Chapter 88
The sudden appearance of demons triggered the start of a three-way battle. In a moment of mutual recognition, Suho and Esil exchanged glances. Their eyes sparkled in unison.
Whoosh!
They sprang in opposite directions as they commenced their hunt of the demons.
Suho sliced through the demons with Vulcan’s Horn, while Esil impaled them with her spear.
Suho’s slain demons disintegrated, spewing black blood and feeding Vulcan’s Horn with their souls. In contrast, Esil’s spear left the demons desiccated like mummies, drained of all blood.
“Haha... Indeed, the blood of a demon is the best,” the lavender-haired demon said.
She was the eldest daughter of the Radiru Clan, once the pinnacle of all demons. Esil was now the only remaining demon noble in this world. She continued to draw in the blood of demons, her smile unparalleled in her ecstasy.
When Esil had first set foot on Earth, her power was merely at the level of a C-grade magic beast. This was because she had been preyed upon by other demons for years. She had lost much of her strength, and it could only be regained through blood.
[Lesser Demon has been defeated.]
[Lesser Demon has been defeated.]
[Lesser Demon has been defeated.]
[Item: Vulcan’s Horn has devoured the demon’s soul.]
“Perhaps this time, I’ll manage to level up,” Suho said, wishing more than anything for this to happen.
“Such feeble and contemptible creatures. It shames me to think I once considered dealings with such lowly beings in my past life.” Que regarded the demons with utter disdain as he mercilessly slaughtered them. It seemed as if he was trying to erase his sordid past.
As the chaotic battle was unfolding, Dogyoon was trembling behind Beru, who was only the size of a palm.
“Hey, kid! Did you summon all these demons, or not?”
“What is with this guy?” Esil clicked her tongue in disdain at Yeongho’s clueless shouting.
But as more demons came to join the fight, he belatedly realized the truth. “Wait, hold on! Are these actual demons?”
He noticed that the demons were wearing crow masks, and this clue triggered something he’d forgotten. The association has been searching high and low for more Stardust factories, and only demons can create them... So... “There was one here all along! There might even be a bounty on this!”
“Extra cash never hurts, huh?”
When the Black Tortoise Guild hunters realized that the emerging magic beasts were actually demons, their eyes glinted with greed. The new opportunity excited them. After all, they were only brought here to exact their nagging manager’s petty revenge.
“Listen up, everyone! Leave Sung Suho be for now and focus on taking down the demons!” Yeongho ordered.
“We’re already on it!”
“Anyway, that kid will probably die on his own without us having to do anything.”
But their eyes widened in surprise as they witnessed Suho hunting demons effortlessly.
“Why is he so ferocious? B-Boss, didn’t you say he’s just a C-rank summoner?” a hunter asked. “But he’s wielding dual swords and slashing away?” He’s like a butcher.
Suho, covered in black blood, was slaughtering the demons like a vengeful ghost.
Boom!
Out of the blue, lightning struck above their heads.
Surprised by the sudden turn of events, everyone’s gaze shifted upwards. Looking down at them, a gigantic demon loomed above the dense jungle.
“W-wait a minute! What’s something like this doing in a D-grade dungeon?!” Yeongho was in a panic, but he still had the presence of mind to channel mana throughout his body. “Everyone, stay alert! It’s at least B-grade. No, an A-grade magic beast!”
[Transcended Intermediate Demon]
“This is crazy.” The overwhelming aura of the demon sent chills down Suho’s spine as his senses sent frantic warnings. This thing is at least on the level of Que, no, Lee Minsung. Que, his shadow soldier, had become weaker than his former self. But what does the transcended part mean?
Beside him, Esil was grinding her teeth more fiercely than ever at the demon. “That demon has consumed the blood of demon nobility.”
“Like your blood?” Suho looked at her.
“It must be the blood of someone from our clan.”
Esil began to feel an irrepressible urge to murder, as she charged directly at the enormous demon. A sharp, piercing sound echoed as her spear aimed for the demon’s heart, but the demon ripped out a nearby tree and swung it at her. A thunderous crash followed. Unable to dodge in time, Esil was flung sideways by the attack.
The Black Tortoise Guild hunters were also caught in the assault. Nearby trees toppled in a chain reaction, falling onto them, and they gasped in shock.
“Watch out!”
The guild members scattered in panic to avoid further harm, while lesser demons continued to launch relentless attacks from all sides. Some hunters fell victim to this onslaught, their throats severed.
Yeongho’s eyes sparked with rage as his sword furiously tore through the demons. “How dare they!” Despite the sudden chaos, these demons were only C-grade. As a B-rank hunter, he was confident in his abilities to handle the demons. The idea of being threatened by such weak foes was an affront to the pride he held for his guild. “This is why I always emphasize training! Only fools die to such weaklings!”
He blamed the weakness of his subordinates, rather than mourning their loss. Regardless, the real challenge was the colossal demon. I can’t take that one down alone.
With his subordinates buying time, it seemed possible, but facing such a powerful monster required the cooperation of several hunters. He needed frontline tankers who could absorb the attacks from the enemy, so someone strong like himself could deliver the critical blow.
“Everyone! Attack together!”
“That big, angry-looking thing?”
“I can finish it off! Just hold on for a minute!” Yeongho began focusing all his mana into a single point. He needed time, but he was confident that he could sever at least one of the gigantic demon’s legs. Targeting the legs first is basic in a raid, especially against a huge creature!
As Yeongho started focusing his energy, his hunters charged toward the Transcended Intermediate Demon.
Boom!
But the roar of thunder returned, and the sudden bolt of lightning, as if guided by a will of its own, struck Yeongho directly.
“Ugh...” The intense shock ran through his body. But wait... real thunder would have killed me on the spot. This means the lightning was a skill! Realizing this, he changed tactics and deployed a defensive stance. He then instinctively leaped toward a healer.
And just as he did, the demon began its next attack. The enormous demon started wildly smashing the tree it held onto the ground.
The Black Tortoise Guild hunters who had rushed forward were fully exposed to the attack, and they were scattered like bowling pins. The non-tankers of the group were all killed, their necks snapped from the impact.
“R-run away!” Yeongho immediately turned around. His body was still trembling from the electric shock, and half his hunters had now perished. We can’t win this! We need to escape and call for reinforcements! But the moment he turned his back...
Swoosh!
Lesser demons, lying flat on the ground and hidden in the jungle, severed one of his feet. His balance momentarily crumbled. Then, another strike cut off his other foot, and he fell to the ground. The frenzied smiles of the demons loomed over him—the last thing he ever saw. He perished without even a chance to scream.
***
Meanwhile, Suho was fiercely fighting the demons when he suddenly realized that the Black Tortoise Guild hunters were nowhere to be seen.
“Are they all dead? Dogyoon, are you okay?”
“Yeah! I’m fine!”
Luckily, the former teaching assistant was unscathed. He had focused solely on escaping while the others engaged in direct combat with the demons.
Seems like I chose a good guild member. Suho chuckled and called out, “Esil! If you’re done over there, come here!”
“Got it!”
Esil, who was previously knocked aside by the intermediate demon, had quickly recovered and was hunting down lesser demons nearby. She pulled her spear out of a demon's corpse and ran toward Suho.
The two were now up against the Transcended Intermediate Demon.
“We’ve dealt with the small fries, now let’s hunt the boss.”
Suddenly, the demon stopped rampaging, as if it had understood Suho’s words. It slowly turned its head and gazed down at the remaining duo with a terrifying glare.
“Do you think you can hunt me?” the demon said.
It was the first time the creature said something Suho could understand.
With a look of disdain, the demon summoned all the remaining lesser demons to its side. In an instant, the cleared jungle in front of Suho and Esil was filled with demons.
The giant demon took a closer look at Esil and was taken aback by her presence. “Wait. A demon from the Radiru Clan?” The beast sensed that the energy emanating from her was distinctly different from the other demons. “What a stroke of luck!” The demon’s eyes glinted with greed as it burst into laughter. “Bring her to me! Drinking the blood of Radiru will make me even stronger!”
The lesser demons, drooling with anticipation, lunged forward.
Despite the charging horde, Suho wore a faint smile. When it came to a battle of numbers, he was confident of besting anything thrown at him.
“Arise.”
Suddenly, the shadows of the dead Black Tortoise Guild hunters began to flicker.
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on (f)reew𝒆(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦