Chapter 66. Black Fangs vs. Holy Church (5)
The most prized possession of the Holy Church .
An artifact so crucial that it could be said to symbolize the Church itself had, in a blink, been halved—a truly bizarre situation.
Caron rubbed his eyes and looked back at the well, but nothing had changed.
Half of the Holy Blood had been consumed.
All for something so trivial.
Caron’s face twisted into a demon’s grimace.
The murderous aura emanating from him was so intense that his subordinates trembled, some even collapsing to the ground in fear.
But... Caron took a deep breath and tried his best to regain his composure.
After all, he wasn’t a fool. If he had been, he wouldn’t have risen to power so swiftly.
As infuriating as it was to lose half of their most powerful asset over something so insignificant, there was no way to recover the lost Holy Blood now.
Therefore... the priority was to understand the situation and figure out how to respond.
The first thing he had to consider was...
‘Why did such a massive amount disappear for this?’
If what he had glimpsed was truly the mental landscape of the Black Fangs’ leader, he would have been shocked but not surprised.
After all, intruding into the mind of someone of that caliber would inevitably consume a significant amount of Holy Blood.
But this situation was utterly baffling.
Just think about it logically.
There was no way that bastard was so great a being that such a steep price needed to be paid.
That was an undeniable, irrefutable fact.
As Caron pondered how this could have happened, it suddenly hit him.
‘The image I saw in his mind.’
An image of a decrepit old woman, captured in a photograph so vile that it was impossible to understand who would desire such a thing,
What kind of madman could possibly get excited over that horrific, naked body?
And then... there were other things, shocking in a completely different way.
Even Caron, who had experience in dissecting people, found the grotesqueness of it all beyond what he could tolerate.
He had been too shocked to properly examine it...
‘That was definitely strange.’
The scenes he observed in that man’s mind.
Words like gaechu* or buntang*—words whose meanings were utterly incomprehensible.
They didn’t seem to belong to this era at all.
When he connected these to the reason the Holy Blood had disappeared... the answer became clear.
‘A different world, and not just that—a being from a higher dimension.’
If that were the case, it would indeed make sense.
Interfering with a being from another dimension was nearly impossible to begin with.
Just observing them was close to a miracle, but to go beyond that and actually intrude into the mental world of a higher-dimensional being...
If the price wasn’t this steep, that would be even stranger.
“...”
As Caron continued to delve deeper into his thoughts, piecing everything together, his expression grew more and more twisted.
‘Are all beings from higher dimensions like this?’
Getting excited over such a revolting photo of an old hag, sharing it with others...
A collective of twisted perverts who, obsessed with demi-humans, couldn’t be satisfied by just fulfilling their desires with beasts and instead aimed to become demi-humans themselves.
If that was the standard of higher-dimensional beings...
Just imagining it was so disgusting that it was unbearable. It made Caron nauseous.
That’s why Caron quickly wiped those thoughts from his mind.
There were more pressing matters to attend to right now.
‘Why on earth is that bizarre creature, the one called FurryFurry*, being mistaken for the leader of the Black Fangs?’
Could this be some scheme by the Empire?
A tactic employed by the Empire to keep the Holy Church in check?
That thought briefly crossed his mind... but it didn’t quite add up.
Because even now, when he closed his eyes, he could still see it clearly.
The Second Prince.
The look in his eyes, filled with madness and obsession when he claimed to have uncovered the identity of the Black Fangs’ leader.
The possibility that it was all an act was unimaginable.
So, the Empire genuinely believed that strange human to be the leader of the Black Fangs.
And... there was only one person who could have orchestrated such a thing.
‘The Black Fangs...’
It had to be them.
Those bastards had cunningly deceived everyone with their wicked schemes.
When he thought of it that way, everything started to make sense.
If their goal was to confuse the Empire, it would have been easy to pin the blame on just anyone.
But they deliberately chose to frame a higher-dimensional being for their crimes, all to set this moment into motion.
Somehow, they had uncovered the existence and operation of this well, leading Caron straight into their trap.
And Caron had walked right into it.
‘Just how far ahead did that bastard plan?’
Caron couldn’t help but reflect on his own arrogance.
Despite knowing that overconfidence was the most dangerous poison, he had let his judgment be clouded by rage over the interference with his plans.
He had even dismissed the leader of the Black Fangs as nothing more than a lucky fool.
Now, in hindsight, nothing could have been more shameful.
‘If I hadn’t sensed something off and had attempted to destroy that bizarre pervert’s mind...’
Half of the Holy Blood had already been consumed just by glimpsing into the mind of a higher-dimensional being.
How much more would it take to destroy that mind?
It was clear that what he had now would be utterly insufficient.
Caron would have been trapped forever inside that pervert’s brain.
A mind filled with human excrement,
Photos of an old hag,
The grotesque images of people satisfying their desires with demi-humans.
He would have been trapped in that grotesque mental landscape, suffering for eternity.
A cold sweat naturally ran down Caron’s back.
‘To mock your opponent in such a way...’
This was a first.
No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling that he was merely playing in someone else’s hand.
This sense of helplessness was utterly terrifying.
What kind of mind could conceive of such a plan and actually bring it to fruition?
The foresight of the Black Fangs’ leader was truly terrifying.
But...
‘I can’t back down.’
The wisest course of action would be to avoid confronting such an opponent.
Even though he knew this, Caron couldn’t bring himself to stop the attack.
In a way, it was only natural.
Now that it was clear the Black Fangs’ leader knew about the Holy Blood… it was certain that he knew about other secrets as well.
If those were to be exposed…
It would be the end.
Everything would be over.
All the reputation he had built, all the future he had envisioned, would be shattered.
The moment that bastard opened his mouth, Caron’s life would be finished.
There was no way he could allow such a person to live.
So... he had to be eliminated.
No matter what it took.
No matter what risks he had to take.
“...Bring me the contents of the Holy Grail. All of it.”
That’s why Caron gave the order.
Originally, it was meant to be used against that bizarrely elusive potion dealer, the one who was so skilled at hiding his true identity.
But plans had to change.
Now was not the time to hold back cards.
This was a matter of life and death, and everything had to be wagered.
Of course, it wouldn’t match the power of the Holy Blood, but...
It was better than nothing.
‘Black Fangs... I apologize for underestimating you.’
‘But don’t think I’ll be easy prey either. ‘
The leader of the Black Fangs...
Caron had a faint inkling of who he really was.
There was no way the Empire had mistakenly identified that strange man as the leader by chance.
There had to be some connection between the Black Fangs’ leader and that man.
Perhaps...
They were both beings who descended from the same higher dimension, playing games with the world below.
‘No, my instincts told me that was the truth.’
Then the course of action was clear.
Find the soul that doesn’t belong to this world and invade its mental world.
Definitely.
Even if he had to use all the remaining Holy Blood, even if he had to gather every ounce of divine power he had stored up, it would be a close call.
But it was worth the challenge.
With a determined expression, Caron submerged himself in the blood once more.
...The time for the final battle had come.
The calm before the storm.
Whether Caron’s choice was the right one or not, only the outcome would reveal.
*****
I groggily sat up in bed, irritated.
This healthy body seemed to be on strike lately, as if it was protesting the overuse.
My back. The area between my shoulder blades ached too much to sleep.
It seemed like sleep was out of the question tonight. Staring blankly at the wall, I soon found myself deep in thought.
In a way, it was only natural.
It’s almost unsettling how peaceful everything feels, so much so that it doesn’t even seem real.
But the truth is, I’ve declared all-out war against the Holy Church in the name of the Black Fangs.
Technically speaking, I’m in an incredibly dangerous situation.
It would be stranger not to worry about what’s coming next.
‘...Maybe I should have been a bit more cautious.’
Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’ve become a bit careless.
Especially after putting on these earrings. They’re supposed to enhance my intuition, yet...
It feels like they’re having the opposite effect.
Whenever I try to think about the identity of the Black Fangs’ leader or reflect on my own actions, I find it strangely difficult to focus.
Sometimes, I’m hit with this inexplicable confidence and certainty.
And right now, the instinct that’s creeping in...
‘Should I really just get rid of them?’
It’s so absurd that I’m seriously considering disposing of this artifact.
There’s a limit to how much nonsense I can tolerate.
Telling me not to worry because the Holy Church is on the verge of self-destruction anyway?
The Holy Church isn’t full of idiots.
There’s no way something that ridiculous could actually happen, right?
[TL - gaechu: It’s Korean internet slang. It’s like saying ‘I Recommend it’.
buntang: It’s also Korean internet slang. And its original meaning is to cause a commotion in a very loud and bustling manner. It also has the meaning of disrupting.
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