Chapter 278
Everyone swallowed hard.
In the Demon Empire, the most skilled at forcibly prying open an opponent’s mouth was undoubtedly the Extreme Poison Mage.
And with the clan head himself taking direct action, there was no chance that the two could hold out.
Duke Huam administered the poison.
It was a miraculous toxin that combined the effects of suppressing the gold seal placed on the two and compelling them to speak the truth.
“Who is behind you?”
Everyone swallowed again, and finally, the two spoke.
“…The Demon King of Cheongryu.”
Just like that, the mastermind behind this incident was revealed before everyone.
A silent shock rippled through the hall.
The atmosphere grew so heavy that even the faintest sound of a needle dropping could be heard.
That name was that shocking.
‘Actually, it’s a lie.’
Chris whistled quietly to himself.
He was the true mastermind behind this.
So why was the Demon King of Cheongryu’s name being mentioned here?
‘Because it’s true that the Demon King of Cheongryu was involved.’
The Demon King of Cheongryu’s goal was the Mangyeom expedition.
He had spent a long time carefully recruiting those two to prepare for seizing Mangyeom.
Chris knew this and deliberately pinned the blame on the Demon King of Cheongryu.
‘Well, it’s not like it’s unfair. The Demon King of Cheongryu also intended to bring disaster to the Destruction Mage Clan.’
Duke Besen stammered in shock.
“No… that can’t be.”
“It’s true.”
Duke Huam shook his head.
“The calamity that occurred in our Extreme Poison Mage Clan was also orchestrated by the Demon King of Cheongryu.”
“!!”
Chris chimed in from beside him.
“Though it’s not widely known, a great disaster nearly struck our Dark Mage Clan as well because of the Demon King of Cheongryu.”
Everyone from the Destruction Mage Clan fell silent.
But only for a moment.
Then, a fiery rage erupted.
“How could the Demon King be behind this against us!”
“We absolutely cannot stand idly by!”
Especially Duke Besen’s anger was fierce.
“How dare he. No matter who he is, even the Demon King won’t be left unpunished.”
But then a cold, cynical voice cut through the tension.
It was Christian.
“What are you saying? Instead of seeking revenge on the Demon King, aren’t you the ones who should be worrying about your own extinction right now?”
“!!”
Duke Besen and the others from the Destruction Mage Clan shot Chris a sharp glare.
But Chris didn’t back down.
“Am I wrong? You all know very well that with the power of the Destruction Mage Clan, you cannot stop the upcoming third eruption.”
“……”
“You won’t even be able to attempt revenge. The Destruction Mage Clan will be reduced to ashes, just as the Demon King of Cheongryu desires.”
Gritting his teeth, Duke Besen couldn’t raise his voice as before.
Chris’s words were painfully accurate.
Then Chris dropped an unexpected bomb.
“I have a way.”
“…What?”
“There is a method to suppress the Mangyeom.”
“!!”
Murmurs spread through the hall.
Everyone looked at Chris as if he was spouting nonsense.
“It’s simple. We just need to absorb the energy of the Mangyeom expedition.”
“What are you talking about? Do you think we haven’t considered that? It’s impossible.”
“Why is it impossible?”
Duke Besen raised an eyebrow.
“The situation is different from before. The Mangyeom now contains energy condensed over hundreds of years.”
This wasn’t a matter of talent.
There’s a limit to how much energy a human can absorb, and the Mangyeom now held an amount far beyond that limit.
“No matter how talented you are, as a mortal, your vessel has limits. Absorbing the energy of Mangyeom is impossible.”
Not wrong.
‘Even I think it’s impossible to absorb such an enormous amount of energy.’
Yet Chris continued with an explanation no one could understand.
“It’s not necessary to absorb the expedition’s energy into the body. We can use it in other ways.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t reveal the details—it’s a trade secret. But I can assure you, I can suppress the rampage of Mangyeom.”
Everyone from the Destruction Mage Clan fell silent.
Their eyes were full of disbelief.
“Or do you have another plan? If you stubbornly cling to this, you’ll all be reduced to ashes.”
“……”
“If you intend to be wiped out along with your clan, unable even to seek revenge, just as the Demon King of Cheongryu planned, then I won’t say more.”
When Chris mentioned the Demon King of Cheongryu, everyone ground their teeth.
Still, no one nodded easily. They simply couldn’t believe Chris’s words.
Even those specialized in destructive energy dared not touch the Mangyeom expedition in its current state. And yet, here was Chris, brimming with boundless confidence.
At that moment, Duke Huam interjected.
“Duke Christian has performed miracles even within our Extreme Poison Mage Clan. So, perhaps you should trust him this once.”
Finally, Duke Besen nodded.
“Very well. I will give you a chance…”
But Chris cut him off, shaking his head.
“No, that’s not it.”
“…What?”
“I think you’re misunderstanding. I’m trying to save the Destruction Mage Clan. But a ‘chance’? Doesn’t that sound wrong? People might think I’m begging.”
“…What exactly do you want?”
Duke Besen had never once made a plea in his life.
It was unreasonable to expect him to suddenly adopt a humble tone.
Chris wasn’t asking for that.
“The world runs on give and take. If I’m helping, I expect something in return. I have a price for the Destruction Mage Clan.”
“…What do you want? The family’s treasures? Dark magic secrets?”
“You’re thinking too small. I’m saving the entire Destruction Mage Clan. Such trivial rewards don’t match the weight of that.”
The entire Destruction Mage Clan.
What kind of demand could possibly match that?
Everyone looked on in confusion.
Then Christian dropped an unexpected demand.
“The true loyalty of the Destruction Mage Clan.”
“…What?”
“Promise me here and now: if I save the Destruction Mage Clan this time, you will recognize our Dark Mage Clan as the true sovereign.”
“!!”
Chris looked Duke Besen straight in the eyes.
“For the Destruction Mage Clan to genuinely stand under the banner of our Dark Mage Clan—that is the price I ask.”
For now, everyone was ordered to step back.
‘I can’t let anyone see what I’m about to do.’
Since absorbing the Mangyeom expedition could trigger dangerous, unforeseen events, everyone complied.
But just before they left, an unexpected figure approached Chris.
“Thank you.”
It was Jessica, the deputy clan head.
‘Didn’t she dislike me?’
Chris looked surprised, and Jessica chuckled softly.
“Of course, I don’t like you. But I can recognize an outstanding mage when I see one. And above all, it’s true that you’re risking yourself for the family’s sake. Thank you.”
Jessica continued unexpectedly.
“I think the clan head feels the same way about you.”
“You don’t seem to think so at all.”
“Our clan head never admits anything because of his pride. He’s a difficult man. But he’s not blind. He knows how great you are.”
Jessica’s expression shifted.
“Please, make sure you succeed.”
“……”
“You’re the only hope left.”
Chris nodded.
“Don’t worry.”
He smiled—a confident, resolute smile.
“Prepare to stand properly under the banner of our Dark Mage Clan. In the coming calamity, we won’t survive without joining forces.”
That was right.
There were many enemies to fight together.
The Four Kings’ Castle, the Mysterious Mage Clan, perhaps even the Demon King’s central forces.
‘Of course, the first enemy we must unite against is the Demon King of Cheongryu.’
Chris gazed at the seething Mangyeom.
‘This is the crucial moment.’
Whether he could perfectly absorb the expedition this time would decide the outcome of the battle against the Demon King of Cheongryu.
‘No matter how much the three clans unite, the opponent is still the Demon King.’
So Chris planned to obtain the ‘weapon’ here and now that would deliver a decisive blow to the Demon King.
“Prince Kashmir.”
“Yes, Duke.”
“Let’s begin.”
As the members of the Destruction Mage Clan disappeared, Chris activated the relic.
A soft glow and gentle music began to surround him.
It was the effect of the legendary relic stored in the Destruction Mage Clan’s vault—the Seven-Colored Score (칠채보).
It temporarily transformed the wearer’s body into a ghost-like spiritual form.
In other words, it made him immune to physical effects, allowing him to withstand even molten lava unharmed.
“I’m going in.”
Chris and Kashmir plunged into the boiling flames.
The beginning.
Normally, when members of the Destruction Mage Clan approach the Mangyeom expedition, they use destructive energy to control the lava’s movement, preventing it from harming them as they move deep into the molten depths.
It was an extremely dangerous act of acrobatics—one slip and death was certain.
‘That’s why many died before even reaching the Mangyeom expedition.’
The Scarlet Demon King had good reason to seal the Mangyeom.
‘Well, I could do it too if I wanted, but I don’t have the luxury to waste energy. I have to mobilize every possible aid.’
In that sense, the Seven-Colored Score was the perfect relic for this situation.
Of course, like most relics of this kind, it had a time limit.
‘I extended the duration as much as possible by combining it with other relics of the Destruction Mage Clan, but still, I can’t hold it for long. Everything must be finished within thirty minutes at the latest.’
For your reference, the relic we used this time will be completely destroyed by the heat of the lava, making it impossible to use again.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
[Kashmir Gongja, please stop for a moment.]
[What’s that?]
Since they were beneath the lava, the two communicated through message magic.
By the way, their vision and hearing were also being replaced by magical senses.
Kashmir hesitated.
They sensed a massive “something” writhing beneath the lava.
“It’s the sealed Fallen Star, ‘Fallen Ruin.’”
[!!]
Chris focused his magic to expand his field of vision.
He saw enormous wings stretching beneath the crater, large enough to cover the entire area.
Countless chains pierced through the wings, and the giant’s body had no limbs but was covered in dense sealing runes.
The sealing of the Blazing Flame was a double-layered structure: an outer seal around the crater, and a seal directly inscribed on the Fallen Ruin itself.
The seal that Chris had his cult priests break was the outer one.
However, the seal inscribed on the Fallen Ruin’s body had also suffered some damage—and there was a reason for that.
“This is the trick played by the Blue Stream Demon King.”
The Blue Stream Demon King had weakened the seal on the Fallen Ruin’s body to partially release its power.
Since the Fallen Ruin was originally a great being of the Four Heavenly Realms, even a fraction of its power leaking out would bring catastrophic damage to the Destruction Magus.
The Demon King planned to exploit that gap to launch an expedition into the Blazing Flame.
“In my previous life, some of the Fallen Ruin’s power leaked through the weakened seal, and a hellscape unfolded in the Destruction Magus.”