Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Chaos Energy
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Seo Woo-jin's eyes trembled.
It was because of the word 'Demon King' on Ailin's lips.
'No way?'
Had she figured out he was Seo Woo-jin?
She had first mentioned the name Woo-jin, then uttered 'Demon King.'
He had no choice but to think his identity had been exposed.
But seeing Ailin's expression, Seo Woo-jin realized he had misunderstood.
Her eyes were filled only with fear.
If she had realized he was Seo Woo-jin, there would have been doubt and shock rather than fear.
'Phew.'
Relieved, he let out a silent sigh.
Of course, on the outside, he maintained a cold, expressionless facade.
Seo Woo-jin glanced briefly at Ailin, the White Silver Knights behind her, and Crusiel.
As his cold gaze reached them, he felt them flinch.
'...A lot of them died.'
There were over a dozen fewer than when he had broken through the encirclement.
They couldn't be resting elsewhere, so it was safe to assume they were dead.
"C-Chief, battle formation!"
A beat late in grasping the situation, Ronaine pointed his sword and shouted.
The knights hurriedly formed ranks and prepared for combat.
From their perspective, the current Seo Woo-jin was clearly an enemy.
They didn't know what had happened to Runbali and Brutal, but they had attacked Van Slane.
That alone was enough to deem him an enemy.
His appearance wasn't even human, so it wasn't unreasonable.
Watching the knights draw up their mana and ignite their auras, Seo Woo-jin turned his head.
As if he couldn't care less.
It was a nonchalant attitude.
'I'll check on you later.'
Muttering inwardly to Ailin, he took a step forward.
"W-Wait...!"
He heard her call out but ignored it.
In an instant, Seo Woo-jin crossed the forest and arrived at a remote spot.
Even though he had run in a straight line, not a single tree was broken.
It was more accurate to say he had 'folded' space rather than physically 'run.'
Surveying his surroundings, Seo Woo-jin relaxed his body.
"Haha-"
A hollow laugh escaped him.
"In the end, I died again."
Despite all his efforts, he had ultimately died to Runbali.
Of course, the outcome had been wrapped up well.
He had killed Runbali, one of the Apostles, reached the Transcendent Realm thanks to 'Ka Raniell,' and above all, maintained his sanity even in 'Demon King Transformation.'
It couldn't have been a better result.
But not everything was perfect.
"More people will suspect me now, huh?"
This was the second time Seo Woo-jin had used 'Demon King Transformation.'
The first was during the battle with the Earth Dragon.
He was already under suspicion because of the incident in Jinhan.
Baek Si-woo's help had smoothed it over, but now 'Demon King' Woo-jin had appeared again in such a situation.
Would the Empire and Crusiel dismiss this as mere coincidence?
"No way."
At the very least, annoying surveillance and investigations would begin.
"Well, it'll work out somehow."
There was no direct evidence that Seo Woo-jin was the 'Demon King.'
Only circumstantial evidence.
Even that wasn't ironclad, so they couldn't touch him right now.
If he just played dumb and watched his actions carefully, he could probably ride it out.
Having roughly sorted his thoughts, Seo Woo-jin released his 'Demon King Transformation.'
Swoosh-
His horns and wings vanished, and the outer shell was absorbed into his skin.
His long hair fell out with a patter, dropping to the ground.
Gazing distastefully at the hair, Seo Woo-jin clenched his fist.
Clench-
The omnipotence from the 'Demon King Transformation' state was gone.
The infinite power that made him feel like he was looking down from unimaginable heights had disappeared.
But unlike the first time he had undone 'Demon King Transformation,' there was no sense of exhaustion.
No, he was surprised by how much power remained.
A level of strength incomparably greater than his previous self filled his entire body.
It wasn't from a skill—it was purely his own ability.
"The Transcendent Realm."
Van Slane, Gerald, Reina, Runbali, and the Guardians.
Seo Woo-jin had reached the same realm as those monstrous beings.
His senses were infinitely sharper, and his power overflowed, leaking out uncontrollably.
A new realm, different from when he had used 'Demon King Transformation.'
"Amazing."
It would take quite some time to fully adapt to wielding this power.
"Guess I'll head to the indoor training hall after a while and test out the 'Summoning Stone.'"
Lately, events kept piling up, so he hadn't used it at all.
He figured he'd focus on beating down monsters summoned by the 'Summoning Stone' for a while once he returned to the Academy, to gain some experience too.
"Come to think of it, what's my level now?"
He remembered leveling up when he smashed Runbali's head.
Seo Woo-jin called up his status window for the first time in a while.
"Status window."
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■ Name: Seo Woo-jin
■ Job Aptitude: Demon King [Immeasurable]
■ Level: 104
■ Skills: [Demon King Transformation-off], [Synthesis in progress]
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Level 104.
It felt like just yesterday he had hit level 76 after killing the Earth Dragon...
"...What the hell?"
Killing Reina and Runbali had netted him nearly 30 levels?
It didn't make sense.
Even if those two were powerhouses in the Transcendent Realm, it shouldn't be possible.
This was the first time he'd gained so many levels at once, excluding his low-level days.
After level 50, the max had been about 3 levels.
Seo Woo-jin blinked at the incomprehensible surge.
Then, a hunch came to him.
Wooong-
Raising his hand, a gray energy surged up, asserting its presence above his palm.
"Not Demonic Energy, nor mana."
A new power born from the fusion of those opposing energies.
Thanks to this power, Seo Woo-jin had reached the Transcendent Realm.
"This must be why..."
Had he been readjusted to a level befitting the Transcendent Realm upon ascending?
He couldn't confirm if his guess was right or wrong.
But it didn't sound completely far-fetched.
He had previously estimated that he'd need around level 100 to reach the Transcendent Realm anyway.
"Either way, it's good news, right?"
There was no downside to a higher level.
"Then let's call this energy 'Chaos Energy' for now."
It was gray in color.
And since it was born from the merger of Demonic Energy and mana, 'Chaos' fit perfectly.
Naming it on a whim like roasting beans with lightning, Seo Woo-jin gazed contentedly at his status window.
"At this point, I won't lose to anyone, no matter where I go."
His level was impressive, but he had ascended to the Guardian tier.
That meant he was now one of the top powerhouses on the continent.
There probably weren't more than ten beings who could confidently beat him in a one-on-one.
'And with Demon King Transformation too.'
He could activate the skill without needing to die.
Plus, he could retain his reason, so he no longer had to worry about dropping dead from it.
"Time to head back then?"
Grinning in satisfaction, Seo Woo-jin turned around.
To return to where Ailin and Van Slane were.
But as he moved to step forward, he halted abruptly.
"Come to think of it..."
He had forgotten one thing.
The original reason he had entered this Death Forest.
"Baek Si-woo."
Remembering his true objective belatedly, Seo Woo-jin turned his head to one side.
"That way, right?"
The Demonic Energy he had sensed during 'Demon King Transformation.'
It had clearly belonged to Lion and Baek Si-woo.
He hadn't paid it much mind then, but now he did.
He spread out his senses widely.
But he felt nothing.
He didn't know if it was because his sensory range had shrunk or for some other reason.
"I'll find out when I get there."
Before heading back, he decided to check on Baek Si-woo's side first.
He might have hesitated before, but now in the Transcendent Realm, he was confident.
Even if that Lion guy showed up, he could handle him.
Seo Woo-jin raced swiftly through the forest toward where he had sensed Baek Si-woo's energy.
He sharpened his senses to the max and scanned his surroundings vigilantly with his eyes.
With 'Divine Dragon Eye' active, virtually nothing could approach without being detected.
Drawing 'Ka Raniell' at any moment, Seo Woo-jin ran like the wind.
Soon enough, he reached his destination.
"...It was around here?"
There was nothing in sight.
Just like everywhere else, only dead trees and underbrush.
Not even a hut, let alone Baek Si-woo.
"Hmm..."
Was it not here? He racked his memory, but it was definitely this spot.
"If he's not on the surface, maybe underground?"
Come to think of it, they wouldn't leave a hideout exposed carelessly.
They would have hidden it from prying eyes, and the best place for that was underground.
Seo Woo-jin poured Chaos Energy into his 'Divine Dragon Eye' and began scanning the area.
'The entrance...'
After meticulously searching the surroundings for a good while, he found something.
"A magic circle?"
Brushing away fallen leaves revealed a sturdy stone slab etched with geometric patterns.
Big enough for one or two people.
With a hunch, Seo Woo-jin stepped onto it and infused it with Chaos Energy.
Woooooong-!
Surprisingly, the magic circle activated.
'Without even knowing the activation word?'
Startled, Seo Woo-jin tried to withdraw his Chaos Energy, but the magic activated faster.
Fwaaaah-!
He was enveloped in bright light in an instant.
When the light faded, an unfamiliar place unfolded before him.
It resembled a cave, but the walls and ceiling were smooth marble.
Seo Woo-jin didn't have time to figure out where he was before drawing 'Ka Raniell' and going on alert.
Fortunately, no one was nearby.
But he didn't let his guard down.
There could be someone with abilities like Rinar or the Emperor's guard knights.
Cautiously surveying the area, Seo Woo-jin took a step forward.
At that moment, he sensed a presence.
About 200 meters away.
An eerie Demonic Energy.
It belonged to someone whose energy he had felt once before.
'Lion?'
Seo Woo-jin's eyes narrowed.
'So you were hiding here.'
It seemed advanced detection-blocking magic was in place.
'Demon King' Woo-jin could pierce it, but he couldn't now, which was why he hadn't found it.
A grin crept across Seo Woo-jin's lips.
"Perfect timing."
He had just ascended to the Transcendent Realm moments ago.
And now, a guy perfect for testing his new power had appeared.
He couldn't be more pleased.
Seo Woo-jin slowly advanced, unleashing his Chaos Energy.
"Let's see what you've got."