Chapter 474
Chapter 474
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 122
>Chapter Title: One (1)
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-Whoosh!
Black flames leaped over.
The moment they spread from his forehead to his head and throughout his entire body, Mok Kyung-un's pupils shook at an incredible speed, too fast for the eyes to follow.
From the instant the flames ignited, a massive flood of memories poured in, churning his mind as if to tear it apart.
Even the brief fragments that flowed in already surpassed the years Mok Kyung-un had lived by far.
It was the process of one birth.
Even the form taking shape amid darkness and chaos remained etched in memory.
‘Stop······.’
Mok Kyung-un desperately sent out his will.
The overwhelming memories weren't mere recollections.
Even the bizarre sensations from the chaos were vividly transmitted.
That was why, just from the influx of memories, Mok Kyung-un felt pain as if his brain would burst.
‘Enough······. Stop it.’
-Endure the agony. This is precisely why we waited until you attained the proper realm.
The will of the Demon King echoed in his ears.
His head felt like it would explode from the vast memories, yet Mok Kyung-un understood.
Had his mental awakening through enlightenment not been complete, he might have instantly lost his sanity and reasoning from these memories.
Still, the danger remained the same.
The surging memories were gradually blurring the will of Mok Kyung-un, who had lived only eighteen short years.
At this rate, it was clear he would be devoured.
Was it passing on these memories to erode him like this?
‘Kuh······.’
As Mok Kyung-un writhed in torment, the voice rang in his ears once more.
-Even reborn as a human, your latent potential is boundless. Didn't you say the years lived hold no meaning? My vessel.
‘······.’
Despite these words, Mok Kyung-un's eyes grew ever hazier.
He was gradually being overtaken by the memories.
At that moment, the black flames spoke in a meaningful tone.
-Will you yield here and lose yet another precious existence?
‘······!!!!!’
It was right then.
Mok Kyung-un's trembling pupils stilled, and a fierce glint burst from his eyes.
At this sight, the black flames blazed even brighter, flickering wildly.
With that, the memories that had merely flowed into Mok Kyung-un's mind began to appear vividly.
A red sky, and three moons.
A bizarre world devoid of clouds, dyed entirely in brown hues.
This was not the present realm.
Across the vast expanse of this strange world, countless beings gazed up at him in reverence.
And countless memories flashed by, all stained with blood and death.
Even across tens, hundreds, thousands of years, the endless hellscape and slaughter continued without end.
How many had died in that chaos?
Beings with pure white wings fell endlessly by his hand, fearing and cursing him at every moment.
The memories were filled with long eons marked solely by blood and ceaseless war, gradually giving way to emptiness and exhaustion amid it all.
Then, a door opened, revealing a world bathed in beautiful moonlight.
The instant they beheld it, vitality surged through him in the memory and all his kin, new vigor welling up.
[No need to cling to that world of endless blood and ruin.]
Let us make this beautiful place our new home.
With a little cultivation, there would be no need to clash with them.
In pursuing this ideal and exploring the world, he realized they too had taken an interest in it.
Thus, he came to understand he could not approach rashly.
Fortunately, this world had day and night—his kin struggled to endure the day, while they faltered at night.
Without eliminating day, claiming this as a new home would prove difficult.
What to do?
As he pondered atop a mountain peak, gazing down, an unforgettable presence from his memories appeared.
[A female?]
[Yes, it seems so. Ra······.]
[Enough. Kill it and dispose of the corpse.]
[As you command.]
A pathetic creature native to this place, called human.
Quite beautiful for a female, but such things held no meaning for him.
Yet,
[Female? You talk like a real asshole, you fucking male.]
‘!?’
For the first time in his life, he felt a fresh shock from the unheard curses.
The beings of this world revered him as a god, all myriad demons looked up to him, and even his enemies feared him as an object of terror—no one dared speak carelessly.
Yet this insignificant human dared to speak to him thus?
[How dare you!]
His attendant, Taura, flew into a rage and moved to kill the woman.
But once intrigued, he did not let it go easily, so he forbade it.
[Leave her be.]
[Pardon?]
[I said leave her.]
Taura's attendant gazed at him with utter incomprehension.
He viewed humans as less than livestock or insects, so it was a natural reaction.
This became the moment that shattered his long-standing fate and cleaved a new path.
At the time, there was no regret.
Meeting her only confirmed his decision was right.
She was like him, and they fell ever deeper for each other.
Though endless wars with them kept him away for long periods, forcing brief meetings, it was enough.
But she was merely human.
Her short lifespan was heartbreaking.
However,
[Someone once told me this: it's precisely because it's short that it sparkles all the more. We can live that way too, right?]
[Short, so it sparkles······.]
How wise.
Fleeting as it was, just as she said, everything sparkled with beauty.
He even thought perhaps his destiny was not destruction and ruin, but born for these moments.
What if he too had been born human, like her?
Then he could walk alongside her life.
It was one such day.
[What is it?]
[Forgive us. Their leader is personally leading a great army to invade our main stronghold right now.]
[······Talisha.]
The one who called themselves the Heavenly Tribe or the kin of gods—their leader.
He had warred against them for long ages.
Just as the war felt like inertia, their leader coming personally?
‘Perhaps it's time to end it.’
They too coveted this beautiful world.
For her sake, maybe he needed to decisively conclude the war.
In the end, he returned and waged total war against them.
With both tribes' leaders joining, the battle was fiercer and grander than any before, incomparable in scale.
Their forces being evenly matched, the war and standoff dragged on endlessly.
-Boom boom boom!
Amid this, his core throbbed unusually, swept by a bizarre unease.
Did that premonition hit true?
The kin he sent to scout urgently reported.
[My king. It seems they've intervened there.]
[What?]
With a hunch, the Demon King opened the door and headed there.
He had connected a door to the shrine in the lunar vein just in case.
'Ah······.'
Passing through, the first thing that caught his eye was her in red bridal robes and a golden crown, radiant and fair.
A genuine gasp escaped him.
Lost in her beauty for a moment, he soon sensed ominous auras nearby and launched himself without time to think.
There, he witnessed a scene too shocking.
Someone ripping out her heart and crushing it—a gruesome sight.
‘!!!!!!!!’
In that instant, he lost his reason for the first time.
Identity be damned—his mind filled only with murderous intent.
-Krunch!
“Gaaahhh! W-Who······.”
“I'll kill you.”
-Kaboom kaboom kaboom boom!
Not content with twisting off the bastard's arms, he grabbed his legs and hurled him in all directions until his rage subsided.
-Rumble rumble rumble!
The hall's ceiling collapsed as he ripped out the pulp-faced bastard's heart and crushed it.
And still not enough, he tore off the head before death.
Having slain him in an instant, he rushed to embrace her.
Her body temperature, heart torn out, was rapidly cooling.
[Sowol······.]
Was she passing like this?
She said she'd return—why go without waiting?
Then, she arduously opened her eyes.
A momentary miracle?
[Kuh······.]
Seeing her awake, he sobbed.
His chest tore with unbearable pain.
-Drip!
A blood-tinged tear rolled down his cheek.
She placed her hand on it, struggling to part her lips.
-If we meet again······. I wanted to······. be your······. bride······.
Me too.
You alone are my bride.
Clutching her weakening hand tightly, he said.
[You were beautiful······. So beautiful, like a single red peony.]
At his words, a smile graced her lips, then her eyelids closed.
“Uwaaaaaahhh!”
At her passing in his arms, he wailed and roared.
The one love found after endless ages lost so futilely—his heart shattered in agony.
As he grieved, the sky darkened, space rippled, and a massive door opened.
A red sky appeared, with hundreds of white-winged beings fluttering.
He looked up.
-Grind!
Was it you who meddled in this?
Did you truly desire it this much?
-Roooar!
Atop the red sky loomed a being more splendid and gigantic than the others, with iridescent white wings emitting rainbow lights—he reached out.
-Shing!
The black bracelet on his wrist transformed into a black sword.
[The price······. is death alone.]
-Fwoosh!
He launched toward the red sky.
* * *
The battle lasted dozens of days.
The result was near mutual destruction.
Though most of his kin followed him in the prolonged fight, scarcely any survived—the outcome was that brutal.
‘Should have killed him for sure.’
Regrettable not finishing the bastard, but he succeeded in inflicting a fatal wound that pierced the core.
At the cost of equal sacrifice, of course.
Returning to the stronghold injured.
The war not over, his limbs were all at the front; only some attendants guarded here.
As he recovered,
[No. He is still recuperating.]
[Step aside. Unless you want to die.]
[But······.]
[I have urgent matters to report to him.]
The voice outside belonged to attendant Taura.
Despite desperate attempts to block him, he couldn't match the strong one's power.
Taura slaughtered them all, forced open the audience chamber, and entered.
[I clearly said no one enters.]
[You did. But there's no other chance than now.]
Killing intent sharpened in the bastard's voice and eyes.
He set something down; it glowed, creating a rippling spatial door.
-Hummm.
[What are you doing?]
[One last check of your true intent.]
[What do you mean?]
[Order me now. Command me to enter that world and exterminate all those vermin.]
What nonsense in this situation?
Uninjured, he'd punish him, but not now.
[I clearly said I wouldn't conquer that place.]
[Ha······. This isn't the you I know. Shouldn't you prioritize the tribe above all? Showing mercy to vermin for one human wench?]
[Taura. No more insolence will be tolerated.]
At that, Taura suddenly laughed maniacally.
[Kuhahaha! So it's true—the Heavenly Tribe king's divine sword pierced your core.]
[······.]
[I'll go there now, remove everything that weakened you, restore you to your original state. Understand my loyalty.]
[Taura!]
[First, I'll kill that wench and send her head.]
She was already dead.
But with grief and rage unrested, he couldn't endure it.
Unable to contain his fury, the Demon King halted recovery and lunged at him.
However,
[Is this······. all? You've truly weakened.]
Severely wounded, he couldn't exert full power.
Taura seized his head and chest.
[You know what I can do, right?]
[Taura······.]
[Leading the tribe in your weakened state is impossible now. And that frail heart too.]
[Cough cough. You've twisted, Taura.]
[Hmph!]
-Shooo!
Taura began absorbing his remaining demonic energy.
'Hah······.'
Weakened but not fully depleted, he could resist, yet he soon ceased.
With her gone from the world, what meaning in living like this?
No attachment left to a world of endless killing.
After much time, Taura, having absorbed nearly all, mocked confidently.
[Disappointing. The supreme warrior, incarnation of black flames, not even resisting.]
To such Taura, the now haggard, powerless one said.
[End it with me.]
[······What did you say?]
[I permit you to lead the tribe, so abandon interest in that place.]
-Grind!
At this, Taura sneered in disappointment.
Then lifted his body high.
-Thud!
[What are you doing?]
[To the end, that human wench like a vermin is all to you.]
[She's not everything. Not as you think······.]
[Enough. I see well how you regard the tribe. If you love that place so, rot there forever.]
[Taura!]
To him, Taura whispered with a sinister smile.
[Ah! Forgot this. How did they know about your woman?]
His pupils shook wildly.
[You······. Don't tell me······.]
[Heh heh heh. They'll come for you. Run and eke out survival. If you can in that state.]
-Fwoosh!
Thus, the bastard hurled him through the door.
The opened gate led to high skies.
Unknowing the truth, he'd have deemed death preferable.
But now, he couldn't.
In his current body, falling meant no survival, so he drew residual demonic energy.
-Whoosh!
Black flames enveloped him.
Thus protected, he plummeted at tremendous speed.
-Thud!
Though shielded by black flame demonic energy, the jarring pain shook his innards.
As he nearly collapsed, eyes caught someone.
An elder prostrating tearfully toward him.
A human worshiping him?
-Thud!
Energy depleted, flames vanished; he crumpled.
The elder rushed, supported him, checked his pulse.
[O incarnation. I am your lowly servant. Please, let me save you.]
[Do as you will.]
Declaring himself Jang Moon-no, protector of the Baekhwa Cult, he carried the Demon King toward a large village for herbs.
The village was Yongmun in Guangdong Province.
In a deserted alley, seating him briefly, Jang Moon-no said.
[I will fetch herbs. Wait here a moment. I'll return soon.]
[······Do so.]
After Jang Moon-no left, the Demon King, leaning against the wall, touched his core.
Core pierced and energy nearly all stolen, death loomed— no exaggeration.
Would he dissipate like this?
-Grind!
How tragic.
Should he have mutually destroyed the bastard at all costs?
Resenting not choosing the tribe, lacking attachment to life, his surrender became fatal error.
Powerless now, even survival offered no hope.
But right then.
-Flinch!
He sensed their energy somewhere.
Undoubtedly the Heavenly Tribe.
As Taura said, hunting him?
-Swish swish.
They approached.
Though most demonic energy lost, his tribe's unique aura and core-sensing ability let him detect instantly.
-Clench!
Clutching his chest, he moved.
Not dying here yet.
-Fwoosh!
Onto the roof, he fled opposite their auras.
-Ache throb!
But core pierced and energy gone, free movement impossible.
Crossing roofs, pain overwhelmed; he fell.
[Urk!]
-Crash!
Coincidentally, onto a carriage.
Crashing through, inside: a woman unconscious from collision, cradling a baby.
[Wah wah!]
Crying infant.
Tiny, newborn.
Gazing long, his eyes turned bitter.
Had she lived, would they have had such a child?
But now, mere vain longing.
He wasn't human, so she couldn't bear······.
[Ah······.]
Human······.
Wanting to walk her life as equals, he'd yearned to become human.
Desperately wished, yet leading tribe prevented it; he'd abandoned.
Now, no reason to abandon.
Gazing at the baby long, he placed hand on it.
-Swish swish.
Energies presumed theirs neared.
In this state, abandoning core for humanity would evade their eyes.
But exhausting all power to become human might dissipate his consciousness and self.
He was that weakened.
No choice left.
‘Yes.’
Better to sparkle as human like her—a fitting end.
Stroking the baby, the Demon King murmured softly.
[Sowol······. I miss you.]
-Whoosh!
His body soon wrapped in black flames, form shrinking gradually.
And within those flames, beside the crying baby, sat another identical infant.
[Chapter 122 One (1)] End
ⓒ Han Jung-wol-ya