Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: The Demon King's Descent
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“The Demon King is descending.”
Even at the mention of the Demon King, there was no particular reaction.
Just an inexplicable sense of unease.
“…….”
In truth, it was hard to even imagine what a Demon King was.
Tremble.
Only Kim Se-hyun, the vessel of the Archdemon, shuddered faintly at the presence she vaguely sensed.
The Archdemon's cells dwelling within her were helping her conceptualize the existence known as the Demon King.
Gulp.
A colossal power that swallowed the world.
Claws that raked the earth.
Something akin to an immeasurable terror.
“Demon King... Could you at least tell us what kind of thing it is?”
Kim Cheon-seok asked Go Yohan.
“Estimated level is 1100. Or even higher, for that matter.”
Even at those words.
“Hoo.”
Only sighs like groans escaped, and no one truly grasped it.
And rightly so—level 1000.
At some point, that number had shot up through the heavens, so immense it felt unreal.
Go Yohan could understand their reactions.
‘It was the same in Travania.’
The Three Demons of the Triangle feared it, yet strangely couldn’t accept the existence of the Demon King.
‘Even as their kingdom crumbled and the continent faced annihilation.’
The Demon King was an entity beyond such reason.
Beings so vast they couldn’t easily fit into one’s mind.
“There’s no need to try understanding it.”
They wouldn’t be able to anyway.
“I’ll handle the Demon King myself.”
“…….”
As it had always been, just as always.
He would face the Demon King.
“Hoo.”
More sighs echoed.
“So what are we supposed to do?”
Kim Cheon-seok asked, as if he were their representative.
And the words from Go Yohan’s mouth utterly defied common sense.
Something only those present—his people—could accept.
“For a long time now, we’ve been working to extract North Korea’s residents.”
“……?”
“The barrier-sealed North Korea has been nearly impossible for anyone to approach, and that wall has only grown stronger.”
A fact everyone knew.
“The so-called supreme leader of North Korea sensed that threats to the world wouldn’t work anymore.”
The reason everyone knew.
North Korea, which had maintained its regime through nuclear weapons, felt a crisis from the emergence of gates and players.
It also realized nuclear threats alone wouldn’t sway the world any longer.
Because superhumans with abilities could infiltrate North Korea in secret and sever his head.
Thus, the supreme leader had sealed North Korea off himself.
Even more thoroughly, more isolationist.
“And that wasn’t the end of it….”
This was the reason not even the church could easily touch North Korea—a fact unknown to the public.
“He sought to secure his safety using the lives of his own people.”
“……What?”
“To demons, a dictatorship is an ideal playground. Corrupt just one person, and the entire nation falls into their hands.”
A tactic demons frequently employed, the reason kingdoms fell one after another.
And by the time the church began establishing itself, North Korea had already been approached by demons.
Though not fully allied—still hesitating.
“If anyone tried to disrupt the regime or force submission through force, rituals were prepared across North Korea to offer up the people as sacrifices.”
“……!”
That was it.
Thus, North Korea posed no threat to Go Yohan yet maintained an untouchable independence.
*
*
*
The reason the barrier over all of North Korea strengthened was the existence of rituals ready at any moment to offer the people as sacrifices.
It was much like the nuclear missiles North Korea had long used to threaten the world, except the warheads were aimed at their own bodies.
Even Go Yohan couldn’t ignore thirty million lives being offered to demons.
So he had left North Korea alone.
“But we couldn’t bow to demonic threats forever.”
Yet in the meantime, Go Yohan had prepared to eradicate the demonic seeds planted there and their kin.
“We prepared a method.”
The North Korean people, held hostage to enforce intimidation.
A way to save them.
One wrong move, and they’d notice and press the button.
Thus, it was the final card, to be played at the perfect moment.
“What’s happening in North Korea now isn’t the supreme leader’s will.”
From observations, there were still many life signs in North Korea.
“Then what?”
“It could be someone’s intervention, a mistake, or even a runaway situation.”
But that wasn’t the point.
Flash.
His sky-blue eyes gleamed, drawing Go Yohan into the world of Divine Sight.
Examining not the black threads coiled tightly before him, but the gray ones.
Swipe.
Go Yohan reached out.
Ting!
Flicking the thread caused an immediate change.
Boom!
Four gates—where only the black barrier had existed—gates now appeared.
“What the…!”
“Don’t tell me he can create gates…?”
“I didn’t create the gates. I just made entrances.”
Go Yohan said it casually, but the shocked gazes lingered.
Only select devotees used the underground growth chambers of the church.
“There’s no physical way to cross the barrier.”
Breaking the already-started ritual by force would only tangle it.
That wasn’t what Go Yohan wanted.
“But with this method, we can cross…”
Go Yohan continued.
“And come back.”
“……!”
That single statement from Go Yohan was as astonishing as creating the gates.
Most gates were one-way.
Enter, clear, exit.
A simple principle applied.
“You mean we can exit and re-enter from the other side?”
At Yoo Baek’s question, Go Yohan nodded.
“You already know, don’t you?”
“…Warp gates!”
The warp gates Go Yohan had installed.
It was the same.
Some here might not know, but Go Minji caught on.
“…Of course.”
Back when they first installed warp gates, they had cleared S-rank gates to bore the passages.
“But unlike warp gates, these are one-use only.”
That was enough.
Grip.
As mostly veteran players, they knew what to do without further explanation from Go Yohan.
“Clear the gates as fast as possible and enter North Korea.”
Go Minji said.
“And bring back as many North Korean residents as we can. Right?”
Nod.
“What about convincing the North Koreans?”
Would they, brainwashed by a cult-like regime, abandon their homes and flee so easily?
“No need to worry much about that. It’s probably not habitable anymore anyway.”
“…Yeah.”
“And.”
Standing before one gate, Go Yohan said.
“If they don’t want to come, leave them.”
Go Yohan himself.
“I’m no savior.”
He would only do what he could.
“Let’s enter.”
Go Yohan went first, with Kim Se-hyun, into the gate.
*
*
*
Entering the gate, Go Yohan.
“I wondered if it might be S-rank, just in case.”
Since they were using warp forms without fully confirming, he worried about further interference.
But.
“Grrr….”
The monsters before Go Yohan now were B-rank Chrome Lizardmen.
‘They don’t want it either.’
The descent of the Demon King—even they didn’t desire it, their will conveyed as much.
And rightly so, for hadn’t they said it themselves through Rachel’s mouth?
-This child had to remain there to block the Demon King’s descent.
Through Rachel, it was clear these silent ones had now moved to block the descent.
So it was fine to assume they hoped Go Yohan would step in and stop the Demon King.
“Long time no see.”
Then, Kim Se-hyun, who came with him, spoke.
Behind her, Taehan Guild members lined up.
Different personnel entered different gates.
“What?”
“Just us two like this.”
Kim Se-hyun, now a fine young woman after the years, smiled faintly at Go Yohan.
“We’re not alone?”
“…We are.”
The once airheaded schoolgirl Kim Se-hyun had grown into someone else with age.
Fourth-dimensional, perhaps.
“…Open a path?”
At her words, Go Yohan shook his head with a smile.
“Your battlefield isn’t here.”
“Then?”
“Later.”
That was it.
Nodding, Kim Se-hyun stepped back without further questions.
“Grrr….”
Was it because of the formidable foe named Go Yohan?
Inside the gate, monsters rarely strayed from their positions, as if ordered.
“Grrr….”
“Gruk.”
“Kyruk.”
Hundreds of shimmering-skinned Lizardmen now blocked the way, surrounding them.
Their resolute faces and gripped spear shafts seemed to channel mana flows.
“We’ll arrive first.”
Go Yohan said.
“Conserve your strength.”
“Got it.”
At Kim Se-hyun’s raised fist and hand signal, Taehan fell back and sheathed their weapons.
Each force under the church had its traits.
The Sanctuary Union consisted only of guildmaster-level executives as qualified devotees.
The guild members below were prospective devotees, not yet devotees.
Ones harboring hope of becoming devotees through merits someday.
Due to divinity’s symbolism and uniqueness, devotee numbers were extremely limited.
Only a few unaware of divinity hid to protect it as devotees.
And Taehan.
“As the Captain wishes.”
All of them were devotees, or rather.
‘Priests.’
Ones to be trained as combat priests.