Chapter 97

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In the flames flying towards her like a snake with its jaws open greedily, Han Soo-Young calmly used her hand to cast a spell.

The opponent's magic was clearly stronger, more skillful, and more powerful than Han Soo-Young, but the difference was not so great as to be hopeless.

Rather, the difference in power was such that it was possible to eat away at the opponent's power little by little.

When Han Soo-Young destroyed it so skillfully, she slightly frowned as if it was unexpected.

“… a doppelganger that counteracted my magic? And so quickly?”

“Who is calling who a doppelganger!”

Now it was her turn to return the favor.

When she fired the flame in the same way as her, she hurriedly swung the stick she was holding in her hand to stop it.

She felt a certain familiarity with her appearance.

It was the appearance of her master Nam Hyun-Hwa.

“… Wait, this feeling.”

As she mumbled like that as if she couldn't understand, she took off her scorched robe completely.

Thanks to that, Han Soo-Young, who captured all of her hidden features in her eyes, frowned without realizing it.

How could she look like that with someone else's face?

Starting with tight black leather pants, she was wearing clothes all over her body that she would hate.

On top of that, she had a pale, impoverished complexion, as if she hadn't eaten for days, and a necklace with roughly connected bone fragments around her neck…….

"Huh… ?”

She knew what that was.

It was what Yoo Ji-Hyuk always wore around his neck.

Han Soo-young, who saw it, was using the magic she learned from the grimoire that Yoo Ji-Hyuk had given her without realizing it.

A quick, heavy, intangible blow instantly struck the opponent's abdomen.

Then she rolled away and immediately grabbed her abdomen, coughing wildly.

“Woo, whoop… ! Cough, cough!”

And Han Soo-Young could see better than anyone else that it was strange.

The blow she had just struck was indeed powerful, but it was not the kind that could penetrate the mana that covered her opponent's entire body and cause an impact.

But her attack had worked brilliantly.

Why on earth?

In her troubled head, her attack, which she had just destroyed, was emerging.

It was a familiar mana, but she moved on thinking that it would be because the opponent was a doppelganger.

But it wasn't that.

Okay.

Because it was the same mana, her opponent's mana was assimilated before she had time to react, and the attack worked.

However, this was a method that could not be used unless there was a significant difference in the realm.

Mana assimilation.

Either one of them had to change the wavelength of mana, or they had to have the same wavelength to begin with, otherwise it was impossible.

And everyone has a different wavelength of mana.

Han Soo-Young, who concluded that far, felt the chills in her spine without realizing it.

That person, no way...… .

“Hoo…… .”

And the opponent, before she knew it, had a stick-like object in her mouth and was exhaling a long stream of smoke.

As she did so, Han Soo-Young was able to notice that what she was exhaling did not smell like cigarettes, but something else.

She watched thinking, no way, but she couldn't stand the nausea when she saw that the opponent's eyes, who had been looking at her, became hazy and pupils dilate in the blink of an eye.

“I became a drug addict… ?”

At Han Soo-young, who was muttering in disbelief, she grinned and flicked the cigarette holder.

“It’s not like that. It's a mixture of herbs and this and that. Do you want to try it?"

The grown-up Han Soo-Young muttered as she took another deep breath of smoke.

“If it's not someone, but my past self, I can lend it once.”

"Don't be ridiculous."

Han Soo-young answered with her teeth clenched.

She could never accept that this was her own future, an ending that might come.

“You are not the future me. You're just one of the disgusting endings that might be. No, not even that. It's just some creepy thing I met in a dungeon."

“…… .”

"You told me you were in a bad mood earlier, right? That's what I'm going to say here, you crazy b*tch."

Han Soo-Young couldn't hold back her anger.

Something like this, something like this is one of my futures.

“I'd rather die than to live like me. Aren't you ashamed to look at the people around you?"

At her full of evil murmur, she let out a small laugh, biting the cigarette holder.

Then she shook her head slightly and murmured.

"Cute."

"What?"

"It's better to die than live like me?"

She, who was carelessly sitting on the ground, slowly got up.

Her eyes had turned frighteningly cold.

She, Han Soo-Young, who was the end of one of the numerous futures and was designated as an S-class wanted person in her world, took out a grimoire from her inner pocket.

When she muttered something, something popped out of both sides of her from the empty ground.

It wasn't difficult to notice that they were coffins.

When Han Soo-Young was feeling the chills for some reason, she gently stroked the two coffins with a loving hand.

“If you were really me, would you have been okay in this situation?”

As if that couldn't be, the two coffins opened with her asserted words, revealing the insides.

And Han Soo-Young, who saw the insides, covered her mouth because she thought she would scream without realizing it.

Inside the two coffins were Yoo Ji-Hyuk and Choi Hyun-Woo.

And they both looked like they had been dead for a long time.

“It’s time to wake up, guys.”

As she whispered carefully, the bodies of Yoo Ji-Hyuk and Choi Hyun-Woo in the coffins shook.

Han Soo-Young could only stare at them in disbelief.

Undead.

Then, no way.

“It’s me when I was young. Don't you miss it?"

The end of her who was corrupt.

The worst necromancer who slaughtered countless heroes, hunters, and civilians whispered to her own friends who had already stopped breathing.

“So let’s kill her.”

She stared at Han Soo-Young with eyes mixed with intense hatred and jealousy as if it was unacceptable.

“Kill her with your own hands.”

I can't forgive myself as a child who knew nothing and was just dreaming.

She muttered in a missing voice.

* * *

Choi Hyun-Woo who barely shed the opponent's sword strikes and wondered if the opponent was really human like him.

Each strike is so heavy.

It felt like a natural disaster was waiting for him, like a cliff with no end in sight, a bolt of lightning, or boiling lava in the middle of a single sword strike.

“Keueu, keukeukeukeu…! heuhihihi!”

And in return, the opponent seemed to have lost his reason.

He had a sword with a blood-colored sword aura that glowed bewitchingly, and was clad all over in rags that could not even be called clothes with his sporadic hair.

Even though he simply swung his sword, it was difficult to approach him because of the power and speed of the sword strike.

Power and speed.

In a way, it was also a form of swordsmanship that Choi Hyun-Woo was pursuing.

'But.'

The swordsmanship he learned from his master was not light enough to be weighed down by such method.

If I'm pushed back in strength and speed, I'll just have to be ahead with techniques.

Choi Hyun-woo, who thought so, sliced down deep into his chest with his sword flowing.

“Keu, euhahaha! heuhaa!!!”

Still, he was laughing out loud as if he was just having fun.

And every time he laughed, the blood that had been flowing non-stop was gradually stopping.

If so, should I cut the tendon to incapacitate him?

With that in mind, Choi Hyun-woo clashed swords with him once more, and instantly, goosebumps broke out and he let out an involuntary groan.

His swordsmanship had completely changed.

Swordsmanship marked not simply with power, but with technique.

And, surprisingly, his swordsmanship was more skillful and fascinating than that of his master, Nam Hyun-Hwa.

“Koheuk!”

Choi Hyun-Woo was kicked in the chest and fell far away.

The monster who saw it just giggled and burst into laughter.

"No, way…… .”

The swordsmanship of his own master, Nam Hyun-Hwa.

The only person who learned it is him.

Then that monster is, no way...… .

“keuhaa, hak!”

As if he would not give him time to immerse him in thoughts, he rushed with the magic sword.

And at the same time.

In another place in the dungeon, Jin Ye-Seul was also facing her other self.

"It's amazing."

"Yeah."

“I’ve never heard of a dungeon like this before.”

"Yeah. Not even a doppelganger, but a dungeon where you meet your other self from another world.”

Jin Ye-Seul muttered as she looked at her opponent, who looked exactly like her, in front of her.

It seemed to be the same on the other side as well.

A little bit more grown up than herself...… Yeah, would she look like that after about two years?

After a brief exchange of offense and defense, both sides realized roughly what the situation was when they saw each other use the footwork Flowing Snake, a legacy of the Shadow Walker, and stopped attacking without saying who was first.

"You got a haircut. It looks good on you."

"Thanks. But I think I look better with longer hair. So I'm going to grow it out again."

"Hmm."

As if they were old friends, the two naturally began to talk.

Then, the younger Jin Ye-Seul asked her other self.

“Do you have any good stories to tell me?”

“Hmmm…… By the looks of it, I'd say first year...… .”

Jin Ye-Seul, who had her hair cut to her shoulders, agonized for a moment, and nodded.

“Sister is dead.”

"Wow! What happened?”

“Leave it as the amusement of that time. But I didn't do it.”

After that, the two giggled and laughed at each other.

In the meantime, Jin Ye-Seul, who had her hair cut, let out an oh, nodded and said.

“Oh, and I only need to collect one more legacy, and I'm done.”

"Oh my god."

At that, Jin Ye-Seul gave her a look of disbelief.

Then she asked her with a look of excitement.

“The future Ji-Hyuk acknowledged me that much… ?”

"Huh?"

Then she made an expression as if to say, what are you talking about?

"Who?"

"Huh?"

“Ji-Hyuk? Who is Ji-Hyuk?”

“Wha, what are you talking about…… I mean Ji-Hyuk. Yoo Ji-Hyuk.”

When Jin Ye-Seul answered with a stiff expression, the other Jin Ye-Seul made as if she had finally remembered.

“Oh, him?”

What, you still haven't killed him and kept him alive?

When Jin Ye-Seul heard those words, she felt as if the world had stopped for a moment.

“Hearing that name, I remember. Strangely, I couldn't get any information even though I dug into his brain. That's why I still haven't found Henir's shadow...… .”

She couldn't finish her words.

This was because Jin Ye-Seul's fierce kick flew accurately to her face.

"Oh?"

Jin Ye-Seul, who had her hair cut, dodged it by the slimmest of margins, and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing now?"

“…I'm going to kill you."

Upon hearing Jin Ye-Seul's words, she giggled.

“I like that."

Even though you're foolish and another me, I was actually pissed by the fact that there are more people who have legacies.

Muttering like that, she also moved her feet, pulling the blade out of her shoes.

* * *

Each of the Seven Evils had its own unique abilities, but it was rare to find one that was as unique as Margo.

His ability was to create dungeons, and the dungeon had several characteristics.

First, if you enter this place, everyone except Margo will be left alone.

And second, each of them would meet their own selves from another world at their point of symmetry.

In the original story, there were also stories about how characters like Han Soo-Young, the black wizard, and Choi Hyun-Woo, who was eaten by a magic sword, appeared because of this ability and were reused in the sequel.

Then, what the hell is that guy in front of me?

I didn't think about it too much.

He's probably me from another world at a point of symmetry that is not supposed to be there.

“…… .”

“…… .”

Unlike me, he was wearing armor.

The guy holding something like a quarterstaff in his hand was looking at me with the same caution as I was.

“… Did you also come because of Margo’s ability?”

Then he first spoke to me.

You know well that you don't need any conversation here, but you do something like that.

I silently took out the weight I had obtained from the laboratory of the Red Case in the past, which I had left in the shadows.

This weight gives a kind of legitimacy to the one who has it in Margo's dungeon.

And the most important thing in this dungeon was that kind of legitimacy.

In fact, the weight melted away as soon as a notification window appeared in front of me.

[The weight of legitimacy is added to you. The scales have tipped in your favor that you are true.]

Because of this, I was placed in a more advantageous position than him.

Of course, it would be meaningless if he had it too, but he was looking at me with a stiff face.

The guy couldn't get the weight.

Recognizing that fact, I immediately made a clone of Henir's shadow and sent it out to gauge his strength.

“Crazy, Henir’s shadow… !? How the hell do you do this... !”

He freaked out and swung his quarterstaff broadly.

Then, a pure white flag embroidered with gold thread appeared from the empty ornamental part of the staff.

I knew exactly what it was.

It was Ahn Do-Hoon's ability.

"What… ?”

“Heup!”

He swung the flag with a spirited shout and struck the shadow clone as it was.

However, perhaps because of the characteristic of halving physical attacks, the shadow didn't seem to receive much of a shock.

And it was around this time that I began to feel suspicious of the way the shadow was changing its appearance erratically like a shadow and chasing him down.

“Come out.”

The ground suddenly surged at his words, and something blocked the clone's attack.

They were earthen golems holding huge shields and spears.

Cass Lyle's Alchemy.

When he actually scattered reagents on the ground, the golems with various weapons appeared, shaking.

It was like looking at an army.

He silently waved the flag.

Then I could clearly see a kind of pure white light dwelling on the golems he had created.

Did he only focus on the golem part of Cass Lyle's alchemy in order to maximize Ahn Do-Hoon's ability to specialize in large-scale warfare and allied buffs?

In a way, it was a fighting style that was at the perfect point of symmetry with me.

"Go."

At his command, the golems put up a shield wall and began to press the shadow clone with spears and mace.

The clone somehow tried to break the formation and run wild, but it was almost impossible from the beginning to deal with that number of Golem alone.

Golems with large bows constantly fired arrows at this side.

The speed itself wasn't that fast, but the arrows were so large and there were so many arrows that they could pierce through.

“Tsk…… .”

I released the branches of the World Tree as if scattering them in front of the shadow clone.

This was because if it was a golem made of clay, this was more effective.

In fact, the golems that were pierced by the branches of the World Tree rapidly lost their mana and collapsed.

When he saw the scene, he screamed a little.

“Even the branch of the World Tree…… .”

As expected, it was clear that he had taken a completely different path from mine.

When I chose Henir's Shadow and the Branch of the World Tree, he chose Ahn Do-Hoon's Flag and Cass Lyle's Alchemy.

Then I didn't need to match with him.

Long-term battles and attrition battles, which are the most disadvantageous for me, must be his strongest strengths.

“Are you hiding in the shadows...! Golems, form a circle! Watch out for your surroundings and protect me!"

After retrieving Henir's shadow, I immediately hid myself in the shadows.

The mana I had stolen from the golems I had just smashed was surprisingly easy to use.

… It meant that he was no different from me.

So I didn't have to hesitate.

"Watch your surroundings! He can't see out of the shadows, so as soon as you see an opening, even a small one, immediately... !”

He was right.

But I have insight.

So I was able to know his position by the flow of mana, without having to look directly at him.

Hiding myself entirely in the shadows, I thrust out Nidhogg's fang with all my might toward the central area where his mana was concentrated.

I could directly feel the sensation of it piercing through the iron armor and biting into human flesh.

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