Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: The Demon King
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[Level up.]
As Ruonbali’s head burst open, the familiar text appeared.
‘Annoying.’
Seo Woo-jin ignored it.
No matter how many levels rose, it held no meaning for him now.
He had reached a ‘realm’ far beyond what such a ‘system’ could express.
Feeling a growth like dropping a single grain of sand into the sea, Seo Woo-jin turned to the stranger.
Judging by the atmosphere, he seemed to know Ban Slane.
His head tilted slightly.
Just moments ago, the two had been fighting to kill each other.
Yet now they had stopped, both on guard against him.
It made no sense.
‘Whatever, doesn’t matter?’
Whether the two suddenly made peace or not.
It was irrelevant to Seo Woo-jin.
“Who are you?”
Ban Slane asked then.
“Hmm…….”
What to say?
He couldn’t say Seo Woo-jin.
Not out of fear of recognition.
Simply……
‘Because I’m not Seo Woo-jin.’
Demon King.
More precisely, ‘Chaos’.
Of course, Seo Woo-jin had no intention of answering kindly.
“Find out yourself.”
He grinned.
Ban Slane’s face grew sterner.
He sensed the vicious killing intent and demonic energy concealed in that smile.
Seo Woo-jin watched them both with eager anticipation.
* * *
“Lady Ailin!”
Ronain’s urgent shout rang out.
But Ailin herself had no spare attention to reply.
“Urk!”
A grotesque demonic beast’s claw raked a long gash across her thigh.
Blood sprayed, but she clenched her teeth and swung her sword.
Slash-!
Regrettably, she failed to sever the neck in one stroke.
Her unstable footing played a part, but at root, her skill fell short.
Still, it wasn’t without effect.
The demonic beasts lunging at her hesitated to a stop.
“Hold them!”
At Ronain’s order, nearby knights cleaved the beasts in two.
Black blood poured down like rain.
“Huff— Huff—!”
Ailin couldn’t even dodge as she regulated her breathing.
“Are you all right?”
Ronain approached, having cleared the area, her voice laced with concern.
Her once pristine white armor had long been dyed with demonic beast blood, its original hue faded.
“I’m—I’m fine.”
Ailin nodded.
But no one would call her state fine.
Like the other knights, her body was drenched in beast blood, marred by wounds large and small.
Without aid from those around her, she wouldn’t have lasted this long.
“I wonder how Mr. Seo Woo-jin is faring…….”
Ailin flinched at Ronain’s murmur.
She had been worrying about him too.
He stayed behind alone after ensuring their escape.
The beasts were bad enough, but that clown who seemed one of the 13 Apostles was truly formidable.
Even Seo Woo-jin couldn’t escape that easily.
No, it might already be too late.
Ailin despised her useless self.
‘I said I wouldn’t get in the way.’
She recalled Seo Woo-jin’s final glimpse.
As if pursued by something, he had butchered the beasts to buy their escape.
His strength then was awe-inspiring.
If he had focused that power on the fight with Ruonbali instead?
Wouldn’t his chances have been far better?
The thought gnawed at her.
It felt like he had thrown away that opportunity and pushed himself to save her.
“Don’t worry too much.”
Ronain sighed, reading Ailin’s mood.
“Mr. Seo Woo-jin is strong. He faced Reina, even if with help. He’ll manage this time too.”
It wasn’t real comfort.
But they couldn’t afford endless worry.
Ailin nodded and straightened up.
“Thank you.”
Ronain smiled.
Her mastery was still nascent, but as a knight, her conduct outshone any other.
For a woman to embody perfect knighthood like that was no small feat.
Impressed by Ailin’s unflinching poise, Ronain surveyed their surroundings.
“The area seems secure for now.”
That last assault was the finale.
No telling how many beasts remained, but they were safe momentarily.
No time for rest, of course.
“We’ll seek where Count Ban Slane might be.”
In this crisis, nowhere safer than his side.
They had fired signal flares with no response, but they had to find him.
For Seo Woo-jin’s sake if nothing else.
“…Can we?”
Repeated flight and combat through the woods had obliterated their bearings.
Locating Ban Slane would be no easy task.
Ronain smiled reassuringly.
“Crusiel’s agents are with us.”
No issue at all.
“Then we head out now?”
“Best to. The stench of blood is overpowering here.”
Demonic beasts had keen noses like beasts of prey.
Especially sensitive to the scent of blood—they might all swarm here.
They needed to move first.
“Understood.”
Ailin slid her hand along the blade.
Blood streamed off.
‘I won’t hold them back here.’
Truth be told, she yearned to collapse and rest right then.
Corpses and blood pools be damned.
She was accustomed.
But she couldn’t.
She refused to slow the group on her account, and above all, to save Seo Woo-jin, they had to move now.
‘Move.’
She gripped her quivering leg and took a step.
“This way!”
In the interim, Crusiel had pinpointed Ban Slane’s position.
The speed was beyond Ailin’s comprehension.
“Move.”
Ronain commanded, and Ailin advanced amid them.
Pain lanced her thigh with every footfall, drawing an involuntary grimace.
The wound was graver than thought.
‘If only a priest of Aier were here.’
Or that ‘saintess’ Seong Yu-ra.
A sigh slipped out.
They shouldn’t have parted at Jinahan—should have brought her.
She would have aided not just Ailin but all the wounded knights.
But Seong Yu-ra was absent.
Seo Woo-jin had sent her back.
The woman, already resentful toward him, protested fiercely to no avail.
He merely instructed her to return to the academy and report to Yorn.
He parted without awaiting reply.
Her cursing echoed from behind, but he paid no heed.
Ailin didn’t regret that choice, yet it stung a little now.
‘Tch, weakness breeds stray thoughts.’
She shook her head, banishing them.
What use regretting the past?
Focus lay in the present tasks.
Find Ban Slane, rescue Seo Woo-jin.
And somehow escape this forest alive.
Concerns aplenty.
No room for distractions...
BOOM-!
A colossal explosion erupted ahead.
“Shields up!”
Ronain barked, and frontline knights raised theirs.
RUMBLE-!
A monstrous shockwave engulfed them.
Even senior knights’ shields buckled on the first block—Ailin tumbled across the ground.
Crusiel’s agents fared no better.
Only the White Silver Knight Order stood firm.
But even they looked unwell.
Bracing the blast had churned their insides.
“Insane……!”
Ronain gasped.
Not a direct hit—just the clash’s backlash.
Yet blocking it fully proved impossible.
“Who?”
What monsters clashed to unleash such a tempest?
All, Ronain included, stared ahead in taut suspense.
The battle lay revealed.
The blast had uprooted every tree, clearing the view.
“That’s!”
“Captain, evade!”
Horror gripped the knights upon sight.
Ban Slane was one thing, but his ally was Brutal.
Ailin’s eyes bulged.
Zion’s betrayer.
Empire-designated red-level threat.
Ban Slane, who loathed Brutal above all, fought at his side.
Ailin couldn’t fathom it.
The true shock was elsewhere.
“…Withstanding their joint assault?”
Who?
Horns, wings, carapace—clearly no ordinary human.
Brutal rivaled Ban Slane in might.
Yet this being parried their combo with ease...
‘Could it be?’
Baek Si-woo flashed in Ailin’s mind, swiftly dismissed.
The form didn’t match.
Brutal wielded his sword against him.
No loyal Demon King follower would.
Thus, not Baek Si-woo.
‘Then who?’
Assessing swiftly, Ailin spotted it.
“Gasp!”
Her breath hitched.
‘Ruonbali?’
Head pulped beyond recognition, but the garb matched the one battling Seo Woo-jin moments ago.
One of the 13 Apostles, a transcendent powerhouse.
He lay bleeding like roadside refuse.
Confusion deepened in Ailin’s gaze.
But only briefly.
She realized she’d overlooked the crux.
Ruonbali had fought Seo Woo-jin.
Yet here lay his corpse.
What of Seo Woo-jin?
Ailin swallowed surging dread and whispered low.
“Woo-jin...”
WHOOSH-!
The gale blasted as his name escaped her lips.
“Ugh!”
Eyes screwed shut, she shielded her face with an arm.
Then...
Silence fell. Lowering her arm, Ailin beheld a figure before her.
Upper body sheathed in black carapace.
She looked up.
Face emotionless, eyes abyssal voids.
Chilling demonic energy emanated.
Unbidden, the truth slipped from her lips.
“......Demon King.”
His eyes flickered.