Ranker Who Lives Twice
chapter-334

『Kahn!』

Victoria ran forward to hug Kahn, but her body passed through his.

『This is……?』

『A shadow he left behind.』

Yeon-woo muttered, watching the fading Kahn. It was an illusion made using the 72 Bian. Taking into consideration the trick Kahn left in the letter, it seemed Kahn was better than Yeon-woo in Bian Studies.

Kahn’s shadow smiled bitterly and lowered himself to look Victoria in the eye.

『Are you alright, Noona?』

『You……!』

『Sorry I left in a rush back then. But I guess I’m a lucky person, huh? I have friends who’ll jump into danger for me.』

Kahn laughed brightly like his usual self and turned to Yeon-woo.

『First. Since Kindred might notice, I’ll get to the point directly.』

Yeon-woo nodded.

『You heard the details from Nike, right?』

『Yeah.』

Nike was currently with Kahn. Yeon-woo was able to hear about the situation Kahn was in from Nike.

A sacrificial vessel. The fight around the “vessel.” Doyle was being held by the Devil Army, and Kahn had been busy trying to rescue him.

Kahn had been going through a difficult trial, so he hadn’t been able to tell anyone.

Through Nike, Yeon-woo explained what he had planned to Kahn.

『I left this shadow behind to ask you for a favor.』

『What is it?』

『It’s…….』

Kahn opened his mouth to speak.

* * *

『So it’s here.』

Ivan squinted in the narrow entrance of the cave. It felt like everything would be sucked in by the abyss. Nothing could be felt. He couldn’t sense anything despite shooting his Consciousness in.

『Yes. He definitely went in here.』

Jonathan nodded heavily next to him.

The alliance had restructured itself under Ivan’s command.

Then, they waited until Yeon-woo arrived where Kahn was.

They knew Yeon-woo’s target was Kahn, so they decided that it was efficient to catch both of them when they were together.

Faceless and Doctor Doom didn’t say anything about it. They weren’t going to lead the forces at the frontlines anyway, and the same went for Nocturn.

Ivan frowned at their uncaring attitude. They weren’t helping, but they weren’t just sitting around either.

『We’re heading in.』

And since they didn’t do anything to be scolded for, he couldn’t hold them responsible. No, he could do that when everything was finished. Right now, he had to focus on catching Yeon-woo and Kahn.

They had trapped themselves in a small fence, so it would be easier to catch them.

According to Ivan’s command, about 300 of the strongest players got in line and began to step into the cage.

Checheche—

『It’s really ominous.』

『Was this place always here?』

The players frowned as they looked around. No matter how much they expanded their Consciousness, they couldn’t feel anything. There wasn’t much they could feel other than themselves and the people near them. It was like walking in the dead of night without light.

They were proud of themselves for being strong enough not to be scared at most things, but an anxiousness began to creep in their minds.

『Sir, will you be alright?』

A robed magician quietly approached Doctor Doom and whispered.

There were many magicians in the 300 strongest players that Ivan had designated.

They were not only black magicians from Necropolis but also the strongest from each Magic Tower.

But that didn’t mean they were strong fighters or good at combat.

Especially in this hidden stage filled with darkness, rash movements were strictly forbidden.

From what the magicians saw, the cave that Yeon-woo and Kahn had entered was filled with mysteries.

The path was curvy, and no matter how many tracking spells they casted, they all disappeared in the air.

They felt like if they shot forward any more of their Consciousness, their souls would be sucked in the deep cave.

Because they were magicians, they knew what it was.

Emptiness.

Also a space called Void.

No, it couldn’t even be called a space. There was nothing there, and the nothing swallowed all.

They didn’t understand why Yeon-woo and Kahn had entered it. However, one thing they knew for sure was that if they continued to walk into the Void, they would be in danger.

『There was nothing bad in today’s card.』

『Then…….』

『But there wasn’t anything good.』

Doctor Doom’s eyes flashed intensely.

『This means our divination for today depends on us. And without Bian, we won’t have any divinations in the future.』

『……Yes, sir. I said something I shouldn’t have. I apologize.』

The different fields of magic split up and combined again. Magicians walked what they believed was the “path of truth.”

But recently, the Magic Towers had changed their minds and desired to combine all their power. The latest events of the Tower impacted the Magic Towers, and they decided that they needed to become anew.

Each Magic Tower had sent their strongest to create a new organization.

Necropolis. And they put Doctor Doom, who was familiar with all magic, on the leader’s seat.

‘But it’s more dangerous now to create a new foothold.’

It wasn’t easy to combine the different paths of magic into one. The knowledge, formation, and basis of the magic were different.

To overcome their limits, they needed new knowledge.

In Doctor Doom’s eyes, it was Bian. The hidden card to grow their limited magic.

‘Unless Faust’s Mage Technique comes back.’

The new field of magic that had opened new horizons for magic studies along with De Roy’s Demon Studies.

Some said that Faust had even devoured the demon and monster king, Mephistopheles, but after his sudden disappearance, he became a story passed down in myths.

His power was the root of the “Divination” that Doctor Doom frequently checked, and it was what he had promised himself to achieve.

『Even if we can’t obtain Bian Studies, we can’t let anyone else get it.』

Doctor Doom looked at Faceless, who was laughing like a lunatic, and Nocturn, who he couldn’t read.

Most players in this alliance were after the Bian or honor, but he couldn’t tell why those two had come.

He couldn’t help but be wary of them.

Especially Faceless, who seemed like a combination of many different identities, was the person that Doctor Doom considered the most dangerous.

『Hm?』

He cast magic in front of him in an attempt to search deep in the cage again and widened his eyes.

『……What’s this?』

There was nothing.

Neither around him nor anywhere.

『There was nothing about this in the divination!』

The subordinate he had just been speaking with was gone. All he felt was darkness. Vines of the Void from inside of the cave wrapped around him.

That moment.

『Hup!』

Doctor Doom whipped his body around. Magic circles were drawn in the air and destroyed the attacks from the darkness.

Pewww—

But because the impact was too great, Doctor Doom wasn’t able to avoid it all and was blown away. Blood spilled from his mouth.

Magic power quickly circulated around his body and bound his broken bones together, his dislocated shoulder spinning back into its position. Shock filled his face. What was that?

「You. Read. That? Im. Pressive.」

Just then, two lines were drawn in the middle of the air, and they opened to reveal blue eyes.

「Is it. That. The heart. Of. Another species. Sephiroth Kabbalah. Mysterious. Studies. Into. A. Magic. Circle. Has. The. World. Improved?」

Doctor Doom’s eyes trembled. That was how his signature skill, the Random Magic Circle Release, was made. How had it been recognized instantly?

When he met the Inferno Sight in the sky, his head turned blank.

It was “that.”

In the fight against Yeon-woo on the 30th floor, the eyes that had bound his magic power, magic circles, and his divinations.

Those eyes!

He realized it was the monster who trapped over 300 members in the emptiness and isolated him.

『What are you……?』

「Ah. You’re. Not. You’re. A. Mutant.」

Another secret was revealed. Doctor Doom calmed his trembling hand and flicked his thumb. About ten magic circles floated up above him.

The Inferno Sight narrowed its eyes and muttered, not caring. Like a child observing ants.

「You’re. A toy. Trying to. Imitate. Me. How. Amusing. You. Fools.」

『……!』

What?

Imitate who?

「On. Top. Of. Trying to. Bother. Master’s. Plan. I’ll Punish. You. For your. Foolishness.」

The Inferno Sight flamed up, growing bigger.

「Shall. We?」

Kwaaang—

Doctor Doom felt like the space around him was being forced apart.

When he came to attention, his limbs were all twisted. The magic circles wrapped around him were all cracked.

‘No….. that person is…..!’

After realizing Boo’s identity, the mental shock was greater than the physical pain he felt.

The similar scene was happening across the cave.

『Dreams…… dusk.』

On Nemesis’s words, the Void settled down and separated the players.

This was the Monkey King’s Palace. Yeon-woo was the only person who knew how everything was set up from the entrance to the quarters in the center. It was a trap he had made because he knew that Void was always in the air.

『Keacck!』

『What’s this?!』

『Aack! Save me!』

Players couldn’t get a grip on themselves as Monster Portents poured onto them from the darkness.

Crunch, crunch—

They were slaughtered. No matter how hard they tried to resist, there was no way to catch the Monster Portents that disappeared back in the Void and attacked their blind spots.

The moment they were injured, they died from being poisoned.

That wasn’t the end of it.

Clack, clack—

Rumble—

The abyss began to open in different places. Ashy fog spewed out, and something dark showed itself. Undeads consisting of skeletons, ghouls, and zombies. It was an army of death in armor.

[Dungeon Release]

Boo’s hidden dungeon had opened up.

『What is this……?!』

Ivan ripped part the darkness that kept on sticking on him. But what appeared after was a countless number of undead that filled the cave.

His face hardened at the extraordinary phenomenon.

Checheche—

Just then, pieces of the Void gathered into a large shape.

What Ivan saw was incredibly shocking despite all the experience he had under his belt.

Boom!

A red and black foot stomped forward. Wings of bones spread apart, and a horrible toxic gas floated over towards him.

There were only bones left behind, but its aura was just as strong as when it was living.

Kraaaaaa!

The dragon that came out into the world for the first time roared. Dragon Fear spread out.

* * *

[The surrounding territory has been chosen as your domain.]

[Current condition: Void (Nemesis)]

[‘Curse: Wandering’ has succeeded.]

[‘Curse: Fear’ has succeeded.]

[‘Curse: Madness’ has succeeded.]

[‘Curse: Illusion’ has succeeded.]

……

[The authority, ‘Faceless Law’, has activated.]

[Hundun is very glad.] [TN: Hondon will be changed to Hundun for accuracy.]

[A message from Agares has arrived.]

[Message: You’re different from the others!]

[A message from Agares has arrived.]

[Message: Try using mine, too. You’ll get a better result.]

[The authority ‘Hyoongshin Acksal’ has been activated.]

[The curses have been strengthened.]

[The curses have been strengthened.]

……

[All gods of death nod at you.]

[All demons of death whistle at you.]

[The demonic society ‘Jie Sect’ expresses deep goodwill towards you.]

[The demonic society ‘L’Infernal’ is happy.]

[Vimalacitra of ‘Jie Sect’ observes you carefully.]

[A small number of demons start to look closely at you.]

[More demons offer authorities to you than before.]

[Your directory of possible authorities has been updated.]

[Current authorities: 512]