Level
"What the hell is with that look? Cut it out!"
I couldn't hold back anymore against the chilling killing intent creeping up my back.
Even while hunting level 95 Blood Skeletons on the 9th floor after passing the 8th, that prickling gaze from behind never let up.
"What'd I do?"
When I turned around, she whipped her head away, pretending innocence—which only pissed me off more.
"Focus on the fight when you're fighting. Stop staring off elsewhere."
"W-When did I—!"
The succubus kept smashing Blood Skeletons with her hands non-stop, but her head stayed glued my way, leaving me no openings to use my skills.
Because of her, my original plan to level up easily with Death Terraforming was hitting serious snags.
The Corrupted Demonic World Tree had absorbed Balpador's mana to reach full maturity, and before the Akashic Records' reconnection timer ran out, I needed to retrieve the skills from my past loops hidden in the demon realm. But at this rate, I wasn't making any progress.
"If you're not gonna fight properly, just go back to the castle. You're in the way."
"What? Did you just… call me a hindrance?"
The moment she heard me, the succubus's mana exploded outward.
It wasn't just her mana.
The fragile succubus, whose flowing hair had seemed designed to stir male hearts, suddenly unleashed her true form in a burst.
Grinddd.
Two long, curved horns extended from her head, and massive bones like a reaper's scythe sprouted forth. They curved like hooks, dripping black poison.
"How dare you spout such nonsense at me! Fine! Behold my true power!"
The berserk succubus, sporting a terrifying visage that made the Blood Skeletons look cute, swung her skeletal frame wildly.
Black mana scythes erupted toward the Blood Skeletons.
Keeeeek!
Ki-hek!
Snap! Crack!
The tough level 95 Blood Skeletons were sliced apart like cabbage.
Without any follow-up attacks, she pulverized them in one hit.
And that skill was clearly infused with dark energy.
Demon realm monsters and demons sometimes used dark energy in battle, but none mixed it so freely with mana like that.
Except for a previous Demon King.
"…Huh."
Did she sense the surprise on my face?
The hideous succubus in her true form showcased unimaginable power relentlessly, clearing the 9th floor with smug pride.
"Kuhahaha! How's that for power!"
Letting out a mad cackle as she rampaged, the succubus charged ahead to the next floor in her excitement.
Boom!
I couldn't use my skills freely and ended up doing manual labor, but thanks to her, we broke through to the 50th floor in one go.
'She's carrying me, huh.'
The 50th floor of the Mirror Tower was where most demon soldiers gave up or died, facing a powerful boss monster.
A wide circular corridor lined with gray stone towers glowing with red lava bore traces of potent sorcery.
And.
Grrrrrr…
Waiting for us on the 50th floor was a level 250 Dark Knight Lich.
One by one, the subordinates enjoying the feast celebrating the new Demon King's coronation grew weary and retired to their quarters, leaving the grand hall.
Eventually.
In the massive, sturdy grand hall—built to withstand the excesses of past Demon Kings—only the messy remnants of the party and echoing emptiness remained.
Balpador, bound to the throne, and Baldr, prostrating expressionlessly, were all that was left.
"…Looks like it's over."
Balpador stared at Baldr with hollow eyes.
"The feast continues until tomorrow."
Baldr stood motionless, arms crossed over his chest, eyes fixed straight ahead—never glancing at Balpador.
"They're all off to bed! Untie me already."
Frustrated and furious, Balpador bellowed. Only then did Baldr flick a glance his way.
Once the 1st Legion Commander who ruled the demon realm, Balpador had wielded near-omnipotent might, even eyeing the Demon King's throne.
Now, his sturdy frame had shrunken to resemble a frail human elder.
Yet with his still-massive body and overflowing fresh mana, Baldr had no intention of freeing him.
"Understood. I'll retire now too."
"Yeah, go rest… I permit it. Now untie me."
Baldr eyed Balpador's state for a moment, then pulled something from his bosom and opened its lid.
It was a deep green censer.
"What the—… Urk."
Balpador stared in confusion, but passed out before finishing his question.
"Sleep well, Your Majesty."
Grinning with satisfaction as Balpador collapsed, Baldr headed to his quarters.
Snoooore.
Snort.
Sluuuurp—puha.
In the lonely grand hall after the feast, Balpador's weary snoring echoed into the night amid the vast silence.
Unlike the undead we'd faced so far—beastly fighters relying on claws and fangs—the Dark Knight Lich was a half-human, half-beast knight wielding a proper sword.
I struggled to parry the relentless barrage of its poison blade.
'As expected of the Demon King's sword. Good thing it was this blade; any other would've snapped by now.'
"I told you, it's a fake."
Even though my cover was blown, I kept pretending I hadn't stolen the Demon King's sword.
No one else had entered this dungeon besides me and the succubus, and the demon soldiers who trained here daily were all at the coronation.
If needed, eliminating her to erase evidence would be simple.
However.
Before this succubus—who'd one-shot nearly every monster up to the 50th—my level was still in the 180s. Revealing everything was too risky.
'She's hogged all the exp.'
So, I had to take down the Dark Knight Lich myself.
Piiiing—
The Dark Knight Lich, a textbook of combat, began casting a skill.
Black lines and dots etched across my vision.
It was Black Sword Path, one of its skills.
Slash attacks along the lines, thrusts through the dots.
'I can block this much, but without skills—just the sword—it'll break eventually.'
And if an unpredictable attack hit a gap, I might instinctively use holy power or dark energy.
Plus, the Demon King's mana wasn't infinite; refilling had a slight delay, heightening the risk of exposure.
I was at a crossroads.
Reveal myself as Demon King or hero before this psycho succubus.
Or take her out along with the Lich.
Clang! Clang! Chaaang!
Even as I pondered, my sword ceaselessly blocked the Lich's brutal assaults.
"Say the word if it's too much—I'll help. I'm no useless succubus who drags you down!"
"I already said it was a mistake. You're so petty."
"Hmph!"
Since I'd claimed the 50th-floor boss, she hung back, sniping snide remarks.
Then, sensing the Lich prepping a special skill, I tensed up.
Countering without skills was reaching its limit; some boss attacks couldn't be met with swordplay alone.
Zapzapzapzap!
In an instant.
Black dots multiplied exponentially in my vision.
They clustered densely, forming a black curtain.
"Watch out!"
The annoying succubus chimed in from behind, munching imaginary popcorn like a spectator.
"Tch."
I reflexively stepped back.
Gaps appeared in the black curtain, reducing the thrusts slightly.
I seized the moment, swinging to deflect the Lich's stabs.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Chaaang!
The sword thrusts came like machine-gun fire.
I blocked with precision that surprised even me—had I always been this good?
Over countless regressions and battles, relying on overpowered, cheat-like skills like Death Terraforming often stunted raw combat growth.
But this loop, I truly felt awakened to the sword's path.
Purely overpowering a monster with strength and skill—no spells—was indescribably profound.
Of course, newly attuned or not, I couldn't parry every hyper-speed attack individually.
I timed blocks for multiples at once, deflecting along trajectories or sliding off the blade.
"Oho, not bad."
Until the snide succubus piped up.
The lava smoke and heat cleared, revealing the Lich's skull face distorting viciously.
No change in its expressionless bone, but that's how it looked to me.
It never expected its finisher blocked by plain swordwork—no skills.
I smirked, curling one lip.
"Checkmate."
[Surprise reaction]
I swung my right arm hard, slashing the Demon King's sword at the black curtain.
The Lich reflexively raised its blade to block overhead.
"Should've ended it then. Too late."
The real attack wasn't a horizontal slash with the Demon King's sword.
"Dark Slash: Shadowless Strike!"
I'd already sorcery-shifted to its true body and cleaved it for real.
Kiaaaak!
The Demon King's sword in my right hand sublimed into a mana-infused blade, piercing the Lich's bony gut.