Chapter 617: Return of the Demon Cult
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Sabi Kang spat out blood as he collapsed, arms and legs splayed out. He was utterly spent, unable to even twitch a finger. No, he could move if he really tried, but his spirit had already surrendered.
How to defeat the Demon King, Tarrant? There was never a way to begin with.
“I can’t win. It’s impossible.”
Despair finally took hold. Tarrant remained as composed as ever, his expression infuriating at first. Sabi Kang had thought he could exploit that arrogance, but now, that calm demeanor was terrifying.
He should never have returned. In the end, hadn’t he just doomed the martial world twice over? Not that he cared about the martial world; he hadn’t returned for some noble cause. He came back to avenge the years of suffering in the demon realm and to take revenge on the one who killed him.
But now…
“This isn’t revenge… it’s a second betrayal.”
What if he could return again? He had done it once; who was to say he couldn’t do it again? But what about those here? Even if he returned to the past, what would happen to Maesolran, the Celestial Extermination Squad, and the Newborns here?
No, it was impossible. The ancient magic of the demon realm allowed a being to return only once. It was hopeless.
“Damn it…!”
“Seems like your thoughts are in a tangle.”
Tarrant had approached unnoticed, looking down at Sabi Kang and pressing a foot into his abdomen.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Blood surged up again. His internal injuries were severe. Tarrant’s lips twisted into a cruel smile.
“Your eyes have changed. Have you finally realized your limits?”
“Why… why don’t you just kill me?”
Sabi Kang managed to ask, his voice strained. Tarrant leaned in, his smile icy.
“Why? The dark god loves nothing more than human emotions. When despair reaches its peak, when anger is at its zenith, that’s when evil seeps in and gains strength. I’m just waiting for your despair to reach its peak. That’s where my power lies.”
Just as a great demon is born from human emotions, a sacrifice is most potent when human negativity is at its peak. It’s like how a victim’s agony is more intense when tortured to death rather than killed swiftly. Tarrant was simply waiting for the perfect moment to offer his sacrifice.
And Sabi Kang was slowly succumbing to despair, just as Tarrant planned.
Tarrant grabbed Sabi Kang by the hair and lifted him, pointing him towards the barrier.
“Do you see them? Those fools rushing to save you. That one over there is carrying something that glows. It seems they’re trying to bring it to you.”
Through half-closed eyes, Sabi Kang saw the Celestial Extermination Squad, the Newborns, and Deungbu-hyung rushing across the lava. As Tarrant said, Deungbu-hyung was carrying something that shone.
Tarrant pulled Sabi Kang’s face close and whispered.
“Isn’t it laughable? How can humans be so foolish? How do they plan to cross this vast lava field with that? Even if they reach here, can they deliver it to you? I won’t just stand by and watch. So, what do you think? Do you feel a glimmer of hope? You must be a foolish human too, right? Surely, you do, Shubitz.”
Indeed, seeing the Celestial Extermination Squad, the Newborns, and Deungbu-hyung sparked an inexplicable hope in Sabi Kang. Whether it was a foolish reaction, as Tarrant suggested, he couldn’t tell.
And Tarrant saw right through it.
“That’s right. If you despair too soon, it won’t be as potent. Hold onto hope a little longer, then fall into utter despair. That will become my power.”
“Your arrogance… will one day be the blade that cuts you down.”
“Haha! You never disappoint me, Shubitz!”
Whoosh!
Tarrant hurled Sabi Kang towards the barrier.
Crash!
Sabi Kang hit the translucent barrier and fell to the ground, crumpled. Tarrant didn’t even glance at him as he approached the barrier.
He muttered to himself.
“Foolish sacrifices, strive harder. Let the dark god’s power be fulfilled!”
His lips curled into a wicked grin.
**
“Huff, huff, huff…!”
The Celestial Extermination Squad and the Newborns were gasping for breath, hands on their knees. They had run without rest, focused solely on protecting Deungbu-hyung. Finally, they reached the flowing lava.
But…
“It’s too far. Damn it!”
Bangak slumped to the ground. The lava flowed wide like a river. They had made it this far, but there was no way to cross the vast expanse of lava. Even with air-walking, they would fall before reaching the other side.
A mountain beyond a mountain…!
The last move to save Sabi Kang and the martial world was within reach, but there was no way to use it.
Deungbu-hyung stared blankly at the lava field. He had run without a moment to breathe, and his mind wasn’t working properly. No thoughts came to him, just a single mantra repeating in his head.
“I must get to Sabi Kang. I must get to Sabi Kang. To Sabi Kang…!”
As he took an unconscious step forward…
”…Hey!”
”…”
He turned his head, dazed.
Slap!
His cheek stung as if it had caught fire. Deungbu-hyung’s eyes widened as he turned to see Maeng Ga-sook, furious.
“Snap out of it!”
“What… what did you say?”
“What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Only then did Deungbu-hyung swallow hard and step back.
“When did I…!”
Lava flowed right at his feet. He had moved without realizing it. Perhaps the sulfur fumes had clouded his mind, making rational thought impossible. And the relentless wailing of the ghost blade…
The ghost blade was still itching to rush over there.
Maeng Ga-sook crouched in front of him, shouting.
“If you’re awake, get on my back!”
“What are you saying?”
Deungbu-hyung asked, bewildered. The Celestial Extermination Squad and the Newborns gathered around, shouting.
“Old man! What are you doing?”
“Quiet! I can carry you and use water-walking, even if air-walking is too hard. So get on!”
“Are you crazy?”
Deungbu-hyung shouted back. Seol Seorin interjected, angry.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed? How can you water-walk there?”
“Yeah, even if you water-walk, your feet have to touch the surface. Your feet will touch the lava!”
When Yoo Song-ryeong chimed in, Maeng Ga-sook snapped.
“Quiet! There’s no other way! And lava is denser than water. It should use less energy than water-walking. If I use cold energy to protect myself and water-walk…”
“No! You can’t!”
The one who interrupted was Deungbu-hyung. He had heard stories of people surviving after falling into flowing lava, carried along without dying. That person wasn’t a martial artist, and though they suffered burns, they survived.
According to the physicians of the time, it was because lava is denser than a person. But that was an incredibly lucky case. No matter how skilled Maeng Ga-sook was, he couldn’t carry Deungbu-hyung and water-walk across.
Maeng Ga-sook shouted back, undeterred.
“Even if I fall and die, if you can make it across…”
“Wait!”
The one who shouted, gasping for breath, was Neung So-so. All eyes turned to her.
Yeom Ja-ryang asked eagerly.
“So-so! Can you summon a spirit?”
“High-level ones are difficult now. I can manage a mid-level spirit…”
“Can we cross?”
“It’ll be close.”
Now all eyes were on Deungbu-hyung. Without hesitation, he approached Neung So-so.
“Help me! Get me across!”
“You’ll need to use your lightness skill to the fullest.”
“I will!”
“It might still not be enough.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get across.”
Neung So-so steadied her breathing, her eyes meeting Deungbu-hyung’s. Their gazes locked for a moment.
Neung So-so spoke.
“Alright. I’ll summon Silaphe. Use your lightness skill.”
“Understood!”
Deungbu-hyung nodded, looking over the wide lava field.
Roar…
Even from a distance, the heat felt like it would melt his face. He had to cross it.
He stepped back slowly, taking a deep breath.
And finally, when he opened his eyes!
“Haaah!”
With a shout, Deungbu-hyung launched himself, using his lightness skill to run. At the edge of the lava, he leaped with all his might.
Whoosh!
“Silaphe!”
At Neung So-so’s call…
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind pushed against Deungbu-hyung’s back, lifting him high into the air.
Whoosh!
Like air-walking, Deungbu-hyung soared for a long time. The Celestial Extermination Squad and the Newborns held their breath, watching the scene unfold.
“Maybe…!”
“We might just make it across!”
Everyone clung to that fragile thread of hope.
But it wasn’t long before Neungso-so could clearly see Silape struggling under the strain.
From the start, Silape didn’t have the power to carry people on the wind.
At best, he could only give a slight boost to Deungbu-hyung’s light-footed technique.
Meanwhile, Deungbu-hyung could feel the spirit’s power waning.
“It’s not enough…!”
At this rate, they had about twenty yards left.
Deungbu-hyung gritted his teeth.
“No matter what…!”
Whoosh!
Finally, Silape vanished, and Deungbu-hyung plummeted straight into the lava field.
Sizzle!
Smoke rose as the soles of his feet began to burn.
“Ugh!”
Clenching his teeth, Deungbu-hyung activated his water-walking technique.
“Haaaah!”
Crackle!
Sizzle!
Smoke billowed from his feet, and soon flames crept up, wrapping around his calves.
“Aaaahhh!”
With one last desperate leap, Deungbu-hyung barely managed to land on solid ground.
Quickly channeling cold energy to extinguish the flames, he staggered forward.
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
A strange energy pulsed from the barrier.
In response, the Ghost Blade began to wail.
“Finally… I’ve made it!”
Deungbu-hyung gripped the Ghost Blade tightly.
“Yaaahhh!”
A cry, almost a scream, erupted from his throat.