Chapter 173
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173
“Amur, is it?”
As I quietly murmured the name, the red giant chuckled, looking pleased.
“Heh, so you know my name. Should I consider that an honor?”
Crack—!
Amur flexed a fist as thick as an ancient tree trunk, then glanced around.
“Quite a lot of riffraff here. I suppose I’ll have to do some cleaning.”
His brow twitched as he scanned the soldiers and knights gathered in the clearing. Knowing his personality, he was liable to slaughter everyone present simply because they annoyed him. Amur possessed both the power and the cold-blooded will to do exactly that.
At this rate, it’s not just Freya and Ciel—the entire expedition is in danger.
Before he could begin his massacre, I made the first move.
“Amur, let them go in peace.”
“...Let them go?”
As he raised an eyebrow, I spoke with forced calm.
“Yes. If you kill them, I won’t fight you with everything I have. If that happens, you won’t achieve the goal that brought you here. You won’t be able to confirm my qualifications, nor will you enjoy the fight.”
“...”
Amur fell silent at my bluff, contemplating the logic. I stood my ground, watching the silent giant while my mind raced.
Amur definitely said he came to see if I was ‘qualified.’
I didn’t know exactly what those qualifications entailed, but it was likely related to the ‘coronation’ Gon had mentioned during the battle with the fishmen. That was probably why the Twelve Honored Ones—starting with Gilian, then Carmilla, Kral, and now Amur—were appearing before me one by one.
From my perspective, they’re just making my life a living hell, spouting nonsense about rites of passage and qualifications.
But at the very least, the Twelve Honored Ones—the core forces of the Demon God—were showing an immense interest in me. Some, like Kral, would try to kill me on the spot for being an obstacle. Others were content to watch from a distance, testing me or even inadvertently helping me grow.
This implied that factions and power struggles existed even among the Twelve Honored Ones.
Given the situation, it’s highly likely Amur won’t kill me right away.
And even if he did intend to kill me, he would want to see my true potential first. For a battle-maniac like him, threatening to refuse a serious fight was a surprisingly effective form of blackmail.
After a moment of thought, Amur scratched his shock of red hair and spoke.
“Hmm, you’ve got some nerve... but will you still say that if I start snapping the necks of these humans one by one? Starting with that tender-looking white-haired woman over there.”
Amur pointed a massive finger at Freya. His threat was chilling.
“Khk...”
Freya’s body trembled, crushed by the intense fighting aura directed solely at her.
Rumble—!
She looked as though she could barely remain standing under the sheer pressure of his killing intent. If Amur decided to act, Freya would die without being able to put up any real resistance.
But if I show any weakness here, it’ll all be for nothing.
Leaning on the power of my Thick Skin and Sophist traits, I feigned as much composure as I could muster.
“Do as you please. When you’re done, you can twist my head off too. It won’t be much of a fight, though, since I won’t resist.”
“...Hmph.”
My defiant response seemed to fluster Amur slightly. While he was the type to kill "worthless" humans without a second thought, he was also the type to generously spare those who showed the potential for true strength. His only goal was to fight stronger opponents.
Unlike other demons, he wouldn’t nip a promising bud just because it might become a threat later. From Amur’s perspective, he probably didn’t want to kill Freya here either; she was, after all, outstanding material to one day become the Hero.
After a moment, Amur smirked and nodded.
“Fine. One who would be king must have that much nerve. Hey, the rest of you—get lost.”
Clap—!
Amur slammed his massive hands together.
Booooom—!
A violent shockwave erupted in all directions.
“Ugh!”
Ciel and the other knights managed to withstand the blast, but Freya—who had already been weakened by Amur’s aura—and most of the remaining soldiers collapsed, unconscious. They fell like stalks of wheat scattered by a gale.
“Malt, get up!”
“Hey!”
I barked an order to the knights who were trying to help the fallen soldiers.
“Crossen! You and the other three take the unconscious soldiers and return to base camp immediately. There’s no time!”
“But, Lord Roen...!”
I looked at Crossen’s worried face and spoke quickly. “His interest is in me, anyway. It’s likely because I’m of the Devalis bloodline that guards the Wall.”
“Don’t tell me...”
“Yes, that must be why Aslan is tied up as well. But fortunately, his target is me alone. I can’t let the other soldiers get caught up in this.”
“...Is that so?”
“Yes. Now hurry up and go get Aslan!”
I spun a plausible tale to convince Crossen and the other knights, and they readily withdrew. I wasn’t sure if they truly understood my intentions or were simply using me as a decoy to retreat safely, but either way, the fact that they left without further argument was a relief.
After convincing Crossen, I turned to Ciel, who was supporting the unconscious Freya.
“Ciel.”
“...”
“You should fall back for now, too.”
Ciel stood silently for a moment, her eyes searching mine, before finally nodding.
“Understood. I wish you good luck, Lord Roen.”
With her free hand, she gave a slight curtsy, lifting the hem of her skirt. I had expected it to take much longer to persuade her—I thought she would insist on fighting by my side until the end. For some reason, her quick compliance left me feeling a little disappointed.
Soon, the clearing was empty of all expedition members. Amur, who had been watching the scene unfold with his arms crossed, finally spoke.
“Is the melodrama over?”
“Thanks for waiting. You’re more of a gentleman than you look.”
Amur laughed heartily.
“Kekeke! I get that a lot. Enough talk. Are you ready to fight for real? If you fail to satisfy me, I’ll kill you, then hunt down the rest and slaughter them all.”
“...That won’t happen.”
I gritted my teeth and reached for the ring on my finger.
No more hesitation.
Against a monster like him, half-baked abilities were useless. Enhancement potions, artifact abilities—they were all just cheap tricks in the face of his overwhelming power. To last even a moment against Amur, I had to accept the demonic power without reservation.
I silently slipped the ring off my finger.
Ting—!
[Derod's Ring has been unequipped.]
[You are being exposed to demonic energy.]
[You are being exposed to concentrated demonic energy.]
[Your Affinity is rising.]
[Your Affinity is nearing 100. Be wary of event triggers.]
“Hoo...”
With each breath, demonic energy flooded my body like a tidal wave.
Swoosh—!
The absorbed energy coursed through my veins, awakening every single cell from its slumber. This was the land beyond the Wall. Being a region adjacent to the demon world, it was saturated with even more demonic energy than the untamed wilds.
Power surged through my body as it drank in the energy. A feeling of potent omnipotence washed over me, and my blood began to boil.
Grip.
I clenched my fists, reining in the power radiating from me. Amur watched me and grinned.
“Keke, so that’s the power you hold? I see. Looks decent for a half-breed. I can see why the others are interested, but...”
BOOM—!
In an instant, Amur kicked off the ground and charged. He was in front of me in the blink of an eye.
“It’s not enough for me!”
His fist, thick as a stone pillar, slammed into my side.
CRACK—!
The blow shattered my Aegis Shield and tore through the Altair suit, burying itself deep in my ribs.
“Ghk...!”
I was sent flying. A searing pain shot through me as if every bone in my body had been pulverized. My body bounced and tumbled across the rough ground. Even in my daze, I dug my hands into the earth to slow my momentum.
“Tch.”
Finally coming to a stop, I steadied myself and scanned the area for Amur. He was nowhere to be seen.
Above!
I instinctively sensed his position and crossed my arms over my head. A massive shadow fell over me.
“Too slow.”
KWAAAAANG—!
His heavy, crushing blow hammered down on my arms. A powerful shockwave traveled through my entire frame. However...
Squelch.
I felt my body sink deep into the mud and let out a silent sigh of relief. If the ground had been solid, that attack would have shattered my entire skeleton.
“What are you so relieved about?!”
Amur continued to rain down punches as I was half-buried in the mire.
Pabababang—!
They weren’t punches with the same immense power as the first, but a relentless volley of jabs that left no room to breathe.
KWAGAGAGAGA—!
I raised my arms to block his assault as best I could. The shockwaves passing through my body were strong enough to blast away the mounds of mud behind me, exposing the bare, cracked ground beneath.
“Hoo.”
After finishing his barrage, Amur let out a satisfied breath. As the attack ceased, I finally lowered my battered arms, gasping for air.
Splish.
Amur grinned as he watched me pull myself out of the shifting mud.
“You’re pretty tough, though. To be fine after taking a direct hit from me... I’ll give you credit for your durability, at least.”
Hearing his words, I looked over my own body. As he said, the pain lingered, but my arms and side were intact. No—a more accurate description would be that they had been broken but had regenerated instantly.
The shattered bones, the twisted and ruptured organs, the torn skin and muscle—they had healed the very moment they were destroyed. My recovery speed was far greater than when I had fought the demonized Demer. Was it because this place was so saturated with demonic energy? Or...
“I see. Blood is blood, is that it?”
Amur mentioned my lineage. Seizing the opportunity, I asked him, “...You know about my bloodline?”
“I know what I need to. It’s thanks to that blood that you’ve earned the right to attend the coronation.”
The coronation.
I’d heard that word before. But I had never seen such an event while playing Myrillin Saga.
“What is this coronation?”
Amur let out a disbelieving scoff.
“Ha, well I’ll be. You’re just a brat who knows nothing. What on earth does ‘that person’ see in a guy like you to be backing you?”
Grip.
He clenched his fists again, taking a fighting stance.
“If you don’t know, then don’t. It might be better for you to remain ignorant. The truth would be too cruel for you to bear.”
Fwoosh—!
Amur charged at me again. I gritted my teeth, my eyes tracking his rocketing form.
I can’t win in a physical fight.
No matter how much my physical abilities had been enhanced, my opponent was Amur himself. Not even a Sword Master could defeat him in a head-on confrontation.
Mana Chain!
Recalling my past memories, I stretched a hand forward. Simultaneously...
KWAGAGAGA—!
Black magic circles materialized one after another behind me, unleashing a rain of demonic energy-infused chains. Amur grinned at the downpour.
“You dare use magic on me?”
Zwoooong—!
A storm of red fighting aura whipped around his body.
CRASH—!
The black mana chains were caught in his aura and torn to shreds instantly.
“In that case...”
Thud.
Placing a hand on the ground, I watched him charge and focused my mind.
A simple, basic magic like Fire Bolt.
Even a spell that basic, when fired by me after absorbing demonic energy, became a pillar of flame that could kill the Black Moth Queen in a single strike. The Mana Chain I just cast was the same. It was a fundamental spell, but in my current state, it became a torrent of chains that could shred an army. It only failed because my opponent was Amur; it possessed enough ferocious power to instantly kill a demonkin on Demer’s level.
This told me one thing. Magic infused with demonic energy became exponentially stronger.
If so, what would happen if I used Roen’s specialized magic in this state?
“Enchantment.”
At my single word, black lightning began to consume the space around me.
Crackle—!
“...!”
At the same time...
BOOOOOM—!
A massive tsunami of earth erupted like an explosion, swallowing Amur as he charged toward me.