Thud!
The moment my back slammed into the ground, a cloud of dust erupted, swirling and blotting out the sky. My vision wavered, the air itself seemed to tremble. For a mere flick on the back of the head, the force was tremendous—but strangely, I felt no serious injury. The Hell Duke had deliberately struck me with just enough power to make a point.
“…”
When I came to, a burning sense of humiliation surged through me, making my body tremble. The faint, sly smile the Hell Duke had worn moments ago felt like a cruel mockery aimed straight at me. Logically, I should have been grateful that he was holding back, given the vast difference in our abilities. But pride wouldn’t let me accept it so easily.
Suddenly, multiple voices called out from behind me. I shook my hands vigorously—no, I didn’t want anyone coming closer. I wanted to grab someone’s shoulder and argue, “Why aren’t you running? Can’t you see what’s happening?” But I had no time for that. The Hell Duke had already descended from the air, landing about ten meters away.
“Well, for a human, you’re not bad at all. I didn’t expect you to hold out this long against me.”
The Hell Duke spoke quietly.
“Even if I hadn’t noticed your evasive skills before… it seems you think and act at least six times per second. Your situational awareness is nearly at its peak.”
Then, with a sudden shift, he said, “However…” He placed a hand gently on his exposed collarbone and smiled that same knowing smile.
“It must be disappointing to realize your opponent is me.”
That hit me like a punch to the gut. My anger, already boiling over, flared even higher at his taunt. If it were just provocation, I could have laughed it off—but I knew he meant it sincerely, and that only deepened my self-loathing.
“Still, I can rest easy now. If you can wield the Primordial Flame at that level… at least you won’t die.”
With that cryptic remark, the Hell Duke sighed softly and suddenly raised his hand high into the sky.
“Don’t take it personally. If you can endure this, I will truly acknowledge you. No matter how powerful you are, even a pearl on a pig’s neck must be judged.”
I wanted to ask what he meant by that.
“Then, to properly test your mastery of the Primordial Flame… I’m no longer playing around. This is serious.”
Before I could say a word, the hand he raised began to glow with a blinding light.
At that moment—
Fwoooosh!
The light screamed out.
A dazzling, radiant moan fluttered wildly as an immense magical force gathered in the air in an instant.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The sky cracked open, the earth split apart. The magic condensed so densely the very space warped, forming a colossal sphere that shone with a brilliant light, illuminating the entire world. The sight was almost beautiful—yet it lasted only a moment.
Then, a scene unfolded that left me speechless. A fiery red glow began to engulf the massive sphere from below, spreading explosively. It was pure Hell Calamity Fire, a monstrous mass of raw infernal energy. Just facing it was enough to make memories flash before my eyes—a terrifying attack beyond reckoning.
Moments later—
Krrrrrrr!
I recognized a blazing sun rising, shimmering with heat haze, a massive fireball slowly engulfing everything in its path.
Only one thought echoed in my mind.
I’m going to die.
Yes, literally die.
The only way to survive was to dodge. But the Hell Duke wouldn’t allow me to evade. Not because I was restrained or bound, but because if I moved, everyone behind me—my brother, Han So-Young, everyone—would be consumed by this sun.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I gripped my swordless hands tightly and raised them above my head. Instinctively, I poured every ounce of my Hwa-Jeong energy into my body.
The Hell Duke’s blazing sun and my Hwa-Jeong clashed almost simultaneously.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Perhaps because Hwa-Jeong and Calamity Fire are polar opposites, the radiant sphere trembled violently and exploded upon contact. The force was stronger than I expected, and I flinched, but it was too late to dodge. As the fiery shards from the blast wrapped around me, my vision flooded with blinding white.
In that instant, a strange thought crossed my mind. I felt like I’d experienced this pain before—when I started my second run.
Then—
Crackling!
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”
The agony was unlike anything I’d felt when absorbing Hwa-Jeong. I screamed at the top of my lungs.
My entire body felt like it was being seared by a branding iron; my blood boiled inside me. The Hell Calamity Fire tried to destroy me while the Hwa-Jeong fought to protect me, and the clash made me feel as if my very existence was being erased. I could count on one hand the times I’d screamed since starting this second run, but no matter how many times I endured this pain, I’d never get used to it. Honestly, passing out might be easier.
As I felt each magical circuit inside me melting away, I sensed—though I wasn’t certain—that I had passed the center of the sun. That meant only half remained. But to me, that half felt like an endless sky stretching thousands of miles. If I lost focus even for a moment, this maddening sun would consume me whole.
Still, still—
Though I wanted nothing more than to die, I summoned every ounce of strength and stood firm on my legs. I stoked the burning energy of Hwa-Jeong with all my might and glared fiercely into the still blinding white light. I opened my mouth wide.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
This time, my scream wasn’t just from pain—it was a cry of defiance. I told myself that the moment this scream ended would be the moment I fell, so I clung stubbornly to it.
After a long while, as my screams slowly faded—
“…”
Suddenly, the all-white vision snapped back to normal. A cool breeze brushed over me, carrying the scent of something cooking. What had happened to the sun? Had I really endured it?
“I can’t believe it… I honestly thought there was no way, but you really did endure it.”
The Hell Duke’s voice, soft and slightly flushed, reached my ears.
I tried to lift my gaze toward the source, but suddenly the world tilted ninety degrees.
“Ah…?”
For some reason, my body felt utterly limp. My vision flickered, barely able to focus. No matter how hard I tried to summon strength, my head was already drooping downward. Against my will, the ground—not the Hell Duke—came into view.
Just as I reached up to brush hair from my eyes, I noticed my arm hanging limply. Only then did I realize I’d lost control of my body. And before I knew it, I collapsed forward.
Thud.
The soft touch of earth greeted me. I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right there, but I couldn’t. Suddenly, something pushed sharply under my chin, forcing my head upward. When I looked up, the Hell Duke stood over me, upright and composed. Judging by the angle, he must have propped my chin up with his foot.
“That attack just now wasn’t my full power, but I can say it was sincere. Any ordinary human would have burned to ash within five seconds of contact. Yet…”
Listening to the Hell Duke’s words, I gritted my teeth. Every time he spoke, a strange heat rose inside me. I longed to land a proper blow at least once, but lacking the strength was a bitter regret. All I could do now was stare at the Hell Duke with unwavering intensity.
“Even after all that, you still burn with fighting spirit…”
He tilted his head slightly, muttering to himself, then a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Really, don’t do that. If you keep it up, I might just fall for you.”
He stepped back, slowly bowed, and spoke.
“Anyway, I must truly acknowledge you now. You truly have the makings of the Last King…”
Then—
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, I suddenly felt a sharp tug at my lower abdomen. I blinked once, and suddenly I was flying through the air, rapidly distancing myself from the Hell Duke. Only then did I sense the magical force gripping me, pulling me somewhere.
Flop!
Not long after, a soft touch pressed against my back, accompanied by a pleasant fragrance. Someone wrapped me tightly in their arms. Around me, familiar faces crowded in, shouting something.
But I barely heard them. My gaze remained fixed on the Hell Duke. Despite the chaos, his face—now straightening from his bow—held an expression of surprise. Not at me, but at whoever had just intervened.
“What… is this…?”
The Hell Duke crossed his arms with composure and slowly scanned the surroundings.
“I’ve already seen the Thunder God… Transcendent and Asura…? And a dragon…? Ah, only the soul is a dragon? What a strange mix this is.”
The Hell Duke’s voice carried a hint of puzzlement. The Thunder God likely referred to his older brother. As for the Transcendent, though unknown, the fact that he associated it with Asura suggested it was probably Gong Chan-ho. And the dragon was undoubtedly Helena.
“And… what about you? How did you end up like this?”
Finally, the Hell Duke’s gaze shifted back toward me.
‘…?’
No, not exactly me. More precisely, it was directed just over my shoulder—toward the one holding me. I struggled to turn my eyes and was met with an unexpected face. The one embracing me was none other than Pyo Hye-mi—no, Je-gal Hae-sol.
“Curious indeed. Just moments ago, you were nothing but a bug unnoticed… and now, suddenly, you’ve become a Transcendent?”
Transcendent.
At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind. I fixed my gaze on the stiff Je-gal Hae-sol and activated my Third Eye.
And then, I saw.
Name: Je-gal Hae-sol (0 years)
Class: Normal Mage (Master)
Nation: Freelance Mercenary
Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: S Zero)
True Name & Nationality: One who has grasped the truth and reached the pinnacle of magic — Republic of Korea
Gender: Female (29)
Height & Weight: 168.7 cm / 47.8 kg
Disposition: Rationality / Observation
[Strength 43] [Endurance 47] [Agility 57] [Stamina 41] [Magic Power 101] [Luck 94]
(Remaining Ability Points: 0)
Je-gal Hae-sol’s magic power had reached 101 points.
Before I could even process this, I felt my body being pulled backward again. Someone forced me down onto the ground, and I heard urgent shouts from users clad in white robes. Light flashed from several staffs, momentarily blinding me.
“Healing! Healing!”
“This is… strange! The healing isn’t working!”
“Then potions! No, I’m applying potions now!”
“I’ll bring an elixir!”
…Is my condition really that serious?
Just then, as the potion soaked my body, a sharp sting spread through me, making me wince.
『You have suffered a tremendous shock, unlike anything normally experienced inside or out.』
『Congratulations. Your second slot latent ability, “Unyielding (Rank: A+++)” has increased by one level.』
『“Unyielding (Rank: A+++)” has evolved into “Unyielding (Rank: S Zero).”』
『Current remaining ability points: 1 (Special, Latent).』
Four messages floated in the air before me.
---------------------------= Author’s Notes =---------------------------
I believe I kept my promise regarding the Hell Duke from last time. (I mentioned this in the next chapter’s comments, but I suspect some of you might have missed it.) The reddish figure isn’t the Hell Duke himself, but rather indicates that he has already been summoned inside the portal. As someone pointed out, it was a narrow success. But please don’t keep demanding continuous updates—I’m begging you. ㅜ.ㅠ
I’ll hold off on the green light from yesterday for now. Honestly, I’d like to continue it a bit more, but I think some of you have come to understand the “pain” I’ve been going through. Haha. :)
The highlight of this part isn’t this chapter. It’s scheduled for chapter 653, just two chapters from now. While I appreciate the Hell Duke’s popularity, the protagonist is still Kim Soo-hyun. So the spotlight will remain on him. This part should wrap up around chapter 655.
You might wonder how I can tailor the highlight to the protagonist despite such a skill gap. Haha. Now is the time to gather the foreshadowing I’ve scattered. So… (The following words are my own coded spoilers.) “Heave, 1, Haa, Tsun-tsun, Gift.” If these five conditions are met, Kim Soo-hyun can hold his own against the Hell Duke—at least in the human world. :D