Episode 608: Return of the Demon Lord
Crackle…! Sizzle!
“Ugh…!”
Neung Un-pa swallowed a groan, glaring at the Demon Lord with disbelief.
It was as if he were bound by invisible chains, suspended in mid-air, unable to move an inch.
‘How can this be…! Caught in the chains of thought!’
Indeed, the Demon Lord hadn’t lifted a finger. He merely glanced back with cold, indifferent eyes.
All Neung Un-pa had to do was thrust his magic sword into the Demon Lord’s unguarded neck, and it would be over.
Yet…!
Just meeting the Demon Lord’s gaze left him utterly paralyzed, unable to even twitch a finger.
‘How… is this possible…!’
Like a mouse caught in the stare of a cat, he couldn’t even think of escaping. He was frozen in place, overwhelmed by fear, unable to move.
“Enough of this. Your role ends here.”
“Who… who do you think you are… ugh!”
“How insolent.”
“Ugh!”
Neung Un-pa writhed in agony as if an invisible chain were wrapped around his neck.
Finally, the Demon Lord waved his hand, as if swatting away a bothersome fly.
That was all it took.
With that single gesture, Neung Un-pa was sent flying, as if he were nothing.
Boom!
“Aaargh!”
Rolling down the hill, Neung Un-pa finally broke free from the chains of thought and sprang to his feet.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!”
He shouted in frustration, spreading his hands wide.
Crackle! Sizzle!
A dark magic sword formed in his hands.
As he leaped back up the hill…
Whoosh!
A translucent barrier suddenly formed, bouncing him back.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Neung Un-pa tried to break through again, but the barrier remained unyielding.
“Damn it!”
He swung his magic sword wildly.
Crackle! Sizzle!
The clash of sword and barrier echoed with the sound of crackling lightning.
It was as if the barrier was protecting the Demon Lord and Sabikang from any outside threat.
Just then…
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Seven demons appeared around Neung Un-pa.
“Do not disturb His Majesty.”
The seven demons spoke in unison, drawing their swords.
They were the elite guards, the closest protectors of the Demon Lord.
Neung Un-pa gritted his teeth, turning to face them.
“You dare… to stand in my way!”
He shouted, launching himself at them with lightning speed.
But the guards were among the most skilled warriors of the demon race.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of clashing metal filled the air as the guards executed their well-practiced techniques.
Swish!
Clang!
“Ugh!”
The unexpected strength of their attack forced Neung Un-pa to bite his lip and retreat.
But there was no respite for him.
The well-trained guards pressed their attack relentlessly.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Clang! Clang!
The fierce battle between Neung Un-pa and the seven guards continued, sparks flying and figures darting about.
At one point, Neung Un-pa drew a circle on the ground with his magic sword.
Boom!
As debris flew into the air, Neung Un-pa spread his hands wide.
Whoosh!
Each piece of debris was infused with magic.
It was the same technique he had used to attack Sabikang before, but this time using the stones from the ground.
“Die!”
Whoosh!
The sharp stones, wrapped in magic, flew with deadly precision.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The guards swung their swords, deflecting the stones.
One of them failed to block a stone and was knocked back.
Seizing the opportunity, Neung Un-pa charged at one of the guards.
“Don’t underestimate me!”
He shouted, executing a technique he had favored as a human.
It was a deadly sword move known as the One-Strike Blood Sword, designed to pierce the enemy’s vital point in a single blow.
Finally, his magic sword slashed through the guard’s abdomen.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
The guard gritted his teeth, groaning in pain.
But then…
“What!”
Neung Un-pa was startled as the guard, despite the wound, wrapped his arms around Neung Un-pa’s.
‘Damn it!’
Neung Un-pa kicked the guard, but he didn’t budge.
Meanwhile…
“You scoundrel!”
With a booming shout, another guard swung his sword from behind.
Slash!
A chilling sound of flesh being cut, and a burning sensation on his back.
“Aaaargh!”
Neung Un-pa gritted his teeth, unleashing magic from his entire body.
In an instant, dark magic tendrils wrapped around the guard holding his arm.
Then…
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The guard’s body was torn apart by the magic tendrils, becoming unrecognizable.
Immediately after, a sword descended toward Neung Un-pa’s head.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Neung Un-pa shouted, spinning like a top.
Whirl!
“Aaaargh!”
“Ugh!”
The guards were flung away, and Neung Un-pa charged at the one who had slashed his back.
“Don’t mess with me!”
He shouted, unleashing the power of the demon god of possession and obsession.
Sticky magic tendrils shot out like a net.
“Eek!”
The guard tried to cut through the tendrils, but they were too sticky to be easily severed.
Neung Un-pa rushed in, thrusting his magic sword.
Crackle!
The magic sword, like lightning, aimed for the heart.
Thud!
A warm sensation in his side!
“Ugh!”
Neung Un-pa staggered back, groaning.
Another guard had appeared, stabbing his side.
“You damn…!”
Neung Un-pa gritted his teeth, glaring at his enemies.
The six remaining guards closed in, murderous intent in their eyes.
Neung Un-pa spun around, wary of his surroundings.
Even with the power of the demon god, facing the seven elite guards of the Demon Lord was too much.
And he was injured.
‘How do I deal with them…?’
In a flash…
Whoosh!
The six guards attacked in unison.
Neung Un-pa spun rapidly, executing the Whirlwind Explosive Sword technique.
His magic sword clashed with the guards’ swords, creating a massive explosion.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Though he couldn’t inflict fatal wounds due to his injuries, he managed to create some distance.
Taking advantage of the gap, Neung Un-pa leaped into the air.
Whoosh!
His body turned dark, wings sprouting from his back.
As he soared through the sky, a fireball struck one of his wings, sending him plummeting.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
The guards were relentless.
They pursued him with blink-like speed.
Finally, with his back against a cliff, Neung Un-pa held his magic sword, panting heavily.
“You damn pests! Fine, I’ll crush you all. Come on!”
The guards approached with expressionless faces.
But then…
Rumble…!
The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck, and rocks crumbled from the cliff.
The guards exchanged glances.
In a blink, they vanished.
Watching his enemies disappear, Neung Un-pa felt his tension release, his strength draining away.
‘Why did they… leave?’
Feeling something was off, Neung Un-pa turned his head.
“What… is that?”
He squinted, peering into the gorge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Aaaargh!”
“Save meee!”
“Nooo!”
Hundreds, no, thousands of martial artists were fleeing in terror, screaming.
And behind them, a monstrous creature, too horrifying to believe, was crawling out.
It was a Great Demon Beast.
Its speed was incredible.
The martial artists, using their light-footed techniques, were crushed or absorbed by the beast in an instant.
The Great Demon Beast was unstoppable.
It smashed through the narrow gorge, advancing relentlessly.
And it wasn’t alone.
Two, three, four…
‘Damn it, where did those monsters come from…!’
As the martial artists drew near, they rushed past Neung Un-pa without a second glance.
In their terror, they didn’t even notice him.
Or perhaps they did, but chose to ignore him.
A greater terror loomed just behind, leaving him no choice.
Whoosh!
At last, the ghostly white tendrils shot toward Neung Un-pa.
“You insolent little creature!”
Neung Un-pa bellowed, swinging his magic sword to fend off the incoming tendrils.
Thud!
But the magic sword failed to sever them. Instead, the tendrils clung to the blade.
Crackle!
In an instant, the magic sword disintegrated.
Grinding his teeth, Neung Un-pa spread his wings wide and took to the air.
“Whether it’s this one or that one, they all underestimate me!”
With a fierce shout, he unleashed his aura.
Swoosh!
Dozens of sticky tendrils flew toward the airborne Neung Un-pa once more. At the same time, a stream of sticky black aura extended from his entire body.
As the tendrils and aura intertwined—
Slash!
Astonishingly, the aura, now shaped like a scythe, sliced the demon’s tendrils into pieces. The god of possession and obsession’s power proved stronger.
For the first time, the demon roared in fury as its tendrils were severed. Countless faces on its hide screamed in unison.
“Ugh!”
Neung Un-pa quickly gathered his strength to hold on.
In a flash,
Whoosh!
“Ha!”
Another tendril shot toward Neung Un-pa, its end morphing into a human face. As its mouth stretched wide, ready to swallow him whole—
“Not a chance!”
Neung Un-pa shouted, thrusting his palms forward. Once again, the sticky black aura, empowered by the god’s might, surged forth.
Boom!
The black aura enveloped the tendril and exploded, sending Neung Un-pa hurtling backward.
He landed like a comet, slamming his feet into the ground with a resounding crash.
Boom!
A crater formed around him from the impact.
“Huff, huff, huff…!”
Clutching the wound in his side, Neung Un-pa panted heavily, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
“Damn it! This is a mess!”
He had planned to kill the demon king with Sabi-gang. But now, they were separated, each battling monsters on their own. How had things gone so wrong?
Tap, tap, tap.
He quickly applied pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding. Once the flow of blood ceased, he took a deep breath.
In the distance, Sabi-gang and the demon king were still locked in combat. Flashes of light, blood-red mist, and bursts of white and blue energy filled the air. It was no longer a realm for humans.
Neung Un-pa gritted his teeth.
‘How did it come to this…!’
Clenching his fists, he surveyed his surroundings. Monsters had appeared, prowling around him, closing in.