The Saint Wants to Rest - vanish into fiction

“Let us kill them.”

At that single sentence, which echoed heavily in the darkness, the murmuring of the demons that filled the space ceased in an instant.

“No matter how much humans struggle, it is nearly impossible to cross the dimensional wall with the weak bodies of the Middle Realm. The fact that the Saint and the Knight are here must surely be due to some kind of accident, or because they committed a taboo at the risk of their own lives.”

The demon emitting the thickest demonic energy concluded, his red eyes flashing. Since the previous Demon King died a gruesome death, he, being of the Demon King’s bloodline, had ascended to the position of acting Demon King.

“There is no risk of priests from Lancia flocking here in droves. The only enemies we must face are those two.”

“But those two are the problem! The Saint’s Divine Power burns our very essence, and the Holy Knight’s aura transcends physical limits. We have no chance in a full frontal war!”

“Who said anything about a full frontal war?”

The Demon King’s mouth tore into a wide smile.

“This is not Lancia. This is Earth, where the mana is murky and the selfishness and shadows of humans are laid thick. There is no need to clash with brute force. These weak and dense human cities are our greatest weapons and hiding places.”

He reached a massive hand out toward the void.

“Open the Gates simultaneously. Scatter the humans’ attention and military power through those shallow fissures.”

It was not a simple order for destruction.

“And while the chaos reaches its peak, have the ‘Shadow Clan,’ who can wear husks, infiltrate through the Gates.”

“Are you telling us to steal human skins?”

“Yes. Lick up their memories and knowledge, and melt perfectly into their daily lives. Aim for the moment those two arrogant bastards, the Saint and the Knight, let their guard down, and stab them in the heart from the innermost depths.”

As the command fell, dozens of red eyes in the darkness contorted with delight all at once. Ghastly friction sounds and horrific laughter filled the space.

***

Suddenly, Gates opened across the entire nation at the same time.

It was the moment an unprecedented disaster warning in South Korean history rang out, and the Management Bureau and large guilds were about to mobilize their full power while turning pale.

Whirring!

The measuring devices that had been wailing as if to tear eardrums apart suddenly went silent as if they had broken. The dozens of Gates that had dyed the Seoul sky red and torn open ominously, looking ready to vomit monsters at any moment, closed all at once as if melting away like a mirage.

“What on earth is this?”

Yoon Tae-gyeom, who was glaring at the large monitor in the Bureau’s situation room, adjusted his glasses in disbelief. Over ninety percent of the hundreds of danger signals blinking red across the country vanished simultaneously. Only a few thick Gates of B-rank or higher remained open, breathing out ominous demonic energy.

“It is a feint.”

Vermouth, who was staring at the monitor, spoke in a low, sunken voice.

“They threw out bait to disperse our attention and induce extreme chaos. Those numerous fissures that opened and then closed immediately were likely doors used to quietly ‘push’ something into this world.”

At Vermouth’s chilly warning, the air in the situation room froze rapidly.

However, before chasing a threat that was currently invisible to the eye, the urgent priority was to handle the real Gates remaining throughout Seoul that had not closed. They could not allow the monsters pouring out from inside to raid civilian areas.

“We must form teams immediately to close the remaining Gates.”

At Yoon Tae-gyeom’s urgent words, Choi Jae-heon narrowed his eyes and nodded.

The problem was efficiency. The Gates were scattered in various locations, and the longer they delayed, the more the monsters would destroy the surroundings. In such an emergency, keeping the S-rank out-of-spec powers like Choi Jae-heon, Vermouth, and Alexander Gray tied to one team was a massive waste of military strength.

“Let us split up.”

Choi Jae-heon gave the command while maintaining his cool rationality.

“I will lead the Stigma guild members to block the Gates in the Gangnam area. I would also like Guild Master Alexander Gray to take charge of the Yeouido area with the Empire attendants.”

“Oh, since it is a crisis for an ally, I shall gladly use this body of mine.”

Alexander Gray readily slung his hammer over his shoulder and winked toward Ian. What remained was the A-rank Gate in the Jongno direction. Naturally, that location was assigned to Ian and Vermouth.

“Ian.”