Chapter 123: Red Mask (2)

[The Key of the Demonic Energy Sea has transformed into 'Gae Bolg.']

[It has 34% of the strength of the original skill.]

A blue message window appeared in front of him.

He grabbed the Gae Bolg, put more Demonic Energy into it, and used the Authority of Divine Power.

'As expected, this is fraud.'

Although it only had 34% strength of the original, he could maintain the Gae Bolg without using Demonic Energy. And on top of that, he could use other Authorities.

He checked the time. It was 08:43 pm.

'He's probably going to arrive at 9 pm.'

KangWoo smiled and lowered his stance.

There were 15 minutes left.

Although it might not have been enough to face a world ranker, KangWoo wasn't worried.

'After all, that guy is the opponent.'

He looked at Alec.

Alec sighed and gripped his sword.

"That's too bad."

White light burst out of him.

Alec stomped the ground.

A white afterimage remained in place while his body shot forward.

A sword with intense mana targeted KangWoo, aiming for his right shoulder.

It was a technique that was simple but perfect.

"But it's useless."

KangWoo laughed coldly.

He moved forward and twisted his body. He hadn't done that to dodge the attack but to make sure it would hit him more precisely.

Right when Alec's sword was about to cut KangWoo's neck...

"Huh?!"

Alec was surprised and stopped the attack. It wasn't easy to stop while you were in the middle of an attack.

A strong pressure weighed on his hands, and his body screamed as if he were a truck screeching to a stop.

"See? I knew you'd do that."

KangWoo looked at him like he was pathetic and swung Gae Bolg.

The dark-red spear hit Alec, who was bent and pushed backward.

Tap-

He stepped on the floor and leaped toward Alec, who was being flung back.

KangWoo slashed upward.

Alec quickly twisted his body and blocked the attack, but he couldn't fully block the impact in mid-air.

Fwoosh-!

"Ugh!"

A dark fire spread from Gae Bolg's blade.

Alec rolled on the ground and tried to put out the fire.

KangWoo charged toward him.

Alec jumped back up and swung his sword.

KangWoo didn't dodge but moved his head toward the sword's trajectory.

The sword changed its trajectory and brushed past his cheeks.

The red mask was slightly cut, and blood leaked out through it. He ignored it, clenched his hand, and swung his fist.

Paf-!

"Cough!"

Blood spurted out of Alec's mouth, and he fell to the ground after receiving a hit from 'Sky Break'.

"Ugh... H, how."

Alec's eyes shook. He was astonished because his strength couldn't be compared to earlier.

"Tsk."

KangWoo clicked his tongue.

'I'll have to acknowledge his will.'

Seeing how he didn't try to kill him even while in the middle of such a situation, he had to recognize Alec's will to not kill anyone.

No, at that point, it wasn't just about will; it was closer to brainwashing.

'It was more fun against that assassin.'

Hyun didn't feel the excitement and nervousness of a battle.

Alec's strategy was useful only when he was overwhelmingly stronger than the opponent.

For someone like KangWoo, whose strength went beyond world rankers, fighting against him was boring and bothersome.

'Anyway, he isn't important.'

The fight with Alec wasn't important to his plan.

KangWoo checked the time again.

"Ha-ab!"

Alec charged toward him while he was distracted and swung a sword with intense mana embedded into it.

Once again, KangWoo put a vital point in front of the trajectory. The attack stopped.

Paf-!

"Ugh!"

"Let's leave it here. This is so boring that I'm starting to get annoyed."

KangWoo, who'd spent so many years in Hell fighting battles where his life was in danger, found the fight annoying.

'I didn't think he'd be like this.'

He didn't like it.

KangWoo narrowed his eyes.

There was one way to relieve his irritation...

"Who... are you?" Alec spoke in a low voice.

'He isn't the person I saw earlier today.'

Leaving the mask aside, the clothes and voice were exactly like the assassin's he'd met earlier that day.

But despite that, he thought they were 'different.'

His skills were on a whole other level compared to the assassin's.

"You call yourself a Guardian and don't even know that?" KangWoo said while making fun of him.

"If a Demon Cult member suddenly became stronger, that can only mean one thing..."

"Don't tell me..."

* * *

Alec's eyes widened.

He bit his lips.

Just like he'd said, there was only one way a Demon Cult member could've gotten so strong so quickly.

"You're a demon!"

Alec used the sword as a baton and got up. Strong killing intent came out of him. It was a killing intent KangWoo hadn't felt from him yet.

KangWoo nodded and smiled, satisfied.

"Yes, this is better."

He thought that he'd finally be able to fight properly.

Alec raised his sword.

The two superhumans clashed against each other on top of the hotel.

Boom-!

The entire place shook as if an earthquake was happening.

They exchanged numerous attacks in a short frame of time, but KangWoo seemed bored.

'This guy is still acting like that.'

Even though he'd said KangWoo was a demon, he wasn't attacking aggressively. He was only trying to restrain him.

He didn't say anything stupid like he'd protect even a demon's life.

'Is this only because of how I look?'

Just based on the outer appearance, KangWoo looked like a normal person.

That was probably the reason why Alec couldn't aggressively attack him.

It wasn't that KangWoo couldn't understand his actions.

After all, if someone asked you if it was easier to kill a monster that looked like a human or a human that looked like a monster, the answer was obvious.

'You don't have the right to be a Guardian.'

KangWoo's eyes sank.

He wasn't sure what exactly the Guardians were...

What he knew was that they had the job of protecting Earth from outside invaders.

That included the Ernor continent where Reynald lived or the God's world where Susanoo lived.

If he couldn't kill something just because it looked like a human, that meant he was useless as a Guardian.

Crack-!

"Cough!"

He grabbed Alec's neck.

Alec struggled in the air.

"Cough! Cough! L-let me go!"

"You're full of bullshit, huh?"

KangWoo gripped his neck tighter. He couldn't help but sigh.

'Is world-ranking a ranking of the dumbest people around the world?'

He realized how nice of a person Cheon MooJin was.

KangWoo checked the time.

The battle had ended faster than he'd thought. It was understandable since he'd fought an idiot who couldn't kill people.

'I have some time left.'

KangWoo slowly opened his mouth.

He was thinking of relieving his frustration on him.

"Of course, you probably have your reasons."

Humans didn't go insane easily.

Alec probably became like that because something had happened to him that was so sad that he couldn't handle it.

"If we made it a movie, it would probably be a very sad story."

That was the only possible reason he could think of.

"But does the world disappear if you close your eyes? If you turn your head, do things from the past simply vanish?"

"Ugh!"

"Be honest."

KangWoo twisted his mouth.

"You saw her, right?"

"What do you m—"

"The woman that died today in the alleyway. Be honest. You saw her. I'm sure you saw her."

"..."

Alec remained silent.

He couldn't understand what KangWoo was talking about.

AAH!

Bzzt. His eyes became blurry.

He saw himself agonizing over a woman's death.

It was something he had never seen, something he didn't remember.

But still, his mouth opened by itself.

"Shut... up!"

"Haha. Now that you're cursing, you finally look like a human."

KangWoo laughed out loud.

"Wake up. What you're doing is just masturbation. You're just shaking your hand so you can feel good."

The words that were making fun of him entered his ears.

Scenes he had forgotten came back to his mind.

Alec's eyes widened.

'Erina...'

He saw the woman he'd promised to spend the rest of his life with.

He saw her dying at the hands of someone and himself crying because of it.

Alec shouted as if he were about to have a seizure.

"You don't know anything!"

"What, do you want people to understand your tragic past? Do you want them to grab your hand and sympathize with you?"

KangWoo spat on the floor.

"People don't cry about your trauma, so stop trying to be a victim."

People going through hard situations often think the entire world is sad.

'Since I'm sad, the world must also be sad.'

But reality wasn't like that.

It had never been like that.

"AAGGHH!! C-COUGH!"

Alec began screaming and struggling.

KangWoo tightened his grip around his neck.

A desperate scream came out of Alec's mouth.

KangWoo smiled.

"Oof, fuck. Now I feel better."

He felt as if he'd drunk something refreshing.

He hadn't said all that because he cared about Alec.

He'd said it because everything Alec had said had annoyed him.

"However, when is that guy going to appear?"

KangWoo frowned.

He'd already done enough chit-talk, but the protagonist had yet to appear.

It was at that moment...

Boom-!

'They say that even the tiger comes when you talk about it.'

The doors of the terrace opened, and a young man appeared.

He had an unrealistically handsome appearance, and he shouted while breathing heavily.

"Mr. Alec!!"

Kim ShiHoon's scream spread through the place.

KangWoo covered his body with Demonic Energy.

His whole body became shrouded in darkness.

'Ah, I need to regulate my voice.'

KangWoo tried to put on an act and slowly opened his mouth.

[A minnow appeared.]

"Who are you?!" Kim ShiHoon took out his sword and shouted.

He saw his role model, Alec, being grabbed by the neck.

His body trembled, and his breath became heavier.

He didn't want to believe what he was seeing, and an incredible anger rose from within.

[Who am I?]

KangWoo, who was covered by darkness, turned his body.

[I am death. I am the end. I'm the father of every angry person, and I'm rage itself.]

Only the red mask could be seen in the pitch-black darkness.

[I'm Satan.]