Chapter 267
Chapter 267
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 267
Chapter Title: Weapon Master (2)
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Demian sheathed Dawn once more.
Far away, sprawled on the ground, was the Weapon Master. All his limbs were gone, and the skin over his entire body had been peeled away.
The light Dawn had unleashed had ground the Weapon Master to pieces, literally.
“You’re tougher than you look.”
It wasn’t so much that the Weapon Master was that resilient; it was more that Demian’s skill was still unrefined.
This had been the first time he’d wielded Dawn’s power.
Demian approached the Weapon Master, intending to finish him off for good.
That was when it happened.
-Kieeeek! Stop right there!
-Don’t torment our master!
The demon swords flew toward Demian.
Having poured all his focus into Dawn, his control over the ego swords had weakened.
Seizing that opening, the demon swords shattered the ego swords and came flying at Demian.
“How annoying.”
-Human! Don’t act so cocky!
-You’ll get a hole punched through your gut!
Demian dodged the demon swords’ attacks while channeling mana into Dawn.
The aurablade clinging to Dawn emitted an even brighter light.
“I’ll smash you all right here.”
Just as Demian swung Dawn toward the demon swords—
Suddenly, Akilo did something bizarre. He hoisted the Weapon Master up.
Demian had no idea what Akilo was planning.
At most, he figured it was an attempt to flee or heal the Weapon Master.
But Akilo’s actions completely defied Demian’s expectations.
He tossed the Weapon Master into the furnace.
“……What?”
The furnace that had swallowed the Weapon Master began to burn even more fiercely.
“Hahaha! Yes! This is it! Exactly this!”
Akilo laughed loudly, welcoming the furnace’s transformation.
“I was worried the World-Destroying Demon Sword might be forged imperfectly. But I never dreamed I’d obtain the final ingredient like this!”
Demian couldn’t help but be stunned by Akilo’s words.
The final ingredient to complete the World-Destroying Demon Sword was the Weapon Master?
It was obvious, but he’d never heard such a thing in his previous life.
In his previous life, the Weapon Master hadn’t been used as material for a demon sword.
‘……Because of me, the future has changed.’
In his previous life, the Weapon Master had crafted the World-Destroying Demon Sword without any interference.
That was why Akilo couldn’t use the Weapon Master as ‘material.’
But this life was different.
Thanks to Demian, the Weapon Master had been reduced to a mangled wreck. That allowed Akilo to throw him into the furnace.
“The body of a duke-class demon, a furnace forged from tens of thousands of dwarves, and now the body of a near-Grand Master knight! This completes it! The true World-Destroying Demon Sword!”
The red flames within the furnace turned purple. A fierce gale began to swirl around it.
Seeing this, Demian felt an ominous premonition.
If he left it alone, something catastrophic would happen.
He had to destroy it first. But just as Demian moved to act, something burst out from the furnace.
Its entire body glowed red-hot like molten lava, making its form impossible to discern clearly.
-Krurrr……
Emitting a strange sound, it rose to its feet. It straightened its back and lifted its head.
Then, its overheated flesh cooled rapidly. Only then could Demian make out its appearance.
Its outline resembled a human’s. It had two arms and two legs, after all. But upon closer inspection, it was utterly different.
For starters, its body was made of metal. Not just the skin, but the muscles beneath were entirely metallic.
Its face had no eyes or mouth. Just an iron plate densely etched with wave patterns.
……What happened to my body?
It looked down at itself. The moment it saw its transformed flesh, its movements froze.
Speech…… This can’t…… This can’t be my body……?
Shocked, its voice trembled wildly.
But…… it’s strange…… I feel good…… Incredibly good……
Yet gradually, its voice began to fill with ecstasy.
Power…… I feel power…… The immense power within this body…… I feel like I can do anything…… What is this? This omnipotence?
“It seems to suit you.”
Akilo, standing beside it, spoke to the Weapon Master. The Weapon Master whipped around to face him.
-Akilo! What have you done to my body!
“I replaced your frail human flesh with the body of a demon sword. Isn’t it magnificent?”
-I want to kill you right now!
“Don’t say things you don’t mean. Be honest. Aren’t you utterly satisfied?”
The Weapon Master fell silent. As if acknowledging the truth of it.
-Why didn’t you tell me I was the final ingredient?
“Because you didn’t trust me. If I’d told you outright, you would’ve killed me.”
Unable to deny it, the Weapon Master clicked his tongue briefly.
Who would believe they had to be thrown into a furnace that melts iron in seconds?
-I’ll put off dealing with you for now. There’s someone I need to kill first.
The Weapon Master turned to Demian. Even without an expression, Demian could feel it.
-Demian Haksen. Shall we begin the second round?
The Weapon Master’s voice brimmed with confidence and ecstasy.
* * *
Demian clicked his tongue briefly and said,
“This is getting troublesome.”
The World-Destroying Demon Sword.
A demon sword forged from a duke-class demon’s body.
It was a masterpiece containing the full might of a duke-class demon’s power.
Already a fearsome weapon, the World-Destroying Demon Sword had grown even stronger through fusion with the Weapon Master.
It was a situation Demian didn’t welcome.
-Troublesome?
The Weapon Master spoke in a tone of disbelief.
-It seems you don’t grasp the situation.
The Weapon Master’s hand melted down and reshaped into a long longsword.
-I’ll show you exactly what power I’ve gained.
Black mana began compressing into the longsword.
The compressed black mana sucked in the surrounding air. A storm swirled around the Weapon Master.
The Weapon Master swung the longsword. In that instant, a black slash shot toward Demian.
By the time he registered the swing, the slash was already upon him.
Too late to dodge. Demian blocked it with Dawn.
“Urk.”
An overwhelming force tried to crush Demian and Dawn entirely.
Even with the Three Rings activated, it was grueling. In the end, Demian could only deflect the black slash.
The deflected black slash struck empty ground. Half the city vanished.
The destruction didn’t end there. Beyond the city, mountain ranges shattered in sequence.
It was as if someone had erased them in a straight line.
-Hahaha! Uhahaha!
The Weapon Master laughed heartily.
-A casual swing does this much! Power overflows! No one can stop me now!
Simply releasing aura had obliterated a mountain range.
What was truly terrifying was that the Weapon Master hadn’t yet used the World-Destroying Demon Sword’s powers.
-Even just unleashing aurablade like this could erase you without a trace! But that’d be too boring! I’ll carve your body apart with my own hands!
The Weapon Master’s body vanished. Before Demian could blink, it was right in front of him.
The Weapon Master slashed down at Demian. Reflexively, Demian raised Dawn to block.
In that moment, Demian’s body split in half.
* * *
The power of the World-Destroying Demon Sword was distortion.
It could distort anything.
Just now, the Weapon Master had twisted space to slice Demian’s body.
-Hahaha! You shouldn’t fight a demon sword without knowing its nature!
The Weapon Master laughed gleefully.
But despite the slash, no blood flowed from Demian’s body.
-……Huh?
Through the rent in Demian’s clothes, black armor gleamed.
It was the demon armor Hemera, which Demian had used in his previous life.
-Demon armor? And not just any—where did you get such a treasure!
Demian shed his torn shirt.
“This is really getting troublesome.”
Demian already knew the powers of the World-Destroying Demon Sword.
That was why he’d worn Hemera beneath his clothes, just in case.
“This is exactly why I tried to kill you before the World-Destroying Demon Sword could be made.”
Demian cracked his neck side to side. The Weapon Master laughed at the gesture.
-Still thinking of fighting? Good! Don’t break! Stand against me! That way I can test my new powers!
The Weapon Master crooked a finger, and the demon swords flew in.
-Master! What’s going on!
-You look even cooler!
-Our connection’s stronger! I can feel it!
The demon swords chattered noisily. The Weapon Master said irritably,
“Quiet down. Get ready to fight that guy.”
-But Master! He’s too strong!
-We can’t kill him with our power alone!
-You have to wield us!
Demon swords could only unleash their powers when held in hand.
Right now, they were mere flying blades.
“Don’t worry. Things are about to change.”
The Weapon Master summoned black mana.
The black mana flowing from him poured into all the demon swords.
-Oh…… Ooh…… Oooh!
-I feel it…… I feel it……!
-Power…… Power surges!
Even without being held, the demon swords began to activate their powers. Lightning, flames, and darkness swirled in the air.
Demian clicked his tongue as he watched.
The Weapon Master fused with the World-Destroying Demon Sword was trouble enough. Now ten more demon swords that could activate without a wielder.
“Dealing with them one by one would be foolish.”
Demian reached into the air and said,
“Come forth, Erebos.”
The tattoo on his wrist vanished, and Erebos appeared.
At Erebos’s emergence, the Weapon Master’s eyes gleamed.
-That demon sword! You had it after all! I’ll kill you and claim it! The ultimate trophy!
Ignoring the delighted Weapon Master, Demian activated the power of envy.
Using envy’s power, he converted all his mana to black mana and injected it into Erebos.
“Erebos, time to rise.”
Erebos let out a cry.
It was neither human nor beast. No, it wasn’t a sound any living thing could make.
At the same time, the whole world shook. The ground heaved like an earthquake. The city’s buildings began crumbling.
-……Impressive.
The Weapon Master muttered in awe.
-Truly impressive! An incredible demon sword! I’ve never seen one like this in my life……
But suddenly, the Weapon Master’s reaction changed.
-Demon sword……? No…… This isn’t a demon sword…… It’s…… something different……!
Demon swords could recognize each other.
Having become a demon sword himself, the Weapon Master could sense it.
That Erebos was fundamentally different from a demon sword.
-What the hell is that thing! What are you carrying…….
Demian gave no answer. Instead, he commanded Erebos.
“Erebos, devour them.”
Waves emanated from Erebos.
Everything touched by the waves turned gray. Rocks, metal, flowers on the ground—none were spared.
The gray objects vanished instantly. As the waves spread, the city began to erase itself.
Soon, the waves engulfed the demon swords.
The gray world was utterly silent. As if the very concept of sound had vanished.
-……Huh?
-……What?
At first, the demon swords were baffled.
But as their bodies began turning gray, their reactions shifted.
-Ah…… Aah……
-Uh…… Uhhh……
The bewildered voices gradually filled with pain.
Finally, the demon swords screamed in unison.
-Aaaah! It hurts! It hurts!
-My body! My body’s disappearing!
-Kyaaaah! Someone! Save us!
The silent gray space filled only with the demon swords’ screams.
-What are you doing! Pull yourselves together!
The Weapon Master shouted at them. But the demon swords had no spare capacity to obey.
-Kyaaaah!
-Aaaah!
The demon swords plummeted to the ground. They rolled like trash.
Soon, they began disintegrating from the edges.
Like cloth gnawed by rats, their mass shrank until they were completely gone.
-This…… This is absurd……!
The wave reached the Weapon Master, and his body turned gray in an instant.
The Weapon Master’s entire form began to disintegrate.