Chapter 275: The Rise of the Demon Lord 3
“Keuk… keuk…”
Helena was urgently moving through a complicated labyrinth passage.
She was bleeding from her abdomen, and her left arm was swaying violently from her shoulder, as it was only attached by a sliver of skin.
‘How did things become like this…’
Her feelings were complicated.
Suddenly, Aleister and the witch cult members appeared in the secret conference room, and after a fierce battle, everyone in Etheria Rodinus except herself died there.
Fortunately, she escaped with the Holy Grail, but because of this, her life was at stake.
Nevertheless, she didn’t give up the Holy Grail.
‘We must change this world… in the right direction!’
To realize this dream, Helena had given up a lot so far.
She was willing to give up her innocence to Woohyuk, and she tirelessly fought against the Witches of the Seven Sins.
Throughout, she persevered.
She believed that if this world could be set in the right direction, she’d happily sacrifice herself.
‘There shouldn’t have been a person like Lilith from the beginning.’
Outside of her inner circle, everyone else in this world descended from Adam and Lilith.
They possessed the impurities of the sinful witch.
As a result of Lilith’s descendants proliferating their world, Solomon’s lineage fell, the Witch Cult became popular. The fanatics began to prevail.
She had to pull out the roots to finally end this madness and sinfulness.
Only the divine genealogy, which began with the union of Adam and Eve, had to be left in this world.
Thus, she had tricked Woohyuk and guided him to move according to her will.
However…
‘I don’t think I can walk anymore…’
Her beautiful face was full of scratches, and her smooth legs were grimly bruised.
She was also bleeding excessively from her stomach region. Her left hand had long ago gone numb.
Unlike her usual energetic self, Helena started tearing up.
‘Will I die like this?’
She heard the sound of someone chasing after her.
Even though her eyes were blurred by her tears, she busily moved her body once again.
In the meantime…
Tap.
Something like cold metal hit Helena’s face.
Helena lifted her head as she wiped her tears.
Woohyuk, no, Asura, was looking down at her.
“You don’t look so good, Helena,” he said.
Sniffle.
Helena started crying without responding.
She struggled to control her tears, which she had endured until now.
Without a word, Demon Lord Asura hugged Helena tightly.
And then…
Pu-Wook!
His dagger stabbed her heart relentlessly.
“If you had been a little more honest, I might have sided with you,” he said dryly.
She tried to use him for her own benefit, and the result was this.
Asura lifted the Holy Grail from her drooping body.
‘This is it.’
A ring that shined dazzlingly even in the dark.
It was shining because it sensed the approaching abyss and darkness. The Holy Grail was sending a warning.
The world would be wiped out if the abyss came any closer.
“Good job. You finally got her Holy Grail,” Lilith complimented from his side.
“Now, how do I enter the Ark of Knowledge, Lilith?” he asked.
“Open the celestial door with Verserios. Let me help you.”
Lilith grabbed Asura’s hand.
Afterward, in the blink of an eye, the two were moving across the blue sky.
“When the total lunar eclipse occurs, the celestial world will reveal its entrance,” she explained.
The sun was gradually losing its light as the moon was passing in front.
Eventually, as the sky became completely dark, a pitch-black magic circle spread out in the air.
Asura stabbed Verserios into the center of the magic circle.
Crackle. Ji-Ji-Jik!
A crack in space-time occurred, creating a dimensional gap.
When it got big enough, Asura stepped inside with Lilith.
Hwi-Ah!
Fierce winds from a whirlpool hit their faces.
As they went in deeper, they finally reached the celestial world.
Asura, the Demon Lord, immediately summoned his minions, including his 72 Demon Kings, and ordered them to advance toward Valhalla, the temple of the God of Light.
“Annihilate all beings in heaven,” he ordered.
The 72 Demon King’s army charged with fierce momentum and waged war with the celestial beings.
Among the celestial beings were Archangels, who had managed the epic dungeons.
“The Demon Kings ranked in the top 10 shall face the Archangels. Don’t leave any one of them alive.”
Asura’s command was absolute.
The high-ranking Demon Kings readied their own weapons and the new weapon, Epion, and mobilized to face off against the Archangels.
Ka-Rang!
Ka-Rang!
A fierce battle ensued.
Asura went to the Urdarbrunn Lake and encountered the three Goddesses of Fate.
“You are finally here.”
“There will be blood.”
“Make a wise choice.”
The three Goddesses all left a comment for Asura.
Slice!
The bodies of the Goddesses were doubled as blood sprinkled on the shore of the lake.
Asura walked to the Urdarbrunn Lake’s shore and drank a sip of the lake’s water.
“…!”
Memories of his previous life flooded his brain and projected images and sensations like a kaleidoscope.
Lilith squeezed into his arms and pointed with her fingers.
“Let’s go. To the Ark of Knowledge.”
The Trinity, the Holy Grail, the Demon Lord, and the Ark of Knowledge, were gathered in one place.
Asura walked toward the Ark of Knowledge, but a being’s presence blocked him.
“Once again, you’re the source of another accident, Rafael.”
It was Archangel Michael.
“Ah, this is good. I wanted to cut your throat, Michael,” Asura said with pleasure.
Archangel Michael was one of the reasons why the Odyssey Plan failed in the past life.
Archangel Michael betrayed the other Archangels who participated in the plan, leading everyone but him to die or fall into the depths of the abyss.
Ka-Rang!
Verserios erupted pitch-black magic and struck against Michael’s golden Sword of Judgment.
Archangel Michael shuffled back as blood flowed out from his mouth.
“Keuk…”
“You’re not my opponent.”
The rank of a Demon Lord and that of an Archangel were on completely different levels.
As Asura was about to behead Archangel Michael…
[Rafael, fallen angel.] A stern voice resounded in the air.
“… Finally, the advent of the Creator.”
The tip of Asura’s mouth went up slightly.
He ignored the Creator’s call and swung Verserios toward Archangel Michael.
Ka-Rang!
Michael, who had been unable to move just a moment ago, suddenly swung the Sword of Judgment and flung Verserios away from Asura’s hand.
[To judge your worthiness, I will give Michael strength.]
Michael settled himself and then lunged toward Asura.
Ka-Rang!
This time, Lilith summoned a pitch-black blade and clashed against Michael’s sword. Michael’s sword was easily flung away from his hand.
Asura used this moment to behead Michael.
Chwa-Ack!
With his head cut cleanly off, and delayed fountain of blood started streaming out.
“Was that all, Creator.”
[Of course not.]
A gap in the fabric of space-time appeared, and the pink-haired swordsman landed on the ground.
Leifina.
Asura’s eyebrows spasmed uncontrollably when he saw her.
“Is she being used as a hostage as well?”
[If you do not obey my will, her spirit soul will perish here.]
Leifina brushed her legs, stood up, and stared at Asura.
Asura faced her silently for a while.
“Give up on saving her. You’ll have to succumb to the Creator to save her,” Lilith said from his side.
“…”
“If you don’t act now and finish what we started, there’s no further opportunity. Forever,” Lilith repeated, forcing Asura to choose.
[Lilith, you’re so noisy. Your role is now over.]
Crack. Crack.
Lilith’s neck and limbs were severely bent as the Creator spoke.
“Keuk…!”
Lilith groaned aloud with a pain-filled expression on her face.
She tried to endure as much of the pain as possible, but she soon died helplessly from the Creator’s repeated punishment.
Flop.
Lilith’s twisted corpse rolled over on the ground.
Asura, who had seen this scene unfold, took a determined step forward.
“L-Lord…”
“…”
There was no exchange of words or glances.
As he passed by, Leifina fell on her knees, as if a heightened sense of tension had suddenly been loosened.
“… I do not resent it,” she muttered inaudibly.
If she had to sacrifice herself to bring peace to this world, if it brought her beloved man happiness, she was willing to sacrifice everything.
Asura continued to approach the Ark of Knowledge. A stern voice rang out from the air again.
[You are stupid.]
In an instant, the surrounding landscape disappeared, and a pure white space appeared.
An absolute realm dominated by the Creator’s transcendent will.
In this place, even the Gods couldn’t act as they pleased.
However, Demon Lord Asura, who was standing leisurely in place, spoke up, “There’s something you’re overlooking.”
No voice of response could be heard.
Asura continued to speak, “… I didn’t give up on anything.”
He swung Verserios.
Chwa-Ah!
A space-time gap was created in the space, and the surrounding landscape changed again.
‘I have the ability to go beyond the system through my Rule Breaker class designation and its abilities.’
The irregular code that he injected into his soul when deploying the Odyssey Plan in the past.
The irregular code followed him from his past life and avoided detection from the Creator’s system. It had finally become completed through Rule Breaker.
His present self was between the gap of order and disorder.
Thus, he could choose to retain both the Ark of Knowledge and Leifina.
Asura jammed all of the Creator’s system restrictions and took a step forward.
The Creator’s urgent voice rang out, [… Stop it, Rafael!]
“Now, your time will come to an end. This world will move according to the will of everyone. Their achievements and will won’t be restricted by any dictator.”
Woohyuk, the Demon Lord Asura, Rafael… was willing and ready to put everything on the line.
For the ideal that everyone pursued, to keep the promise he made with Pina at the shores of Urdarbrunn Lake.
The human Woohyuk disappeared into Asura’s consciousness after stating this monologue in his heart.
Soon, Asura entered the Ark of Knowledge with Leifina…
Hwi-Ah!
The celestial world was engulfed in an inexorable, pitch-black flash.
***
A high-rise building located in downtown Seoul.
Woohyuk was looking down at the bustling downtown center that spread out from his window.
‘… It’s peaceful.’
Though everyone was busily crossing the sidewalk and cars were blaring their horns everywhere, in Woohyuk’s eyes, everything looked peaceful.
Knock. Knock.
“Chairman, I brought the A Project Report.”
A woman’s voice came along with the knock.
“Come in.”
Click. Rattle. Swing.
A woman with pink hair in business office attire appeared with her department’s hefty report in her arms.
She hesitated, then opened her mouth to speak to Woohyuk.
“Shall I leave it on your desk?”
“No. Bring it to me, Pina.”
Step. Step.
Pina approached Woohyuk who was standing by the window.
Only then did Woohyuk turned to her and ask, “How was your day today?”
“Well, it’s always the same. It’s boring, but as I wander around, time quickly passes by,” Pina replied, shifting her reports to her side.
Woohyuk stared at Pina’s face and hugged her waist with her left hand.
“Don’t you miss the Eeth Continent?”
“Honestly, I often think of it. But this world isn’t bad either.”
The two men had shared memories of their previous lives.
As the Holy Grail, the power of the Demon Lord, and the Ark of Knowledge gathered in one place, the Creator and his system completely disappeared.
A new order was created, and Woohyuk and Pina moved to the real world. They started their lives again, as the chairman and secretary of a company respectively.
Of course, the people they had met and adventured with also started their new lives here, and most of them, including the 72 Demon Kings and his wide network of vassals, were given key executive positions and employed in Woohyuk’s company.
“Do you like the engagement ring?”
“… I think you bought something too expensive, but personally, I don’t dislike it.”
“That means you like it.”
“I knew you’d interpret it as you pleased.”
Pina turned her head as she hid her expression. She didn’t want to openly admit that she liked the ring.
Woohyuk turned her face gently with his hands and kissed her on the lips.
“Hmm…”
The two stood silent for a while.
As they hugged each other and looked out the window, a knock came from outside.
Knock. Knock.
“President, it’s Tinia. Can I go in to report my work?”
Somehow, her voice seemed to be filled with poison and wrath.
There were still many disturbers in this world.
Woohyuk faced Pina, smiled bitterly, and softly spoke out, “Then, shall we continue our work?”
“Is the chairman buying alcohol for all of us tonight?” Leifina asked.
“Let’s see our secretary’s attitude and ability. I’ll think about it,” Woohyuk answered.
Days of calm. Everyday life.
At the center of it, they were always together.
The two burst out into laughter as they walked toward Tinia, who gently opened the door.