Transformation! Demon King Castle!
“Huff. Huff.”
Suppressing the mana that seemed ready to explode at any moment, Crassus advanced while freezing the ground beneath his feet. Or should he even be called Crassus? His consciousness had long since fallen into a deep slumber. Only Hate's consciousness remained, borrowing his body and driving it forward.
“I want to erupt with this boiling hatred right now!”
“Stop, Crassus.”
At that moment, Garba blocked his path. She had already manifested the form of a wolf on her back, preparing to unleash her full power. Unforgotten was her past humiliation—she had decided from the start to go all out.
“How dare you invade my lord's territory...”
“You possess some of that guy's mana too, do you? Excellent. Before we clash, I must fully test this body's capabilities.”
Cutting Garba off, Hate drew up his mana. Sung-tae's life force magic and Crassus's innate mana surged forth. When Hate's power of hatred and rage mixed in, the very essence of the mana transformed.
“I am hatred. The rage born from hatred devours all.”
The extreme mana Crassus wielded enveloped the world. His life force magic amplified that extreme mana, and the world came to a complete halt.
“Even the world is no exception.”
A state of absolute zero temperature. Beyond air that could not move, time itself stopped. In this frozen world, only Garba barely resisted the force, kindling heat to keep her body from stiffening. And in that extreme state, the power of hatred was added.
“Everything shall be destroyed before me.”
The halted world began to move again. But could it truly be called movement? Under his power's influence, the world that had stopped disintegrated like a haystack swept by fierce flames, scattering into powder.
In a world where everything turned to black ash, only Sung-tae's Demon King Castle and Garba remained alive and breathing.
“Impressive. You endured.”
“Huff. Huff.”
Garba exhaled ragged breaths and bit her lip. She had charged in boldly, but blocking his power alone had exhausted her—let alone launching an attack.
'My lord is watching!'
Grinding her teeth, she drew up her mana and moved her body. The extreme mana and hatred still lingered, making even movement a struggle. All that training... was it still not enough?
'Damn it!'
She felt wronged and frustrated with herself, but once she learned the truth, that frustration would fade. The strengthened Garba could have handled Crassus easily. Though Sung-tae had given him life force magic, the amount was a drop in the bucket compared to what she had consumed. But he was no longer Crassus—he was Hate, an existence that amplified and destroyed everything, widening the gap beyond reach.
“Pathetic, wench. Just die already.”
“Don't... make me laugh!”
Mana surged fiercely from Garba's body, severing Hate's power. Her training hadn't been in vain—her mana was stronger than before. However...
“Meaningless resistance only breeds suffering. Do you crave more pain?”
He unleashed his power once more. Garba flinched, trying to resist, but fortunately—or was it?—the target wasn't her.
“Then I'll grant your wish.”
“Then I'll grant your wish.”
“Then I'll grant your wish.”
“Then I'll grant your...”
In the plain where everything was destroyed, not even a single rock remaining, identical voices united to blanket the world. The sight of thousands—no, tens of thousands—of Hates in the same form chanting the same words crushed Garba physically and mentally.
“If you can...”
Blood now trickled from her bitten lip as she steadied her trembling body and stepped forward defiantly. But that only made her seem more pitiful. Did they feel no pity for her? The tens of thousands of Hates cried out in unison.
“Now, let's begin.”
＊＊＊
“This is getting dangerous.”
Sung-tae, who had been watching Garba's fight, stomped his feet, itching to jump in. Given her self-proclaimed warrior nature, helping now might fill her with self-loathing rather than gratitude. That's why he'd held back so far, but now he thought he could watch no longer. But just as he moved to intervene...
“Heh heh. A great leader doesn't step in lightly, my Demon King.”
“Whoa!”
Gepelt appeared as always, startling Sung-tae and blocking his path. Blocking him from helping an ally? Sung-tae couldn't understand Gepelt's actions.
“My lord, the enemies you've faced so far were outside our territory. Adventurers encountered on quests aside, these foes are invaders breaching our land.”
“So?”
“You told me to defend the Demon King Castle. You said you trusted me. I believe this is the perfect chance to prove that trust.”
“But Garba...”
“Don't worry about her.”
Gepelt raised his staff high. Sung-tae didn't know this signaled the activation method for the Demon King Castle, which he'd tirelessly modified.
“We'll save her!”
He slammed it into the ground. Like a key sliding into a lock, the earth absorbed the staff. As Gepelt turned it, a voice boomed from the castle's core, shaking the air.
Takeoff!
'Launch?'
The word's meaning was clear. Surely not referring to the skin condition in this situation. If it was the 'launch' he knew, why launch the castle now? Sung-tae knew Gepelt had been steadily modifying the Demon King Castle, but this didn't compute.
'Isn't it just a flying castle?'
He'd imagined at most a mobile fortress. The word 'launch' made him observe the castle's changes closely. But in that instant, the background shifted, transporting him to what looked like a secret base control room, preventing a proper view.
“Where's this?”
“The control room. All commands are issued from here.”
A spacious yet enclosed area. Instead of walls, screens displayed the outside. Sung-tae eyed the mana stones below the screens, realizing it was a form of magic. But what surprised him wasn't the sci-fi spaceship vibe—it was the monsters.
“You've arrived, my lord!”
“Uh... yeah...”
'What? Uniforms?'
The monsters all wore matching black uniforms, mimicking Sung-tae's Black Oriharcon armor, tailored precisely to each one's size.
[Kirik!]
“...”
Even skeletons that didn't need clothes. But that wasn't important now.
“Hold on—we need to save Garba!”
“No need to worry. Rescue system—activate!”
“Activate!”
The Minotaur slammed a red orb on the flashy panel. It was no machine—just a stone slab embedded with colorful mana stones—but it felt straight out of a sci-fi flick, leaving Sung-tae dazed.
“Rescue complete!!!”
“Urk.”
“Oh...”
The rescue system wrapped Garba in light on the screen, teleporting her instantly to Sung-tae. A long-range teleport to the uninitiated Sung-tae felt like cutting-edge tech.
“Now, time to commence battle. All hands—battle stations!”
“Battle stations!”
The monsters bustled about, taking positions with practiced speed, as if they'd drilled this. But no attack launched. Hate on the screen glared up at the castle, yet everyone glanced at Sung-tae, something missing.
“What's up? Why's everyone staring?”
“My lord, look behind you.”
“Behind?”
Turning, a beautiful golden sphere dominated the control room's center. Puzzle-like segments formed it—familiar pieces.
'That's... what Smith was making lately?'
He'd asked for life force magic infusion for this. Pointing at the obvious main system, Gepelt said,
“This is the Demon King Castle's core. Won't you name it?”
“A name, huh... Hmm...”
Just a castle—did it need a name? But Gepelt's sparkling eyes made refusal impossible. Sung-tae pondered briefly and tossed out a fitting one.
“Behemoth?”
Name registered. Commencing activation.
“What!?”
The voice emanated from the sphere. As it announced activation, the castle shook violently, soaring skyward. No actual shaking—the screen simply shifted to sky view.
Combat mode activated.
“Combat mode?”
Though announced, nothing visibly changed. Noticing Sung-tae's confusion, Gepelt tapped his staff, summoning another screen.
“This is... a whale?”
It was a whale. A colossal whale built around the castle—a sky-floating continent unfit for the name, yet unmistakably one.
“When you named it, you must have envisioned a whale. It reflects its master's thoughts.”
“Yeah, Behemoth's the name of a giant whale after all.”
Target set.
“Alright. Commence attack!”
Tens of thousands of Hates appeared on screen, each marked with a red dot. Amid blaring alarms, magic circles materialized around Behemoth. Lasers erupted, pulverizing the Hates like ants under a magnifying glass.
[Grahhh!]
The Hates shredded in seconds. A single volley eliminated over a fifth.
What is that attack!? My clones falling so pathetically!?
“Sound's blasting too.”
“A form of scrying magic. Applied creatively.”
“But the firepower's insane. What spell is that?”
“Just channeling your life force magic. The enemy uses mana too, yet this power... A charge every century should suffice.”
“A century...”
Sung-tae felt more fear of his own power than awe at Behemoth. A mere thread of it yielded this destruction—and lasting a century? What if a skilled mage wielded it?
'Never share with Gepelt.'
“Hey, it's splitting again?”
Insolent! Who dares fly in my sky!? The heavens are pure domain for vermin like you!?
The empty ground filled instantly with Hates. They soared skyward, attacking Behemoth. Their intense red mana rising evoked a sunset igniting from the earth.
“Isn't this dangerous?”
“No. This castle's defenses...”
The red mist couldn't even approach before bouncing off.
“...are made from your mana.”
“...”
Just because. What had they built!? Sung-tae stared blankly at the screen. Hate kept charging like moths to flame, buzzing futilely against invisible glass.
Think this petty magic can stop me!?
“What's that guy doing?”
“Ignore him. He can't break through anyway.”
“You tested it?”
“No need. It's your mana—faith.”
Remade the castle into me, huh. Sung-tae thought again.
Found it! A gap!
Even rotten fish had value? True to a Wrath fragment absorbing some of Sung-tae's power, dozens pierced the barrier.
Graaah!
But briefly. The moment they touched Behemoth, viscous darkness engulfed and devoured them.
“What's that spell?”
“A type of annihilation magic. Tricky to handle with little effect before, but your mana made it move like a living thing.”
“...Isn't that dangerous?”
“Don't worry. It spares Demon King Castle affiliates.”
No guests forever, then. Get permission first?
As Sung-tae mused, Gepelt tapped his staff, displeased with Hate's thrashing.
“Time to clean up the small fry.”
Rooooaaarrr!!!
Behemoth's long roar summoned a massive magic circle in the sky. Gravity in a 10km radius multiplied tens of thousands-fold, smashing airborne Hates to the ground.
Urgh! I won't yield to this!
Merely tens of thousands times gravity. Caught off-guard, the Hates rose again, readying attacks.
“How's that, my lord? Gravity magic, enhanced by your mana.”
'Roar like [Rooooaaarrr!!!]. Makes me crave kelp.'
“Tough foe. This won't kill them. Emergency protocol!”
Gepelt twisted the staff in the floor. A satisfying click, and ominous red magic circles lit across Behemoth.
“Codename: Ruin. Engage!”
“Engage!”
With the monsters' shouts, lights from the circles fired beams like before. But hundreds split into hundreds more mid-fall, those splitting again—like deep tree roots. Endless divisions formed a sea of uncountable beams blanketing the ground.
“Annihilate!”
“Annihilate! Annihilate!”
[Kirik!]
A sea of fire soon adorned the land like flowers. Everywhere eyes could see vanished in bombardment. The ground too—post-barrage, no floor remained.
“...How deep did you dig?”
Only an endless pit lingered, sheer cliffs at edges, darkness below. Overwhelming power vaporizing even lava left Sung-tae gaping at Gepelt.
'This guy's... pure invasion tool. One hundred percent. Built for conquest!'
Flying Demon King Castle—no, was it still a castle? It seemed alive, self-willed—a living entity. Defenses and intruder detection made sense, but continent-scorching bombardment was siege, not defense.
And most of all...
“Kukuku. Kuhhahaha. Kraahahaha!”
Gepelt's mad laughter screamed Demon King.
As surviving Hates rose skyward, Gepelt paused—barely—his face brimming with eager anticipation.
Urgh... I... won't give up... For my lord at least...
“Foolish worm still doesn't know its place.”
'We're the bad guys here, he's the good one!'
Unyielding, Hate maxed his red mana, condensing it to a point.
All power focused... I'll crush you!
“Think you can? If so, try. I'll take it head-on.”
“Stop. Don't raise flags.”
“Pardon? My lord? What was that?”
“Nothing.”
Hraaaaaah!
Hero squeezing final strength against Demon King after allies fall—Demon King, overconfident, takes casual hit and loses. The scene evoked that cliché.
“No choice. If you insist, we'll use our trump card. Genesis—activate!”
'You still had more!?'
“Genesis activate!”
“Activate!”
Rooooaaarrr!!!
Behemoth bellowed. A magic circle in its vast maw revealed, pulsing with life force magic. Hate sensed it, steeling his resolve.
This may be my end. But... a life devoted to my lord. No regrets.
“Roles reversed!”
“Fire!”
Blinding flash erupted from Behemoth's maw. Hate countered with his all-condensed mana. Two world-shattering forces met in fierce tug-of-war...
Kraaaaa...
...or not. Like a firehose dousing a spark, Behemoth's flash erased Hate instantly. No dust remained. The beam stretched to the continent's edge, vaporizing it before fading.
“Krahahaha! Behold our hidden ace—Genesis! Intruder repelled flawlessly! Great work, everyone!”
“Woooaaahhh!!!”
Monsters cheered, embracing in joy—their first battle, naturally thrilling. But Sung-tae eyed them sourly, muttering alone.
'You all just watched. Why uniforms and panels then? Gepelt did everything!'
Of course, no buzzkill allowed. He just murmured quietly to himself.