Chapter 458

Rumble…

Fragments of shattered debris scattered across the hall.

It was practically a declaration of war, but that didn’t matter.

Jinhyuk had plenty of candy to keep the angry barbarians satisfied.

“As expected, running that filthy snake tongue of yours.”

Excension glared at Jinhyuk, eyes filled with murderous intent.

“Hmm. So these are the ones from that Veteran Corporation or whatever?”

“Yeah. The blonde one is Teresa, a holy knight, and that guy striking a dramatic pose over there is Chun Yoosung. Among humans, they call him the Sword Saint.”

“Sword Saint? Hah! That’s just among those weaklings.”

“There are also some martial artists from Murim. If we’re allowed to fight, we can dispose of them immediately.”

The demons accompanying Excension each made their remarks.

“If you think you can…”

“Go ahead and try.”

Chun Yoosung and Teresa unsheathed their weapons.

Sching!

Clang!

Two swords—each radiating a different energy.

“Kuhaha! If you wish for battle, I shall not back down. Let’s see just how ‘great’ you demons truly are.”

“Oh my, I’ve never seen someone with horns on their head before.”

Even the Dark Emperor and Chuhon Sayoung prepared to move at any moment.

Yet, Excension paid no attention to any of them.

He hadn’t come here for a mere brawl. His goal was to win over the entire barbarian race.

“I am Excension, the Great Lord of the Vampi—”

“They’re the ones! Those heinous criminals have finally revealed themselves… Hrk!”

Jinhyuk dramatically cut him off, pointing his finger while shaking his shoulders as if sobbing.

“They…? What nonsense are you babbling? And why are you crying in that disgustingly fake tone?”

Excension frowned in confusion.

What the hell was this idiot doing now?

Before he could react—

“Strike down these honorless, muscle-less scum!”

Pudalak snatched up his battle axe from beside his throne.

“UOOOOH!”

“Follow the king!”

“Attacking us during our post-workout recovery?! These monsters have no humanity!”

“I will smash them into protein powder!”

The entire barbarian court erupted into a frenzy.

It was an unstoppable tidal wave of fury.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The very earth trembled beneath their charge.

The sheer mass of these warriors hurling themselves forward was terrifying.

“W-What the hell?!”

“Have they gone insane?!”

“This is…!”

The demons hastily raised their shields.

If even one of them died, this situation would become completely irreversible.

They had no choice but to defend rather than attack.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Axes and greatswords slammed against their barriers.

The force was incredible.

Even with shields up, it felt like they would be crushed alive.

“Pudalak! Stop! We are— Guhak!”

Excension, too, was taken aback.

How the hell had Jinhyuk turned these stubborn, pig-headed barbarians so thoroughly against them?

Even when offered mountains of treasure, territories from other floors, or piles of gold coins, the barbarians never budged.

And yet—

What the hell did this bastard do?

It made no sense.

Every time he crossed paths with this human, reality itself felt warped.

Clench!

Excension gritted his teeth hard enough to crack them.

“Sniff… Sob… U-Undine… our poor Undine… ohhh, woe is me…”

Meanwhile, Jinhyuk wiped away fake tears while smirking behind his sleeve.

“Pudalak! Stop! I hold the warrior’s oath!”

A sharp voice rang out.

“…!?”

Pudalak, leading the charge, froze.

A small stone emerged from Excension’s cloak—something all too familiar to the barbarian king.

“That…?”

“Yes! The Warrior’s Oath! You haven’t forgotten the promise of your ancestors, have you?”

The Warrior’s Oath was a sacred relic from a long-ago war on the 31st floor.

It had been gifted to the brave allies who had once fought alongside the barbarians.

The symbol of crossed axes and shields was etched into history to never be forgotten.

Upon seeing it, any true barbarian was bound by honor to uphold that ancient vow.

“I know what it is. That symbol is everywhere—on our flags, walls, and floors. Every barbarian is raised from birth to recognize its significance.”

Not even the king could ignore this tradition.

Pudalak’s expression darkened.

The deep wrinkles on his forehead became even more pronounced.

‘It worked.’

Excension’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

With this, there was no way Jinhyuk could overturn the situation.

Or so he thought.

“Hmm. But… is this even real?”

Jinhyuk stroked his chin as he stepped forward.

He was now wearing a massive monocle, a fake mustache, and a bow tie.

“What?! Of course, it’s real! Are you seriously questioning it?!”

“Well, the world is full of con artists these days. There are plenty of scammers who would exploit the kindness of noble barbarians.”

“T-That’s literally you!”

“Now, now. King Pudalak—just take a closer look.”

“Hmm? At what?”

“See here—the axe engraving on the stone. Doesn’t the blade look a bit dull?”

“Hmm… Dull, you say…? Does it?”

Pudalak tilted his head.

To him, all rocks looked the same.

“Look closely, closely. Shouldn’t the barbarian’s axe be sharper and stronger? And over here—look at the shield. Doesn’t the engraving look… worn out?”

“Now that you mention it… For something that represents our glorious might, it does seem a little lacking.”

“Bullshit! Rocks naturally erode over time! Are you seriously claiming it’s fake just because of that?!”

Excension lunged forward in rage.

This was outright fraud, happening right before his eyes.

Of course, he was furious.

“You see that, everyone? He’s resorting to violence because his logic failed him.”

Jinhyuk sighed dramatically while shaking his head.

“Such desperation… Tsk, tsk. Now, let me show you what a REAL warrior’s oath looks like…”

Jinhyuk channeled mana into the object concealed in his hand.

It was a stone identical in appearance to Excension’s, one of the many special items he had taken from Guntafer’s treasury.

On the surface, it seemed like a common rock, but there was one key difference—

…This stone had a special enchantment cast upon it.

[‘Stone of Longing’ ability activated!]

Crack! Crunch!

The rock began to change.

A moment ago, it had been nearly identical to Excension’s, but now, infused with mana, it had completely transformed.

The axe engraved upon it became absurdly sharp.

The shield was now lavishly detailed, an engraving so intricate it looked practically divine.

At its center was a massive warrior, whose bulging muscles were 1.5 times larger than Pudalak’s current physique.

It was blatantly fake.

“This ridiculous trick won’t fool anyon—”

“Ahem! A fitting symbol for the Warrior’s Oath! I like it. It even looks a little like me!”

Pudalak’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Indeed! Our king is truly handsome!”

“If there’s anyone strongest in the kingdom, it’s Pudalak!”

“He is a king recognized by the ancestors!”

“As an elder, I vouch for its authenticity! Look at those lifelike muscles!”

“No, you morons! Pudalak wasn’t even alive when this stone was made!”

Excension shouted in frustration, but the barbarians’ eyes were already clouded.

Would a superior fake replace the real thing?

The answer was right here.

At least on the 31st floor, reality bent to the whims of its strongest dictator.

“KRAAAAH! I’LL KILL YOU!”

Excension’s rage boiled over.

He drew his rapier from his waist.

BOOM!

Crimson mana surged outward in all directions.

It was an unexpected ambush, and the power condensed within it made it far sharper than expected.

“Tch—!”

Jinhyuk barely crossed his twin daggers in time.

Screech—!

The red energy skidded along the blades, barely missing his body and slamming into the wall.

The others managed to deflect the attack—

Except for one.

“Damn it…”

Chun Yoosung, who had been standing slightly to the side, wasn’t as lucky.

The red blade sliced deep into his thigh.

Blood gushed like a fountain.

He staggered, losing his balance.

And in that moment—

Thud!

Excension seized the opening.

In a flash, he moved behind Chun Yoosung, his rapier pressed against his throat.

“Move one inch, and I’ll kill him.”

A hostage situation.

“Kang Jinhyuk! I refuse to become a burden. So just—”

“Yeah, yeah. I won’t spare a single thought about it and will continue doing my thing.”

“…?”

“…What?”

Both Excension and Chun Yoosung widened their eyes.

“Think about it. If I let you drag us around for the sake of a hostage, the situation only gets worse. And even if we cooperate, there’s no guarantee you’d let him go.”

There was a reason modern governments refused to negotiate with terrorists.

It was a cold, pragmatic truth.

It sucked for Chun Yoosung, but—

“I’ll avenge you.”

He’d pay them back a hundredfold, so there was no need to feel wronged.

“You… piece of garbage…”

“Hey, bastard! You can’t just say that!”

Now both of them were furious.

“Does that mean we can start attacking now? Standing still too long makes muscles shrink.”

“Yes. Feel free to wipe them out.”

Preferably in a way that left no traces for guilt.

“Good. Attack!”

Pudalak roared, launching a fresh assault.

⁕ ⁕ ⁕

Excension and the Abyssal demons fled.

Even with all their power, they couldn’t fight both the Veteran Corporation and a horde of barbarians at once.

The biggest issue was stopping Chun Yoosung, who wanted revenge more than anything.

Fortunately, they managed to lock him up in a dark basement—

Once his rage cooled, they would release him.

With that, the matter was settled cleanly.

“So, you’ll be helping us?”

“Of course! How could I ignore a warrior’s request?”

Pudalak thumped his chest proudly.

Though his brainlessness was sometimes frustrating, his blind loyalty was refreshing.

With the barbarians as allies, their war against the Demon Realm was looking favorable.

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

“Now, the only thing left is… finding the gate they made.”

Somewhere on the 31st floor, Guntafer had prepared a portal to the Demon Realm.

Jinhyuk had assigned Gnome and Sylphid to track Excension’s movements, but—

That cunning fox would probably notice soon.

Relying on that alone was too risky.

“Perhaps…”

Jinhyuk turned to Pudalak.