Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Chapter 154
The Entrance to the Underworld (5)
Diabolic Gluttony.
A unique domain that devours even the phenomenon of death itself.
This magic, which he had deployed exactly once in the past when facing Rigos who used the authority of equality, was closer to the realm of authority rather than magic.
'What a spectacle.'
WHOOSH!
The crimson waves began expanding their domain, devouring the undead.
BLEEEEAT!
The Baphomets hastily erected multiple defensive barriers and retreated.
Their barriers couldn't withstand the domain for even 3 seconds each layer, but that was enough time to create distance.
The Baphomets who had secured a safe distance vented their fury toward Rudian.
-How dare you use such strange sorcery!
"That's not something you, masters of sorcery, should be saying..."
-We were caught off guard and had our weakness exploited, but we won't fall for that magic again!
"You don't listen, do you?"
Indeed, Diabolic Gluttony's only weakness was that it spread slowly.
Of course, it was fast enough that most couldn't avoid it, but for skilled beings like the Baphomets, it was difficult to use except for surprise attacks.
"But that's fine. You weren't the target from the beginning anyway."
Bleeat?
"I added one more authority to that magic besides gluttony and wrath."
Leviathan's authority, which could now be considered Rudian's unique power.
'Domination.'
CRACK! CRACK!
The undead that had been decomposed by Diabolic Gluttony began regenerating, forming their shapes anew.
-Gasp!
The Baphomets were flustered.
Originally, the undead, being the deceased, should have absolutely obeyed the dominion of the Baphomets, who were the Death King's apostles, but after regenerating, their control didn't work at all.
-H-how is this possible...
FLASH!
The Death Knights, now tinged with crimson energy, suddenly turned their forms and began pointing their spears and swords toward the Baphomets.
-For our master... sacrifice your lives...
-Kill the enemy!
-Waaaaaaah!
When the undead army that had been targeting Rudian just moments ago immediately turned their blades, it wasn't just the Baphomets who were flustered.
-Lord Gastol? Get a grip! Knight Commander Gastol!
The Path connecting to the Death Knights was severed instantly, and the backlash struck Layla's soul directly.
BOOM!
The shock was enough to momentarily restore Layla's mind, which had been stained with madness.
-Kyahahahahak...!
With a single scream, Layla's necromantic energy visibly diminished.
While Layla was temporarily incapacitated, the undead dominated by Rudian simultaneously attacked the Baphomets.
-How dare you!
Normally, these would be creatures that could turn to dust with a single gesture, but enhanced by Diablo's authority, they had evolved from annoying gnats to threatening swarms of mosquitoes.
And these were mosquito swarms that had lost their reason and would throw away their lives just to suck blood!
-Th-these bastards!
-Waaaaaaah!
No matter how much they struck them down, they kept coming endlessly.
Among them were even skilled fighters who could handle aura, occasionally breaking through their barriers and inflicting wounds.
The Baphomets' confusion deepened.
Even when they tried to send the deceased back to the underworld, the control wouldn't transfer to them at all.
This meant only one thing.
-Y-you... how can you possess such power with a body made of blood and flesh!
"I told you, I'm not mortal right now."
-Unbelievable! An immortal with a mortal's body!
Certainly, the Baphomet's shock was understandable.
In fact, with this level of combat power, it wouldn't be strange if he had naturally shed his human body and achieved a divine form.
-Why aren't you bound by the constraints of causality!
-What exactly are you, bastard!
"Honestly, I'd like to know that myself."
How he possessed this level of power, even if temporarily.
And why there was no backlash even when wielding this power freely.
"But I guess pondering that will have to come after I deal with you bastards, right?"
-Grrrrrr!
Cold sweat ran down the Baphomets' foreheads.
Honestly, they could somehow handle the deceased.
If they couldn't regain control, they could just use force to send them back to the underworld.
But that being in front of them wouldn't just sit back and watch.
An incomprehensible entity of unknown identity who wielded the power of holy and demonic swords, plus necromantic energy and otherworldly power.
Defeat.
The moment these two characters were etched in the Baphomets' minds, they seriously considered fleeing.
Failing to keep their promise with the contractor would burden them tremendously, but there was no reason to maintain loyalty while prepared for annihilation.
But...
-Still.
-We are the Death King's apostles.
-As agents of death, we cannot retreat!
The Baphomets seemed to have made their decision, exploding their energy as they charged at Rudian.
"At least you have some pride as higher beings."
Rudian chuckled and withdrew his power, sending the undead back to the underworld.
No matter how he wasn't exactly honorable, ganging up on beings who showed such spirit from afar with numbers wasn't really his taste.
'Hmm, will it work? Just subduing without killing...'
Since he suddenly gained such strong power, he might not be able to control his strength properly.
Given that, if he clumsily held back his power, he might be the one to get hurt instead!
'So for now... decisively...!'
Just as Rudian, having made up his mind, was about to make his move.
"Hmm, could you stop there?"
"...!"
Rudian's form stopped at the sudden quiet remark.
'...When did he...?'
Without him noticing, a black-haired boy was standing between Rudian and the Baphomets.
"If we fight any further, I might lose my cherished subordinates."
Even if he was demon king level, he couldn't deceive Rudian's senses at this moment.
That meant the opponent's level transcended typical demon king class.
-Gasp!
At the boy's appearance, the Baphomets were shocked and immediately pressed their heads to the ground.
It was an unbelievable change in attitude from their burning fighting spirit just moments before.
'...He's appeared!'
A boy with an unremarkable presence, covering one eye with his hair, giving off a somewhat gloomy impression.
The ruler of the underworld, death with self-awareness, and dozens of other titles, but still the most direct...
"Death King, Tartian Lil."
How many would believe that this small boy was one of the greatest pillars responsible for this world's circulation - the god of death?
"Hehehe, so you recognized my identity after all?"
"With those guys trembling like that, how could I not..."
"Right, that's true."
SNAP!
When the Death King snapped his fingers, the three Baphomet entities were immediately reverse-summoned.
And when even the remaining undead disappeared cleanly with a single gesture, the clearing that had been noisy with the screams of the dead became quiet instantly.
The Death King muttered to himself, "Quiet is indeed better," then looked at Rudian again.
"I heard from Baal, but I never thought we'd meet like this."
"Indeed."
Quite shameless, considering he knew Rudian would come yet still attached the Baphomets to Layla.
"I thought you'd come through the entrance in the western part of the continent."
"...Actually, that was the original plan."
Should this be called turning misfortune into fortune?
Certainly, he never thought the underworld gate that Layla created with her obsession for revenge would become a channel to meet the Death King like this.
"Hehehe... Normally, it would just be a matter of forming an alliance and receiving appropriate support troops, but if you have a reason to specifically visit the underworld..."
The Death King continued slowly with a gaze that seemed to see through Rudian.
"What you want is the Black World, isn't it? Seeing how you harbor such various energies within your body."
As expected, he couldn't deceive the eyes of such a being.
Rudian nodded.
"Yes, and I also need the authority to summon high-ranking underworld beings."
"Right, and by high-ranking beings you mean?"
"Naturally, the Ten King Army."
The Death King of the Seven Seats had under his command not just beings like the Baphomets, but ten quasi-divine beings who managed the underworld in his stead.
These ten fighters, inspired by Buddhism's Ten Kings of Hell, could be said to be the actual supreme power of the underworld.
Even underworld support troops had to comply with this world's rules and take the form of summons.
What could be transferred through Dilmun was only part of the demon realm's forces that could be controlled with Leviathan's mark.
If he brought other-dimensional forces without any control devices, this planet would instantly become chaos.
"I propose a contract with you for that purpose."
"Heh, hehehe..."
The Death King began laughing continuously, finding something amusing.
"Your intentions are transparent. The Ten King Army is just an excuse, and your real purpose is to eliminate my only contractor."
"..."
"The fact that you, who are strong enough not to need a contract, say such things means you want to remove that girl without offending me."
Rudian shrugged and nodded.
"She's been your eyes and ears for over a thousand years, so I should at least maintain courtesy."
Layla could be called a 9th class great witch precisely because she was the only human contractor of the Death King.
If Rudian took her place, Layla would immediately lose all her power.
Even fighting now, he wouldn't lose in pure force, but Layla still had her trump card remaining.
If he was going to do it, he had to thoroughly bring about her downfall.
"Good. If I'm going to form an alliance with you anyway, engraving a contract seal would be most certain."
With the Death King's single statement, Layla's fate was decided.
"You'll become the strongest contractor in history."
The Death King carved the contract seal on Rudian's hand.
At the same time, not ordinary underworld necromantic energy, but a higher-level energy called Death King Energy began flowing into Rudian's body.
"This is...!"
Death energy refined to the highest purity, which even Layla, the previous contractor, hadn't obtained.
"If you're going to do it, you should do it properly."
Though he didn't know why the Death King was going this far, he left quite meaningful words right after.
"I can't let only that otherworldly god have all the fun."
"What does that mean?"
"It doesn't have any particular meaning."
The Death King smoothly deflected Rudian's question.
Certainly, Death King Energy would be much more convenient than necromantic energy for handling the Black World...
Rudian had a strange doubt about whether it was really okay to obtain the Death King Energy so easily when he expected to have to work incredibly hard for it.
The Death King continued.
"But separate from the contract, I can't just give you the Black World. It's the source of the underworld, after all."
"What does that mean...?"
"You'll have to do one thing for me."
The Death King slowly spoke what he desired.
Rudian's expression hardened slightly upon hearing those words.
"A task..."
"It shouldn't be particularly disadvantageous for you, right? When that task is finished, the causality that's currently severed between Diablo and you will reconnect."
"Isn't this guy sleeping?"
At Rudian's wide-eyed words, the Death King asked back as if wondering what nonsense he was talking about.
"Isn't that obvious? The sword isn't broken, and you weren't defeated by anyone. Your power, which flows beyond your capacity, has merely temporarily sealed that sword."
"..."
He had mocked this guy for being beaten by Uriel...
If the guy wasn't sleeping and heard all those words...
'...Should I just throw it away?'
While Rudian was seriously considering that option, the Death King waved his hand in farewell.
"Then I look forward to the day we meet next. Since you've become a contractor, with your power, you should be able to summon at least my avatar without opening the underworld gate."
"Next time you come, just bring the Black World."
"Kekeke... Cheeky bastard."
The Death King disappeared like smoke with those final words.
In the clearing where all presence had completely vanished, Rudian turned his head to look beyond the distant hill.
"Well then... before going to meet Layla..."
First, let's recover Derrick's group and get them out of here.
'...They're not dead, right?'
Since he had set up a barrier with Daylight, they should be alive under normal circumstances.
Rudian felt a trace of anxiety as he slowly stepped into the darkness.