Chapter 574: Chapter 572

Episode 572. It’s getting blurry (2)

Why Barbatos chose this place as the setting for his curse.

I can guess.

Me.

Not Grandfell.

I, Lee Hoyeol.

‘Barbatos, you saw through it.’n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

All thanks to the power, the Objective Eye.

It was Grandfell, not Lee Hoyeol, that Paimon and the other demons had been wary of. Because of that, I’ve been safe within Grandfell’s walls.

But this time is different.

‘I know.’

Why did Barbatos target me?

‘Because I’m nothing compared to Grandfell.’

Because the great Grandfell is at my mercy.

Paimon and Pride didn’t like that fact, right?

I, Lee Hoyeol, who has a knack for knowing the subject, knew it early on.

“I can’t hold you back forever, Grandfell.”

As I always say, Grandfell’s talent is brilliant.

Why can’t we utilize those talents properly?

Because he’s trapped in my pitiful body.

I know that no matter how hard I try, I can never allow Grandfell’s abilities to fully blossom, and the proof is the potential he shows in his [Blackening] state.

Yes.

I’m Lee Hoyeol.

Without the restrictions, Grandfell’s potential is unleashed.

Can I be honest?

At this moment, I was shaking.

Although I hid my emotions under Grandfell’s iron skin.

[Enter curse, ‘Ghosts of the Past’].

My past.

I mean, I was clearly agitated by the familiar faces from my middle school days at Seongseon. I thought I had forgotten them all, but they were still in my memory.

Literally, ghosts of the past.

Someone.

Talking to me.

“Hey, Lee Hoyeol……! ”

But like in the past, the words are unfinished.

“You idiot, I told you not to talk to him.”

The curse transcends time and space.

But as I said.

Barbatos, having given up his power, had no such ability.

So I was also aware that all of this wasn’t really my past, just a fake that Barbatos had copied from someone else’s memory.

But for some reason, my heart sank.

Even though I knew Barbatos was deceiving me, even though I knew I shouldn’t hold Grandfell’s ankles, I couldn’t look away.

I couldn’t help but listen.

“If you pretend to know him and then get involved, are you sure you can handle it?”

“Do you want to pretend to be nice? Or are you just pretending?”

“ ……don’t fucking do it, you bastard.”

“Otherwise, just shut up, you bastard.”

“Don’t talk to that person for no reason.”

It was like the past was being regurgitated.

Or, to put it in my usual terms, something I wanted to forget so badly.

The ‘dark history’ seemed to come flooding back to me.

I could feel the prying eyes.

“Did you hear? His house is a total loss.”

“Huh, really?”

“I didn’t like the fucking thing before.”

The truth

In retrospect, these were not hurtful things to say. I mean, they were all right, it wasn’t my fault that my dad’s business was going badly, and I didn’t need to be intimidated.

But why am I dwelling on the past when I shouldn’t be?

Am I falling into a curse?

That’s probably because of the wounds I haven’t gotten over yet.

A sarcastic voice.

“But no matter what, Kim Hyunmin is too much.”

‘Kim Hyun-min.’

At the mention of that name, my vision flips unrealistically.

seuseuseu

The background flips in an instant, and time flows backwards.

From the hallway to classroom 2-7.

From the past to an even worse past.

Faces from that time swarm around me.

“Hoyeol, can we go to your house? I’m going to see Arcana Continent Biography for once ……. ”

“That’s crazy. Don’t you know Hoyeol’s older sister’s personality?”

“We almost got all our hair pulled out last time.”

But my gaze was not on them, but on a corner of the classroom. To Kim Hyunmin, who was slumped over his desk and never showed his face during class, recess, or lunch.

“Kim Hyunmin…….is that right? I don’t even know his name.”

“Here we go again, Lee Hoyeol”

“Hoyeol, you’re so fucking nice that it’s a problem, right? He doesn’t want to hang out with us, so why do you care? By the way, when we were on a field trip…….”

Once again, the time line and perspective shift.

“Oh my God. Who would have thought it would be like this?”

“Well, that asshole Kim Hyunmin has no fucking loyalty either. If he has a conscience, he should at least pretend to know that Hoyeol helped him.”

“Hey, don’t do that to Hyunmin for no reason, you idiot.”

One more name pops up that I’d hoped to forget.

“Changwoo said that, right? Hoyeol brought it all on himself.”

Choi Changwoo.

Before entering the curse.

Choi Changwoo’s face was nowhere to be seen among the people floating in the air.

The meaning of the words was simple.

‘It must be Choi Changwoo’s body that Barbatos is possessing.’

As if to prove his point.

Drzak.

The door to the 7th class of 2nd grade at Seongseon Middle School opens.

Barbatos appears in the form of Choi Changwoo. I didn’t hesitate. I immediately activated [Exorcism Ritual], raising my magic power to tear Barbatos apart.

It was then.

“Are you sure you won’t regret this, Hoyeol?”

Barbatos opened his abominable mouth.

What could I possibly regret now?

Just as I was thinking about it, my vision shifted again.

“…..!”

The background changes.

The scenery of Seongseon Middle School from the present day, where the curse is manifesting, fills the view. At the same time, the faces that had been wearing their past selves return as they were.

Status Abnormality, [Corruption].

The faces of those who have become demons are visible.

The demonization of humans through corruption.

I had already witnessed it through Lox.

But.

‘……There’s no good reason for this corruption, is there?’

Lox was a player.

Considering his abilities and specialties.

The demons had good reason to target him.

But these guys weren’t players, they were normal people.

“Ughhhh.”

Rather than going on a rampage with demonic power like Lox.

Or even able to speak properly in the aftermath of demonization.

Ordinary humans who couldn’t even maintain their human form.

So why …….

‘Is it purely because of me……?’

They squirmed, a lump of flesh with no eyes.

‘I’m sorry.’

For getting you involved.

I was asking for forgiveness.

Choi Changwoo. No, Barbatos’ lips curled up in a sneer.

“Isn’t that what you do best, Hoyeol? Showing a little compassion. By the way, I’m personally curious as to what your idea of mercy is, and what kind of mercy would Lee Hoyeol be able to show in this situation?”

I, Lee Hoyeol, come to deceive you.

“Do you think it’s mercy to let them live as neither human nor demon, or do you think it’s mercy to kill them cleanly with your own hands? Whatever you choose to do……. ”

His gaze turns to the many drone cameras outside the window.

“And how will the watching world judge you?”

The corners of Barbatos’s mouth turn up.

“It’s not like then, Hoyeol, you’re an adult now, and an adult can make adult decisions. Shouldn’t you be confident that you won’t regret your choices?”

………tuk

I feel a damp touch on my skin.

One of the Corrupted had grabbed my hand.

It was speaking while still holding my hand.

“Ki, kill me. Hoyeol.”

At this moment, there was only one thought in my head.

‘…If we can reverse the corruption.’

But at this moment, I, the weakling…

[※Warning: the concentration of black magic power is excessively high].

With Lee Hoyeol’s mind.

I can’t even grasp the structure of the corruption.

I can’t even come up with an answer.

[※Warning: The concentration of black magic power is excessively high].

So I had no choice but to hang.

Grandfell.

To you.

[Status Abnormality, ‘Blackening’ occurs.]