Episode 475: Return to the Demon Realm
Count Adler twisted his grotesque face into a smile.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks to your efforts, the terraforming proceeded without a hitch. However, I regret to say that I failed to capture all the humans trapped in the Seven Sins.”
“Why pretend? I know you let some of them go on purpose.”
Adler paused, studying Baritan, then allowed a faint smile to play on his lips.
“As expected, I can’t fool you, Marquess Baritan.”
“I’d be disappointed if you thought you could.”
“Still, it’s partly true. I didn’t intend to eliminate them all, but I didn’t plan to spare so many either.”
“Mistakes are inevitable. But you’re the type to turn even mistakes into opportunities.”
“Heh heh.”
As Adler chuckled, Baritan asked, “Did you find anything worthwhile?”
“Hard to say. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“There seem to be quite a few who have been marked.”
“Indeed. Surviving the stages of the Seven Sins with a sound mind requires considerable mental fortitude.”
But Baritan shook his head in disagreement.
“Quite the opposite. You still don’t understand humans.”
“What do you mean?”
“The stronger the will, the easier it is to break. Unlike us demons, humans are fragile yet pretend to be strong.”
“Hmm. That’s hard to grasp.”
“There’s no need to understand. Those marked by the Seven Sins are likely to be those who are strict with themselves and have strong wills. But…”
Baritan trailed off, thinking of Sabigang.
He kept to himself the thought that someone like Sabigang, who lived without regard for principles, wouldn’t be marked.
Adler didn’t press for more.
Instead, he smiled and said, “I’ve planted my larvae in someone neither too strong nor too weak. Let me show you who.”
Adler approached the peculiar pillar.
Moments later.
Zzzzt…!
Astonishingly, white protrusions on his face began to grow like tentacles, reaching toward the glowing red pillar.
The ends of the protrusions adhered to the pillar as if they had suction cups.
Simultaneously, Adler’s eyes rolled back, turning white.
The spectacle didn’t end there.
From the writhing pillar, something began to emerge, forming the shape of a human face.
Finally, Adler spoke.
“There are quite a few sword masters in this world. Impressive. Though this one wasn’t quite at that level, he had comparable skills. My larvae successfully parasitized his body.”
“I see.”
“Do you know who he is?”
Baritan nodded, familiar with the basic information about the Justice Alliance.
“He’s Lee Jajun, leader of the Changshin Group within the Justice Alliance. He’s quite close to the leader.”
In other words, Adler’s larvae had infiltrated Lee Jajun.
“The leader… What is that?”
“The head of the martial artists in this world.”
“Perhaps…”
The pillar shifted again, forming a new face.
A young, handsome man.
Baritan frowned slightly at the sight.
“Is it him?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Strange. I thought he was the strongest…”
The face was that of Sabigang.
Baritan spoke with a shadowed expression.
“But it’s not him.”
“Then, is it this one?”
The pillar’s face changed again.
It was Neung Unpa.
Baritan nodded.
“Yes, it’s him.”
“Interesting.”
“Did you plant larvae in the leader too?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t. But he was significantly marked.”
“As expected.”
Baritan’s theory was confirmed: those with strong wills and strict principles were the easiest to break.
“Your abilities never cease to amaze me.”
“You’re too kind.”
Adler grinned, his eyes still rolled back.
His knowledge of the martial artists was thanks to the evil god who blessed him.
The only high-ranking evil god who governed the Demon Tree and parasites.
Despite having only one patron god, Adler held the title of Count because the Demon Tree was crucial for conquering other worlds.
The black star they resided on was made of Demon Trees, necessary for terraforming, or demonification.
Thus, Count Adler could absorb the memories of the Demon Tree and understand what transpired during the terraforming.
Adler conjured Sabigang’s face again and asked, “Who is this?”
“I don’t know exactly. I haven’t been searching for an avatar for long.”
“I see. Quite peculiar.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Not really… But he used magic during the Seven Sins stages.”
“There are some in this world who use magic.”
“Indeed. It seemed quite advanced, but the records are too faint to discern.”
There are two possible reasons for this.
Either the magic or swordsmanship was so destructive that it erased the records from the Demon Tree, or he fled without attacking as the Demon Tree was completed.
Adler seemed unconcerned.
“Just a mere human.”
Zzzzt…!
Finally, the tentacles retracted, returning to white protrusions on Adler’s face.
He wore a sly smile.
“Perhaps this will be easier than expected.”
“That would be fortunate.”
Baritan turned with a curious smile.
As he ascended the stairs, he muttered to himself as always.
“It seems they don’t know much about Sabigang.”
“Indeed. That’s all I needed to confirm.”
Baritan smirked.
**
A quiet night.
Returning to the Justice Alliance headquarters, Lee Jajun, leader of the Changshin Group, fell into a deep sleep.
The journey had exhausted him.
He was oblivious to the subtle changes occurring within his body.
Creak…!
A faint sound, and the cloth wrapped around his shoulder shifted slightly.
It covered a wound from the Seven Sins stages.
The cloth tore as if sliced by a knife, and a long, white worm wriggled out.
It crawled up his shoulder, along his neck, and into his nostril.
“Mm…”
In his sleep, Lee Jajun twitched his nose and turned over.
But he showed no further reaction.
Instead, his temple throbbed, and the creature moved toward his brain.
Moments later.
“Gah!”
Lee Jajun’s eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright.
Cold sweat drenched his body.
‘Was it a dream?’
He couldn’t fathom why he had awakened so suddenly.
He quickly extended his senses to check his surroundings.
Fortunately, he detected nothing unusual.
After calming his racing heart, he lay back down.
Just as he was about to drift off again,
“Gasp…!”
Lee Jajun inhaled sharply and sat up again.
His core felt like it was about to explode.
“Ugh!”
He was alarmed by the sudden changes in his body.
Though he’d never experienced a Qi deviation, he imagined this might be what it felt like.
He tried to calm himself by circulating his inner energy, but the pain persisted.
In fact, it intensified with time.
“Damn it…!”
His veins bulged.
His face turned a deep red, then almost black.
“Ugh…!”
Clutching his stomach, he collapsed, writhing in agony.
He struggled for what felt like an eternity in the relentless pain.
**
A meeting of the Justice Alliance’s leadership was convened.
But there were more empty seats than filled ones.
Many senior members had perished in the recent campaign.
Naturally, the atmosphere was somber.
Present were Qinghe Zhenren from Kunlun and Hyunjin Dojang from the Joint Sect.
“Unbelievable as it is, with the demons’ descent, we can’t afford to delay. We must inform the martial world and unite, regardless of sect, to defeat them.”
Qinghe Zhenren surveyed the room with piercing eyes.
Hyunjin Dojang nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. We must fight with all our might.”
Then, Wook Cheongpung cautiously spoke up.
“But we know little about the demons. If we rush into battle unprepared, we risk another disaster like this. Moreover…”
“What is it?”
Qinghe Zhenren asked, and Wook Cheongpung, though reluctant, admitted,
“Since the alliance’s defeat, our influence in the martial world has waned. I’m not sure the martial artists will follow us…”
It was an uncomfortable truth.
But it was a necessary issue to address.
Neung Unpa furrowed his brow slightly and asked.
“What exactly is the point you’re trying to make, Elder?”
The question, delivered with a hint of sharpness, caught Uk Cheong-pung slightly off guard. Yet, he maintained his composure as he replied.
“The defeat in the recent battle is a significant blow to our alliance. Rumors are spreading throughout the martial world that less than a tenth of our forces survived. In such a situation, expecting them to follow our lead unconditionally is overly optimistic. We need a compelling reason to persuade them.”
“And what might that be?”
“As I mentioned, gathering comprehensive information on the demon clan is our top priority. With thorough preparation based on that knowledge, I believe even the unorthodox sects will align with our cause.”
“So, the one who knows the most about the demons should become the new leader.”
The sudden interjection from Neung Un-pa caused a stir in the room. Uk Cheong-pung, equally surprised, turned to the leader.
“Leader…?”
“Isn’t that what you’re suggesting? Our defeat was due to a lack of information on the demons. To rectify this and prepare, we need a leader well-versed in demon matters.”
Uk Cheong-pung’s face turned pale for a moment. The entire assembly of martial artists exchanged tense glances between the leader and the elder.
Even Gu Yoon looked flustered, but Uk Cheong-pung quickly waved his hands in denial.
“That’s a complete misunderstanding! How could you think such a thing?”
“No, I believe I’ve hit the nail on the head regarding your intentions.”
At this point, Sa Bi-gang couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped forward.
“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. The elder’s intention is—”
“Sa Bi-gang, stay out of this. Since when did you rise to a position where you can interrupt a conversation between the leader and the elder?”
The atmosphere in the room turned icy, as if a cold wave had swept through.