Chapter 444
“Didn’t expect there to be anyone stronger than the Namgung Clan in this region… Who are you people?”
Beauregard grinned from ear to ear.
His expression was as if he was having the time of his life.
Most Heavenly Demons experienced a personality shift after going through their second life cycle.
Among them, this guy had changed the most.
There wasn’t even a trace of the weight or solemnity expected of a Heavenly Demon.
“Seems like the blacksmithing work has been tough on you. A Heavenly Demon, laughing so lightly like that?”
“Puhaha! Man, it’s been ages. Can’t even remember the last time someone talked to me like that.”
Beauregard’s smile deepened even further.
Then, as if something had come to mind, he let out a small exclamation.
“Oh, right! That damn cat said there would be other meddlers besides the Murim people. So that must be you guys.”
A cat…?
That meant the intermediate administrator, Eli.
It was clear that she had played a role in guiding the Heavenly Demons this time.
The system had imposed penalties to balance out the interference from multiple residents.
And among those penalties was a leak of information.
‘Of all the penalties, we got the most annoying one. It would’ve been better if it just boosted our stats instead.’
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue internally.
At the same time—
The spear formed from Glacial Sculpting shot forward.
It was both a greeting and a test of the opponent’s reaction speed and response.
Kwaang!
“Whoa…!”
Beauregard hurriedly deflected the spear with his bare hands.
But Jinhyuk had already expected his first move to be blocked. Without missing a beat, he launched a second attack.
A mass of mana formed from Primordial Flame and Blood Demon Energy.
In the blink of an eye, it was compressed three times.
The searing black flames, hotter than Hellfire, instantly heated the surrounding air.
This wouldn’t be something that could be swatted away barehanded.
“Blade No. 88, Requiros.”
Beauregard drew a two-handed sword.
The entire blade was red and black, and its sheer weight exceeded 100 geun.
Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
Kwaaak! Kwaaak! Kwaang!
Fiery sparks erupted in all directions.
It was impressive how he wielded such a heavy sword like a pinwheel.
But what was even more surprising was his ability to summon weapons in response to the situation.
After discarding Requiros, Beauregard drew two daggers.
Blade No. 52, “Changgri”
Blade No. 59, “Morette”
Both swords, imbued with electric and acceleration attributes, crossed in both hands.
…Fast.
Jinhyuk twisted his trajectory using Crimson Lotus and Barnard.
Kagagak!
Their bodies spun like windmills.
Jinhyuk lowered his center of gravity and aimed for his opponent’s ankles.
Beauregard, lightly leaping into the air, swung his blade toward Jinhyuk’s neck.
Papapapat!
Their exchange was so fast that even following it with the eyes was difficult.
The number of intersecting sword strikes was uncountable, yet not a single effective hit landed on either side.
“Hahaha! You’re blocking all of this? Even the 50-series blades were strong enough to cleave Imperial Sword Masters in half… Hup!?”
In the middle of his boast, Beauregard jerked his head sharply to the side.
Sseugeok!
A dagger brushed past his cheek, halting midair.
A crimson trail of blood trickled down his face.
Phantom Sword Control
A level of swordsmanship said to be at the pinnacle of mastery.
“You still don’t seem to understand who the real hunter is here… You’re struggling just to fight me alone.”
At that moment—
The carriage came to a halt.
“Even if you’re a Heavenly Demon, do you really think you can look down on one of the Four Divine Beasts?”
Hovering in the sky was Malang Black Crane.
“I won’t lose when it comes to the sword.”
“Do you dare hold back in front of me?”
Just like Chun Yoosung, who was amplifying his Sword Aura, Alice had also unlocked her unique ability.
“Moogiiiii!”
Even the Ancient Species, Goguma, along with the Spirit Beasts, had taken their positions.
While Jinhyuk had been buying time, they had completely encircled their opponent.
“…….”
Only then did Beamount’s expression shift entirely.
His instincts told him—
This was nothing like when he had crushed the Namgung Clan.
“I’ll take the front. I want to see just how great a Heavenly Demon blacksmith really is.”
[Chun Yoosung activates Song of the Sword!]
The techniques of the Soul-Chasing Sword flowed seamlessly, each one razor-sharp.
And backing them up was countless real combat experiences, including duels with Jinhyuk himself.
“Kh…!”
Beauregard gritted his teeth.
Even if he couldn’t match Jinhyuk in a direct fight, the interruptions of this sword were proving more than irritating.
[Alice activates Blood Rain!]
The main assault was coming from her.
Harpoons rained down from above like a torrential downpour.
This was far trickier to deal with than the Soul-Chasing Sword from earlier.
It wasn’t just the sheer power—
The sheer number of projectiles was absurd.
“Blade No. 9… Mystalin.” (T/N: Lol, it feels like they are battling against Grid from Overgeared.)
In the end, Beauregard summoned the blade that had solidified his place as the greatest blacksmith.
A weapon ranked below 10.
A violet sword, resembling tree branches, emerged from a crack in space.
Creeeak!
His teeth clenched audibly.
“To think I’d have to get serious against mere insects.”
His pride was clearly wounded, and his face flushed with anger.
The once-glorious armor he wore was now riddled with cracks, losing its former luster.
“From here on out, things will be very different.”
[Beauregard activates the Unique Ability Heavenly Demon Divine Art!]
[Second Unique Ability Indomitable Artisan activates!]
Indomitable Artisan didn’t just enhance weapon crafting—
It brought out the full potential of every weapon wielded.
Additionally, its mastery allowed for simultaneous use of multiple weapons.
‘If this is Beauregard from the time he consumed the Empire… he should be able to wield at least ten weapons at once.’
Blade No. 13. Spear No. 16. Shield No. 30…
Weapons appeared in rapid succession.
With the power of a Heavenly Demon and the strongest Holy Relics at his disposal—
Boom!
In an instant, Beauregard closed the gap toward Chun Yoosung.
“Where do you think you’re going…!”
Alice attempted a support strike, but—
Her attack was intercepted by Mystalin’s anti-air defense ability.
“Instant Counter”
The ability to immediately return an opponent’s attack upon activation shone the brightest when faced with overwhelming force.
“Kang Jinhyuk!”
“I know!”
If the opponent had drawn a single-digit numbered weapon, ordinary holy relics wouldn’t be enough to face it.
Jinhyuk discarded the two daggers he had been holding.
The space left by Crimson Lotus and Barnard.
Wuuung!
From subspace, a new weapon emerged.
The mythical demon sword once wielded by Siegfried—
The Dragon Slayer, Balmung.
From top to bottom.
Then from right to left.
Kwaaaang!
Two holy relics clashed.
—
“Graaaah! Uaaagh! Damn it! Damn it all!”
“…Cough! Haa…”
As the storm passed, their fates were decided.
Beauregard, with his right arm shattered, let out a scream of agony.
In contrast, Jinhyuk, though injured, had sustained far less damage.
By precisely targeting the concentration point of Mystalin’s mana, he had managed to disrupt its activation.
Had he failed to strike before the mana fully charged, he would have been the one overwhelmed.
“How… do you know my sword’s ability?”
“You naturally learn these things after enough fights. I’ve even faced weapons with similar abilities before.”
“Unbelievable… Are you telling me that a mere whelp has already fought in so many battles?”
“Believe what you want. But that’s not really important right now, is it?”
With one arm crippled, the battle was effectively over.
‘Good thing I ended it before all his swords could be fully unleashed.’
If they had, the damage would have been far worse.
Step.
Jinhyuk walked forward.
‘First, I’ll completely subdue him and extract as much information as I can.’
There were weapons that could only be used while Beauregard was alive.
Killing him outright would mean losing out on valuable assets.
Especially when considering what comes after Produce Heavenly Demon 101.
Just as Jinhyuk was about to activate Glacial Sculpting and Ancient Barrier to restrain Beauregard—
Suddenly—
Bwoong…!
A sharp sound of something cutting through the wind.
An arrow flew toward them.
Chun Yoosung, standing slightly to the side, instinctively swung his sword.
He had read the trajectory and intended to deflect it immediately.
However—
“…What?”
Just before making contact, the arrow twisted in midair.
Like a living snake, it slithered past Chun Yoosung’s sword and buried itself into his thigh.
“Kugh!”
Chun Yoosung’s face twisted in pain.
This was no ordinary arrow.
From the moment it touched his flesh, the wound began to stiffen.
“Poison…?”
“No. It’s a curse.”
Jinhyuk turned to face the direction the arrow came from.
Through Thousand Threads of Heaven, he locked onto the archer’s position.
A tall, blond man in light armor and a white cloak came into view.
One of the heroes of Greece—Paris.
‘How the hell did that guy end up here?’
And it wasn’t just Paris.
There were other presences as well.
High-ranking demons.
And not just any demons—purebloods.
“This is our first meeting, isn’t it? Kang Jinhyuk… that is your name, correct? My name is—”
“You don’t have to say it. You’re Paris.”
“Oh? You know me?”
“There’s only one pretty boy who steals other men’s women and relies on sneak attacks instead of fighting head-on.”
“Hoho. They say you have a talent for getting under people’s skin. Seems like that rumor is true. I already want to put an arrow between your eyes.”
“Yeah? Then stop talking and step up.”
Jinhyuk beckoned with his finger.
“…As much as I’d love to, not today. We’re just here to take this guy with us.”
As expected—Beauregard was their target.
“Sorry, but that’s not happening.”
“How unfortunate. I was hoping we could resolve this peacefully.”
“Don’t worry. Once I wipe you all out, there will be plenty of peace.”
“Kuhaha! Are you sure about that? While we’re standing here, your allies are getting slaughtered.”
Paris’ mocking words made Jinhyuk freeze in place.
“What… are you talking about?”
“Kang Jinhyuk, you’ve severely underestimated Demon King Guntafer. That man has already foreseen far beyond what you could imagine.”
Tap. Tap.
Paris lightly tapped the ground.
[Hermes’ Mirror is now open.]
A massive gate appeared in the trees above.
Through it—
Jinhyuk saw the Heavenly Demons, the Dark Emperor, and the elite forces of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
These were the ones who had left to eliminate the third-generation conglomerate hiding within the Tang and Mount Emei factions…
…And now, their bodies were in a horrific state beyond words.
“You…”
Jinhyuk’s lips trembled slightly.
From the moment Paris appeared, he had an uneasy feeling.
And now—
The worst-case scenario had just unfolded.