Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Asmodeus's Execution
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I pressed my blade against Asmodeus's neck and began my threats.
“Tell me Beelzebub’s location.”
The bastard had more backbone than I expected.
Even after giving him three chances, he refused to open his mouth.
First, I sliced off the horse’s head.
-Hiiiing!
Next, the goat’s head.
-Meee!
“No intention of answering?”
“Kill me.”
“……Fine. This ends here, then.”
Finally, I severed the lion’s head.
Shhk—
With a light, arcing stroke, Asmodeus’s head flew off.
The damn thing never talked.
‘……Whatever.’
I already knew Beelzebub’s whereabouts.
What I wanted was to know who among Lucifer’s minions was guarding him. Once I had that, clearing this round would be a breeze.
I could win even easier than against those giants from Mechnia earlier.
For me, who knew these monsters better than anyone, it was child’s play.
The three severed heads twitched as if life still lingered.
After checking the remaining health bars, I delivered the final blow straight to its heart.
[Judgment Scythe]
Crunch!
As the blade sank into its chest, black blood sprayed from the body.
It tilted over and crashed to the ground.
Thud!
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the mission to defeat the first boss of the seventh round, ‘Asmodeus.’]
[Massive experience points will be awarded to all players participating in this round.]
A ring of golden light circled above my head.
[The MVP of this game, player ‘Kim Cheonjae,’ will receive the special reward ‘Brown Scroll.’]
The Japanese players erupted in cheers of victory. With the boss defeated, its minions dissolved into smoke and vanished.
Cheers echoed from the other directions of the cathedral as well.
-We won! We really won! Without even a big fight!
-Wow…. Are we seriously clearing the seventh round this easily?
-High-Level Player…. If we just stick with him, we might actually escape this game.
A hologram flashed before my eyes, and a brown scroll spun in the air.
[‘Brown Scroll’ has severe side effects. Please use with caution.]
Severe side effects, huh.
How thoughtful.
Without hesitation, I grabbed it and unrolled it.
Rustle.
The text inside the scroll floated into the air and burrowed into my mind.
“Urk.”
My head throbbed like it was splitting open.
Suddenly, I craved food like a madman. Drool poured from my mouth as hunger surged.
I swallowed hard, and then urgent urges to urinate and defecate hit me.
I clenched front and back, holding it in.
‘As expected.’
My bloated stomach deflated, my eyes grew heavy, and overwhelming drowsiness crashed over me.
I slapped my cheeks with my open palm.
The scroll of the demon of lust, ‘Asmodeus,’ brought trials of desire.
Then came a stabbing pain like a needle in my ass, which faded after a few seconds.
Just like the in-game description. Brief agony, followed by the demon’s power.
[Successfully absorbed ‘Brown Scroll.’]
[You have gained the endurance to withstand desires.]
[All status ailment resistance increased by 30%.]
I let out a sigh of relief.
‘Good….’
No sooner had things settled than Hanjo came charging toward me.
His face twisted in fury.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”
“Huh?”
“The brown scroll was supposed to be recovered by us! Why’d you take it?”
I shrugged.
“Nah. You guys just agreed to take down Asmodeus. Nobody said anything about the scroll.”
“What? There are unwritten rules in boss hunts! The loot goes to the team handling that direction!”
“And you failed the hunt. I’m the one who killed Asmodeus in the end, right?”
He had no comeback.
Hanjo’s group had botched the hunt and were on the verge of getting wiped.
If I hadn’t shown up, they’d all be dead.
Yet Hanjo kept raging.
“What! It was all part of the plan!”
“……What’re you on about? You were all about to die, and instead of thanks—”
“You damn Chosunjing. This is why I can’t trust—”
I thrust out my palm, aiming at him. The demon’s corpse twitched, and Hanjo froze mid-sentence, backing away.
Seeing my hardened expression, he subtly rested his hand on his sword hilt at his waist.
“Say ‘Chosunjing’ one more time. What era do you think this is?”
“……”
“And don’t forget. We’re only allies until this round ends.”
With that, I turned and headed back to the cathedral’s south side.
Hanjo and his minions looked wronged, but I hadn’t said anything wrong.
If anything, they were the ones spouting nonsense.
“……Maybe I should just kill them.”
No reason to tangle with them after the seventh round, and we weren’t friends anyway.
Just enemies harboring grudges.
Once this round’s over, I’ll take them all out.
They’re nothing but tools to clear this round.
* * * * *
[Remaining Time: 09:56:00]
About ten minutes after defeating the first boss, the demons charged the cathedral again.
Basic mobs like imps and hellhounds.
I left them to Gawain and Park Gyuhwan, sinking into thought.
If five in-game years had passed, how much had Beelzebub changed, imprisoned and tortured by Lucifer?
I glanced at the World Tree.
Hoping everyone was handling things right.
The ground kept shaking, so the axing hadn’t stopped.
“……They’ll manage.”
With nearly twenty players there, they could handle low-tier demons.
I reached for my lighter tucked in my armor to light a cigarette.
Ssshh.
A cold blade pressed against my neck.
Yet no killing intent. If they meant to kill me, the sword would’ve sliced already. Who could it be?
Impressive stealth skills.
“……Who’s there.”
As I started to turn, a girl’s giggle sounded, and weight settled on my back.
“It’s me, me!”
“Kim Yeonhee?”
“Yeah!”
“Why’re you here? What about the World Tree?”
Kim Yeonhee sheathed her sword and clung to me, rubbing her cheek against mine like an affectionate cat.
“It’s going too smoothly over there. They told me to check on the cathedral.”
“Oh, good to hear.”
“No issues here?”
I flashed a grin.
“Does it look like it?”
“Nope. Amazing…. The demons are getting smashed like toys?”
“……Kim Yeonhee.”
“Yeah?”
“Playing pranks again?”
Whoosh—
Kim Yeonhee leaped high, dodging my scythe. I hurled a nearby corpse at her.
[Cast ‘Corpse Explosion.’]
A number ‘5’ appeared over the corpse, counting down.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Boom!
Kim Yeonhee whipped her dagger to block the blast. Corpse Explosion, near-elemental damage, stopped with just that dagger?
“Hah—Kim Cheonjae! What the hell?!”
“What else? Dealing with these damn demons.”
“……Huh?”
“Satan. Why do you keep hanging around me?”
Kim Yeonhee slowly backed away, yelling at me.
“W-What crazy talk is that!”
“Kim Yeonhee wouldn’t rub her face against mine like that.”
“That was just ’cause I was happy to see you.”
“Happy? She and I aren’t on those terms.”
At this point, after the Jo Younggi incident, our relationship was at rock bottom. Turning into her body?
Idiot.
“Kim! Cheon! Jae! You bastard. Why’re you attacking me? And I’m not Satan!”
“Prove it.”
“……What?”
“If you’re not Satan, just nick your finger with that dagger. If you’re real Kim Yeonhee, red blood’ll flow.”
“You want proof with blood?”
“Yeah.”
Blood test: the surest way to tell demon from human.
Kim Yeonhee pouted and lightly cut her finger with the dagger.
“……Huh?”
“See! Look! Red blood, right?”
Bright red droplets trickled from what I thought was Satan’s vessel. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief.
Still red.
I looked down at her and murmured.
“……You’re really Kim Yeonhee?”
* * * * *
The golden ax swung wide, hacking deep into the World Tree’s base.
Boom!
The World Tree’s trunk began to tilt slightly.
“Jeongwoo-ssi, what about Yeonhee-ssi?”
Yoo Sora looked restless.
“……She’ll handle it. She didn’t wanna stick with us, so just keep injecting.”
“……Got it. Red again this time?”
“No. Try yellow. Gotta see if speed buffs work better.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The yellow syringe plunged in, and a three-headed illusion flickered above Ma Jeongwoo’s head.
A phantom from Yoo Sora’s enhanced skills.
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the mission to defeat the first boss of the seventh round, ‘Asmodeus.’]
A smile crept onto Ma Jeongwoo’s lips.
“Good thing.”
[MVP player ‘Kim Cheonjae’ has been selected.]
[Please congratulate him.]
“MVP…. Kim Cheonjae? Why’d the genius take down the first boss?”
Yoo Sora beamed.
“Maybe he had time and helped out?”
“……Possible, but too risky.”
“Cheonjae-ssi loves dangerous stuff, right?”
Ma Jeongwoo set his ax down briefly to wipe sweat from his brow.
“No, Cheonjae doesn’t like risky plays. Hoo—That’s why he picked Necromancer in-game, avoiding direct fights.”
“……Pardon?”
“There’s one thing everyone gets wrong. Cheonjae’s more selfish than me. Doesn’t give a damn about others.”
Yoo Sora tilted her head skeptically.
Fair enough.
Kim Cheonjae’s actions so far had shown consideration for others.
“Cheonjae-ssi? The one I know looks after group members well—”
“……No idea what wind’s blowing for him to ‘round jump’ everyone here.”
Ma Jeongwoo paused. Lips moved like he wanted to say more, then he shook his head and dropped it.
Yoo Sora wanted to pry, but held back.
-Wow! Took down the first boss in a flash?
-How long? Ten…. Fifteen minutes? Insane!
-High-Level Players are on another level. I used to be a ranker back in the day….
Ma Jeongwoo eyed the murmuring players with a pleased grin, then hefted his ax again.
A beastly aura unique to Barbarian Warriors wrapped his blade—lion form looming behind him.
Heaven and Earth in One Strike
“Let’s go!”
Crash!