Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Beelzebub's Descent
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The burning sword grazed Mammon's neck. Behind it stood Gawain.
I could have killed him long ago, but I waited. I needed the information that only the great demons possessed.
Mammon's headless body flapped its wings and took to the air. Gawain leaped after it, swinging his greatsword horizontally at the body.
Slash—
The body split in two and crashed to the ground. Escaping from Gawain with Mammon's abilities was impossible.
The difference in power was just too vast.
I nodded, and Gawain brought his greatsword down on Mammon's head.
Boom!
The creature's health bar turned gray, and a new system message appeared.
[System Message]
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the raid on the third boss of the Seventh Round, 'Mammon of Greed'!]
[Special reward granted to 'Kim Cheonjae' for solo boss kill.]
[*Reward: 1,000,000 Jenny]
“Huh?!”
Wasn't the standard reward 5,000 Jenny? Why had such a massive amount come in? I felt happy on one hand, but something seemed off.
The reward amount was far too different.
‘...Whatever.’
More is better.
['Great Demon Hunter' title granted.]
[Demon Resistance +30%.]
[Damage taken from demons reduced proportionally to increased Demon Resistance.]
Now, even if I took a hit from Lucifer, I wouldn't die in one blow.
When fighting demons, I could exhibit defensive prowess rivaling a warrior-class job.
[A holy barrier forms on the west side of the 'Burning Cathedral' where you were attacked by Mammon.]
“Oh!”
Suddenly, the transparent barrier surrounding the Burning Cathedral expanded, piercing through the demons.
Mammon's minions grazed by the barrier reverted to their raw materials and poured onto the ground.
Stone golems turned to dirt.
Steel golems became cube-shaped iron lumps.
My targets were the gold and silver golems. They shrank into small spherical orbs and fell to the earth.
I was startled and tried to pull back my summons. A force that erased demons would deal massive damage to my undead soldiers too.
“...Huh?”
My summons were fine.
Even inside the holy barrier. Whether it was a system glitch or always meant to work this way, I had no idea.
But one thing was clear.
‘Jackpot.’
I ordered my skeleton soldiers to gather the gold and silver orbs from the ground.
There were exactly one hundred of them.
Fifty gold orbs, fifty silver orbs.
“Everyone, swallow the orbs.”
At my command, the skeleton soldiers gulped them down. This way, no need for separate storage.
A single orb was light, but piled up, they got heavy. This was the optimal method.
With Mammon dealt with, I sent my entire force north.
‘Now...’
Time to find that bastard Hanjo.
I had no idea why he'd pulled this stunt, but he needed to be punished properly.
This crime wouldn't end with mere death.
* * * * *
Hanjo let out a shallow laugh upon hearing of Mammon's defeat. His expression said everything was going according to plan.
He didn't block Mammon's tidal wave of minions but headed into the cathedral instead.
The samurai followed him.
“We're heading to where Michael is.”
-Yes!
The Japanese players dashed into the cathedral at a brisk pace. At that speed, their footsteps should have echoed, but there was no sound at all.
Those straw sandals must have some special ability.
Passing through the dark corridor, they reached the inner sanctum and strode through the door into the 'Lion's Chamber' without hesitation.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
“...Scatter.”
At Hanjo's whisper, the samurai players dispersed in all directions, hiding themselves.
He seemed to sense something suspicious and quietly scanned the surroundings.
Front, back, left, right.
Wherever he looked, there was only the archangel Michael, the sealed Raphael, and the row of angel statues before them.
Hanjo slowly drew the sword from his left waist and walked forward.
His steps were so cautious they evoked the image of a cat—supremely smooth.
Confirming Raphael's state, Hanjo unwrapped the bandages on his back to reveal the broken horn. It was Satan's horn, snapped off early in the Seventh Round.
He held the horn and slowly approached Raphael. Michael glanced at him and scowled.
“Who are you?”
“...”
“Why do you have that thing?”
A wicked smile crept across Hanjo's lips. It was as vile as any demon's.
“Do you know what this is?”
“...Isn't it Beelzebub's horn.”
“You know it.”
“Of course. I've fought that bastard several times.”
“Then you know why I'm here.”
Michael shrugged nonchalantly.
“...I think so.”
“You can't move right now, but I can attack you. Do you know what that means?”
“...I do.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. That guy knows too.”
Michael jerked his chin.
In the direction she indicated, Michael Beach was aiming a grenade launcher from behind an angel statue.
“Goddamn sushi boy.”
Boom!
It wasn't the crack of a rifle.
It was the thunderous roar of a shell firing.
A glowing orb hurtled toward Hanjo at inescapable speed and struck him. The shell began swirling, sucking in the surrounding darkness.
['Healing Magic Circle' activates.]
Boom!
With a deafening blast, light burst in all directions. Then, a spell circle etched itself beneath Hanjo's feet, emitting intense radiance.
“Grrrrraaah—.”
Hanjo raised a hand to shield his eyes. It was a force that would have erased a demon instantly, yet his body showed no damage.
Which meant,
He hadn't yet turned undead or demon.
['Healing Magic Circle' effect: 'Hanjo''s health slowly recovers.]
Dark aura poured from the horn in Hanjo's hand. Light and darkness clashed and intertwined.
As the 'Healing Magic Circle' duration ended, Hanjo charged at Michael.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—!
“You little monkey bastard!”
Michael tossed his rifle and drew a knife.
“Monkey? Shit...”
The silver-uniformed Michael spun the knife on his finger, waiting for Hanjo.
Yoo Sora suddenly leaped out and jabbed a yellow syringe into Michael's forearm.
['Michael's movement speed increases.]
“Michael, you can't lose!”
“Leave it to me.”
This wasn't his usual self. It was the deep, reassuring voice of a seasoned soldier.
“And who's this bitch?!”
Clang!
Hanjo's sword clashed against Michael's knife. They pushed against each other, testing strength. Michael's bulk suggested he'd overpower him easily, but Hanjo's stats seemed slightly superior.
Michael's heels began sliding back inch by inch.
“Fucking Japanese.”
“You chocolate bastard. I thought you were just sucking up to Kim Cheonjae, but you're not bad.”
“...Chocolate?”
Michael relaxed his grip on the knife and spun his body in place.
Boosted by Yoo Sora's injection, his movements were incredibly fast.
A backspin blow from a pro fighter's angle smashed into Hanjo's nose bridge.
Smack!
Hanjo couldn't dodge the unexpected strike. For someone confident in his speed, it was a blow to his pride.
“How's my chocolate punch?”
Blood streamed from Hanjo's nose. He stepped back, drawing a second sword.
“...Enough games.”
Swoosh—.
The samurai players surrounding them aimed their blades at Michael.
Encircled, Michael slowly backed away. Yoo Sora hid behind him with a terrified expression and shouted.
“Y-You're all turning your backs on Cheonjae?!”
Hanjo wiped his nosebleed with the back of his hand and let out a hollow laugh.
Ha—!
“Turn my back? I've never allied with him.”
“We agreed to go together this round!”
“Believe the enemy? That's on you. This is a battlefield—survival means choosing the best option.”
Yoo Sora replied in an agitated voice.
“So you're betraying all the other countries' players just to save yourselves? In this urgent situation?”
“...Yeah. There's no final boss Leviathan anyway. We just hold out here with the angels' call until Raphael's seal breaks.”
“You guys are filthy. We could all survive, but you—”
“No, there's no way for everyone to survive. We all know this game's end is apocalypse, right?”
“...”
“Even Kim Cheonjae will lose to Lucifer in the end. You know it too? This game ends in ruin.”
* * * * *
Hearing Hanjo's final words, I stepped out from behind the statue. The samurai players flinched, unsure where to look.
The blades aimed at Michael swung toward me.
Hanjo hissed through clenched teeth and narrowed his eyes.
“You've been hiding from the start.”
“...Everyone hear that? His plan.”
My voice echoed through the room, and players hidden in various spots revealed themselves.
The Chinese players who'd been ambushed by Hanjo earlier, and our Korean players.
Some Korean players who'd doubted the Japanese betrayal were stunned.
-Those guys really betrayed us.... They're totally insane!
-My fault for not trusting High-Level Player. Stone me all, I'll take my punishment gladly.
-Quit the bullshit and gear up. Let's kill every last one of those bastards!
Everyone was in a frenzy. Even in this situation, Hanjo remained composed.
“Since it's come to this, I'll kill you all at once.”
Where did that confidence come from?
The answer was one.
The Beelzebub horn he'd brought here.
“You've allied with Beelzebub.”
“You knew from the start?”
“No, I knew it wasn't Satan's horn. Had no idea it was Beelzebub's.”
“Honest, aren't you.”
“Thanks for the compliment. So, what's your next move? You're surrounded by all of us, and every player here is a powerhouse.”
“...”
“I'm warning you—no surrender accepted.”
Hanjo raised Beelzebub's horn above his head and shouted at me.
“Surrender? Kahahaha! Spouting such madness at me.”
“The mad one is you.”
“...Kim Cheonjae, you'll regret not killing me when you had the chance.”
“What?”
“I am now. The king of this hell.”
Dark aura flowed from Beelzebub's horn. Hanjo slammed the pointed end into his forehead.
Crack!
The horn embedded deeply, absorbing into his body. A holographic light flickered on his forehead several times, forming Beelzebub's horn.
He unwrapped the bandages covering his body, revealing red demon flesh. He'd escaped the realm of humanity.
[The 'Beelzebub of Gluttony', once called the King of Hell, has descended.]
[*Warning: All players, beware the powerful swarms of flies!]
“Gaaaaah!!!!”
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