Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Sanity Restored
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Ban Slaine stepped back, eyeing the 'black existence' before him.
'It’s not moving.'
He had expected the attacks to continue, but strangely, it had stopped.
He couldn’t fathom why.
It just felt like something unknown had happened—something he wasn’t privy to.
Ban Slaine glanced at Brutal, who had been flung far away.
Fortunately, he wasn’t dead.
'Though I’m not sure if that’s fortunate or not.'
He and Brutal were enemies—bitter foes where facing each other meant one had to die.
Yet Ban Slaine had joined hands with him for one reason alone.
A powerful premonition that they had to stop the 'black existence' in front of them.
Having reached the transcendent realm, Ban Slaine’s body had rejuvenated, granting him instincts far sharper than before.
And those instincts warned him.
If they failed to stop it, the world was doomed.
That was why he had extended a hand to Brutal.
Brutal must have sensed the same, grabbing it without question.
But then he’d taken a blow and been sent flying...
As an enemy, Brutal was better off dead, but considering the 'black existence,' he couldn’t die like that.
Ban Slaine felt his mind tangle with these contradictory thoughts.
But he quickly steadied himself.
Brutal mattered, but he couldn’t afford to lose focus.
“Hm?”
Yet the 'black existence' looked off.
'It’s trembling?'
Its eyes closed, its entire body shuddering violently.
Like it was having a seizure.
Its face twisted in agony, confirming something was happening.
'S should I strike?'
By his nature, he would have seized this golden opportunity and thrust his sword.
It was completely defenseless, and for some reason, it didn’t look well.
Attacking now would behead most foes before they even realized they were dying.
Yet Ban Slaine couldn’t move.
No, he didn’t.
He lacked conviction.
Conviction that the strike would land.
The 'black existence' was that awe-inspiringly strong.
Strong enough to make even him hesitate to swing.
But he couldn’t just watch forever.
Steeling himself, Ban Slaine decided to attack and raised his beloved sword.
He saw its chipped teeth and cracked blade.
A few exchanges had ruined the sword he’d wielded his whole life beyond repair.
It pained him.
'Hold on just a bit longer.'
Until he slew that thing.
Or until he himself died.
He prayed it would endure that long.
Ban Slaine poured every ounce of mana into the sword.
One strike.
He vowed to swing with everything he had, his final blow.
His mind cleared like a mirror, vitality surging through his body.
'I can do it. No, I will.'
With preparations complete, Ban Slaine slashed.
Craaaack—!
Everything between him and the 'black existence' was severed.
The same sword that had cleaved the curtain of demonic energy.
In an instant shorter than a split-second, repeated a dozen times.
The slash from Ban Slaine’s sword reached the 'black existence' in a flash.
And then,
Just as the colossal slash—capable of cleaving anything in the world— was about to bisect it,
A burst of black light erupted.
Blindingly bright, enough to blind in an instant.
Ban Slaine instinctively closed his eyes, then circulated mana to protect his sight with a curse of realization.
When he opened them again,
The 'black existence' met his gaze with a faint smile etched coldly into his retinas.
* * *
'I nearly died.'
Seo Woojin let out a silent sigh of relief.
The fusion of demonic energy and mana—harmony, unity, integration.
Whatever the term, Seo Woojin had achieved it.
An unprecedented feat in the continent’s history.
The price nearly tore his body to shreds.
He’d barely survived, enduring pain worse than death.
In the end, Seo Woojin ascended to the transcendent realm.
Not through the forced elevation of 'Demon King Transformation,' but purely on his own.
His mind matured, his body evolved once more.
Mana and demonic energy merged into a new energy unlike any other.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
Seo Woojin had gained something far greater.
He withstood the slash barehanded, then turned to its wielder.
Ban Slaine.
Horror etched his face.
'Good.'
Seo Woojin smiled.
Then thought to himself.
'Glad I snapped out of it in time.'
His greatest gain.
His original mind had returned.
While still in 'Demon King Transformation.'
The murderous rage, the malice to destroy the world.
All gone.
Just a slightly timid, ordinary, perfectly normal human.
Seo Woojin’s true self reclaimed its place.
'Had it been even a moment later...'
He would have taken his mentor Ban Slaine’s life with his own hands.
Casually, like swatting a fly.
He felt nothing but relief that such a tragedy had been averted.
'But I can’t let on, right?'
His appearance was still the Demon King’s, not Seo Woojin’s.
'I’ll bluff a bit, then get out of here and release the transformation.'
Instinctively, he realized he could control the 'Demon King Transformation' freely.
A tremendous advantage.
Seo Woojin took a casual step forward.
Ban Slaine flinched warily.
'Sorry.'
He had no intent to go hard.
Just play along briefly to feign retreat, then slip away and drop the form.
“What’s wrong? Not coming at me anymore?”
Seo Woojin taunted coldly on purpose.
But perhaps due to blocking the prior attack?
Ban Slaine didn’t move easily.
'No choice.'
Seo Woojin decided to act first.
Thud—
Reining in his unnamed energy as much as possible, he kicked off the ground.
Whoooosh—!
Even restrained, his speed eclipsed 'Swiftness' in sheer wonder.
“Hup!”
Ban Slaine gasped in shock.
But only for a moment.
He reacted with astonishing speed, swinging at Seo Woojin.
Swoooosh—!
A clean, menacing slash unbelievable for an improvised strike.
A strike of such transcendent mastery that the old Seo Woojin couldn’t have dodged.
But now was different.
Seo Woojin raised an arm, slapping the blade with his palm.
Clang—!
A clear ring echoed as Ban Slaine’s sword danced aside.
'Too strong?'
He noticed his mentor’s cherished blade teetering on destruction.
Not intentional, but he felt guilty.
Still, he couldn’t stop.
Vowing to get him a good sword later if the chance arose, Seo Woojin struck again.
Kwaaaa—!
The simple motion unleashed devastating power.
Space rippled, air shredded, the eerie attack hurtling toward Ban Slaine.
“You dare mock me!”
Ban Slaine roared.
Powerful, but simplistic.
It’d feel like mere play otherwise.
Fury fueled, he brought his sword down.
Craaaang—!
The blade finally split in two.
Its durability had reached its limit, unable to withstand the shock.
'Time to pull back...?'
As Seo Woojin thought it enough and moved to withdraw,
“Demonic energy?”
An aura of demonic energy targeted his back from behind.
'Brutal, was it? Brutal?'
The Demon King’s follower, chest caved in from their combined assault, sent flying.
He knew he lived, but not that he had strength left to attack.
'I could tank it, no problem.'
Pathetic compared to current Seo Woojin.
Even bare, it wouldn’t scratch his wings—a trivial strike.
But he chose to counter.
To give Ban Slaine an opening, creating his exit.
He twisted slightly, flapping his wings.
Fwoooom—!
Air displaced violently, whipping into a frenzy.
The air, glowing at his will, morphed into a raging storm blasting backward.
A mere wing flap birthing a natural disaster—absurd.
The storm devoured the demonic aura, then spun toward Brutal as if to tear him apart.
“Kaaaaah!”
His agonized scream pierced the wind.
Seo Woojin harbored killing intent toward Brutal.
Not like Ban Slaine—this Demon King follower had no reason to live.
No, the world was better off without him.
Turning to finish Brutal,
“You bastard!”
Ban Slaine intervened.
His halved sword shimmered with silver aura matching his hair.
Packed with all available mana, space itself screamed in protest.
'This I dodge.'
The mana was no joke.
He’d be fine, but Ban Slaine might not.
His body could falter under the impact.
Seo Woojin erased Brutal from his mind, dodging sideways swiftly.
And...
A massive, dizzying explosion erupted.
Kwaaaaaaaa—!
The forest, unable to withstand Ban Slaine’s mana, met its end as named.
A giant crater formed, trees vaporized.
In moments, the area became a barren deathscape devoid of life.
Only Seo Woojin, Ban Slaine, the fallen Brutal, and Ruynballi’s corpse remained.
'Whew...'
Seo Woojin marveled at Ban Slaine’s handiwork, turning.
Both he and Brutal were dazed from the blast’s aftermath.
As Seo Woojin stepped forward,
“Woojin...”
Eileen’s voice called.
'How?'
He’d known she approached.
That’s why he’d hurried to leave.
But calling his name now?
Startled, Seo Woojin flashed to her side.
'She’s safe.'
Injured, big and small, but alive.
Relief washing over him, her lips parted again.
“...Demon King.”