Chapter 146
“Ghk…!”
Mariel and the Thorn Assault Unit gasped for breath.
The force that had once numbered well over a hundred had now been reduced to around twenty.
That was the price of passing through the indigo and violet metaphysical spaces.
***
The indigo space had drawn out the deepest desires buried within the elves.
Desire is born from wanting something one does not possess.
Living among humans, the elves longed for a utopia of their own—and the indigo space showed them that vision.
At that moment, desire sprouted like poisonous mushrooms in their hearts.
The desire to kill every human in Neo Seoul and claim their place for themselves.
That desire drove the elves into a frenzy.
Somehow, they managed to escape the indigo space—
But what awaited them next was the chaotic violet space.
Chaos stripped away their ability to judge properly, making them see each other as enemies.
They killed one another. Again and again.
By the time they escaped the violet space, their numbers had dwindled to twenty.
***
Faced with this unbelievable reality, Mariel and the elves trembled.
Only then did the memories of slaughtering their own comrades return vividly.
“This… this can’t be!”
“I… I killed my friend…”
“Ahhh—!”
The elves cried out in despair.
More than anything, elves valued their own kind above all else.
Their inferiority complex from living among humans—and the belief that they were persecuted—only made them cling more tightly to their kin.
And yet, those same elves had lost their reason and massacred each other.
It was impossible to accept.
“This is a dream… it has to be a dream.”
“How could I… with my own hands…”
Some denied reality outright.
But Mariel knew the truth.
It was neither a dream nor an illusion.
No matter how they justified it, no matter how unavoidable it had been—
They were sinners who had slaughtered their own kind.
“Do not cry. We don’t even deserve to cry. The only way to cleanse our sins… is to offer their souls with that man’s blood—and secure the Spirit King’s Crown.”
Mariel rebuked the elves and began moving forward.
There was nothing left standing between them and Damian.
“I will kill you and offer your life to my fallen comrades,Damian!”
“Waaaah!”
Mariel and the remaining elves charged at him.
***
Looking down at them,Damian spoke calmly,
“How many humans died because of you? And yet you dare act like victims over something like this? You invaded someone else’s world and ruined it—you should be prepared to pay the price.”
“Don’t spout nonsense,Damian!”
Mariel denied his words and swung her sword.
Clank!
Her blade stopped right in front of Damian’s neck.
Something invisible had bound her body.
It wasn’t just Mariel.
All the elves who had rushed forward were immobilized, as if caught in a spider’s web.
“What…?”
“It’s the web of a glass spider. As you can see, it’s transparent, so you can’t see it with the naked eye. Once you’re caught, you can’t escape on your own.”
“There’s no such thing—”
“Heh. Don’t judge everything by your own common sense. Dungeons are filled with all kinds of creatures beyond imagination. It wouldn’t be strange for one like this to exist.”
“Don’t lie.”
“How many dungeons do you think I’ve cleared?”
“…What nonsense—”
“Seventy-two. In eight years, I cleared seventy-two dungeons. That’s one every two months. Completely insane, right? No one else hunts dungeons like that. I risked my life for it—all to take revenge on you.”
“Crazy… We don’t even know you!”
“Maybe you don’t. But what about the elves, dwarves, and beastfolk in Elharun?”
“What are you talking about? Elharun?”
“So the elf queen never told you about Elharun. Hiding it even from your own kind… typical of elves—not to be trusted.”
At Damian’s mockery, Mariel and the elves flushed red with anger.
“Stop spreading lies, human!”
“Elves… whether my words are lies or not, you’ll find out soon enough. Your queen is already on her way.”
***
In Damian’s sight, Serian and the elites of the Northern District were approaching the fortress.
Snap!
With a flick of his fingers, the Spectrum Prison in front of them disappeared.
He had opened a path for them.
Serian paused briefly at the entrance, looking at Damian.
He was smiling at her.
But within that smile lay countless negative emotions—coldness, contempt, hatred.
Why was he looking at her like that?
The question crossed her mind.
But she stepped forward into the passage.
Now was not the time for answers—it was time to act.
Even now, Mariel and the elves, bound by invisible threads, were trembling on the verge of collapse.
She knew they had come with over a hundred.
Yet only twenty remained.
What had happened to the rest was obvious.
‘What kind of grudge does he have against elves…?’
Without such hatred, he could never go this far.
‘The Spirit King’s Crown… was just bait to lure out the elves.’
At this point, she could only wonder what drove Damian to hate them so deeply.
But before that—saving Mariel and the others came first.
***
Serian and the Northern District elites reached the top of the fortress in an instant.
Demian spread his arms theatrically in greeting.
“Welcome, Your Majesty—the queen of the parasitic races living off the human world.”
“…So you truly do hate us.”
“Not just me. Every human who knows the truth would hate you.”
“That happened over a hundred years ago. The other races living in Neo Seoul now have nothing to do with that incident.”
“So that means you bear no responsibility?”
“That’s…”
Serian was left speechless.
At that moment, Eli shouted from beside her.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Even if it hadn’t been us, Earth would’ve ended up like this. Your species was already heading toward extinction.”
“I hate people like you the most. You know full well it’s your fault, yet you push the blame onto others. That’s why I can’t forgive you.”
“And if you can’t forgive us, what will you do?”
“You’ll pay the price.”
“How arrogant! A mere human daring to demand accountability—”
As Eli flared up in anger, Serian restrained her.
“Enough.”
“There’s nothing more to discuss. That human must not be forgiven.”
“Eli!”
“I’ll kill him myself. In the end, all we need is the Spirit King’s Crown, right?”
Before Serian could stop her, Eli dashed forward.
In an instant, she reached Damian and swung her hand.
A white light burst from her palm.
It spread like a spiderweb, instantly surrounding Damian.
Webbing Cutter.
True to its name, it was a magic that formed webs of light and used them like blades to slice the target apart.
A unique ability of Eli’s—one that had earned her the title Spider Queen.
The web of light expanded into a tetrahedron and began to close in on Damian.
“Demian!”
At that moment, Alexandro stepped in front of him and threw a punch.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the Webbing Cutter shattered into pieces.
“How dare you!”
Eli raged at Alexandro for blocking her.
She immediately cast more spells—but every one of them was crushed by him.
“No one lays a hand on Damian without my permission.”
Alexandro growled like a beast.
The wounds he had suffered fighting Brixton were now compounded by the injuries from breaking Eli’s magic.
Blood soaked his entire body, yet his gaze did not waver in the slightest.
Eli shouted to the Awakened of the Northern District.
“What are you doing? Kill them and rescue our comrades!”
But none of them moved.
Serian had not given the order.
Serian let out a quiet sigh.
“…Eli. You truly don’t understand the weight of your actions. You will answer for this once we return to Neo Seoul.”
“Your Majesty—!”
Eli tried to protest, but she no longer had the chance.
Alexandro attacked.
“Your opponent is me.”
Like an enraged bear, he pressed her relentlessly.
Alexandro had already resolved himself to die.
There was nothing to fear, nothing to hesitate over.
He poured everything into his assault.
Even Eli struggled against him.
***
Serian sighed and approached Damian.
“You clearly harbor deep hatred toward us. But did you really have to escalate things this far? Do you know how many have suffered and died because of you?”
“That’s typical of your kind.”
“…What?”
“Passing off responsibility, dodging the point, pretending to be righteous while lecturing others…”
“Your hatred toward us truly reaches the sky. Fine. I won’t circle around anymore. Hand over the Spirit King’s Crown. It’s far too dangerous for humans to possess.”
“I know. That’s exactly why I brought it.”
“So it really was bait—to draw me out.”
“I figured you’d understand… the true entity sealed within the Spirit King’s Crown.”
As an ominous aura intensified around Damian, Serian’s expression darkened further.
“Your plan has succeeded. You’ve drawn me here. But now you should withdraw the Spectrum Prison. It was originally a magic circle meant to seal the Spirit King’s Crown. If it’s destroyed like this, the seal will weaken.”
Rumble—!
The entire Spectrum Prison was shaking violently.
It had been destabilized both from within—by Brixton and the Thorn Assault Unit—and from outside, where Zeon was destroying it.
At this rate, it wouldn’t last much longer.
And if it broke—
The entity sealed within the Spirit King’s Crown would be released.
That had to be prevented at all costs.
Serian’s eyes were filled with urgency.
But Damian turned away from her and spoke coldly.
“Then tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
“The location of Elharun.”
“…You did all of this for that?”
“Yes.”
“You’re insane.”
“That’s right. I am. So tell me—where is Elharun?”
Demian’s eyes were as cold as ice.
But Serian could feel it—
The twisted madness hidden beneath that coldness.
She glanced up at the yellow sky.
Once, over a hundred years ago, it had been blue.
In exchange for her people crossing over, Earth had become like this.
Our fate should have ended in Kurayan… then even Earth’s life wouldn’t have suffered.
If she had been the one to decide, she would never have come to Earth.
But back then, she had been nothing more than a young elf—forced to follow the decisions of her elders.
In a way, she too was a victim.
But she knew no one would believe that.
She had no intention of making excuses—
And even less intention of revealing Elharun’s location.
Regardless of original sin, Elharun was the last stronghold of the other races.
“…I’m sorry.”
“You’re not sorry at all, are you?”
“I hope you can understand… that I have my reasons.”
“I knew it. You pretend to be compassionate more than anyone, but you’re the most selfish of all.”
“Demian!”
“If you feel even a shred of guilt, then speak. Tell me the path to Elharun, you bitch!”
The anger Damian had suppressed until now finally exploded.
At that moment, Serian gave the order.
“Everyone—subdue him!”