Chapter 19

The moment I swallowed the black sphere, an intense heat erupted from my body. It felt like flames were wrapping around my entire being, and the pain was overwhelming. I couldn’t even breathe properly. My heart was racing like crazy, and my head felt like it was about to explode.

“AAAAAH!!!”

I screamed and dropped to my knees. The searing pain that started in my palms and arms spread throughout my body. It was as if black flames were flowing through my veins.

Looking at my palm, I saw a glowing black mark etched into it. It pulsed and moved as if it was trying to pull something out of me.

“Ellie!!!” Zion’s voice reached me, but I couldn’t even see his face. My vision was already filled with red light and black shadows. The surrounding noise faded, replaced only by the sound of a massive heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump.

‘What is this… something inside me… is breaking.’

A dark, mist-like energy began to pour out of my body. It quickly covered the ruins and froze the air around me. The dark energy was cold and sharp, yet sticky and heavy. ‘Is this… the energy of magic?’

“Everyone… stay away from me!!!”

I screamed, but my voice no longer sounded like my own. It was low and alien, as if two voices were overlapping.

“Ellie!” Claire’s urgent voice called out. She tried to approach me, but the dark energy pushed her back. “Damn it, what is this! What’s happening to you?”

Luan, holding a spirit in his arms, shouted from a distance with a trembling voice. “The spirit is terrified! That… that’s not just ordinary magic!”

Linda shrank back in fear. “Unnie… why is this happening… I’m really scared…”

I couldn’t respond to their voices. The burning pain inside me was consuming me. Every time the dark energy surged from my body, it felt like a wave trying to swallow me whole.

Selena’s voice faintly reached me. “This… this is the early form of the Demon King… the seed is fully awakening! We have to stop it! We have to stop it!!!”

‘The Demon King? What the… am I becoming the Demon King?’

I clenched my fist, squeezing my palm as if trying to crush it. The mark on my hand burned with pain, gradually losing its light and turning black. Something inside me was breaking.

And then, in an instant, everything went completely dark.

—

In an unfamiliar bedroom.

When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view. The surroundings were quiet, with only a faint candlelight illuminating the room. I tried to move, but my wrists and ankles were tightly bound. ‘Restraints…?’

“Where… am I?”

I whispered. My head still felt like it was about to split, and my body was heavy. I tried to look at my palm, but I couldn’t see it due to the restraints. ‘That black mark… the magic…?’

I slowly looked around and started calling out.

“Zion…?”

No answer.

“Claire? Luan? Linda…?”

My voice trembled, but still, no one answered.

I struggled against the restraints, but they were too tight to break free. My heart started beating faster.

“Is anyone there?! Where are you! Answer me!!!”

At that moment, a cold voice came from somewhere.

“You’re awake.”

I turned my head toward the voice. A strange silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness. The person looked down at me with an expressionless face.

“Now we need to decide what to do with what’s inside you.”

.

.

.

I turned my head toward the voice. The person walking out of the darkness was wearing a long black coat. His face was revealed by the faint candlelight, and his expression was bland.

He stared at me intently and slightly raised the corner of his mouth. “Finally awake. The Saintess… and the Demon King?”

His words sent chills down my spine. I clenched my bound wrists and asked, “Who are you? And where is this?”

He ignored my questions and slowly walked around the room, observing. “Honestly, you’re beyond expectations. When you swallowed the seed of destruction, I didn’t think you’d survive this intact. Well, maybe not intact. I’m not sure yet.”

“Start by explaining why I’m tied up here,” I glared at him. “And who you are.”

He smiled briefly at my words, then sat on a small chair next to the bed, crossing his legs. “My name… well, it’s not necessary to reveal it. But if it makes you uncomfortable, you can call me ‘Noah.’ That’s my name for now.”

“Noah?” I repeated the name and watched his actions. Instinctively, I could tell he was a dangerous person. His cold demeanor, tone, and piercing gaze proved it.

“By the way,” Noah continued. “You’ve become quite an interesting state lately. You still retain the power of the Saintess, but the energy of the Demon King is also growing inside you. It’s a very… rare combination.”

“What do you know about what’s happening inside me?” I gritted my teeth and asked.

Noah erased his smile and looked down at me with sharp eyes. “I don’t just know, I understand it perfectly. Because I’ve been researching this very phenomenon.”

He paused for a moment, then spoke heavily. “Aren’t you curious? Why the Saintess is the Saintess, and the Hero is the Hero. What exactly is the difference between ordinary people and them?”

“…….”

His words were unexpected. I stared at him, unable to say anything. He observed my expression and tilted his head.

He nodded. “You must be curious too. The rules of this world seem so simple yet are incredibly complex. The Hero is the chosen one, the Saintess carries the will of the gods… They try to explain everything with vague settings like that. But I wasn’t satisfied with that.”

“What are you talking about?” I couldn’t understand what he was saying. But every word that came out of his mouth pulled me in.

Noah waved his hand and said, “To put it simply, I’m doing research. What’s the difference between the Hero and the Saintess? Why were they chosen, and why can’t those who weren’t chosen reach that point? Aren’t you curious too?”

“Then, what exactly is this research you’re talking about?” I asked, responding to his words.

Noah smiled and answered, “To explain it simply, I was curious about phenomena like you. The fusion of Holy Energy and Magic, the source of power that the chosen ones possess. You’re a very good sample.”

“Sample?” I gritted my teeth. “Are you saying you’re using me as an experiment subject now?”

Noah answered expressionlessly, “Experiment? No need to make it sound so scary. In fact, it might even help you.”

“Help?” I scoffed. “What kind of help can you offer while I’m tied up like this?”

Noah stood up and said, “Before the Demon King inside you fully awakens, you’ll have to make a choice. It’s my job to tell you what that is.”

He walked toward the door and added, “If you want to know why the Hero is the Hero, why the Saintess is the Saintess… just follow me. After all, you can’t walk an ordinary path in this world anyway.”

After he closed the door and disappeared, I sat there quietly, replaying his words in my mind, feeling utterly confused. ‘What… does this even mean? Is this guy a player too?’

—

After Noah left the room, the bedroom fell silent again. But my mind was in turmoil, as if a storm had been unleashed by his words.

‘Why is the Hero the Hero? Why is the Saintess the Saintess… And now I’m an experiment subject? What the hell does this guy know?’

I struggled against the restraints on my wrists and ankles, looking around the room. The bedroom was simple, but in the corner, a desk was cluttered with papers. A candle dimly lit the desk, and I stared at it intently, still bound.

On the desk, a map was spread out.

‘Is that… Lucian Village? Riverden Village… and what’s this?’

On the map, three village names were marked, and in the middle, the words **‘Hero Party’** were written in red ink. The words were circled, with tiny notes scribbled around them. I strained to read them.

Then, a document lying on the floor caught my eye. At the top of the document, the words **‘Experiment Report’** were written in bold. I twisted my body, trying to read it.

‘Experiment Results: The Hero is born under specific conditions. The Saintess can also be formed in a similar manner.’

My heart started racing like crazy. The contents of the document only confused me more.

—

[Experiment Report: The Creation Principles of the Hero and Saintess]

Hero’s Condition: When a specific individual is believed to be a powerful legendary figure, and at least 10 people hold genuine belief in them, that person manifests the Hero’s Power. This belief must be based on life-or-death conviction, not mere admiration.

Saintess’s Condition: The Saintess is formed in the same way. However, the manifestation of Holy Energy depends on the individual’s basic personality and the pure trust of the villagers.

Irrefutable World Law: This phenomenon operates like a rule embedded in this world, and the experiment subject cannot defy it. However, if the number of believers is less than 10, the effect cannot manifest.

Additional Confirmation Needed: A control group is required, and for this, a current Saintess must be secured.

—

My gaze stopped at the last part of the report.

‘Saintess must be secured…? A control group is needed? Don’t tell me… me?’

At that moment, puzzle pieces started fitting together in my mind.

‘Lucian Village, Riverden Village… and the Hero Party.’

I muttered to myself, recalling the connecting lines on the map.

“Don’t tell me… what he meant by ‘research’ is…”

I replayed the document in my mind.

‘The Hero and Saintess aren’t just chosen by the gods… They’re beings created by belief…?’

I broke out in a cold sweat as I thought about the document.

“Crazy… Is this the truth about the Hero and Saintess?”

And the last line of the report echoed in my mind.

‘Control group needed: An actual Saintess must be secured.’

I clenched my bound wrists and gritted my teeth.

“Then… I’m their next experiment subject, aren’t I?”

Only then did I start to understand a little of what Noah meant by ‘what you’ll have to choose.’ But my mind was still a mess, and the word ‘experiment’ weighed heavily on my chest.