Chapter 203
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Demon King's Castle Siege - Part 2
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In his past life, back when Lee Hyun-wook was just starting to realize his potential and grow into a respectable Player, the 'Kill the Monster' channel had released a list of the 'Top 10 Worst Monsters of All Time'.
'Back then, I had the naive dream of one day conquering those monsters, and I actually did manage to take down a few. But... I never got to face the one ranked number one.'
And now, that very being was approaching him.
Lee Hyun-wook lifted his head and looked at it.
Thud— Thud—
A giant of a man, over five meters tall with long red hair cascading down to his waist, was climbing the hill with three other giants.
His name was...
- Guardian of the Red Volcano, Agaydika (LV: 214)
* Colonized by the Demon King, Latent Spell 'Explosion' Applied
The worst of monsters, known as the 'Ranker Killer'...
It was a nickname earned because the world's top raid teams, sent to capture it and reclaim California, had all met futile ends.
'...And in the end, it was never conquered.'
The U.S. government had led four attempts to reclaim this land and defeat the beast, but all had failed. As such, even Lee Hyun-wook didn't know its exact weaknesses.
- *Tchk*— Sniper team is on standby.
Team Leader Lee Gyo-jun's voice came through Lee Hyun-wook's Mana Messenger. But there was no way a sniper could stop a level 214 being, so it was merely a precaution.
Thud— Thud—
Before long, they were close.
Thud— Thud—
They clearly had human forms, but to describe their physique as merely 'large' would be an understatement.
They were about five to six meters tall, with frames so thick they were beyond imagination, exuding an overwhelming sense of weight... an intimidating presence.
"Damn it— Is that what they call polymorphing?"
Ailey Home, the representative Player from Canada standing behind Lee Hyun-wook, muttered.
Like Edward Woods, she had participated in the battle to reclaim California four years ago, so it was natural for her to hold a grudge against the Ancient Red Drakes.
"I mean, if you're going to do it, at least try to match our eye level. Damn reptiles have no sense..."
Meanwhile, the Players who had come with Lee Hyun-wook to make contact with the drakes were all trying to suppress their anxiety.
"Uh... Steel Rain, just in case, you should know that these things are on a completely different level from the other Wave-born races we've faced... like the Black Orcs or Dark Elves. Having been born in the first Wave, they've had much more time."
The one who spoke was Brian Till, the world's best analyst.
"And to my eyes, I can roughly gauge its power. It seems to be... in the low two hundreds. It's gotten much stronger than it was four years ago."
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
His eyes saw more precise information.
'...Level 214, to be exact. On par with a decent dragon, but it could be much trickier here.'
This was the 'Red Volcano,' the territory of the Ancient Red Drakes.
And beings with titles like 'Savior' or 'Guardian' received a significant power boost in their specific regions. Just like how Lee Hyun-wook's 'Savior of Seoul' achievement doubled his abilities within Seoul.
And—
R-R-Rumble—
"...Do you feel that?"
They could all feel a strange vibration.
It was changing its amplitude in time with the footsteps of the four approaching enemies—more specifically, with the steps of Agaydika, the Guardian of the Red Volcano.
"And the temperature is rising."
Maru, who was inside the small bag at Lee Hyun-wook's waist, explained precisely.
「What the... Magma is flowing under the ground all of a sudden? Be careful, it could erupt at any moment!」
"Yeah, I sensed it too."
Lee Hyun-wook was also observing the general flow with Hugin and Munin.
'This entire land is adapting to its advantage. In other words, this is its domain.'
The monster was designed that way from the start. A being like a natural disaster that had to be overcome to reclaim this land... If a battle broke out, magma would erupt from the ground.
"Alright, let's stop here."
At Lee Hyun-wook's words, everyone halted. They watched the four approaching Ancient Red Drakes with eyes full of both anxiety and hostility.
Just then, Edward Woods spoke in a low voice.
"...If something happens, I'll deploy the Dragon Heart Shield without permission, so get close to me."
He possessed the 'Dragon Heart Shield,' known as the most powerful mana shield.
"Hoo..."
For some reason, however, he looked far more tense than when they were raiding Azi Dahaka. Back then, he had been more confident than anyone; this was quite unlike him.
'...Does he have bad memories?'
A moment ago, he had mentioned being captured by the Ancient Red Drakes four years ago.
No matter how strong a Player was, controlling trauma was never easy.
Lee Hyun-wook, too, had flinched unconsciously when the Necromancer appeared from another dimension, so he understood the feeling completely.
Thud— Thud—
Soon, the Ancient Red Drakes approached to about ten meters away and looked down at Lee Hyun-wook and the other Players.
"..."
A brief silence fell between the two groups...
Lee Hyun-wook stepped forward and raised his voice.
"—We did not come here to fight you!"
His words made the other Players look rather puzzled. He hadn't shared his stance with them yet.
Right now, rather than rushing into battle, Lee Hyun-wook intended to persuade these enslaved soldiers—who were helplessly bound to the Demon King with 'Explosion' latent magic implanted in their heads—to join his side.
However...
"Kekeke— Fight? Weren't you lot no match for us in the first place? You swarmed us and all died, yet it seems you still haven't learned your lesson."
The one who spoke was a drake in the form of an old man, standing on the far right.
- Eastern Ruler of the Red Volcano, Chahalis (LV: 193)
* Thrall of the Demon King
He seemed to be the leader for this negotiation, stepping forward to speak... but wasn't he just spouting provocations completely unrelated to any negotiation?
"Ah— Now that I think about it, some of you look familiar."
The creature seemed to have a good memory, recalling the battle from four years ago and even the faces of the Players who had participated.
Then, cackling, he raised a long, wrinkled hand and pointed at Edward Woods, who was standing at the very back.
"Oho— You're that one, aren't you? The little brat who was dragged to my den under the big rock to the west and cried his eyes out."
"..."
"Kekeke— Did you think I wouldn't remember? Our heads are several times bigger than yours, after all."
Edward Woods offered no rebuttal.
But his face was slowly turning pale.
He had said he was taken hostage by them four years ago.
Whatever had happened back then, it seemed to be a humiliating incident involving that old drake, Chahalis.
And Chahalis decided to take it a step further.
"Your sister and brother who came to rescue you back then ended up falling into a trap instead. I cooked and ate them well. Kekeke— Human flesh is covered in all sorts of artificial scents like perfume and shampoo, but it's good for my health every now and then."
*Grit*—
Whether those horrific words were true or not, the veins popping on Edward Woods's temples suggested that, unfortunately, the taunt was based on some degree of truth.
Lee Hyun-wook held out a hand to calm Edward Woods, then stepped forward.
*Step— Step—*
"Oh... so you're that famous human?"
But Lee Hyun-wook's gaze met not Chahalis's, but that of the 'Guardian of the Red Volcano,' Agaydika, who stood a little further back.
The eyebrows of the being, currently in the form of a young man, slowly furrowed. As his wariness deepened, the strange vibration from the ground—the churning of magma—grew more intense.
R-R-Rumble—
Lee Hyun-wook didn't know how to defeat him. The creature had been alive for as long as he had been in his past life.
However, he was well-versed in the history of the long-standing conflict between humanity and the Ancient Red Drakes, and he had some understanding of the key boss monsters' interests.
For instance, Chahalis, who was currently leading this negotiation—or provocation—was a greedy character, the second-in-command of his race, who coveted the position of 'Great Chieftain'.
Because of that, in his past life, he had even met secretly with humans, an egoistical opportunist willing to provide them with information to overthrow the existing power structure.
'But now, it's the complete opposite.'
That same greed must have led Chahalis to betray his own race, pledge allegiance to the Demon King, and establish himself as the new leader of the Ancient Red Drakes.
In contrast, Agaydika, a being driven solely by a sense of duty to protect his race, had been humanity's worst enemy in the past life, but...
'...now, perhaps we can join forces against a common enemy. No, he definitely will.'
A few weeks ago, the Demon King attacked this place. Agaydika must have resisted until the end, but was ultimately defeated.
And in order to protect his race by any means necessary, he must have paradoxically been forced to submit to the Demon King...
In return, the 'Explosion' latent magic was implanted in his head, turning him into a puppet unable to resist.
In other words, his pride and sense of duty had been completely broken.
'But the intense anger must still remain.'
Suppressed by helplessness, unable to be expressed... which is why Lee Hyun-wook was certain it was ready to explode with even greater force.
Lee Hyun-wook looked at him and spoke.
"To think the guardian of this land has become the lackey of a traitor who sold out his own race. Even as a long-time enemy, it's a pathetic sight."
At those words, Agaydika merely frowned as if he didn't understand, but it was Chahalis who reacted. He glared, baring his teeth at Lee Hyun-wook.
"What? What are you talking about? What do you know to be spouting such nonsense?"
Lee Hyun-wook completely ignored him and focused solely on Agaydika.
"I know. You're the one who must protect this land, aren't you? All its inhabitants must have believed that."
"So what are you doing now? Huh? You've become the dog of the one who ravaged this land and slaughtered your people."
Despite Lee Hyun-wook's continued provocations, Agaydika's expression didn't change. But the color was draining from his face.
At that, Chahalis stepped forward, blocking the space between them.
"...Great Guardian, do not fall for such obvious provocations. Remain calm—"
At that, Lee Hyun-wook let out a dry laugh.
"Right, so your goal is just to stall for time? That must be why you approached us, trying to start a pathetic war of words..."
But when Agaydika seemed about to explode at Lee Hyun-wook's taunts, threatening to start a fight, Chahalis had quickly intervened.
It was a ploy to drag things out even for a second, knowing that the human side wouldn't lash out, all to follow the Demon King's orders to stall.
It was a rather amusing scene.
"Hah— To think the great Guardian of the Red Volcano has been reduced to a mere pawn, a disposable card used for word games to stall for time... If the countless Red Drakes who died and became skeletons recently knew about this... tsk tsk—"
As Lee Hyun-wook unleashed his taunts, he watched Agaydika's eyes and sensed his pupils trembling.
He had reached the tipping point...
"You... Shut that mouth—!"
In that instant, the temperature in the area shot up, the ground cracked, and magma surged forth.
Fwoooosh—!
"Kuh!"
"—Everyone, get back!"
Edward Woods, standing at the back, shouted as he infused mana into his necklace. A massive red barrier formed, covering the group.
*FWOOOM—!*
In just a few seconds, the ground convulsed, and magma rose like a red curtain, rushing toward them like a tsunami.
"Damn it, why is this happening!"
"We can't take that thing on by ourselves! W-we should retreat for now..."
They simply couldn't understand Lee Hyun-wook's recklessness.
Of course, they knew how incredible the name Steel Rain was.
The recent scene in the Arabian Sea, where he had pulled up the monstrous 'Leviathan' and killed it in an instant, had been truly astonishing.
But that had been a meticulously planned operation where many worked together—a 'raid' in the truest sense. It was a perfect script that could never be executed in an impromptu situation like this.
Boss monsters were, by design, beings that could only be defeated through the painstaking efforts of numerous Players.
They all thought that if Lee Hyun-wook put his mind to it, he wouldn't fail to raid Agaydika, but fighting right now was not the time. Anyone could see it was madness.
'Unless that monster is completely bound, even with Moglay... I can't hit it.'
Edward Woods knew very well from personal experience just how powerful Agaydika, the Guardian of the Red Volcano, was.
The creature could spew fire from its entire body, which had an effect like a jet engine.
So even in its true form, it was as fast as a small flying beast, making it difficult to hit with arrows, let alone bullets.
In its relatively smaller and lighter giant form, it would be even faster... making it impossible to hit with a falling Moglay attack.
And then—
*BOOM—*
The moment it kicked off the ground, the floor buckled, and its body shot dozens of meters forward in an instant.
There stood Lee Hyun-wook, like a small animal in front of a speeding truck. The creature's fist descended toward his head like a mace.
*Whoosh—!*
Black smoke billowed from Lee Hyun-wook's left wrist, and in the next moment, the greatsword Moglay was in his grasp.
He held it horizontally, covering his body as if with a shield, and Agaydika's fist slammed down upon it—
*KRA-BOOM—!*
When the two heavy objects collided head-on, a shockwave comparable to a real one erupted—sending everyone nearby flying dozens of meters away.
Furthermore, the ground, already softened by the flowing magma, cracked and shot into the air, creating a huge crater at the point of impact.
"Kuh—"
Lee Hyun-wook was nearly thrown back as well, but he used Solidification to pull his body down, barely maintaining his stance.
At the same time, he fired the two Failnaughts hanging at his waist, aiming for the creature's eyes.
*Clink— Clink—*
But the creature simply closed its eyes, and its thick eyelids deflected the Failnaughts.
Simultaneously, a pillar of magma erupted from the ground and struck the AD-2s rising into the sky. Before they were completely destroyed, Lee Hyun-wook pulled out a torrent of weapons from his subspace, grabbing the shotgun 'Black Rhino' in his right hand.
*BOOM—!*
He aimed at the creature's head and fired. It was a direct hit, but all it did was push the beast back about two meters. The Black Rhino, which once boasted the highest firepower, was now only useful for pushing enemies back.
However, against monsters of that caliber, just being able to cause a knockback was a huge advantage.
Lee Hyun-wook pulled the trigger repeatedly.
*BOOM—! BOOM—!*
But a powerful blast of hot wind erupted from the creature's fist, sending the bullets flying back. Lee Hyun-wook blocked them with the flat of Moglay.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang—*
Meanwhile, the creature slammed both its arms into the ground and began to absorb magma. It was unclear what it was planning, but it didn't look ordinary.
But instead of reacting, Lee Hyun-wook covered himself with Moglay and stared intently at Agaydika.
And he opened his mouth.
"Hey, Guardian—"
Lee Hyun-wook called out to him, but as expected, there was no answer.
Unfazed, Lee Hyun-wook threw out another line.
"What if I... removed what's in your head, the shackles placed there by the Demon King?"
"...What?"
He couldn't help but react to that.
"Right now, you want to fight the Demon King again, but you can't, right? I can solve that for you."
"...You're the one wasting time."
*Kra-ka-kow—*
As the creature pulled its hands from the ground, two large swords made of magma were drawn up with them.
Lee Hyun-wook chuckled and nodded.
"Well, if you don't believe me, I'll just have to make you believe."
Lee Hyun-wook floated his Mana Messenger into the air and brought it near his mouth.
"—Alright, fire the 'White Rain' now."
In that instant—the cannons installed on the upper decks of the airships flying in the rear turned toward them.
*Boom— Boom— Boom— Boom—*
And then they fired something, but it wasn't aimed directly at the Ancient Red Drakes.
They exploded high in the air... and began to pour down cold water like rain.
*Pitter-patter-patter—*
It began to fall like rain... and the expressions of some of the Ancient Red Drakes who were hit by it changed.
They were seen touching their heads and so on.
The reason was that the 'water bombs' were holy water imbued with the Saintess's 'Purification' skill, which had erased the latent magic in their heads.
It was something they had produced for the battle against the undead army to remove debuffs from their allies all at once.
Even Lee Hyun-wook hadn't expected it to be used like this.
'...Anyway, it worked.'
The information on Agaydika visible to Lee Hyun-wook was updated.
- Guardian of the Red Volcano, Agaydika (LV: 214)
* Colonized by the Demon King
The line <Latent Spell 'Explosion' Applied> that had been next to 'Colonized by the Demon King' was now gone.
"There, I've cut the Demon King's leash that bound you."
Lee Hyun-wook slammed Moglay into the ground as if throwing it and approached Agaydika.
"What will you do now?"
*Step— Step—*
Despite Lee Hyun-wook, with whom it had just been trading blows, approaching so closely, the creature didn't attack. It just stared down at him with a somewhat dazed expression.
"...Hey, Guardian, what are you doing?"
Chahalis, watching this, asked with a bewildered expression, but Agaydika didn't answer. He looked somewhat confused, then slowly took a deep breath.
Lee Hyun-wook moved even closer to him and said.
"I am the only one who can seal the power of death that has devoured you, and who can kill the Demon King that rules over you. So..."
He trailed off, then spoke in a low voice.
"Guardian of this land, Agaydika, do not miss this final chance to fulfill your duty."