Chapter 160

Beyond the chilling darkness of impending ruin, the face of the boy she had been watching just moments ago came into view.

‘…How did he find me?’

It was because the security had been drastically tightened.

No matter how powerful Idline was, she couldn’t use her abilities continuously while in hiding. She had slipped up for just a moment—and that was when her trail was discovered.

“What kind of guy is this?”

“…….”

“Well, we can talk details after we take him down. Just so you know, there are troops waiting outside, so don’t even think about running.”

“Wait, I didn’t come here to fight…!”

Flash!

Once again, a black steel blade flew toward her.

The destructive force behind it was unbelievable for someone who had just reached five stars.

Idline instinctively prepared to counterattack—but held herself back.

‘I can’t fight.’

Even if she fought, she wouldn’t lose.

The reason Idline had boldly entered enemy territory alone was simple.

She was confident she could protect herself no matter what happened.

What worried her was quite the opposite.

‘No matter who I am, it’s hard to subdue Prince Christian without leaving a scratch.’

The moment she faced him, she understood.

Christian was an extraordinary being.

As a pure-blood vampire of a higher race, her instincts and intuition far surpassed those of humans.

Looking into Christian’s cold, dark red eyes, a sharp sense of danger blossomed within her.

It was certain.

Christian was not someone to be underestimated or easily subdued.

She had no confidence in quietly overpowering him.

‘It’s impossible without killing or seriously wounding him.’

Biting her lip, Idline lowered her hand.

Christian’s sword stopped just before her.

“What are you trying to do?”

“I do not wish to fight you.”

“What nonsense is this?”

“I am not your enemy. I came because I have something to tell you.”

Christian tilted his head in confusion.

“You’re a strange one. Who are you?”

“I am a messenger from the Bloodsteel Maga.”

“You’re telling me the Bloodsteel Maga sent a messenger to me? I find that hard to believe. Do you have proof?”

“Then… look for yourself.”

Idline pulled back the hood that had been hiding her face.

Christian’s gaze darkened as he saw her blood-red hair and violet eyes.

‘So she really is a pure-blood of the Bloodsteel Maga.’

However, the demon had altered Idline’s appearance, so he didn’t recognize her true identity.

“What’s your name?”

“…I am Ria de Wolfman.”

Idline gave a different name.

It was the name of a close cousin from her bloodline.

“I’ve heard that name. I know you’re a high-ranking pure-blood among the leadership of the Bloodsteel Maga. What is it you want to say?”

“I have urgent information regarding the Anax faction of our Four Kings Castle.”

“The Anax faction?”

Christian knew that name.

It was the dominant force within the Four Kings Castle.

In her previous life, Idline had belonged to that faction as the Blood King of Bloodshed.

‘Originally, Idline was part of the opposition but switched to the Anax faction midway.’

“What information?”

“The Anax faction is planning a terrible incident here soon.”

“!!”

Christian’s eyes hardened.

He instinctively sensed this information was connected to the death of Marquis Shupen.

Indeed.

“The Anax faction will send assassins. Their targets are Marquis Shupen, Prince Christian, and you.”

“…Why should I believe you?”

Christian asked coldly, trying to hide his surprise.

It could be a falsehood meant to confuse him.

“More than that, I don’t understand why you’d share such information. Your Bloodsteel Maga is a sworn enemy of our Dark Maga.”

“Though we are enemies, the collapse of the Dark Maga would not be good for the Bloodsteel Maga either.”

Idline spoke firmly.

“Our Bloodsteel Maga hopes the Dark Maga will keep the Summoners and Curses in check from outside.”

It was a reasonable explanation.

More than anything, Christian didn’t feel like she was lying.

Her demeanor was straightforward, far from deceitful.

He decided to hear her out.

“Don’t you underestimate our Dark Maga? Especially Marquis Shupen, a seven-star Supreme Mage. Do you really think he’d fall to mere assassins?”

“Of course, I know Marquis Shupen, commander of the Dark Army, is formidable. But the assassins sent by the Anax faction are no ordinary killers.”

“…Explain properly.”

Idline’s eyes darkened heavily.

Then, the truth about ‘them’ slipped from her lips.

Even in the center where the Demon King ruled, they were called ‘disasters’ and treated with disdain.

“The Shinbi Maga.”

“…What?”

Christian’s eyes stiffened.

It was inevitable.

“A monster from the Shinbi Maga, the supreme magic clan, will descend.”

---

The Magic Empire is ruled by the Demon King at its center, surrounded by four vassal states to the east, west, south, and north.

Each vassal is governed by three noble magic families, totaling twelve prestigious clans.

South: Dark, Venom, Destruction.

East: Bloodsteel, Curse, Summoner.

West: Beast, Ghostblade, Illusion.

North: Magic Beast, Obsidian, Shinbi.

Throughout the empire’s history, these twelve families have competed fiercely, their standings constantly shifting.

Currently, the five strongest clans are considered to be Destruction, Curse, Obsidian, Summoner, and Shinbi.

This list changes over time.

There were eras when Dark was at the top, and times when Summoner, now considered a powerhouse, was seen as the weakest.

But one family remained constant through all ages.

The Shinbi Maga.

From the empire’s founding to the present, the Shinbi Maga has never relinquished its position as the strongest.

“You may not know, but the Shinbi Maga is different from the other noble families. Even the Summoner Maga, also considered a ‘Heaven Beyond Heaven’ clan, can’t compare to Shinbi.”

‘Heaven Beyond Heaven’ refers to families with overwhelming power beyond comparison.

Currently, Summoner and Shinbi are the two clans with that status.

But Christian knew.

Everyone who should know did.

Even the mighty Summoner Maga couldn’t match the Shinbi Maga.

“Perhaps you, Prince, are not well acquainted with the Shinbi Maga. They are a family shrouded in mystery.”

The Shinbi Maga were reclusive to the extreme.

No one knew what they truly sought or their exact identity.

“Because of this veil of secrecy, many dismiss the Shinbi Maga’s power as mere legend, but their strength is real.”

“I know.”

Christian answered firmly.

“I know exactly what kind of damn monsters they are.”

His voice full of hatred made the girl before him look puzzled, but he had no time to care.

He ground his teeth in his mind.

‘The Shinbi Maga… damn bastards.’

A question arose.

Why hadn’t the Alliance stopped the Magic Empire?

No matter how strong the empire was, or how rotten the Alliance was inside, their collapse had been too easy.

In the First Great War, the Alliance had fought the Magic Empire fiercely.

Though they suffered countless losses, they managed to hold the line.

But the Second Great War was a different story.

There was only one reason.

The Shinbi Maga had joined the fight.

Before their overwhelming power, the Alliance completely crumbled.

‘At first, everyone thought their eyes were deceiving them.’

Their strength was unreal.

There was a reason.

A secret known only to the highest echelons of the Magic Empire.

The Shinbi Maga were demon worshippers.

‘More precisely, they were closer to a religious cult than a family. They worshipped demons.’

They received power directly from demons, which explained their terrifying strength.

‘Especially the Apostles and Priests at the top—they were terrifying. They were practically half-demons from Gehenna.’

Ordinary priests and laypeople were better off, as they didn’t make direct pacts with demons.

They only received some of the demon’s power through priests who acted as intermediaries.

But the Shinbi Maga’s core—the Apostles, Priests, and High Priests—were different.

Unlike other demon contractors, they sacrificed their souls purely to serve demons without expecting anything in return.

As a result, they didn’t just gain power—they transformed into demon-like beings, half-demons.

‘The worst part is that these fanatics desire the world’s destruction.’

The Shinbi Maga had allied with the Blood King of Bloodshed in her previous life to bring about Ragnarok.

This was why Christian had to become the strongest Demon King.

A mere Demon King’s power wouldn’t suffice.

Only an absolute power could stop the Shinbi Maga.

And now, such terrible monsters were targeting Marquis Shupen and himself?

‘This is troublesome.’

Avoidance was not an option.

He had to find a way to fight back.

‘The Dark Army won’t be much help against the Shinbi Maga.’

The Dark Army specialized in large-scale conflicts.

Against an enemy like this, they would only suffer needless casualties.

‘We have no choice but to set traps and fight with a small elite force.’

The problem was the risk.

In his previous life, the seven-star Supreme Mage Marquis Shupen had been killed.

That meant the Shinbi Maga would deploy an enormous monster.

Setting traps alone wouldn’t be enough.

“Do you know which Shinbi Maga member is the assassin?”

He didn’t expect an answer.

But then—

“I’ve heard the name ‘Patera’ while spying on the Anax faction. However, I’m not sure if that refers to someone from the Shinbi Maga or what exactly it means.”

“!!”

Chris flinched.

He recognized the term.

“It refers to test subjects offered as sacrifices to demons. They’re planning to use these subjects instead of intervening directly because of certain restrictions.”

The Mystic Maga had a weakness.

The Celestial Realm treated them almost like part of Gehenna’s forces, limiting their freedom of movement.

Especially the Mystic Maga’s main players—the apostles, priests, and high priests—were heavily constrained.

“In my previous life, apostles, priests, and high priests only stepped fully into the spotlight after the boundaries between the Three Realms began to collapse.”

So, when they set things in motion, they often avoided direct involvement, instead deploying familiars or test subjects under their control.

“But they’re still not to be underestimated. Especially the ‘Patera.’”

An ancient word meaning ‘vessel.’

True to its name, it was a living tool that channeled the power of Gehenna’s demons.

Though a one-time use consumable and unable to sustain its power for long, it could unleash demonic strength even for a fleeting moment, making it all the more dangerous in some ways.

This explained why Marquis Shupen met such a grisly end in his past life.

Avoiding a direct confrontation was obviously the wiser choice.

“Thank you for the valuable information,” Chris said sincerely.

Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to prepare properly.

“If it’s been of help, then I have one favor to ask.”