now.

Having safely passed through the village’s main street, those who arrived in front of a large and magnificent dome-shaped building were blocked by mages before entering the building.

Several old mages had come out in front of the building and were waiting for the group, and one mage who was watching the approaching group shouted.

“At least there’s a proper mage.”

When the mage shouted, the illusion technique immediately broke.

“It’s the enemy!”

“The mages have been taken hostage!”

The people who had been watching the outsiders being escorted by mages screamed in surprise at the broken illusion technique and ran in all directions.

And the guards protecting in front of the building and the mages who had been waiting after hearing they were escorting at the entrance raised swords and staffs toward the group.

“Wait a moment. We are not enemies. Put down your weapons!”

The Prince immediately removed his hand from his weapon, raised both hands, and shouted.

“What are you saying while holding hostages!”

“They attacked without listening, so we were detaining them. Look. They are not hurt at all!”

At the Prince’s words, the spears and staffs lowered a bit.

“Will it work?”

“I don’t think so.”

When Yeonhwa, standing in the back, whispered to Sun-woo, Sun-woo shook his head left and right.

From checking the memories, the old mages were the highest vested interest group on this island. They were people who wouldn’t properly listen.

“Release the hostages first! Then we’ll listen to what you have to say!”

At the shout of the mage wearing the most colorful clothes among the mages, the Prince had a troubled expression.

It was an obviously visible trick. He looked back at Sun-woo.

“It’s fine. We can sufficiently subdue them.”

At Sun-woo’s answer, the Prince responded to the mages’ words.

“Alright. We’ll return the hostages.”

As soon as the Prince finished speaking, Sun-woo released the pressure points while passing by the mages.

The mages with pressure points released cautiously walked toward the old mages while watching carefully.

And the moment the mages joined together.

The old mage who had been hostage shouted.

“They’re demons! We must kill them all! They’re reviving the monsters. They released all the seals too!”

The old mage ran into the building while shouting loudly, and the remaining mages raised their staffs toward the group.

Tang, tang, tang.

The bell tower’s bell rang urgently, and men with plows and spears rushed out from all over the village.

“Don’t tell me we have to fight all the people in this place?”

The Prince and group made troubled expressions looking at the people gathering from all directions.