#076. **The Vortex of Desire (2)**
—
John shouted as if in a seizure after reading Ray’s lip movements.
“Why? Because you made a promise with me!”
There was no reply.
“I—I mean right now! Right now, come here and save me! Y—you do know I have the antidote, don’t you?!”
Again, there was no response.
“Director, an antidote? What do you mean…?”
Michael, flustered, asked from the side, but John ignored him.
All he could do was shout, his breath trembling and his eyes bloodshot, as he fixed his gaze on the boy.
“Save me this instant—!”
But John’s venomous cry was cut short.
The moment his eyes met the boy’s, he felt as if his breath had been stolen away.
It was a truly bizarre experience.
The boy’s pure white eyes were devoid of any emotion.
His face, where expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure should have been, remained utterly still.
It was like a blank sheet of paper, with nothing imprinted upon it.
And yet, John couldn’t shake the feeling that the boy was smiling.
It was an instinctive sensation—one he felt not as a human, but as an animal sensing another creature’s intent.
There was no doubt about it.
The boy was smiling.
He was feasting on satisfaction and delight as he watched the hellish battlefield unfold, where gunfire and screams never ceased.
The moment John realized this, a pitch-black terror swallowed him whole, and his body was drenched in cold sweat.
Even breathing became difficult.
And he knew with certainty.
That those pure white eyes were peering deep into his soul.
“……!”
Overcome with fear, John abruptly averted his gaze from the boy and redirected his unexpressed fury toward Michael.
“W-what are you doing?! Y-you, wipe them all out this instant!”
John’s fiery outburst startled Michael, but he quickly steadied himself and gathered his mana.
‘What the hell is going on…?’
Nothing made sense.
John and Skyle suddenly turning their guns on each other.
The gunfight breaking out as if it had been anticipated.
John’s violent demeanor, so unlike him.
There was no clear answer to anything, yet Michael obeyed out of deep-seated loyalty.
—Beeeeeeep!
—Screeeeech!
Three familiars burst out from the subspace within his coat.
The hawks soared high into the sky, effortlessly dodging bullets as they circled the battlefield.
Just as they were about to dive down at the mercenaries below—
Rumble!
—S-save me! The Rockdeers—!
—R-run! They’re coming!
The desperate cries from one side of the battlefield shattered Michael’s focus.
The hawks abandoned their dive and flew back up, while Michael quickly turned toward the commotion.
“……!”
And what he saw left him in shock.
—Gwoooah!
—Grrroooh!
The Rockdeers had charged out and were launching a full-scale attack on the humans.
They rammed, trampled, and crushed—using every means their bodies allowed.
—T-these bastards have lost their minds!
—Director! Protect the director!
—Shoot! Shoot them!
—Hold your ground! If anyone runs, kill—Aaaagh!
The humans quickly turned their guns on the Rockdeers, unleashing a hail of bullets.
But firearms were useless against their thick shells.
A few fell with shattered shells, but they were the minority.
There were hundreds of Rockdeers, while only a few dozen humans—resistance was futile.
“The Rockdeers… why…?”
Michael muttered blankly in disbelief.
The mercenaries and bodyguards were dying everywhere.
Crushed under hooves.
Bones shattered by charging beasts.
Bodies impaled on their horns.
The fundamental rule—that Rockdeers never attacked other creatures—was being torn apart before his eyes.
Their pitch-black eyes gleamed with fury, and their every movement radiated a will to annihilate the enemy species.
‘This means I can’t use my familiars…’
Michael bit his lip.
The only way his superior could receive proper medical treatment was by eliminating the enemy as quickly as possible.
But the mercenaries were no longer the real enemy.
It was the Rockdeers, and familiars were useless against them.
At best, he could break through a dozen shells before exhausting his mana.
His magic was designed for combat against humans.
‘Maybe… maybe we should get to a vehicle and escape…!’
Michael hastily looked around.
But every vehicle he had hoped for was either overturned or destroyed by the Rockdeers—except for one.
Boom!
A heavy impact sounded behind him, making him turn.
A Rockdeer stood there, exhaling thick clouds of breath.
More Rockdeers rushed in, repeatedly slamming their heads against the barrier.
Boom! Boom!
Each impact made it feel as if the world itself was shaking.
Cracks began forming on the barrier, making John scream in horror.
“W-what are you doing?! Y-you useless fool! Do you know how much I pay you?! D-do something already!”
Though Michael was still reeling from confusion, his body moved reflexively.
He poured white mana into the barrier to reinforce it, then commanded his familiars to attack the Rockdeers.
—Beeeeeeep!
—Screeeeech!
Steel-clad beaks and talons streaked through the air, pecking and tearing at the Rockdeers’ gray shells.
Crack!
In an instant, shells split open, revealing the flesh beneath.
More attacks followed, and the Rockdeers bled and collapsed.
But the Rockdeers neither flinched at their injuries nor hesitated over their fallen kin.
They simply widened the distance before charging again, as if their sole purpose was to break through the barrier.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“I—I’m going to die! Do something, Michael! A-anything! You useless piece of—ugh!”
John’s frantic shouts continued.
Michael gritted his teeth.
The white mana within the circle was depleting rapidly.
At this rate, the barrier would collapse before he could eliminate all the Rockdeers.
He made his decision, kneeling with his back to John.
“Director. Get on my back.”
“W-what?”
“If we stay here, we’ll die. We need to escape to safety.”
John couldn’t argue with the firm determination in Michael’s voice.
Grudgingly, he forced his injured body onto Michael’s back.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
With each step Michael took, the hemispherical barrier moved with him.
John’s voice rose in alarm as he realized the direction they were heading.
“W-where are you going?! Stop! Stop this instant!”
“This is the only way to survive.”
John thrashed.
Boom! Boom!
The Rockdeers continued to ram against them.
But Michael pressed forward, gripping John tightly to keep him from falling.
At the end of his path stood the boy.
Behind him, the only undamaged vehicle remained, surrounded by a thick, radiant white barrier—far superior to Michael’s.
Tap.
Michael stopped.
The two barriers collided, preventing further movement.
Standing at the edge of the barrier, Michael looked at Ray and pleaded.
“Ray, please. Let us inside.”
He had a strong feeling Ray wouldn’t grant his request.
But it was the only way to survive.
Ray stared at him before speaking.
“Inside here?”
“Yes. Please. If the director stays out here, he’ll go into shock from blood loss.”
Ray’s face was expressionless, as always.
But inside, he was deeply intrigued by the spectacle before him.
Gunfire and screams echoed across the battlefield.
The beasts roared in fury.
The humans were steeped in fear and despair.
A perfect convergence of extreme emotions—something rarely witnessed.
‘Like living starlight.’
The thick, swirling emotions were intoxicating.
And at the heart of it all stood one man, holding the largest mass of emotion.
Ray’s lips curled slightly.
“You still respect him, don’t you?”
His gaze was directed at John, who was slumped over Michael’s back.
John, trembling violently, kept his head down, avoiding Ray’s eyes at all costs.
“Michael… that idiot… that bastard is a demon… of all people… that useless fool…”
He mumbled ceaselessly, like a man afflicted by madness.
Noticing Ray’s stare, Michael quickly spoke, as if in defense.
“He’s just in shock. There’s also the pain from his injuries. It’s difficult for him to stay coherent in his current state. Normally, he would never use such language toward me.”
“I just think his true nature is showing.”
Ray’s gaze flickered to the mass of deep purple mana contained within Michael’s vessel.
A strong suspicion arose.
The purple mana—the total sum of Michael’s respect for John—had not changed.
From the moment they first met until now, it had remained at what seemed to be the maximum amount a person could naturally hold.
‘That’s impossible.’
Emotion was an extremely volatile and fluid substance.
It never stayed still for long, constantly flowing in and out of its vessel like the tide.
‘Its size should change depending on the situation. Even the most persistent emotions aren’t this unchanging.’
That was how emotions worked—at least, according to Ray’s understanding.
And yet, Michael’s respect for John remained unwavering.
Even while being met with nothing but contempt and scorn from the person he revered.
There was only one possible conclusion.
Michael’s feelings of respect and trust for John were incomprehensibly deep—far beyond what an ordinary person could even fathom.
‘…Though, the mass of respect is trembling ever so slightly.’
Meaning, there was at least a trace of emotional disturbance.
Having reached his judgment, Ray inhaled before continuing.
“You’re not getting angry this time. Isn’t calling this his true nature an insult to the person you respect?”
“I don’t care what you say. Please, just ensure that the chairman can escape. And if you’re able to use healing magic—or if there’s even a first-aid kit in the vehicle—I would be deeply grateful if you could grant us that mercy.”
Michael’s voice was urgent yet composed.
But within his vessel, there was a flicker of anger.
‘He’s definitely mad at what I said.’
Yet, he didn’t let it show outwardly.
He seemed to be suppressing all other emotions in order to focus solely on saving John.
Ray recalled his last conversation with Michael at the hotel.
*”What do you think respect is?”*
Michael had pondered the question for a long while before answering.
*”That’s… a difficult question. It’s not something I can easily define. I don’t think I’ve ever considered it before… Would it be alright if I gave you an answer once I’ve found one?”*
It had been somewhat disappointing.
Given how much respect Michael held, Ray had expected a clear and insightful definition.
It had been less than a day since he’d asked that question.
‘Not enough time to find an answer. If I asked again now, I’d get the same response.’
But right now, another curiosity took precedence over that question.
A belief took root—this time, he might truly be able to break Michael’s respect.
The boy slowly parted his lips.
“Do you know who’s responsible for everything that’s happening right now?”
