Chapter 71: The Procession (2)

“What…… am I looking at right now……?”

Jeonghu was bewildered. A realm even the Jo family’s fighters—whom he’d thought unbeatable his whole life—couldn’t touch.

In Philip’s attack, which had obliterated everything around him back to a primitive state with overwhelming destructive power, Jeonghu felt a vague terror.

And perhaps, just perhaps, a strange thrill at the thought that he might one day become like this too.

Jeonghu, too, was a dominated subject sharing the power of the Demon King's Eye. Knowing that the current Philip had received a share of the Demon King’s power, he couldn’t help but feel an urge to pledge even greater loyalty to Jeonghyeon.

“Ah. First time seeing you, huh.”

Jeonghyeon, on the other hand, reacted as if it were nothing.

He’d seen Value Proof several times before, and he’d expected this ever since Philip acquired the double strike. No big thrill there.

What surprised him more was that Philip’s shout had halted the movements of an Ent, a regional boss-level monster.

Getting usable faster than I thought.

As Jeonghyeon nodded in satisfaction, releasing the Demon King’s power, the Ent disintegrated into the air, filling his view with countless status windows.

The dungeon rewards were generous, befitting their difficulty.

Whoa…… 50,000 points?

Perfect amount to strengthen Jeonghu or Philip, or buy what he needed.

What? So that means Nus can assimilate with the inventory?

Nice score. Though it seemed he needed higher level.

Jeonghyeon swiped through the floating status window to the next one.

An overpowered achievement that boosted his Demon King assimilation rate by nearly 5% in one go.

Perfect ability tailored for handling Philip and Jeonghu.

Truly high-risk, high-reward payoffs pouring in.

No detailed explanations, but pure honey rewards whose efficiency he couldn’t even gauge. But the real jackpot came after.

The random unlock condition was met this time, opening the next hidden quest.

The Demon King’s Territorialization.

Turning a part of Seoul into Jeonghyeon’s territory…….

A special scenario seemingly directly tied to Demon King Malekith.

And a main quest requiring ascent to the 30th floor solely with dominated subjects’ power, with the absurd reward of Afraksas transfer.

Quests as if Malekith were whispering, Now the real start begins. Pouring power into his Demon King's Eye—which no longer even ached—Jeonghyeon flashed a feral grin.

Yeah. Now it begins, huh.

This is the flavor I wanted.

Demon King Malekith had first claimed territory in a place called the Barren Lands, expanding his forces from there. In time, those Barren Lands became the strongest dungeon, teeming with his direct subordinates and countless named boss monsters.

And for Jeonghyeon now, the Seoul West branch would be that first button.

“Take the West first…… Send these guys up the Tower, then check out the Arrangement.”

As Jeonghyeon muttered to himself, Jeonghu asked in confusion.

“Y-Yes……? Take…… the West?”

Philip, belatedly snapping out of it, turned and asked.

“Where to next, sir?! I feel oddly full of energy right now!”

Normally, Philip would be wheezing after one Value Proof. But fighting with the Demon King’s power imposed far less overload on him—he was treating it like mere muscle soreness, even enjoying it.

“Back to where the Jo family is.”

“And then?”

“What else? Go smash the Jo bastards, and I take the West.”

Savoring rewards and resting leisurely could wait until after crushing the Jo family. More than that, he was quite looking forward to the effects once he gained his territory.

“……Pardon?”

Ignoring Philip’s puzzled reaction, Jeonghyeon turned his back on the boss.

Philip and Jeonghu exchanged glances before following him.

Nus was already nagging Jeonghyeon again, now ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that the Demon King’s aura had faded.

“See? When I help, things go smooth, right?! You little shit!”

But now, Nus’s jabs lacked prefixes like “pathetic” or slurs like “incompetent.”

“Shall we go?”

“Yes……. But, does he always aim this big?”

“That’s why we follow. Come on. To the Demon King’s party.”

The two dominated subjects trailed Jeonghyeon’s back without a shred of hesitation.

And every moment up to just before slaying the Ent had been transmitted via Evil Eye to the Jo family’s arena.

“No way……”

The Jo family members couldn’t hide their shock at the realization they’d been mere playthings to the mana beasts all this time.

“Father, what’s going on? Is…… this really true?”

Jo Hyeon—the eldest direct descendant, closest to the grandfather position—asked Jo Hwi.

“N-No. Among those watching the arena broadcast, there are humans too! You know plenty from the West watch it!”

Jo Hwi, the family head and grandfather, bellowed first to salvage the situation somehow.

But Jo Yun—the man sent to stall in Jeonghu’s place—spoke quietly.

“That means…… those mana beasts were monitoring us all, right?”

“Th-That’s……”

Jo Hwi couldn’t answer, merely gnashing his teeth visible through his white beard and mustache. That alone was answer enough for everyone present.

“No way……”

The direct Jo family descendants dropped their gauntlets to the stone floor with dull thuds, speechless.

“Damn it……”

Only Jo Hwi, as if he’d known all along, hung his head.

Becoming the Jo family head meant learning the secret of the Storm Dragon Mirtus and inheriting its will.

The secret hidden by the entire family and the West was being utterly dismantled by that damned outsider.

“Did you see? The power of the demonkin? We can never beat the demonkin……! To survive—for your sake—I chose this!”

Jo Hwi lifted his head, raising the gauntlet transformed from his prayer beads gripped tightly in his wrinkled hand.

“And that means selling humans to the demonkin!?”

The rest of the Jo family blocked Jo Hwi.

“Stop it, Father! You plan to fight us!?”

But Jo Hwi had no intention of backing down.

“Think I’ll lose to you brats……? Storm Dragon Fist.”

His hands held mana to eliminate those who learned Mirtus’s secret—and regret for his human children he’d once truly loved, if only briefly.

“Sorry, kids. It’s over now……! One Strike!!”

Jo Hwi squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them, ambition overriding regret as he plunged One Strike into his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠direct descendants.

Boom-!

“Even so, attacking your own kids? You fucking trash.”

Jo Hwi’s One Strike was effortlessly blocked by Nus’s body.

“……How already……?”

His knothole eyes widened in shock, and Jo Hwi trembled in fear.

Jeonghyeon dangled the half-scroll in his hand.

“Return scroll. You gave Philip one each. Said to use it right after clearing the dungeon.”

“This body readjusted the location with mana control. Child’s play for magic like that, you fools.”

Beside Jeonghyeon stood Philip solidly gripping his mace, Jeonghu, and Nus.

The ultimate party’s return.

Nus, having absorbed Jo Hwi’s One Strike, spewed mana outward.

Kaboom!!

The floor warped, people lost balance and tumbled across the stone.

“Haha…… haha! Sons! Kill him! This guy’s with the mana beasts! An outsider sent in cahoots with the Evil Eyes, descendant of mana beasts!!”

Jo Hwi finally snapped, spewing nonsense.

Then he lunged One Strike at Jeonghyeon again.

“Danger!!”

Jo Yun shouted late…….

Thud!

This time, another loyal subordinate guarding Jeonghyeon—Jeonghu—blocked the attack.

Fist to fist.

“Jeonghu……?”

Jeonghu, who until days ago had been no better than discarded by the family, now boldly parried the family head’s strike.

And that moment.

The rock-like gauntlet—an unknown Epic Weapon—crumbled, revealing a simple gauntlet woven like bandages.

Shh-.

“Father never saw us as children to begin with, did he?”

Jeonghu ground his teeth.

“You said it then. The weak have no right to live.”

Jeonghyeon awakened his Demon King's Eye, channeling mana to Jeonghu.

“This is my answer.”

Jeonghu plunged One Strike into his father.