Humanity Itself is Strong

Jin-seong’s blade pierced Bergebut’s chest. 

But, 

“Keuk, keuk…”

Bergebut, who was bleeding from his mouth, let out an unpleasant laugh. 

“You’ve been tricked!’

“…….!”

Ssssk….

Just then, 

Bergebut, who was throwing up blood with bloodshot eyes, returned to his normal face of a noble prince. 

Besides, Bergebut’s right arm, which had been cut off, was still attached to his body. 

Kwajik-!

Yagrush, which appeared like a beast’s claw in Bergebut’s right hand, pierced Jin-seong’s chest. 

“Ugh….!”

Jin-seong felt a sharp pain that would make him throw up blood at any moment, but the bigger problem was in front of him. 

Hahaha!

Lee Jin-seong realized that it was himself whose right arm had been cut off. 

Bergebut said as he smiled. 

“It’s hard to act after a long time.”

Bergebut muttered, unable to hold back his laughter. 

“Lee Jin-seong…. Who the hell are you? Are you a monster like Muhyuk, or…..”

Bergebut’s eyes narrowed. 

“Can it be that Muhyuk is just a bubble, and you’re the man behind all that?”

“……”

When Jin-seong didn’t respond, Bergebut burst into laughter. He seemed already convinced of his thoughts. 

“So it was you. The culprit behind everything… And there’s only one explanation as to why you know what we’re doing…”

Kigig gigg….!

Yagrush, which penetrated Jin-seong’s chest, shook violently.

“Are you a prophet who can foresee the future? If so, how can you? And what are you doing it for?”

Jin-seong answered, gleaming his blue eyes.

“Revenge.”

“…Revenge?”

Just then. 

Grasp!

Jin-seong grabbed the vicious blade of Yagrush that had penetrated his chest with his hand and moved forward.

Kigi geek….!

Bergebut’s face distorted as he saw Jin-seong pushing the blade into his body.

“Kuhuck…!”

Jin-seong walked towards Bergebut with his eyes shining blue like a goblin.

“A ghost who came back…”

The edge of the blade penetrated deep into his chest.

“To destroy those who deceive, seduce, and destroy the world….”

Even in the midst of the terrible pain, Jin-seong did not even blink. 

Just then, 

Blood poured out. 

Not from Jin-seong but from Bergebut’s mouth. 

“Damn it….”

Clang!

At the same time, with a sound of glass breaking, thin glass films began to fall apart around him.

Tiring!

[You destroyed Bergebut’s ‘Trickster(transcendence)’!]

Then, he returned to the original world.

“You… who are you….?”

High rankers and heroes who have met Bergebut so far were unable to break his trick and had no choice but to surrender. Through his trickster combined with his skilled swordsmanship, Bergebut had killed countless named rankers.  

But today. 

Hallucination, which distorts one’s touch and sight, was not an issue for Lee Jin-seong. 

[The precision capture function of clairvoyance is in the Over Clock!]

Jin-seong was already seeing the real scene through his clairvoyance. 

Bergebut still had his arm cut off. 

Tyrfing, which Jin-seong stabbed into Bergebut, was still in his chest. 

Bergebut was desperate. 

“…..Why…. Even in the hallucination…. Why didn’t you let go of your sword…!”

Bergebut looked down at Jin-seong standing in front of him and smiled. 

“….Still…. It’s all over….”

Bergebut’s failure also meant the destruction of the Holy Kingdom. 

“Now… The destruction of the Holy Kingdom cannot be stopped. Without the power of the Demon King, the kingdom will be destroyed by the Angel of Sorrow.”

The angel’s wrath could not be quenched by Bergebut’s death alone. 

Already, the seeds of arrogance and desire have germinated throughout the Vatican. 

But Jin-seong was calm. 

“I will stop it.”

“….Hahaha…. You’re only a weak human…”

Bergebut snorted. 

Because humans have no power to kill angels. 

“With your vessel, I can make it possible.”

“….Wait are you…. No way….”

Bergebut was shocked at Jin-seong’s unwavering gaze. Soon, the shock suddenly turned into a smile and spread across his face as if he had gone insane.

“Ah ha ha ha!”

Bergebut burst into laughter, spewing out blood from his mouth. 

“Okay! If it’s you… you’re very welcome!”

“Is that all you want to say?”

Bergebut looked happier than ever. 

“I’ll look forward to it….”

He smiled, showing his blood-stained teeth. 

“…..A new champion.”

Jin-seong pulled the sword out of his chest at once. 

Charak-!

And cut off Bergebut’s head. 

Dulkuk, degurr….

The crown fell to the floor. The smile did not leave Bergebut’s face even at the moment of his death. 

* * * 

“…….”

Tiring!

[The magic sword Tyrfing has absorbed ‘Baal’s First Vessel’! You can look into the ‘mirror’ from now on!]

[The unnamed god warns you that you may end up doing something worse than your will!]

Jin-seong never took lightly the warning of the unnamed god. 

However, Jin-seong was aware that to overcome this ordeal, it was necessary to take risks. 

“I will not disappoint you.”

He collected Bergebut’s exclusive weapon. 

+

Name: Yagrush

Rank: Legend

Category: Single-edged longsword. 

Effect: Gives power to Aimur by sacrificing the target you killed. It gives the user the confidence that never dies. 

Description: Baal’s first clone, Bergebut’s exclusive weapon. It is sharp and strong, and the blade that protrudes like a shark’s tooth will tear the target rather than cut it. 

+

It was a sword that could not be used carelessly because of the magi. 

But now that Jin-seong knew how to deal with the magi, that didn’t matter. 

+

Name: Aimur

Rank: Legend

Category: Crystal Ball

Effect 1: Anyone who sees this crystal ball can make a wish to Baal, and eventually become his slave. 

Effect 2: Receives power from Yagrush and casts a curse. 

+

Jin-seong put the two exclusive weapons of Bergebut in the inventory. 

“……”

Then he stood in front of a large mirror adorned with skulls placed against the wall of the chapel’s podium. 

Beep!

[You have reached the main junction on ‘In front of the mirror of arrogance’]

[You can break this horrible mirror of arrogance here, or you can receive power from it.]

[What would you like to do?]

The choice has already been made. 

Jin-seong looked at the notification and spoke. 

“Accept.”

Just then. 

The tarot-style notification that was blocking Jin-seong’s view disappeared in the air. 

Chssss….

Ripples appeared on the black, large surface of the mirror. 

The gigantic mirror that reflected Jin-seong’s face became transparent like glass. 

After a while, it started projecting a scene. 

Turrr….

With the sound of the cameras rolling somewhere. 

A blood-red sunset appeared in the mirror. 

And on the plain where the sunset fell, there were dead human horses entangled with each other. 

There, a man was standing, with a broken arrow, spear, and sword pierced through his body.

No, it was a man who was forced to remain standing, leaning on the spear that had penetrated his body. 

For a moment, the man’s face was closed up. 

Jin-seong looked puzzled, seeing the man’s face. 

“….This is.”

It was Jin-seong himself from his previous life. 

Just then, Jin-seong in the mirror slowly opened his eyes. 

A terrible-looking Jin-seong began to laugh at Jin-seong, who was standing outside the mirror. 

* * * 

Crrrng….

Dark clouds began to fill the clear sky of the Vatican in an instant. 

In the gloomy weather, the bell was ringing from the bell tower announcing the hour. 

The first saint Agnes, who was praying while listening to the bell, suddenly coughed up blood. 

“Cough, cough….!”

“…..Oh no….”

Blood dripped from the hand that covered her mouth. 

After not sleeping for a month, the saint’s body hit the limit. 

She tried to evacuate the citizens of the Holy Kingdom but was interrupted by the camerlengo and the Pope. 

All she could do was to stay in the convent and pray. 

What she does best, and the only thing she can do, is to appease the angry angel and give the citizens time to escape. 

‘If there is a sheep, even just one, I will not destroy the world.’

Believing that prophecy, she has endured until now. 

The angel tried to get Saint Agnes out of this sinful city. 

But Agnes was stubborn. 

She believed until now that the kingdom would be protected by this one warrior. 

But she still couldn’t find hope anywhere. 

The Holy Kingdom had already fallen into the hands of the Demon King. 

Besides, it was the Holy Kingdom that was leading the rise of the Babel Tower. 

The fall of the Holy Kingdom was just a matter of time. 

“Ha…..”

Agnes felt that her end had come. 

The moment she saw the blood on her hand, Janet’s face came to her mind. 

“….She should escape here safely….”

Just then.

Koong!

The chapel door swung open. 

“Abbess!”

Janet, who she thought she would never see again, appeared right before her eyes.

“Janet?!”

‘I thought Jin-seong would evacuate this child right away?!’

But she couldn’t think deeply. 

Agnes hurriedly wiped her blood-stained hands off her clothes. 

“Abbess! Abbess!”

“Why are you here….?!”

Janet, who should have left the Vatican by now with the help of Jin-seong, was still here. 

“Abbess! We, we must leave here! Now! I heard everything!”

Janet pulled Agnes’ sleeve in hurry. 

“Soon, the angel will destroy the whole kingdom! Everyone will die!”

“…..Who said that?”

“Jin-seong told me about it!”

Janet, who was clinging to Agnes, said as she trembled. 

“Let’s run away now!”

Listening to her, Agnes stroked Janet’s frightened face and continued with a sad smile. 

“….I can’t….”

Soon.

The angel will appear in the sky and when that time comes, the people of the Vatican will start to evacuate belatedly. 

She had to make time for them to escape. 

‘I can’t leave here. I need to stay so that at least one more person can live…’

Agnes was prepared for her death. 

But as she watched Janet bursting into tears in front of her, she felt as if a sharp blade had pierced and ripped her chest apart. 

“Janet, I can’t leave here. If I do, the Vatican will soon be covered in fire.”

Janet, who remained silent for a moment, opened her mouth. 

“If that’s what the angels do, then that means everyone here is bad! Bad things can die!”

“It’s not like that, Janet.”

Agnes had a cold expression on her face that she had never seen before. 

“The next saint…. The next saint must not think like that.”

Janet hunched her shoulders at the solemn look. 

Agnes calmly recited the verse. 

“If the wicked turns from his evil and walks in law and righteousness, he will live by it… Do you remember this verse?”

Janet nodded reluctantly. 

“Anyone can commit a sin. And you can repent your sins again and again to go back to the right path. Saint Janet, you must not hate the wicked like others do.”

“….Abbess…”

“Don’t forget what you’ve learned so far, and leave this place. The world still needs a saint.”

Hearing that, Janet once again felt the world collapsing. 

She could instinctively realize that the abbess was saying goodbye. 

Janet, who was still young, could only grasp that Agnes was not going to see her again. 

“Abbess. Is, is it because I didn’t listen to you? I will do better in the future…. I won’t scribble on Sophia’s face, and I will never make any trouble again! So please, don’t leave me!”

Agnes couldn’t breathe as she watched Janet kneeling down and begging. 

But her face was colder than ever. 

“Is it because I didn’t call you a grandma? Why, why are you doing this to me…?!”

With tears welled up in her eyes, she clung to Agnes’ arm. Agnes lamented. She finally heard the title she always wanted to be called by her cute child but at a time like this. 

Nevertheless, she well knew that if she doesn’t make it firm, the child won’t leave.

“The third saint…. I’m not a grandma. I’m the head of the convent. So….”

Sssk….

Agnes’ stretched out her hand and touched Janet’s forehead. 

She tried to push the child. 

“……”

But unlike her cold face, Agnes’ hands only trembled. She couldn’t push Janet away. 

“…..The third saint…. I mean….”

Agnes felt the urge to hug Janet in her arms and apologize, but…

“Abbess!”

Just then, the nun, who entered the chapel, found Agnes and Janet. 

“!”

Agnes quickly turned around and requested. 

“….Please send Janet to a safe place.”

“Ah, okay!”

Then the nun rushed up to her and told Janet. 

“Janet, come with me now. The abbess is very busy right now….!”

“Liar! You’re a liar!”

Janet shouted, shaking the nun’s arm trying to catch her. 

She turned to Agnes with tears streaming down her face. 

“You told me you’ll stay by my side forever! And that you won’t leave! I hate you the most!”

“…..”

Janet shouted, crying at the thought of being abandoned again. 

“I will never come here again! I’m not going to see you forever!”

Then she ran away. 

“Come on, Janet!”

A nun ran after Janet. 

Another nun approached Agnes. 

“Are you okay?”

Agnes, who was barely pretending like she was okay, leaned on her chair to not fall. 

Agnes knew that Janet was an emotionally wounded child and a difficult childhood she had to go through. 

So she wanted Janet to follow Jin-seong to stay away from the kingdom that would soon turn into hell. 

Cough…. cough….!

And once again, she coughed up blood. 

Agnes muttered as she looked up at the cross. 

“Please God, save that child….”

* * * 

Catacombs. 

Chapel of Arrogance. 

Pzz… Pzzzz….

“Ugh….”

Jin-seong, who faced the mirror, kneeled down and began to breathe heavily. 

Lee Jin-seong over the mirror was delighted as he looked down at Jin-seong, who had accepted the power of the Demon King. 

Chssss…!

With those words, the scene projected on the mirror turned black. 

And countless cracks appeared on the surface of the mirror of arrogance that had fulfilled its role. 

Pugh!

In an instant, the mirror was shattered and scattered everywhere. 

Fragments of the shattering mirror poured down on Jin-seong, who was kneeling down. 

[Your power of arrogance ‘Original Sin’ has been successfully absorbed!]

Pzzz…. Pzzzzzz…

Jin-seong was overwhelmed by the overflowing power he couldn’t handle. 

He silently stared at the black energy swirling around his hand. 

Just then. 

Tiring!

[You have accepted the power of the Demon King! Achieved the ‘Darkness swallows up the light!’]

[Card is awarded as an achievement reward!]

Chsss….!

Just then, another card appeared in front of Jin-seong. 

[Major Arcana, ‘The Star’ card is obtained!]