Baldr
A demon had appeared in the heart of Seoul, set the surroundings ablaze, and flown off somewhere.
The Iron-blooded Pope and Jeong Hyun-seop, captain of the 1st Knight Order, who received the report, urgently searched for the Hero's whereabouts but couldn't find him.
"Where the hell is he at a time like this?! This is exactly when we need the Hero!"
"Please calm down. We can't pinpoint the Hero's exact location, but there are traces suggesting he's moved in the direction the demon flew. He must have already set out to confront it."
"What? Then isn't the Hero the one in danger? We need to send support!"
"The 1st and 2nd Knight Orders have already been dispatched there. We'll get the next report soon, so let's wait."
The Iron-blooded Pope sank into his office chair with a sigh of partial relief.
He pondered the demon's emergence from what he suspected was an outpost of the Inquisition Church, then recalled one fact.
"A few years ago, in the Saintess's prophecy, there was a line: 'Between light and darkness, the end of chaos shall arrive.'"
"Why bring that up now...?"
"The prophecy continues: 'At the end of chaos, the fruits of light and darkness shall form mountains and overflow the seas.'"
"The fruits of light and darkness... Yes, there was such a prophecy. Do you think the end of chaos has come, Your Holiness?"
"Who knows... I can't say for sure, but with the Hero and now demons appearing, if this isn't chaos, then when is?"
Jeong Hyun-seop's eyes widened in shock at the Pope's words.
"Then we're in big trouble!! We need to issue a global alert immediately...!"
"No, we can't do that. It's just my speculation. For now, the best we can do is support the Hero's safe return."
"Ugh..."
The Iron-blooded Pope and the knight captain let out heavy groans.
The atmosphere in the Pope's office grew oppressively heavy.
Jeong Hyun-seop's gaze drifted out the window toward where the Hero was said to be.
'Please... may the Light of Gaon be with him...'
While I was briefly handling some business and entered the Spirit Gate.
The place was no longer the peaceful forest where spirits gathered and lived.
It was a hellish lava zone, utterly devastated and scorched.
Burned husks of Incarnation Trees—sacred to the spirits—lay scattered haphazardly beside glowing red lava pools, still smoldering.
'Did they put up a fight in their own way...?'
To spirits, Incarnation Trees were their home and source of life. I could sense the desperate battle they'd waged to protect them.
I headed to the ruined house where the enslaved spirit had been held.
The enslaved spirit captured by the illusionist wasn't an ordinary one—it was the guardian spirit of this gate.
That's why it possessed such potent spirit power, making the illusionist's control over it equally formidable.
Even so, I figured the enslaved guardian spirit couldn't defeat Baldr but could have escaped or hidden from his dark energy detection.
Above all, the gate's persistence proved the enslaved spirit was still alive.
Upon arriving at the ruins, a barrier indeed surrounded it, blocking the lava's heat.
But even that was shrinking and fading bit by bit.
"Dimension of Evil Annihilation."
Hero Kwon Mu-hyuk generates a massive sphere of light within 500m radius, inflicting mental attacks on enemies inside while gaining a critical hit chance bonus. He also forms a sacred barrier on himself and allied forces who set out with him, blocking dark energy damage for 10 minutes.
I first used divine power to block the encroaching lava.
Stepping inside the barrier enduring the lava's heat, I saw about twenty spirits screaming and clamoring as they resisted Baldr.
"Kieeeek!"
Another spirit vanished in a spray of sparkling dust from Baldr's swung fist.
"Ugh...!"
Even witnessing the horror, the gate's master—the enslaved guardian spirit—could do nothing.
Just holding back the encroaching lava heat was overwhelming.
After an exhaustive battle, maintaining the gate with her remaining spirit power was her only defense.
The spirits' resistance was too feeble against Baldr's relentless assaults, summoning lava from the demon realm with massive, rapid strikes.
"Heh... These puny things put up such pointless resistance. Very well, try blocking this."
Baldr pulled back his massive arm and slammed it forward. The ground erupted in unison, violent tremors shaking as lava burst forth.
It was Baldr's signature: Lava Eruption Fist.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!
The enslaved guardian spirit threw up a defensive wall, straining to hold, but was pushed back steadily.
"Urk!"
Green blood vomited from the enslaved guardian spirit's mouth.
Yet she endured without collapsing, distorting Baldr's face in irritation.
"Tormenting yourself with useless resistance—you're a fool of a spirit."
"Grr! Filthy demon scum! I won't forgive you!"
Watching another five or six spirits perish from the prior attack, the enslaved guardian spirit wailed.
"Foolish. Accept death meekly, like the vermin you are."
"Shut up!"
Seeing her grit her teeth and glare at Baldr reminded me of the faces of those who'd died by my hand in past regressions.
'So that's the face they made.'
I'd mocked them as fools for standing against overwhelming evil, knowing they'd die.
Just like Baldr now.
A bitter poison spread in my mouth. I wasn't so different from that demon bastard.
"Hm? You... Ah, you're that traitor who became a Hero."
"Ahh! Hero, you've come!"
Baldr sneered upon spotting my approach; the enslaved guardian spirit greeted me joyfully.
Up close, she looked on the verge of collapse.
"Seeing you this near, I understand why He pitied you."
Baldr muttered, staring intently.
He'd probably read my status window.
I'd left it open for him to see. He needed to know me to talk.
"You killed Anubis."
"Who's that?"
"The one who was the Red Wolf King."
"Hm... Any reason I should've spared him? We can talk, you and I."
"I see. Then why are you killing these?"
Baldr met my cold gaze and burst into beastly laughter, like a predator spotting prey.
"As expected, His grace upon you was wasted."
"His?"
Red radiance began emanating from Baldr's entire body.
"Showing pity to these insects. A crown like yours doesn't suit the likes of you!"
"Ah, so you've figured out I'm the Demon King. As expected."
"Ridiculous! You can't yet claim the Demon King's throne."
"True. The current Demon King still reigns in the demon realm... but his term ends soon, and he'll vanish."
Surprise flashed in Baldr's eyes.
"How would a worm like you know that...!"
"That's why you've come here to find me, Baldr."
"Hmph! Think He'll let a traitor who became a Hero sit on the throne? If His choice was wrong, I'll correct it!"
Ruuuumble!
With a grinding roar, Baldr's lava rock armor swelled even larger, making him tower imposingly.
"Kieeeek!"
The choking heat wave sent spirits flying like autumn leaves.
In that gap, I reactivated the expired Dimension of Evil Annihilation, charged at Baldr, and swung my holy sword to summon Giantia.
The sacred giant Giantia is summoned, inflicting stun, confusion, and similar effects on enemies while aiding in battle at your side for 10 minutes.
Roooaaarrr!
Giantia stomped toward Baldr.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
An earthquake rocked the area, dust mixing with flames to obscure vision.
Seizing the moment, I unleashed Holy Imperial Flame Tornado and Wrath of Evil Annihilation simultaneously, slashing down with my holy sword.
Hero Kwon Mu-hyuk uses divine power to deal 2000% holy damage to the designated enemy, gaining a 700% critical bonus. Holy damage from allies who set out with him is also fixed to attack the designated enemy. - 15,000 Divine Power consumed.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Boom!
A deafening roar split heaven and earth, the ground quaking.
The spirits thought Baldr was bisected, but he blocked my massive assault with both arms without flinching.
"!!"
Even taking mine and Giantia's attacks head-on, his hide was merely singed by the divine power.
"You're quite the tempting prize."
"I won't be some punk subordinate of yours, kid. Dream on."
'Baldr, you've already been my loyal vassal for 998 loops.'
Whoosh!
Darkness enveloped everything.
Then, crimson flames blazed from the shadows.
Slash!
A fierce lava swing tore through my right shoulder, trailing red glow.
It happened in an instant, but I dodged swiftly and retreated.
Giantia exploited the opening, smashing her fist down at Baldr.
"Graaaah!"
Baldr blocked Giantia's colossal fist while swinging at me again.
This time, I didn't retreat. I parried his swing with my holy sword.
Kaboom!
"Death Terraforming."
My dark energy surged straight for Baldr's neck.
"Hmph! I'm not falling for your amateur Death Terraforming! You can't even handle dark energy properly... Gah?!"
Baldr's face froze as he countered my dark energy with his own.
"I-Impossible...! How can you?!"
"When it comes to wielding dark energy, you're the real newbie, Baldr."
"Grr! No way! You've only awakened less than a month ago...!"
I've wielded dark energy for 998 lifetimes.
No one knows its profound, dismal depths—or how to wield it most effectively—better than I.
Especially everything about Baldr.
"Graaaargh!"
Just before my dark energy reached his neck, Baldr roared and repelled it.
Whoosh!
The dark energy I'd infused scattered into the air.
I withdrew the dark energy from Baldr and fell back.
"Kuhahaha! See, human? I told you you're no match for me!"
Baldr laughed triumphantly.
"Sorry about this, Baldr. Didn't think I'd have to use it again."
"Hm?"
Rumble!
Suddenly, the earth shook, and scarlet smoke erupted from Baldr's body.
"W-What is this?!"
Boom! Boom!
"U-Uwaaak!"
The lava rocks encasing Baldr exploded all at once.
To protect the spirits, I summoned the sacred shield Metatron, blocking the flying lava chunks.
Finally.
Baldr's true form was revealed as the lava rocks crumbled away.
A massive white dragonkin, covered in dazzling pure-white scales, stood trembling as if struck by lightning.
I stifled my leaking laughter and barked.
"You only listen after getting stripped bare."