Act 127

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[Trait, ‘Opened Eyes,’ has been activated.]

As the eyes opened, the broadened vision, the clearer flow of mana, and the direction of hostility became apparent. Everything began to become clearer than when the eyes were closed, but simultaneously, I could feel my head burning up. The ‘Opened Eyes’ greatly influences emotions. Although I had become more accustomed to handling it than before, it still felt foreign, as if it wasn’t a part of me.

‘That’s dangerous.’

Judging by the aura I could sense, the soldiers scattered around weren’t just Colparan’s private soldiers; there were quite a few members of the Order mixed in. For Colparan, this conflict is a battle to seize the core of the ‘Dawn Society’. Therefore, those not related to the ‘Dawn Society’ cannot be here.

“Knights, Monsignors, and even magicians.”

Comparing their individual strength to mine would be like comparing the sky to the ground, but unfortunately, they have the advantage in numbers. If that’s the case, the gap in power will significantly narrow. However, I am ‘Julian’.

“It looks like you’ve gathered a bunch of cowards here, Sir Colparan.”

Thanks to the ‘Opened Eyes’, the movements of those flinching around me were vividly clear.

“Staying here like a tailless demon will make it difficult for me to ‘educate’ you, don’t you think? Hehe.”

Anyone could see that we were at a numerical disadvantage, and there might be more tricks up the enemy’s sleeve, but ‘I can’t afford to be scared by just this.’

The soft moonlight shone brightly on the soldiers who were gradually closing in. They flinched again at the deeply carved mark. 

“For those who cross that line, I will personally give ‘education’.”

A terrifying aura emanated from my entire body. My awe-inspiring presence, notorious for all sorts of infamy, began to engulf the surroundings in fear. Although I spoke of ‘education’, those gathered here know that they could die in the process. Regardless of being part of the same Dawn Society, I am the kind of ruthless man who can cut down anyone blocking my path.

The tremors of the surrounding mana grew stronger.

‘Even if we are outnumbered, the initiative is entirely mine.’

At that moment,

“Ah, ahhhh!”

Among the gathered soldiers, the most timid-looking one, now colored by ‘fear’, charged at me. He tried to close the distance and draw his sword. Without waiting, I approached and punched him in the solar plexus before he could draw his sword.

“Urgh, urgh!”

With a sharp scream, he was sent flying. That marked the beginning, and soon, others started rushing at me from all directions.

‘I can see the direction of their killing intent.’

With the ‘Opened Eyes’ manifested, my senses had become heightened to the point where I could visually track hostility. Specifically, I could more quickly catch the places where the ‘color of malice’ was heading.

‘A pincer attack from both sides.’

First, I calculated the attacks that would reach my body, then read the gaze of the closest soldier wielding a spear. A straightforward thrusting attack might be difficult to approach due to its long reach and speed, but the difference in skill rendered that advantage useless.

“Haah!”

Perhaps it was thanks to the weapon practice at the knight training ground? The trajectory of the spear was as clear as if I could see through it. The soldier thrust his spear with a shout, but a straightforward attack with a readable trajectory was not fatal at all.

“Who would get hit by such an obvious attack?”

Lightly dodging the attack and sneering at him, the enraged soldier retrieved his spear and thrust it again.

‘Alright, this is it.’

I passed by the spear from the side, grabbed the spear shaft, and deflected the attack to the opposite side.

Puuuk.

“Aaaargh!”

A soldier who had been sneaking up from behind screamed in pain as he was stabbed by the spear.

“How did you hit the one behind without even looking?!”

As the soldier holding the spear was engulfed in confusion, I drew my Moonlight Sword and aimed to slash his shoulder. However, he wore sturdy armor. My attack was absorbed, and his eyes betrayed his intent to counterattack. It was a sensible thought. A normal sword couldn’t cut through steel armor.

But he underestimated the power of aura.

Shrrk.

“K-kurk…!”

The soldier was shocked to see his armor sliced as easily as tofu. Losing his shoulder, he dropped his spear. I kicked him away, adjusted my stance, and cast my gaze around the surrounding soldiers with a commanding presence. My movements and responses were so natural that even seasoned swordsmen clicked their tongues in admiration. Their eyes were filled with awe, as if looking at a monster. I could feel all these emotions directed at me.

‘Wasn’t that kind of cool?’

Was it because of the heightened emotions from the ‘Opened Eyes’? Strange thoughts crossed my mind.

At the same time,

‘If it were the original Julian, he wouldn’t get injured in this situation, right?’

Of course, I didn’t want to completely emulate his nasty personality. While many users were curious about Julian’s past, I wasn’t particularly interested. However, I did acknowledge his skills. As the apprentice of the ‘Sword Saint’ and someone who hunted high-ranking demons alone, calling him a one-man army was not an exaggeration.

‘Faster.’

I knew it too. This body is optimized for combat, and the more I push it, the more it responds with matching results.

‘Faster, faster.’

I tried to move my body even quicker, striving to get a little closer to Julian’s level as a swordsman, not as a person.

‘This feeling… it’s not bad.’

I thought it was the perfect time to test the skills I had accumulated. 

A sly smile formed on my lips, fitting for a villain.

***

Colparan, watching the fierce battle unfolding below the ridge, clicked his tongue as he saw the monster cutting through the battlefield with incredible speed.

The Imperial Hound. The Body of the Closed Eyes. 

He lived up to his nicknames, easily dispatching nameless knights and Monsignors. 

Moreover,

“He can shoot aura like magic.”

Though not highly skilled in swordsmanship, Colparan could easily gauge his prowess from Al Hazar’s murmured comments nearby.

“Al Hazar, if you were to fight him, could you win?”

Colparan asked, half-hoping for a miracle.

“If you’re considering killing me because my usefulness has diminished, please send me back to my homeland instead.”

Al Hazar’s brutally honest words brought a dry smile to Colparan’s face.

“Magicians, prepare yourselves.”

At his command, more soldiers who had been hiding behind trees revealed themselves. Too many soldiers to be facing just one person. Colparan had decided to hunt ‘Julian’ as if he were a ‘demon’ rather than a human. Given Julian’s accomplishments as the ‘Closed Eyes’ and his feats since joining the ‘Dawn Society,’ he was more like a monster than a human.

“Fire at full power, all at once.”

Even if they hit him, that monstrous guy would only get injured. The magicians, having finished their incantations, began to display their specialties all at once. Spheres made of fire, ice, and metal exploded where Julian stood.

Kwah-kwah-kwang!

With a massive explosion, a cloud of dust rose thickly.

“Is he… is he dead?”

A voice mixed with half worry and half hope spoke out. Although they were following Bishop Colparan’s orders, they were still afraid of what might happen next since Julian was also a ‘Bishop.’

“Ugh, argh!”

There was no need for such worries. A ‘sword energy’ flew through the dust and struck the worried magician’s body.

“Did he sense the magic and hide behind a tree in that short moment? Impressive.”

Despite his man being struck down, Colparan did not blink and instead stared at the figure slowly walking out from the dust cloud. He could see slight scorch marks on Julian’s clothes and skin.

‘What a monstrous guy.’

Still, seeing the burns suggested that he wasn’t invincible.

“Is there really a need to go this far, Sir Colparan?”

“Ha ha, how can I just stand by and watch when someone who doesn’t even know the foundation of the Dawn Society is causing such trouble?”

Ignoring Al Hazar’s worried words, Colparan extended his hand to the archer beside him.

“Give me your bow.”

Even though it was uncertain whether an old man’s arrow could affect that monster, the archer handed over the bow without hesitation, knowing Colparan was serious about archery.

“That monstrous guy seems very sensitive to hostility.”

Colparan drew the bowstring tight.

“So, how will he react to an attack without killing intent?”

Speaking in a dry tone, he observed the battlefield. Julian was still fighting the soldiers, exchanging blows. As Julian dodged another soldier’s attack and leaped back,

Fweee!

Colparan released the bowstring, timing his shot perfectly. An unexpected attack in an unavoidable situation. Everything was set for a perfect hit.

“…What?!”

The arrow did not hit Julian.

“He even dodged Colparan’s arrow,” murmured Al Hazar, watching in disbelief.

Colparan wanted to scold Al Hazar for being foolish but stopped himself.

‘I definitely hit him!’

He had been using a bow for years; he knew when he had hit the target.

‘I must have hit him…’

But there were no signs of an impact on Julian’s body from the ‘arrow.’

In truth…

“Absorbed it… huh.”

As Colparan examined Julian’s body, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock. There, pitch-black, shadow-like entities with multiple gleaming eyes were writhing and staring back at him. 

A mythological demon, or as people commonly refer to it, a ‘demon.’ 

“Could it be that Julian… is nurturing a demon within himself?”

Realizing this, Colparan hastily shouted,

“Everyone, stop attacking and fall back!”

At the old man’s command, everyone took a step back. The previously chaotic forest fell silent.

“Is the education already over?”

It was Julian’s mocking voice that broke the silence.

“Though they say a rolling stone removes a settled one, it seems I was mistaken.”

The ‘foundation of the Dawn Society,’ which he had mentioned earlier, was not about worshiping demons, as the current Grand Archbishop, ‘Tenellon,’ suggested. 

The Dawn Society was founded by ‘Ainon Drimisel,’ the former head of the Drimisel family, to open new horizons through the study of ‘demonic energy,’ not to worship the ‘Demon God’ that devastated the continent. 

‘How could anyone expect to gain anything by worshiping the ‘Demon God’?’

“You’re someone who holds more legitimacy than an old man like me.”

Seeing the multiple ‘eyes’ protecting Julian’s body, Colparan had to acknowledge this. With such movements, that demon must already be fully integrated with Julian. It might even be a case of opening new horizons with demonic energy, as ‘Ainon Drimisel’ mentioned.

“Forgive my rudeness.”

Colparan extended his hand. 

‘With him, we might be able to set the Dawn Society back on track.’

Thinking this, he offered a handshake.

“I will forgive your rudeness.”

Julian accepted.

“But! Apart from that, the ‘education’ is not yet over.”

Thud!

With a dull impact, Colparan nearly lost consciousness from the pain on the right side of his face. When his vision returned, he realized he was rolling on the leaf-covered ground.

“Did you just say I hold more legitimacy?”

“Ugh, urgh…”

“Then, from now on, you won’t have any objections if I proceed with the ‘education,’ right, Sir Colparan?”

“W-wait!”

Colparan stretched out his hands towards Julian, gesturing for calm.

“I-I’m an old man. If you keep punching me, my body won’t hold up!”

“For someone who says that, you handled a bow quite well.”

“Ugh, ahem…”

“You should know how much strength it takes to draw a bowstring.”

Colparan’s chest heaved at Julian’s scornful words. Despite his age, Colparan had not neglected his physical training; though not young, his body was not weak either.

“Anyone who still feels they have room for improvement, please step forward.”

Julian looked around, but the soldiers remained silent. His gaze fell on Al Hazar, who only lowered his head.

“Everyone seems quick to change their stance. That’s convenient. Sir Colparan.”

Colparan flinched as Julian called his name.

“Why am I…?”

“There’s no age limit to learning, is there?”

Smirk. 

Today, Julian’s smile looked even more murderous to Colparan. 

Thus began the one-sided ‘lecture,’ continuing until Julian was satisfied.

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