Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: 4th Seat, Lord Who Devours Death - Gamigin
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Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Epithet: Lord Who Devours Death. Gamigin, seated upon the 4th Throne, one of the seventy-two permitted to bear the title of Demon King, roared with a face full of rage, irritation, and injustice.
In tune with his emotions, the demonic energy spreading through the surroundings churned violently.
Underground Level 4. The vast prison shaped like a universe, prepared solely for one lifeform, looked utterly different from when Shin Juha had visited before.
The most striking change was, naturally, the disappearance of the massive sealing formation that had contained the enormous, violent, and majestic fragment of the beast.
With the grand barrier of sacred and beautiful runes gone, the passage leading up to Underground Level 3 had also become part of the universe and vanished. Or, more precisely, the enraged fragment of Behemoth had completely shattered the passage that was on the verge of being absorbed into the universe.
In short, to head upstairs, one would have to scour this entire vast universe to find the hidden staircase entrance somewhere.
Of course, that wasn't what mattered right now.
The next change was that over 30% of the once mysterious and beautiful universe had been dyed pitch black.
This was Gamigin's power. It wasn't the domain he had displayed before—Rhapsody of the Dead.
The universe, now infested with demonic energy, had transformed into an entirely different domain. A completely new world had descended here.
It was the world of the dead.
The world of lions that sought to plunder all things of the living.
A congregation of beings that hated life and worshipped death.
4th Throne - Partial Descent of the Demonic Citadel of Death
A skill permitted only to the 73 beings, from the 72 Throne holders among the demonkin to the Primordial Demon Gods.
A cheat skill that forcibly manifests—descends—their domain anywhere.
The universe birthed land. Dead land.
The universe birthed sky. Dead sky.
The universe birthed air. Dead air.
The universe birthed mana. Dead mana.
The universe birthed life. Dead life.
Behemoth burst into laughter, as if delighted that the Demon King's world was encroaching on his prison—as if he had been waiting for this stimulation, this excitement, this violence.
"It has been an eternity. So long that eons of the Apocalypse have passed."
Behemoth's colossal body stirred. The universe trembled. Gamigin regarded that massive form with arrogant eyes.
"For you to personally break the seal those damned Archangels created..."
It was a beast. A beast that seemed a fusion of every beast in the world.
It was one of the three chosen by the Apocalypse—a prophetic item of endings that even the Abyss system feared—a root-level entity.
The beast of the sky. The beast of the land. The beast of the sea.
Among them, the beast of the land. True name: King of All Beasts—Behemoth. This was a tiny fragment of it.
Of course, "tiny" compared to the main body; in truth, it was a gigantic existence that could easily devour a planet. Though a small fragment, its very rank placed it in the myth realm.
Of course, it was nothing compared to Gamigin. The main body might be untouchable, but even against this small fragment, Gamigin's accumulated myth and power were overwhelmingly formidable.
"Yes, this is my chance to add a fragment of the Apocalypse to my collection! The beasts won't mind anyway, as they're lost in eternal slumber until the Apocalypse calls!"
Roooooooar!
Its nose, shaped like a Kirin's horn, thrust skyward as a massive roar echoed through the world. No longer a probing skirmish, this was the start of a battle to kill or be killed.
The fight was fierce and evenly matched. Neither side gained the upper hand.
It was only natural, as both bore their own penalties.
Gamigin had part of his rank and power sealed due to the descent's backlash. Even after devouring hundreds of holy apostles to recover over 60%, it wasn't full restoration.
Moreover, this underground prison lacked the lions he commanded, severely reducing his forces.
Behemoth was no different. This "vast" prison was cramped for him, restricting his movements—a major combat disadvantage.
On top of that, his prolonged inactivity had atrophied his power, holding him back further.
Thus, the clash between the two dragged on. Until one grew exhausted and faltered.
The battle continued. And for someone else, this was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.
Sizzle!
Like meat searing on a charcoal grill, the blackened, charred skin emitted a foul stench as it burned once more.
"Gaaaaaaah!"
"As expected of a vampire rather than a mere human? Your recovery speed is impressive."
I gazed down at Beltaas indifferently, emotionlessly, and continued the torture.
"Spit it out already. So, how do I send that bastard back? The summoning magic circle is still intact over there, which means there's a way to reverse it, right?"
How quickly would Gamigin escape that underground prison?
I couldn't be sure. If I was confident he could be stalled for at least ten days, I could kill this worm right now and activate Longinus.
Against Isabelle, it had taken just over two weeks to reach 100% charge, so factoring in time acceleration, I'd need at least that much time secured.
'80% definitely won't cut it.'
I knew the Spear of Divine Slaying, Longinus, was a powerful holy relic with immense efficacy against gods. Especially against a Demon King, combined with the Godslayer title, the efficiency would skyrocket.
But the opponent was a Demon King. Not some half-baked divine seat, but one of the seventy-two apex beings of the Black Underworld.
'From the fact that he descended here, he seems like a low-rank one among them.'
Now that he knew I had Longinus, he wouldn't be unprepared. To smash through those defenses reliably, I'd need at least 85%—no, over 90% charge.
Ten days minimum. I clicked my tongue and pulled Longinus from my inventory. For now, I'd start the activation.
As a precaution against the worst case, where I couldn't send the Demon King back.
The battlefield was already cleared. The puppets had returned to nothingness without a trace under Belial's fists of fury.
Regrettably, Isabelle had fled grotesquely, sacrificing her disciple as a diversion.
But with survivors having witnessed Isabelle's betrayal alongside Archbishop Aoira, it was no longer an issue.
Soon, her Saintess title and class would likely be forcibly revoked by the Pope. It could be called fate interference, but more importantly, it was the command of the great gods overlooking the Holy Kingdom.
"You're done for. So spill it and die quietly."
At my words, Beltaas let out a sinister, malevolent sneer, glaring at me with eyes that barely opened.
"Kuhuhu... heh. You... have no... idea."
Tough bastard. Even in this state, his loyalty and faith to his god came first?
Fine, let's see how far that conviction went.
I gathered solar power and shoved it into his mouth, while pulling out every item from my inventory that could be used for torture.
"Rest up first. I'll squeeze out some more info from this guy. Take care of them too."
Everyone was exhausted. Belial was in slightly better shape, but the legion had collapsed, Min Chorong looked on the verge from holy power depletion, and Nabilroong had passed out after expending massive energy.
I entrusted them to Belial and began the torture.
One by one. Relentlessly. Infused purely with malice and rage.
How much trouble had this worm caused? The quest difficulty skyrocketing when it could have been easier—all his fault.
Trekking back and forth to that damn underground prison multiple times—all his fault.
Fighting for my life—all his fault... well, I'd have faced Solomon's clone anyway, so whatever.
Still, everything had gotten complicated because of him. I channeled those feelings into the torture.
"Cough! Cough! Kuhahaha! KillmeKillmeKillmeKillmeKillmeKillmeKillmehuman!!!"
Even after half a day of torment, he didn't crack.
'Stubborn fuck.'
I cursed inwardly. The torture involved pain that would shatter a mind halfway. Yet he held his tongue to the end.
I could escalate further, but I realized something.
This bastard wouldn't talk even if it killed him. Or perhaps some geas prevented him.
Midway, he'd open his mouth as if desperate to speak amid the agony.
'What now?'
Either way, time for another approach. I sighed and stood.
As I stepped back, he finally realized the torture had ended, forcing open his swollen, melted eyes to look at me.
Longing. Pain. Resignation. Sorrow. Countless emotions flashed in his eyes, and I made my decision.
"Fine. Die then."
No point asking the living anyway. Solar power condensed in my hands, and I smashed down on him.
Having exceeded his regenerative limits, he couldn't block this final blow.
His body burst, but with all blood spent save reserves, there was little splatter.
All that remained were torture scars and fragments of his grotesque creations.
I gazed at the spot, closed my eyes briefly, then opened them.
On one side, radiant holy flames blazed. On the other, icy ghostly flames rose chillingly.
As Chaos Eye unleashed its true power, my vision shifted.
And I saw it—a crimson soul at the site of Beltaas's death.
"Now that you've died once, shall we start over?"
Regrettably, death wasn't the end. Primordial demonic energy flowed from my hands, devouring Beltaas's soul.