Chapter 226
Chapter 226
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 226
Chapter Title: Realm (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The moment Hemera unleashed the shock, Varche's body vanished without a sound.
All that remained where Varche had stood was a long trail of blood stretching backward and fragments of magic armor.
Demian gazed at the sight with an impassive face.
It was no surprise. He had absorbed the ultimate technique Varche unleashed and then released it right back. The outcome was inevitable.
"Hm?"
Black smoke-like wisps poured out from the fragments of the magic armor.
"Isn't that demonic true power?"
In the case of magic armor meticulously crafted by a demon, it sometimes contained traces of true power.
Demian reached out toward the true power. It was entirely absorbed into the pattern engraved on the back of his hand.
One of the patterns then floated up. Demian peered into it.
"This time, the Authority of Envy has been unlocked."
The Authority of Gluttony absorbs abilities. The Authority of Wrath can amplify anything. And the Authority of Envy could alter properties.
For example, applying the Authority of Envy to mana allowed it to be converted into black mana or holy power.
It was also possible to imbue mana with properties like fire or ice attributes.
However, there was a drawback. The Authority of Envy wasn't very efficient. It consumed a massive amount of mana during conversion.
"I'll need to increase my mana reserves more."
Even accounting for the drawback, its versatility was so immense that he couldn't afford not to use it.
Moreover, among the techniques Demian knew, some required special mana cultivation methods.
Things like movement arts that streaked across the sky like lightning or sword techniques that froze the ocean solid.
To use such techniques, the Authority of Envy was essential.
-Hun... gry...
At that moment, Hemera let out a voice. It seemed famished after expending so much power.
Demian extended his hand toward the magic armor fragments. They floated into the air and clung to his palm.
"Eat."
Demian brought the fragments close to Hemera. Its surface rippled and undulated as it absorbed every piece.
It was another of Hemera's abilities. It could absorb any metal to strengthen itself.
Rare metals were better than ordinary ones, and remnants of magic armor were even more effective than rare metals.
-De... li... cious...
After devouring all the fragments, Hemera spoke in satisfaction.
Once Hemera finished its meal, Demian turned to Salik.
Salik stared at Demian with wide eyes.
"What... what did you just do? How did you kill Varche? And what was that you absorbed just now...?"
"You don't need to know."
Demian spoke coldly as he raised Dawn high. A blue aurablade dyed it.
Salik stared at Dawn with trembling eyes. But as if accepting death, his expression grew calm.
"...I have a dying wish. Just grant me that."
"No."
Demian refused flatly. He had no intention of wasting time on the last words of trash like this.
"Please... for Sla... I have something to leave for that guy..."
Salik pleaded desperately. It seemed he shared a deep bond with Sla, enough to beg an enemy.
"Don't worry. I'll send that bitch to your side soon enough."
Demian said in a emotionless voice. Salik's face hardened rigidly.
"Send...? You don't mean... you're planning to kill Sla?"
Rage began to burn in Salik's dying eyes.
"You, kill Sla? Impossible! Do you know how strong she is? And who's by her side? There are guys stronger than me crawling all over the place! You think someone like you can kill her?"
A sneer curled at Salik's lips.
"Stop dreaming. You'll never be able to kill Sla..."
Demian snapped his fingers. The aurablades piercing Salik's body vanished.
Freed, Salik collapsed to the floor and looked up at Demian. He couldn't understand why he'd been released.
"Guh!"
In the next instant, Demian kicked Salik in the stomach.
It was an attack infused with mana. Salik spat blood as he sprawled on the ground.
He was already suffering fatal wounds from the aurablades piercing his body everywhere. The kick to his gut doubled the agony.
"Sorry. I just can't stand hearing nonsense from trash."
Contrary to his words, Demian lifted his foot and stomped on Salik's head.
"You think I could never kill Sla? I can't fathom why you'd believe that."
Demian lifted his foot from Salik's head. Then he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up.
"You son of a..."
Salik tried to curse. But the moment she met Demian's eyes, she clamped her mouth shut.
A murderous intent so vicious it bordered on horrific poured from Demian's eyes.
Even Salik, who had once risen to the rank of Great Evil, had never felt such intense killing intent.
"Go to the afterlife first and watch closely. See how ugly and pathetic I make Sla's death. How miserably she'll die."
Salik swallowed dryly.
For Sla's sake, she had to deny it. Scream that it was nonsense.
But she couldn't. The man before her was that terrifying.
"No, not just Sla. The Weaponmaster, the Ruler of Myriad Flames, all the Pandemonium trash and vermin under them, and that bastard hiding behind it all—I'll slaughter them every last one."
Demian gathered the black mana scattered around.
This space was filled with black mana spewed out by Vanexia and Varche of the Four Evils upon their deaths. Thanks to that, Demian could amass a massive amount in an instant.
"You... you..."
As black mana gathered in Demian's hand, Salik was too shocked to continue.
More than any skill Demian had shown, this was the most staggering.
"H-How can a knight... a knight wield black mana...?"
Demian ignored Salik's question. Instead, he used the black mana to shatter her soul.
"......!"
The moment her soul was destroyed, Salik endured the most excruciating pain imaginable.
Demian paid no heed to her suffering. He delved into her soul and absorbed her memories.
"Right, there were two more."
Demian used black mana to seize Vanexia and Varche's souls as well.
Both had died recently, so they were still lingering in this space.
-Kuuaaaagh!
-Aaaagh!
Demian crushed the other two souls as well. He extracted and absorbed memories from the remnants.
Demian closed his eyes briefly and read through the three sets of memories.
How much time passed?
"Damn."
A curse slipped from Demian's lips. Even after scouring their memories, he couldn't pinpoint Dorgo's location.
"And I had hopes for Vanexia since she was a Great Evil."
Even Vanexia had no idea where Dorgo was. As a low-tier Great Evil, she apparently lacked the qualification to approach him.
"But I did find out where the other two are."
Instead, he succeeded in locating Sla and the Weaponmaster.
The two were holed up in completely opposite places.
"To think they'd be there...!"
Ecstasy lit up Demian's face. An irrepressible smile curved his lips.
Now that he knew their locations, all that remained was to hunt them down and kill them.
Finally, he could avenge his older sister and father. He could dump those sons of bitches who had horribly defiled them into the sewer.
Moreover, through this incident, Demian had earned the trust of the Demon Extermination Squad. He could now borrow the power of the empire's foremost experts on Pandemonium.
"Just wait a little longer. I'll come for you soon."
A dry chuckle echoed through the dark space.
* * *
"Urgh... uwaaah!"
Rainy Bell groaned and bolted upright.
She looked around frantically as soon as she opened her eyes. Beside her lay Wilhelm and Roger.
Fortunately, both were unharmed. Rainy sighed in relief as she gazed at them.
"How's your body feeling?"
But her peace was shattered by the voice that followed.
Demian Haksen was staring right at her from in front.
The moment she saw Demian Haksen's face, she recalled what he'd done right before she passed out.
He had clearly struck the napes of their necks to knock them out.
"You! Why did you attack us... agh!"
Rainy clutched her stomach mid-rise. Excruciating pain radiated from the wound she'd sustained in her duel with Vanexia.
"You shouldn't move so rashly. Your wounds haven't healed yet."
"Forget that. Explain yourself, quick."
"There's nothing to explain. You wouldn't believe me, so I had no choice."
"How could I believe you! That was a Great Evil! Not someone you could handle!"
As she said that, Rainy felt a sense of wrongness.
Right before passing out, Sla's concubine and the Weaponmaster's prized disciple had been here.
So how were they still alive?
Rainy looked at Demian with a face full of questions. Without a word, he pointed to one side.
There lay three corpses.
One was Vanexia of the Four Evils. Her shattered body was piled up like trash.
And the other two...
"...Salik of Tyranny and Varche?"
Two powerhouses on par with Great Evils lay dead.
Wondering if it was a dream, Rainy pinched her cheek. No matter how hard, she didn't wake.
"Th-Those... how are they... dead...?"
"I killed them."
"You're lying."
"It's not a lie. Who else do you think killed them?"
Rainy was speechless. Demian was right. Among the four here, he was the only one not knocked out.
No one but him could have killed those two.
"I told you I could do it."
Unlike the stunned Rainy, Demian spoke nonchalantly, as if slaying them was no big deal.
"H-How... how did you kill them?"
"How? I was stronger, so I killed them."
"Str-Stronger? H-How did you get stronger than them?"
Faced with the unacceptable reality, Rainy could only babble incoherently.
Demian said casually to such a Rainy,
"Because I'm a genius."
In that moment, Rainy's mood chilled coldly.
Rainy Bell stared silently at Demian Haksen and thought,
*What an annoyingly smug guy.*
But no matter how annoying, she had to say what needed saying.
"Demian Haksen."
"You still don't believe me."
"Thanks for saving us."
At that instant, Demian's body twitched. He stared at Rainy silently for a long while.
"...I just repaid a debt."
Countless emotions swirled in the eyes of Demian as he said that.