Chapter 516
Chapter 516
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 516
Chapter Title: Clash (2)
The blade sliced through the empty air, blood sprayed, and chunks of flesh scattered.
It was a repetitive task that had been carried out so many times it almost felt tedious.
But no one truly found it boring.
"Kahahahat! You're really something! I can't even remember the last time I got beaten this badly!"
The existence of that monster—regenerating endlessly even after being torn apart, laughing maniacally as it charged forward—was straight out of a horror movie.
-Kuhahat! This is fun! A body immune to this one's curse?
'Shut up.'
-No, that's not quite right. The unrecoverable curse is definitely taking effect. It's just pouring in life force on a near-divine level to ignore it and forcibly stitch itself back together. Inefficient, but the most reliable method there is.
'I said shut up.'
The Dark Knight grimaced at the familiar headache and gripped the hilt of the demonic sword Vabnil even tighter.
Thanks to his Unique Skill Master of Divine Weapons, he could wield any weapon without penalty, but this accursed blade was a demonic beast that even his extraordinary ability couldn't easily control.
-Kukukuk— Hero, what are you planning now? That monster seems to be building resistance the more it takes hits.
'Doesn't matter. If it won't die after ten or a hundred strikes, I'll just keep slashing until it does.'
-That might not be a bad approach. No matter how much life force it has in reserve, there's a limit. That energy source it's carrying looks like one of the 'Roots of Evil,' but wasting it so inefficiently will dry it up eventually.
'I know. So shut your mouth.'
The Dark Knight's blade cleaved through the air once more.
At the same time, the monster—now reduced to about two meters in size—split cleanly in half.
But even after landing the strike, he couldn't help furrowing his brow.
"Kraaa! So close! I swear I saw it this time!"
A voice as boisterous as the chatty demonic sword boomed out.
Despite its body being bisected and the curse's energy endlessly burrowing in, it showed no sign of concern.
'Its reactions are getting faster.'
The tiny errors in his strike points, which had been off by mere fractions, were growing larger.
It wasn't critical yet, but in real combat where a single falter could decide victory or death, it was a serious issue.
And that wasn't the only problem nagging at him.
-Its body's evolution is faster than expected. The resistance is so strong now it's several times tougher than at the start. It'll soon reach the limit of one-shot kills, won't it?
'Even so, it'll end in my victory. No issue.'
-Kuhahat! This is fun, so much fun! Who the hell made that monster and unleashed it on the world? It's even more vicious than that Demon King bastard!
The demonic sword's laughter echoing in his mind made the Dark Knight's eyes twitch.
In the otherworld he'd come from, the Demon King was the terror that had invaded the world and declared war on all humanity—the previous owner of the demonic sword Vabnil.
The absolute evil that had turned him, chosen by the holy sword as a hero, back time and again, costing him companions each time.
If not for the heroic sacrifice of over a hundred elite warriors in the final battle.
If the holy sword hadn't fought to the end, exhausting all its power and vanishing to create an opening.
If he hadn't seized the moment of the Demon King's carelessness to use Master of Divine Weapons and steal the demonic sword...
'I never could've killed it.'
But things were different now.
Having become the master of the demonic sword Vabnil and slain the Demon King, he had already surpassed the fiend at its peak.
No matter how much time it took, he could handle a regenerating monster like this on his own.
-True, I agree. If not for that walking corpse up there. Kukukuk.
'......'
-This is a masterpiece. The monster's already beyond common sense, but that one's on another level. No wonder it dared challenge the Reverse Heaven Society Leader.
The Dark Knight's gaze shifted upward.
Toward the incarnation of death, radiating an aura horrific enough to upend the world, casually handling multiple transcendents.
Toward Hwapal, the Reverse Heaven Society's top extermination target.
[Persistent vermin. But futile resistance.]
A chilling voice rang out as massive magic circles blanketed the sky.
Energy condensed in an instant, birthing dozens of black suns that adorned the heavens.
"This might really send us to the afterlife."
"I heard Hwapal's a necromancer..."
"No time for complaints! Incoming!"
The Reverse Heaven Society members ground their teeth at the large-scale spell activation with no chance to interfere.
If they were just numerous but weak, it might be manageable, but each one was an ultimate magic even transcendents couldn't dismiss lightly.
Even if this was a space Hwapal had prepared in advance, completing them with a mere wave of the hand was insane.
[Wretched insects. Kneel and face the terror of death.]
Beams of dark light erupted from the black suns, bombarding the ground.
The essence of destruction, reminiscent of a dragon's breath, was thick with death energy hungering for the living.
"Barrier up! Everyone, brace yourselves!"
"Kuh, vicious."
But the Reverse Heaven Society's transcendents were no pushovers.
They too had surpassed their limits, reaching the pinnacle in their worlds and proving their worth.
Kugugugu—!
With so many gathered, they endured the indiscriminate barrage without a single casualty.
No, they didn't settle for mere defense.
Swish—
Space warped, and four figures appeared around the floating Hans.
They had coordinated a counterattack mid-defense, buffed auras shimmering faintly around them.
"Hup!"
One reached out and clenched the air, instantly twisting logic and shattering Hans's myriad defenses.
A momentary gap.
And these heroes of reversal weren't naive enough to waste it.
"Now!"
The Society had thoroughly analyzed Hwapal.
They knew he possessed an undead body immune to normal methods.
They just hadn't been able to pin his position until now, but countermeasures were prepared.
Shiaaak—!
Skills infused with sealing power, swords laden with divine energy, beams of holy radiance.
Attacks even Hans couldn't ignore easily targeted the gap.
He instinctively knew: taking them undefended would mean serious trouble, even for him.
Kang—! Kugugugu!
Of course.
That was only if they hit.
[How dare this insolent fool! Lay hands on the king's sacred body?!]
"Intriguing sword technique. I've never seen it before."
"...Blasphemous. For defiling the great master's authority with your arrogance, I shall pluck out your eyes and tongue, twist your limbs, and make you atone for eons."
The perfect ambush ended in failure as figures appeared in an instant.
Hans repaired his defenses and slowly turned to the intruders, who looked flustered by the sudden intervention.
Karam, the Heavenly Demon, the Scribe, and minions surrounding them.
[Not bad.]
He said no more.
No need.
Dozens of elite undead beginning to take form spoke for him.
"Kuh!"
"Plan failed! Pull back!"
The ambushers retreated hastily under the overwhelming pressure spreading in the silence.
Any countermeasures were useless now.
Against a powerhouse like Hwapal, numerical superiority was key—but now it was completely reversed.
'No, we expected summons since he's a necromancer. But...'
'What are those monsters? They're on our level, and there are so many.'
'Miscalculation. Hwapal is an entire legion. We need to retreat for now...'
From Immortal Legion executives to Abyss Revenants from Awakeners, yokai jiangshi, demon-forged monsters.
The cream of Hans's collection from traversing worlds appeared one by one.
The balance shattered in an instant, making prior standoffs seem laughable.
As the tide turned, even the Dark Knight battling the persistent Harley couldn't help frowning.
He'd planned to finish this leech quickly and join while the others bought time.
-Kuhahat! Beyond expectations. I guessed from the death aura, but this many transcendent undead? Kukukuk!
'Is that possible? I thought the burden on the user grows with the quantity and quality of undead.'
-Why not? You martial-focused hero might not get it, but that's what necromancers are. Especially a divine being who embraced death fully and remade itself as undead!
The demonic sword, delighted by his predicament, continued gleefully.
-That one's Root of Evil rivals mine. Unlike you, rejecting me to my end and just using my power, it's fully integrated and building divinity atop it.
'......'
-It's practically the God of Death already. Its divinity isn't complete yet, but it could grow to threaten the Society Leader someday.
As the sword yammered in his head, the undead finally charged the Society's transcendents.
Pure combat power favored the Society—they'd amassed karma proportional to their realms, with numerous Unique Skill enhancements.
The issue was...
[Kukukuk! A bountiful harvest. So many fine vessels! I owe the Doctor. Mecha Demons and this opportunity as gifts.]
Hwapal at the center.
The other undead were mere pawns.
Destroying a few meant nothing.
The damage would cost lives, replenishing the enemy's forces.
The Dark Knight couldn't easily assist either.
"Kahahat! Waited long, friend! Now we can really go at it! Let's have some fun!"
Full resistance let Harley start enduring his strikes, leaving no spare attention elsewhere.
Victory was still his, but an undying monster clinging on was a huge burden now.
'Society Leader.'
Stuck in a dilemma, the frustrated Dark Knight closed his eyes, recalling Earth's absolute being who summoned him.
The new world plan was essential—not just against future outer god invasions, but for his personal wish.
'...No choice.'
He glanced at his black armor.
The corrosion-suppressing magic armor the Doctor made on the Leader's orders.
Necessary for controlling Vabnil smoothly, but now wasn't the time for scruples.
-Oh! Finally! Yes, that's it, Hero!
Ignoring the excited sword, he slashed the charging Harley and reached for his helmet.
The moment he gripped it to remove...
[That's far enough.]
A single phrase echoed softly.
A bizarre voice piercing the battlefield din straight into his mind.
The Dark Knight's body froze.
...Nor was he alone.
The warzone fell eerily silent in an instant.
Society transcendents, freshly summoned rampaging undead—all halted.
Even—
'Kuh, this... no way?'
—Hans and Harley.
In the abruptly tense air.
Accompanied by oppressive pressure permeating space and deliberate footsteps, one being slowly revealed itself.
"...You've been quite the handful. Didn't expect the Doctor to fall too."
The one closest to Earth's god.
The Reverse Heaven Society Leader had arrived.