Chapter 48. The True Power of Shout

It was a straightforward description of the Shout skill.

But there was one truth this skill description didn't mention.

—Do you know how Shout draws the enemy's attention and inflicts shock on them?

This, too, came from the words of the Ran tribe, a minority ethnic group from the far east of Afraksas who had taught Jeonghyeon.

—Isn't it just... some kind of intimidation or something?

In his previous life, Jeonghyeon had never trained in Shout at all. Han, the Ran tribesman who was his master, snorted at those words.

—You humans never really train in Shout, do you? Well, to be precise, you just don't know the proper method.

—What do you mean?

—Shout is the thunderous roar that cleaves through the battlefield, the rallying cry that sets the blood of your foes ablaze.

—You... rally the enemies?

Jeonghyeon couldn't wrap his head around it—why rally the enemy when you should be breaking their morale?

—Exactly. Now, listen.

Han murmured an incomprehensible incantation in a low voice.

As the unique language of the Ran tribe, untranslatable into human tongues, flowed into Jeonghyeon's eardrums, his heartbeat quickened like the pounding drums in a massive concert hall.

—Oh...!

A surge of boundless potential washed over him, clearing his mind of all clutter in a refreshingly exhilarating rush. Jeonghyeon felt an indescribable clarity.

—Did you feel it? That's the essence of Shout.

Han recited the same incantation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠once more. Jeonghyeon couldn't understand the words, but he recognized the pronunciation.

But...

—Gahk! Khek!!

Jeonghyeon collapsed to his knees, crushed by an overwhelming pressure as if plunged into the ocean depths with his lungs emptied of air.

—Gahk!!

His vision blurred in an instant. Saliva dripped from his mouth as he writhed on the ground, unable to bear even his own weight.

Solgaleh's awakener, who had never known defeat, crawled pathetically, clutching at Han's pant leg and begging.

—Spare... me...!

—Endure it. This is nothing.

—No...! I... I was wrong...!

—It's not that you're too weak for this. It truly is nothing.

With that, Han placed his callused hand on Jeonghyeon's forehead.

Jeonghyeon felt Han's mana resonating within him, surging wildly just as it did in his own body.

And then, a miracle occurred.

Moments ago, he had been gasping on the floor, unable to breathe. Now, something unlocked, and air rushed into his lungs.

—Hahk! Heok! Hah... ah...!

The pain vanished as if it had never been, and the world around him felt strangely normal, almost novel.

—What... is this...?

—Shout vibrates the mana within you, resonating with the enemy's mana through those vibrations. Depending on how ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you wield it, you can calm or rally allies, or strike terror into foes—or even drive them to death.

Han withdrew his hand, and the crushing pain returned to Jeonghyeon's chest.

But now, knowing he could breathe, Jeonghyeon didn't crawl. He endured the suffocation, adapting bit by bit.

That was the moment Jeonghyeon began to learn the true power of Shout.

Old memories... Am I getting sentimental?

Jeonghyeon shook his head and looked down at the sprite writhing on the ground before him, on the verge of bursting.

Mana resonating with mana.

For a mana construct like the sprite, made purely of raw mana, it was an unbearable shock.

Jeonghyeon snapped his fingers indifferently.

"Now burst."

Boom. Pop.

The sprite sank into the floor before exploding like a water balloon, oxidizing into nothing.

No massive blast from its condensed mana, no roar or vibration.

Its outer shell simply tore, mana leaking out like air from a punctured balloon—its very existence erased.

This was why, in his previous life, Jeonghyeon had spent a full year under Han training only in Shout. It was the foundation that let him stand against the Demon King's overwhelming mana.

Hold on... If it's Shout, then Nus is a mana body too.

A sudden doubt crossed Jeonghyeon's mind.

The Demon King must have designed my growth path to lead me here.

Would that pervert have set up two mana-body monsters in his twisted scheme?

No—did he even predict Jeonghyeon would ally with the Wakin sisters?

A Demon King scenario might have Jeonghyeon suffering wildly upon meeting Nus, then stealing Philip's Shout via Attribute Domination to instantly blow Nus away.

In other words, stacking hypotheses: recruiting the Wakin sisters or Nus might be outside the Demon King's script entirely.

Just as Jeonghyeon's mind grew tangled despite clearing the dungeon...

Leveling up didn't grant any special artifacts or items.

The Demon King Shop felt like buying slices of the Demon King's own abilities.

Back when I abused the shop to grow, a status window said the Demon King's power weakened a bit...

Maybe purchasing here was literally stealing the Demon King's strength.

As Jeonghyeon's thoughts deepened...

"Um... It's over, right? Should we head back?"

"Huh?"

Turning at the rare, worried voice of the younger Wakin sister, Jeonghyeon realized his oversight.

The older sister lay unconscious on her sibling's back from the shockwave, barely breathing. Philip was still on the brink of death, gasping.

"Ah, right! Shit!"

Jeonghyeon finally opened his inventory and pulled out Nus.

"Nus! Handle that guy!"

Nus hopped out, pausing before Philip to turn and stare at Jeonghyeon.

No face, no eyes—just a squishy form. But Jeonghyeon's Demon King's Eye saw it clearly: Nus glaring right at him, radiating something close to fury.

"You little shit..."

Without a word, Nus latched onto Philip and began healing.

"Let's head back for now."

Jeonghyeon hoisted Philip—Nus attached—onto his back. With the younger carrying her sister, the party fled the dungeon without even grabbing proper loot.

A few days passed.

Philip recovered fully, bursting with energy.

"As Uldran's awakener, collapsing from that? I'll train harder—rawr!"

He dove into personal training after ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a long hiatus. Watching Jeonghyeon and Philip's combat styles, the Wakin sisters kicked off full-scale gear production.

Once you set something up, it runs itself smoothly.

Like a factory owner beaming at humming machines after the brutal setup phase. A clicker game's idle charm.

"Alright, then."

Now it was Jeonghyeon's turn.

After days of deliberation, he opened the Demon King Shop without hesitation and bought one item.

A translucent status window floated in the air. Tapping it summoned a detestable figure.

"Yo. Long time no see?"

"Fuck. Starting with this?"

Malekith's hologram was a perfect replica, data fully transplanted.

Looking closer, details stood out: a ceremonial rapier flashy but impractical, a tuxedo festooned with useless gold baubles. Flowing black hair, glowing red Demon King's Eye.

Hah.

What irked Jeonghyeon most was that eye.

"What's with the stare? Handsome, right?"

The hologram, infused with pre-regression personality, grinned smugly, twisting Jeonghyeon's nerves. But his gaze fixed on one spot.

Unlike the left eye—red with inverted vision—his right eye had normal white sclera and black pupil.

Malekith must have granted Jeonghyeon the Demon King's power before digitizing himself.

"No questions? Back you go."

"No. Shut up and listen. Make it quick."

"Touchy. I hold grudges, you know?"

Bullshit. Jeonghyeon sighed deeply and spoke.

"You know about the Wakin sisters and the Ethereal Slime from the mage tower?"

Malekith stared blankly, like he'd been slapped upside the head.

Does he not know? Hope springs—

"Only one question per purchase."

"Fuck."

"Puhaha! They're similar, so I'll tell you. Where's the fun if you follow my script exactly? Right? I wanted you to become a Demon King like me. Demon King vs. Demon King—fun! That's why I regressed with you."

Malekith flashed a sleazy grin.

And added one more line.

"But I don't know what allies you'll pick. Not me, not you, not even the future me who regressed with you."