Chapter 174
Chapter 174
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: What is a Demon King?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘I’m certain she doesn’t know the details.’
Seo Woojin thought as he looked at Seong Yura.
If she were truly convinced that he was the ‘Black Existence,’ she wouldn’t have come here alone like this.
She would have brought at least a few guardians with her.
Seo Woojin spread his chaos energy around to check for anyone who might be hiding.
‘None.’
As expected, he sensed no one.
But he didn’t let his guard down.
Shadow troops could be concealed, or there might be ability users like Linara or the emperor’s guardian knights.
Seo Woojin kept his surveillance chaos energy deployed as he asked Seong Yura,
“So, what is it that you know?”
“That the ‘Black Existence’ killed a dragon called the Jade Dragon in Jinhan, and that it’s appeared again this time?”
Seo Woojin’s eyes narrowed.
It didn’t seem like a lie.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something.
“So what? What does that have to do with me?”
“There’s a lot of connection. For example, you and the ‘Black Existence’ have never been sighted at the same time.”
Honestly, it wasn’t hard to notice that.
It was only natural to have suspicions.
The Empire had caught on long ago.
But that suspicion wasn’t enough to make it concrete.
Crusiel was full of people who suspected first and investigated later, so it made sense for them, but Seong Yura was different.
Just the fact that they hadn’t been sighted together at the same time was far too flimsy as evidence to suspect Seo Woojin.
“Go write your novel at home. I’m busy, so I’ll pay for it once it’s finished.”
He deliberately acted as if he had zero interest, brushing her off.
Her face turned venomous.
“Dodging the question won’t help. I already know everything.”
“Oh, really? Then go tell someone else. Don’t waste my time clinging to me.”
Seong Yura was still young.
Younger than even Lee Ji-ah.
She lacked the patience to laugh off a provocation from Seo Woojin, who was in his late twenties.
“You know about the 13 Apostles, right?”
The corner of Seo Woojin’s mouth twitched upward slightly.
‘So it was you guys?’
The 13 Apostles—no, they should be called the 10 Apostles now.
He’d wondered who told Seong Yura about the ‘Black Existence,’ and it turned out to be them.
To be precise, it was more likely the one behind them called the Lion.
He was the only one among the monsters Seo Woojin had encountered who was still alive.
‘Do they suspect I’m the ‘Black Existence’ too? Or are they just probing to sow confusion?’
He couldn’t read their intentions, but one thing was clear: they had approached Seong Yura as well.
“What’s that?”
Seo Woojin pretended not to know.
Seong Yura scoffed.
“Don’t play dumb. I already heard from them that you’ve met them several times.”
“Did you hear that from those Apostles too?”
Seo Woojin asked coldly, and Seong Yura flinched.
She was smart, but still too young.
“They said I’m the ‘Black Existence’? Is that why you came to ask?”
Seo Woojin’s gaze darkened.
As he subtly circulated his chaos energy, the temperature around them plummeted in an instant.
“You asked if I knew the 13 Apostles? Do you know they’re followers of the Demon King? And that in the Empire, anyone consorting with followers is executed? Is that why you came questioning me, knowing that?”
As Seo Woojin’s words continued, Seong Yura’s expression grew rigid.
“I…”
“Shut up and listen. I don’t know what they told you, but don’t go around acting like you know everything. Unless you want your head cut off by the Empire’s hidden blade without anyone knowing.”
It wasn’t a warning for Seong Yura’s sake.
Honestly, whether she lived or died meant nothing to Seo Woojin.
There was only one reason he was telling her this.
“So never speak of the ‘Black Existence’ or whatever to anyone else again.”
To prevent the rumors from spreading.
And incidentally, to avoid any troublesome incidents for himself.
Seo Woojin turned and walked away, leaving Seong Yura frozen by the chaos energy.
Until he left the academy and arrived at the Sky Tower.
Seong Yura remained motionless, as if her body were stiff.
Then…
Crunch—
The sound of her grinding her teeth echoed.
“How dare you threaten me?”
Her face twisted beyond venomous into pure malice as she turned and glared at the spot where Seo Woojin had disappeared.
For someone who had always been fawned over by others, this humiliation was too much to bear.
“I’ll make you regret this.”
Her bloodshot eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
* * *
Seo Woojin shoved the matter of Seong Yura to a corner of his mind and headed straight for the Sky Tower.
“It’s been a while here too.”
The massive tower still stretched to the ends of the sky.
Even now, Seo Woojin couldn’t make out its peak; it was that tall.
“It’s high. So high.”
He marveled anew and approached the door.
Then, with a creak, the door swung open.
“Huh? Hello!”
It was the boy who always opened the door for him whenever he visited the Sky Tower.
“Oh, hello.”
The boy bowed politely, and Seo Woojin returned the greeting.
“The tower lord said to greet you, and it turns out you’re the hero who visited before.”
The boy giggled and flung the door wide open.
“Please come in. Welcome to the Sky Tower.”
Following the boy’s fresh welcome—who seemed oddly proud—Seo Woojin entered the tower.
‘Wow…’
Seo Woojin looked around in awe.
It was his third visit, but it felt brand new, like the first time.
‘Incredible.’
The mana, which he hadn’t sensed before, was now as vivid as if he could grasp it in his hand.
It was mana on a scale beyond imagination.
Even combining all of Seo Woojin’s boundless chaos energy wouldn’t compare; it was that immense.
‘It’s not one person’s mana.’
No single person could hold this much mana.
Not even including dragons or other transcendent beings.
If someone could, they’d deserve to be called a god.
‘Then what is this mana?’
It surpassed Magic Duke Marteus’s mana by dozens, hundreds of times over.
Seo Woojin grew curious about the source of this immense power.
“By any chance…”
Seo Woojin called out to the boy.
“Yes? Is there something you’re curious about?”
Seo Woojin chuckled at the boy’s sparkling eyes.
“No, it’s nothing.”
The boy, who only handled errands like greeting guests, wouldn’t know.
‘He’s the lowest rank, a mana engineer.’
Among mana engineers, sorcerers, magic knights, and grand sorcerers, he was the lowest.
In level terms, under 10.
So, like Seo Woojin in the past, he couldn’t sense this vast mana.
The boy tilted his head, then resumed guiding.
“This way today.”
He led them to a different place from his first and second visits.
“…This is?”
“A teleportation magic circle to the underground.”
“Underground?”
The tower extended downward instead of up?
Seo Woojin let out a hollow laugh.
Just exploring the entire Sky Tower would take decades.
“Here, stand on this.”
As he stood on the magic circle with the boy, the mana stirred, and the spell activated.
Flash—!
With a bright light, Seo Woojin realized he’d been transported to an unfamiliar space.
“It’s been ages since an outsider visited the Sky Tower’s underground floors.”
The boy gestured around with a flourish.
Seo Woojin’s eyes widened.
“This is really underground?”
A blue sky and vast grasslands.
Verdant forests and grazing animals.
No matter how he looked, it was far from any underground scene.
“To be precise, it’s basement level 12. Only magic knights and above from the Sky Tower can visit this healing spot.”
The boy cleared his throat proudly—for some reason—and Seo Woojin nodded.
It truly was impressive.
‘Divine Dragon Eye.’
Seo Woojin instinctively activated his skill to scan the surroundings.
Surprisingly, the animals and plants were all real, living things.
He’d half-expected them to be magical illusions, but the only sky here was the real one.
“This way. The tower lord has been waiting since earlier.”
The boy urged on the marveling Seo Woojin, as if to hurry.
“R-right.”
Seo Woojin hurried after the boy.
How long did they walk along the neat path through the wide grasslands?
Something came into view ahead.
A doll-like beautiful girl.
But the power dwelling within her was unrivaled, worthy of being called the world’s strongest.
Magic Duke Marteus.
She sat at a tea table set up under a tree’s shade, sipping her tea.
“You’ve done well. Rest a bit nearby and head back.”
“Thank you.”
At Marteus’s words, the boy beamed and scampered off happily.
“Long time no see.”
Seo Woojin bowed in greeting.
“…You’ve changed a lot. Astonishingly so.”
She seemed to be referring to his ascension to the transcendent realm.
“I got lucky.”
If he’d slipped even slightly, his body would have burst from failing to withstand the demonic energy and mana.
Thinking back, it really felt like heavenly luck.
“There’s no such thing as a result without cause.”
It wasn’t just luck.
“However, your energy is peculiar.”
Marteus’s gaze pierced through Seo Woojin.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Seo Woojin gave her the same excuse he’d told Ban Slane.
“Hmm.”
Marteus tilted her head curiously, observing him, then nodded as if convinced.
“If the person himself says so, then it must be. Sit for now. Today’s tea is quite good.”
Marteus offered him a seat, and Seo Woojin sat where she indicated.
“The reason I came today is…”
“Isn’t it for this?”
Before Seo Woojin could finish, Marteus tossed him a leather pouch.
He caught it carefully and opened it to find summoning stones inside.
He didn’t count them exactly, but there were plenty.
“Th-thank you.”
He had no idea how she always knew and prepared these in advance.
‘Does she have some kind of precognition?’
As Seo Woojin looked at her in wonder, Marteus took a sip of tea and spoke.
“You’ve obtained what you desired. Now, tell me the real reason you came here.”
Marteus said.
“I just came to say thank you.”
Seo Woojin smiled awkwardly, but Marteus stared at him impassively, her expression unchanged.
‘Ugh.’
Realizing he couldn’t hide his true intentions from her anymore, Seo Woojin nodded.
“I have one question.”
“Ask.”
With her permission, Seo Woojin took a deep breath and got to the point.
“What exactly is a Demon King?”