Chapter 82
Chapter 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Demons' Overwhelming Might
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Togma and Sandra's power was formidable.
The demons' strength was incredible enough to awaken an ordinary child like Cheon-il—who wasn't even a hunter—into a high-ranking hunter.
But these were demons who had descended through contracts, possessing the bodies of a B-rank hunter who had been the guild master of Bu-an's Shield Guild and a C-rank hunter who was the guild master's right-hand man.
The power they had cultivated within Demonus was so immense that even powerhouses like Sword Tiger and Myung-su, who held sway in the real world, couldn't overcome it.
The only reason they could hold out without dying was one thing.
The Organic Strike Forms taught by Yong-un.
It was thanks to One Strike and One Kill.
Slash!
"Kuhk!"
Bzzzzt.
"Kuh-wook!"
Two figures flew apart into the distance.
The overwhelming might of lightning they had never experienced before, combined with sword strikes so fast they were invisible to the eye, left Togma and Sandra flustered.
"Krraaat!"
Taking advantage of the opening created by Sword Tiger's lightning strike, Jeong-won and Jong-hyun's swords—imbued with faint traces of lightning, though not as potent as Sword Tiger's—plunged into Togma.
"Kraaak!"
Togma screamed, channeling grayish-black demonic energy into his sturdy flesh.
Clang!
"Hup...!?"
As Togma twisted his body, the embedded swords snapped, sending Jeong-won and Jong-hyun's bodies flying.
After rolling across the ground for a good distance, Jeong-won and Jong-hyun pushed themselves up, biting their lips.
"He... controls his muscles?"
The sword fragments lodged in Togma's body popped out on their own, and the wounds closed up as his muscles knit together.
With not even a drop of blood remaining, Togma's perfect body maximized the muscles in both arms that had been blocking him, smashing into Sword Tiger's side.
"Guhk!"
Sword Tiger spat blood from the powerful impact and was sucked into the pension, smashing through it.
Rumble rumble rumble.
"Guild master!"
"Sword Tiger!"
The pension collapsed, burying Sword Tiger under the debris.
The destruction was so thorough that they couldn't even check if he was alive.
Jeong-won and Jong-hyun rushed desperately to the ruined pension, starting to clear away the chunks of building.
But with the debris scattered endlessly, they clenched their fists tight.
"I'll kill you!!"
Jong-hyun, who had been shoving debris aside, surged with mana and spun around.
Glaring at the smirking Togma, he gripped Sword Tiger's sword from the ground.
"I'll send you to Sword Tiger's side."
Togma twisted his lips into a vile grin.
In response, Jong-hyun poured out every last drop of his mana, levitating the sword into the air.
Sword Tiger's blade shook wildly between his hands, unable to stabilize as it spun erratically.
'Don't use this unless you absolutely have to.'
'Why not?'
'There's nothing more reckless than using an incomplete skill. It could harm you if mishandled.'
Vwoooom.
The unstable blade whirled chaotically, grazing Jong-hyun's cheek and arm.
"Jong-hyun! What are you doing! Stop it!"
Blood trickled from the cuts he had inflicted on himself.
The unpredictable sword seemed ready to break through the blue barrier Jong-hyun had conjured and fly off at any moment.
And its trajectory pointed straight at the center of Jong-hyun's chest.
"I said stop!"
Seeing Jong-hyun's perilous state, Jeong-won tried to step in front of him.
But at the sight of Jong-hyun's teeth gritted hard enough to draw blood and his face twisted in rage, Jeong-won froze.
'How about joining Garosu Guild?'
Sword Tiger was down.
The gruff, playful Sword Tiger.
But to Jong-hyun as a child, Sword Tiger had been a savior.
He was the one who had taken in Jong-hyun, who had no parents and hadn't received proper training from anyone.
After that, Jong-hyun joined Garosu Guild and poured endless effort into becoming of help to Sword Tiger.
And along with his awakening as a hunter, Jong-hyun had been granted a single skill.
A powerful skill that Sword Tiger had warned him was too dangerous to use.
"Uryaaaat!"
Flash!
'Must Shot'
The precariously hovering blade vanished with Jong-hyun's shout.
Jong-hyun collapsed to his knees, his face pale from mana exhaustion.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
With barely enough strength to lift his head, he forced himself to look up at Togma.
And Jong-hyun smiled.
"Cough! Kuhk."
"Got you..."
Jong-hyun's skill allowed him to teleport objects.
Though it consumed all his mana and knocked him out in one shot, true to its name, the effect was guaranteed.
Togma dropped to one knee, vomiting blood.
He looked down at the blunt sword hilt protruding from his throat.
'The... sword hilt?'
His neck half-severed, with Sword Tiger's hilt embedded in the middle.
"Puhek!"
Togma yanked it out and spat more blood, dropping to both knees.
But as a demon who could regenerate unless his head was fully severed, he straightened his legs and glared down at Jong-hyun.
"Damn... it."
It was the limit of the incomplete skill.
"That was close. To think you were hiding such power."
The result of failing to control Sword Tiger's blade before activating the skill.
Had it been the blade, it would have decapitated him in one go, but the hilt couldn't finish Togma off.
"Impressive."
Crack.
He manipulated his muscles to reattach his neck.
Then, gripping Sword Tiger's blade, he stared at Jong-hyun.
"Now it's my turn."
Togma's icy killing intent, devoid of any smile, enveloped the ruins of the pension.
"That's why you told us not to come."
Myung-su now understood the minister's intentions.
These demons were on another level from those seen in the gates.
Unlike the gate demons who had expended power to open the gates, these had fully regained their strength in the real world—and even awakened it further.
They were true demons.
Swipe.
Sandra, her chest sliced by One Kill, wiped the flowing blood from her wound with a finger.
"You've got some interesting skills, huh? Invisible attacks... It reminds me of him."
Unlike Sandra's leisurely demeanor, Myung-su and the Ghostslayer Annihilation assassins were struggling desperately.
Sandra had changed completely before and after taking that wound.
Myung-su had unleashed One Kill to finish her instantly, but it had only provoked her into fighting seriously.
The Nost Clan, led by Sandra, were ghost-like demons who killed while hiding their forms.
"Where are you?"
Even Mu-hee, who could perceive everything through shadows, couldn't locate Sandra.
All except one.
Thud! Sizzle.
Sensitive to qi flow due to One Kill, Myung-su blocked Sandra's attack next to Mu-hee.
Mu-hee stared in shock at the empty air as Myung-su was pushed back a long way.
"Ugh..."
The silent, formless dread of death.
Nothing was more terrifying.
True to the Nost Clan's nature, with no shadows to exploit, Mu-hee's abilities were useless for the first time.
Physical attacks dealt no damage either, making even demonized Cheon-il less effective than nothing.
Thud! Sizzle.
"Damn it."
This time, Myung-su appeared beside Cheon-il and blocked Sandra's attack again.
He swung his dagger using Corrosion, but felt no impact.
"Impressive. But you know, I'm fine, while you're showing your limits?"
A voice echoed from empty air.
Mu-hee and Cheon-il lashed out with fists and dagger at the void, but it dealt no damage to Sandra, as expected.
"The dangerous ones here are those two, huh?"
Myung-su's eyes widened at Sandra's voice from the air.
Without a moment's rest, his feet moved.
Thud! Sizzle.
Blocking an attack aimed at the Poison Witch, Myung-su drew a grimace from her as she bit her lip.
She unleashed her poison toward it.
Sizzle.
A faint wisp of black smoke rose.
But only for a moment.
The black smoke vanished without a trace, forcing the Poison Witch to withdraw her poison.
"Definitely threatening."
The Poison Witch's toxin could kill even demons.
Yet Sandra treated it like a mere game, her voice full of delight.
"What do we do..."
She wanted to spray poison freely toward the voice.
No, fill the entire area with it.
That might let her find or hit Sandra.
But the voice always came from directions where allies stood.
Unable to use her poison freely, the Poison Witch bit her lip in frustration.
"Soul Ghost Leader, what should we do!"
The Poison Witch finally pleaded for Myung-su's help.
Myung-su appeared behind her and said,
"I want to retreat, but if we move even a step from here, I can't protect you."
"Does that mean... retreat is impossible?"
"For now."
Regrettably, it was due to Myung-su's insufficient realm.
The range where Myung-su could sense Sandra's presence through qi sense was limited to this spot where his comrades gathered.
Moreover, using One Kill had drained him greatly, so he couldn't guarantee how long he could hold out.
Surrounded on all sides, unable to advance or retreat.
Myung-su racked his brains while blocking Sandra's attacks.
'I'll save everyone somehow.'
I am...
the Soul Ghost Leader of the Ghostslayers Annihilation.
Though he wanted to collapse right then, Myung-su endured through sheer willpower, protecting his comrades.
"Hold on. It's just a matter of time."
Thud! Sizzle.
Blocking another of Sandra's attacks, Myung-su furrowed his brow.
His hands trembled, strength slipping from his grip.
But as he blocked the next assault,
Something caught Myung-su's eye.
Sizzle.
"You know, I have subordinates too?"
Sandra's ominous words were brief.
In Myung-su's tense qi sense, presences other than Sandra began to appear.
Demons of the Nost Clan, just like her.
They were moving on Sandra's command.
Their desperate resistance had ended.
Time now favored Sandra and her kin.
As dozens of presences emerged, Myung-su refocused his blurring vision and looked at the Poison Witch.
At that moment,
Mu-hee, who had been standing still, flashed her gray eyes and grabbed Myung-su's shoulder.
"Use that."
Acting as if she could see something, Myung-su gained conviction from Mu-hee's behavior and spoke to the Poison Witch.
"I've found a way. Ghostslayers Annihilation. Follow my orders from now on."
Myung-su's confident voice became a ray of light in this grim situation.
"What?"
As the Ghostslayers Annihilation devised a plan to turn the tide,
Sandra and the Nost Clan froze mid-attack.
The startled Sandra pulled out her demon eye and looked skyward.
A figure floated in the sky, arms crossed, gazing down at Sandra and the Nost Clan.
"Wh-what? A new intruder?"
The demon eye glowed.
But even it, which revealed everything around, failed to detect the figure in the sky.
As if it couldn't sense the existence at all.
"Unbelievable..."
The being looked down at Sandra and the Nost Clan with cold eyes.
Yong-un, arms crossed and cheering on the Ghostslayers Annihilation, gave a faint smile.
"They're growing up now. Become their fertilizer."
And just as they finalized their plan,
Yong-un withdrew the aura suppressing Sandra and the Nost Clan, then moved elsewhere.
Leaving behind Sandra's mix of rage, shock, and confusion, Yong-un vanished from the spot.
Then, he cleaved through the air toward the incomplete Ma-ryong Squad.