Chapter 460
Malang soared through the sky at an astonishing speed.
Vwoooong!
As expected of a Divine Beast that commanded the winds.
It was moving several times faster than running on foot.
Below, countless wagons filled the terrain.
Accompanying them were legions of demons, acting as escorts.
They were Guntafer’s supply lines, prepared for the invasion of Berial’s domain.
‘Three high-ranking species among them…’
If they could strike this convoy, it would be a major blow to the enemy’s war effort.
And if things went well, they could seize something even greater…
“You know what to do, right?”
“Of course. I’ll keep my presence hidden.”
Malang weaved through the clouds, waiting for the perfect moment.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The demons lashed the reins of their two-headed horses.
“Hurry up! If we fall behind schedule, Lord Guntafer will not be pleased.”
“Y-Yes, sir…!”
“We’ll increase speed.”
Speed was everything in war.
The key to victory was securing outposts quickly and establishing stable supply routes.
Berial was on the brink of collapse anyway…
But knowing Guntafer’s meticulous nature, he wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest mistake.
However, at that very moment—
Fwoooosh!
A blazing heat surged from above.
“What the… What is that?”
This wasn’t ordinary fire.
It was close to the authority of a Demon King…
Yet even more alien and rare than that.
A Breath attack.
“Evade! All units, scatter—!”
The commander’s face twisted in despair.
[Goguma has activated Lv?? ‘Breath’!]
KWOOM! KWOOM! KWOOM! KWOOM!
A torrent of light erased the land below.
There was no thought of blocking or dodging—just pure destruction.
Any demon caught in its wake was instantly vaporized.
Half of the entire convoy force was obliterated in a single attack.
“R-Regroup! Regroup immediately! Spread out and maintain distance so we don’t get wiped out at once!”
The surviving demons scrambled, trying to form a counteroffensive.
They were elite troops, after all. Despite the devastating Breath attack, they held their ground to protect the supply line.
But—
[Fried has activated Lv2 ‘Scorching Vortex’!]
A storm of flames erupted, ripping through their formation.
Unlike Goguma’s one-shot annihilation, the swirling infernos specialized in widespread damage—engulfing multiple targets at once.
“Kahaha! Behold the power of the greatest Divine Beasts! Look at how mighty we—no, I—am! Fuhuhuhu!”
Malang’s weather manipulation further amplified the devastation.
In mere moments, the battlefield was littered with charred corpses.
Thud.
Jinhyuk landed on the ground.
The experience points from his summoned beasts were nice, but that wasn’t his main goal.
Now, let’s see…
He glanced toward the wagons carrying dozens of crates.
Boom!
The lid of the foremost crate was ripped off entirely.
This is…
…Jackpot.
Jinhyuk swallowed hard.
Inside were countless magic artifacts, food supplies, and weapons.
He had targeted the closest of the five supply routes, but if luck was on his side…
There was a chance he could even find those items here.
Jinhyuk moved even faster.
Second wagon. Third wagon. Fourth wagon…
The lid of a blue-colored crate flew high into the air.
As expected!
The probability wasn’t high, but all his past efforts finally paid off.
[You have discovered ‘58 Skill Books’.]
[Protected by a 7-star ‘Demon King’s Barrier’.]
Guntafer had put up some defenses against intruders, but for a Barrier Master, this was child’s play.
‘Only three layers of protection? Seriously? That’s too easy.’
For most, a 7-star barrier would be a nightmare.
But for Jinhyuk?
Guntafer was just too unlucky to be facing him.
Using Ancient Barrier Magic, he dismantled every trap guarding the crates.
Soon, the ancient books stored inside were fully exposed.
Most were B-rank or lower.
They were mass-produced to be force-fed to lower-rank demons.
‘Absorbing these will significantly boost my forces.’
And that wasn’t all.
Some of them could be merged with existing skills to upgrade them to higher tiers.
Jinhyuk grabbed one of the Skill Books from the pile.
At the same time, his ‘Memory of the World’ activated.
[Skill Book ‘Air Blaster (C)’ and Skill ‘Glacial Sculpting’ have fused!]
[Successfully created ‘Frozen Air (A)’!]
[Frozen Air]
– Acquisition Difficulty: A
– Effect: Suspends all enemies within a 20M radius into the air and freezes them for 0.5 seconds. (The freeze duration scales based on the target’s level and abilities.)
A wide-area crowd control skill.
If he combined this with Pudalak’s unique abilities, he could create even stronger fusions.
‘I need to gather as many skills as possible to deal with the 50th floor and the Old Guards later.’
Jinhyuk continued absorbing new skills.
[Successfully fused ‘Demon’s Horn (S)’!]
[Acquired ‘Lava Armor (A)’!]
[Newly acquired skills will be stored in ‘Memory of the World’.]
Under normal circumstances, this kind of power boost would require putting his life on the line.
After all, he would eventually have to battle Demon Kings and even god-like beings.
And yet… why?
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sheer thrill of growing stronger made his heart race with excitement.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
One day after the full-scale war against Guntafer began—
The battle between the two forces had escalated into utter chaos.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
KUUUUNG! BA-BA-BOOM!
“Guaaahhh!”
“Keuk!”
A clash of raw power against raw power.
A battlefield drenched in blood and dust, filled with screams and explosions.
“They’re holding out better than expected. I thought we’d crush that pathetic fortress within half a day.”
One of Guntafer’s kin clicked his tongue.
Before them stood Berial’s last remaining stronghold.
The small fortress located near the forest proved unexpectedly difficult to conquer.
Thanks to the Heavenly Demons still maintaining their form and the newly arrived Barbarian tribes, the battle remained balanced.
In fact, the Barbarian guerilla forces, unafraid of death, relentlessly harassed the enemy’s rear after entering the Demon Realm.
They maximized efficiency through hit-and-run tactics and localized skirmishes.
Moreover, the Heavenly Demons fought without concern for their own safety, charging headfirst into the frontlines…
And that made them an absolute nightmare to deal with.
“They’re just buying time at best.”
“You’re right. Even if we keep this as a war of attrition, as long as we trade at equal numbers, we have the advantage.”
As long as they could completely cut off the supply routes and maintain the encirclement…
There were no more variables.
No matter how hard they fought outside, if their main force collapsed, it was over.
This was checkmate.
Clang!
Vwoooong! … BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The demon kin watched as countless fireballs rained down on the fortress.
Like fireworks announcing their victory.
The magical bombardment lit up the sky in a dazzling display.
At the same time—
Inside Berial’s castle, a tragedy was unfolding.
“E…800-year-old oakwood table…! NO! STOP! That’s the only handwoven carpet in this castle!”
Seherth screamed in despair.
With spells and catapults bombarding the stronghold, the interior had already turned into a complete disaster zone.
Watching all his precious belongings get obliterated was beyond heartbreaking.
“Khhhaaa! The food storage! And my tiny emergency fund stash—!”
Foam bubbled from Seherth’s mouth.
“This damned Demon King— No, my lord! Please, go outside and do something! Are you planning to eat dirt with your bare hands after this?!”
“J-Just hold on a little longer, Butler….”
Berial tried to calm the wailing Seherth, gripping his own horns.
But it was no use.
Even the boy who cried wolf only got away with lying three times before everyone turned their backs on him.
And Berial?
He had promised to lead them to victory over a hundred times now.
“‘Just a little longer, just a little longer, just a little longer’—! How much longer am I supposed to believe that!?”
“Ghk! C-Can’t… breathe… Butler, I’m really going to die….”
“Then just die already! We’re all screwed anyway! I’ve served you for years, so let me at least send you off properly!”
“I-I’m your Demon King, remember?! L-Let’s stay rational—”
“You were my Demon King. Were.”
Seherth’s eyes turned dull and lifeless.
At this rate, Berial wouldn’t even die to the enemy—he’d be killed by his own people first.
No, it was certain.
‘There’s no more time. Hurry….’
Feeling a deep sense of crisis, Berial gazed into the distance—
Praying that Jinhyuk would do something to flip the entire battlefield.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
The border dividing the 44th floor.
One side was a barren hellscape, dry and lifeless.
The other was a lush paradise, overflowing with beauty and abundance.
And at this very moment—
Deep within Eden’s core, an odd gathering took place—one that completely clashed with the sacred scenery.
“Haaah… So in the end, you failed to make him eat the Fruit of Knowledge?”
Gabriel sighed deeply, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
“Tch, I tried! But no matter what I did, my contractor wouldn’t budge! What was I supposed to do?!”
“Well… That just means your approach was terrible. Seriously, how is a True Ancestor who’s lived for thousands of years this incompetent?”
“No! I even used my ultimate secret technique… and it still didn’t work…!”
Alice hung her head in defeat.
“…Want me to teach you?”
Sitting beside them, Remia shrugged casually.
“Seduction is literally second nature to us Succubi. I could make a man fall without using a single aphrodisiac.”
As a succubus, enthralling others was as effortless as breathing.
Of course, Alice’s target had pope-level resistance, making him nearly impossible to charm.
But if Remia really put her mind to it…
It wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Oho. Now that’s interesting. Recruiting him as an Apostle would be quite beneficial to us.”
“What… What exactly is this method?”
Both Gabriel and Alice turned their heads at the same time.
Gulping in anticipation.
“Heh, listen carefully, girls. I’ll break it down for you step by step. The most important thing is—”
A True Ancestor, an Angel, and a Succubus.
Three vastly different beings sat around a table with black tea and cake, eagerly discussing forbidden knowledge.
And before they knew it—
“…So after doing that, you just go all the way and—”
“God… forgive me… gulp.”
“Oohh… And then…?”
“Wait! Hold on! That’s not what’s important right now—!”
Remia suddenly slammed her hands on the table.
Right at this very moment, Jinhyuk and his allies were fighting for their lives.
Whether or not they could secure Eden’s support would determine the outcome of the war.
They had risked everything to come all the way here.
Yet they were wasting time on nonsense?
If Jinhyuk ever found out, they’d probably be buried alive.
However—
“This is the most important thing in the world right now.”
Alice’s eyes burned with conviction.
Even if the earth itself collapsed, she had to finish this conversation first.
“Fine. We’ll send reinforcements. Now finish what you were saying.”
Gabriel waved her hand dismissively.
After all, getting rid of Guntafer didn’t harm their interests in the slightest.
(T/N: HAHAHA. These trio are unexpected. But I love them! )
