“Gah!” Hwang Dongsuk was so taken aback that he sank to the floor where he stood. However, nobody present was paying attention to him at the moment.
“Arsha, what did you just say?” The old man was glowering at the queen bee, her wings buzzing. This was Arsha the Queen Bee, and her captivating form came into view as the bees melded into a single shape.
She locked eyes with the old man. “I said, this is as far as I go.”
“But why? You are supposedly a queen. Don’t tell me you’re scared?”
“Hmph. Scared?” Arsha simply scoffed at his provocation and crossed her arms. She directed her gaze out the window. Throughout this village were the countless bees that served her, and even now, they were sending her powerful warning signals. She grinned and replied confidently, “Why shouldn’t I be afraid? It’s natural for a being to run and hide when faced with a predator they cannot defeat.”
“A predator? Don’t tell me you’re scared because someone capable of using the Iron Body Technique has appeared. This wound is nothing.” The old man, recognizing that Arsha was looking at his charred hand, frowned in displeasure. “Restore,” he chanted, shaking his scorched hand in the air. The contorted face of a screaming spirit sank into it like a ripple of air. His hand was instantly completely unmarked, and he flexed it as he stared casually at Arsha. “Queen Bee, I’ll admit I was not expecting the intruders, but my plans are not affected in any way. In fact, they will be executed even faster than before.”
“Even though the Iron Body Technique destroyed your illusion?”
“It is true that the technique and our illusions don’t play well together. But the disadvantage isn’t solely our own.”
Tarnak was once the Monarch of Iron Body, who had ruled over goblins, orcs, and all humanoid beasts. His Iron Body Technique pushed the body to its limit, transcending even the boundary of body and soul. It surpassed physical laws and could even attack spirits. The illusions of the demonic spirits, on the other hand, used souls to gain physical power. In other words, the two powers were diametrically opposed.
“My illusion was broken earlier because I let down my guard,” the old man said. “But it won’t happen again. The intruder hasn’t even managed to locate m