Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: The San Marino Demon Abyss
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Demon Abysses are divided into three grades.
A Demon Abyss formed in a specific region of a country is rated C-grade.
One that has grown by devouring at least three cities or more is B-grade.
And a Demon Abyss that has swallowed an entire nation is called an A-grade Demon Abyss.
The San Marino Demon Abyss was an A-grade.
It was a unique case from long ago, when a sudden surge of Gates couldn't be contained, gradually worsening until the entire country was consumed.
Up to now, there were only three A-grade Demon Abysses in the world.
In other words, from the moment they formed until today, no one—not a single country or person—had cleared them.
They were pitch-black tumors festering on the world map, impossible to burst.
What are calamities and natural disasters?
They refer to unstoppable catastrophes beyond human power.
The San Marino Demon Abyss was just that.
It was a calamity.
And especially in this Demon Abyss weakening operation, the San Marino Demon Abyss was all the more horrific.
Boom!
The War God's fist pierced through Magrino's shield and slammed into his abdomen.
True to his tank position, the silver armor encasing his body cracked with a dry snap, shattering into fragments that scattered in the air.
Magrino's famously sturdy gut, known as the Iron Guard, caved in and then bulged back out.
"Gah!"
All the air packed into his lungs burst from his mouth.
Veins bulged across his forehead and neck.
He couldn't breathe.
His face flushed red, and his bloodshot eyes slowly rolled up to fix on the War God.
"Lie down."
"......"
At the War God's calm words, Magrino managed a smile.
Then he slowly toppled toward the War God.
Whoosh. Thud.
As he caught Magrino, the massive shield the man had been holding crashed against the ground, creating a deafening clang.
The War God's impassive expression began to shift bit by bit.
"Similar to that Beijing S-Rank Gate situation, huh."
It must have hurt like hell.
Yet Magrino's lips curved into a smile, as if he'd judged this the better option.
But in stark contrast, the War God's face twisted more and more.
"What did I do back then?"
Wrinkle formed between his brows, and his clenched jaw tightened.
"Ah, right—I tore the boss to shreds."
The War God flushed red-hot, as if he were about to ignite.
Roooar!
Yellow mana erupted explosively from his entire body.
An overwhelming mana surge that even shifted the wind's direction.
"This time won't be any different."
Crunch.
A grinding sound came from between the War God's teeth.
And with that, he stepped into the hellish chaos where the Spanish team members were turning on each other.
After the monster wave, the drumbeats grew even more savage.
The screams twisted into even louder, more grotesque wails.
And every major nation's team plunged into pandemonium.
Who could have predicted it?
That teams who had fought monsters side by side, weapons raised to protect one another, would suddenly swing those same weapons at each other.
The pandemonium sank deeper into a quagmire.
A swamp where no one could tell friend from foe.
The miraculous Demon Abyss weakening operation, which had seen zero casualties until then, began producing victims one by one.
Not at the hands of monsters or demons, but from allies.
After the eerie drumbeats echoed out.
Yong-un's behavior turned strange.
Swish. Swish swish.
Like a conductor leading an orchestra, Yong-un's hands moved freely through the empty air.
He'd swipe as if batting something away, then suddenly clench at nothing.
But what his subordinates found most odd wasn't the actions themselves.
Clearly, Yong-un was doing something without their knowledge.
Yet the unchanging scenery left them baffled, unable to shake off their confusion.
This went on for dozens of minutes.
The quietly observing Sword Tiger finally spoke.
"Over 20 minutes now, right?"
"Yes, about that."
Myung-su answered Sword Tiger's question.
"What on earth is he doing? Can you see anything?"
"No, nothing. I even tried peering with Empty Fusion Death Technique, but still the same."
"Even in that weird space where the colors faded, nothing?"
"Yes. Lord Dragon Demon, do you sense anything special?"
Sword Tiger shook his head.
"If I did, why would I be asking? If neither of us knows, there's someone who would."
"True, someone smarter than us."
Dragon Demon Leader Sword Tiger and One Ghost Soul Myung-su both turned to look at Shadow Demon Assassination Leader Jin-cheol.
"Sorry, I don't know either."
Even the master strategist admitting ignorance made Sword Tiger and Myung-su exchange glances and sigh deeply.
The Supreme One was definitely doing something. He wasn't the type to act without reason.
He might even be battling foes ghostly and elusive.
But what could they do?
They couldn't sense a thing, let alone understand why.
In the end, useless once again.
His subordinates' faces darkened.
After a year of secluded training, they'd gained confidence in their power.
Being deployed to the Demon Abyss weakening op had sparked more excitement than worry.
And comparing themselves to the major nation Hunters gathered there had doubled that confidence.
Hunters from powerhouse nations they once couldn't even dream of facing.
But under the Supreme One's guidance, time passed, their status and strength changed, and they'd felt an unprecedented pride.
'What's the point, though...'
The smiles on his subordinates' faces cracked badly.
Lifted corners of mouths drooped, strength drained from their bodies.
'We still can't help the Supreme One.'
Sword Tiger and Myung-su bowed their heads.
The changes from secluded training meant nothing.
They couldn't even grasp what the Supreme One was doing, who he was fighting, or how to assist.
"Guess we're still a long way off."
Sword Tiger finally muttered what he'd been holding back.
But then.
Jin-cheol, who had just said he didn't know, raised a hand.
"Hold on. Even if we don't know, there's someone who might."
Sword Tiger and Myung-su looked at Jin-cheol.
All the faction leaders claimed ignorance.
Who else here had power on par with them, besides the leaders?
"Who... huh?"
"Now that you mention it."
Gazing at the South Korean team, Sword Tiger and Myung-su locked eyes on one man.
There was. Someone with leader-level strength, aside from the faction heads.
"Myung-un!"
"Myung-un!"
Only one such person existed.
A little monster with power equal to—or perhaps surpassing—the faction leaders, destined to grow even stronger.
Sword Tiger and Myung-su shouted almost in unison, staring at Myung-un beside Jin-cheol.
Under the intense focused gazes, Myung-un gave an awkward smile.
"Truth is, I can't see it either."
"Figures..."
"Even you, who inherited the Supreme One's blood, can't see it?"
Amid the disappointed tones.
Myung-un's voice rang out again.
"But I can feel it."
Sword Tiger and Myung-su's eyes widened.
"As you know, I train in the same martial arts as my brother. Well, he teaches and instills it all one-sidedly, but still."
The spark of hope everyone harbored flared up.
Right. Myung-un was different from the subordinates here.
He was.
"A prodigy. Yeah, a prodigy of the Hunter world."
A prodigy, after all.
Myung-un shifted his gaze to Yong-un.
Swish. Swish swish.
And something no one else could see entered Myung-un's eyes.
Fwoosh.
Purple energy scattering from Yong-un's sweeping fingertips.
Crack.
Accompanied by dark blue flames bursting forth, a sound like coal ash crumbling.
"Brother's fighting something right now."
Sword Tiger scowled fiercely.
"Damn, it was real! Why can't I see it?! We need to help him now!"
"Calm down. We're just as frustrated."
"Argh!"
Sword Tiger irritably punched at empty air.
Jin-cheol, reining him in, asked Myung-un,
"No idea what it is?"
"No clue. And the energy brother's using... it's new to me too."
They'd thought they'd grasped a bit about the Supreme One's actions, but the problem circled back to square one.
As said earlier, what good was knowing?
They couldn't help, didn't even know what he was fighting.
"Should've trained harder."
"Can't we just deploy our arts without bothering him?"
"No way. We'd only get in the way."
Back at square one, the subordinates sighed heavily.
The irritated, self-blaming Dragon Demon Division and the Shadow Demon Assassination Division racking their brains for answers.
Ghost Killer Soul Destruction was no different.
"Isn't there some way?"
They too were the Supreme One's subordinates, indebted to him and vowed to live for him alone.
At the Poison Witch's lament, Myung-su shook his head.
"Even that brilliant strategist and Myung-un, who received arts directly from the Supreme One, have no answers. What can we do? We just wait for his orders."
"Still..."
This time, the Dancer stomped her feet.
"We shouldn't have been clueless that he's in battle... My heart feels heavy."
Myung-su scowled like Sword Tiger for the first time.
He lamented his unchanged self, despite thinking he'd grown strong.
Having received such great favor, arts bestowed upon them, a new life granted—yet unable to help at all. It hurt.
"Haa..."
As he lifted his head, sublimating the frustration boiling in his chest into a sigh—that's when it happened.
"Huh?"
Among the gathered Ghost Killer Soul Destruction assassins.
One assassin's expression stood out from the rest.
While everyone grappled with helplessness, only this one stared piercingly at the Supreme One, as if seeing something.
"Six Ghost Soul?"
Myung-su couldn't help calling out to Jo Sung-min, who was lost in a daze.
"You seeing something?"
"I see it. The pitiful fragments of souls shattering at his fingertips."
Myung-su's eyebrow twitched.
"What?"
The puzzlement from Six Ghost Soul's words lingered only briefly.
He tore his eyes from the Supreme One as if it were nothing.
"This is both the end and the beginning."
The end and the beginning?
"What does that—"
As they moved to question Six Ghost Soul's cryptic words.
Myung-un, who had been silently watching the Supreme One's battle, shouted.
"It's over!"
Myung-su's head whipped toward the Supreme One.
Like a conductor lowering his baton at the end, Yong-un's hands came down.
Over?
The battle had ended.
Swish.
Myung-su's head now turned to Six Ghost Soul.
'If this is the end, what's the beginning mean?'
Everyone rose, eyes on the Supreme One.
But Six Ghost Soul sat still, meeting Myung-su's gaze.
"I promised. I'd protect them... I don't care about the others. I'll only guard Ghost Killer Soul Destruction. Ghost Killer Soul Destruction alone. Whether others live or die."
Six Ghost Soul stood as well.
All subordinates rushed toward the Supreme One.
Six Ghost Soul blended into the crowd, running to him too.
One Ghost Soul Myung-su remained alone.
He stared at Six Ghost Soul's receding back for a long while, unable to speak.