Chapter 504
[We are noble.]
Amon declared it—speaking as if stating an unshakable truth, a value that could never be overturned.
[We alone are eternal in this world. Unfaltering, unshaken, the only solitary existence that remains. Even those who call themselves Transcendents will eventually fade compared to us.]
Amon’s eyes wavered with emotion.
Pride and arrogance.
[And we existed far before your kind ever did. You must, by all rights, show respect to us—]
“Shut up.”
Taesan cut him off. He was tired of listening. He had no desire to fill his ears with pointless, meaningless garbage.
Taesan understood the psychology of demons.
They had existed since before the creation of this world. They were indeed the only immutable beings left now that the Old Gods had been banished.
And they were completely intoxicated by that fact.
They clung to that one thing alone to declare themselves noble and great.
It was laughable. Because if you put it differently, it meant their only worth came from the way they were born.
They were a race that had existed since before the beginning of the universe. Living for such a long time should have afforded them intelligence, character, and insight befitting their age.
But their values and minds were pathetic.
No different from ordinary humans. Taesan opened his mouth.
“You were born strong, weren’t you?”
[Of course. That is the difference between us and you frail creatures of the universe, who must build your strength from nothing. We were perfect from birth.]
Amon boasted proudly. Taesan shook his head.
‘So that’s why.’
Those unworthy of power possessed it from the start. It explained why their mentality was no different from children.
‘Are the Old Gods like this too? If so, that’s disappointing.’
Taesan glanced at Baal.
Baal still watched, with no intention of intervening.
‘…What are you trying to accomplish.’
But if Baal wasn’t going to interfere, Taesan would act however he wished.
Amon grew irritated as Taesan continued to show no reaction.
[What are you doing? Show proper resp—]
“Be quiet.”
[What?]
“You’re loud. So shut up.”
Taesan spoke lazily.
Amon’s face twisted.
[You insolent…!]
“You’re not even doing this because of courtesy. Stop using stupid excuses—just get to the point. There’s a real reason you don’t like me, isn’t there?”
The demons stirred. Mockery and contempt slowly shifted into hostility.
Amon’s face contorted.
[…How dare you. You stained our purity. And now you speak to us like that?]
“So that’s the reason.”
Taesan had stolen Belial’s domain and made it his own.
To beings who took extreme pride in being demons—pride in their unchanging existence—this must have felt like a desecration of the sacred.
[I was willing to overlook things depending on your attitude, but now that’s impossible. Bow your head. Speak each of our names from your mouth and apologize sincerely.]
“And if I don’t?”
[Then we cannot simply stand by. A lowly thing must be punished.]
The demons began to move. Their pressure crept toward Taesan.
Hostility and killing intent stretched the air tight.
“I don’t understand.”
Taesan murmured. Power seeped out from his body.
That leaking power alone shattered and crushed the approaching demonic force.
Taesan was stronger than the demons. By a great margin. They knew it too.
But they didn’t retreat. Rather, they approached with mocking smiles.
[True, you are stronger than us. But we do not fall. We are immutable. You cannot kill us.]
They weren’t wrong. Old Gods and demons could not be killed by beings of this world. That was why even Transcendents only managed to banish the Old Gods.
But Taesan was different.
He could kill them.
Those connected through Lemegeton knew this fact. But the demons’ ignorance meant only one thing:
Baal or the Demon God had sealed that information.
Taesan looked at Baal again. Baal still watched with the same, indecipherable smile.
[It seems things are heating up.]
Baal finally spoke. The demons flinched. Amon too.
But he quickly composed himself and spoke proudly to Baal.
[This is a matter between us demons. Normally we couldn’t intervene directly with a mortal creature, but he holds the seat of a demon. Even you cannot interfere with what is ours. That was the contract.]
[Indeed. I cannot meddle in matters among you. Nor can I directly harm any of you. A very troublesome contract.]
Baal smiled.
[So I will make a proposal.]
[A proposal…?]
[If you fight like this, it will take far too long. You cannot die, and Taesan is far stronger than you. You cannot overpower him.]
From these words, Taesan understood clearly:
Baal knew he could kill demons—but Baal deliberately hid that fact from them.
[So why not settle this under a condition? A duel.]
[A duel is…] Amon’s voice grew uncertain.
He knew he couldn’t win alone.
But then Baal added something far too tempting.
[The duel’s participants will be… yes. Taesan alone, against all of you together. Thirty-eight of you. You’ve lived long enough.]
“One against many?”
[Correct. It shouldn’t matter to you, should it? Conditions: the loser must declare defeat. All of you must declare your loss. The reward: those who lose must obey one command from the victor—no matter what it is.]
Amon and the other demons calculated quickly.
And came to a decision. Amon smirked.
[Very well. We accept.]
Taesan was strong.
But they were not weak either. If all of them attacked with full force, they believed they could overpower him. Amon had no doubt.
And more importantly, the victory condition was simply making the opponent declare defeat.
It was absurd. They were immutable. They couldn’t die or lose strength, so there was no reason to yield. Victory was practically guaranteed—if not immediate, then eventually.
‘Baal must not like that human either.’
Amon assumed Baal wanted to use them to put Taesan in his place.
[What about you, human? Don’t tell me you’ll back down now.]
Amon mocked Taesan.
But Taesan wasn’t looking at Amon.
His eyes were fixed on Baal.
Baal smiled quietly. After a moment, Taesan nodded.
“Very well. I accept.”
Baal laughed joyfully and raised his hand.
[Good.]
Boom!
The building vanished, swept away instantly, and they all appeared on a massive plain.
[I’ll give you a bit of preparation time. After that, we begin. Prepare yourselves.]
—
[You will regret this. You lowly thing who dared to steal what is ours.]
Amon sneered and walked away.
More than thirty demons gathered together, discussing among themselves.
Taesan quietly observed them.
[You have seen the demons.]
Beside him, Baal spoke calmly.
[How do you feel?]
“Disappointing.”
Taesan answered immediately.
The demons were beneath his expectations. Their minds were like those of children.
[Demons and Old Gods are immutable. But demons are far inferior to Old Gods. They are immutable in every aspect—their flesh, their power, even their minds.]
Baal’s voice carried disgust and contempt.
[They are foolish, childish beings who wield the power to destroy worlds. Once, trillions died simply to amuse them.]
“You seem to despise them.”
Baal was a Great Demon, the ruler of demons.
But his voice and eyes held more hatred for demons than for anything else.
“What do you want?”
Baal must have known demons would rebel if Taesan attended their gathering. Yet he let it happen. This meant he wanted a clash between Taesan and the demons.
[When we first met, you asked me what we were. Do you remember my answer?]
“Yes.”
Taesan had asked about the meaning of demons.
Baal replied: our original sin.
He said demons were beings who denied the flow of the eras, and that was why he did not stop Belial’s destruction.
[Until now, it was manageable. The contract prevented us from interfering too much with the world, so we let things be. But… we can’t allow that anymore.]
“Why?”
[Because the things we sealed away have begun to move.]
There was only one thing they had sealed.
The Old Gods.
[I don’t know why they’re already stirring… but before that, we need to clean up the defective ones.]
Baal spoke softly.
Across the field, the demons’ power began to settle. Ready for battle, they stared at Taesan with confidence.
[In the end, it’s your choice. Act as you wish.]
Baal clapped his hands. The sound echoed across the entire domain.
[In the name of Baal, I declare: the duel begins. Until defeat is declared, the duel will not end. The loser must obey the victor’s command—absolutely and unconditionally. Do you accept?]
All demons shouted their agreement.
Taesan nodded as well.
[Good.]
Their declarations were bound into a contract by Baal’s power. Baal smiled, as if he had been waiting.
[Then begin. Now—kill or be killed.]
[Ha ha!]
Boom!
The first to charge was Amon.
With a twisted grin, he rushed toward Taesan.
[Lowly human! I will show you my true power!]
Crackle—
Space split open. From the black rift emerged a colossal obsidian spike.
It was enormous—like a mountain range.
‘Amon’s Jet-Black Spike.’
Taesan also wielded this black magic.
But the power was entirely different now. That spike held enough force to shatter continents.
[This is the power of us demons, wretch!]
Amon shouted triumphantly.
Despite bringing out such force, not even a sliver of his power was consumed.
Demons were immutable. Eternal. Their power never diminished. Amon hurled the massive spike at Taesan and charged again, forming another spike.
Rumble—
He tore through space. The other demons prepared to attack wherever Taesan might dodge.
But Taesan didn’t dodge.
When the spike was right before him, he slowly raised his hand. His fingertips turned ashen.
Compared to the giant spike, it was the size of a toothpick.
The ash touched the spike.
Boom!
The spike crumbled.
Like a collapsing cliff, the spike shattered completely. Its fragments swept past Taesan harmlessly. The demons, ready to strike, hesitated.
Taesan stood completely unscathed, not even budging.
[…Impos—]
Amon realized something was wrong.
But by then, he was already within Taesan’s reach. Taesan’s body moved. One moment Amon thought Taesan disappeared—
—and in the next, the ash pierced his chest.
“Die.”
Taesan spoke calmly.
Something within him rose up and devoured Amon.