Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: The Black Existence
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Oien's expression was endlessly dark.
It contrasted sharply with the pure white sacred armor draped over him.
'Is this really okay?'
He had been uneasy about this war from the outset.
But as a knight serving the Lord God and the Holy King, he had joined the fray to fulfill his duty.
And yet...
'How can those guys call themselves followers of the Lord God's will?'
A horrific scene was unfolding right before Oien's eyes.
"Take only the bare minimum rations! We'll resupply in the next city anyway!"
"Captain, check this out! Jewels!"
"Grab 'em, grab 'em. It's all supplies, so take every last bit!"
Plunder disguised as resupply.
Expedition Commander Steorn had ordered the sack of this small city for refusing their demands.
Oien doubted his own ears, but the soldiers did not.
Brushing aside his shock, they invaded the city and seized everything in sight.
'This isn't a holy war.'
The god he believed in had never commanded them to rob the weak.
They were carrying out an invasion, dressed up as a crusade.
Then he witnessed a soldier attempting to rape a woman, and Oien could no longer hold back. He moved.
"That's far enough."
He spoke from behind the man, who had his pants halfway down, exposing his rear.
"Ah! Will you take the first go, Sir Knight?"
His ears felt soiled.
"Stop and get up."
Oien's face hardened at the sight of the woman weeping and wailing.
Perhaps sensing the ominous air, the soldier fumbled with his pants and stood awkwardly.
"Why... why are you...?"
He could almost hear the man's eyeballs rolling.
"Return to your post and do your duty."
Deep down, Oien wanted to sever the bastard's head right then and there.
The head of this wretch who dared tarnish the Lord God's name.
But he couldn't.
The root of this madness was Steorn's tacit approval.
No matter how elite a knight Oien was, he could not defy the expedition commander.
In the end, after sending the soldier away, he gazed silently at the sobbing woman before turning away.
'Forgive me.'
For letting her endure this nightmare.
And for being unable to offer more aid.
Oien moved on with a rigid expression.
His destination was the lord's castle at the heart of this small city.
Steorn's temporary quarters.
"Loyalty!"
The guards at the gate spotted Oien and saluted crisply.
Seeing them perform their duty without a hint of disorder eased his mind somewhat.
At least not every soldier was out there looting like the rest.
"I'm here to see Sir Steorn."
"We'll send word inside."
At Oien's words, one soldier entered the castle.
Moments later.
"You're cleared to enter."
Oien nodded and followed the soldier inside.
'Opulent.'
The castle interior remained untouched by plunder, exuding its usual lavish, antique charm.
Of course—no soldier was foolish enough to loot the commander's lodging.
Oien worried about the fate of the castle's true master, the lord.
'Surely they didn't kill him?'
That would violate the treaty.
Aier had promised not to invade in exchange for Derhan clearing the path.
True, the plundering had already half-shattered that pact...
'But looting and murdering nobles carry different weights.'
Oien prayed Steorn hadn't acted rashly.
Knock knock.
"Sir Oien has arrived."
"Come in!"
Steorn's voice rang out, and the door opened.
"Oh, what brings you here?"
Oien's brow furrowed faintly.
In what appeared to be the lord's office, Steorn lounged dissolutely, guzzling expensive wine.
'How many bottles has he downed?'
Empty wine bottles littered the room, as if he'd drained the castle's entire stock.
"Sir Steorn."
"Yes, yes, out with it."
Steorn chuckled, his face flushed with drink.
Oien sighed and continued.
"Will you let the soldiers continue like this?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Steorn tilted his head as if genuinely puzzled.
"...You surely know what I mean."
When Oien asked in a low voice, Steorn scowled.
"You're not complaining about our resupply methods, are you?"
"That's not resupply...!"
He nearly lost his temper.
But regaining composure, he spoke as calmly as possible.
"That's not resupply. They're raping women and stripping innocent civilians of life and property. The world calls it plunder."
His hands trembled.
Just recalling the atrocities fueled his rage.
But...
"So what?"
Oien's eyebrow twitched.
"This war is the Holy King's crusade. Borrowing a bit from those obstructing the Lord God's sacred will to spread it—it's no sin."
Sophistry.
No, the ravings of a zealot.
"The Lord God never permitted rape or murder...!"
KABOOOM!
As Oien finally erupted in fury.
A massive explosion rocked the outside.
"What was that!"
Steorn leaped to his feet, shouting.
His drunken haze seemed to have vanished.
Oien hurried to the window to peer out.
"What in the...?"
And he saw it.
A mysterious 'black existence' standing atop flames vast enough to scorch the world.
* * *
Seo Woo-jin focused solely on moving without pause, day or night.
He couldn't afford delays now that he knew Aier's army was advancing faster than expected.
But...
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue at the scene before him.
"A bit late."
Aier had moved far quicker than he'd anticipated.
'To think they'd reached here...'
Aier's forces were encamped in a small city called Grayzen.
A full day ahead of Seo Woo-jin's projections.
"Damn, no choice."
Still, it was fine.
They weren't too far off course.
To scout Grayzen's interior, Seo Woo-jin leaped onto the walls.
"...Well now?"
Surprisingly, Aier's army was looting.
'I heard they grabbed quick rations and pushed on.'
Whether the rumors were wrong or this was a one-off, he couldn't say.
One thing was clear: these bastards were ravaging ordinary folk.
'What to do?'
Seo Woo-jin looked up at the sky.
Stars densely dotted the dark night.
"Timing's perfect."
Night was better than day for instilling terror.
"And I've got justification."
Conscripted soldiers dragged into war might have given him pause.
But Aier's troops committed plunder and war crimes with casual indifference.
"No guilt needed."
It would be a one-sided slaughter.
Even for Seo Woo-jin, some remorse was inevitable.
But seeing this lightened his heart.
Not senseless killing, but punishment for their sins.
Seo Woo-jin drew upon his chaos energy.
Whoooosh—
An immense, boundless aura began to unfurl.
"You struck first."
He whispered.
No one heard, but he continued.
"So pay the price for your actions."
Space warped, and the earth quaked in fear.
Using chaos as footing, he ascended into the air.
Only then did knights notice him, charging in alarm.
'Too late.'
From Seo Woo-jin's lips came his ultimate skill.
"Demon King Transformation."
The gray chaos energy darkened.
Horns sprouted from his head, wings from his back.
Crack-crack!
His skin split, hard scales enveloping his flesh.
An omnipotent surge filled him—he could do anything.
In this form, empire or Aier.
Any who crossed him would be crushed.
"Haaah—"
Seo Woo-jin brushed back his long, jet-black hair irritably and gazed down at the soldiers.
Arrogant eyes.
Unlike his usual self, his cold gaze viewed them as insignificant insects.
Chaos let him retain reason in 'Demon King Transformation,' but it couldn't fully suppress the personality shift.
"Die."
He pronounced death upon the soldiers swarming like moths.
"Shadow Blaze."
KABOOOM!
Black flames incinerated hundreds in a single blast.
"Aaagh!"
"S-Spare meee!"
Those farther out escaped death but screamed as their skin melted from the heat.
"Quiet."
Seo Woo-jin drew the sword the emperor had given him as a disguise and slashed the air.
Shiiiing!
Flesh and bone parted, blood erupting like geysers.
Forty-odd died from that playful stroke.
Witnessing the impossible, soldiers froze in terror, unable to approach.
"Get it together! Kill that monster!"
"It's a demon king's follower! One of his minions!"
"We must smite him in the Lord God's name!"
Belatedly, holy knights rallied the troops.
But no one moved.
The being who claimed hundreds of lives in seconds loomed overhead disdainfully.
Radiating killing intent that promised decapitation for any step forward.
"Urgh!"
Finally, one holy knight gritted his teeth and charged.
"Strong faith."
To charge amid terror like that.
Seo Woo-jin praised the holy knight with admiration.
Then bisected him.
Splat—
No one saw how he died.
In the instant of Seo Woo-jin's words, from crown to groin.
He split straight down the middle and crumpled sideways.
..."The 'Black Existence.'"
Someone muttered at the sight of Seo Woo-jin.
"It's the 'Black Existence.'"
"I thought it was just a rumor..."
They too had heard whispers of the 'Black Existence.'
A mysterious entity whose allegiance was unknown.
Given its inhuman form and demonic aura, many deemed it a demon king follower.
But few believed in it.
The 'Black Existence' had been sighted only a few times in the empire, by few witnesses.
Yet it was real?
Seo Woo-jin smiled down at those glaring wide-eyed at him.
"Yes, I am the 'Black Existence' you speak of."