Chapter 190
[Rules of the Temple of Carthenon]
First: Worship the God.
Second: Praise the God.
Third: Prove your faith.
Those who do not follow these rules shall never return alive!
Ding!
[‘Itarim’s Blessing: Temple of Carthenon Rules’ has been activated.]
“……!”
The atmosphere within the sanctuary shifted abruptly.
[Young Lord! This energy is Itarim’s…!]
[It’s a trap! This whole place is…!]
Even before Beru and Esil’s urgent voices could finish—
“Praise Itarim!”
Uuuuuuuu—
As Kim Cheol’s booming voice rang out, all the Outer Faith followers in the sanctuary burst into a grotesque chorus.
[This place… it’s meant to offer non-believers as sacrifices!]
“Worship and revere!”
“Prove our devotion!”
Ding! Ding! Ding!
System messages rapidly filled Suho’s vision.
[Itarim’s blessing is suppressing the mana of the nonbeliever.]
Huff!
An unknown force clamped down on Suho’s magic.
[Itarim’s blessing allows magic usage to those who have proven their faith.]
[Itarim’s blessing grants divine power to those who have proven their faith.]
“Kill Vulcan!”
Ahhhhhh—!
At Kim Cheol’s command, all the Outer Faith zealots bared their teeth in crazed smiles and launched a full-force assault on Suho.
KWA-KWA-KWANG!
“Kuhaha! A demon noble walking into our temple of his own will!”
“No matter how noble, once their magic is sealed, they’re nothing but a sacrifice—!”
At that moment—
CRACK!
……?!
Suho’s fist collided with the jaw of the zealot who charged in front, snapping his face sideways—
KWAAM—!
And his body was launched backward, smashing into the wall far faster than he’d been running.
“……!”
The eyes of Kim Cheol and all the zealots widened at once.
[Endurance Lv.7]
Standing there, Suho grinned with bared teeth.
Completely unscathed.
“Well, I’ve confirmed Grandpa’s not among them, so…”
Crack.
Clenching his fists, Suho stepped forward.
His blazing eyes locked on each of the zealots who had attacked him.
“Now I’ll kill first… then ask questions!”
KWAANG!
Suho’s body blasted off the ground with explosive force.
Even with his magic sealed, some of his skills didn’t consume mana.
And the physical stats etched into his body and the Vulcan Horns he’d already equipped were unaffected!
[Effect: ‘Desire for Destruction’ – Increases physical damage by 300%.]
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
“Kkgh!”
Zealots flew like autumn leaves in a storm.
Once Suho began rampaging, nothing could stand in his way.
Kim Cheol stepped in personally.
“Kuhaha! Quite the struggle! A fine, fresh sacrifice, just like a demon noble should be!”
Flaaash!
From the Star Fragment embedded in his forehead, streams of blue energy surged as he swung a massive shield toward Suho.
WHOOOOOM—CRASH!
Fist and shield clashed with a deafening roar.
Shockwaves blasted out in all directions.
Their eyes locked mid-air.
‘He’s way above the A-rank I remember!’
‘So this is the power of a demon noble!’
But it didn’t last.
‘Crush him!’
Suho’s relentless barrage resumed—like a scattershot from a shotgun.
DUDUDUDUDUDUDUDU!
“Grh…!”
Kim Cheol gritted his teeth and withstood it, countering with his sword in the other hand.
Suho immediately gripped the Vulcan Horns on his head and swung them forward.
KWAHHHHH—!
The horns transformed into twin blades as they ripped through the air.
‘Ruler’s Authority!’
A skill that required no mana—Ruler’s Authority.
The Vulcan Horns launched from Suho’s grip.
CHACHACHACHACHA!
“You, you bastard!”
Kim Cheol recoiled in panic, barely dodging—
Only for the zealots behind him to be shredded in his place.
“GAHHK!”
They screamed, vomiting blood as they died on the spot.
And then—
FLASH!
The Star Fragments embedded in the dead zealots’ foreheads lit up with blue light.
Energy streamed from them, coiling around their corpses and—
FOOOM!
Suddenly, blue flames ignited around their bodies.
And in the next instant—
Their corpses rose like puppets, possessed by the ghostly blue flame.
“Mistborne?”
No—similar, but not the same.
The dead zealots weren’t resurrected—they were being controlled by the Star Fragments.
“GRAAAAH!”
Possessed by the eerie blue energy, they launched themselves at Suho.
[Young Lord! You must target the Star Fragments themselves!]
[They’re the link between Itarim and these people!]
“They’re like priests… huh.”
Suho’s eyes sharpened.
“…Like me.”
At that moment—
[The King of Beasts, the Fang Monarch licks his lips.]
[The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch widens her eyes.]
[The King of Yetis, the Monarch of Frost is watching you.]
Though his magic was sealed, it didn’t affect the souls of Monarchs that wandered the afterlife.
Just as Itarim’s power reached the zealots through the Star Fragments from beyond the cosmos—
“Come out, Gray. Esil.”
FWOOSH—!
GRRRRRRRRR!
A massive silver-clad wolf exploded out from Suho’s shadow and slammed into the zealots.
SLASH!
Esil emerged from the Vulcan Horns and slashed through enemies with her spear.
“W-What the hell?!”
Kim Cheol’s voice trembled as Suho’s allies suddenly multiplied.
[Welcome back, Iron.]
“…?!”
Suddenly, a voice whispered behind Kim Cheol.
He flinched and spun around—
But there was no one there.
‘A ghost?!’
His face turned pale as he turned back, adjusting his stance.
But… why?
‘Welcome back?’
He wanted to go.
Wherever “there” was.
‘What the hell is this feeling?!’
Confused.
Completely confused!
His subconscious… had just felt happy to hear that ghostly voice!
“E-Everyone, snap out of it! There are only a few of them! For the glory of Itarim!”
Suppressing his own subconscious, Kim Cheol shouted as if to convince himself, directing his voice at the zealots.
“For Itarim!”
“For Itarim!”
The zealots cried out, drawing up every ounce of strength in their bodies.
“We welcome death!”
“Even in life, we serve Itarim!”
“In death, we become His apostles!”
“Kill Vulcan! With the blood of a demon noble, we can create a vast number of Star Fragments!”
Both the living zealots and those possessed by Star Fragments charged Suho together.
And despite the overwhelming numbers—
Suho grinned.
His lips curled up, and he spoke.
“Come forth.”
He couldn’t use mana. So what?
All of his shadow skills didn’t require mana to begin with.
[Skill: Domain of the Monarch is being activated.]
[Shadow soldiers fighting within the caster’s shadow have their stats increased by 50%.]
SHWWOOOOOSH—!
Suho’s shadow spread across the entire sanctuary.
And from within, his loyal shadow soldiers rose.
“Split up and destroy the Star Fragments!”
[Yes, Master!]
SHRRREEEEEEEE—!
Quay launched like a piercing spear faster than anyone, skewering the zealots.
CRACK! SHATTER!
“Gahhk?!”
When Quay’s spear struck the Star Fragments embedded in their foreheads, they shattered into fine blue dust.
With them, Itarim’s power that had controlled the zealots dissipated, and their bodies collapsed where they stood.
“W-What is this madness?!”
Kim Cheol, commander of the Outer Faith, shouted in panic.
“O Great Itarim! Save us! Deliver us—deliver…?”
But then—
‘…What is this feeling?’
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
The skill—Domain of the Monarch.
Ever since Suho’s shadow engulfed the sanctuary…
And the moment Kim Cheol stood upon that shadow—
He had been fighting the overwhelming urge to kneel before Suho and bow his head.
‘Why? WHY?! Has that demon noble brainwashed me somehow?!’
If so, it was truly a devilish tactic!
“GRAAAAH! You dare try to sway a servant of the god?! I will not fall for it!”
Kim Cheol roared and charged at Suho.
Focusing all his strength into one explosive thrust—
“Vulcan! Die!”
[Iron.]
“—Seriously, who keeps calling me?!”
He snapped again at the ghostly whisper behind him, spinning and lashing out—
And there was a ghost.
A black shadow.
An ant-like wraith beamed at him with a grotesque grin.
[Welcome back.]
CRACK!
“……!”
That was the last thing Kim Cheol ever saw.
Quay, who had pierced through the back of his skull and shattered the Star Fragment, tilted his head.
[Hmph. Why would someone this strong suddenly lose focus mid-fight? Sure, I’m fast, but still.]
Beru cackled as he stared down at Kim Cheol’s corpse.
[Iron must’ve missed the Domain of the Monarch dearly. Young Lord! Quickly, raise Iron to—!]
Suho was already standing before the corpse.
[Target eligible for Shadow Extraction.]
‘They said he was one of my father’s soldiers…’
Even before Suho reached him, Kim Cheol’s shadow rippled and writhed.
He hadn’t even extracted it yet—and it was already about to rise on its own.
“Alright. Rise.”
[Shadow Extraction successful.]
KRAHAHAHAHA—!
Even before Suho finished speaking, the shadow surged up violently.
[KRAHAHAHA! I have returned!]
[KYEEEKKK! Iron, you’ve finally come back!]
[KRAHAHAHA! I remember everything! It’s all come back!]
[KIAHAHAHAHA!]
Laughing alongside Beru like maniacs, Kim Cheol—now Iron—turned to Suho.
As a former shadow soldier of Sung Jinwoo, he instinctively recognized who Suho was to his former master.
[Young Lord. My new sovereign…]
Then it happened.
CHILL—!
“……!”
Suho’s heightened sense stat fired a dire warning.
Immediately, he snapped his gaze toward the source of the danger—
And saw it.
The massive statue, seated silently until now, had opened its eyes.
And those eyes… were staring straight at Suho.
[Danger—!]
Before Iron could even finish his urgent cry, Suho twisted his body on reflex.
And almost simultaneously—
Twin beams of blue light erupted from the statue’s eyes.
ZIIIIIIIIIN—!
They barely missed Suho and struck the ground, triggering a massive explosion.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWAAAAANG!
The beams swept across the sanctuary, completely vaporizing the bodies of the remaining zealots in their path.
“AAAAAGH!”
“UWAAAAH!”
All that remained in the beams’ wake was scorched wreckage.
The screams came not from the dead, but from the living who had just witnessed their gruesome end.
“Not a very merciful god, is he?”
Suho sneered as he glared ahead.
The statue—having just obliterated its own worshippers—was smiling brightly at Suho.
With a grin steeped in cruelty.
[To think I’d see the powers of the Shadow again in a place like this.]
A monstrous voice echoed from the statue’s mouth.
The emotion behind it—murderous intent toward Suho.
And hunger. As if it had spotted a delicious meal.
[How laughable. Gloating just because you slew a mere priest.]
The statue of Itarim mocked Suho.
[But I have countless other priests. Many far stronger than that one.]
With a knowing smirk, it turned its head.
At that moment—
RUMBLE—!
The section of the sanctuary wall destroyed by its beam revealed a hidden Gate beyond it, spilling blue mist like a tidal wave.
[Come forth, High Priest.]
FLASH!
A silhouette slowly emerged from the Gate.
[Gasp! This is bad!]
Iron’s memory suddenly snapped back, and he shouted to Suho in alarm.
[Grid! The High Priest of the Outer Faith is the S-rank villain Hwang Dongsoo!]
“……!”
Suho and Beru’s expressions froze.
Hwang Dongsoo?
Here?!
And as the High Priest of Itarim?!
Already an S-rank Awakener—and now powered by a Star Fragment? His strength would be overwhelming.
……Thud.
[KRAHAHAHA!]
As the statue cackled, Hwang Dongsoo finally appeared from within the Gate.
But—
“…?!”
He hadn’t walked out on his own.
He was being dragged.
By the hand.
By an old man with white hair, pulling him along like a child.
