Chapter 275
Chapter 275
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: Demon (1)
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“Human, what is with that attitude of yours?”
The demon tilted its head to one side and stared intently at Demian.
Even though it clearly had a human face, it felt somehow unnatural and ominous.
“Not only are you unafraid at the sight of me... but you even dare to ask questions? How insolent. I don’t like it. But I’ll forgive you.”
The demon lifted its chin and spread its arms wide. Then, with an exceedingly arrogant demeanor, it spoke.
“It’s been ages since I’ve come to the surface, and it’s been centuries since I last devoured a human. Prey that’s trembling in fear and lost its mind isn’t as tasty as something fresh and lively.”
Hunger and joy radiated from the demon’s eyes.
Demian couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at its attitude.
“This guy’s a real joker.”
Right now, the demon was looking at Demian as food. It meant it didn’t see Demian as a threat at all.
In truth, this wasn’t the first time Demian had encountered a demon.
When he had gone on a trip with his family to see the starlight jellyfish, he had fought one.
A black mage who had attacked the city had accidentally summoned a demon.
The battle had ended in Demian’s victory. That said, he couldn’t underestimate the demon before him.
The demon summoned back then had been merely an avatar, unable to properly manifest the full power of its true body.
In contrast, the demon in front of him wasn’t an avatar but had possessed a human body.
Thanks to that, it could manifest even more of its true body’s power than an avatar could.
‘It’s stronger than that one to begin with.’
Both were count-level demons, but the power they wielded was different.
This demon was likely one of the stronger ones among count-level demons.
“Human, my name is Resorbe. What is your name?”
“Demian Haksen.”
“Demian Haksen. I’ll remember that. When I devour your soul, I’ll call out your name.”
Resorbe’s limbs began to deform.
Its muscles swelled up. Its fingers lengthened and sharpened.
“Kahahahat!”
Resorbe laughed loudly as it kicked off the ground and closed the distance in an instant, swinging its hand.
Demian blocked Resorbe’s attack with Dawn, but the immense impact sent his body flying backward.
“Human! Resist! Resist more! So I can enjoy it!”
Resorbe pursued Demian, launching attack after attack.
Every time Resorbe swung its hand, the ground split into five gashes. The earth was shredded in an instant.
“Kahat! Kahat! Kahahahaht!”
The more it pressed Demian, the deeper Resorbe’s laughter grew.
“Human! Why are you so quiet! Too scared to speak?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Kahahahat! Trying to hide your fear with bravado!”
The demon looked immensely pleased. Meanwhile, Demian’s eyes had grown coldly serene.
“Are you the only demon in this area?”
“Kahahahat! As if! By now, one’s probably gone after each of your companions too! They’re weaker than me, but they’re no pushovers!”
“Thanks for answering. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Suddenly, Demian’s movements changed. He no longer blocked Resorbe’s attacks but deflected them.
Resorbe’s hands slammed into the ground instead of Demian.
“Kahaha... Huh?”
Caught off guard, Resorbe’s laughter cut off abruptly.
“Now it’s my turn.”
Demian switched to offense. He swung Dawn at Resorbe’s openings.
A barrage of slashes tore into Resorbe’s body in various places. But Resorbe’s flesh was bizarrely tough. It even repelled Dawn wrapped in an Aurablade.
“Human! How insolent!”
The attacks hadn’t landed properly, but it seemed to have wounded its pride.
Resorbe roared and attacked Demian. Its beastly hands tried to rip him apart.
But once again, Demian twisted Dawn to deflect Resorbe’s attack.
And he slashed Resorbe’s body again. Astonishingly, he struck the exact same spot as before.
Resorbe’s skin split open, blood flowing out. It was just a graze, but Resorbe couldn’t help being shocked.
“Th-that’s impossible!”
Disbelief appeared on Resorbe’s face. That emotion soon twisted into rage.
“Human! Don’t get cocky!”
An enormous aura erupted from Resorbe. The muscles across its entire body writhed and bulged.
“Kahahahat!”
Resorbe’s speed increased dramatically. It was so fast that multiple afterimages seemed to press down on Demian.
The momentum shifted back. Resorbe attacked, and Demian defended.
“Human! You were somewhat amusing! But it’s futile...!”
“Second Ring.”
Demian murmured softly. At that moment, a resonant hum burst from his body.
Demian’s form vanished. Immediately after, blue slashes overwhelmed Resorbe’s body.
“Kek?”
The blue slashes relentlessly carved into Resorbe’s body. Sparks flew every time they touched its flesh.
“Kaaak! Kraaaak!”
Resorbe flailed its arms in panic. It was trying to shake Demian off.
But Resorbe’s hands grasped at nothing. Meanwhile, the blue slashes kept coming. Wounds multiplied across Resorbe’s body.
“Kraaaak!”
Resorbe raised its fist high toward the sky. Vast power gathered in both fists.
“Get off me, you gnat!”
Resorbe slammed both fists into the ground.
With a boom, the surrounding earth shattered. Demian halted his assault and retreated.
“Your raw strength is impressive, at least. Fitting for a demon.”
Demian said, gazing at the pulverized ground.
It sounded like praise, but it was really mockery. It meant that was all it had going for it.
“Human! How dare prey like you...!”
Resorbe’s face flushed red with anger.
“I was playing around a bit, and you still don’t get it!”
“Playing around? Doesn’t look that way to me.”
“Kraaaak! I’ll tear you apart right now!”
Suddenly, cracks formed beneath Resorbe’s feet.
It wasn’t the ground splitting—it was space itself tearing. Through the rift, glimpses of multicolored chaos could be seen.
Resorbe threw itself into the gap. The moment it was swallowed, the space sealed shut.
Anyone watching might have thought it had fled. But Demian knew better.
Demons were arrogant and prideful. It wouldn’t run away so easily.
Sure enough, killing intent flared from the side. Resorbe’s hand aimed for Demian’s head. Demian blocked it with Dawn.
With a dull thud, Demian’s body was pushed back. He steadied his stance and looked up.
There, in the distance, Resorbe was visible. It had only one arm protruding from a rift in the air.
“Human, you got lucky and dodged that time. But the second won’t be so easy.”
Before it finished speaking, Resorbe’s hand burst from the ground.
Demian kicked off the earth to evade. Then a hand emerged from the sky.
Hands popped out from all directions. Demian had to keep moving to dodge Resorbe’s attacks.
‘It can manipulate space. This is a pain.’
Even among the mighty demons, few could wield space.
That made the authority of space manipulation rare and powerful.
‘I can’t attack like this.’
Resorbe was hiding in the spatial rifts. To strike it, he’d have to cut through space itself.
“Kahahahat! Now you’re getting it!”
Resorbe crowed triumphantly. It seemed convinced Demian couldn’t harm it.
“What a pain, as expected.”
Even on the defensive, Demian’s expression didn’t change.
The old Demian wouldn’t have been able to slice space without using the Death Knight’s power.
But now was different. He hadn’t reached his past life’s realm yet, but he could cut spatial rifts.
“I’ll make your head spin.”
Demian narrowed his detection range.
The area shrank, but his senses sharpened in exchange.
While dodging attacks, Demian tried to sense Resorbe’s aura.
And at last, he pinpointed the spot where Resorbe’s aura was strongest.
“There you are.”
Demian thrust Dawn forward. Suddenly, the blade vanished into a spatial rift.
Demian gripped with both hands. He slashed widely, carving open the space with Dawn.
Space tore apart, revealing Resorbe hiding behind it.
“Wh-what?!”
Resorbe cried out in shock. In that instant, Demian grabbed its collar and yanked.
Resorbe was pulled out of the dimensional rift. Demian slammed it straight into the ground.
“Krgh!”
Its body was so tough that Resorbe didn’t take much damage.
Resorbe immediately kicked off the ground and rose. It tried to open another rift.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Demian lunged forward and kicked Resorbe in the gut.
“Kehek!”
A groan escaped Resorbe’s mouth for the first time.
Unable to leap into the rift, Resorbe was sent flying.
“Y-you human! You dare kick me?!”
“Didn’t expect you to have time to relax.”
A voice came from right in front of it. Only then did Resorbe realize Demian had pursued it.
Demian swung Dawn down. A blue flash severed one of Resorbe’s arms.
“Kaaak!”
Resorbe screamed and tried to retreat. But Demian didn’t let it.
He thrust Dawn through Resorbe’s chest and drove it into the ground.
“Kaaak! Kraaaak!”
Resorbe used its remaining hand to try pulling out Dawn. Demian immediately converted its mana to holy power using the Authority of Envy.
The converted holy power flowed through Dawn into Resorbe’s body.
“Kraaaak!”
Resorbe’s screams grew even louder.
The injected holy power began burning Resorbe’s flesh from within.
“How’s it feel? Looking up at the human you despised so much.”
At Demian’s taunt, Resorbe ground its teeth. But it couldn’t resist.
Demian had driven Dawn even deeper. Resorbe’s eyes widened in shock.
“I’ll burn you to death just like this.”
The amount of holy power surged even more. So did Resorbe’s agony.
“N-no!”
Terror appeared on Resorbe’s face for the first time.
“I-I can’t go back to hell like this! I don’t want to return to that boring place!”
Resorbe drew on all its power. The ground beneath them tore open into a rift.
“This is...”
If he stayed, Demian would be sucked in too.
The rift wasn’t fully open yet, so he could still escape. But Demian didn’t.
It was a chance to decapitate it outright. The risk was worth it.
Demian stood his ground. Soon, the spatial rift swallowed both him and Resorbe.
* * *
The inside of the rift was chaotic and disorienting.
Demian closed his eyes and waited. Eventually, the unpleasant sensation faded.
He opened his eyes. A half-ruined citadel came into view.
“Huh?”
And then a man appeared.
“I said bring a man, but... not like this.”
The man tilted his head repeatedly as he spoke. Then Resorbe addressed him.
“Y-your Excellency! That’s not important! This human! There’s something off about this human! Your Excellency, you must help...”
Suddenly, Resorbe’s head exploded. Blood splattered onto Demian’s face as well.
The headless body shuddered before going still.
“......”
Demian didn’t even think to wipe the blood from his face. He just stared at the man in disbelief.
“What? Surprised I killed it without lifting a finger?”
The man grinned. But that wasn’t why Demian was shocked.
This ominous aura.
He had felt it once before in his past life.
“Babel.”
A duke-level demon.
The king of hell stood before him.