Chapter 118: Duke Of Destruction

Maeda Atsuko felt good.

Karma.

She could return to the human world because of it.

It wasn't just that.

She descended with the intention of dealing with the Iron-Blood Sword Clan, and her nephew, Han Seojin, had grown up straight.

'That alone makes me feel good.'

Seeing him up close, she understood.

He was truly terrifying.

She sensed a ferocity that could even topple her if she wasn't careful.

'What is this?'

Han Seojin had the power to defeat a transcendent.

Her senses, which were specialized in perception, told her so.

'It's absurd.'

Even that made her feel good.

There were many things to feel good about.

Although the Demon King had descended, it wasn't a big deal. Seeing the indifferent expressions of the gods and transcendents, the Demon King must have descended forcibly.

'In that case, it's a piece of cake.'

The Demon King was not weak.

They were the rulers of demons.

It was an existence that could only be killed by a group of transcendents.

But the gods and transcendents were indifferent.

It meant that natural order had been forcibly twisted.

The approximate strength was of the Supreme Realm.

So let's finish it quickly.

Therefore.

Atsuko was in a good mood.

Until she saw it.

"Oh dear."

She instinctively felt it. She realized it as soon as she saw it.

That was dangerous.

Even from a distance of hundreds of kilometers, all her senses were fiercely warning her.

She and Han Seojin could not win against that.

Even if she were to die and be reborn, she could not win.

It is the lord of demons that requires countless transcendents to sacrifice themselves to kill.

"Run, we have to run quickly…"

But she realized it too late.

[Found you.]

Because it was smiling while looking at her and Han Seojin.

"This is troublesome."

With a somewhat languid smile, Han Seojin looked at the man who had called himself the chief.

"Hey, can the thing that only VVIPs can use be activated right away?"

"What? Yes, it can be used. Even if there's a barrier, it should definitely pass through."

"Really?"

It probably couldn't.

It doesn't matter.

He could adjust something like that.

Han Seojin looked at the Insect Dragon King.

It was staring at him without moving.

'Is it waiting for me?'

At this level, did it think he was not a threat?

'Thinking that is dangerous.'

By now, it would have already sent several demonic insects.

"And activate that and run away immediately."

"What?"

"Tell the association right away. The mission grade will be at least S-rank, right?"

"S-rank?"

The man made a puzzled sound.

Well, it was natural.

An S-rank mission was like that.

They involved entities whose appearance could mean the destruction of a nation.

'But it appeared.'

It was absurd.

What valuable thing did they sacrifice?

Buzzing!

The crystal in his mind trembled.

Let's go fight it immediately.

The blue crystal that embodied his thoughts was shouting.

'Not now.'

That thing will be waiting.

For the moment he was most desperate.

He knew from fighting it.

Han Seojin had investigated it thoroughly.

He destroyed the empire that had been trying to resurrect it, annihilated the demons, and finally achieved mutual destruction with it.

'Insidious bastard.'

The insects were coming here.

He needed to buy some time.

They stayed here at his request.

'Though they wouldn't have known they'd risk their lives.'

He should at least do the minimum duty.

Han Seojin constructed a magic formula. Just enough to buy some time from the demons.

"Let's escape."

Atsuko spoke while trembling. Her lips were blue. Her complexion turned pale blue. With a look as if she had seen something terrible.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere! That thing, that thing is not something we can deal with!"

"Rubbish."

At Atsuko's words, Han Seojin twisted his lips.

The thing had already seen him. But would it let him live?

'No way.'

Knowing that he would go there, it just stayed still.

It didn't have to move.

Slowly, bit by bit. It would gradually tighten around the existence known as him, the nemesis called Han Seojin.

'Now is the time.'

The only time to strike.

Han Seojin kept looking at it until the end.

"This is the place."

Before long, the conductor guided us to a location.

It was rippling like a black lake.

"To prepare for any unforeseen situation, we have connected the space itself."

I stared blankly at something resembling a black lake.

'I want to take a serious look at this.'

Spending time researching this might increase my rank in severance.

That thought crossed my mind.

But now was not the time for that.

I had to go face him.

"Do we really have to go?"

"Better to face it now while we are at our strongest rather than trembling in fear while it comes for us."

"…"

Atsuko's lips moved slightly.

As if trying to persuade me.

Then she sighed deeply and stood before me.

"Don't go to such dangerous places. But don't worry, your aunt is quite strong."

I hesitated for a moment.

Was the title 'auntie' correct?

She must be my mother's cousin.

Anyway, that's not what's important.

'It seems roughly related to the barrier.'

Then it would be easier to protect the children.

The demonic insects of the Insect Dragon King were still too much for the kids to handle.

"Then let's go."

"But Seojin, you've been speaking informally to your aunt since earlier…"

Just before Atsuko could say anything, I stepped into the place that looked like a black lake.

Splash.

I felt the sensation of my body being submerged in water.

At the same time, my body began to float.

And then.

Flash!

As the light came in, I realized.

That I had arrived at the academy.

"Kyahhh!!"

"Save me!!"

There were no students left who were happy about the raid.

In the beginning, the atmosphere wasn't like this.

It was somewhat harmonious.

There was an anticipation that they might be able to prove their worth.

It was filled with such things.

And about thirty minutes later, they realized even that was a mistake.

"Everyone, maintain formation! If you run, you'll all die!!"

"Anyone who runs, you're dead to me!!"

They had combat experience.

But they had never experienced death this close.

The gap was huge. Moving as they usually would have been fine, but they got injured.

Injuries piled up, and casualties increased.

Fear slowly spread.

Seeing that, the enemies grew stronger.

A vicious cycle.

As soon as she realized this, Yoo Eunchae moved.

'It's not the wounds that killed people.'

It's the despair of knowing you couldn't survive no matter what you did.

If there's a light of hope, people would risk death to survive.

To be honest, hope didn't exist.

But sitting here wasn't her style.

[Double Bombardment], [Spiral Explosion], [Flame of Purity], [Fire Thunder], [Berserk], [Dust]

Quickly switching traits. With a nauseating sensation of something changing inside, she felt a flame igniting within herself.

Here.

'Brilliant Blazing Fire.'

The flame of harmony engraved on her heart was added.

BOOOOM!!

With a terrifying explosion, everyone's attention was drawn.

'Gather all the students immediately.'

Yoo Eunchae's plan was simple.

Neutralize the demonic insect's attack in an instant and gather the students.

It was indeed a simple plan, but…

[The damn mage's flame!]

[The cursed ones from the Purple Tower are here!!]

[Nemesis!! The traces of the damn nemesis who sealed our king are here!!]

Yoo Eunchae did not know.

To the demonic insect, that flame ignited in them an incredibly deep grudge.

Though it burned brightly, even more demonic insects were coming here.

Even the high-ranking demonic insects who had been quietly observing the situation…

"What… what is going on here…?"

"What did you do to draw their attention like that?!"

"No, this is actually good. Other students will come here too."

"Well, we just need to handle it properly. After all, the professor trusts us."

"…Why is that one acting as the substitute professor when we're not around?"

"First, let's handle the students. The master must have had a reason for doing that."

"Ugh, I hate insects."

"Target the core and burn it. Mages, use fire and lightning."

"Are there no holy-related students at the academy?"

"There aren't. But my blood flame is quite useful, so let's burn them."

"By the way, I'm also a professor here?"

"Professor, you seem to have less presence than even me."

The students each said a word as they stepped forward.

When a problem broke out between students and the professor, they called this class the troublemaker class where you could catch the culprit.

"The strongest class composed of those in the High Realms."

"If it's them, they might manage."

"Everyone gather! Only critical injuries will be treated immediately! There are no healers, so use potions!!"

Hope began to shine in the students' eyes.

'Phew, we're saved.'

Whatever it took, she had gathered the students.

Now the problem esd getting out of here.

Or.

'The principal might come.'

The existence of Neo Seunghwa, the fake martial emperor, took out the item given to him just in case.

「It's a bit much to say it will definitely work. I might stop by if I have time. If you call me with this.」

「Isn't that too irresponsible?」

「Well, there are no absolutes in the world, you know.」

Neo Seunghwa smiled, but as expected.

'It's useless.'

Still, it was an insurance just in case.

All the lives of the students and professors here depended on her.

She had to do everything she could.

Yoo Eunchae looked ahead.

With them, at least we can buy some time.

—That's what she thought.

「Insignificant creatures.」

A chilling voice was heard.

It, they, covered the entire sky.

They were supposed to be divine.

Normally, seeing them would make you think that.

But that thought did not come.

Disgusting.

Dirty.

Impure.

It was an existence that brought such thoughts.

A brilliant yeouiju shining in various colors.

It had lost its color, exuding demonic energy, and was held in its hand.

Demonic Insects.

A dragon made of insects.

「You used something you shouldn't have.」

「What is your relation to the Purple Tower? That magic formula, the Brilliant Blazing Fire. The mad magician who burned the World Tree with it. It should have been lost.」

"…I heard it was inspired by seeing the World Tree burning."

「Ridiculous. He threatened and coaxed the elves, burned the World Tree, and the flames of destruction harmonized with it. There's no concept of a flaming World Tree. Knowing that, you must be related.」

「I've decided. I'll let you live.」

The demons laughed.

It was anything but benevolent. Sometimes, living could be hell, and Yoo Eunchae knew this well.

Sweating coldly, Yoo Eunchae thought to herself.

'You bastard…'

She had to trust the right people.

Yoo Eunchae was ready to fight.

'One dragon is already a handful.'

But there were three of them.

Each with different powers.

'Roughly speaking, poison, curse, and blight.'

They were given extremely troublesome attributes. Still, it's better than facing a real, living dragon.

'Can I hold out?'

With that thought, she looked at the dragons.

The dragons moved.

Slowly.

Yet swiftly.

「I want you to suffer.」

They spread curses.

「I will not allow you to breathe.」

They spread poison.

「I deny you the use of your legs.」

And they blighted.

Simultaneously, demonic insects attacked from all directions.

Sucking human blood, laying eggs in students' bodies to parasitize and control them.

"Help, help, help!!"

"Damn it, I, I!!"

"Hurry! Those in the fire element, move to the front…!"

"Mages, use purification magic…!"

Hell was everywhere.

Students were dying.

From minor scratches, monsters were born.

A deep curse was engraved there.

By breathing, they weakly inhaled poison.

The problem class did their best, but they could only prevent the dragons from entering the battlefield.

'What to do, what to do.'

Yoo Eunchae looked around.

Amid screams and distorted pain, they were fighting.

"Kyahahahahaha!! Die, die, die, die!!"

Yoo Seolrang, making her presence known, was isolated by the demonic insects.

"Damn it!"

Seo Boram cursed as she ran towards Yoo Seolrang.

"Sis, don't step out from behind me!"

Nam Hyerin crushed all the surrounding insects.

At the cost of the dragon's attack.

"I, I am Shin Yu of the Magic Shin Clan… Ugh!!"

Shin Yura coughed up blood as a consequence of using too much magic.

"I, I can't move anymore…"

Jo Gaeun's body trembled.

Yoo Eunchae kept moving. She changed her attributes over and over again. Each time, her body fell apart, but she somehow endured.

Seon Woohyeon possessed all sorts of things in his body.

He could have killed a dragon.

"I, I can only get this far…"

He lost all his strength and collapsed.

Boom!!

A last explosion from the Brilliant Blazing Fire.

Thousands, tens of thousands of demons burned all at once.

But even more demons filled their place.

"Here…"

Was this the end?

In the moment she thought so.

"You damned disciple."

The voice was different from usual.

It wasn't the usual lazy, annoyed voice.

A voice of relief and gratitude for not being too late.

"This time, you really did well."

A man appeared.

He was a man with white hair and blue eyes.

A blue radiance began to shine.

Crack—and everything around started to freeze.

"Ah."

For a moment, she felt relieved.

But it wasn't the trump card she had hoped for.

It's not that she underestimated Han Seojin.

After all, it was the Demon King who had arrived here.

"W-we need to run…"

"Have you ever seen me run away?"

Han Seojin said as he looked around.

She had held out better than expected.

'Fortunately, not a single one has died.'

The ones he had taught were still alive.

If he had been a bit later, they might have died.

'The Divine Thunderbolt is still unusable.'

He couldn't use the lightning that destroys everything by harnessing the repulsion of the Brilliant Blazing Fire and the Glacial Heavenly Moon.

'Maybe it's a good thing?'

It maximized power by repelling.

It sounded good, but it required an enormous amount of mental energy.

It was not even properly controlled.

So, that's not the right thing to do now.

Glacial Heavenly Moon, strengthened by the spirit of eternity.

'Although the dragon vein has been somewhat consumed.'

It was still usable.

Snap.

He formed a seal.

The blue light emanating from his eyes intensified.

His white hair started to frost over, freezing the surroundings.

Crack-.

「You, how did you use that damn thing—」

"It's always been you bastards who are the damn things."

「What?」

"A sneaky bastard hiding behind and smirking. You'd better come out now."

Glacial Heavenly Moon.

Heavenly Moon.

Crack crack crack!!

Everything around him, the world, froze.

"Otherwise, all your subordinates will be dead."