◈ Episode 380. Demon King (1)

Entering the Demon World.

Perhaps for the first time since the Player’s Awakening, the time has come to struggle without anything to trust. Am I afraid? I’m afraid. I, Lee Hoyeol, have yet to lose my cowardice.

Yusra Kingdom.

I stood in the back garden of a villa.

A hedge of overgrown trees surrounds it.

Suddenly, the only sound is the chirping of birds, and it seems like a world away. At first glance, the only thing I can see is the [Elegant Flower Garden] attached to the private room.

‘I don’t know how he accepted my snout.’

After the Heavenly Unity incident.

Elsidor stayed in China.

Nothing to worry about.

Even if he does something unthinkable, as long as there’s a [Hierarchy of Blessings], he’ll be safe. Controlling Elsidor is not a difficult task.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

After all, I haven’t wasted my social experience. It’s against labor laws to keep them tied up in a flower garden. Anyway, there’s no Elsidor guarding the Elegant Flower Garden, and there are no eyes here.

‘So let’s check it out.’

jipijigi.

I wanted to check my power before entering the Demon World.

Naturally, [Blackening] cannot be counted as a power.

That’s Grandfell’s power, not Lee Hoyeol’s.

‘It’s a risky move.

[Blackening] is not a skill that I can activate at will. The only thing that can be considered my power is the 10% proficiency level of [Celestial Infant Solitude].

‘Of course, that’s not all.’

seuseuseu.

The Dawn’s jacket fluttered on my shoulders as a breeze blew. Seven Deadly Sins’ Loot, [Neutral Parasitic Creatures Envy, Lust, and Wrath]. I stared at the three items, glittering like jewels.

‘Gluttony and sloth.’

Neither of them had died at my hands as a demon hunter. They had been slain by the red-eyed Shahin Dune and the Diamond-top Lord Garmond, respectively.

“Remember that I am watching.”

They would be reborn, just as Greed had been.

Still, there was no immediate concern.

Recall that the reborn Greed was still level 600 after absorbing all the negative emotions from the Yusra Islands.

‘It was different back then. For me, of course.’

The Arcana continent is a very different place now than it was when Greed was resurrected.

Quernberg Machine Towers dot the landscape, and the surviving Arcanians are veterans of their own battles with demons.

In any case, they won’t suffer from fear. Besides, the quality of the players who have set foot on the Arcana continent is such that they are not easily intimidated by a newborn Seven Deadly Sins.

My snout weighs in.

“Perhaps they’ll come to me to seek eternal rest.”

In other words, if you’re going to keep dying and dying and resurrecting, perhaps you’d rather fall cleanly into Hell at my hands. I reached for the spoils of the Seven Deadly Sins.

‘There is no need to look at Envy again.’

I check my two newly acquired items.

[Neutral Parasitic Creature Lust 2/7]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Limit: Unknown]

[Effect : Lust exists in three forms – Good, Neutral, and Evil – and each form has a different effect on the user. Current Status : Neutral – Provides the user with an ‘Charm’ stat].

[Description : It is a small, unidentified creature.]

While Envy was in the form of a crystal clear gemstone, Lust was in the form of a small red gemstone, like a pomegranate grain, that stuck to my jacket, by the way.

‘It’s charm.’

It wasn’t the first time a new stat had been created.

The [Tenacity] I gained from repeatedly training to the limit. Similarly, [Aesthetics], gained by wearing items, wasn’t a base stat.

But Charm?

‘I’ve never heard of that.’

My mouth twitches before I can evaluate it.

“That’s a pretty cool effect.”

What a surprise Grandfell.

How can anyone like artificial [Charm]?

But I’m different.

As I said, I’m about to enter the Demon World.

A legendary item effect at a time when I need to cherish everything?

I can’t ignore it.

[Charm: Create a unique atmosphere].

The effect was simple enough.

Although it is a stat, it does not allow you to distribute points like [Aesthetics], nor does it have numerical values. It seems closer to a buff than a stat……..

‘What is the unique atmosphere?’

I had no idea until I used it in practice.

I felt like I couldn’t figure it out.

The only good thing is that it doesn’t seem to be difficult to use.

seuseuseug

In order to use a legendary item, I need to build an affinity with it. I don’t know why, but……. Judging by the way it was wriggling in my palm, Lust seemed to have a fair amount of affinity with me.

‘Unlike Wrath.’

[Neutral Parasitic Creature Wrath 3/7].

Wrath of the Seven Deadly Sins.

It resembles Wrath, who was never friendly to begin with.

A message comes to mind.

[Insufficient affinity].

[The full effect cannot be achieved.]

Not only does it not work, but I can’t even see the item information. Like I said, each one is unique. I feel regret, but I can’t hold it in.

“It’s not me who’s disappointed.”

……Let’s not fight over items, Grandfell.

We’ll figure out how to increase the affinity later.

For now, I had other things to check besides the Great Evil’s loot.

I looked at the status window.

[Title: Master of the Ten Thrones]

Titles don’t just end with titles.

Just look at the titles I’ve earned so far.

From the first one, The Last Adventurer, to Sublime, to Transcendent, to Dark Dragon. …….

This means that every title has a “something” associated with it.

What this means is simple

‘Maybe I really…….’

The Ten Thrones.

Maybe I can wield the power of a High Ranking Demon King because I’ve taken that throne. Yes, I can. That was why I stood in the back garden of the Yusra Golden Palace Annex, out of sight of anyone.

‘I need to test it.’

The power of the Throne.

The power of the Seven Deadly Sins, I knew from watching.

It caused a status abnormality corresponding to the seven human sins.

But the High Ranking Demon King was something else. I couldn’t tell what Buer looked like because of the [Blackening], but I could guess by remembering Gamigin.

‘It didn’t cause the status abnormality.’

Whereas the fear evoked by the Great Evil and other conventional demons was generalised fear, the fear that poured out of Gamigin bordered on worship.

It was more like bowing and kneeling before an absolute king.

The corners of my lips move.

“We’ll need to see what he was holding.”

Of course, Grandfell doesn’t recognise any High Ranking Demon King.

Perhaps that’s why I can see this power. It would make sense if the High Ranking Demon King weren’t powerful, but simply had a great throne.

But then the question arises.

Is it possible to wield such power in the Yusra Kingdom, even if there is no eye to see it? Is it possible that the Yusra Kingdom will be overrun beyond the back gardens and Elegant Flower Gardens?

We must avoid such a disaster, even if it means wasting the elixir.

It’s almost time for the appointment…….

It means that someone who can handle the power has been called.

Soon, the main character appeared before my eyes.

Or rather, she stepped off her broom.

“Have you been at peace, Claudi?”

*

Mary, Witch of the Southern Sea.

Her reputation was high in the Spacetime Social Halls.

Only those who have risen to the rank of Transcendent can enter. She was one of the few Transcendents, along with the heads of the Four Families, who had access to the upper levels.

What that means is simple.

She was stronger than Shegwin, the Swordmaster of the Arcana continent, stronger than the Sunrise Warriors, who dominated the East, and stronger than Urs, who had consumed countless elixirs.

Twilight descendants with the blood of pure-blooded mages.

Among them, she was born with an extraordinary talent.

Her abilities could be called the pinnacle of mages, even including the Magic Tower.

Someone might ask.

But she was gravely injured.

She can’t be at her full strength.

They wouldn’t be wrong. For centuries, Mary had been haunted by the Bad Omen, burning dozens of vile cigarettes a day to keep its whispers silent.

But it was the toxicity of the cigarettes that was the problem, not the physical strength. Rather, it was the stimulant effect of cigarettes that was the problem…….

With her entire body practically soaked in tobacco, it was safe to say that Mary’s magic was at its peak. Like a candle burning brightest before it is extinguished.

“I would be honoured to accept your offer, Claudi.”

Thud.

Mary, her broom lightly struck the ground.

In anticipation of the duel.

Then, twilight magic enveloped the back garden of the Annexe.

Tsurr.

A sort of shield to prevent the impact of the duel from leaking out.

Through the violet magic particles, Mary’s gaze fell on Hoyeol.

‘……short hair now.’

Or, more precisely, the length of his hair.

Mary had guessed.

Claudi is no longer as powerful as he was in his prime, but for some reason, when the silver-haired man’s hair was long as it was in the past, he was able to recreate the look of that time.

‘I wonder if that’s another Claudi family secret.’

Mary didn’t know.

‘No.’

But Mary chose not to overthink it.

From her own salvation to the salvation of the clan that had been swallowed up by the Bad Omen.

Claudi had given her too many favours.

‘I won’t interfere if you don’t want to.’

Thus, at this moment.

She would only focus on the duel that Hoyeol had requested.

Of course, Mary had no intention of going all out.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it was Claudi in his prime…….

With short hair.

Claudi is a shadow of his former self, and her magic is not.

‘It might be too harsh.’

A truly strong person cannot be unaware of the fact that they are strong. It was the same with Mary. There wasn’t much explanation needed. The cigarettes she smoked constantly were proof of that.

An interdimensional mission.

Interdimensional gold coins for success. The cigarettes she smoked were worth a hundred gold coins. They were considered a luxury item even in the shops of the Spacetime.

Furthermore, even the arrogant patriarchs of the Four Families did not doubt her strength, so the word complacency did not apply to her.

She was powerful, and she deserved it.

She manifests her magic lightly.

A storm of twilight magic.

Her fingers flexed like a bowstring.

“You may use all your power.”

Hoyeol said.

It was blasphemous.

For a moment, she thought.

‘……If I give it my all.’

You might not be able to handle it.

But then, she realised.

She realised that for the first time in her life, she was ‘cocky’.

Gooooooo.

The pressure is indescribable.

“……?”

A scattering of violet particles, a presence that seemed to be at an impossibly high level between them. She doubts her eyes, the hair is still short.

It must not have been a manifestation of his prime.

“……!”

Mary asked herself.

‘…… Why am I looking up to him?’

It wasn’t a matter of ability.

Even the greatest of commanders could not defy the king’s command.

In this moment, Mary was worshipping a true king.

A twisting, rising aura.

Black and silver fluctuate.

The fluttering jacket spreads like wings.

Every tree in the land snapped.

Birds stop singing.

Life in the area is holding its breath.

The solemn atmosphere was telling.

This is where the Demon King of the Ten Thrones resides.

.

.

.

[A unique atmosphere dominates the area].

[Current Atmosphere: Demon King of the 10th Throne, Lee Hoyeol]

[Caution: Akshan is watching you]…….