Su-hyeon’s Madness
Before anything else, I raised my left hand and cast an Anti-Magic spell. The demon claimed he was only using seventy percent of his power, but I couldn’t trust a word from his kind.
A white light shot out from my ring, colliding with the dark blue flames rushing toward me. The two forces mixed briefly before vanishing. The dark flames sent by Belphegor hesitated for a moment, then resumed their fierce charge.
When I activated the Anti-Magic spell, the demon initially looked intrigued, but after seeing the result, he sneered.
“You fool. Did you really think a mere human spell could stop the flames of a great demon? These flames are eternal, granted only to those of duke rank or higher…”
“Shut up, you lunatic.”
“You dare…!”
I tuned out his voice. No, it was more accurate to say I deliberately ignored it because I didn’t want to hear any more. As the dark flames approached, I drew my sword and aimed it directly at them, closing my eyes.
Awaken, Fire Spirit. Rise and show this pathetic creature what true eternal flames are.
In response to my inner voice, I felt the ancient priestess’s mark on my heart ignite fiercely. Along with it, the pure embodiment of fire, the Fire Spirit, answered my call. I channeled its power into my sword and swung it horizontally. To others, it might have looked like a simple slash, but it was a flawless strike, executed with precision.
As I spun the sword, I felt a slight resistance at the tip, followed by the sound of fireworks echoing around us. The dark flames Belphegor had sent were effortlessly split in two, burning out in mid-air.
I lowered my sword. My companions, who had been preparing defensive spells, and even the smug Belphegor, gasped in disbelief. With this exchange, I could roughly gauge the demon’s strength.
“Seems like you were overestimating yourself at seventy percent. More like fifty, or maybe sixty.”
At my taunt, the demon’s face twisted for the first time. But he quickly composed himself and asked in a serious tone.
“You! How did you do that…?”
“Just as you saw.”
“Impossible! How could you extinguish the flames reserved for the highest-ranking demons?”
“Even after seeing it, you still spout nonsense. Are all your so-called high-ranking demons as blind as you? Thanks for the info.”
“Ugh…!”
Belphegor, visibly agitated, summoned another massive dark flame. As a round sphere formed above his right hand, I gathered a clear crimson aura.
“I’ll make sure you never speak with that arrogant mouth again.”
Watching Belphegor grit his teeth, I spoke with a calm demeanor.
“You’ve already seen that your proud demon flames don’t work. Why not try something else?”
“Silence!”
With a roar, he swung his arm again. A flame the size of ten soccer balls hurtled toward me. In the past, I might have charged head-on, but now I didn’t need to fight that way. I took a deep breath and focused on the two weapons I possessed.
The power of the Sword Specialist to cut through anything.
The power of the Fire Spirit to burn everything.
When everything aligned, I swung my sword without hesitation.
Boom! Fwoosh…!
“Unbelievable…”
Belphegor stared in disbelief at the scene before him. The flame he had unleashed with all his might was sliced cleanly in half, consumed by a single bright flame from the cut surface.
Finally, the expression I wanted appeared on his face. It was thrilling. I wanted to crush him, tear him apart, and kill him. I tried to remain calm, but the more I did, the more excited I became. As I steadied my now ragged breathing, I spoke slowly.
“Got anything else to show?”
“W-What do you mean?”
“Summon the Demon Sword Skurep, or the Colossus of Destruction… or maybe…”
I paused, then smiled.
“Are you planning to escape with a Dark Tale?”
Listing his signature techniques, Belphegor’s face grew more confused as he stammered.
“H-How do you know! Who are you?”
“Whoa, calm down. Didn’t Lilith teach you how to act in situations like this?”
Mentioning Lilith made Belphegor’s face explode with rage. The demon world was a place where the law of the strong prevailed. They had strong pride, but once they submitted, they were loyal. At least, among demons.
Bringing up Lilith made Belphegor’s face contort again.
“Watch your mouth. She’s not someone you can speak of so lightly.”
“Why? Lilith? She’s famous as the whore of the demon world. Everyone knows about her defeat and humiliation by Astaroth, right? Or are you still in the dark?”
I had learned this by chance during my first run. It was an event that happened long before I entered the Hall Plain. It was the perfect way to provoke demons loyal to Lilith.
As expected, my taunt made Belphegor explode with rage.
“Graaaah!”
Belphegor roared, raising his hands to the sky. The space around him twisted, and a sinister energy enveloped the area. My companions, who had been standing still, looked around anxiously.
I turned to them and spoke.
“An-hyun, Yu-jeong, stay put. Mages and priests, use every defensive spell you know to protect the group.”
“Kim Su-hyeon! What are you saying?”
Vivian shouted at me. My companions all wore the same expression. But they were all silenced by my fierce presence. Only someone like Vivian could muster the courage to speak under my aura.
“I won’t say it again. I don’t care about the others, but I’ll handle this one. You all stand back.”
Even as I spoke, the demon’s aura grew more intense. A quick glance showed Belphegor’s hair standing on end, as if charged with electricity. He was muttering continuously, likely preparing a powerful spell. It was undoubtedly the Colossus of Destruction. Fool, using it just because I provoked him.
“Kim Su-hyeon! Are you kidding? Even if it’s a high-level…”
Vivian’s constant chatter was getting on my nerves, so I gritted my teeth. I didn’t have the luxury to be gentle with others right now.
“I know, so shut up and stand back!”
“How… how could you…”
At my shout, Vivian stepped back, looking hurt. But there was no time to comfort her.
I also took up my sword and assumed a stance. The technique I was about to use was an ability classified as a user skill. Unlike the past, my immense magical power would make its effect vastly different. I drew upon my magic in a large surge.
The Colossus of Destruction was a large-scale spell. Alone, I might manage, but my companions would be skewered by the meteor shower. So I had no choice but to counter with a spell of my own. It was an ability I couldn’t use in my first run due to insufficient magic power, but now it was possible.
“I developed this technique to face her… I didn’t expect to use it so soon.”
I muttered bitterly, then stomped my foot on the ground.
I couldn’t accept it. How could a great demon like me feel fear from a mere human? It was unthinkable. Yet, it was happening.
Driven by that fear, I had no choice but to unleash my trump card. Preparing such a large spell in my incomplete state was taxing, but the effect would be worth it.
No matter what trick the human used to extinguish demon flames, it was only one or two at most. Against hundreds of small meteors filled with dark flames, a human would be reduced to ashes. It was a shame I couldn’t claim the human women, but it didn’t compare to the insult to Lady Lilith.
My heart strained under the pressure, but I endured. The spell was complete. All that remained was to unleash it on the arrogant human below. As I looked down to confirm my target, it happened.
“Gasp.”
A foreign sensation washed over me. I almost canceled the spell I had painstakingly prepared. It was the feeling of death, of annihilation, something I hadn’t felt in ages. My honed instincts screamed at me. I would die. I had to flee.
“Die… me?”
I would die to a human?
I let out a loud roar. It was a primal struggle to shake off the fear gripping me. That action gave me a sliver of courage, and I swung my hands with all my might toward the human. A small-scale meteor shower spell, including demon flames. Its name was…
“Haaaaaah! Colossus of Destruction!!!!”
No other thoughts came to mind. All I could think about was erasing the person in front of me and reclaiming my dignity as soon as possible. Yet, I couldn’t deny that these thoughts stemmed from a primal instinct to survive.
In that moment, I saw him push off the ground with a single step. It was just one step, but the ground around him rippled like water. It was only for a brief moment, though. As the earth returned to stillness, I swallowed hard. What was that? What on earth was that?
Suddenly, I heard the ceiling above us begin to crumble, and I could sense the presence of the meteor shower I had summoned. Only then did a triumphant smile spread across my face. Fool. Giving me time will be your downfall. I glanced up to see the meteors, the colossal harbingers of destruction, pouring through the broken ceiling. And finally, I felt a sense of relief. The penalties for using such reckless magic with my incomplete body, the sanctions for damaging the building—none of it mattered. All I could think was that I might survive this. That was when it happened.
The man, who had been standing still, suddenly raised his sword and let it hover in the air. At the same time, a clear crimson flame enveloped the blade. Seeing that flame, a wave of unease washed over me. Somehow, I felt that touching that fire would mean the end of everything. At that moment, a strange vibration resonated around us.
Rumble, rumble…
Something peculiar emanated from the ground. When that energy merged with the crimson flame, I was left in shock.
The sword blazed with a crimson light, and then there were more of them. Literally, swords of flame. One, two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two… The swords multiplied, filling the space around us until they were too numerous to count.
“Ha…”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips. I lowered my head to meet the man’s gaze. The moment I saw his smile, chills ran down my spine. Why? Why does he hate me so much? The flow of magic connecting me to the meteors almost faltered, but I managed to hold on.
From the start, he had rubbed me the wrong way. From the first time he saw me, he harbored endless hostility. And he spoke as if he knew something. Fueled by rising defiance, I poured even more magic into my attack.
His face was serene, as if mocking me, questioning if I could ever defeat him. The man stood there, arms crossed, a faint smile playing on his lips. Still in that pose, he slowly raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
With a loud snap that echoed in my ears, the swords surrounding him shot toward me. Instinctively, I wanted to dodge, but seeing the meteors streaking past me, I steeled myself once more.
Countless meteors hurtling toward him.
Countless flaming swords hurtling toward me.
Watching the two massive storms collide like a torrential downpour, I clenched my teeth.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
Today, I received congratulations from so many of you for reaching the 100th episode. I’m also thrilled that the Ruined Lab arc is nearing its end. Now, all that’s left is to watch our villainous Belphegor meet his downfall. Haha. (A word of caution: some of you might be a bit shocked by Suhyun’s appearance in the next or following episode. I recommend bracing yourselves before watching.)
And… today, Suhyun finally revealed his true abilities. The power Suhyun used this time is a type of ability, which refers to the skills one can manifest depending on their own capabilities and talents. On a smaller scale, sensing and swordsmanship are part of this ability, but on a larger scale, the techniques Suhyun displayed are included as well.
PS. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who sent 100th episode celebration coupons. It felt like swimming in a sea of coupons. Thank you so much. Bow. (__)
『 Reader Comments 』
SamPal: Congratulations on being the first to comment on the 100th episode! I was curious who it would be, and it seems it’s your first time as the top commenter. Haha. Congratulations again. :)
G0: Thank you. I’m planning to wrap up between episodes 550 and 600.
Kuroshion: To meet your expectations, Suhyun has revealed one of the powerful techniques he’s been keeping under wraps! It’s incredibly strong…
WindMoonMaster: Belphegor: “I just want to be happy once! But I can’t be happy!”
Jo Changhyun: Hehehe. I plan to release it as a side story, but once you see what Belphegor did, you’ll understand why Suhyun wants to kill him so badly.
guntops: Bears are so cute! Bear bear!
JunhoSonaeShow: It hasn’t appeared yet, but it will as the story progresses, so please be patient.
ThatGirlIsMine: Ehehe. I still prefer Hanbyul… Ahem. I’ll hold a character popularity poll later, so please make sure to cast your precious vote!
ShiraYa: I think many will feel sorry for Belphegor in the next episode. Haha.
HwiEul: Really? Where did you hear such a bad rumor?! (Whisper whisper)
And one more!
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly.
Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the comments.
If you have any pressing questions, feel free to message me, and I’ll respond!
With that, I’ll take my leave for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.