Chapter 115 : The True Illusion Begins

“Guide Lee Kang-wook, you said you can distinguish between hallucination and reality. Since I know this building, I’ll lead the way, and if you can filter out the illusions, we should be able to escape without much trouble.”

“Understood,” Kang-wook replied, moving to the front of the line.

Hae-jin combed through his memory, carefully checking the plaques on the doors they passed. They went by the Planning & Secretariat Office, the Accounting Team, and the Audit Team. Along the way, the path became uneven and unfamiliar office layouts appeared, but with Kang-wook identifying them as hallucinations beforehand, the process wasn’t too difficult.

The Espers followed behind, silencing even their breathing. Observing the situation, Lee Chae spoke up softly.

“Hyung, if the Cyclops is planning to fight us…”

“I know. It’ll be waiting at the entrance. We’re heading out prepared for that. The worst-case scenario is getting trapped here forever.”

“Do you think the Bureau will send reinforcements?”

Hae-jin scoffed. “These are people who didn’t even notify other guilds while Frame was being turned into this mess, let alone provide support. They can’t be trusted.”

Kang-wook, who was busy filtering reality from illusion, let out a dry chuckle. “You know them well. They’re a truly exhausting bunch.”

Hae-jin responded coldly. “You speak as if you weren’t one of them yourself.”

“Since we’re in the same guild now, let’s let the past be the past.”

“That doesn’t mean what happened never happened,” Hae-jin growled. Even though he knew the stakes, he hadn’t liked this guy since the ‘debris disposal’ days. Moreover, since Kang-wook appeared composed and mature, Hae-jin felt a petty urge to expose his true nature in front of Lee Chae.

However, contrary to Hae-jin’s expectation of a petty retort, Kang-wook lowered his head.

“I am ashamed of my past. I cannot change what has already happened, so I will live my life atoning for it.”

With Kang-wook acting like that, Hae-jin was left looking like the only immature one. Just as he was about to say he was joking and welcome him to Legion, Lee Chae intervened.

“U-um, excuse me, you two.”

“Yeah?”

“Now is not the time for this. We need to find the entrance or the Cyclops, fast.”

As Kang-wook cleared his throat and refocused, Hae-jin resumed his mental mapping. This is the 4th floor, so the stairs should be at the right end of the hallway. Since the elevators were out, they had to find the stairwell door, descend to the 1st floor, and then they’d be out.

‘Isn’t this going a bit too smoothly?’

Just as they reached the end and Hae-jin reached for a doorknob—

“Take your hand off that handle right now!” Kang-wook shouted.

Hae-jin pulled back immediately. “What is it?”

“Something is behind that door. Scouting Esper…”

As Kang-wook trailed off, Jae-hyung spoke up. “He’s right. It’s massive… a Beast-type.”

“Another Beast-type? Is this a split monster too?”

Yong-yong answered this time. “It is a split. Humanoids think of Cerberterros or Lamias as their subordinates and control them at will. That’s why the Cerberterro betrayed them. The monster outside is essentially a second Lamia split from the original.”

Jae-hyung gave Yong-yong a thumbs up. “Whoa… our Yong-yong is so smart. You’re so pretty and smart, I’m afraid someone will steal you away.”

Ji Seung-hyun smiled warmly at them, and even the Legion Espers, used to this dynamic, broke into laughter. Lee Kang-wook looked at them strangely.

“It’s fascinating. That you can laugh in a situation like this.”

Lee Chae looked at a blushing Yong-yong and explained, “It’s a Legion trait. The harder and scarier things get, the more we laugh. It lightens the burden.”

“Our Lee Chae is a true Legion man now, noticing that,” Hae-jin said, then turned back to the task at hand. “Alright, enough talk. We have to break through whoever is out there. If it’s like a Lamia, Seo-geon will handle the hallucination control, and we’ll all attack at once to pierce through. Seo-geon, you ready?”

“Yes! I’ll be ready with Jae-hyung!”

The Espers reorganized their ranks. Having already fought a Lamia, the Legion members were brimming with confidence. Once everyone was clear of the door, Hae-jin detonated an explosive skill to blow it open.

Beyond the door stood a massive bird wreathed in flames, brandishing a gigantic beak. After a brief moment of being overwhelmed by its size—it was hard to imagine how it even fit in the building—Hae-jin quickly cast a large-scale protective shield.

“Does anyone know the name of this monster?”

Ji Seung-hyun stepped forward again. “It is the Lao-zo, an avatar of the 1st-class Beast-type Lamia. Its main weapon is the fire it breathes from its beak, and its wings are incredibly strong. Dragons’ skin doesn’t burn, so Yong-yong and I will remain in our transformed states from now on.”

With a bang, Ji Seung-hyun and Yong-yong transformed into massive dragons. The others gaped at the two, who had grown large enough to pierce the ceiling.

The Lao-zo breathed fire at the dragons, but they didn’t even flinch. Seeing the flames fail, the Lao-zo partially unfurled its folded wings and stiffened its neck.

—SCREECH!

With a piercing cry, the Lao-zo spread its wings fully and soared high. The ceiling warped, creating an impossibly high space.

Hae-jin looked up at the Lao-zo from behind the dragons. Debris fell every time the wings flapped, but the shield kept everyone safe. Hae-jin pressed his lips to Lee Chae’s forehead briefly, handed him over to Jin-woo for protection, and then shot up into the air.

The Hasard Espers began whispering in awe. “Since when could Esper Cha Hae-jin fly that high?”

A Legion member replied, “Since the first Lamia appeared. Not only that, he’s developed fire and wind attribute defense skills, and a physical attack that can be used even at full defense.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. How has there been no news about this?”

“We kept it quiet because we didn’t want the Bureau breathing down our necks.”

Suddenly, the Lao-zo began to thrash with a pained shriek. Hae-jin had summoned a vortex to disrupt its flight. Seeing this, the Water and Ice attribute Espers paired up and prepared their attack.

“When should we strike?”

Hae-jin answered while continuously generating wind. “I’ll keep bringing it down, so attack when it gets close! It’s not as smart as the original Lamia; it panics when faced with a large-scale attack. Seo-geon, are you still applying your skills?”

“Yes! Its brain is practically tofu right now. I can’t put in new suggestions, but it can’t push me out either. Just keep using physical attacks while I maintain the hallucination!”

“Good!”

The Lao-zo flapped frantically as Hae-jin approached, ignoring the fire it breathed. Flames flared hot enough to be felt from a distance, but Hae-jin didn’t dodge. Instead, he unleashed a powerful gust that pinned the Lao-zo down. Caught in the gale, the Lao-zo plummeted headfirst.

“Now!”

At Hae-jin’s shout, the Water and Ice Espers poured out their attacks. As the water doused the flames and the ice froze the monster solid, Ji Seung-hyun and Yong-yong were waiting. With their massive claws, they tore the Lao-zo’s body into pieces.

Yong-yong breathed fire onto the shredded remains, and the giant bird was reduced to a pile of ash.

The perfect coordination—hard to believe it was their first time working together—earned praise from all sides.

“Incredible.” “I’ve never seen a battle like this.”

Hae-jin landed lightly and took Lee Chae back from Jin-woo. “It’s too early to celebrate. This is where it truly begins.”

Jae-hyung added, “Once we hit the 1st floor, the mental attacks will get intense. Even high-level Espers shouldn’t let their guard down. One mistake could kill us all.”

“What? What did you see?”

“…It’s not that I saw something specific. I just… know. Something massive is coming.”

A cold dread settled over everyone’s shoulders. As Awakened individuals, they could all feel a terrifying aura rising from below. But they couldn’t stay here forever.

They made it down to the 2nd floor without incident. However, in a hallucination gate, you can’t trust your eyes, so no one was certain they were actually safe.

Was it just a feeling? Lee Chae thought he felt a strange presence behind them and glanced over Hae-jin’s shoulder, but nothing had changed.

He looked at Hae-jin, who was still holding him. He felt deep respect for the man who had spent three years honing his skills to reach the pinnacle of offense and defense. Lee Chae swallowed hard and whispered into Hae-jin’s ear.

“Hyung, if I get hit by a mental attack and try to hurt you…”

Hae-jin chuckled. “How exactly are you going to hurt me?”

“No, I mean, if you’re trying to defend and I distract you by… I don’t know, trying to be affectionate or something.”

“You worry too much. If that happens, I’ll just get more contact guiding and fight even better, right?”

Lee Chae sighed but spoke seriously. “I get it, and I know how much you love me, so just listen.”

“Okay, talk to me.”

“If I can’t say the code, you have to put me down and fight. Once the Cyclops is dead, the hallucinations will break. Killing the Cyclops comes before protecting me. Understand?”

“Oh, is that all? Got it.”

“No, don’t just brush me off. Answer me properly, Cha Hae-jin.”

“I said I got it!”

Despite the answer, Lee Chae didn’t quite trust him. Just then, someone in the back collapsed, clutching their head.

“AAAAAGH!”

It was the S-rank hallucination Esper, Seo-geon. Lee Kang-wook rushed over, but Seo-geon recoiled in extreme wary.

“D-don’t come near me!”

“Esper-nim, you need guiding now. If you don’t receive it, you’ll go into a rampage!”

“I said… stay back!”

Lee Chae couldn’t understand. To receive that level of mental attack and still refuse guiding?