Chapter 399

The head of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the god of hope and light, Lugh.

Being a god that is talented in a lot of ways, he’s also referred to as an all-around god.

Lugh has also received several treasures from Manannán mac Lir.

Possessing great talents and treasures, Lugh was a god that had a lot of opportunities in his life.

And in the myths, the one described as the weapon that always led to victory, the Spear of Lugh…

It was now in my hands.

Fwaaa…!

The Spear of Lugh seemingly awoke from sleep once my Use Objects skill activated.

Under the shabby fabric and case, the old spear began to glow.

At the same time, a dreary magi rose from the floor.

Woooong…!

“The alarm is activated! Let’s run away!”

As if the real boundary of the Fomorians was activated, the magi tried to wrap our party.

Phantom Thief Neon jumped nimbly, almost like he flew up in the air, while Goo Seulbi swung her oak cane to launch mana that would disrupt the magi.

They were attacked, but I was relatively safe.

The magi didn’t dare approach me because the Spear of Lugh was emitting a great light.

“Is that the treasure? How come you’re allowed to have it in your hands?”

“I know it’s in a case, but you shouldn’t hold it in your hands like that…!”

While busily avoiding the magi, Goo Seulbi and Phantom Thief Neon glanced at me with shock on their faces.

I normally would answer any question that a playable character of mine has, but I can’t afford to do that now.

Grrrr…!

The sharper the Spear of Lugh shone, the greater its power turned, and it made a sound similar to a crying beast.

The Spear of Lugh was famous not only for its brilliant specialty and power, but also for its coveted nature for the blood of living beings.

The spear, overflowing with a thirst for blood and slaughter, was jumping at its own will.

Thanks to my mental strength and the energy waves left my Midhir, I’m able to control it.

Like the misty waves of a lake, Midhir’s energy waves soothed the Spear of Lugh.

‘It’s this powerful even when a superior being is bringing it down…!’

The Spear of Lugh is as powerful as its reputation says it is, but it also has risks.

‘We need to end this right away.’

I sorted out the priorities in my head.

We’ve successfully retrieved Imoogi’s Exorcism.

All that’s left to do now is to retreat.

Our presence here has been pretty much confirmed, so I don’t want to leave any more clues.

“Balor moved!”

Goo Seulbi saw Balor’s movement through the animals she brought with her.

Following her urgent voice, we heard a ground-shaking sound from a distance.

Devil King Balor was moving, along with his powerful energy waves.

Calculating Balor’s position in my head, I spoke to the two.

“You know that this place is the Demon Race’s garden, right?”

“…I didn’t know that it was the Demon Race’s, but I know it’s a garden. My emergency escape item is disabled.”

Otherworlds, which are divided into dungeons, towers, castles, labyrinths, and gardens, have their own characteristics.

The defining feature of gardens is that emergency escape items don’t work.

Unlike other randomly naturally occurring otherworlds, one isn’t free to escape a garden anytime since it is controlled by someone’s energy waves.

In the case of the otherworlds that the Black Screen can summon, those are still escapable since the otherworld itself is not in control, only the location that it will spawn in.

But for gardens, no matter the level of their rarity, it’s impossible to escape using consumable escape items.

Although, since gardens are controlled by energy waves, most players with excellent senses can approximate where the exit is.

“Do you know where the exit is?”

The two immediately nodded at my question.

“Of course. A thief always secures an escape route.”

“Me too. Roughly.”

They didn’t choose to escape even though they knew where the exit is all this time!

Considering their personalities, I should’ve known that they would prioritize achieving their goals before escaping.

They chose to wander in this garden in search of Imoogi’s Exorcism and the treasure.

“Balor has his back on the exit. He found out that the boundary on the treasure was broken, so he’ll head this way.”

“Then he’ll be staring in this direction soon.”

For the first time, the two’s voices sounded stiff.

It wouldn’t be an easy feat even for skilled people to face Balor.

The only way to win against him is to avoid his gaze.

I can feel the two thinking complicatedly.

“One of the treasures is already in my hands, and the Imoogi’s Exorcism that you were aiming for has already been recaptured.”

“What?! This master was defeated!”

Phantom Thief Neon spoke in a lost tone.

The moment he heard what I said, it seems like thoughts about Balor seemed to evaporate from his head.

“I’m going to return that painting to its rightful owner. For now, we need to prioritize escaping.”

“How about making a bait and luring Balor?”

“That’s fine, but the risks are too high. Even if we make a bait, the possibility of this garden’s owner coming for us, not Balor, is still high.”

I raised the Spear of Lugh, which was still expressing its thirst for blood, and spoke again.

“I’m going to use this. Let’s escape together.”

The Spear of Lugh howled, emitting a fierce energy wave that slightly hurt my hand.

Looking at the spear with a worried expression, Goo Seulbi asked.

“…Why would you do all that when we’ve never met before?”

It’s difficult to answer that question right away.

Considering Goo Seulbi’s history, I know that it’s difficult for her to accept the favor of someone she doesn’t know by name or by face.

I knew well how quickly Goo Seulbi was thrown into despair after hoping for a hint of goodwill from her parents.

Even though they were in the same class, Goo Seulbi couldn’t easily accept Joo Soohyuk’s favor as a friend.

Seeing that I couldn’t answer, Neon spoke instead.

“I think it’s good faith stemming from the sense of comradeship as a fellow thief.”

I think Goo Seulbi and I felt the same about Neon’s answer, but since we were in too urgent of a situation, we collectively decided to ignore it.

“My master told me that there will be a safer way than running away to my dreams in case of an emergency.”

“A safer place than a dream?”

“…Yeah. He told me that if anything happens, I will be safe as long as I follow the man in a crow mask.”

Did Merlin say that to Goo Seulbi?

I never existed in PMH, so how could’ve Merlin said that about me?

“I’ll come with you.”

Those words are enough for now.

I activated my light skill.

“The two of you, keep your eyes closed. Focus on keeping your balance.”

The character I chose was one that can use spatial and flight skills, Yong Jegun.

The place where Devil King Balor awaits is beyond the lake in this garden.

In order to fly with two people, I needed a spatial skill.

Fwaaaa!

A space was formed under the two and flew up in an instant.

They kept themselves steady even as they shut their eyes.

As our flight speed increased, Goo Seulbi lowered her stance and steadied herself with her oak cane.

On the other hand, Phantom Thief Neon chose to stand upright.

“It’s a thief’s specialty to hold out without safety devices at places with high altitude!”

Phantom Thief Neon uttered nonsense that no one asked for.

But for some reason, his words gave me strength and I felt like the nerves that had been standing on the edge of the Spear of Lugh sort of calmed down.

That was when…

A heavy energy wave weighed down our party.

“W-woah…!”

Phantom Thief Neon staggered.

“The Devil King is about to look this way!”

Fwaaa!

Goo Seulbi, with her eyes closed tight, drew a magic circle on the space in an instant, summoning a tree with a shield to protect me.

Soon after that, the surface of the lake we were flying over began to swell and evaporate.

Even the lake died when the devil king’s gaze settled on it, but the druidess’ magic tree only withered a little, successfully holding its ground.

Swaaa…. Pshhhh…!

However, as we got close to Balor, the magic tree lost its shape and slowly crumbled.

“It won’t hold out for long…!”

Even if we close our eyes to avoid immediate death, we won’t be able to survive as long as Balor’s Eye of Death has us in its line of sight.

The two have items that are blessed, but Midhir said that it can only protect them once.

In other words, it’s uncertain how long those items can protect them.

‘I want them to be able to save those items for the future too…’

I’m safe from Balor’s eye.

Balor’s power can’t reach the Spear of Lugh, a weapon said to have defeated him in the myth.

Since a superior being entrusted me with the spear, I can’t just throw it like what god Lugh did in the myth, so I have no choice but to hold on to it now.

‘We’re not in range yet!’

I can’t throw this spear, but I am a player.

I could use my energy waves on the spear to control it.

‘I’ll use energy waves at the count of three. Three, two…!’

Even in the dark, we approached the eye of Balor so clearly.

The only thing I can see in his eye — death.

‘It’s like… before I came into this world… that…’

I was on the brink of death before I came to this world.

I thought it was simply an energy pressure coming from Balor’s eye, but it’s different.

In his eye, I saw death itself.

The dignity of a mythical existence that embodies death.

In Balor’s eye…

In it, I saw the Jo Euishin that existed before coming to this world.

The Jo Euishin who was sentenced to death.

The increasing physical pain and despair accompanying each day.

Balor’s eye reminded me of my death, something that I desperately tried to forget.

‘I can’t look away.’

I can’t avoid that eye.

Because my death isn’t the only thing at stake here.

‘I’ll miss if I close my eyes!’

Pushing down the fear that weighed on my whole body, I loaded my energy waves into the bloodthirsty Spear of Lugh.

As if it had been waiting for my energy waves, the Spear of Lugh howled.

Fwaaa!

A pitch-black energy wave sprang out of the Spear of Lugh and swallowed the eye of death.

My signature black energy wave darkened Balor’s single eye, erasing death from it.

And with that…

We flew toward the exit behind the one-eyed devil, who seemed buried in the dark.

“The devil closed his eye!”

“We’re not in the otherworld anymore… Did you do it?”

“You crazy thief! You were chanting the spell of resurrection the whole time!”

While the two went back to their bickering, I heard a system message in my head.