Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Demon Race, The Sinister Pit-Digging Worm - Deriax (2)
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Namui and Deriax were both at a loss for words. It was a plan close to perfection. An intricate, airtight scheme that couldn't possibly fail.
And yet, that plan had crumbled. In less than five minutes, no less.
This was impossible unless someone had known the entire plan from the start and prepared countermeasures.
"Ha... what the hell."
The sacrifices hadn't even reached ten yet. Descent? A pipe dream. And surviving against that monster with just his avatar's power?
"Fuck. I thought things were finally getting better."
Impossible. Death was staring him in the face—what good would denial do?
"You're not planning to let me live, are you?"
Nope, not a chance. Look at those murderous eyes. They screamed he'd tear me apart right now. Had I done something wrong to him?
I'd only killed him once—no, not even that, just beaten him half to death. And yet, after ruining his entire plan, why those eyes?
My own frustration was driving me insane.
Namui ceased his black magic incantation. From the explosions outside earlier, it seemed the monster sacrifices had been wiped out en masse.
Deriax, driven mad by the thought of losing to a mere insect again and his toy breaking, berated Namui.
Namui was an avatar, after all. If the avatar died, it would impact the demon's true body.
But Namui had already given up on everything. Sacrifices? They were all gone, and even if any remained, dragging them into the boss room, tossing them onto the altar, and manifesting black magic to summon the demon was impossible.
"Goddamn it. What a shitshow. But I can't just die pointlessly."
Namui raised the staff in his hand, aiming it at me. Black demonic energy surged, enveloping his body as demonization activated.
But defeat was already etched on his face. He seemed resolved to land at least one hit before dying.
"Just die already, you demon bastard."
I projected my gauntlets, and as Namui began to chant, that was the moment.
He froze as if electrocuted, then convulsed violently. The black in his eyes vanished, and he clutched his throat, gasping and flailing.
"Pathetic."
But dangerous too. I hurriedly activated my Solar Internal Energy and charged at him. With precise form, I thrust my fist forward.
Crrrack!
Space tore open along my fist's path, revealing Deriax's domain—the same trick from before regression!
Not falling for it again. I seized control of my body. My straight punch veered sharply, striking his left thigh instead of the abdomen.
Boom!!
A massive explosion rang out as Namui flew into the wall. I grimaced from the backlash of twisting the technique so forcefully.
The muscles in my right arm had all torn apart.
Sunspot Explosion, first form of the Sun God Technique. In terms of temperature, sunspots are the coolest part of the sun's surface. But the flares erupting from them are devastatingly powerful.
The strongest flares can even impact Earth massively. With that power packed into one strike, forcibly altering the trajectory caused huge recoil.
If I had any proficiency in the Sun God Technique—or at least trained the first form enough to be familiar with it—I might have adjusted without backlash.
No such luxury. He wouldn't give me time.
I opened my inventory, chugged a potion, and calmed my trembling arm. Muscles reknit, dead blood spewed from my mouth, replaced by fresh blood.
Crack. Pop.
I rotated my hand to check as the guy emerged from the dust and smoke, staring him down.
His entire left leg was gone. In its place, a wriggling, repulsive insectoid limb had sprouted.
"Deriax's body?"
The question was brief. A system message appeared before me.
Worm in the Pit
Grade: Unique
Rank: S-
Description: Demon Race, Pit-Digging Sinister Worm - Deriax has forcibly seized his avatar's body and manifested. Not content with manifesting his soul directly, he has even brought part of his true body. Kill him.
Objective: Defeat Deriax (0/1)
Success: Unique Ability: ??? Pit [Ancient-??], Major damage to Demon Race - Deriax's soul, Title: Victor over Demons, Item: Demon Spirit Group [Epic-SS+]
Failure: Body death, soul seizure
A far cry from the message I'd seen just minutes ago.
Level barely half of before, grade and rank both downgraded from forcing past restrictions. Still a formidable foe, but compared to that absurd power...
"Pitiful. Weak. Disgusting."
He looked utterly insignificant. All this over mere pride? Unfathomable.
Fine, pride matters. But not more than your life.
No reason to risk this much for descent. On defeat, he'd lose his epithet-linked unique ability to me, plus soul damage.
Everything but his life on the line. Just to catch me. Just for killing his apostle and a few mocking words.
Pride (Sun) Internal Energy permeates my body. Infused with divine solar power, blinding flames engulf me.
I sneered at the ranting Deriax and revealed the truth.
"Those were just restrictions from your unique ability. Can't suppress an Authority. Different league."
Deriax's face—Namui's face—went slack.
Seed. Ra had mentioned it too—Authorities as seeds of myth. No clue what that meant, but even most demons lacked them.
'Maybe the 72 Demon Lords?'
Those called Thrones probably had them. Perhaps top or high-grade demons too.
Didn't matter. I kicked off the ground, charging again.
Deriax's eyes flashed as he charged back, his repulsive insectoid legs propelling him. He ripped open space, spewing its contents, jaws gaping to bite.
A pit-digging worm from his weak days, burying treasures underground. Now his pit held countless items—from trinkets to treasures, favored beasts and monsters imprisoned within.
And inside his pit, he was godlike.
Crrrack! Crrrack! Crrrack!
Three small pits opened, unleashing paused black magics straight at me.
Pausing and preparing spells—like wizards' Memorize, but far superior.
Memorize allowed chantless casting at higher mana cost; this just deployed pre-made demonic energy spells.
I knew black magic's power well. That mad grand archmage, the Fallen Black Sorcerer, had trounced me once.
This was a demon's own black magic, not borrowed. The Fallen's was stronger, but no room for complacency.
Sun God Technique
Sun Heart Method
Crimson Flame
Flames roared from my body, expanding to block the black magic. Massive internal energy drained rapidly, but the effect was tremendous.
I just needed to handle Deriax's body. As his black magic was effortlessly nullified, unable even to approach, he raged further.
"Yeah, must be nice being a demon. Congrats—you're about to be the demon who lost to an insect. Think the others will shun you? Mock you as the crippled demon beaten by vermin?"
Deriax's eyes rolled back completely. Always superior, toying with lesser races—now reversed, he lost it.
Mocked. Unbearable provocation for his massive ego.
Space tore. Deriax vanished into it. Then tore again.
Behind me. Space power's cheat-like nature. Such application too?
But that was it. Sensing the killing intent, my body moved. I dodged the sharp fangs and swung my fist.
Splat!
The gauntlet slammed into Deriax's abdomen. Explosion erupted, burning stench filled the air.
I didn't let the flying Deriax go. Footwork propelled me forward, catching up to smash another blow.
Two hits. Deriax collapsed. Despite demonization and forced descent, base was human flesh.
Couldn't withstand two Sunspot Explosions. Abdomen oozed pus, ribs shattered, heart burst—chest caved like hydraulically pressed.
"Insect this, insect that to the end."
Impressive tenacity and pride. Deserved applause.
"Just cough up the rewards and scram."
As Deriax mustered his last strength to scream, my fist obliterated his head first.
Done. Space shattered and collapsed. With its master's unique ability seized, the domain could no longer hold.
The world flipped, revealing the dark reality of night.
A satisfied smile crossed my face as my drained body slumped—
Stab!
A long longsword burst through my stomach.