Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: The Elders
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‘Failed.’
Seo Woo-jin gave a wry smile inwardly.
He had intended to cut them all down in one go, but unfortunately, one remained.
‘That guy….’
He looked at the cold-faced Dark Elf trembling before him.
Terror filled his eyes, yet his will had not faded.
No, it seemed filled with blazing rage instead.
He knew he couldn’t handle it right now, so he simply wasn’t moving.
‘Strong one.’
Among the over 150 Dark Elves here, he exuded the most powerful aura.
At that level, he had to be one of the top powerhouses among those who hadn’t reached the Transcendent Realm.
Of course, it didn’t matter to Seo Woo-jin one way or the other.
“No way that’s all of you, right?”
He asked as he retrieved ‘Karaniel.’
Seo Woo-jin had come here to level up.
So he needed to kill as many enemies as possible to gain experience.
The previous attack had killed quite a few, but it wasn’t enough to level up Seo Woo-jin, who was over level 100.
‘Just a bit more and I should get there….’
The sense of fullness told him the level up wasn’t far off.
But no answer came.
The Dark Elf just glared at Seo Woo-jin with wide eyes.
“Tch.”
Seo Woo-jin clicked his tongue and turned to look at Briani.
She wore a shocked expression too.
“W-What was that just now?”
The sword strike Seo Woo-jin had shown.
It was on such a high level that even Briani couldn’t properly gauge it.
It wasn’t something someone who had just entered the Transcendent Realm could do.
At Briani’s question, Seo Woo-jin gave an embarrassed smile.
“It’s something the person I call my master taught me. What do you think?”
His expression seemed to ask, ‘Pretty good, right?’
At that, Briani let out an incredulous laugh.
“What do I think? You call that….”
This was a sword she couldn’t even imitate.
Of course, if she used her power, she could unleash an attack of equal or greater might.
But Seo Woo-jin’s sword possessed a profound realm that couldn’t be explained merely by its power.
He shrugged at Briani, who looked at him with bewildered eyes, then spoke.
“What should we do?”
Wait here, or go inside.
He wanted to head straight to where the Demon Tree was, but he couldn’t act on his own.
As Briani sighed and was about to answer,
Seo Woo-jin and her gazes simultaneously turned to one side.
“…Looks like we don’t need to go in.”
Someone was approaching this place at high speed.
Not just one or two.
“Nine of them.”
Each exuded powerful demonic energy.
On par with the still-immobile Dark Elf.
They appeared in an instant.
Then they froze in shock at the scene of slaughter before them.
“W-What… Tairon?”
One of them finally spoke.
The lone surviving Dark Elf bit his lip and replied.
“Yes, Elder Kraka.”
“What in the world happened here?”
“…We lost to him. In just one strike.”
Tairon indicated Seo Woo-jin with his eyes.
Their gazes met.
“This might be enough.”
Seo Woo-jin stepped forward as he spoke.
Experience didn’t show as numerical values like in a game, so it wasn’t precise.
But he had a hunch that killing them all would level him up.
“Should I handle this too?”
Seo Woo-jin asked.
Briani nodded.
“I can see you’re itching to fight. How could I take your turn? Do as you like.”
Just as she said, Seo Woo-jin looked ready to charge out at any moment.
It made Briani a bit uneasy.
“Those guys are probably what they call Elders. They’ve received power from the Demon King, so be careful.”
“Got it.”
Nine Elders.
They were powerful beings.
Owners of abilities strong enough to offset differences in realm to some degree.
Having clashed with them directly a few times, Briani wasn’t letting her guard down.
Of course, she wasn’t overly worried either.
‘That kid should handle them just fine.’
Considering the sword he’d shown moments ago, she couldn’t worry even if she tried.
But in case something went wrong, she prepared to join the fight if needed.
In the meantime, Seo Woo-jin quickly sized up his opponents.
They were strong.
Especially the three in the rear—their demonic energy felt extraordinary.
Tairon and Elder Kraka were powerful too, but those three seemed a step above.
‘No wonder the Empire failed to subjugate them.’
With so many who could smash ordinary knight orders in an instant.
Even for the Empire, factoring in the terrain disadvantage, subjugation was impossible.
But that ended today.
Seo Woo-jin decided to wipe this place clean while he was here.
It might be tough alone, but the Grand Duke was with him now.
“Who are you!”
As Seo Woo-jin’s thoughts dragged on, Kraka suddenly asked.
“A Hero.”
To be precise, a Demon King pretending to be one.
“…A Hero?”
The Elders’ expressions twisted slightly.
“You dare, Empire’s puppet, to cause this massacre!”
Demonic energy erupted like an explosion.
If other Heroes were here, the sheer intensity would crush them, making movement difficult.
But not Seo Woo-jin.
He smiled calmly, as if facing a gentle breeze.
“Massacre? Please.”
The Dark Elves had tried to kill Seo Woo-jin multiple times.
During goblin subjugation training.
During Demon Realm Heldein training.
And in Jinhan too.
Three times already they’d targeted his life.
Plus, they were the Demon King’s followers.
When the Descent War broke out, they’d be enemies anyway.
Reducing their numbers early wasn’t an issue.
“Cut the crap and come at me. Or should I go first?”
Sruk-
As Seo Woo-jin stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
“Attack!”
The Dark Elves didn’t just watch.
They drew swords and bows, unleashing attacks at Seo Woo-jin.
Kwa-gwang-!
Black aura filled with demonic energy shook the forest.
‘Strong, as expected.’
Each one was stronger than Rudain or Ronain.
Meaning they were at least top-tier knight level.
‘They haven’t stepped into the Transcendent Realm yet, but….’
Given the right opportunity, they could leap over that wall anytime.
‘Gotta kill them before that.’
There were already ten Apostles left, and who knew how many lions or earth dragons remained.
If these guys reached the Transcendent Realm too, it’d be a real headache.
Seo Woo-jin’s eyes filled with killing intent as he casually dodged an arrow aimed at his brow.
Hwaaak-!
Time slowed.
His thoughts spun furiously, unleashing several times his normal cognition.
He effortlessly evaded the ferocious attacks pouring from all sides.
Movements as natural as flowing water.
Dodging every assault by a paper-thin margin, Seo Woo-jin swung ‘Karaniel’ at the wide-eyed Elders.
Tzugeok-!
“Keuk!”
One arm flew into the air with a spray of blood.
The one-armed Dark Elf screamed and retreated.
But Seo Woo-jin’s expression wasn’t bright.
‘Dodged?’
‘Karaniel’ hadn’t targeted that arm initially.
It had been aimed precisely at the neck.
In the slowed time, he’d cut the throat without a millimeter’s error.
Yet what fell wasn’t the head, but the arm.
‘What happened?’
It wasn’t a mistake.
From start to finish, ‘Karaniel’ had followed his will.
So then….
‘The power the Grand Duke mentioned?’
Nothing else explained it.
‘Need to figure out exactly what it is.’
Did it distort space, or impair cognition?
He needed to pinpoint the ability’s nature to counter it properly.
Seo Woo-jin eyed the Elders with deeper, sunken eyes.
The armless one had retreated to regroup, while the remaining eight encircled him.
The Dark Elf called Tairon had stepped back, observing.
‘Hmm.’
As Seo Woo-jin hesitated briefly, Briani’s voice came from the side.
“Need help?”
Her tone suggested she knew exactly what troubled him.
Pfft-
Seo Woo-jin laughed and shook his head.
He was a bit rattled, but not enough to hinder him.
He hadn’t taken any damage anyway.
“I’m good.”
He said playfully, then turned his gaze forward.
The smiling face vanished, replaced by a heavy expression.
Thud-
This time, he stomped without a word.
A light motion, but its result was anything but.
Kurrung-!
Dozens of cracks spiderwebbed out from his toe.
“Dodge!”
Kraka, sensing something ominous, shouted, and the Elders leaped away desperately.
But….
“Too late.”
Black flames erupted from the fissures.
“Jigohwa.”
Flames hot enough to burn the world itself blazed forth.
“Dark Barrier!”
An Elder who seemed a mage cast a spell.
As if prepared in advance, it was a highly refined defensive magic for such short notice.
But it melted away all too easily.
Magic made of demonic energy couldn’t withstand ‘Jigohwa’s’ heat for even a second.
“U, uwaaaak!”
An Elder grazed by the black flames screamed.
The one who’d just cast the spell.
He met the same fate as his magic.
Melted alive.
Some Elders rushed to save him, but someone blocked them.
“Out of the way, Tairon!”
“Too late.”
Tairon said politely yet firmly.
He wasn’t wrong.
The screams had stopped, and the Elder touched by ‘Jigohwa’ had vanished without even ashes.
Tairon bowed his head, praying for the fallen Elder’s peace, then turned.
His fearful eyes settled like a lake, and his rage-filled face turned coldly mask-like.
“Is your name perhaps Seo Woo-jin?”
Tairon asked.