Chapter 23. Chess Piece (1)
Mana Absorption (Rank S)
The magic Partus unleashed lost its momentum in an instant.
Its size visibly shrank, its color fading to a dull haze.
But that lasted only a moment.
Boom!
The force exceeded the absorption limit and exploded, hurling Lee Dojin far away.
……Not to be underestimated.
Even a single exchange had dealt him a non-trivial blow, drawing a groan from his lips. At that moment, Partus had also gauged the gap in their power.
He's nowhere near my level.
This sudden black light could never stand equal to a demon king. It might not even rank in the top ten of the thirty-six human heroes he'd fought in the past. Far behind Partus himself, let alone a comparison to Charlotte Tate.
Yet he focused his gaze without a hint of carelessness.
So it's him……
The fragment of the perished Demon God, whose presence had even reached his territory. He'd adjusted the rift's position and effects to descend into this world for the sole purpose of claiming it.
He'd unexpectedly encountered three unordinary children, delaying him, but his ultimate goal was, of course, to absorb that fragment.
And now, in this moment.
Before he could even seek it out, it had come rushing to him first.
The one presumed to be the Demon God's fragment approached, shrouded in black mist, and the demon king addressed it with utmost courtesy.
"Your humble servant greets you. Shall we go together?"
…….
Lee Dojin offered no reply to the transparent ploy. As he silently gathered his power, thickening the mist around him, Partus spoke again.
"If you insist it's not……."
Bang!
Kaboom!
Partus and Lee Dojin charged at each other simultaneously.
Boom!
The shockwave from the clash of two black lights distorted his refined features into a sinister grimace as the demon king declared,
"There is no longer any place for you here."
From the moment of its destruction, the Demon God was no longer a master worth serving. No need to show further courtesy to a mere remnant. Seizing the black light, Partus soared into the sky.
No need to drag this out.
He couldn't return to the world beyond the rift just yet. If the other demon kings noticed and threw in variables, his plans could unravel. The best course was to absorb it as quickly as possible here, where the heroes outside couldn't intervene.
Gripping the fragment with both hands, Partus channeled his magic.
Whoosh!
Beams of light extended from his body, enveloping the Demon God's fragment.
The power Partus now manifested was a degraded version of the authority the Demon God once held. Observing the rippling magic, Lee Dojin discerned its nature.
It's all mixed together.
Mana absorption, entity absorption, and soul domination. Three skills derived from the Black Heart, greatly degraded and fused into one. Partus's intent was clear.
He wants to absorb me, huh?
To be precise, not Lee Dojin himself, but the Black Heart. The power directly linked to the Demon God, who had been the king of demons.
But then.
Thump.
His chest throbbed violently, and a hologram flashed in Lee Dojin's vision.
Always-Active Trait Black Heart responds to its owner's crisis. (Rank SSS)
Kaboom!
The distance between Lee Dojin and Partus instantly widened by over a hundred meters.
No doubt the Black Heart's doing.
Partus wore a grin of delight, while Lee Dojin used the brief respite to glance below.
……They're unhurt.
Four stunned faces gazed blankly up at the sky. Charlotte Tate looked badly injured, Yoo Hae-bin had taken a beating too, but Jin Yu-ri and Lee Sea appeared unscathed.
Thump.
The Black Heart pulsed again.
As if whispering to him, it sent gentle waves through his body.
You know you can't win like this, right? Let me lend you my power. Fight together.
Lee Dojin responded inwardly.
Let me think about it.
Even if it was far stronger than before, he knew it still wasn't enough to face a demon king alone. His combined mana and vitality stats totaled under 13,000. His skills and abilities outclassed that figure, but even accounting for them, he was only upper-mid tier among the 36 heroes.
A concrete comparison? Peak Andrey Ilyin, perhaps.
Fighting Partus like this, he'd be subdued in the blink of an eye.
But…….
How can I…… trust you?
Lee Dojin pondered gravely.
He couldn't just unleash the Black Heart recklessly when the situation turned dire.
Anxiety crept into his mind, and meanwhile, Partus adjusted his strategy.
Better to wear him down first.
The fragment's current power was nothing compared to his own. But its transcendent authority resisted fiercely. He needed to exhaust it somewhat before absorption to avoid backlash.
"Hoo……."
Partus took a long, deep breath to calm the turmoil surging in his chest.
Just this once. He'd break the principle he'd never violated since attaining his realm.
Momentary greed only invites disaster. Valuing survival as the highest virtue, time would naturally elevate him.
Just this once as an exception.
If he could safely claim that power…….
Whirrr, vreeee—
A dozen magic bullets materialized around Partus.
Each one potent enough for a high demon's ultimate technique.
They all hurtled toward Lee Dojin at once.
Shooo!
Lee Dojin fled upward as the magic approached, warping space itself.
Piiiing!
The barrage twisted in complex trajectories, pursuing him relentlessly.
Lee Dojin swung his hand with all his might.
Kaboom!
His full-powered mana burst intercepted nearly half.
But the rest still targeted him.
In this untenable situation, he had no choice but to activate a skill.
Mana Absorption (Rank S)
Shoooo—
The remaining magic bullets were sucked into his hand like iron filings.
His mana reserves didn't increase, but his spent mana was substantially replenished.
Now Partus, who had pursued him, unleashed a flurry of strikes.
Perception Domination (Rank A+)
Auto-Activation Trait Instant Foresight activates. (Rank A+)
Lee Dojin's optimal close-quarters combo: disrupting the enemy's judgment with Perception Domination and countering with Instant Foresight.
Even that proved largely ineffective against Partus's onslaught.
Thud! Thump! Boom!
Three instantaneous punches struck his abdomen, sending Lee Dojin reeling with blood spraying from his mouth.
Partus pressed the advantage, and the Black Heart pulsed once more.
Always-Active Trait Black Heart reacts. (Rank SSS)
Crack!
Partus kicked off the air forcefully, retreating backward. Wariness darkened his eyes, and the Black Heart whispered persistently to Lee Dojin.
See that? That pathetic demon fears me. Just accept my power for a moment…… and you can win.
Lee Dojin shook his head wearily.
……No.
Yet hesitation began to seep into his heart.
Because he couldn't win alone.
If he summoned heroes by linking the construct to the outside rift, he could defeat Partus…… but that would unravel every plan from the root.
Thump, thump.
The Black Heart throbbed seductively.
There's only one way. I'm ready anytime—just say the word.
Meanwhile, Partus made his decision.
Better to hurry.
It was the power of a fallen Demon God, however fragmented. Wearing it down gradually wasn't working well.
If it grew during this fight…… absorption would be the least of his worries.
Boom!
Partus's magic swelled with ultimate purity.
A force that rendered defenses meaningless. It ignored resistance to close in.
"Time to end this."
The demon king shot forward like a beam of light.
Bam! Boom!
Lee Dojin fired magic bullets to block his path, but Partus ignored them.
Against his fully unleashed magic, such attacks were meaningless.
Finally reaching his prey, Partus extended his right hand.
Thud.
His neck, shrouded in black mist, was seized.
Partus channeled all his magic.
Shoooo…… Shwaaa!
The authority to usurp the essence of existence.
Lee Dojin's consciousness faded, and in the end, the Black Heart whispered to him.
Will you stubbornly resist even now? If you don't accept me, you'll die.
To that earnest warning…… Lee Dojin finally yielded.
Always-Active Trait Black Heart rejoices! (Rank SSS)
Immediately after.
Partus, brimming with anticipation that one more second would secure the fragment's absorption, was seized by an intensely ominous premonition.
This power……!
The demon king hurriedly layered more magic—not for absorption, but to shield himself.
Buying a moment, Partus quickly retreated into his inner world.
Within the black space, he repeated in shock and fear.
This isn't just a fragment.
And the next instant.
Shwaaaa—
Something far darker than his own black inner world invaded.
A thickly rippling mist.
Partus recognized it instantly.
The Demon God……
It wasn't some mere fragment.
The transcendent being he'd served for two thousand years. The very one he still remembered clearly loomed over its servant in the form of a massive cloud.
A hand soon reached out.
"Gaaaaah—!"
Partus cried out in his true voice, resisting fiercely.
A sudden realization flashed through his mind.
Why had he only now noticed?
Why the fragment's power had reached his territory beyond the rift from the start.
From the beginning…… it was targeting me……
It hadn't drifted in without reason.
The Demon God had deliberately revealed its presence.
To lure in a demon king as prey.
"Urk, uwaaaah!"
He hadn't raised his voice like this in ages.
But he couldn't endure without it.
The Demon God's power—the transcendent authority that opened rifts, dominated souls, and created demon kings—was now stripping away his very existence.
I won't yield……!
Partus struggled with all his might.
Thankfully, the Demon God wasn't in perfect condition. If he could hold out and escape through the rift…….
But then.
The cloud-like magic addressed him.
"Return. Come back."
A fumbling command.
Since it had created the demon king in the first place, now it declared he should return as fertilizer for its resurrection.
"Kuh…… Shut up—!"
Partus erupted with mad power, resisting his master's authority, delving deeper into his inner world to protect himself.
It's not over yet.
The current Demon God couldn't overwhelm him completely.
If he endured and triumphed, he could claim not just the fragment, but the Demon God's very origin.
Clinging to that hope, Partus held on tenaciously.
"Huff, huff……."
The Demon God circled him mockingly, as if to say it was only a matter of time, no matter how hard he tried.
Then the suction began.
"Kuhuk, gaaaaah!"
Partus gradually felt his strength waning.
Regret suddenly washed over him.
The principle he'd upheld for millennia.
Treating desire as sin, tranquility as virtue.
Why had he thought he could break it just this once?
The moment I decided that…… the principle was no longer a principle……
He had little strength left to endure.
The Demon God's suction had already surpassed his magic in a deadlock, gaining a slight edge.
How much longer could he hold? A minute? Thirty seconds? Ten or less?
"Kuhuh, heuh……."
The Demon God laughed like a beast.
Compared to the era Partus remembered, its stature had fallen terribly.
Yet even this was authority enough to devour a demon king.
As the Demon God's suction shattered all defenses and touched Partus's flesh.
"You two losers are having quite the fun time."
A mocking voice echoed from somewhere.
Slash!
The demon king's inner space split open.
A human male figure stepped through the rift.
A man Partus had never seen before.
But…….
That guy……
For some reason, his face felt familiar, Partus thought.