Chapter 247

It was a truly magnificent sight.

Crackle—!

Underneath the thunder and lightning that poured down from the sky. The sight of Sung Suho appearing with numerous black legions and handing over the horn of the previous Demon King to Esil Radiru...

It was like a solemn and magnificent painting, reminiscent of a knight's inauguration ceremony.

Whoosh—!

And the moment Esil received 'Baran's Horn' with both hands, An old demon muttered in a trance as he saw her suddenly engulfed in black energy,

"…A new king has been born in this land that lost its master." With those words, all the demons began to prostrate themselves and worship, as if on cue.

"A new king has been born!"

"Oh, King of Demons!"

"Ah, Esil Radiru!"

Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Everyone was united in heart and mind, shouting Esil's name as if in a frenzy. But…

"…Ugh."

The reality was completely different from what the demons saw.

'I'm going to be devoured if I'm not careful…!' Esil herself was in danger.

Rumble…!

From the moment she inadvertently received Baran's Horn from Suho, Esil's expression had been stiff. Baran's Horn was suddenly trying to suck her in with tremendous force! Like the residents of the gap. With the will to devour all the nutrients within her.

'This is succession…!' Esil instinctively realized…

At this moment, Baran's Horn was asking her if she truly had the right to become king? And if she wasn't a worthy vessel…

'Is it going to devour me and take my soul instead…!'

'I see.'

This was the Demon King's succession ceremony. The last struggle of Baran, whose spiritual body was destroyed and scattered as scraps. And then…

"You… are weak." A giggling, mocking voice whispered softly to Esil.

'…?!' 

At that moment, she realized her fate.

"You are not qualified."

Ultimately, Esil's mind, which had been fiercely resisting the pull, was helplessly swallowed by the abyss.

Whoosh—!

'Uwaaaaaaaaaaa…!'

* * *

In a bottomless abyss.

How much time had passed?

'…Uwaaaaaaaaaaa!'

Esil was endlessly falling into the deep abyss where even the flow of time couldn't be felt. While in that state for ages, Something began to appear at the edge of her vision, where previously nothing could be seen. At first, it looked like a hazy pillar. And after so long… Esil finally fell low enough that she could clearly see what it was.

'…Oh my god.'

All she could do was gasp in astonishment.

'Could this be…' Esil faced it.

In the deepest, widest darkness, a giant tree that grew with its roots at the edge of the Sea of The Afterlife.

'The World Tree?'

She didn't need anyone to tell her. Her instincts as a demon, no, the memories of being a resident of the gap before that, whispered the truth. This was it. This giant, emitting light even in this bottomless abyss, was the World Tree!

'But why?' Esil was puzzled.

How did her soul, which failed the succession and was eventually devoured by Baran's Horn, end up here before the World Tree?

'No, it wasn't even right to say she arrived.'

She was still falling. The size of the World Tree was so immense that she couldn't perceive it. But that didn't matter, because the moment she saw the World Tree, there was only one thought that came to Esil's mind.

'Suho!' She had to tell Suho about this.

'Suho! Here! The World Tree you're looking for is right here!'

But no matter how much she shouted, Esil's voice didn't come out. Even if she could make a sound, there was no way her words would reach Suho in this vast abyss. So she decided to change her approach.

'Since it's come to this, I'll bring it myself!' Esil thought.

First of all, what Suho wanted wasn't the location of the World Tree, but a branch of the World Tree, wasn't it?

'So I can break off a branch of the World Tree and bring it to him!' As she thought that, the name 'Vulcan' suddenly came to Esil's mind. What was the reason why Vulcan, who was a mere insect, could evolve into a demon noble?

The World Tree!

Wasn't it because he broke off a branch of the World Tree and ate its leaves! If that principle worked, then maybe…?

'If I grab a branch of the World Tree, can I… grab a new opportunity again? Like Vulcan?'

It was the moment when the most primal instinct that supported the demon race, the survival instinct, wriggled within Esil.

Stretch—

Esil, who was endlessly falling downwards, desperately reached out her hand. Towards the World Tree.

'Just a little bit! A little bit more!'

If she wished and desired, she would move. Esil's soul, reaching out with impatience, began to move towards the World Tree little by little. And finally…

Touch

The moment Esil's fingertips brushed the branch of the World Tree.

'I got it…!'

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!

'…?!'

Suddenly, with an earth-shattering roar, a giant snake appeared, coiling around the World Tree and blocking her path. Esil hurriedly withdrew her hand as if she had been burned. She was terrified to the core, seeing the monster that appeared before her.

'Oh my god. What is that?'

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

An absurdly large snake… was coiling around the World Tree! And it had seven heads!

'Is it guarding the World Tree?' 

'Is it just living here?'

'A snake living in the Sea of The Afterlife?'

She was full of questions. But Esil didn't have the time to solve those mysteries now. One of the giant snake's heads spotted her and suddenly turned…

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

It opened its mouth to devour Esil.

'Oh no!'

The snake's mouth, wide open like a crocodile's, filled her entire vision. Esil's soul, still falling, couldn't escape and was destined to be swallowed whole. It was then…

Ding!

[Passive Skill '(Unknown)' is activated.]

'…!' Esil's eyes widened.

She suddenly saw a broad back blocking her path. A sharp jawline could be seen above it, muttering,

"…Hmm. This is a first."

'S-Suho?!' Suho suddenly appeared before her! Esil opened her mouth in surprise and excitement.

"Did you come all the way here to save me?"

"No, I was brought here too."

"What?!"

"I'm the priest, after all." Suho replied with a chuckle.

The moment Esil started falling into the abyss, Suho's time was stopped. But the difference was that he wasn't instantly falling; he was summoned right before her.

'…Just what kind of skill is this?' Suho looked ahead with a troubled expression. And he glared at the giant snake that was approaching with its mouth wide open to devour them.

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!

A name tag appeared above the snake's head.

[Nidhögg]

'A snake living in the World Tree… I feel like I've seen a similar myth somewhere.' A snake with seven heads.

[The Dragon King, the Monarch of Destruction, smirks and says this is the true succession ceremony.] Antares immediately responded to Suho's words. But he wasn't the only Monarch who spoke.

[The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch, says that this snake possesses the masterless 'Primordial Darkness'.]

[The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch…]

In short, this is what it meant: 'This guy devoured all the Primordial Darkness that the Monarchs spat out when they died?'

No, devoured wasn't the right expression. This guy was the Primordial Darkness that had been split into eight, now merged back into one. Wasn't the proof the seven heads attached to this snake, 'Nidhögg'? One Primordial Darkness fragment per head.

'But why seven? Where did one go?'

[The King of the Snowfolk, the Monarch of Frost, urges that now is not the time!]

That's right. Escaping from here was the priority. But it was too late, there was nowhere to hide.

Kyaaaaaaaaa—!

In the end, Nidhögg's mouth swallowed Suho and Esil whole. But at that moment…

…Gulp?!

The snake's tightly closed mouth bulged.

'Oh my god.' Inside, Esil witnessed it.

Suho… standing before her with his arms raised, supporting the roof of the snake's mouth!

Kraaaaaaaaa!

Nidhögg's roar, trying to crush them with its strength, blew like a wind through its throat. But Suho just smirked.

'I'm confident in a contest of strength.'

It was a good thing that only his mind was dragged here; if his body had come along, his HP would be decreasing in real-time due to the Debuff: 'Death.' But just enduring like this wouldn't solve anything.

"Esil!" Suho shouted towards Esil while supporting the roof of the mouth.

"Uh, yeah!" She was frozen in fear behind him, unable to move.

This wasn't just being scared, but the manifestation of the Debuff: 'Fear' effect. 

"Esil! I can't summon shadow soldiers here! We have to catch this guy ourselves!"

"C-catch? This guy?"

"Of course."

Smirk.

Suho had developed a strange habit. The worse the situation, the more his lips curled up. He learned it through experience that the greater the risk before him, the greater the reward he would obtain. Therefore…

"We have to cut off at least one of its heads for you to become king, don't we?" Suho decided to face the trial with a smile.

"It will be… a little hot."

[Using Skill: 'Monarch's Domain'.]

Whoosh—

Black shadows spread out from Suho in all directions.

Flare!

Crimson flames blazed on the shadow that filled Nidhögg's mouth.

Kraaaaaaaaa—!

Even in this situation, Nidhögg's will to somehow chew and swallow them was admirable. Perhaps this level of pain wouldn't cause much damage. The opponent was a guy who possessed the seven fragments of the Primordial Darkness. But what if he did this…?

[Using Debuff: 'Mad Blooded Poison'.] Mad Blooded Poison seeped out from Suho.

[The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch, opens her eyes.]

[The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch, explains that Mad Blooded Poison is useless against Nidhögg.]

"I know… Who said I was going to use it on him?" Suho smirked and chuckled at Querehsha's words.

[Poison: Mad Blooded Poison]

[When ingested, it causes the blood to boil, temporarily amplifying strength.]

[However, it has the fatal side effect of causing extreme pain whenever magic power is used]

[It consumes blood, gradually reducing lifespan.]

"This poison… was originally made for demons." As soon as he finished those words. Behind Suho…

"Uwaaaaaaaaaa…!" Esil was struggling to get up.

[Buff: 'Mad Blooded Poison' is activated on Esil Radiru.]

'…!'

[The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch, opens her mouth in surprise.]

Amplification of strength accompanied by pain!

Since the demon race was a race accustomed to spiritualization, the effects of Mad Blooded Poison were applied even in their spiritualized state. And, there was something else that was possible because of this world…

Esil's spiritual body.

The nutrients that made up her.

The 'blood' boiled, and her power as a demon noble was temporarily strengthened.

[Esil Radiru's Skill: 'Bloodstone' evolves into Skill: 'Blood Crystal'.]

"Th-this power…" Esil herself seemed bewildered.

But Suho just chuckled and muttered in satisfaction, "Did you finally realize it?"

Blood Crystal. The power used by the Demon King Baran's soul. Esil, who finally awakened that power herself, had earned the right to become king.

'It's because of the drug, so it's not really on her own. Well, anyway…'

"Esil." Suho shouted towards Esil, whose soul itself was firmly compressed and refined.

"You take over from now on."

"…!"

Crack!

At Suho's words, Esil immediately raised both arms and took over the roof of the snake's mouth that Suho had been supporting. She couldn't help but widen her eyes at the tremendous pressure she felt.

'To think Suho had been enduring this absurd power!'

"I can't hold on for long!"

"It's okay"

"Just a moment."

Thanks to her, Suho's hands were finally free.

Rustle—

And two Kamish's Wrath daggers appeared in those hands.

'I'll do the cutting.' Suho's eyes gleamed.

[Using Skill: 'Breath of Destruction'.]

Flare!

At that moment, one of Nidhögg's seven heads was pierced by the beam of destruction.