Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: The Apostle Benoin
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Lee Ji-ah's fist shattered the Ancient Orc's head.
With a splat, its sturdy skull exploded, spraying blood and fragments everywhere.
"Hoo—"
She steadied her slightly ragged breathing and scanned her surroundings.
*Gone.*
Until the battle had begun, she'd been able to see the other heroes nearby. Now, they were nowhere in sight.
Only green-skinned Ancient Orcs filled the area.
A sudden fear gripped her.
*Am I the only one left alive?*
Had all the other heroes already died, leaving her as the sole survivor still fighting? The thought crept in.
Of course, Lee Ji-ah knew it was just her imagination.
She could still hear the shouts of heroes and the blasts of skills from off in the distance.
Even so, the limited visibility and overwhelming killing intent made the illusion feel all too real.
And still, Lee Ji-ah was afraid.
*I wish this would end soon...*
She instinctively dodged a sword slashing at her throat and thrust out her fist.
Boom—!
Green flesh rained down on her face.
How many Ancient Orcs had she killed with her bare hands?
100? 200?
As a 'Fist Master' specialized in single combat rather than magic or mass slaughter, she'd taken them down one by one.
Her entire body was drenched in red blood as a result.
*Sticky. Annoying. Exhausting. Scary.*
Even as she relentlessly swung her fists, massacring Ancient Orcs without pause, her expression hardened.
KABOOM—!
At that moment, a massive explosion erupted right beside her.
"Huh?"
Lee Ji-ah's gaze snapped toward it.
"Fighting well, huh?"
It was Goo Dong-hwan.
The yellow dress and magic wand symbolic of a 'Magical Girl' had turned blood-red.
It was a chilling sight, no less gruesome than her own.
"Where'd you go?"
Her stiff expression softened a bit.
Goo Dong-hwan's arrival was a welcome relief amid the Ancient Orcs blocking every direction.
"I was up front, fighting. Whew, there sure are a ton of them."
He spoke lightly, like a joke, but his face showed clear fatigue.
"How many'd you get?"
When Lee Ji-ah asked, Goo Dong-hwan smirked.
"What, wanna compete with me since Su-ji's not here?"
"I've got a bunch too!"
Competitions were always between Goo Dong-hwan and Kae Su-ji.
No one else had reached their level yet.
Lee Ji-ah protested, her face flushing red.
Of course, with her face already smeared in blood, it wasn't visible.
"Yeah, yeah. When Woo-jin and Su-ji get back, let's compete then."
Now wasn't the time for games.
Lee Ji-ah didn't realize it, but Goo Dong-hwan, who'd been scouting the battlefield, had grasped the situation.
*This isn't good.*
They weren't being pushed back yet.
Even with the overwhelming number of Ancient Orcs, the heroes were powerhouses worth a hundred men each.
But how long could that hold?
Already, the lower-tier heroes were struggling with depleting stamina and mana.
Fortunately, they covered for each other and endured, but limits existed.
*We could collapse all at once like this.*
If they passed that line after holding on so long.
It would be like a dam bursting—sweeping them all away.
*Hurry up and bring Woo-jin, Su-ji...*
Something had definitely gone wrong.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be this late.
"Why hasn't that uncle shown up yet?"
Lee Ji-ah turned her head, scanning around as she spoke.
Thanks to the explosion from Goo Dong-hwan's arrival, the Ancient Orcs hung back, wary and not approaching.
It gave her a moment to assess the battlefield.
And she realized things weren't going well.
*It wouldn't be like this if uncle were here.*
Seo Woo-jin's absence loomed large.
"He'll come. Probably took a detour—must be rushing here now."
Goo Dong-hwan tried to reassure her.
"Even so, he's too late..."
Lee Ji-ah chewed her lip.
She worried something big had happened.
But she didn't voice it.
Saying it out loud might make it real—and that scared her.
"Got it. Then our competition can wait till uncle and Su-ji unnie get back!"
She forced a smile, pushing away the unease.
"Yeah, let's do that. Just betting words is no fun anyway—let's wager something...?"
Goo Dong-hwan was chuckling, about to play along, when—
RUMBLE—!!
It erupted like a colossal explosion: demonic energy.
"This?"
Both their heads whipped around.
The eerie, spine-chilling demonic energy flowed from the rear of the battlefield.
From the heroes' base camp.
* * *
"Good."
Seo Woo-jin let out a sigh of relief.
The battle raged outside.
No one had seen his 'Demon King Transformation' as planned.
He entered one of the tents and set Kae Su-ji down.
"Ugh..."
A small groan escaped her lips.
"She needs treatment."
No priests from Aier, no knights available—everyone was fighting.
"Does Sir Rudain have any potions?"
Not a miracle cure, but basic supplies for wounds would be there.
Heroes could get hurt during subjugations.
*The best would be leveling up.*
But unconscious, she couldn't even ride the bus.
Seo Woo-jin checked Sir Rudain's tent for treatments.
"Oh, here we go."
Spot on.
Rifling through Rudain's gear revealed potions, bandages, and medical supplies galore.
"This should do it."
Not a full recovery, of course.
But it would at least stop her condition from worsening.
Kae Su-ji just needed to hold on briefly.
Seo Woo-jin was confident he could end the battle in that time.
Proper healing could come after.
Leaving Rudain's tent, he returned to Kae Su-ji, applied medicine to her wounds, and wrapped them tightly in bandages to staunch the bleeding.
"Internal injuries should be fine if she avoids shocks."
So many wounds—he turned her into a mummy.
It would prevent unconscious thrashing too.
"Alright. That'll hold."
Bleeding stopped, breathing stabilized.
Seo Woo-jin rose, relieved.
"Hoo—"
Sighing in relief, he gazed at her sleeping face, then turned.
"Now just handle the mess outside..."
Mid-sentence, he glanced right, his expression turning icy.
"How long you gonna spy from there?"
Zzzip—
The tent fabric tore at his words.
"...I heard nothing about someone like you."
What emerged from the rip wasn't human.
*Demon?*
Horns on its head, red skin matching bat-like wings.
Far from human.
More like Seo Woo-jin's 'Demon King Transformation' form.
"An Apostle, I take it."
Seo Woo-jin had sensed him from the start.
That's why he hadn't dispelled his 'Demon King Transformation.'
The fiend had hidden his demonic energy, but not from a transformed Seo Woo-jin.
He'd feigned ignorance to avoid involving Kae Su-ji.
"Who are you?"
"Who do you think?"
Seo Woo-jin countered the Apostle's question with one of his own.
"Given your form and the power within, only one guess fits. Are you the one called the 'Black Being'?"
The Apostle's demeanor was polite, clashing with his appearance.
Whether his nature or caution toward Seo Woo-jin's power, unclear.
"Yeah, no way you wouldn't know."
The Apostles knew Seo Woo-jin was the 'Black Being.'
They'd clashed with him directly—more certain than even Crusiel.
Plus, he was the 'King of Chaos' from the prophecy the Lion feared.
No way they'd miss it.
"You're the one controlling those orcs?"
He'd guessed from his talk with Ardetoas.
Another Apostle puppeteering the Ancient Orcs.
"Indeed."
The Apostle nodded.
Then continued.
"My name is Benoin. One of the 13 Apostles. Ah, though our numbers have dwindled quite a bit."
He seemed relaxed.
Showing such composure before a 'Demon King Transformed' Seo Woo-jin was no small feat.
*Doesn't seem that strong.*
Compared to Xenonia or Ardetoas, far inferior.
No, weaker than Reina, Gerald, or even Luonbali.
The weakest Apostle he'd seen yet.
Yet Benoin showed no fear toward Seo Woo-jin.
Curious, even—like meeting a celebrity.
"Heard Xenonia vanished. Your doing?"
Ardetoas hadn't known, but Benoin did.
Seo Woo-jin noted his sharp intel.
"Go on."
Wondering how much he knew.
"Heh, glad talk of that cheers you. The others hate when I chat."
Benoin smiled and continued.
"Xenonia's likely trapped in the Sky Tower. Empire's only spot for someone like her. And with the Sword Sage there, escape's impossible."
Seo Woo-jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
*Runs an intel network? Or just smart?*
Unclear which, but his info was spot-on.
Seo Woo-jin grew wary.
"So? Here for revenge?"
Not the first Apostle he'd killed.
From the Demon King's followers' view, Seo Woo-jin was an archenemy, thwarting plans repeatedly.
But Benoin shook his head.
"Nah, don't care. Wasn't fond of them anyway. Revenge? Rather..."
Benoin's gaze met Seo Woo-jin's eyes.
"I'm more interested in the 'King of Chaos.'"
*King of Chaos.*
Bringer of doom to all worlds.
The Lion and Apostles called Seo Woo-jin that—marked for death.
Yet Benoin reacted oppositely.
Snort.
Seo Woo-jin chuckled.
"Interested, huh..."
Pathetic.
"Here's some mistakes you made."
He slowly drew on his chaos energy.
"First, you should've run the moment you saw me. Second, I hate you lot."
And third.
"Whatever scheme you're plotting, I don't care. I just want to kill you here."
KABOOM—!
Seo Woo-jin's foot slammed into Benoin's chest.
"Gahk!"
Caught off guard?
He spewed blood, flying backward.