The Returner

2. Ah, this is a national embarrassment (2)

“It's not usually possible to prevent Margie from invading the brain. ”

Herkana continued her explanation.

“The reason it can't be stopped is simple. It's because Margie invades the brain through dark magic. I have no choice but to use my magic. The problem is that black magic itself has negative energy. ”

“Yes.”

“Humans are moderately neutral. If you lean too much in either direction, your very existence will collapse. ”

“That's right.”

“So those who embrace excessive black magic become negative beings. Easy for you to say, you're an undead. I can't hold on to my life anymore. ”

Aphedrice listens to her explanation without saying anything. I already knew that, but I thought there was a reason for saying this.

“The reason I can't stand it is because my whole body is contaminated with black magic. It's funny to put pollution in my position as the Demon King, but it's true. However, the fact that the body is contaminated by Black Magic does not mean that it changes. Eventually……. ”

Herkana glows.

“Purification is impossible. ”

“ ……. ”

The appendage sighs.

“That's quite a story. ”

“But what if it's not purification? ”

“… Yes? ”

“Creation and regeneration might restore his body for the first time. ”

“It's God's domain. ”

“Yes. It's methodological. But there is such a way. Almost impossible, but not impossible, right? ”

“ ……. ”

The head of the appendage has become complicated.

The power of creation is God's domain.

‘Latrel.'

Is the God of Light Latrel able to regenerate the body of Lee Hyuk?

‘Difficult.’

Appeldrich was skeptical of his judgment.

If she had been able to bring such power to reality, she would have removed the Black Magic Power from the body of Lee Yi Hyuk herself, not by using bundles to stop it.

“Ahh... ”

In the end, Lee Hyuk, who was a two-dimensional being, could not even touch Latrell's power. And the gods that once existed in this world are now nothing but traces.

Humans on this earth have become independent beings who have escaped God's domain.

“It doesn't make any sense. ”

“Maybe.”

Erkana looks at the appendage with a subtle face and reaches out and strokes her head.

“Do we like Darling? You're worried about all that? ”

“… you don't know. ”

“Huh?"

“You don't know. You wouldn't understand him. ”

“You mean the lizard can understand? If you can't understand him, you can't understand him, either. ”

“Of course. It's just... ”

Demons are water.

They try to make like-minded people like themselves.

Seduce, deform, and corrupt.

But a dragon watches.

Even if it is an unharmed object, we just observe it. If it continues, if it continues...

“I'm crazy. ”

“Definitely.”

Ercana looks at the appendage as if it were funny.

Dragons are unchanging beings.

There are few emotional changes and are not affected by other beings as they themselves are complete individuals.

I don't know if this is a wildlife, but they are sure of the distinction between self and Thaa and are unaffected by other environments and objects.

Stubborn people.

It would be right to call them clogged beings.

Both humans and demons interact with one another, but dragons do not interact with one another.

That's why they're isolated.

But the appendage was different.

It has been a long life and has also been influenced by mere mortals, despite its tenacious status as Lord.

Although Lee Hyuk is not just referred to as a human being.

“You gonna be okay?"

“Yes?”

“You have left Lord's place and come here. ”

“That's right.”

“Now you can live with that. But human life isn't forever. Darling will die eventually, even if it prevents erosion. So how do you plan to survive the rest of your life? ”

“ ……. ”

“The memory of a dragon is eternal. You're going to live in hell, haunted by the ghost of Darling. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“But was it worth it to leave all that behind? ”

The appendage smiles brightly.

Even Erkana felt beautiful for a moment.

“I don't think you have anything to say, thirteenth Demon King. ”

“Not really.”

Erkana grunts and laughs.

Then I reached out and pinched Lee Hyuk's cheek.

“He's a bad man. ”

“I see.”

“You should be thankful that pretty girls like you. I'm full.”

The appendage laughs.

She and Herkana are living in the shadows. Without Lee Hyuk's buffer, we would have risked our lives to kill each other.

However, Lee Hyuk did not discriminate against dragons, demons and humans.

‘So you must be lonely. ’

He was alone enough not to feel a sense of belonging for any species.

“How long do you think we have? ”

“I don't know.”

Herkana scratches her cheek.

“The concept of time is very long for me. As do you.”

“That's right.”

“So it's not easy for me to divide time based on the extent of a mere human life. Maybe tomorrow, maybe nothing will happen until he's old enough to die. ”

Aphedrice glances at Herkana and says,

“Don't you want that? ”

“What?”

“If Lee Hyuk becomes a Mage, he will be able to spend eternal time with you. Wouldn't that be better for you? ”

“Have you forgotten?”

“What do you mean? ”

“It's not the birth of a horse named Lee Hyuk that makes him the devil. The existence of Lee Hyuk disappears, and a new horse is born. They say it's the same memory, but everything's different. Then Darling is no longer Darling. ”

“ ……. ”

“I don't need shells. Whatever Darling looks like, if it's Darling, I'm satisfied. But if the shell remains intact, I will have no choice but to hate him surrounding Darling's shell. That's what a country is. ”

The appendage seemed to be able to sympathize with her mind.

Now she was feeling the same way.

“But……. ”

“Yes?”

“I also have a sense of unconsciousness, so sometimes I feel the urge to fix Darling's face. ”

Nod.

Aphedrice nods unknowingly.

You don't care because you're from another race?

Humans know the difference between a pretty dog and an ugly dog.

“Accepting it as it is is is not easy. ”

“I see.”

Rrrrrr.

Lee Hyuk fell asleep without knowing what was going on about him.

* * *

It's cold.

It's so cold.

I can't even feel the smell of a nose prick.

How long has it been?

‘I'll drive you crazy. ’

Lee Hyuk closed his eyes as he listened to the sound of falling water.

The difference between night and day disappears and even the sense of time disappears.

We can only know that it exists here.

‘Am I alive? ’

It is ambiguous what life is.

If breathing was life, he'd be alive. But if you call moving and acting and changing life, he's dead now.

Stay hidden.

The worst prison on the continent, Velkatraz.

Over a year has passed, trapped at the bottom of a tunnel where there is no light, the half-body is submerged.

“Hehe hehe.”

Hunger is endless.

Others would have died within three days, but death was an unauthorized luxury for Lee Hyuk.

The senses to be paralyzed maintained an endless sense of sensitivity, and the spirit to collapse awakened every hour.

Hate didn't even work.

Even grudges are diluted.

Even if there is hell, it will not suffer like that.

“Ahh... ”

Lee Hyuk sighed low.

“Tired.”

Coming here is tiresome.

And at times, it was hate that rose like fire and was forced to disappear.

He was stuck here just because his skin color was different and he looked different.

Understand?

does not exist.

Conversation?

It was unthinkable.

He's just a stranger here.

It was a completely different being, not being from another place.

‘I'll kill you. ’

Rage dominates the body.

“Aaahhhhhh!”

He shouts endlessly toward the unseen. The tinnitus that turned Velkatraz into the Devil's Den echoes through the tunnels.

It's been half a year since food came in.

If it wasn't for the indestructible spear, they would have tried to escape, but these lunatics have also enchanted themselves with the insanity of putting steel in the shaft.

A common spear would have escaped by shredding the body, but the magic was inevitable.

Whatever it takes, it bounces back and dribbles.

“Kick, Kick, Kick.”

Lee Hyuk reached out to the spear.

Phage work.

Your hands are on fire.

‘Bright.’

It burns hands and brightens the area.

It was one of the few hobbies I could enjoy here.

To see the light.

Confirming that this place isn't just a place where darkness exists.

“Now we have a decision to make. ”

I can't stay here anymore.

I stayed in this hell for a long time because I feared that if I dug a tunnel and the tunnel collapsed, my body would be crushed and I would stay here forever.

It's a terrible punishment to take away the freedom to move his body now.

“Chuckle.”

Lee Hyuk smiled.

And I cried.

What sin have I committed that I should be like this?

“I'll kill you. ”

Human.

No, something in a human hood.

If we leave here, they will pay the price.

For persecuting him and keeping him here.

Resetting his hatred won't change his mind, which means he's not wrong. It is not decided by a moment of emotion.

They were human to him, but not human.

“Chuckle.”

Lee Hyuk laughed and took a deep breath.

If there is a God…….

If there is a god who has helped him like this, he will tear it apart.

And I will return him to those who made him.

This hatred.

This fear.

“Ugh... ”

Lee Hyuk gripped it and threw himself forward.

Phage job!

Lee Hyuk's whole body starts to burn.

Burning sensation.

The greatest pain a human can feel reigned over all of him with an unbroken consciousness.

“Aaahhhhhh!”

The sound of a shout popping out of my neck suddenly breaks.

The wounded vocal chords can no longer make a sound.

Instead of shouting silently, Lee Hyuk went on and on.

You can't see anything with your melted eyes.

‘I'll kill you. ’

Eighty-nine and a thousand.

Lee Hyuk went back before his brain melted.

The silent scream fills the shaft.