Episode 454: Return of the Demon Cult
Rumble, rumble, rumble…!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The ground shook violently.
No, “shook” wasn’t quite the right word.
It was as if the earth itself was dancing.
In some places, it vibrated; in others, it swayed or even leapt into the air.
Finally, the ground split open, and a massive stalk shot up.
Crack!
“What the… a plant, out of nowhere?!”
“Whoa! What’s happening?”
A plant with a trunk as thick as a house began to writhe and grow rapidly, like a serpent.
Creak!
The bizarre sight struck fear into the hearts of the onlookers.
It was as if the vast, majestic force of nature was thrashing about in anger.
Boom!
The thick stalks twisted and tangled, reaching skyward.
As the warriors stumbled in confusion, the monsters seized the opportunity to attack fiercely.
“Aaargh!”
“Help!”
Watching the ever-growing stalks, Sabikang muttered to himself.
“It’s begun. The Seven Deadly Sins…!”
Once the terraforming process starts, the Seven Deadly Sins become an unstoppable force.
A process beyond human comprehension.
The first step in this process is…
“The Sin of Sloth.”
**
Ting!
With a clear sound, a large flower bloomed at the end of the massive stalk.
Instantly, a fragrant aroma filled the air, and pale green spores spread in all directions.
The warriors, who had been fighting with gritted teeth, suddenly wore vacant expressions, their minds going blank.
Even Yeom Jaryang, who had been splitting the heads of the demon soldiers with his black sword, paused and looked around.
Suddenly, he felt all his strength drain away, and everything seemed like too much trouble.
‘Where am I? What’s happening in the Central Plains? Is the Demon King really descending? No, the Demon King is the king of demons, not a human.’
His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
Just then, a shadow emerged from behind the giant stalk.
Yeom Jaryang, who had been charging with his black sword, came to an abrupt halt.
“Father…?”
To his shock, the man standing there, panting, was his father, Yeom Pa.
Yeom Pa, equally surprised to see his son, exclaimed, “Jaryang! Is it really you, my son?”
“How did you get here, Father?”
“Our Cheonhwa Trading Company joined the alliance’s punitive force to transport supplies. Then, suddenly, we were transported to this place…”
At that moment, a dark shadow flew from behind the stalk, aiming for Yeom Pa’s back.
“Watch out!”
Yeom Jaryang quickly pushed his father aside and split the head of the attacking demon soldier in two.
Slash!
The demon soldier fell, unable to even scream.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. But how are you holding up?”
Yeom Pa gently touched Yeom Jaryang’s cheek with a trembling hand.
Yeom Jaryang felt a surge of emotion, tears welling up in his eyes.
He had always been branded as a troublemaker, yet here was his father, looking at him with warmth.
“I’m fine. But it’s dangerous here. Let’s head to the barricade.”
“I can’t believe how much you’ve grown.”
Yeom Pa embraced Yeom Jaryang tightly.
Though slightly awkward, Yeom Jaryang didn’t mind the embrace.
Was his father’s embrace always this comforting?
Yet, a thought nagged at him.
‘But why was he in the descent area while transporting supplies?’
Suddenly,
“Snap out of it, you fool!”
A sharp voice pierced his eardrums.
Yeom Jaryang snapped back to reality and looked at his father. No, what was holding him wasn’t his father anymore.
A demon with a pig’s head.
It had a body three times the size of an average adult and a face that resembled a pig, its mouth wide open.
“Gah!”
Yeom Jaryang tried to break free, but the massive arms held him tight.
“Damn it…!”
“Why resist, my son? Become my feast! Hahaha!”
Just as the enormous mouth lunged for Yeom Jaryang’s neck,
Slash!
Blood sprayed, drenching Yeom Jaryang’s face.
Thud!
The pig-headed demon fell to its knees and collapsed.
Finally free, Yeom Jaryang staggered back, gasping for air.
“Huff, huff, huff…!”
“What are you doing, not paying attention?!”
The voice that shouted at him was Yeon Woo-gyeong.
He flicked his sword, shaking off the blood.
Yeom Jaryang looked around in a daze.
All around, there were screams of agony.
To his horror, the warriors who had been standing idly were now being devoured by pig-headed demons.
This was the second stage, following the Sin of Sloth: the Sin of Gluttony.
“Squeal!”
“Argh! Spare me!”
“No, don’t eat me!”
The cries of those being devoured filled the descent area.
Chomp! Crunch!
The pig-headed demons devoured the warriors with abandon, as if to demonstrate the ultimate gluttony.
Meanwhile, the third stage was unfolding.
Crack!
From the massive stalks that filled the descent area, thin tendrils spread out like a chaotic web.
Hundreds, thousands of tendrils writhed like serpents, wrapping around people.
“Damn it! This never ends!”
Yeon Woo-gyeong gritted his teeth and swung his sword.
The tendrils that lunged at him were mercilessly severed by his blade.
Yeom Jaryang also swung his black sword, cutting through the endless tendrils.
But they couldn’t fend off all the tendrils heading elsewhere.
Some tendrils wrapped around the warriors, climbing up their bodies.
“Ah!”
Whatever was coating the tendrils, those who touched them blushed, their bodies heating up.
Some women collapsed as their legs gave out, while some men, overwhelmed by the surge of energy, tore off their shirts and roared.
Even those who had survived the first two stages were losing consciousness.
This was the third stage: the Sin of Lust.
Meanwhile, on one side of the battlefield, Seok Tan-gang was frantically swinging his chain sickle, cutting through the tendrils.
It was a hell of pleasure and pain.
On one side, people were still being devoured by pig-headed demons, while on the other, men and women, stripped bare, were entangled in a frenzy of flesh.
Some women were bound by the snake-like tendrils, stripped naked, and violated.
The mingled cries of ecstasy and agony from the mass of entwined bodies made them look like a swarm of grotesque insects.
Seok Tan-gang bit his lip.
‘What is all this…! Damn it!’
In an instant,
Swish!
A tendril grazed Seok Tan-gang’s neck.
He twisted his body just in time, narrowly avoiding decapitation.
“Damn it!”
Seok Tan-gang swung his chain sickle, slicing through the tendril.
Thud!
The severed tendril writhed on the ground, and he stomped on it, crushing it.
Squish!
“Ugh!”
He clicked his tongue and looked around.
Suddenly, he felt his body heat up, and he was taken aback.
‘Damn it…!’
A powerful urge surged through him, stronger than any aphrodisiac.
His body burned with heat.
Seok Tan-gang bit his lower lip until it bled.
“What’s wrong, Kang?”
Nearby, Yoo Song-ryeong shouted as she fought.
‘Damn it!’
Seok Tan-gang cursed inwardly.
In that moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Yoo Song-ryeong’s lips parted as she shouted, sweat trickling down her collarbone, her slender waist, her firm hips, her toned thighs, her shapely calves.
All of it overwhelmed his senses, making it hard to breathe.
In an instant,
Smack!
The blow was so hard that Seok Tan-gang spun in the air and fell to the ground.
Yoo Song-ryeong, who had struck him with the flat of her sword, grabbed his collar and shouted.
“Get a grip, you eunuch!”
“Eunuch? That’s too much… I’m not a eunuch!”
“Then prove it. Show you’re a real man. A real man protects the ones he loves in times like this!”
”…!”
Even as she said it, Yoo Song-ryeong felt her face flush.
She realized she had just called him “the one she loves.”
Seok Tan-gang chuckled and got to his feet.
“Thanks. You’ve snapped me out of it.”
“Good.”
“One day, I’ll prove it. That I’m not a eunuch.”
Seok Tan-gang said with a confident smile, and Yoo Song-ryeong, her face red, shouted back.
“You idiot. Don’t say things like that in this situation. What are you thinking…!”
Suddenly,
A slithering sound echoed…!
Out of nowhere, a tentacle shot up from the ground, wrapping around Yusongryeong’s calf and thigh, lifting her into the air.
“Aaah!”
With a scream, Yusongryeong found herself dangling upside down, suspended in midair.
More tentacles erupted from the earth, dozens of them, swarming over her.
Rip! Tear!
In an instant, they shredded her clothing.
As her undergarments were exposed, Yusongryeong squeezed her eyes shut.
The tentacles slithered over her, binding her tightly and probing her vulnerable spots.
“Ahh…!”
Just as a thick tendril forced its way into her mouth,
“Mmph…!”
Seoktangang’s eyes blazed with fury, and he let out a fierce shout.
“You filthy beasts!”
In a flash,
Two sickle chains, gleaming with a deadly aura, shot through the air.
Swish! Swish!
The chains danced wildly, slicing through the air with blinding speed.
Finally, the sickles returned to his hands,
And severed tentacle fragments rained down from the sky.
With a graceful flip, Yusongryeong landed softly on the ground, and Seoktangang quickly wrapped his robe around her.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Seoktangang replied awkwardly, glancing around.
The scene was still a nightmare.
Screams and cries echoed throughout the hellish landscape.
People were being devoured, others lay entangled, moaning in despair.
Some tried to climb the walls to escape, only to be slaughtered.
It was a moment that truly felt like the descent of demons.
Then, a familiar voice boomed from above.
“Listen! You cannot escape this place now! Surviving until all seven stages are complete is your top priority! We are now in stage three. Survive at all costs!”
It was Sabigang’s commanding voice.
The two exchanged a determined look and nodded.
“Let’s survive.”
“Yes!”
They had made it through three stages.
Only four more to endure.