Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Ruins (3)
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“That’s what you want? To get beat up? Then I’ll grant your wish.”
Demian opened his subsapce and smoothly pulled out a hexagonal club.
The moment the club appeared, Nos. 1, 2, and 3 let out shrill screams.
“To think I showed you mercy, and you make this foolish choice...”
Hayden looked at Demian with a face full of derision.
“Or do you not even know who I am? If you did, you wouldn’t dare pull this crap.”
“I’ve got a rough idea.”
“A rough idea? How can you be so ignorant! So that’s why you made this pathetic choice! But ignorance isn’t a crime, so I’ll let it slide.”
Hayden clicked his tongue in pity.
“My name is Hayden Oldenburg! Some call me this: Hayden, who stops crying children in their tracks! The majestic Hayden! Know why?”
Hayden placed a hand on his chest.
“Because I’m a Mid-Class Knight.”
Demian’s face twisted in irritation at hearing information he already knew.
“Oh, but don’t think I’m just any ordinary Mid-Class! I’ve fought and beaten countless other Mid-Class Knights—I’m the real deal among the real! That’s why some call me...”
“Shut up and draw your sword already?”
Demian snapped irritably. Hayden shook his head slowly with a pitiful expression.
“I was going to give you one last chance... but you blow it again. Fine. No more mercy from me.”
Hayden slowly drew the sword at his waist. It was a fine blade, its edge gleaming sharply.
“I won’t take your life. My warning was just for one arm... I’ll cut it clean and even give you first aid.”
Hayden gathered mana. A sharp, bluish energy pressed down on Demian.
“Abiyohot! Ohyooot!”
Hayden charged with a bizarre kiai. The Aura-laced blade bore down on Demian.
‘Not all talk after all.’
Same realm didn’t mean same skill. Even within the same realm, there were levels of proficiency.
Hayden was among the top tier of Mid-Class Knights. His refined swordsmanship proved it.
But a Mid-Class was still just a Mid-Class. Hayden’s attacks couldn’t even graze Demian.
“Not bad agility! But that won’t block my swordsmanship! Yo-hot!”
Suddenly, Hayden’s Aura stretched like a whip. As he swung wildly, the extended Aura surrounded Demian.
“I’ll dice you up like shredded potatoes!”
The Aura closed in. Just before it hit, Demian gripped the club with both hands and smashed the Aura whip. Seeing this, Hayden burst into mocking laughter.
“Have you ever seen such an idiot! A wooden club can’t block Au—”
A sound like shattering porcelain rang out as Hayden’s Aura splintered apart. Hayden’s jaw dropped at the sight.
“...ra?”
Seizing the opening from Hayden’s confusion, Demian smashed the club down on his crown.
Crack.
With a dull thud, Hayden’s head jerked forward. Nos. 1, 2, and 3 screamed and clutched their own heads at the sight.
“Guh, guaaah!”
Hayden clutched his head and staggered back. Realizing his scalp was intact, he muttered in shock.
“Huh? Wh-what? I thought my head exploded...”
“Got time for daydreaming, huh?”
Demian had slipped behind him and now smashed the club into the back of his head.
The surprise attack left no time to defend. Hayden groaned, clutching his skull.
“He hit me again!”
Hayden whirled around in rage, but no one was there.
“Huh, no one...”
In that instant, the club smashed his occiput again. Hayden’s body swayed violently.
“Keep your eyes open and watch.”
Demian began relentlessly tapping Hayden’s head with the club.
Hayden’s skill couldn’t track Demian’s movements. He could only take the beating helplessly.
“St-stop!”
Hayden thrust out both palms and yelled. Demian halted.
“Why, why only my head! Do you think I’m a drum or something!”
Hayden protested, voice cracking. Demian tilted his head.
“Then should I hit somewhere else?”
“Of course you shou— No, I didn’t mean hit me...!”
Demian’s club swung again. This time, it evenly struck all over Hayden’s body.
“Argh! Guh! Ack!”
Hayden screamed with every blow.
“W-wait! St-stop!”
After a thorough beating, Hayden yelled, and Demian paused.
“Y-you! D-do you know who I serve? Sir Duplis!”
Hayden’s face lit up with smug triumph.
As if saying the name alone would make Demian tremble.
The problem was Demian had no idea who Duplis even was.
“Bigturn! Bigturn!”
Tievo rushed up and whispered to Demian.
“Sir Duplis is one of the High-Class Knights of the Macadamia Kingdom. Famous for his masterful spearwork!”
“...You really know way too much about this place.”
“We bought info from an intelligence network. Bound to be detailed.”
Tievo said sheepishly.
“That grubby guy over there knows well! Now do you get it? Keep beating me, and your future’s doomed!”
Hayden added confidently.
“Like he said, Sir Duplis is High-Class!”
Silence fell briefly. Demian said curtly.
“Ah, I see.”
Then he resumed pummeling Hayden.
“Eek! Wait! Stop!”
This time, even Hayden’s begging didn’t stop it.
* * *
Hayden’s beating finally ended after quite a while.
Demian stored the now-polished club back in his subsapce.
“Feels good to vent for once.”
Tievo stared at Demian in horror.
“What? Something to say?”
“N-no! Nothing at all!”
Tievo shook his head vigorously.
“Let’s go grab a room.”
There was a lot to do today. They needed to plan finding Gasdal based on the map from the ruins.
“Y-you... giving me this humiliation...!”
Then.
Hayden staggered to his feet. No wounds, but the beating left him unsteady.
“You think I’ll take this lying down?”
Hayden pulled something from his pocket. An oval metal egg.
The moment Demian saw it, his eyes turned fierce.
It wasn’t ordinary. A relic from the ruins—open the lid and throw for an explosion.
“You lunatic. You gonna use that?”
“Oho... you know what it is? Then you know how powerful!”
If it blew, everything within 20 meters would vanish without a trace.
“Even you can’t shrug this off!”
Nonsense.
Since reaching High-Class, Demian’s body was protected by his guardian aura.
That bomb couldn’t kill him. Not one, not a hundred.
The issue was everyone else dying.
Demian never saw himself as selfless.
But if innocents died because of his fight, he wouldn’t sleep easy.
“If you set that off, I won’t hold back.”
“Ooh, scary. Try blocking it!”
As Hayden gripped the lid, Demian activated Berserk Light Speed. He planned to snap his neck instantly.
Then something flew in fast. A dagger pierced Hayden’s forearm and pinned it to the ground.
“Gaaah!”
Hayden screamed and dropped the bomb. He clutched his bleeding arm, groaning.
“What the hell?”
A stern voice rang out. Demian looked toward it.
A stern voice came again. A knight in heavy armor approached with soldiers.
Their uniforms bore the White Kingdom’s emblem.
“...S-Sir Domenico!”
Hayden paled and yelled at the sight.
“I’ll ask again. What were you about to do? Explode that dangerous relic here?”
The helmet hid the knight’s face.
But his fury was clear.
Under Domenico’s intimidating tone, Hayden sweated bullets.
“N-not me! Question that commoner over there! Some no-name scum dared touch me... a noble!”
“Absurd. I’m judging your crime right now.”
Domenico picked up the dropped bomb.
“You heard the rules beforehand? In exchange for allowing nobles and knights here, no disturbances on the surface.”
He added coldly.
“Hayden Oldenburg. You broke the rules. You’re banished from the White Kingdom.”
“Wh-what? This can’t be! Sir Duplis won’t stand for it!”
“Do as you like. Take this man away.”
White Kingdom soldiers approached Hayden. He radiated killing intent at them.
“Come closer and I’ll kill you all...”
Then Domenico moved. He closed in and smashed a fist into Hayden’s jaw.
“Guh!”
Hayden’s eyes rolled back as he slumped. The soldiers dragged him away.
“That was close.”
Domenico turned to Demian. Demian admired the sharp gaze from the helmet.
‘High-Class.’
That explained his confidence despite Duplis’s name. A true High-Class powerhouse.
Demian saw deeper, recognizing Domenico’s true worth.
‘Talent to reach Master Class.’
It had been ages since seeing such genius after Sword Empress.
“As security chief, I must apologize. Sorry about that.”
Domenico removed his helmet, revealing a rough, loaf-of-bread face.
Eyes too small to see well, face scarred and fierce. Not handsome by any stretch.
Seeing Domenico’s bare face shocked Demian.
Not for ugliness.
‘...Domingo of Bloody Tears.’
One of the strongest death knights Gasdal kept in his past life.
The cursed monster who slew countless Masters was right there.
* * *
Death Knights were born when body and soul both corrupted.
Death Commanders were undead born from soul corruption alone.
Gasdal gathered excellent knights’ souls to make death commanders, forming his knight order as main force.
Among them, Gasdal’s favorite was Domingo of Bloody Tears.
Gasdal named him Domingo, but humans gave the “Bloody Tears” moniker.
Fittingly, Domingo wept endless red tears. His path left red trails.
‘Domingo must be a twisted reading of Domenico.’
Demian stared openly, so Domenico touched his face.
“Why stare like that? It’s not that handsome.”
“Reminds me of someone.”
“That guy probably isn’t handsome either.”
Domenico laughed heartily. When Demian didn’t smile, he scratched his head awkwardly.
“Anyway, impressive skill. Hayden’s weird but top-tier, hard to find equals. And you smashed him that easily.”
Domenico continued worriedly.
“But reckless. Hayden’s in Duplis’s faction. He won’t let this slide.”
Reasonable worry. No one takes pride wounds quietly.
Especially not a High-Class like Duplis.
“I’ll guard you on the surface as much as I can... but be extra careful in the ruins.”
With that, Domenico turned and left with the soldiers.
Demian watched his back, then noticed.
A woman stood in his path.
A beauty with ink-straight long hair. Calm eyes, skin pale to ghostly.
“Wow... never thought I’d see Lady Frieze outside.”
Tievo sidled up to Demian.
“No wonder nobles flock here. Find the relic sword, claim the White Kingdom—and marry a beauty like her.”
Lady Frieze stuck close as Domenico approached, chattering softly.
Domenico’s face bloomed with smiles.
“Looks like Bigturn’s smitten with the lady too.”
Tievo grinned meaningfully. Demian scowled.
“What nonsense is that?”
“Huh? Then why keep staring at her?”
“That’s...”
Demian looked again. The pair looked blissful.
But that bliss would soon shatter.
Gasdal would slaughter the White Kingdom’s soldiers and knights, absorbing them into his army.
Death Knight memories made their fate feel personal.
He understood why Domenico became Domingo of Bloody Tears.
‘I’ll stop it this time.’
Kill Gasdal before they suffer.
Demian added one more goal.