Chapter 777

‘Gluttony?’

Raon gaped as he stared at the white-haired child with ruby-red eyes.

That rabbit-like kid was none other than Gluttony, the Lord of Gluttony, whom he had encountered before.

‘Why is she here…?’

Gluttony, who had been busy searching for ice cream, suddenly appeared in this place, and Raon had no idea why.

“Step back. That creature is dangerous.”

Glenn stepped in front of Gluttony, shielding himself and the others.

“Wrath… I ran out of sparkly stuff….”

Gluttony hung her head low like a child who had dropped her snack, lamenting the lack of gold coins.

“Sparkly stuff…?”

Glenn frowned, not understanding why a being as powerful as Gluttony, who possessed greater energy than most transcendents, was behaving like a child.

“Ah….”

Raon exhaled sharply as he looked at Gluttony.

‘She must have run out of money to buy ice cream.’

When Raon had last parted ways with Gluttony, he had given her a pile of gold coins, telling her to return once they were spent. It seemed that time had come.

‘Of all times… wait, huh?’

Just as Raon prepared to ignore Gluttony and continue transmitting aura to the fallen Edgar, a realization struck him like lightning.

‘If it’s Gluttony… could she…?’

Currently, Edgar was on the brink of death, having absorbed the deathly demonic energy from Sylvia and Rector’s bodies while transferring his vitality to others.

Raon wondered if Gluttony’s ability, [Gluttony], could devour the demonic energy Edgar had absorbed.

“If you don’t want to die, don’t come any closer.”

Glenn radiated an icy killing intent, seemingly prepared to kill Gluttony if necessary.

[She’s not an enemy!]

Raon sent an aura message to Glenn, who was pressuring Gluttony.

[Please trust me and wait for now!]

“Hmm….”

Though Glenn’s suspicion didn’t entirely disappear, he backed off, trusting Raon’s judgment.

“Gluttony, come here.”

Raon motioned for Gluttony with his finger, mimicking Wrath’s tone and demeanor.

“Okay….”

Gluttony hopped toward him like a rabbit. Having been deceived by Raon in the past, she still completely believed him to be Wrath.

“Can you save this man?”

Raon pointed to Edgar, whose body was turning into black smoke as he lay unconscious.

“Hmm….”

Gluttony glanced at Edgar and smacked her lips briefly.

“He’s consumed death. It tastes bad….”

She shook her head, unable to understand why anyone would devour such a thing.

“So, can you save him or not?”

“It’s difficult….”

Gluttony lowered her gaze sluggishly.

“I can eat the death energy, but his vitality is already gone.”

She admitted she couldn’t revive someone who had already lost all their vitality.

“What if you use my vitality?”

Raon raised a finger and pointed to himself.

“You’re weak right now….”

Gluttony waved her hand dismissively, saying it would be too difficult.

“It’s fine. This king won’t die no matter what.”

Raon shook his head calmly. The vitality cultivated through his [Ring of Fire] was at a transcendent level.

Even if his body and mind were exhausted, he believed he could endure.

“What…?”

Glenn’s eyes widened in surprise as Raon referred to himself as “this king.”

“Even so, it won’t work….”

Gluttony shook her head, insisting his vitality wasn’t enough.

“Is there really a way to save him?”

Glenn approached Gluttony from behind, his eyes sharp and cold.

“If you can provide vitality, there’s a chance….”

Gluttony blinked as she admitted there was a possibility, though she wasn’t certain.

“Then I’ll add my vitality as well.”

Glenn stepped forward, declaring his intent to help.

[Family Head!]

Raon quickly shook his head, trying to stop Glenn.

[Don’t worry about me. I just have something to discuss with the man who dared to take my daughter.]

Glenn lightly waved his hand, dismissing Raon’s concern.

“You’re strong enough to endure. But since you’re old, you might suffer a bit….”

Gluttony bluntly remarked about Glenn’s age while nodding slightly.

“Then begin.”

Realizing he couldn’t stop Glenn, Raon instructed Gluttony to proceed.

“Okay. But, I need money….”

Gluttony twisted her hands, hinting at her demand for payment.

“Fine. If you save him, I’ll give you enough money to buy all the ice cream you want.”

Raon nodded, promising her an even larger pile of gold than before.

“Okay!”

For the first time since arriving, Gluttony responded energetically.

– [Ice cream?]

However, Gluttony wasn’t the only one to react to the mention of ice cream. Wrath suddenly emerged from the Snow Flower Bracelet, his eyes wide with surprise.

– [Where is this ice cream? Who dares… huh? Why is that parasite here? Cough!]

Wrath froze as he noticed Gluttony, his expression shifting dramatically.

“I’ll start now.”

Gluttony stretched her arm out and placed her hand on Edgar’s forehead.

From her palm, a black mouth emerged, beginning to absorb the deathly energy that had been reducing Edgar to dust.

“Tastes bad….”

Gluttony frowned slightly, as if her taste buds had been ruined by her fondness for ice cream.

However, Edgar’s disintegrating body stabilized, the collapse of his physical form halted as Gluttony devoured the demonic energy.

“To think it could actually be removed….”

Glenn’s eyes widened in astonishment at the display of Gluttony’s power.

– [Wait, did that skeleton human just devour the demonic energy that killed Sylvia and Rector?]

Wrath quickly grasped the situation, his expression darkening.

‘Yes. He tried to bear it all himself.’

Raon nodded gravely.

– [That lunatic….]

Wrath exhaled sharply, staring at Edgar with a furrowed brow.

– [Not just his body, but his very soul must have endured unimaginable pain. How did he withstand it?]

He couldn’t comprehend Edgar’s endurance.

– [It seems he truly is your father.]

‘Yeah….’

Raon clenched his teeth, holding onto Edgar’s trembling hand that was growing weaker by the moment.

– To think that parasite could actually be useful. Life really is full of surprises.

Wrath shook his head, watching Gluttony devour the deathly energy.

‘It’s a good thing I built a connection with her.’

– It wasn’t a connection; it was fraud! And you used this king for your fraud! Kghak!

Wrath shouted in frustration, wondering why Gluttony still couldn’t recognize the deception.

‘Well, in the end, it worked out, didn’t it?’

– It didn’t work out for this king! Kghak!

Wrath coughed dryly, clearly exhausted. His face even seemed paler now.

‘You….’

“Most of the death energy is gone. Now inject vitality,” Gluttony said, tilting her chin upward as if giving an order.

“Understood.”

Raon let out a short breath, placing his hand over Edgar’s chest.

“Let’s begin.”

He exchanged a glance with Glenn and started channeling his vitality into Edgar’s body.

‘Ugh….’

As soon as he began, a splitting headache and chills wracked his body, but he bit his tongue and endured.

‘Nothing comes easy….’

Vitality, unlike aura, was a natural energy everyone was born with. Once used, it took an incredibly long time to recover—or sometimes, it couldn’t recover at all.

Thanks to the [Ring of Fire], Raon’s vitality was more abundant than anyone else’s. However, due to the continuous battles, even extracting that vitality was excruciatingly painful.

“Are you okay?”

Though Glenn was sweating himself, he cast a worried glance at Raon.

[I can endure it.]

Raon forced a smile, suppressing the unbearable pain, when a clear resonance echoed from his waist.

It was the Requiem Sword. The blade vibrated violently, as if urging him to grab it.

‘Why now…?’

When Raon reached out with his left hand and unsheathed the Requiem Sword, a pure vitality of bluish hue emerged from its crimson blade.

‘Could it be…?’

Raon instantly recognized the energy.

The murderous and malicious energy from the gem he had obtained after defeating the Ghost King in Derus’ breeding grounds had been purified by the Requiem Sword, transforming into vitality.

Wooong!

The Requiem Sword hummed again, as if commanding him to use the purified vitality to save Edgar.

‘…Thank you.’

Raon pushed the vitality from the sword into Edgar’s body. The energy was so pure that the black veins spreading across Edgar’s face began to recede.

– I will help too. Kghak!

Wrath, despite his severe coughing, placed his hand on Raon’s shoulder, offering his assistance.

‘What? Why would you…?’

– Didn’t this man save your mother? I must repay that debt. Kghak!

Wrath, genuinely valuing Sylvia, nodded briefly before transferring his vitality as well.

Wooong!

Although Wrath was also exhausted, the sheer magnitude of his soul allowed Edgar’s condition to improve significantly. His complexion returned to a healthier tone.

– Kghak! Kghak!

‘Stop it!’

– I am a Demon King! I always repay my debts!

Wrath only focused on what he had received, ignoring the help he was giving. Despite being miserly when it came to eating, his generosity of spirit was unparalleled.

“Hmm? Is there more power…?”

Gluttony tilted her head, seemingly sensing Wrath’s vitality.

“This king has always been strong.”

Raon adopted a line Wrath might say as he continued pouring out his vitality.

– That… is an excellent line!

Wrath nodded approvingly, clearly pleased.

Wooong!

At that moment, as Raon, Glenn, Wrath, and the Requiem Sword united their will, the deathly grasp enveloping Edgar dissolved completely, replaced by a colorless light spreading outward.

“It’s done….”

Gluttony clapped her hands lightly, gazing at Edgar’s now white-toned body.

“You can stop now. He’ll be able to survive on his own from here….”

She seemed amazed at her own work, her eyes wide in disbelief.

“Ah….”

Raon trembled, his hand still resting on Edgar’s chest.

‘He’s really alive….’

Truly alive.

Edgar, whose breath had completely ceased, was now breathing again.

Though his breathing was still faint, it was his own.

Raon’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

‘Mother, he survived.’

Raon bit his lip as he looked at Sylvia. The joy of not having to deliver another sorrow to her nearly brought him to tears, but he held it back, still maintaining his act as Wrath.

“Amazing.”

Even Glenn let out a breath of astonishment, clearly not having expected Edgar to truly survive.

“I thought Demon Kings descended to this continent to slaughter humans, yet here you are, saving one.”

Glenn looked at Gluttony with calm eyes, as if reevaluating his preconceptions.

“What’s the point of slaughtering humans…?”

Gluttony shook her head, saying humans weren’t even tasty.

“And you’re amazing too… It’s been a while since I’ve seen a human as strong as you….”

She narrowed her eyes at Glenn, her pupils glimmering.

“You reminded me of Wrath and Pride….” (T/N: Hmm, is this a foreshadowing of Glenn being connected with Pride? It makes sense though. Glenn has so much pride he wont call Raon as his Grandson publicly.)

– What nonsense! This king is obviously stronger… probably?

Wrath, unable to confidently declare victory, added an uncertain note to his statement.

Seeing him joke like this finally put Raon at ease.

“Well then….”

Gluttony approached Raon with expectant eyes, stretching out her small hand.

“Give me sparkly stuff….”

“Ah, right.”

Raon smiled faintly and opened his dimensional pocket, taking out an even larger pile of gold coins than before and placing it in front of Gluttony.

“Heh!”

Gluttony laughed brightly, hugging the pile of gold coins.

‘Huh? Wait a second….’

Watching her tightly embrace the gold coins, Raon’s jaw dropped.

‘She’s a Demon King.’

The thought struck him like lightning.

A Demon King had traveled to the ends of the continent because she ran out of money, saved Edgar upon request, and now laughed like a child at the sight of gold coins.

Every part of it was absurd.

– Kghak!

Wrath’s fist trembled violently.

– It’s a disgrace to Demon Kings! To think you’ve been trained by a mere human!

He shook his head furiously, feeling utterly humiliated.

‘…You’re probably not the only one.’

Raon smirked as he approached Gluttony, who was happily munching on a gold coin.

“Gluttony, you haven’t killed anyone, have you?”

“If I kill people, I can’t eat ice cream. They release a new flavor every month, so I can’t go around killing anyone.”

Gluttony shook her head, adding that there were plenty of other delicious things to eat.

“Good. You know your priorities.”

Just as Wrath had said, it seemed Raon’s “training” had been effective.

– M-Monthly new flavors? This king never got to enjoy that!

Wrath lunged at Gluttony, grabbing her by the collar.

– Kghak! Bring them to this king immediately! Kghak!

‘Of course….’

Raon chuckled as he watched Wrath coughing and yelling in frustration.

‘There are two of them.’

Though Wrath would never admit it, Raon realized he had tamed not one, but two Demon Kings.

“When you run out of money, come find me again.”

Raon encouraged Gluttony to return, renewing his “insurance” with her.

“Okay.”

With that, Gluttony turned her back without hesitation and disappeared.

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand it,” Glenn said, letting out a long sigh. “Why would a being like her be so obsessed with gold coins?”

“There’s a long story behind it. I’ll explain later. But more importantly….”

Raon bit his lip as he looked at Glenn.

“I’m sorry. Because of me, you might end up being branded as a public enemy of the continent….”

“It’s not because of you. This is the path I chose.”

Glenn smiled faintly and placed a reassuring hand on Raon’s shoulder.

“What’s the point of being the head of a family if you can’t protect your own?”

His greatest regret in life wasn’t failing to conquer the continent, but falling into darkness and destroying his own family.

Even if the entire continent—whether dragons or demons—became Zieghart’s enemies, Glenn was determined to protect Raon and everyone else.

“…Thank you.”

Raon clutched his chest and bowed his head. Hearing Glenn’s words warmed his heart, as if his feelings had been truly understood.

– The old man is finally saying something worth hearing!

Wrath nodded in approval, agreeing that a family head should always protect their family.

“It’s such a relief that everyone survived.”

Raon clasped his hands together, looking at Sylvia, Rector, and Edgar one by one.

The thought of having his family, who had been apart for so long, finally reunited brought a smile to his face.

“It’s not over yet.”

Merlin slowly rose, shaking her head.

“You….”

Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.

“Oh, granddaughter-in-law greets her dear grandfather-in-law!” (T/N: There she goes!)

Merlin lifted the blood-soaked hem of her skirt and gave a bright smile.

“G-Grandfather…?”

Glenn froze, completely taken aback by the unexpected word.

“Raon, there’s still someone left,” Merlin said, pointing to Sia, who was lying unconscious.

“Hmm….”

Raon bit his lip as he looked at Sia.

‘I’m not sure about her.’

Unlike Edgar, Sia wasn’t human; she had shown herself to be a true Monster King.

Raon couldn’t be certain if her soul was still intact.

“I don’t know if her soul is still alive….”

“Then we just have to check,” Merlin said confidently, pointing her thumb at herself.

“I can do it. No, we can do it together.”