Chapter 293
Chapter 293
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 293
Chapter Title: The Fourth Night (12)
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After having all of his "existence" stolen by the Demon King of Karmic Fire.
Aheta had been revived in the form of a "half-demon."
There was no other way to resurrect his dead body and make use of his memories.
And the revived Aheta, together with the "Demon King of Karmic Fire," created the "Night."
So that the fourth night, which would become the holy night, could finally begin.
Of course, even if he had gone bankrupt and been auctioned off, Aheta was still Aheta.
There was no way he could simply help the Demon King of Karmic Fire with pure intentions.
The reason Aheta cooperated with the Demon King of Karmic Fire was simple.
"Once this night passes, I get another chance."
He had made a promise before the Messenger of Oaths.
That he would grant freedom once the holy night ended.
Though becoming a "creator" again would be difficult as a half-demon, he could steadily build up feats as a lord.
And so, Aheta became participant number 1.
The very first challenger to enter the "Night."
The reason he participated while taking on the role of the hidden dealer.
The Demon King of Karmic Fire had commanded.
To act as the "hidden piece."
It was obvious who this "hidden piece" was meant for without even looking.
"Han Shin."
The Demon King's intent was surely Han Shin.
He had recognized the potential of Han Shin, with whom he had made a contract, and planned to raise him to raid the "hidden treasure vault."
...To steal everything Aheta had accomplished right before his eyes.
But that was fine.
As long as he was given freedom.
As long as he got one more chance!
"The Demon King's intentions have gone astray."
But then, an amusing situation unfolded.
Han Shin had not pierced through Aheta's identity.
His attention was drawn elsewhere.
To the unexpected participant, and to Lee Hyuk-soo.
"Death Commander, my loyal servant!"
Aheta rejoiced.
At the return of the Death Commander.
He had recognized him and pushed aside both the Demon King of Karmic Fire and Han Shin.
How beautiful a situation this was.
The Death Commander Anubis was arbitrarily breaking through all the "trials" set by the Demon King of Karmic Fire, disrupting the plans.
The completion of the holy night didn't need to rely on "Han Shin."
"We will become the masters of the holy night, Anubis."
The final point of all these plans.
The end was near.
If he could truly join Anubis to put the finishing touch, becoming the "Night's Administrator" again wouldn't be a dream.
That was why.
With a joyful heart, he headed to the battlefield.
"W-What?!"
"A-Ah, it's the demon lord!"
Just his appearance alone made the mercenaries collapse.
Probably the system had warned them of Aheta's presence.
It might have cautioned them to beware of the demon lord's emergence.
"You're lucky."
Aheta smiled faintly.
His mood was so good that he no longer felt like killing them.
His goal was singular.
Anubis's victory.
To that end, kill Lee Hyuk-soo.
A very, very, very simple task.
Shwoong!
......Number 2?
Essentially the first participant to enter.
It meant he had come in the moment night fell, as if waiting for it.
Aheta looked at participant number 2 with intrigued eyes.
"......?"
At the same time, he couldn't help tilting his head.
There was a man with a bushy head and pitch-black hair.
At a glance, he looked "human," but he couldn't fool Aheta's eyes.
"...How did something that's not human enter the 'fourth night'?"
It wasn't human.
Far from human, its very species foundation was something entirely different.
The mana it faintly exuded was clearly close to that of a "dragon."
"It has dragon mana but isn't a dragon. The countless 'cores' it possesses are far from a dragon's heart. If I had to compare... it feels closest to a golem."
This was strange.
A golem had entered a place only humans could.
Unlike himself, who was a "half-demon."
Impossible.
But there was one possible exception.
"......No way."
A word suddenly came to mind, and Aheta spoke again.
"Black Witch?"
"You... die."
Shuaaaang!
Boooom!
In an instant.
The man's body burst like a balloon.
And in its place.
"W-What?"
"A dragon!"
"What dragon is that big?!"
"What the hell is going on...!"
The mercenaries scattered in panic.
Because a massively enormous dragon had suddenly appeared.
With two gigantic black wings, exuding overwhelming pressure.
......Aheta frowned.
The Black Witch had clearly granted false qualifications through his body.
But it was still strange.
"A dragon following the Black Witch?"
He had thought it was a golem.
Yet upon shedding its skin, it was a dragon.
Probably.
"Titan God. Or perhaps Primal God......"
He had seen Titan Gods a few times before.
Golems modeled after dragons.
But this was beyond that.
On a different level from mere Titan Gods.
...He had heard of it.
That somewhere existed "Primal Gods" made by dragons.
Had the Black Witch taken one?
"No way, because of the Transcendent's Ancient Tome?"
It suddenly came to mind.
The "Transcendent's Ancient Tome" he had taken from the Black Witch and sealed in his lab.
Experiments to learn the tome's magic had failed.
Was she here to reclaim it?
Or...
"What is your true purpose, Primal God?"
The Primal God did not answer.
Instead.
Jeeng!
Jeeeng!
Magic circles covering the sky.
Aheta's brow furrowed deeper as he looked at them.
And for good reason.
"...Ridiculous."
......It was a magic circle of such vast range that even true dragons couldn't replicate it.
Primal God Arcana.
The former leader who once led the clan of despair, a radiant dragon who threw himself in to stop the great war of the Abyss long ago.
After reviving as a Primal God, Arcana had been continuously upgraded by Darcan and the clan of sloth.
He could now use even higher magic and even transform his form to appear human.
"......Why is a dragon in the 'fourth night'?"
Han Shin muttered softly.
In a tone that seemed utterly unbelievable.
A dragon had suddenly appeared and was attacking Aheta.
"Why isn't the 'Demon King of Karmic Fire' doing anything?"
It made no sense.
This was blatant intrusion.
Yet the "Demon King of Karmic Fire" wasn't stopping the intruder.
The reason was clear.
"It's not a real dragon."
Made from a dragon's frame and heart, but not a dragonkin.
Arcana was an existence erased from the dragonkin's database.
After being captured by the Lord of the Great Evil, the dragonkin had all but forgotten him.
The "Demon King of Karmic Fire," unaware of this fact, couldn't easily intervene.
He wouldn't have the leeway to anyway.
"Intervening in the game consumes massive coins."
The game had begun.
Even if it was fake qualifications, Arcana had entered with human credentials.
The "Demon King of Karmic Fire" couldn't interfere in the game itself.
He had to spectate until it ended.
Moreover, there were hardly any ways to eliminate Arcana.
It was then.
"Is this really a coincidence?"
Han Shin asked Park Chan-woo.
If all this was just coincidence.
"Isn't it strange to hire numbers 1 and 2 as mercenaries?"
Park Chan-woo shrugged.
Since Aheta was participant number 1, he had hired number 2 to match.
"......"
Han Shin frowned.
Well, there was no room for rebuttal.
In fact, all the mercenaries he had hired were numbers 1 through 5.
He had just called them in order.
Still, showing only calm would amplify suspicion, so he added a bit of acting.
Park Chan-woo spoke with as much soul as possible.
"Damn. Things have gotten really tricky."
Kurrrung!
He pierced through the barrage of magic to close in, but a sudden repulsive force sent Aheta flying back.
Aheta, rising from his spot, looked at his charred black hand and said.
"Wish?"
An unstoppable attack had been blocked.
The magic had automatically protected its caster.
It was a Wish.
A created being had awakened a "Wish."
But there was still something incomprehensible.
Even as a half-demon, he possessed the full might of his true body, not a "descent."
The authority of a powerful demon lord usable in full.
"My 'Cold Hand' authority burned away?"
A hand that forcibly pierced the heart.
No matter the Wish, burning away an authority was impossible.
Kurrrurrrung!
In the meantime, the bombardment began.
Arcana flew through the sky, unleashing "Black Rain of Despair" toward Aheta.
Aheta quickly raised both hands.
A barrier of mana formed, barely defending.
"...Black Rain of Despair. That's a forgotten ancient magic, isn't it?"
This was far from a normal situation.
Not even a Primal God made by dragons should wield ancient magic.
Moreover, this was just the beginning.
"Domain Expansion."
In that interval, Primal God Arcana was expanding its domain.
Intending to trap him in an absolute domain.
"You insolent wretch dare!"
Aheta also deployed his domain.
The "Moon Domain."
Though the night's authority had gone to the "Demon King of Karmic Fire," he was called the "Lord of the Moon."
Soon, the moon in the sky dyed purple, filling the world in violet.
However.
Chaeeng!
"......What?"
The moon... shattered.
It broke apart like glass.
Unbelievable.
Even if mixed with human flesh making it half an "authority," to shatter it?
......No, wait.
He realized then.
What the authority of Primal God Arcana's domain truly was.
The shattered moon began to reform.
In black.
Aheta's eyes shook.
At first, he thought it was an authority to destroy domains.
But it went beyond that realm.
This thing.
This Primal God's true "domain" was.
"Domain Theft...! What the hell are you...!!"
...It had forcibly stolen his domain.
Utter, vicious despair.
And soon, the center of the moon cracked open.
Jeeek!
The moon opened its eyes.
As the moon opened its eyes, Arcana's black wings began to grow madly enormous.
This ominous, immortal aura.
Empowered by the moon domain, another hidden authority emerged.
An all-too-familiar authority that was surely.
One of the great nine lords.
"L-Lord of the Great Evil?"
It was undoubtedly the Lord of the Great Evil's.