Episode 496: The Return of the Demon Instructor

“You, whatever you are, must come with me.”

Aranius’s eyes were now so bloodshot they seemed to be entirely bathed in crimson. Yet, he seemed oblivious to the changes overtaking him—veins bulging along his hands, drool trickling from his mouth, sweat streaming down his back.

Sabikang watched the increasingly grotesque transformation of Aranius with a smirk.

‘The reaction is setting in.’

Aranius had overlooked one crucial fact: Vertas was not in its original form. He must have known this, yet he dismissed it as insignificant. Perhaps he thought that since a mere human was wielding it, it wasn’t worth his concern. But he should have been concerned, at least about the fact that Vertas’s aura was far from ordinary and had grown more intense than before.

Moreover, Vertas had absorbed all the blood from Javelin’s body when it pierced through him. Javelin, blessed by the bloodthirsty demon god, had blood that was anything but ordinary. With that blood absorbed, Vertas, already brimming with potent magic, became even more unruly.

Sabikang shrugged and said, “That’s how it goes. Whether human or demon, your mindset changes before and after you take a dump.”

“Shut that blabbering mouth of yours!” Aranius shouted, spittle flying as he lunged with a crazed expression.

But at the peak of his magical power, “Ugh!” Aranius suddenly plummeted to the ground, crashing down with a thud.

“Ugh!” he groaned, gritting his teeth in pain and confusion. How could this be? Even if he had regressed, wasn’t Vertas something humans could handle? Yet here he was, unable to control its power.

Vertas twisted Aranius’s arm further, leaving him unable to discard it even if he wanted to.

“Argh!” he screamed, clenching his teeth until they bled.

Finally, Aranius’s arm snapped completely. Vertas thrashed as if starved for demon blood.

Only then did Sabikang scratch his head and say, “Oh, I forgot to mention… You need to be careful with that thing. If you use magic recklessly, it might end up consuming you.”

“Damn it…!” Aranius struggled to accept the situation. Of course, Vertas preferred demon blood over human blood—it was the source of its power. This was why demons dared not rebel; Vertas craved all but the blood of the Demon King.

Even so, demons were supposed to handle Vertas better than humans. But now…!

Aranius, trembling, slowly raised the blade toward his own neck. His veins bulged as if they might burst. As he tried to summon his magic, Vertas’s power intensified, leaving him unable to don his armor.

Sabikang watched Aranius tremble and sneered, “Don’t resist. Give up, and everything will be easier.”

“Damn it! It’s not my blood! Drink that bastard’s blood!” Aranius screamed one last desperate plea.

With a swift motion, Vertas slashed Aranius’s throat without hesitation.

“Ugh!” Blood flowed from the wound, and Vertas eagerly absorbed it.

“Argh!” Aranius let out a final scream, mustering his remaining strength to fling Vertas to the ground. The sword’s power had waned momentarily as it focused on absorbing the blood.

Staggering back, Aranius collapsed to the ground. Sabikang extended his hand, and Vertas flew back to him.

Seeing this, Aranius’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Why… Who are you?”

“I told you, I’m a regressor. How much more do I need to explain?”

Aranius retreated, stumbling. Sabikang frowned and muttered, “You wanted it so badly, yet you just toss it aside? Take it. I’m giving it back.”

“This humiliation… I’ll repay it someday!”

In an instant, the ground beneath Aranius turned soft and swallowed him whole.

**

A fierce wind howled across the snow-covered ridge, the frozen earth forbidding any life. Yet, an inexplicable phenomenon occurred. The snow-laden ground grew damp, then bubbled and steamed.

Moments later, with a rumble, a massive hand of earth emerged. On its palm lay Aranius, barely conscious, gasping for breath. Each exhale was accompanied by a wheezing sound from his throat. If he hadn’t used the mud to staunch his wound, he would have bled out by now.

‘Damn it!’ He rose, tears in his eyes, having spent the last of his magic to escape. He fled with all his might, fearing Sabikang might pursue him. To think he had been so humiliated by a human he had always scorned!

The more he thought about it, the more his anger boiled. In the end, he had gained nothing. No, he had lost everything—his loyal vassal, Viscount Cassis, and his trusted aide, Javelin. He didn’t mourn their deaths, only the seething rage that consumed him.

‘I will repay this humiliation someday!’ Aranius ground his teeth and staggered to his feet. He trudged through the snow, collapsing and rising repeatedly, his magic depleted and strength waning. If only there were mana in the air like in the demon realm, he could recover. He regretted not bringing mana potions.

There was no choice. He had to return to the terraformed Black Star to fully recover. How long had he walked through the blizzard? Finally, the Black Star appeared in the distance.

“At last… I’ve made it,” he sighed in relief, taking a weary step forward.

A gust of wind swept past, and he sensed a presence. Turning, he saw Baritan, Jonya, and ten knights.

‘Baritan…? Has he already gathered ten followers?’ It was fitting for Baritan, blessed by the demon god of envy and seduction.

Baritan approached with a slight frown. “Are you alright, Duke Aranius? You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine. But I have something important to say. That man…!”

As Aranius began to speak, a chill ran through him. ‘This is…?’ He felt something invading his mind. He tried to resist the seduction with all his might, but it was difficult.

‘Could it be…!’ Aranius looked up at Baritan with trembling eyes. Sure enough, Baritan was smiling meaningfully at him.

‘Baritan, you…!’ Envy and seduction, those two forces were wreaking havoc on Aranius’s mind. Before Baritan could completely dominate his consciousness, Aranius sent a desperate look.

‘It’s fine if you strike me down! But let me say this one thing!’ But Baritan’s eyes refused him, as if to say he would thoroughly suppress any nonsense from Aranius’s mouth.

Finally, Baritan gazed into Aranius’s eyes and asked, “Duke Aranius, what happened?”

“I… I went to find someone named Sabikang.”

“Sabikang? Isn’t he a rather strong human?”

“Yes…”

“Why did you seek him out?”

“I heard… he had Vertas.”

Baritan feigned surprise. “Vertas? You mean His Majesty’s sword, Vertas?”

Aranius felt a bitter irony. Wasn’t it Baritan who had informed him of this? Yet here he was, acting oblivious. Despite his true thoughts, Aranius spoke differently. His consciousness was split—one part dominated by Baritan, the other connected to his true self.

If he had been his usual self, he would never have fallen for such a ridiculous ploy.

Most nobles possess a natural resistance to the malevolent spirits of jealousy and temptation.

But right now, he was utterly drained of magic.

On top of that, he had no strength left.

Thus, he had no means to resist Baritan’s mental assault.

In the end, he found himself muttering words that betrayed his true thoughts.

“Viscount Ailid claimed to have met a man named Sabigang and saw a sword that seemed to be Vertas. I sent my trusted aide, Javelin, to verify it.”

“And was it truly Vertas?”

“Since things have come to this, I might as well confess everything. Yes, he had Vertas.”

“Then why didn’t you inform His Majesty and instead went there with your men? Could it be… treason?”

Clang!

In an instant, ten knights drew their swords and aimed them at Aranius.

Aranius scanned them with a sharp gaze and shouted words he didn’t mean.

“That’s right! If I had Vertas, I could gain absolute power, so I didn’t inform His Majesty! Haven’t you also committed treason before? Now that you know everything, kill me here. I figured if I failed to retrieve Vertas, my betrayal would be exposed anyway! You’ve always been watching me! Now, there’s no hope for survival. I’d rather die gloriously than rot in eternal imprisonment like you!”

‘Damn it! This isn’t what I mean!’

Aranius screamed internally, but he had no way to express his true feelings.

‘Sabigang is a regressor, you fools! You must inform His Majesty…’

But Baritan spoke with a cold expression.

Of course, no one noticed the sly smile that briefly crossed his lips—except for Aranius.

“I never imagined the Duke would commit treason. I’ve repented for my past mistakes and am trying to start anew. Perhaps you should also take the opportunity to atone…”

“Silence! Kill me! If given the chance, I’d try again ten, a hundred times! If only I had Vertas…! Vertas…!”

He was like a demon consumed by madness.

The knights surrounding him revealed their murderous intent.

“Hmph! I’ll end this myself!”

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Aranius mustered all his remaining strength and lunged at Jonya.

In the next moment, he drew a sword from Jonya’s waist and plunged it into his own heart.

“Gah…!”

Aranius couldn’t believe what he had done.

To end things like this…!

He looked at Baritan, who feigned surprise.

‘I never trusted you from the start…’

As his consciousness faded, he heard Baritan’s voice whispering hurriedly.

“We’ve always been thorns in each other’s sides. Farewell, Duke Aranius.”

No one noticed the mark on Aranius’s back gradually fading away.

**

Muran’s eyes, which had rolled back, returned to normal.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

“So, it ended like that. Internal strife among the demons… I must inform Sabigang’s overseer.”

A special mark was etched on his forehead, identical to the one Sabigang had inscribed on Aranius’s back.