Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Dragon's Hourglass
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With the corpse explosion, Lucifer's body was sent flying backward.
-Die!
Was that a hallucination?
In that instant, Kim Jeongjae's voice rang out. Through the smoke, I could see him grabbing Lucifer's body and soaring away.
‘……Kim Jeongjae?’
Kim Jeongjae's soul was clashing with Lucifer. I had no idea what was going on, but thanks to him, we'd bought some time.
I slipped through the golden door in that gap.
Screeech-
Boom!
“……Did it work?”
[Player ‘Kim Cheonjae’ has successfully entered the Sealing Chamber.]
[From this moment, the power of Beelzebub guarding Hell Castle weakens.]
-Kraaaah!
As Kim Jeongjae's soul vanished, Lucifer's arms and legs froze over.
To instantly freeze the body of a great demon with high magic resistance—that was some serious power.
‘Kim Jeongjae….’
[The hatred contained in the soul of ‘Hero Kim Jeongjae’ forms a chilling iceberg, halting Lucifer's movements.]
Thanks.
Crack!
Lucifer was trapped in a small iceberg the size of a boulder. I didn't know how long that ability could hold him, but it was a golden opportunity for us.
I sprinted at full speed toward the hourglass.
The hourglass hadn't shattered yet.
Two dragon statues gripped the transparent hourglass.
That meant Lucifer hadn't fully broken free from his seal either.
As expected, the one frozen there wasn't the real Lucifer.
It was something like a "fragment of lingering thought" he'd left behind before being sealed.
I checked the remaining time.
[Remaining Time: 00:01:41]
“Michael!”
Michael rushed over and grabbed the middle of the hourglass. He put strength into both arms and began flipping it over.
“Hraaah!”
It must have been heavier than expected—Michael grunted like a weightlifter doing a heavy deadlift.
Creak. Creeeak.
The hourglass started to turn.
It was so heavy that even Michael, with his level over 80 and bulging muscles, was struggling.
I reached out to help him.
Thwack!
Sure enough, the moment I extended my hand, I was repelled. Sealed with holy power, no one wielding darkness could touch it.
As I grimaced in regret, Michael forced a grin.
“Genius Kim, step back. Don’t push yourself.”
His face was turning red from the effort.
“……Got it.”
Creak. Creeeak.
Time was running out.
“Ma Jeongwoo!”
Jeongwoo glanced my way, shoved Beelzebub aside, and charged over.
Thud thud thud thud!
He kicked off the ground so hard it echoed.
“Bi- flip it!”
Jeongwoo grabbed the hourglass and started flipping the cylinder alongside it. Beelzebub pursued, trying to attack us.
Clang!
Gawain's greatsword blocked Beelzebub.
Bang!
Park Gyuhwan's gun nailed Beelzebub right in the forehead.
Whoosh-
Ares's spear stabbed into Beelzebub's chest with a crunch!
“Kraaaah!”
Beelzebub thrashed in agony.
Creak. Creeeak.
With Jeongwoo joining in, the friction from the hourglass grew even louder.
I glanced at the remaining time and shouted at them.
“Hurry!”
Michael and Ma Jeongwoo synced up perfectly, pushing the bottom of the hourglass with all their might.
One-. Two-. Three!
Boom!
* * * * *
The hourglass's transparent cylinder had turned halfway. The hologram time, rapidly dwindling before my eyes, came to a stop.
[The hourglass has stopped.]
[From this moment, Raphael's barrier strengthens.]
I let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew!”
Looking at the remaining time made my hands tremble.
[Remaining Time: 00:00:03]
A little later, and we'd have failed the mission. Failure meant death, so it was truly a close call.
[The second story flow of the eleventh round has ended.]
[From this moment, the third story flow begins.]
[Break Gabriel's seal and return her to Heaven.]
I looked at the hourglass.
There was a beautiful archangel draped in a thin robe over golden wings. She was unconscious, showing no sign of movement.
“Where's Lucifer's soul?”
Jeongwoo answered my mutter.
“It's trapped over there.”
He pointed at Lucifer in the iceberg.
“No, that's just a part of Lucifer's soul. The main body isn't there.”
“……Really?”
“Yeah…. Hmm. To break the seal, we need to separate him from Gabriel, but I don’t know where he is.”
Ma Jeongwoo shrugged.
“Isn’t it hiding in the sand?”
“In the sand?”
“Yeah, just separate the sand grains from Gabriel. Then Lucifer's soul will naturally be left behind, right?”
There was no reason for Lucifer's soul to hide in the sand specifically.
He wasn't lying in wait knowing our plan ahead of time, nor was he the type to cower and hide.
“……For now, we need Michael to separate them, so let’s wait a bit.”
My mind was a mess.
Lucifer's soul, which should be sealed inside the hourglass, was nowhere to be seen. I had no clue what to do. Michael should arrive soon since time was up. I dreaded to think what might happen if I couldn't figure it out.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
“You damned bastards!”
I whipped my head toward the enraged roar.
Park Gyuhwan and Gawain lay collapsed before the bloodied Beelzebub.
They were strong enough to rival top players, yet they'd crumbled so easily against an injured Beelzebub.
Even the mythic being Ares had lost one arm, unable to properly wield his spear.
As I moved to step in, Jeongwoo beat me to it, lunging at the demon.
His swinging axe clashed with Beelzebub's fist.
Their auras twisted together like a braid, sending vibrations through the air.
Jeongwoo smirked at him.
“Want to die again?”
“Shut up and flip the hourglass back.”
“……Nah, don’t feel like it.”
Beelzebub ground his teeth, then struck Jeongwoo's axe upward with a venomous glare.
Flash!
It looked like they'd clash again, but he transformed his body into flies and scattered in all directions.
Jeongwoo swung his axe to whip up wind, trying to block the demon's movements, but there were too many.
Whiiiir-.
Beelzebub was heading for the iceberg trapping Lucifer. The flies began burrowing one by one through the ice into Lucifer's body.
‘……No way.’
I ordered one skeleton soldier to retrieve the fallen scythe.
“Ma Jeongwoo! Flip the hourglass all the way!”
“The hourglass?”
“Yeah. Make the top where Gabriel's trapped become the bottom.”
“……Got it.”
Jeongwoo teamed up with Michael to turn the hourglass again. I summoned all my minions into the room and surrounded the iceberg.
If my guess was right, Beelzebub was...
Drip.
Cracks began forming on the iceberg holding Lucifer.
Crackle.
I gripped the scythe tightly, ready to swing.
Craaackle.
Dark aura leaked from the fissures in the iceberg. Kim Yeonhee and Yoo Sora stuck close to my side, preparing to fight.
We held our breath, watching the iceberg.
“……As I thought.”
Boom!
The iceberg shattered, and Lucifer emerged from within. His presence felt different from before.
Killing intent spread through the room, raising goosebumps.
Lucifer glared down at me with cold eyes. Had he merged with Beelzebub? Or was he just borrowing his power?
His aura was even stronger than before being frozen.
“Kim Cheonjae, you're hindering me to the end.”
“……Thanks for the compliment.”
“Do you even know what you're doing right now?”
“Of course.”
The grand operation to rescue Gabriel, mother of countless angels.
How could I not?
“How much time do you think has passed in that hourglass?”
“……”
“Three thousand years. Three thousand. It was flowing before you were even born.”
I shrugged.
“Bragging about your long life?”
“What do you think I was doing inside there for three thousand years?”
“……No idea?”
Lucifer chuckled.
“Heh, I knew it. I know why you came this far.”
“……”
“But things won’t go as you plan. You underestimated me.”
Creak. Creeeak.
The hourglass began flowing backward. One side of the divided cylinder slowly filled with golden sand grains.
[‘Dragon’s Hourglass’ activates.]
[Hell’s time begins flowing in reverse.]
Raphael's barrier time, frozen at 3 seconds, started moving again.
But this time, it was increasing instead of decreasing.
[Remaining Time: 00:00:59]
“No, I’ve never underestimated you, not from the start.”
“……”
“I know what happens if you let your guard down even a little against you.”
“You talk like you know me so well.”
“I do. Even the extent of your hidden power.”
Lucifer nodded twice with a subtle expression, then spoke lowly.
“Then I won’t hold back from now on. Not my full power, but I can properly use one arm at least.”
Flash!
Lucifer leaped toward me.
In that moment, Yoo Sora injected herself and charged forward.
“I’ll help you, Cheonjae!”
Thud!
Lucifer's fist met Yoo Sora's kick in midair.
She, who'd been nothing but dead weight and a headache until now, displayed unimaginable power.
She blocked his attack with martial artist-like strength and skill.
Of course, she couldn't do anything beyond defense.
Still, it was huge progress.
“Jeongwoo, you know you can’t step in, right?”
“……”
“Even if one of us dies, you guard this place. That’s for the best.”
“……Got it.”
I raised the scythe and charged at Lucifer. Michael and Kim Yeonhee joined me, clashing with him.
The fight started off fierce,
but soon one by one, we began collapsing.
Compared to the real Lucifer, this was less than a tenth of his power, but it was still too much for us now.
We hadn't yet obtained the key to facing the Demon King, Lucifer.
Whoosh-
Lucifer's sweeping fist resonated through the air, sending us flying.
Boom!
I slammed into the wall and crumpled.
Cough-.
Blood spurted from my mouth.
The others were in the same state.
Most of my skeleton soldiers were shattered.
Park Gyuhwan, Gawain, and Ares were already out of commission.
I gathered saliva in my mouth, spat it out, and stood right back up.
Ptooey.
“Not bad.”
Lucifer snickered.
“Even a dying man’s mouth still works.”
“Only my mouth?”
“Or what?”
“……Who knows.”
I could feel it.
A powerful holy aura emanating strongly from not far away. Lucifer noticed it too, furrowing his brow.
“Michael.”
“Looks like your friend arrived right on time.”
“……”
Lucifer closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and said to me.
“Kim Cheonjae.”
“Yeah?”
“You’ll regret today’s actions.”
“……?”
“With your current power, if you break the hourglass seal, you won’t be able to handle what comes after.”