Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Death Knight (5)
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Demian let go of the sword in his hand.
The longsword made of aurablade decomposed into black mana in an instant and vanished.
Demian raised his head and looked up at the empty sky.
A rift had been carved into the empty air. It was the trace left by the slash Demian had swung.
“Cough.”
Suddenly, blood erupted from his mouth.
He had only swung his sword once, yet his stamina and black mana were completely depleted. On top of that, he had suffered severe internal injuries.
“This body is still too much for it, after all.”
What Demian had just demonstrated was no ordinary slash.
It was a partial recreation of the realm he had achieved as a Death Knight.
‘Sword God’
The realm created by combining all the realms Demian had absorbed.
With Sword God, one could unleash any technique and cleave anything.
The reason Demian could slash through space was all thanks to Sword God.
“Cough, cough.”
Demian spat out blood several more times.
Sword God was an absolute realm, but it had a major problem. It was tailored to the body of a Death Knight.
Dorgo had poured thousands of years of collected resources and his own knowledge into remaking Demian into a Death Knight.
Thanks to that, Demian’s physical abilities back then were comparable to a dragon’s, lacking nothing.
Unleashing a realm created on such a sturdy body with a human one was bound to cause problems.
“I need to reach the master realm as soon as possible.”
That was why Demian intended to discard what he had learned as a Death Knight and build anew.
To reach the master realm not as a Death Knight but as a human, not with black mana but with mana.
That was Demian’s greatest goal right now.
“This is exhausting.”
As he muttered that and took a rest, the split gap began to repair itself. It slowly filled from both ends.
“Hm?”
It was then.
A crimson-black smoke leaked from the rift. Demian knew immediately what it was.
“Isn’t that demonic essence?”
When a demon dies, the power it held gushes out. That was called essence.
Essence was a power different from black mana. It was the demon’s existence itself.
To demons or black mages, essence was no different from a spirit pill. Absorbing it would make anyone vastly stronger.
But to Demian, it was nothing but troublesome trash.
“Absorbing this would make me more demon-like.”
Essence had the side effect of corrupting any lifeform into a demon.
For black mages, that wasn’t a side effect but something to welcome, but not for Demian.
“Guess I’ll just dissipate it.”
As Demian tried to use black magic to scatter the essence,
Suddenly, his hand glowed and sucked it all in. Demian looked at his hand in surprise.
Two patterns were glowing on the back of his hand.
Demian stared at the patterns and shouted in shock.
“The authorities have unlocked?”
In his previous life, Demian had received seven authorities from Dorgo.
For some reason, those authorities remained in Demian’s body even after his regression.
Until now, he could only use the Authority of Gluttony. But now, the second one had been freed.
It was the Authority of Wrath.
The Authority of Gluttony allowed him to decompose and absorb abilities like magic, black magic, and miracles.
In contrast, the Authority of Wrath could amplify anything.
It could amplify physical abilities like strength and agility, the power of sword strikes and magic, even pain.
Among them, the most useful was amplifying black mana.
In his previous life, Demian had used the Authority of Wrath to amplify a handful of black mana and unleash successive grand black magic of 10th rank or higher.
“Unlocking an authority with demonic essence... Did Dorgo do the same in my previous life?”
He couldn’t be sure. When Demian received the authorities from Dorgo, they were all unlocked from the start.
“Not a bad thing.”
Demian’s mind held countless black magics.
From 1st-rank beginner spells to 13th-rank magic that no one but Dorgo had ever reached, he knew them all.
But he couldn’t use all of them. He couldn’t meet the conditions.
Not enough black mana, needed multiple souls, required sacrifices.
To meet those conditions, he’d have to commit the vile acts other black mages did. That was why Demian had sealed all high-rank black magics.
But with the Authority of Wrath, he could at least partially overcome those restrictions, if not completely.
A vague emotion—joy or emptiness—rose within Demian.
“Time to head back. They’ll be worried.”
As Demian rose to return to the city,
“Ugh... Uuugh...”
He turned toward the low groan and saw Perpetuo.
Holy power was specialized in protecting the user and healing wounds.
That was why Perpetuo was still alive after being attacked by the demon.
“Uuugh...”
But his injuries were too severe. Blood streamed from his forehead. Left alone, he would die.
“He’s annoying, but I can’t just let him die.”
Considering Perpetuo’s exploits in his previous life, it was far more beneficial to keep him alive.
That way, he could reduce the number of black mages by at least one more.
Demian drew Dawn. The moment Demian’s hand touched it, Dawn let out a pleased sword cry.
Zing.
“Stop it, you’re giving me chills.”
Zing!
Dawn protested as if offended. Demian clicked his tongue inwardly. Its performance was unparalleled, but this was a headache.
“Heal him.”
Zing!
“I know you hate being held by others, but you can’t let him die.”
Demian forced Dawn’s hilt into Perpetuo’s hand.
Ziiing...
Dawn trembled finely as if truly hating it. Yet it still unleashed holy power to heal Perpetuo.
An explosive light seeped into Perpetuo.
Perpetuo’s wounds healed in an instant. His complexion returned to normal right away. It was terrifying healing power.
Then, a problem arose.
Dawn’s healing was so potent that Perpetuo regained consciousness.
“I-I’m alive...? What the hell happened...? Gah!”
Demian immediately smashed his fist into Perpetuo’s jaw.
His head twisted grotesquely, and Perpetuo passed out again.
Zing?
“Can’t let him see you.”
Demian had given Perpetuo the alias of Victor the Black Mage Woodchopper. He couldn’t show him Dawn now.
“This should do it.”
Demian sheathed Dawn and headed to the city.
* * *
The city’s people were completely gripped by fear.
They had been watching the starlight jellyfish when flames suddenly shot up outside.
At first, everyone was baffled. But when massive explosions rang out one after another from outside, they finally grasped the situation.
“An attack!”
“G-Guard squad! Where are the guards!”
Unlike the panicked people, the knights in the city seemed relatively calm.
“Attacking the castle? Who the hell do they think they are? Time to show them.”
The knights in the city were all figures who had made names for themselves abroad. Some were even high-class.
So they had no fear. They were even eager for battle.
Until another explosion rocked outside.
The explosion caused an earthquake, shaking buildings. Ears rang from the blast.
Such massive explosions didn’t happen just once but repeatedly. The knights felt chills run through their bodies.
“Ca-Casting large-scale magic continuously...?”
“What kind of monster is out there?”
But the real shock was yet to come.
Next, a colossal fire giant appeared. When the fire giant gathered flames in its hand, the world lit up bright as day.
But the next moment, a black wolf appeared and devoured both the fire giant and the fireball at once. The day-like world darkened again.
Thanks to those phenomena, the knights realized bone-deep.
“...Monsters.”
The battle outside wasn’t something the likes of them could interfere in.
“Wh-Where did those bastards come from...”
“We’re gonna die... We’re all gonna die...”
“Damn it... I shouldn’t have come here.”
Not just the knights, but travelers and city residents trembled in the terror of death.
“This can’t be...”
Demian’s family was no exception.
They stared blankly toward the battle with dazed faces.
“Dear...”
Lady Haksen unwittingly grabbed her husband’s hand. Her husband gripped his wife’s hand tightly.
“Everyone, don’t panic. Stay calm in situations like this.”
Count Haksen looked at his family and said. Luise and Ballad, Abel and Olivier nodded with stiff faces.
Then, Count Haksen suddenly said.
“...Where is Demian?”
At his father’s words, the family looked around. Soon, their faces paled.
He was gone.
Demian was nowhere to be seen.
“Where on earth did that boy go?”
“B-Brother! Brother, where are you!”
The family called Demian’s name. They even searched inside the building. But Demian didn’t appear anywhere.
The family gathered back on the rooftop. Everyone’s faces were dark.
“Di-Did anyone see Demian?”
The father asked the hotel staff. The staff all shook their heads.
“Um...”
Then, one staff member raised a hand. It was none other than Victor.
“Victor! Have you seen Demian?”
“Yes... He took my mask earlier and disappeared.”
“Where did he go? Go get him now!”
“I-I don’t know that much, sir.”
At those words, the count frowned and scolded.
“What kind of nonsense is that!”
“I-I really don’t know, sir. I only saw him leave...”
At Victor’s words, the count felt his legs give out. He collapsed to the floor unwittingly.
“Dear!”
“Father!”
The family rushed to support Count Haksen. Still, he couldn’t get up easily.
“De-Demian... We must find Demian. Where did he go at a time like this...”
Suddenly, a foreboding premonition flashed in Count Haksen’s mind.
Count Haksen stared toward the explosions and muttered.
“No way... It can’t be... But... That boy has never stayed put before...?”
It was then.
Flames erupted far away. The flames soon formed the shape of a demon.
It was so enormous its head seemed to touch the stars. It could trample a castle effortlessly.
Faced with this overwhelming sight, the family couldn’t help but tremble in fear.
“...Is the world coming to an end?”
As Count Haksen muttered unwittingly,
A black flash streaked. At the same time, the fire demon split in half and vanished.
Even after the demon disappeared, the rift remained. Like a scar etched into the world.
Stunned by the spectacle, the family couldn’t think. They stood frozen, staring at the rift wordlessly.
Gradually, the rift repaired. The world returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
Yet the family still couldn’t recover from the shock.
“This isn’t the time! We need to find Demian!”
Then, Lady Haksen shouted. At the mother’s words, the family snapped to.
“I’ll check the central square!”
“I’ll go to the north street!”
“You’re all going out in the middle of the night like this?”
At the familiar voice, everyone turned in shock. Demian stood at the rooftop door.
“Demian!”
“Brother!”
The family rushed to Demian without regard for order.
“Demian! You rascal!”
Count Haksen hugged Demian. The other family members piled on, hugging him too. Demian frowned and said.
“You’re suffocating me.”
Even at Demian’s complaint, the family didn’t let go. They just held him.
“Where the hell did you go!”
The father shouted while hugging Demian. Demian held up the paper bag in his hand and said.
“They said there’s a must-buy specialty on festival nights, so I went to get some.”
Silence fell at Demian’s words.
“...You went to buy a specialty?”
“Yes, but then all the commotion started, and I got swept up in the fleeing crowd.”
Demian rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand as if troubled.
“It took a bit to get out.”
At Demian’s words, the family exchanged glances.
“You didn’t... go outside the city, did you?”
Count Haksen asked with deep suspicion. Demian replied incredulously.
“Father, didn’t you see what happened outside? Even I don’t have the ability to get involved in that.”
“R-Right? Yeah? Really?”
At his father’s question, Demian said firmly.
“Of course.”
* * *
When Perpetuo woke, other Holy Knights had already arrived.
“...Am I alive?”
Perpetuo muttered with a dazed face.
The demon’s attack had been incredibly swift and ferocious. Perpetuo had sensed death.
Yet here he was, alive. His wounds had regenerated cleanly. It was utterly incomprehensible.
“Sir Perpetuo, what on earth happened? Who did this to you?”
Perpetuo forcibly stirred his dazed mind to recall.
The Holy Knight who heard Perpetuo’s explanation asked with a face that couldn’t comprehend.
“A demon... overpowered you in one strike?”
“That’s right.”
“According to the city folk’s testimonies, that demon turned into a massive fireball but split in half and vanished. Who could repel such a powerful demon?”
The Holy Church knew about demons.
No, it was more than knowing. They had lists and detailed records.
Thus, they had grasped the strength of demons in detail.
Demons were powerful, but mid-to-low ones like barons and viscounts fell far short of master-class.
Yet it one-shot a master-class? Even one acknowledged by the Church like Perpetuo?
It had to be at least a count-rank demon.
A count-rank demon was a tremendous monster. Though inferior to marquises and dukes, it could toy with one or two master-classes.
“I... don’t know either.”
Perpetuo said with a face full of shame. He had passed out and seen nothing.
“But there’s one person I suspect.”
“Who is it?”
“Victor.”
The Holy Knight said in shock at Perpetuo’s words.
“Victor, you mean...”
“The black mage who handled filthy, horrific monsters in Mandarine Kingdom and vanished.”
“But how could a black mage handle a demon...”
“The reports must be wrong. The Victor I faced was a Dark Knight.”
The Holy Knight’s eyes widened at Perpetuo’s words.
“A Dark Knight who might have repelled a count-rank demon... That’s no ordinary matter.”
“Indeed. We must uncover his identity.”
The Holy Knight nodded at Perpetuo’s words and said.
“I’ll contact the Church immediately and dispatch an investigation team.”
“We did a massive investigation before and found no trace.”
“Yes, but this time it’s different. With this much evidence left behind, we can’t miss it.”
The Holy Knight’s eyes gleamed as he said.
“This time, we’ll uncover the true identity of Woodchopper Victor no matter what.”