Chapter 244
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 244
“Uoooooh!”
Amidst the thunderous roars of the demons, a single boy stood tall. Roen.
“As expected.”
Iscariot sat upon his high throne, looking down at the boy on the altar. The battle had ended in Roen’s victory, exactly as he had anticipated.
The Immortal Successor had vanished into another dimension, leaving not a single fragment of his existence behind in this world. King Kaim was dead. Or, to be more precise, he was in a state far worse than death.
‘If he cannot die, then he must simply be annihilated.’
Indeed, those words had rung true.
At a glance, the fight might have seemed fierce and evenly matched, but from start to finish, Roen had never truly been at a disadvantage. In fact, he had displayed more than enough leeway, suggesting he still held a hidden ace up his sleeve.
As Iscariot remained lost in thought, the other Venerables who had witnessed the battle expressed their growing concern.
“To think the Immortal Successor would be defeated so easily. When on earth did that boy become so strong?”
To the question posed by Saiyar of the elves, Yunok of the celestials replied.
“That boy conquered the underground labor camp—a place teeming with ancient monsters—in just six months. He rose from that hell while his mana and Authority were suppressed by a Sealing Artifact.”
Yunok continued, glancing at the other Venerables seated opposite him.
“After that, he learned the art of combat from Amur, a master of martial arts, and Carmilla, an exceptional coordinator of Authority. Rumor had it that he grew strong enough to defeat them both in just half a year. It seems those rumors weren't exaggerated.”
“…”
Yungraom of the giants, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke. “Iscariot, I heard you fought him during the Glypheshi invasion. You could have killed him then. Why didn’t you?”
Iscariot recalled his battle with Roen a year ago—the clash they’d had right before the Spirit King was summoned. Roen’s resistance had been fierce, but there had certainly been an opportunity to end him. However…
“There was no need.”
At the time, he’d seen no reason to kill him.
‘It’s true that he is a dangerous individual.’
As one who inherited His bloodline, the boy possessed immense potential and could grow even more threatening. But it didn’t matter how strong he became. Iscariot was far stronger.
And even if Roen were to eventually surpass him, it would be fine. That power would soon belong to Iscariot anyway. The stronger Roen became, the greater the prize Iscariot would claim. If he was going to seize that power, wasn’t it better to let it ripen first?
And besides…
‘No matter how much of His bloodline he carries, he is still half-human.’
No amount of training could allow a mongrel to stand above one who was born of pure darkness. No matter how desperately he struggled to grow stronger, he could never overcome the inherent limits of his mixed blood.
That was the immutable law of this world.
Fwip—.
With a flick of his cape, Iscariot rose from his seat and walked slowly toward the foot of the altar.
“Watch closely.”
The time for the coronation had finally come. He would seize the boy’s Authority, become the one and only successor, and achieve his long-held ambition.
*
Near the altar where the succession ceremony was taking place, a horde of monsters had gathered to witness the spectacle.
“Hah… hah…”
A figure emerged, pushing through the heavy, repulsive lumps of demonic flesh. It was a girl, her entire body concealed beneath a thick robe.
After reading the letter that told her to follow the trail of the meteor on the day the moon eclipsed the sun, she had finally, painstakingly, made her way to the heart of the Demon World.
“…”
The girl’s trembling eyes scanned the area until she spotted the boy. She let out a small sigh of relief. Clutching the necklace around her neck, she waited for the coming storm.
*
Step—.
The white-haired demon set foot upon the altar.
At that exact moment, a menacing mana erupted from him, surging beyond the altar and flooding the surrounding area. With each step he took, the clamor of the colosseum died down. Soon, the meteor crater fell into a deathly silence.
As hundreds of thousands of monsters held their breath, I stood on the altar, facing him.
Piercingly white hair cascaded down his shoulders like a waterfall, and from beneath the silver strands, his eyes glinted with a cold light. He was a demon radiating a chilling fighting spirit, possessing a gaze so deep it was impossible to fathom.
Iscariot. One of the Twelve Venerables and the supreme representative of the demons.
He was a pure-blooded Archdemon, a member of the ancient race from which all other demon species originated. Before him, not even the prideful dragons or the arrogant giants dared to flaunt their power. He was, in every sense, the most fitting candidate for the title of Demon King.
He spoke first. “We meet again.”
I let out a deep breath and met his gaze head-on. “Yes… I’ve been waiting… for this day.”
It had been a long, grueling wait.
I had spent half a year in a sunless underground, bound by a massive iron chain that choked the life out of me. Relying on nothing but my own grit, I had crawled my way out of that hell. And then, another half a year followed. I had forged my current strength through training that was every bit as agonizing as the labor camp.
But the physical process hadn't been the hardest part.
What truly tormented me wasn't the pain, but the crushing sense of loss—and the paralyzing fear that I might experience it again. Having lost Professor Isley to this bastard’s hands, I refused to lose anyone else.
‘It’s been nearly three years since I fell into the world of Myrillin Saga.’
This was no longer just a game. It was a reality where my friends and loved ones lived. I would not let this world be destroyed.
For that purpose…
‘I will become the successor you all desire.’
And in your place, I will become the Demon King and set everything right with my own hands.
Fwoosh—.
I kicked off the ground and shot forward. Simultaneously, Iscariot reached a hand toward me.
A strange mana rippled from his palm, manifesting his Authority to manipulate the flow of time. My vision shifted into monochrome as a barrier began to form around me. He was trying to trap me in a time-distorted space, just like in our last encounter.
As I looked at the forming barrier, I recalled a conversation I’d had with Carmilla.
‘Time manipulation is by no means easy. Even for him, the only space where he can exercise that Authority is within a barrier. As for how to counter it…’
Vwooom—.
Before Iscariot’s time barrier could fully manifest, I deployed my own Mindscape Barrier to intercept it.
‘A Mindscape Barrier is a world of the mind.’
In the past, I had simply unleashed it by instinct, following the raw pull of my Authority. But now, I could control its every facet at will.
Crackle—!
Iscariot’s time barrier and my Mindscape Barrier clashed in mid-air, spraying arcs of blue lightning.
“!”
The bastard’s brow furrowed as his barrier failed to complete. Just as Carmilla had predicted, he couldn't use his time manipulation unless the space was fully established.
Fwoosh—.
I seized the moment he faltered and lunged, my fist imbued with the Authority of Space Distortion.
F-f-f-fwoosh—!
My fists cut through the air with terrifying speed. I stayed glued to his tail, moving with relentless precision.
‘Iscariot is clearly a mage-type boss.’
In close combat, I had a much greater advantage than I did against Kaim. Iscariot dodged my flurry of attacks, but eventually, my fist grazed the edge of his sleeve.
Riiip—!
The Authority of Space Distortion acted like a localized vortex, shredding the fabric instantly.
“…”
Iscariot retreated a significant distance and looked down at his torn sleeve. Realizing he couldn’t dodge every strike in this state, he withdrew the hand he had extended toward me. Instead, he cast a personal barrier on himself and accelerated his own time.
Flicker—.
His form blurred into a haze.
‘So he can use time manipulation on himself.’
It was the first time I’d seen him use his ability this way, but it was still within the realm of my expectations. Noticing his sudden burst of speed, I timed it perfectly and activated my Cognitive Acceleration Stone.
Thump—.
With the heavy thud of my heartbeat, the world was overlaid in black and white. In that monochrome world, Iscariot alone moved with vibrant color.
An Authority that could slow others or accelerate oneself—it was a broken ability, plain and simple. But even for him, there had to be a price for maintaining such a state. Just as I couldn't maintain my own acceleration indefinitely due to the stone’s penalty and the physical need to breathe, he too would eventually have to drop out of that state.
If neither of us could use our time-related abilities, I held the upper hand. With my space manipulation and my mastery of hand-to-hand combat, the advantage was mine.
“—Is that what you thought?”
“!”
Suddenly, a chilling presence manifested directly behind me.
‘Since when…?!’
He and I were supposed to be accelerating time under equal conditions. No matter how superior his acceleration was to mine, he shouldn’t have been able to get behind me without me noticing. For me to be completely oblivious while I was also accelerated, he would have had to be tens, even hundreds of times faster than usual.
But I had no time to analyze it.
Flick—.
Appearing behind me, he flicked a finger toward the back of my head.
‘…I’m going to die.’
Sensing the cold touch of death, I moved on pure animal instinct.
Fwoosh—.
At the same time, I emitted a repulsive force to deflect the strike. His trajectory was momentarily thrown off.
Fweeeen—!
A line of transparent magical energy cut through the air. Instead of my head, one of my arms was sent flying.
KRA-KOOOM—!
The beam of energy he had fired shot past me, pierced through the wall of the meteor crater, and split the clouds in the sky in two.
“Gyaaaak!”
Hundreds of monsters were shredded by the collateral energy, but Iscariot didn't even blink.
Fwoosh—.
With that powerful strike, the time acceleration ended. My monochrome vision faded, and I could finally breathe again. It seemed Iscariot’s acceleration had also reached its limit, as we both returned to reality and glared at one another.
I regenerated my missing arm using the Blood Magic Carmilla had taught me and demanded, “…What was that just now? That wasn’t simple acceleration.”
If it had been a simple increase in speed, I would have seen it coming. I had mastered the unique flow of moving through accelerated time. But his movement just now lacked that flow. It felt unnatural—like a film reel that had been cut and spliced back together.
Regardless, that ability was new. It hadn't appeared in the original story.
‘Is this his hidden trump card?’
At my question, Iscariot merely smirked. “As if I’d tell you.”
“…”
Fair enough. There was nothing more foolish than explaining your techniques to an enemy. He wasn’t going to give me anything for free.
It was then.
Drip—.
Suddenly, a thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Iscariot wiped it away with the back of his hand, dismissing it as if it were nothing.
Watching him, I narrowed my eyes. “So even a monster like you can bleed. It seems that ability carries a heavy backlash, doesn’t it?”
The Authority to manipulate spacetime. I had heard that abilities dealing with time carried the heaviest penalties because they tampered with the laws of providence. Space expands infinitely, but the flow of time is meant to be irreversible. Even the legendary Cognitive Acceleration Stone prevented the user from breathing. If his Authority surpassed the stone, the penalty had to be immense.
‘Perhaps… therein lies the key to defeating him.’
My thoughts settled. I drew upon my mana and fully deployed my Mindscape Barrier.
Shhhk—.
An inner world spread out from my feet. Another world—a physical expression of my own mind—swallowed both him and me whole.