Chapter 165: The True Mastermind

And at the moment the true owner appeared, Gaon could understand why the ominous energy hadn’t felt unfamiliar.

It’s perfection.

The ominous energy was also perfection.

A completely different kind from Gaon’s perfection or Mirdaon’s perfection.

That’s why it was very intriguing.

What exactly was its identity?

Why had it been hiding inside Larun’s body?

“What’s your identity?”

Gaon asked Larun.

Then, Larun, who had been moving his body around, raised his head to look at Gaon and answered.

“That’s what I should be asking. Are you even human? What’s your identity? How did you obtain perfection? It doesn’t look like you got it the same way I did, since it’s clean.”

Larun poured out words in succession, then fell into thought for a moment and muttered to himself.

“I thought it was impossible for humans to obtain perfection through normal means. Anyway, if there was such a method, there would have been no need to sacrifice the kingdom’s people. What a pity.”

At the following mutter, Gaon’s eyes flashed.

One piece of information came to mind.

The Rios family had been a royal family from the beginning.

Not referring to the Rios Empire.

It was the royal family of the long-extinct Belterik Kingdom.

After the Belterik Kingdom fell and a long time passed, they founded Rios together with Schutaren and Valen.

And at that time, the Belterik Kingdom fell due to a bizarre incident in the capital.

The bizarre incident meant that overnight, regardless of status or race, all living beings in the capital disappeared.

Could it be…….

Of course, it wasn’t certain.

To confirm, Gaon asked Larun, who was lost in thought.

“Are you Astrek Belterik?”

“!”

Larun flinched.

And he looked at Gaon with a surprised face.

From Larun’s reaction, Gaon was certain.

The true owner of the ominous energy was definitely the king who ruled the Belterik Kingdom at that time, Astrek Belterik.

“I didn’t think there would be someone who knows me.”

Soon, Larun, no, Astrek opened his mouth.

“Well, since you’re someone who obtained perfection. It’s not strange that you know. But it’s really amazing. How exactly……?”

Astrek muttered to himself again and fell into thought.

Gaon met Astrek’s gaze and thought.

Why parasitize?

Looking at the situation, Astrek must have been parasitizing descendants for generations.

What didn’t make sense was why he bothered to parasitize.

Gaon, who had obtained perfection, knew.

Lifespan had greatly increased.

If the fall of the Belterik Kingdom was tens of thousands of years ago, maybe, but it was at most 700 years ago.

Astrek’s lifespan must have also greatly increased, so why parasitize?

Because he didn’t obtain it through normal means?

Looking at the situation, Astrek must have obtained perfection by sacrificing numerous lives.

In other words, a shortcut.

If lifespan didn’t increase because it was obtained through a shortcut, the current situation was explained.

Maybe not.

Of course, it wasn’t certain.

Even if obtained through a shortcut, perfection is perfection.

There might be another reason for parasitizing besides lifespan.

Gaon ended his thoughts and asked Astrek.

“Was colluding with the demon world also your doing?”

“Haha, it wasn’t just my idea.”

Astrek, who had been lost in thought, laughed heartily at Gaon’s words and answered.

“This child was afraid, you see, of Schutaren and Valen’s power growing day by day.”

The ‘child’ Astrek mentioned was definitely Larun.

And according to Astrek’s words, Larun also wanted the collusion with the demon world.

“I see.”

Gaon nodded as if understanding.

And he immediately cast magic.

Crackle! Crackle!

All sides froze over.

Perfectly, without a single gap.

At the sudden change in situation, Astrek’s expression hardened, and Gaon smiled brightly and said,

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The reason Gaon completely sealed the surroundings was because of Astrek.

Astrek had been secretly preparing to escape.

” “

At Gaon’s words, Astrek couldn’t say anything.

He just stared at Gaon and thought.

Damn brat.

The reason Astrek tried to escape was very simple.

Because of the difference in power.

Both had perfection.

However, that didn’t mean their powers were equal.

Astrek could tell as soon as he saw Gaon.

That Gaon was overwhelmingly stronger.

That the outcome of the battle was obvious.

That’s why Astrek tried to escape.

I can’t just go down quietly.

Of course, Astrek had no intention of quietly accepting death just because the outcome was obvious.

Astrek’s nails turned sharp.

And Astrek scratched his arm with the sharp nails.

Naturally, a long wound formed, and blood spurted out.

At Astrek’s sudden action, Gaon thought.

Not trying to kill himself…….

The amount of blood flowing from the wound was unusual.

For an ordinary person, it was enough to have already collapsed and be heading toward death.

Gaon watched the situation for a moment.

He was curious what he was trying to do.

Right then.

The puddle of blood on the floor began to take shape.

It was a small golem about 40cm in size.

Not just one.

In an instant, 10 were created.

Moreover, each one had power equivalent to a being who crossed the wall.

Is this all?

Of course, they weren’t a threat to Gaon at all.

Gaon asked Astrek with slightly disappointed eyes.

“This isn’t the end, right?”

At Gaon’s words, Astrek furrowed his brows and shouted.

“Aroad, Manartago Paisor!”

It wasn’t a shout toward Gaon.

It was a ‘shamanic incantation’ to strengthen the blood golems.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

As soon as the incantation was cast, various patterns appeared on the blood golems’ bodies.

And Gaon could feel that the golems had become one level stronger.

Of course, they still weren’t a threat.

However, at the following situation, Gaon couldn’t help but be slightly surprised.

The blood golems rushed not at Gaon, but at Astrek.

And Astrek didn’t avoid them.

He accepted them with the widest smile possible.

Like that, the blood golems struck Astrek’s body.

And like ink seeping in, the blood golems seeped into Astrek’s body and became armor.

Ho.

Gaon, who had thought the blood golems were summons, admired.

Of course, not because it was a sight he was seeing for the first time.

There were many spirit masters who covered their bodies with spirits and engaged in close combat.

In other words, covering the body with summons and engaging in close combat wasn’t unfamiliar.

What Gaon admired was that Astrek chose ‘hand-to-hand combat.’

“I didn’t think you’d give me this much time.”

Right then, Astrek laughed heartily and said.

“You’re too arrogant.”

And having finished speaking, Astrek clashed his two fists.

Thud!

As the two fists clashed, a shockwave spread.

Gaon lightly dispersed the shockwave.

And he smiled brightly and created a Pacheonki sword.

He could win easily if he used magic.

However, an opponent with perfection wasn’t someone he could meet easily.

Moreover, hand-to-hand combat.

The one he ultimately had to face, Demon King Mirdaon, was also a physical type who mainly engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

A good opportunity.

Gaon had no intention of missing the golden opportunity to experience hand-to-hand combat with a being who had perfection in advance.

“Huh, a sword?”

Astrek looked at Gaon’s sword and muttered with a dumbfounded face.

“It’s not a bluff, so perhaps you’ve mastered both paths?”

Ending the mutter with a question, Astrek tilted his head.

And with the widest smile possible, he charged at Gaon.

The distance closed in an instant.

And Astrek thrust his fist.

Gaon swung the Pacheonki sword to block the fist.

Like that, the Pacheonki sword and fist collided.

Boom!

An explosion echoed.

Afterward, the two exchanged blows as if agreed upon.

As time passed like that, changes appeared in the two’s expressions.

Puzzlement on Gaon’s expression.

Dismay on Astrek’s expression.

Soon, the two distanced themselves after exchanging blows as if agreed upon.

And Gaon furrowed his brows.

Pathetic?

Since Astrek was so confident, he thought he was strong in hand-to-hand combat.

But for some reason, flaws were visible from the start.

At first, he thought it was testing the waters.

So, to show there was no need to test, he exploited the flaws.

However, Astrek continued to show flaws.

And a while later, he realized.

That Astrek was weak in hand-to-hand combat.

Then why did he opt for hand-to-hand combat?

Why did Astrek confidently propose hand-to-hand combat?

Because he knew shamanism wouldn’t work?

Or because he trusted the ignorantly tough armor?

In fact, the armor was tough.

To the point it wasn’t destroyed despite being struck countless times by the Pacheonki sword containing perfection.

However, even that was now at its limit.

It had weakened to the point it would be destroyed after a few more strikes from the Pacheonki sword.

And that based on normal swinging attacks.

If he attacked using forms of the Pacheon Sword Technique?

He could shatter it in one go.

If I knew it would be like this, I should have ended it quickly…….

Thinking he had wasted time, Gaon made an irritated face and extended the Pacheonki sword toward Astrek.

“……?”

Puzzlement fully appeared on Astrek’s face.

And at that moment, the Pacheonki sword vibrated.

Crack!

A hole formed in Astrek’s chest.

More precisely, only the armor was destroyed, not the body.

“Urk!”

Astrek let out a scream.

Swaat!

And a 1m-long ink-black spear appeared in the air and flew toward Astrek.

The ink-black spear was fast.

Since there was no time, Astrek hurriedly blocked the hole with both hands, but it was meaningless.

Crack!

The armor on both hands was already weakened to the max, and the ink-black spear was strong enough to have pierced numerous dragons.

The ink-black spear pierced right through both hands and burrowed into Astrek’s chest.

And Astrek was pushed back by the force of the ink-black spear and fell backward.

Swaaa…….

Following that, Astrek’s armor turned to dust and disappeared.

And Astrek hurriedly shouted.

“Just spare me! Please! I’ll do anything! You know, right? I’ll be a great help!”

Gaon answered Astrek’s words.

“Not just help.”

And he immediately exploded the tip of the ink-black spear.

Boom!

A small explosion echoed inside Astrek’s body.

That was the end.

Gaon could see Astrek’s soul dissipating.

And as Astrek’s soul dissipated, the original owner of the body, Larun, awakened.

“Ah…….”

Though control of the body was taken, Larun, who had been watching everything from inside, let out a low sigh.

And following that, he muttered to himself toward Gaon.

“Monster…….”

Ending the short mutter, Larun closed his eyes.

He met death.

Swaaa…….

And Larun’s body began turning into pitch-black ash.

It was presumed to be the aftermath of Astrek’s power.

Hmm?

After Larun’s corpse completely turned to ash like that, Gaon let out a groan.

Because of the energy detected by his senses.

Gaon waved his hand.

Then, something floated up from Larun’s ashes.

It was a fist-sized crimson gem.

The problem was that the energy felt from the crimson gem was very ominous.

Perfection!

It was definitely Astrek’s perfection.