Episode 207: Shock (1)
Damian stood in awe, surveying the scene Erebus had wrought.
The gray storm had left nothing in its wake.
The ground was carved to match the storm’s path, and everything that had once stood there had vanished without a trace.
The devastation didn’t end there. In the distance, a mountain peak looked as if it had been sliced clean off.
The technique Damian had just used involved compressing the power of corrosion before unleashing it.
By compressing the power, its destructive force was amplified, allowing it to even obliterate demonic energy.
“I didn’t expect it to be this powerful.”
In truth, Erebus’s power alone couldn’t erase demonic energy.
No matter how much it was compressed, the power was too weak due to its low restoration rate.
It was only possible because the Weapon Master’s power, the Love of All Weapons, had drawn out Erebus’s potential.
“About a quarter… no, a third of its full power.”
As Damian murmured to himself, Erebus dissolved from his hand and returned to a tattoo on his wrist.
He glanced at the tattoo, feeling no trace of Erebus’s power. It meant Erebus had completely gone dormant.
It seemed to be a side effect of pushing its potential with the Love of All Weapons.
“It’ll be hard to use for a while.”
Damian approached the scene Erebus had ravaged. There, he saw the upper half of the Weapon Master.
It seemed the Weapon Master had tried to escape Erebus’s power but hadn’t managed to get away in time.
”…Incredible.”
As Damian drew closer, the Weapon Master spoke. Despite having only his chest and head remaining, he was still alive.
Or rather, he wasn’t truly alive. His connection to his main body hadn’t been severed.
“That sword… it’s remarkable. It doesn’t just destroy objects; it makes them vanish. I’ve never seen a weapon with such power.”
Even in this state, the Weapon Master’s eyes gleamed with greed.
“Damian Haxen… have you ever considered joining Pandemonium? With you and that sword, you could easily become its king.”
“That’s a load of nonsense.”
It was a worthless offer. To Damian, Pandemonium was something to be eradicated entirely.
“Think it over seriously. It’s not a bad offer for you.”
Damian had heard enough.
He was about to draw his sword, Dawn, from the void to finish off the Weapon Master when—
“If you don’t accept my offer, your family might be in danger.”
Damian’s hand froze mid-swing.
“Everyone in Pandemonium knows about you. They know about your family too. Damian Haxen, born in the Kingdom of Apple, with living parents, an older sister, and a younger brother, right?”
The Weapon Master rattled off details about Damian’s family.
“Don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of harming your family. I’m not interested in such petty acts. But what about others?”
A sly smile crept onto the Weapon Master’s lips.
“Someone as intriguing as you won’t be left alone. They’ll try to capture you by any means. And the easiest way to capture someone like you is to use your family.”
The Weapon Master continued.
“Can you imagine what your family might endure because of you? If you don’t want that, come to Pandemonium. Once you’re with us, no one will dare touch your family. Then…”
Suddenly, the Weapon Master’s mouth snapped shut.
”…?”
No one had forced it closed. His muscles had contracted on their own.
The Weapon Master could only move his eyes to look at Damian Haxen.
A dark, chilling aura emanated from Damian, so intense that even the formidable Weapon Master felt overwhelmed.
“You filthy worm… who do you think you’re threatening?”
Damian lifted his foot and crushed the Weapon Master’s head.
“Don’t worry about my family. Not a hair on their heads will be harmed. Because I’ll kill every last one of you before that happens.”
Damian’s murderous intent grew stronger. The occasional sounds of birds and insects ceased entirely.
The world fell silent, as if holding its breath in his presence.
“Wait for me. I’ll come for you soon and make you pay for your insolence.”
He had already planned to eliminate all the great evils.
The only question was who to target first. Now, that decision was made.
The Weapon Master would be the first to die.
“You arrogant fool… you think you can come for me?”
Damian wasn’t the only one seething with anger.
“Just because you defeated a mere fragment of me, don’t get cocky! My true power is far beyond this!”
The Weapon Master was incomplete.
Possessing another’s body, he couldn’t wield his full strength.
Most importantly, he lacked his demonic swords.
The Weapon Master’s true prowess lay in wielding multiple demonic swords simultaneously to overwhelm his foes.
Without them, he was weak. Among the great evils, he was arguably the weakest.
“Without your demonic swords, you’re nothing but talk.”
That single remark struck a nerve with the Weapon Master. His face twisted in rage.
“You bastard…!”
In that moment, Damian drove Dawn into the Weapon Master’s forehead.
The blade pierced the third eye, and the Weapon Master’s body went limp.
The connection between his soul and body was severed completely.
Damian withdrew Dawn, wiping the blood from the blade as he pondered.
“I might have revealed too much, but it’s not a problem.”
Considering who the Weapon Master was, it wasn’t a major concern.
“That greedy bastard won’t share anything about Erebus with anyone else.”
The Weapon Master’s obsession with weapons was excessive.
In a past life, he had attacked Damian simply because Erebus had chosen him.
Moreover, the Weapon Master had suffered a severe blow to his pride because of Damian. He would undoubtedly want to kill Damian himself.
So there was no need to worry about information leaking. The Weapon Master would keep it tightly under wraps.
“Now then…”
Damian surveyed the area. He saw people lying unconscious, wounded.
He sighed deeply and muttered to himself.
”…How am I going to heal all of them?”
“Ugh, aah!”
Liam Bluegreen awoke with a scream.
“Everyone, run! It’s dangerous here!”
He shouted, looking around frantically. In his view were knights and soldiers lying bandaged.
“Wh-what happened…?”
“Oh, you’re the first to wake up.”
A familiar voice reached him. Turning his head, he saw Damian Haxen.
Unlike the others, Damian was unscathed. Liam found this fact puzzling.
“Sir Damian… what happened? What about Joshua Silva? The master class?”
“I killed him.”
“Phew… that’s a relief. You saved us.”
Liam let out a sigh of relief and lay back down.
Then, his eyes widened as he shot up again.
“What? You killed him? How? That monster was a master class!”
“If you get too excited, your wounds will reopen.”
“My wounds aren’t the issue right now!”
Damian clicked his tongue at Liam’s words.
“Watch closely.”
Damian drew Dawn. An aura blade emerged from its edge.
The moment Liam saw the aura blade, he froze.
“I awakened to the master class during the fight and took care of everything. I couldn’t uncover the enemy’s true identity. There was no time.”
Liam couldn’t tear his eyes away from the aura blade.
“Sir Damian, how old are you?”
“I passed my coming of age a few years ago.”
Reaching the master class was a feat only a handful of geniuses achieved after a lifetime of effort, usually in middle age.
To reach it at such a young age? Such cases were rare even in history.
No, age wasn’t the issue.
Damian Haxen hadn’t even wielded a sword for a year. To become a master class in such a short time?
Liam looked at Damian with a face full of awe.
”…I always seem to be in your debt.”
Liam spoke with a look of gratitude.
“If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead by now.”
“Don’t worry about it. I had to kill him to survive too.”
“Still, I can’t help but be grateful. Truly… thank you.”
Liam sighed deeply, then a thought struck him.
“Now that you’re a master class… we’ll have to change the competition. The imperial officials will be shocked.”
Liam chuckled.
Someone who had entered as a high class participant had become a master class. It would certainly surprise everyone.
“The high class spot is now vacant, but… it can’t be helped.”
Liam Bluegreen was too old to participate in the competition. It seemed he would have to give up on the High Class category.
“Do we need a participant?”
“It’s not absolutely necessary, but… it’s the second most important position after the Master Class, so it’s hard not to feel the loss.”
While not as prestigious as the Master Class, the High Class was still a crucial indicator of national strength.
That’s why, in the Helian competition, it garnered the most attention and interest after the Master Class.
“If there’s a vacancy, we can just fill it.”
“Hmm? Do you have a plan?”
Damian turned his gaze. There lay Michael and Veronica, fast asleep.
“Why not make one of them a High Class?”
Liam Bluegreen burst into laughter. But Damian’s expression remained deadly serious.
”…You weren’t joking?”
“I was being completely serious.”
“Ah, no… even if those two are geniuses, turning them into High Class in such a short time is…”
“Just beat it into them.”
For a moment, Liam Bluegreen doubted his ears.
“W-what did you say?”
“Keep at it, and one of them will become High Class.”
”…You’re joking, right?”
“I’m quite serious.”
Damian opened a dimensional pocket and pulled out a hexagonal club, tapping it against his palm as he continued.
“With my guidance and a bit of discipline, anyone can become stronger.”
Liam Bluegreen looked at Damian, utterly bewildered.
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve done it a few times before.”
“No, it’s not that I’m worried about…”
But on second thought, it wasn’t a bad idea.
If the plan succeeded, the Apple Kingdom could enter both the Master Class and the High Class in the competition.
Even if it failed, the two would still improve their skills, which was a good outcome.
“Ahem… I’ll leave it to you.”
“Consider it done.”
Unaware of the conversation happening over their heads, Michael and Veronica continued to sleep soundly.