Chapter 144 - Whoops!

"Hahaha! You guys are out of your minds."

The young man, seemingly a Demon Cultist, laughed while releasing demonic energy.

Oh Kang-Woo frowned after sensing the demonic energy flowing out of him.

'He's pretty weak.'

It was hard to believe he was controlling a demonic beast of the Eighth Hell like a Chrysalis.

It was as if a fox were using a tiger as a servant.

Kang-Woo used the Authority of the Beholder and looked at the young man. The man was so weak that he couldn't resist the Authority's power.

[Player Name: Park Yong-Chan]

[Level: 63]

He was a Seventh Awakening Player. Taking into consideration that he had demonic energy, he was probably a bit stronger than that.

'But it's still underwhelming.'

Even though he'd broken past the Limit of Effort, any Player with even a minimal amount of talent could do that.

He was still too weak to be able to control a Chrysalis.

'It's actually better this way.'

Kang-Woo's eyes shone.

To be honest, a Demon Cultist as strong as Anton Sidorovich being able to control demonic beasts and demons wasn't that surprising. Hell took survival of the fittest to its utmost limit; strength was everything to them.

Kang-Woo was actually more curious about this aspect of the Demon Cult.

'How could someone this weak control a demonic beast as if it were his servant?'

Demonic beasts weren't like wild animals that could be domesticated if they were raised from when they were still infants. They would kill their owner if they thought that their owner was weaker than them.

'Especially if it's a Chrysalis.'

Even among demonic beasts, a Chrysalis was famous for its violence and intelligence. It was a being that couldn't be tamed through regular means.

"Alright, tear them apart!" Park Yong-Chan shouted.

The Chrysalis lowered its body and raised its head.

"Kiieekk!!"

A horrible scream rang out through the area. Acid seeped out of the monster and melted the ground.

At its shout, the monsters surrounding them started to move.

'He's controlling the monsters in the area through the Chrysalis.'

That was something Kang-Woo could understand. The Chrysalis was an intelligent demonic beast, so it often created packs by controlling demonic beasts weaker than it.

"Gwoooo!"

"Grrrrr!"

A group of Ogres that had almost completely turned into demonic beasts charged at Kang-Woo and his summoned beasts, shaking the ground with each step.

Their ferocity was unlike that of regular A-rank monsters, most likely due to having accepted demonic energy.

"Kang-Woo."

[Master, I am yours to command.]

The two summoned beasts took a step forward. He nodded as he smirked.

"Kill them. Oh, except that one that looks like a cockroach."

[As you command.]

"Hm! Leave it to me!"

Echidna opened both arms. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

[FUS RO DAH!]

Dragon tongue magic. It was the dragon race's unique magic, and it was among the most powerful magics.

Usually, a hatchling wouldn't be able to use it. It was so difficult that not even adult dragons could use it without being careful.

However, thanks to Kang-Woo becoming stronger, Echidna could obtain power far beyond a hatchling's capabilities, so she was able to use dragon tongue magic.

Crackle!

A wave of demonic energy rushed out, with Echidna at its epicenter.

A black wave that resembled a Breath, the most powerful attack that a dragon could use, shot forth as it tore the ground apart.

The Ogres were swept away by the wave and were scattered in all directions.

[No, no, no. That won't do.]

Vaal Zahak shook his head while his eye sockets shone yellow. He looked at the Ogre corpses that appeared to have been torn apart by a blender.

[You should treat precious corpses with more care.]

Tap. He snapped his finger, and his black robe fluttered.

"What the hell?"

Yong-Chan's mouth fell open.

It was weird enough that the skeleton in a black robe was wearing a cute apron that didn't suit him at all, but that wasn't what surprised him.

"GRRR."

The Ogre corpses that had been torn apart got back up.

Despite that their blood had splattered all over the place and that their internal organs were spewing out of their bodies, the Ogres were still moving.

No, they weren't just moving…

The Ogres were forcibly connecting and restoring each other's dismembered bodies.

After some time, Flesh Golems that had an appearance more horrifying than any other demonic beast were created.

[Go forth, my children.]

Vaal Zahak extended his hand, and the Flesh Golems slowly began to move. A thick laugh left his mouth, and an explosive burst of demonic energy surrounded him.

[Kill those lowly beasts yearning for life.]

Once again, his pink apron fluttered. Demonic energy flowed out of his hand and entered the Flesh Golems.

"GRRAARR!!"

They went berserk.

The Flesh Golems ran toward the other Ogres, their movements so violent that one wouldn't believe that the monsters created by haphazardly sticking corpse pieces together could move in such a way.

"Wh-What the…"

Yong-Chan's expression became pale.

Kang-Woo leisurely checked out his expression.

Yong-Chan was biting his lip violently. He put his left palm on top of the back of his right hand.

"Chrysalis!! What are you doing?! Kill those sons of bitches!"

'Oh?'

Kang-Woo's eyes shone. A complex magic circle was drawn on the back of Yong-Chan's right hand. He was screaming like a madman.

'Is that how he's controlling it?'

He still wasn't sure. Kang-Woo slowly analyzed the situation.

"Kiieekk!"

'It's charging at me.'

The Chrysalis stomped on the ground, lowered its body, and rushed at an impressive speed.

He could easily tell what the Chrysalis was trying to do.

'I knew it.'

Kang-Woo smirked. The Chrysalis had a uniquely small body compared to other demonic beasts.

'Kiieekk!"

He pulled his right foot back and kicked as if kicking a football. The Chrysalis dodged the attack with its incredible reflexes.

He used his left foot as an axis to pivot, swinging his right leg down toward the Chrysalis's shelled back.

"Kishaaaaahh!!"

This time, the Chrysalis didn't dodge the attack because it trusted the immensely hard shell on its back.

Kang-Woo lightly laughed while looking down at it.

"Damn insect."

Crack!

"Kiieekk!"

His right foot smashed the Chrysalis's back. Although a Chrysalis's shell was hard enough to crush the teeth of gigantic demonic beasts, it was nothing in front of Kang-Woo.

As he swung down his right foot, which was infused with the Authority of Pulverization, the Chrysalis's back was destroyed. Acid spewed everywhere.

The Chrysalis stopped attacking and quickly backed off.

"Kiieekk."

Kang-Woo could feel that it was extremely cautious of him.

"What are you doing?! Attack!!" Yong-Chan shouted. His right hand shone with a dark light. The same light came out of the Chrysalis's forehead.

"KIIEEKK!!"

Kang-Woo's eyes shone sharply.

'He's definitely controlling it through that magic circle.'

He still needed to investigate how it worked exactly, but his immediate doubt was answered.

'Now…'

He had to check the limits of the magic circle.

'I'm sure it isn't absolute.'

He knew that just by seeing how the Chrysalis twisted its body after receiving Yong-Chan's orders.

Kang-Woo charged toward the Chrysalis while keeping track of the time as he had been doing from the moment the battle had begun.

Bash! Crack!

"Kishaaaahhhh!"

The battle continued.

Although the Chrysalis was a predator that operated in the Eighth Hell, Kang-Woo was already as strong as an archdemon of the Ninth Hell.

The demonic beast was no match for him.

It was a one-sided battle.

"F-Fuck."

Yong-Chan's expression became pale. He anxiously looked at the back of his right hand. The light flowing out of the magic circle was dimming.

"N-No."

Yong-Chan turned around and started to frantically run away.

He heard Kang-Woo's low voice.

"Five minutes." Kang-Woo smiled. "It seems you can forcibly command it for five minutes at most."

"Kuh!"

Yong-Chan frowned. His reaction made it clear that Kang-Woo was right.

The light of the magic circle on the back of Yong-Chan's right hand disappeared.

"Kishaaahhh!!"

The Chrysalis, which had become a mess, turned toward Yong-Chan.

It would have been dead from its severe injuries if it had been a regular life form, but a Chrysalis far surpassed the limits of a regular life form.

"Shaaahhh!"

It lowered its severely broken body and roared aggressively.

A stronger bloodlust than when it had faced Kang-Woo flowed from the Chrysalis.

'I guess it's understandable.'

It had been forced to fight an opponent it didn't want to fight in the first place and had almost died because of it. If the Chrysalis had free will, it most definitely would've escaped after the first clash. However, it was forced to bare its teeth against a predator it couldn't win against, so it was understandable how angry it was.

'I got some good information.'

Kang-Woo nodded while looking at the Chrysalis emitting powerful bloodlust toward Yong-Chan.

'Once time runs out, it might attack the master.'

It was useful information. It meant that if the situation was too much to handle, he could just stall for time.

'I'll watch and see how it goes for now.'

Kang-Woo crossed his arms and began walking leisurely.

"G-Goddammit! L-Listen to me, Chrysalis!!" Yong-Chan desperately shouted.

"Oh, right. Do you know what the special characteristic of a Chrysalis is?" Kang-Woo asked him.

"Wh-What? What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"I guess you don't."

Kang-Woo snickered. Chrysalises were small, so they had a particular hunting characteristic that they used to incapacitate their prey.

"Shaaahhh!"

"Eek! G-Go away!!"

Yong-Chan swung both of his arms. He used a skill to create a fireball the size of a person's head and shot it toward the Chrysalis.

But there was no way such a desperate attack would work against it.

The Chrysalis ran toward Park Yong-Chan at a dazzling speed. Its sharp teeth targeted the space between his legs.

"G-Go awa—"

Crunch!

"AAAGGGHHH!"

"Oh, fuck."

Kang-Woo closed his legs subconsciously. It was hard to watch.

'Chrysalis, you cruel bastard.'

The hunting characteristic of the Chrysalis was that… they attacked their prey's reproductive organs first.

"Aaarrrggghhh! Gaaaahhhh!!"

Yong-Chan screamed in pain while trying to cover the blood fountain. His scream was so horrible it reached his soul.

"KIIIIK!"

"Alright, that's enough."

The Chrysalis jumped toward Yong-Chan to kill him, but Kang-Woo violently smacked the back of the Chrysalis's head. Crack. Its head exploded with a chilling sound.

"Let's see. Park Yong-Chan, was it?"

"Kurrgghh! Aaarrgghh!!"

"Oh."

Kang-Woo clapped his hands together as if he'd just realized something.

"Sorry, my mistake."

Kang-Woo squatted in front of Park Yong-Chan and snickered.

"I guess I should be calling you No Dick-Chan."