Chapter 576: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (63)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 576: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (63)
I returned to the mountain range where I had defeated Nerzaka.
My daughters were scattered in all directions, hunting down demons, and soon after, a line of captured demons was forced to kneel before me. They were all women, and every one of them was stunning. They had sharp ears, captivating figures, and their eyes shone with arrogance. A few of them still ground their teeth in defiance, but their struggles were nothing more than an amusing spectacle.
“Hey! Hurry it up, will you?!”
Sitting on a throne woven from red blood, Lucy shouted, dangling her feet. She swung her legs leisurely, issuing commands as if she were the queen reigning over this place.
“Lucy.”
When I called her name, Lucy’s face lit up with joy. She shot up from her throne and leaped into my arms.
“Ah! Papa, you’re here?”
I stroked her head and asked, “Where are the others?”
“My sisters and Ha-young happened to find a group of dwarves. So they went to catch them.”
“Good. I was wondering what to do about them.”
Before I could even finish my sentence, a familiar voice called out from the distance.
“Dad!”
Sora spotted me and ran over, waving her hand. The problem was that she was dragging a massive iron chain, with a group of dwarves tied to the end.
“Aargh, you crazy bitch! Stop dragging us!”
“Hey! You’re gonna kill us dwarves!”
The dwarves screamed at the top of their lungs. Dragged along the ground, they were covered in bruises.
“Sora, if you kill them by dragging them like that, they’ll be useless.”
At my remark, Sora stuck out her tongue sheepishly and giggled.
“Ehehe.”
Beside her, Ha-young stood with her arms crossed, yawning as if bored.
“Dad, there are no more demons or monsters to catch. I think they heard rumors about us and all went into hiding.”
“Then it can’t be helped. You did well.”
The moment I finished speaking, one of the dwarves stamped his short legs and shouted, “You! You’re the master of these crazy bitches!”
I tilted my head. “And if I am?”
“I am Mashin, chieftain of the Ironhammer tribe! If you don’t release us—Keuk!”
Annoyed, I lifted my foot and kicked him squarely in the solar plexus. With a dull thud, he tumbled to the ground, coughing up blood.
“Ha-young, why are these guys so noisy?”
“I don’t know. They were chattering before we caught them and kept barking the whole way here. It was driving me crazy.”
“Hmm… Fearless little dwarves.”
At my words, Mashin gritted his teeth and shot back to his feet, his beard trembling as he yelled, “What?! How dare you call us little dwarves!”
“But you are little dwarves. And soon, you’ll be slaves. You have only two paths. Beg for your lives at my feet and live by my command, or… die like that dragon over there.”
I slowly raised a finger and pointed into the distance. The dwarves’ gazes followed to where Nerzaka’s corpse lay.
“A d-dragon…?!”
“That’s… an adult dragon… Why is it… dead…?”
The dwarves’ faces went pale in an instant. To them, dragons were the stuff of nightmares, the very embodiment of overwhelming terror. The instinctive fear etched into their genes made their knees tremble.
“For the record, your job is simple.”
A smile twisted my lips.
“Dismantle that dragon’s corpse and craft equipment for my daughters. Prove to me just how useful your skills are.”
At that moment, the look in the terrified dwarves’ eyes began to change. It was no longer simple fear, but the instinct of a craftsman. The desire and obsession to handle a dragon’s corpse as material lit a fire in their eyes.
“A d-dragon’s scales… harder than any metal… we can touch them…?”
“Its bones and heart… if we could work them with our own hands…”
Greed and fear dwelled in their eyes simultaneously. Even Mashin, who had been shouting just moments ago, swallowed hard, unable to deny the reality before him.
I smiled slowly and drew the sword from my waist.
“However, if you disobey my orders and act on your own whims—”
Swoosh—!
In that instant, a towering mountain peak in the distance split apart and crumbled. A blizzard of snow billowed out as the ground vibrated.
“G-Good heavens…”
“I acknowledge your craftsmanship. But if you show me that disgusting stubbornness of yours, your entire tribe will vanish without a trace.”
I sheathed my sword and slowly lowered my gaze. I met the eyes of each and every dwarf, pressing down on them until finally, Mashin collapsed.
“Heok… I understand. We, the Ironhammer tribe… will obey your command.”
The surrounding dwarves bowed their heads one by one.
“Good. A wise choice.”
I scanned the dwarves and issued my first order.
“Then here is your first command. First, build a grand and colossal Demon King’s castle on this spot.”
“A… a Demon King’s castle? Don’t tell me… you’re… the D-D-Demon King?!”
The dwarves’ faces contorted in unison, a mixture of shock, terror, and defiance.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to start making a fuss about a Demon King now and refuse my orders.”
At my words, the dwarven chieftain, Mashin, gritted his teeth and raised his head.
“Grrr…! As much as we value our lives, do you really think we would obey the commands of a Demon King?!”
“Hmm, I thought as much.”
I casually raised my hand.
“Girls. Rough them up.”
CRACK!
The moment the order fell, Sora, Lucy, and Ha-young leaped into the crowd of dwarves.
“Kiyaaak!! Uwaaaargh!!”
The sound of breaking bones and blood-curdling screams erupted one after another. Fists enhanced with magic, a whip, and a sword of blood descended upon the dwarves. They couldn’t even fight back as they were beaten down.
“Do you think we’ll yield to such violence?!”
“We will not become a Demon King’s lackeys!”
I watched the scene dispassionately, then fixed my gaze on one particular dwarf.
He was trembling more violently than anyone else. But at the same time, I could feel his will to live was stronger than anyone’s.
I raised my hand, stopping my daughters.
“Stop.”
The bloodied dwarves groaned as they lay sprawled on the ground. I slowly pointed a finger at one of them.
“You. If you want to live, you will be the new chieftain.”
“M-me, sir?” the dwarf before me asked, his voice trembling.
“Yes. And if you want to be chieftain, you’ll have to cut down the old one first, won’t you?”
“You fool! Do you think my son would listen to you?!” Mashin roared, but I paid him no mind.
Lucy tossed a sword forged from blood at the dwarf’s feet. Its red blade glinted coldly.
The dwarf hesitated for a moment in fear, but soon gritted his teeth and snatched up the sword. His trembling eyes hardened with grim resolve.
“Son, put that sword down this instant!”
“…I’m sorry, Father. I… want to live!”
“Get a hold of yourself! Do you even know what you’re saying?!”
“I do!”
“And you still say such a thing?!”
“Still… it’s better than dying. When you’re dead, everything is over. And don’t you know how much damage your pigheadedness has caused the tribe until now?!”
“You crazy bastard! A dwarf should fight with honor!”
Before he could finish, his son raised the sword. Mashin instinctively tried to dodge, but it was too late. The flashing blade sliced off his arm. It fell to the ground with a thud, splattering blood.
“Aaaaargh! Mas, you bastard!”
Mashin staggered and fell to his knees.
“Father, it’s time for you to rest.”
“Don’t think for a second the tribe will accept you as chieftain just because you struck me down!”
“I’m sorry… but the will of the tribe no longer matters. All that matters is the will of the Demon King.”
I was genuinely impressed. What a shameless bastard, to commit such a patricide without batting an eye. I almost felt sorry for the father who had kept such a thing by his side, calling it his son.
‘This is fucking hilarious.’
Before I knew it, my daughters and I were holding popcorn and coke, sitting comfortably on chairs Lucy had created, quietly watching the family slaughter unfold before us.
“What are you all doing?! Stop Mas! Stop this madman at once!”
“That’s not going to happen, Mashin. We want to live, too!” another dwarf shouted.
“It’s a dragon’s corpse! The very dragon that tormented us for hundreds of years and plundered the weapons we forged! And now we have the chance to work it as we please… If you’re asking us to give that up, then I’d rather not follow you!”
“You’re all mad! Helping a Demon King! How will you face our ancestors?!” Mashin shrieked, but the tide had already turned.
Another dwarf stood up and nodded.
“Resisting here will only lead to death! And death leaves nothing behind. But to be able to create something from a dragon’s remains… what could be more joyous than that?!”
“Y-you bastards! You think I’ll just stand by and—!”
Thwack!
Just as Mashin was about to shout again, he coughed up blood and collapsed. Mas’s sword had already pierced his chest.
“Father… I will now inherit the chieftain’s seat. You may close your eyes in peace.”
Mashin’s hand flailed in the air before falling limp. His eyes grew cloudy, and soon, he stopped moving altogether. That was the end of the chieftain.
Mas raised the blood-soaked sword high and looked around at the tribe. But not everyone bowed their heads. In fact, many eyes glared at him with fury and hostility.
“Listen! From this day forward, I am the new chieftain of the Ironhammer tribe! We will survive! Even if it means becoming slaves!”
“Don’t make me laugh!” a dwarf shouted in a rage-filled voice.
“You’re a patricide who murdered his own father! Who would ever acknowledge a monster like you?!”
“That’s right! We all saw your atrocity, Mas! You are not worthy of being chieftain!”
“We’d rather die! We will not live as slaves!”
About fifteen dwarves rose in fierce protest. Their eyes burned not with submission, but with the flames of resistance.
Mas immediately knelt before me.
“Demon King! May I have your permission to execute these vile traitors?”
I suppressed a laugh that threatened to burst out and put on a solemn expression. Then I turned my head and called to Lucy.
“Lucy, execute the traitors.”
“Yes, my Demon King♡”
A red wave of energy erupted from Lucy’s sword, tearing through the air. The crimson blade swept through the rebels without distinction, and one by one, the dwarves collapsed, coughing up blood.
“Kuaaargh!!”
“No, this can’t be—!”
Even their final screams echoed emptily before being absorbed by the mountains. The corpses of the defiant dwarves lay still on the blood-red snow.
“Demon King, I’ve cleaned up♡”
I gave a leisurely nod.
At that moment, Mas knelt and prostrated himself on the rock.
“Demon King…! I will obey any command! For the fate of my tribe, I pledge my life and loyalty to you!”
I looked down at him and slowly raised my hand.
“Good. From this day forward, your name is no longer Mas. Bury the name Mas with your dead father. From now on, you are Ma Wan-yong.”
Mas’s shoulders trembled. Then, his eyes widened, and he slammed his forehead against the stone ground.
“Yes! I, Ma Wan-yong, will serve you loyally until my last breath!”
His cry echoed through the mountains. The surviving dwarves also began to kneel, one by one.
“Demon King… we will follow you as well!”
“The dragon’s bones and scales… just let us handle them with our own hands!”