[Rapidly Changing Circumstances (3)]
It didn’t take long for the clear sky to be completely covered by a mysterious black cloud that appeared from who knows where.
Ku-gu-gung—
Even the seasoned demon cultists who had been through thick and thin had no choice but to be momentarily distracted by the sky.
No matter how infamous this place was as a demonic realm, they had never heard of such extraordinary occurrences before.
“…What’s that?”
Yaliuhuan, the Heavenly Demon Priest who was busy preparing the ritual, looked up at the sky with a stiff expression at the obvious anomaly.
Manipulating the weather was not a trivial task.
Moreover, if such extreme changes occurred at this speed…
A list of candidates that could cause such phenomena rushed through his mind.
But in the end, there was only one possibility left.
Wasn’t this phenomenon something he had just heard about a short while ago?
He hadn’t seen it in person, so he assumed there was some exaggeration in the stories he heard…
“The Demon King.”
The unidentified monster who called himself the Demon King, killed the Heavenly Demon, occupied the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Church, and devoured the remaining foundations whole.
With the unexpected variable’s appearance, his vigilance skyrocketed, and his senses sharpened.
‘…This isn’t just a phenomenon caused by sorcery. A thick magic force that can even manipulate natural phenomena. How can magic of this purity exist in this world?’
His panic summoned alarms in his mind as he sensed the thick energy within the black clouds.
And not just any magic, but a force closer to the very essence of death, a level of power that should be buried deep within the abyss of hell.
Yet, it was parading around in broad daylight…
Kurururung—
However, the situation did not even give Yaliuhuan a moment to devise a plan.
The connection he had established with his subordinates outside Beijing felt as if it was fraying into strands, causing his brow to twitch.
“Wait, Formation Technique…? No, hold on. Did that cloud serve as the basis for constructing a formation in the sky?”
An artificial separation of space.
Now, those beneath the thick black clouds were unable to call for help from the outside, nor could they leave without the summoner’s permission.
With the staggering scale of this mysterious manifestation, a faint breath of disbelief escaped his lips.
[“Indeed, you have quite the discerning eye.”]
Then, as if responding to his muttering, a strange voice echoed throughout the entirety of the space.
[“Kuhuhuh— I didn’t expect you all to gather here.”]
An ominous laugh that seemed to crawl up from hell.
Those who had been gazing at the sky were forcefully drawn to a particular point in the air.
There was no other choice.
Oh…
When had it been there?
Beneath the sky shrouded by black clouds.
A being hovered elegantly as if ruling over the world, arrogantly gazing down at the earth where they stood.
“……!”
“…Hmm.”
Those who sensed the overwhelming presence that felt like the density of the space had shifted unconsciously took a few steps back.
Even the demons who had undergone hellish training to suppress their fears could not escape this reaction.
Rigid bodies, cold sweat trickling down, and goosebumps prickling all over.
It was not just a simple life-threatening situation; it was an instinctive reaction to an unknown threat that stirred the soul.
[“Now then.”]
Within that chilling silence that permeated the air.
The being opened its mouth again, speaking with a tone full of amusement.
[“Let’s see if you can entertain me, you insignificant creatures.”]
It was the moment when the Demon King from another world and the last remnants of the Heavenly Demon Church confronted each other.
*
There is a common image of the final boss often depicted in various media.
Someone who possesses overwhelming charisma, exuding a weighty presence and rarely acts on their own, delegating most tasks to their subordinates.
‘After all, it wouldn’t look good for the boss to attend to everything personally when there are capable underlings. It’s quite inefficient in many ways.’
And that was exactly the demeanor that Hans, the Undead King, was currently displaying.
“Demon Slayer Lockdown Technique!”
Gguk-kaka-ka-kak—!
“What the heck is that? What’s going on?!”
Kill! Only death awaits those who don’t follow the king!
Suddenly, a large-scale war erupted in the middle of the abandoned demonic realm.
Demons and undead clashed, and jiangshi collided with jiangshi.
Amidst the chaos, Hans stood there leisurely, arms crossed, calmly observing while just nodding his head.
‘I still can’t quite grasp the situation. It seems like something could happen, but…’
The Undead King Hans was a particularly special being among the avatars.
His raw power could be considered the top tier among all avatars, but his true value extended beyond mere individual combat strength.
The massive army of undead under his command, the Lord of Death.
It wasn’t just sheer numbers; it was truly a tremendous force that could reach the pinnacle of transcendent dimensions.
After all, the previous Undead Kings could aim to conquer the continent precisely because they had such abilities.
‘Of course, unlike the inheritance passed down from the last Undead King in Auterica, there are limits to the undead I can command in the Ganghwan Realm…’
But that was old news now.
The Heavenly Demon Church, a force known far and wide as the greatest and worst in the Ganghwan Realm.
Having absorbed the once-renowned Blood Blood Demon, their military power had grown exponentially, filling in the gaps that Hans had previously lacked.
“Damn, it’s breaking through! Get more jiangshi in here!”
“No way! Our jiangshi techniques are the best in the world! Unless the material quality differs, there’s no way we could lose! But why, why is there such a difference?!”
“No, wait. Isn’t that a monster jiangshi made by our church? It should have been produced under the same conditions; what’s with this gap?!”
Perhaps shaken by their own pride, the sorcerers handling the jiangshi shrieked in unison, tearing their hair out in disbelief.
And rightly so.
It was only natural when jiangshi that appeared to be of similar levels crashed, but every time, theirs got completely wrecked.
‘Sorry, but they’re not the same.’
In fact, the materials were the same as those they believed they were using.
Most of the jiangshi he commanded were ones he had brought from the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Church located in the Kaehwa Palace.
The difference emerged because of whether further processing continued afterward.
‘It would’ve been more perfect if I could use Auterica’s magical reagent, but not being able to use that isn’t a big deal for me. Besides, with the power of the Abyss, which is practically universal for the undead…’
After all, the process of using reagents was not very suitable for large-scale renovations.
What he injected into the jiangshi was the Abyss that he could command like his own limbs, enhanced using necromancy through it.
That was the truth behind what was happening now.
‘On top of that… I’ve also gained new abilities during that process.’
[Individual Information]
-Individual Name: Hans
-Race: Undead (Undead King)
-Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」、「Persona」、「Great Strength」、「Hyperesthesia」、「Genoglossy」、「Sturdiness」、「Limit Break」、「Imitation」
-Individual Traits: 「Heart of the Undying」、「Unholy Sage」、「Forbidden Truth」、「Path of Sorcery」、「Eye of the Abyss」、「Magical Power Control」、「Lord of Reversing Heaven」
-Special Notes: Having inherited the ‘Heart of the Undying’ imbued with the essence of the Abyss, he became the Undead King, a calamity of the Auterica dimension. Awakening a nascent divinity and beginning to sprout a weak holy essence. Due to 「Lord of Reversing Heaven」、all restrictions related to the undead have been lifted.
「Lord of Reversing Heaven」 was the ability he acquired by studying the corpses of the Heavenly Demon and the Secretary, then delving into the field of jiangshi production.
A skill that significantly contributed to the completion of the Karma jiangshi and the modification of the jiangshi in the Kaehwa Palace.
The undead under his command, influenced by this skill, would now possess strong resistance to the holy power that could be seen as a weakness.
‘…And possibly, in time, I might even be able to bypass dimensional barriers and transport undead from other worlds elsewhere.’
Whether the acquisition condition was obtaining divinity as an undead, mastering the manufacturing methods of undead from another world, or perhaps both—that remained uncertain.
Nevertheless, at this point, it was not a matter of great importance.
“Hooh? Finally, it’s done.”
Thanks to the skill that loosens ‘all’ restrictions, he could now do this.
“Hey? Ehh? Gwaaaah—!”
“What’s going on?! Why is our jiangshi suddenly…!”
“That dumbass lost control of it! Stay focused everyone! If this continues, all the jiangshi will be handed over to him!”
In an instant, the demon cultists’ formation turned into an absolute pandemonium.
A cluster of jiangshi that had been closely gathered on one side revolted all at once, tearing the sorcerers who had just issued commands to shreds.
But that was just for a moment.
As soon as the talismans they took out to reinforce their controls flared up with black flames, the successful jiangshi hacking began to falter once more.
‘It seems like a consumable that temporarily strengthens control. Well, that’s fine. The higher the difficulty, the faster the improvement of my skills will be. Let’s see how long they can hold out.’
In truth, their capabilities had already far exceeded anything he had anticipated.
This was the very middle of Beijing, known as the demonic realm.
Once a blessed land where the Dragon Heart resided, it had now become a cursed ground that absorbed the energy of the world, a black hole.
Hmm, but the more I look, the less affected they seem to be by this.
Though it mattered little to him since he didn’t use energy from the start, weren’t they all beings belonging to this world?
However, as Hans quietly scanned their energy using the 「Eye of the Abyss」, he soon discovered the reason.
‘…I see. Is that also an effect of offering the child of the dragon? Come to think of it, I heard that the energies of those who confronted the demon cult at the Shaolin Temple were shaken too.’
It seemed this was an extension of that phenomenon.
As he squinted his eyes momentarily to gauge the situation, his senses expanded widely, scanning the surroundings in an instant.
‘I found it. Je Gal Hye-mi and Joo Gang-in are both safe. Plus, there are others… seven in total? You gathered quite a bit.’
Of course, they had to search for the children of the dragon, so it wasn’t a bad thing that he had less hassle.
With the location of the target set, he turned to gaze elsewhere.
To the place where the powerful ones stood.
Along with the Ghost Sword Demon Master he had once encountered at the Shaolin Temple, the numerous strong individuals from the demon cult who had been dispatched outside the headquarters gathered here as well.
Not only humans, but also the high-grade jiangshi that had been exported outside.
‘That’s… I see. Is that the jiangshi that the Kaehwa Palace Lord made using Blood Magic? It looks like there are at least five jiangshi of a transcendent level. Just how long has it been in preparation?’
In a world where conflict was unending and death was a daily occurrence.
In a peaceful state, skilled individuals who would not have easily died were often caught in fights and ended up perishing.
So it would not have been too difficult to find high-ranked corpses.
‘And that guy over there is the Heavenly Demon Priest, Yaliuhuan.’
Hans’s gaze landed on the one looking up at him with a stiff face.
An old man with features resembling an immortal, sporting a long pure white beard.
But the power faintly felt from within his body was not something one could encounter lightly.
Given the amount of energy he possessed, it was certainly exceeding that of a Heavenly Demon.
Even considering he was a sorcerer rather than a martial artist, it felt like an unreasonable amount.
“I see. You’re not human, are you?”
Hans was able to easily pinpoint the cause.
Yaliuhuan’s lips twitched at Hans’s unexpectedly arrogant remark.
“Ho ho ho, it’s mutual, isn’t it? You’re also not human, as far as I can tell. No, in fact, you seem to be something even worse than a living being.”
The yellowish gaze of the old man split vertically, emitting an eerie light.
Even the Heavenly Demon only managed to catch on after some fighting had gone on, yet Hans had instantly seen through Yaliuhuan’s carefully prepared disguise, causing him to tilt his head.
“Hmmm? Are you a dragon, perhaps? Why would a dragon be here in the demon cult and not in Gonmudo?”
“That’s my question. You seem to be from another world; why are you here? This world is on the verge of collapse. There’s nothing to gain, is there?”
While questioning each other, neither was giving answers.
As this exchange, which ran parallel to each other, continued a few more times, Hans’s expression slightly furrowed.
In truth, it was peculiar for an enemy to readily answer questions asked.
That meant this conversation was perfectly normal and nothing to find odd.
He was fully aware of that fact.
But…
‘…I’m getting a bit irritated?’
Due to his portrayal as an absolute powerhouse, he often appeared relaxed, but in reality, his patience was not that long.
In most situations, he always came up with his own responses, so he rarely had the need to display patience.
‘Now that I think about it, why am I even engaged in peaceful conversation?’
If he wanted an answer, he could just force it out of him, couldn’t he?
If that didn’t work, he could just dig into his head like he usually did.
That casual mindset, now checked, returned Hans back to his focus.
There was no longer a need to delay any further.
‘Come forth.’
The moment his will stirred.
Wulung—
The ground, cloaked in shadows below, rumbled greatly.
And right after, a figure slowly walked out from the darkness below.
‘The Heavenly Demon.’
In a form so familiar to those present that it was impossible to mistake it.
Those who had been keenly observing the sudden abnormal phenomenon stood frozen in astonishment at the unexpected sight.
“It’s been a while, my soldier.”
“…Lord? I was certain you had died…”
“You must have heard some misinformation. We should pluck out the tongue of the one who shared that info. Look at me, I’m perfectly fine.”
This was no exception for Yaliuhuan, his former soldier.
No matter how one looked at it, the Heavenly Demon appeared as he had in life, smirking as he surveyed the surroundings.
