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Chapter 221
From the moment Lee Hyun entered the Ancient Desert City, he had only one goal.
—The leash.
“The research lab… They said it contains something that can control the Demon King Sata.”
Lee Hyun had been curious: why was Samahoe trying so desperately to reclaim Satawang, and why were they pouring everything into retaking the research facility?
It couldn’t simply be because they feared their research being exposed.
If that were the case, they would have wiped the entire Palmyra Ruins—which housed the Bell Temple—off the map.
There was no reason to reclaim it.
That’s why he assumed there had to be some secret hidden in the lab. And after interrogating the demons one by one, he uncovered interesting information:
Peng Jinghao himself had issued the order to retake the lab.
And—
inside were not only secret documents related to Satawang, but also an item that could control him…
The item they called the “leash.”
“With Sha-Ying and the Chain Reaper gone, Peng Jinghao or the Onma President will definitely move to retrieve this at any cost.”
If it was truly that important, there was no way they would let it fall into his hands.
“In that case, it actually becomes easier for me to set the trap.”
A sharp smile tugged at Lee Hyun’s lips.
“Now you’re the ones being hunted, Peng Jinghao.”
He wondered what expression Peng Jinghao would make when he saw the leash in Lee Hyun’s hand.
Strictly speaking, ever since he regained his powers, he and Peng Jinghao had only engaged in invisible, indirect conflict.
They hadn’t actually faced each other in person.
According to Son Oh-gong, the guy had been furious ever since he lost his eyes.
Lee Hyun wondered if that would still be the case when they finally met.
And then—
“I also need to settle things with the Bull Demon King.”
He never forgot the second purpose of securing the research facility:
—His brother’s whereabouts.
In some ways, this was more important to him than revenge on Peng Jinghao or reclaiming Satawang.
The Bull Demon King knew where Moon Soo-chan was.
And above all—
Zzzt—!
His right eye had been aching nonstop.
[The demonic energy embedded in ‘Sacred Relic: Thunder-Eye Purification’ is reacting to the demonic energy welling up beneath the city!]
Even though he hadn’t activated it, Thunder-Eye Purification kept turning on, illuminating the ground.
A vast blue barrier shimmered throughout the city, as if telling him to go below.
“Somewhere beneath this city, the Bull Demon King is waiting. That must be where the lab is.”
Lee Hyun forcibly shut off the relic.
“If I’m reacting this strongly with just a small amount of demonic energy… then what about Minjeong?”
She was probably overwhelmed trying to suppress the demonic surge.
Thump-thump-thump—
He swore he could hear her heartbeat from somewhere.
[Hwa-An Golden Eyes is automatically activating. A portion of the myth regarding ■■dae■ has been discovered.]
[Retrieve the myth of ■■dae■.]
Lee Hyun covered his eyes with his hand and organized his thoughts.
“Once I uncover my brother’s whereabouts… The Bull Demon King may hate Great Sage Heaven’s Equal, but ultimately his rage is directed at Heaven, as well as toward the Celestial Church.”
He pictured the Bull Demon King’s clone swinging the Palm-Leaf Fan with eyes blazing.
“There’s a chance we can reason with him. But if that fails, then…!”
He swallowed the rest of that thought.
First, he needed to focus on dealing with Peng Jinghao and Samahoe.
He had to handle them while keeping the central thread intact—and prepare for the Bull Demon King, the unpredictable third party.
While he sorted his thoughts—
“It won’t be hard to gather the heads of the survivor groups. Most are either with us or belong to the UN. However…”
Captain Ation, apparently finished sorting his own thoughts, spoke quietly.
“Two groups are the problem. The Tower of Babel and the 13th Legion. They are inherently hostile forces.”
There was concern—not about summoning them, but whether they would cooperate.
But—
Fft.
Lee Hyun chuckled lightly.
As if it wasn’t difficult at all.
“No. It’s the opposite. That actually makes them easier to handle.”
“Hm…?”
“Do you really think they’ll act tough when their heads are getting smashed in?”
“……!?”
Beldana.
The 4th Floor Administrator of Babel Tower, and an Apostle of Moloch, stood in front of the city hall with her subordinates.
It was now Astra’s base camp, where Desert Eagle and the rest were stationed.
An hour ago, she had received Captain Ation’s message:
—We will soon be holding a discussion regarding the plan to escape the dungeon.
—As the representative of Babel Tower, please attend.
There was an unspoken implication: if she didn’t show up, Babel Tower survivors might not be taken along when they escaped.
Beldana didn’t bother scoffing.
She had been curious about this “Jet” person anyway, so she agreed merely to see him.
But—
“Hahahaha! I was wondering why there was such a gloomy stink around here. Of course—it’s you, Fire Oni.”
A booming laugh approached.
Beldana frowned.
A man she despised was walking toward her.
A neatly pressed military officer’s uniform, trench coat draped over his shoulders, and a cigar the size of a fist between his lips.
Gaius Marcell.
Originally a monk of the Abyssal Order, but after claiming the strict doctrine didn’t suit him, he literally burned down the Order’s sanctum and defected to the Legion.
Thanks to that, his current rank in the Legion was Lieutenant Colonel.
He was part of the “betrayer scum” Beldana despised most—
the same type as Kiyujin, the top pioneer of the Tower.
Lieutenant Colonel Gaius, with his previous credentials, now worked as a treasure hunter for the Legion, excavating various ruins.
“Not that I wanted to know.”
But after living in close proximity for nearly a month, some things naturally came up.
“I told you to never call me that again.”
“Haha. Why so shy? I’d love a cool nickname like that myself.”
“If you like it so much, take it.”
“Oh, I want to. But what can I do? The world couldn’t care less about a mole like me.”
‘Fire Oni’ was a derogatory nickname mocking Moloch, known for taking only children as sacrifices.
It was understandably infuriating for Beldana—but Gaius looked utterly unbothered.
“Do you want to die?”
FWOOOOSH—!
[The burning aura of the Fallen 4th Floor spreads in all directions!]
A whirlwind of fiery energy burst out from Beldana.
Her killing heat seemed ready to engulf Gaius.
His escorts tensed and reached for their holsters—
But Gaius raised a hand, signaling them to stop, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.
Even this heat didn’t faze him.
“Impressive firepower, as always. Enough to burn down a handful of Middle Eastern towns.”
“……”
“And the desert heat only boosts it further. If the Sha-Ying bastards hadn’t used hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, no—if there had been anything burnable in this desert at all, someone like you wouldn’t still be trapped in this city. Right?”
Beldana narrowed her eyes.
She sensed a hidden intention behind his tone.
“What are you trying to say?”
“What else? Let’s form another temporary alliance—just like we did because of Sha-Ying.”
“……”
“Unless you think you can handle their increased numbers alone? Over Zero is there, and Samahoe’s natural enemy is there too.”
Over Zero—Michael Shepherd, Astra’s chief strategist—was feared by those who knew him.
After all, he possessed the myth of the Archangel Gabriel.
Precognition, exceptional anti-demon ability—he was a menace to demons.
And then there was Jet, the new “Bane of Samahoe.”
No further explanation needed.
“If they were truly focused only on escaping the dungeon, fine. But what if they’re not? Or what if they turn on us the moment we exit?”
“……”
“So? With your firepower, you’d be a major force inside this confined space.”
He held out his hand with a sly grin.
Beldana stared at it for a moment, then grasped it with a displeased expression.
“Fine. I’ll work with you. But—”
“I know. The moment you see an angle for betrayal, you’ll leave without hesitation. I don’t expect loyalty from any of you either.”
On the Middle Eastern front, everyone was an enemy.
The Tower of Babel and the 13th Legion were no exception.
“Only until we leave this dungeon. Just until then—we’re comrades in fate. OK?”
“Sure.”
Beldana clasped his hand—but she never intended to trust him.
He wasn’t the type of man who deserved trust.
“Not that he trusts me either.”
“Well then, shall we go?”
Gaius took the lead.
Beldana followed behind him into the city hall—
FWOOOSH!
“……!?”
Both halted.
A crushing aura pressed down on them—
and it grew stronger the deeper they went.
[A powerful Conqueror’s Spirit dominates the building!]
[Warning! Leave this area at once. A foe you cannot handle awaits inside.]
It felt like walking into a lion’s maw.
“……This is insane.”
Cold sweat rolled down Gaius’s temple.
“Was Jet always like this? Haha… This isn’t something you can just deal with…”
He glanced at his right hand.
Tremble—tremble—
No matter how he tried to steady it, it wouldn’t stop shaking.
But—
A crooked, exhilarated grin spread across his face.
He was enjoying this moment.
“…….”
Meanwhile, Beldana had stopped speaking entirely.
Expression stiff, she quietly walked toward the conference room.
“Is he trying to dominate us from the start? That idiot Gaius is only reacting to the aura… but the hunters in this hallway are incredible too.”
She assessed the hunters stationed along the corridor—especially the Asian ones directing the way.
When she saw Kim Min-jeong and Um Gi-seon, she was startled.
When she made eye contact with Oh Soo-heon, she felt a chill.
They were all experts on her level.
Not mere “team members.”
“Cheong-Roe… White Burn… If these people enter the Middle Eastern front as players… the Tower of Babel would never withstand them.”
She began to feel a fear deeper than the threat of being annihilated by Sha-Ying.
By now, the temporary alliance they’d made earlier had vanished entirely from both her and Gaius’s minds.
And then—
“We’re here.”
Creak—
The large doors to the conference hall swung open.
“Welcome, Fire Oni. And Goldhound.”
Inside, seated at the highest seat, was a young black-haired man with striking looks.
But that was only the surface.
Behind him—
they could feel something enormous wearing the mask of a devil.
“A—A Demon King…!?”
“No. Something even more primordial…!”
Their differently reacting expressions reflected the gold–blue glow of his heterochromatic eyes.
“My name is Jang Lee Hyun.”
Lee Hyun curled his lips into a wicked smile.
