◈ Episode 381. Demon King (2)

The Ten Thrones.

The High Ranking Demon King is untouchable.

It has the ability to influence one world view. I don’t know if they were born with it or if it came from the throne they sat on. That strength is not a lie.

That’s why I, Lee Hoyeol, can’t help to be tempted.

Who am I to judge?

I don’t know about Grandfell, but Lee Hoyeol should not be overshadowed by anything.

I never forgot my roots and looked for something to struggle with.

A skill, an item, a dirty trick, basic science, magic, anything. I needed to use them all, so that I could bear the weight of my burden.

But life, as it turns out, is not easy.

Ten.

I had hoped I had some special power that had nothing to do with demons.

It was just a vague wish.

I stared at the message as it floated by.

[A unique atmosphere dominates the area.]

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

[Caution: Akshan is watching you.]

Let’s leave aside the [Unique Atmosphere] created by the [Charm] for a moment.

What matters now is.

Our Akshans seniors are watching me.

‘I feel a sting in the back of my head.’

A single message.

But the implications are not light.

I didn’t forget.

Why some of the Akshans went to hell.

These are the Akshan seniors in hell who looked into the demons in order to hunt them, and ended up falling into them, being hunted down by their colleagues and fell into hell.

‘There’s no excuse.’

In that case.

I was no different from them.

No, much worse.

Why, not just a demon, but a Demon King.

It’s no different from becoming a High Ranking Demon King.

I could see why the Akshans were keeping a close eye on this junior.

But I didn’t stop.

Because I was certain.

Even if it is the power of a High Ranking Demon King.

I would not be swayed by its evil.

The source of this confidence is, of course, Grandfell.

I opened my mouth to speak.

“You are correct in your suspicions.”

Mary nods softly.

“This is Demon King power.”

Far high up in the distance.

It’s like looking at a distant, high being.

Mary has a truly ecstatic expression.

It was a familiar look. That’s how the people of the Seorn continent reacted when faced with Bael’s forearm. But as I said, there’s no need to worry, Mary.

There is nothing but silence.

Heart pounding.

Even inside.

Even in the body.

Nothing has changed in me.

『One of the first things Grandfell learnt as the next Patriarch was not to get carried away with trivial things.』

Even the power of a High Ranking Demon King.

Is it because he considers them trivial?

The exact reason is unknown, but one thing is certain.

『The position of the patriarch of the Claudi family was such that even the slightest disturbance was not tolerated.』

I was no different from my usual self.

‘So…….’

Even our Akshan seniors, who would have rushed at any other demon, especially a High Ranking Demon King, are just watching me, whether it’s an underestimate or an overestimate doesn’t matter.

『Underestimation requires proof, and overestimation requires to make it a reality.』

That’s right.

For now, I intend to fully harness the power of even the High Ranking Demon King, otherwise I would be at the bottom of the hierarchy, and the challengers would be aiming for me. In a ranked battle with a High Ranking Demon King. I wouldn’t be able to survive in the Demon World that I walked into.

I spoke with determination.

“So you can give it your all.”

She nodded.

Swoosh.

Merry’s violet glow intensifies.

I, too, am a transcendent who has access to the Spacetime Social Hall.

I know how much those cigarettes cost.

‘The cheapest ones were 100 gold a pack, I think?’

I’ve never witnessed her power.

But I can assure one thing, she’s stronger than any mage I’ve ever seen. Not even that cat, Tower Master, could form a Circle.

‘Compared to that, I am.’

The absolute amount of magic?

It would be incomparably low.

A Circle?

It might have been formed by ingesting an elixir, but it was safe to say that it had to be forced open at the risk of death. Even the experience couldn’t compare. Mary had watched the Bad Omen for what seemed like eons.

For the price of those cigarettes, she’s been on a constant stream of demanding Spacetime missions.

seuseuseu.

So, objectively speaking.

I wouldn’t have been able to capture her from her first manifestation.

If I had fought her with magic alone, without using the power of a High Ranking Demon King.

Gooo.

Twilight magic is dozens of times more concentrated than the same total amount of magic, and what that means is simple. It means you’ll be able to generate more magic with a smaller amount of magic.

‘This is real power.’

Even Mary stayed in the magic tower to learn new spells.

Now I’m the only one with an edge.

I can’t even use my advantage in magic knowledge.

‘She didn’t manifest any elemental magic as proof.’

There is a distinct advantage in elemental magic. Just as Senios, the Frost Mage, could not overcome Karimzeva, the Fire Dragon. There are natural enemies that eat each other.

sswaaaa.

But what poured into me was pure twilight magic itself.

She must have mastered the concept of pure magic.

The words of Senior Vangrit’s presentation at one of the regular meetings echo in my head.

-“Pure magic is the most efficient magic in theory, as there is no such thing as a counterpart, except for one major weakness……!”

The moment pure magic collides with other magic. If it is outmatched in the absolute amount of magic it produces, the weakness is that pure magic can be manifested in favour of other magic.

‘That’s why Vangrit became a Senior.’

One of the best magic affinities in the Magic Tower.

Vangrit was literally a lotus blossoming out of the mud, and his innate affinity for magic meant that his pure magic would not experience backlash when it collided with any magic.

‘So the pure magic that Mary manifests is…’

Wouldn’t it be safe to say that it is a perfect upward compatibility with Vangrit?

What it meant was simple.

What I’m saying is that I don’t have the talent to accept it.

‘Here it comes.’

Shhhhhh.

A storm of violet twilight magic raged.

Basic magic knowledge flows through my mind. To counter pure magic, one must counter it with the most expressive magic one can manifest.

‘Because it’s the absolute amount that counts.’

But what is my speciality?

Subject matter identification.

Even with the most manifest magic I can cast, the most magic-efficient so-called architectural magic, I won’t be able to counter Mary’s twilight magic storm.

So I’ll have to wield it properly.

The power of a High Ranking Demon King.

Even though.

How did I even think of using Demon King power?

If anyone asks, I can only speak from personal experience.

I witnessed a previous battle for the Demon King.

Why countless demons would lay down their lives to sit on the Throne.

Dignity.

No one else can understand it, but Grandfell. He may say coldly that demons are all the same, and that there is no such thing as dignity for an inferior race.

But I, Lee Hoyeol, know.

It was just a game.

Because I played the Arcana Continent Biography.

‘If you take the throne, you will be promoted to boss monster.’

There is a gap between normal monsters and named monsters. It’s safe to say that the gap between named monsters and boss monsters is tens to hundreds of times greater.

That’s why boss monster raids attract dozens to hundreds of players. Even if it’s the same level, if it’s labelled as a boss, it’s a different level.

That was true when there were 72 thrones, and now there are only 10 thrones. What kind of ascension would the new Demon King achieve if they were to take that throne?

As a participant, I thought I’d put it to the test.

Shhh.

I gently raise my hand. No architectural magic. I have drawn pure magic, just like Mary. I have manifested pure magic.

Gooooooo.

As I said, my total amount of magic is ridiculously low.

After gaining 150 levels, my level is close to 1,000.

I’ve invested a lot of points in [Strength], [Agility], and even [Luck].

‘I can use twilight magic, too.’

The twilight magic was something I’d learnt by looking over my shoulder. Not to be modest, but I’d actually watched Mary train Jesse, right?

Common sense.

If my pure magic and Mary’s pure magic collided, it would be 100 for 100.

It was the law of magic that my side would be the one to break.

However.

The movement of the colliding magic particles was strange.

No…….

Could that be considered a collision of magic?

“……!”

A one-sided crush.

My magic was trampling on the twilight magic.

As if they were of different levels.

I wasn’t even allowing her to approach.

Mary spoke up.

“……How do you have such power?”

Like water and oil.

They don’t mix, so there’s no shock of collision.

But just as water sinks to the bottom and oil rises to the top.

There was an irresistible law to my magic and the twilight’s magic.

Mary muttered.

“Even more pure than twilight magic……?”

The pure-blooded Mage clan, the Twilight Descendants.

The Twilight magic and magic power they used was the original magic itself. However, the magic I emitted now was clearly superior to such Twilight magic.

I muttered nonchalantly.

“Because the status is different.”

Of course, I didn’t mean to sound arrogant.

It was simply the fact that I had been elevated to the 10th seat.

I swallowed hard.

‘……That’s really you, Lee Hoyeol.’

Once again, it was a desperate attempt.

But I didn’t overlook it.

Why is the Demon King called the Demon King?

It’s called the Demon King because it’s the king of demons.

If my mental strength had wavered even a little…….

‘I would have been dragged away by my seniors in hell by now.’

But the mental strength of Grandfell was with me.

For him, demons are unacceptable.

No matter how great they are.

Borrowing the power of a High Ranking Demon King is not in his dictionary.

And because I believed in his shitty stubbornness.

I succeeded in cutting it down.

Evil.

And now I have it in my hands.

‘By the way, magic uses the same character.’

The Throne of Pure Demons.

Swoosh.

I stared at the magic power emanating from my body. I felt the efficiency of the different levels of magic. I realised. You’ve really grown to the point where you can’t make excuses for your magic anymore, Hoyeol.

“There is no room for countermeasures.”

Mary spoke up.

I nodded.

She was right.

The Twilight Magic has completely stopped flowing. The inability to move meant that the process of manifestation was impossible. We had merely exchanged a single spell, and she seemed to realise it.

‘I lived.’

She sighed and began to take in her surroundings.

Or, more accurately, I began to read the ‘atmosphere’ around me.

To be clear, this was strictly a cause for celebration.

‘Because we succeeded in cutting out the Evil from the power of the High Ranking Demon King and using it.’

In other words, I’ve succeeded in sucking the sweet water.

However, I felt a strange atmosphere.

I looked around and saw…….

Because even the dense trees are not enough.

Even the bushes of the earth are bowing their heads towards me.

To use a metaphor.

‘Are they really looking at me like I’m some kind of Demon King?’

At that point, I realised.

[Unique Atmosphere].

So this was the effect of the [Charm] stat?

To put it simply, it was directing ability.

The unique aura that comes from Charm.

I was really making others think I was a Demon King.

I looked at the red gemstone, Lust, on Dawn’s jacket.

‘What an unpleasant effect……!’

It’s bad enough with the unnecessary, mood-setting, Grandfell style of speaking……! As if that wasn’t enough, it also adds a unique atmosphere and directing like this?

‘I’m very afraid.’

What would the synergy of speech and atmosphere do?

It was a moment when I swallowed hard.

I heard a strange sound.

A shuffle.

I shift my gaze and see Mary on her knees.

She was kneeling in front of me, her head bowed.

Then she speaks, her voice trembling.

“Mary, Witch of the Southern Sea.”

I knew it…….

“I see the true Demon King.”

No, I mean, not that Demon King……!

I know it looks like a Demon King because of the aura, but here’s the proof.

There is evidence that the natural enemy also acknowledged that, right?

[Akshan takes his doubts away from you].

So you’re saying I’m not that kind of Demon King?!