The fact that the demons attacked the Murim Alliance meeting where Hugo had participated, and that the Heavenly Demon, the leader of the Demon Cult, was among them, was an event no one could have predicted.
It was equally surprising that the Heavenly Demon had such a close relationship that he could use the Head of the Buncheon Society’s holy power.
‘Even though everything erupted suddenly… When I think about it, could it be such a bad development?’
For him, there was another purpose besides accumulating karma in this land, wasn’t there?
It was to completely dismantle all the arrangements left behind by that guy in this place touched by the Head of the Buncheon Society.
But just at that moment, he had unexpectedly run into the core of it all—.
‘I can’t let him go just like that. Even if it means my original plan goes completely awry.’
When the situation changes, plans change too.
Initially, Hans had not intended to act so radically, but he had no intention of letting this rare opportunity slip away.
And the result was exactly what was happening now.
Kurrurung—!
In a space engulfed in darkness like the Abyss.
The Heavenly Demon, trapped in an unknown barrier, was rampaging fiercely, scattering dark energy around.
Frowning at the sight of the awakened Undead and Abyss Revenants rushing at him from all directions.
“Ha! What are these Jiangshi? Even the Jiangshi from the east aren’t like this, what the hell!”
These entities, specially selected and crafted from carefully chosen materials, not only possessed considerable combat power but could also operate without dimension constraints thanks to being made using awakened beings from Earth.
Moreover, as could be inferred from Hans’s past actions, most of their members consisted of those encountered in the Buncheon Society back on Earth…
“Thousand Death Demon! Why are you here…? You should have returned to Earth…!”
Among them was a familiar face to the Heavenly Demon.
The reason he recognized the face at first glance wasn’t just because it was completely shrouded in black.
But because every technique the opponent used and everything else was familiar, leading him to inevitably realize his identity.
When the Thousand Death Demon had first crossed over to the Ganghwan Realm, it was none other than the Heavenly Demon who had lured him into the Demon Cult and had supported him with various training and resources.
In a way, their relationship was akin to that of a master and disciple.
But now, his once-discarded disciple had suddenly transformed into a Jiangshi and stood in his way…
“…You guys aren’t just ordinary monsters. Did you really come from another world with that power? How is that possible?”
In the end, the Heavenly Demon, who had been holding on to hope till the last moment, gave in to reality and gritted his teeth.
This was not an ordinary matter.
It felt like the Earthlings he had encountered when he attacked the Shaolin Temple were nothing in comparison.
The fierce gaze of the Heavenly Demon turned towards Hans, a middle-aged man, who was watching them both with a curious expression from a distance.
At first, he couldn’t be sure, but now he knew for certain.
Though outwardly he looked human, that being was definitely not human; he resembled a crazed barbaric monster.
No, he wasn’t even a living being in the first place.
‘I almost took him lightly. After all, a typical living creature wouldn’t be able to handle such a thick power of death so easily.’
A force much closer to the original concept of death than simple dark magic.
Even the Heavenly Demon, who had accumulated pure-grade magic through his Heavenly Demon Technique, had never seen energy of that purity before.
Despite being the enemy, he felt an involuntary awe.
‘How on earth did they cross the dimensional barrier? These guys are far more than just those Earthlings with potential. They are beings who have already been completed by their own methods in another world. How can two such impurities invade this world…?!’
At this point, he couldn’t assert that those two were the only ones.
There might be three or four, or perhaps even more than ten already lurking somewhere in this world.
And that was definitely not good news.
‘Of all times! Just when I was about to start gathering the dragon’s children!’
A variable popped up the moment he was ready to implement his plan after overcoming the interference from Gonmudo.
Cursing fate as if it were a deliberate setup, he gritted his teeth.
After all, he had been the one who betrayed the world first, so his behavior was nothing short of poetic justice, but he didn’t have the luxury to judge things objectively at the moment.
“Crack ha ha! Then let the fun begin, my friend!”
Now, a monster had completely shed its human posture and was charging at him ferociously.
A creature towering at 4 meters, with crimson scales covering its entire body, each equipped with razor-sharp claws and teeth, was charging in with its glowing green and red odd eyes, shredding the air as it approached.
“Ha! It looks like an opportunity has presented itself, that arrogant monster. Alright, this time I’ll truly give you a proper fight. I’ll slice off those limbs and rip out every single one of your intestines!”
The Heavenly Demon’s body was enveloped in a swirling mass of dark magic mixed with sunset-colored holy power.
Usually, unclean forces like dark magic shouldn’t intertwine with holy power, but for some reason, the energy blooming from his body began to blend together seamlessly, further elevating its might.
It was clearly a far stronger energy than what he had used against Harley and Shin Seung at the Shaolin Temple.
He no longer cared about the aftermath that was likely to come afterward.
It was no time to be stingy with the power he could use.
“They say I am the lord ruling over the abyss, huh? That’s quite an arrogant title.”
Amid the storm of rising energy, the Heavenly Demon spoke softly.
He resisted the rising feeling of unease that was seeping into his chest.
“I am the 14th leader of the Heavenly Demon Church, the Heavenly Demon. I stand as the self-proclaimed best among the martial artists of this world and at the pinnacle of this realm. How could I, who have ascended to the skies and become a demon, ever kneel before a mere hybrid from another realm!”
Unlike usual, there was an air of forced self-confidence in his words.
As if he was desperately convincing himself.
Kwaaang—!
Immediately afterward, Harley, facing the dark sword energy unleashed from the Heavenly Demon’s blade, grimaced but lifted the corners of his mouth.
He was currently at full capability, able to ignore most attacks due to his formidable resilience, but the energy formed by the mixture of holy power and dark magic held a power that far exceeded his expectations.
Not to mention, unlike before, he knew his opponent was no longer holding back.
“I ascended to the skies and became a demon, did I…”
At that moment, Hans, quietly observing through the Eye of the Abyss, the undead and the Heavenly Demon, who was battling Harley, slowly spoke.
A cryptic smile formed at the corner of his mouth.
Hehe— yes, it might be fun to check that. Who was really too arrogant after all?
There was a strangely unsettling essence to his laughter.
Additionally, his gaze seemed to look down on them, as if he were stepping upon struggling insects.
“Well, the outcome is already decided anyway. Keh heh heh!”
Gooohhhhh—
Along with the eerie laughter, the dark magic that filled the barrier swirled loudly, creating a resonant sound.
Like the eerie wails heard from a grave at midnight, reminiscent of a funeral march lamenting someone’s last moments.
Uwoong— Fling— Ggogogog!
A massive magic circle began to emerge from Hans, expanding to engulf the space, as if pulled from the depths of purgatory, gathering an absolute coldness that bordered on absolute zero.
Such mystical phenomena quickly filled the interior of the space as if multiplying instantly.
As electricity flickered angrily, gravity trembled, and shadowy figures resembling hands wavered on the ground while sharp winds whipped around.
Each of these occurrences was a mysterious spectacle not often seen in this Ganghwan Realm.
Of course, it wasn’t a beautiful sight for those targeted who had to experience its power firsthand.
“…This is just a pain.”
And, unsurprisingly.
No matter how formidable the Heavenly Demon was, he couldn’t avoid being forced into an unfavorable battle against the combined absurdity of the Undead King, who had nearly destroyed an entire continent, and the legendary Two Kings of the Southern Tribes.
In Auterica, they were adversaries, the member of the Hero Party and the absolute evil of the world, but within this Ganghwan Realm, they were perfectly coexisting partners.
*
Cough!
Blackened blood flowed.
The blood pouring from his mouth like a waterfall finally stopped, forming a small puddle below.
The Heavenly Demon detached his last hand from his mouth and calmly surveyed his surroundings.
Countless Jiangshi wreckages lay strewn about, obliterated by his attack.
The shattered fragments of Jiangshi all around were gradually absorbed into the surrounding space that resembled the Abyss, vanishing without a trace.
Some of them would likely be revived and re-emerge to face him once more.
‘…It’s over. How did it come to this?’
But the current pressing issues were not those insignificant minions.
“Keh~ Blood is boiling! How long has it been since I’ve had such a battle! Uha ha ha!”
Now boasting an equally chaotic appearance due to having exchanged lethal blows multiple times, the barbaric warrior Harley erupted with boisterous laughter.
“How very interesting. The relationship between holy power and dark magic. Plus…”
Contrastingly, Hans, the dark wizard mumbling to himself while surrounded by numerous Undead and colorful spells, seemed full of openings.
Though it seemed he was vulnerable, the Heavenly Demon already knew.
Though they looked carefree now, the moment he attempted to do something, they would immediately resume their assault without a moment’s hesitation.
Just like they had done until now.
Puhuhu, this feels ominous.
The Heavenly Demon directed his gaze toward Hans.
Now he could clearly realize.
When he had first arrived, why his instincts reacted so peculiarly.
Though he had felt the same way toward Harley, this man was an even more dreadful opponent with the worst of connections.
‘Nothing seems to work. He truly is my natural enemy.’
The greatest characteristic of dark power, which utilizes magic, was its lethality.
Especially the fatal damage it inflicted on living beings was enough to instill fear in other martial artists… but it had little effect on Hans.
He had already become an Undead, filled with dark magic and death energy.
Moreover, another problem arose: the holy energy he forcefully used bore little fruit against him.
The Heavenly Demon didn’t understand the cause, but it was due to Hans having absorbed the power mixed with the rank and accomplishments of the Head of the Buncheon Society during their battle not long ago.
In this process, he had naturally gained resistance to the derived powers.
Of course, how effective this level of resistance would be against the powers wielded by the Head of the Buncheon Society, no one could tell, but the indirect influence exerted by the one who received that power no longer posed a significant threat to Hans.
‘This is ridiculous.’
The Heavenly Demon let out a dejected sigh.
Using holy power with his battered body was quickly reaching its limits.
Along with that, he could feel his own death rapidly approaching.
Perhaps the moment this brief respite ended would be his last.
Thinking such thoughts made him uncharacteristically sentimental, reflecting on the past.
‘It’s been such a long time.’
It had been over 70 years since he had crossed over to this Ganghwan Realm.
During that time, he had risen to the position of the Heavenly Demon with the support of the Buncheon Society.
And he had thought that all that was left was to stand as the absolute ruler of this world…
‘Never would I have imagined that right before the actual implementation, everything would go awry in this way.’
Suddenly, he recalled the appearance of the Head of the Buncheon Society who had unexpectedly visited him twenty years ago.
A divine being descending upon him, adorned with a pair of wings and bathed in radiance.
The one responsible for ruining this world and the supporter who had helped him rise to this point.
Though he obediently followed the plans of the Head of the Buncheon Society according to their initial contract, he didn’t feel any strong aversion to it.
After all, it was clear that if things proceeded as planned, he would effectively govern this world, and he had never imagined that their plans would veer so far off the expected track.
‘To think there might be others just like the Head of the Buncheon Society.’
The Heavenly Demon slowly raised his head as he felt strength ebbing from his body.
Before him was a massive being, manifesting the body parts of a monster, and a middle-aged man surrounded by black, sticky energy, approaching him while flanked by Undead.
His appearance was in stark contrast to the divine angelic presence of the Head of the Buncheon Society.
“Hmm, have you given up? Faster than I expected. That holy power is definitely more focused on fortification than restoration. I have acquired valuable data.”
“Huh— You were prepared thoroughly. If it had been escape from the beginning, could you have made it out?”
“Hehe, who knows? I have no intention of letting this slip either. Let’s just say what I have prepared isn’t all of it.”
“Tch, I seem to have really messed up.”
The Heavenly Demon felt numerous hands and black chains rising from the ground wrapping around his whole body and quietly closed his eyes.
Now that it had come to this, he found himself wanting to see his homeland once more.
He had thought he had long discarded Earth, which had only hurt him, yet as the end approached, the thoughts of home emerged.
Kwaak—
A hand covered with leather gloves gripped his head tightly.
And—
“…I need to contact the Dragon’s Children and Gonmudo first.”
The aspirant who dreamed of ruling the Ganghwan Realm as a pawn of the Buncheon Society fell into the Abyss.
