Chapter 70: Summoning Ritual (5)

"…"

Everyone became silent after hearing Oriax's sudden screams of desperation.

Not being able to follow what was going on, Yoo Tae-Shik looked at Oriax with a confused expression.

"Wh-What is the matter, Oh Immortal One?"

[Immortal One? Do not be ridiculous, human! We just do not have a fixed lifespan. We can still die!]

"B-But you just said that battle and slaughter were your favorite forms of entertainment…"

[There is no way that I would have fun when I am on the losing side!]

'Why is he being so unsightly?'

Tae-Shik stared at Oriax in disbelief.

One obviously wouldn't have fun if on the side of being slaughtered, but it was surprising that a demon who'd sounded so confident would suddenly say it.

'What's going on?'

Oriax had been speaking confidently…

Tae-Shik wasn't sure why Oriax had suddenly changed his attitude.

The demon was acting like one of those kids who talked all high and mighty in an internet cafe until their mother suddenly came in to find them playing video games.

[What are you waiting for?! Cancel the summoning now! Send me back to Hell!!] Oriax screamed frantically.

Tae-Shik bit his fingernails. His plan was going awry.

'Of all demons, why did a coward like this have to get summoned…?'

Tae-Shik thought that he was extremely unlucky.

To think that a demon from the Seventh Hell would be such a pathetic coward… Tae-Shik's mind was in jumbles, and he wasn't sure how to resolve the situation.

"It's impossible to go back. Please do not worry, Lord Oriax. They are nothing but mere mortals! You can easily eradicate such weaklings with your great power."

[Mere mortal? Weakling?]

Oriax glared at Tae-Shik. His eyes were filled with fear, and his voice was laced with desperation.

[You moronic human! What do you know to say such nonsense?! You know nothing about who that man is and what he has done!]

Tae-Shik's mind was filled with even more questions. He couldn't tell who was instilling so much fear into a demon.

"Who are you talking ab—"

Boom!

A huge explosion shook the cave before Tae-Shik could finish his sentence.

Oh Kang-Woo had used the Authority of Shattering Air. He looked at Oriax with a troubled expression.

'I can't believe he recognized me.'

Kang-Woo frowned at the unexpected development.

It was true that Kang-Woo was infamous in the Nine Hells, but unlike Earth, there wasn't any form of video or a way to communicate with others in Hell. Rumors spread only by word of mouth.

That was why most demons probably didn't know what Kang-Woo looked like even though they might have heard rumors about him.

To think that the summoned demon could recognize him… One could say that Kang-Woo was unlucky.

'Actually, it might actually be the reverse.'

Kang-Woo looked at Oriax, who was trembling in fear.

Most of Kang-Woo's power was currently sealed. Thanks to leveling up and his Authority of Predation, he had recovered part of his strength, but his current strength couldn't be compared to his prime. Therefore, fighting against a demon from the Seventh Hell in such a situation was quite burdensome.

'If he's becoming scared all on his own, that makes things much easier.'

The corners of Kang-Woo's mouth rose up.

[Oriax, was it?]

[

Gasp!

]

Kang-Woo's voice spread through Oriax's ears.

Oriax trembled in fear. Just hearing Kang-Woo's voice was enough to make his mind go blank. The fear was engraved into his soul, and this uncontrollable fear of the demon king, an absolute being, devoured him.

[Y-Yes,] Oriax answered in a trembling voice.

[Speak so only I can hear you.]

[Ah… Yes! I understand!]

Oriax quickly nodded. He had been talking to the humans by sending them his thoughts. It wasn't hard to make it so that only one person could hear him.

[Wh-Why are you here, my king…?]

[Did I give you permission to question me?]

[N-No! I apologize!]

Oriax shook his head while trembling.

Kang-Woo smiled, satisfied after seeing how Oriax overreacted to everything he said.

'This is gonna be easier than I thought.'

Huge fear devoured one's reason.

Kang-Woo wasn't sure where Oriax had seen him, but judging by the demon's reaction, it seemed Oriax's fear of him was really deep. It was as if Oriax was lying on the ground like a dog before even fighting.

'It's fine as long as I don't get caught.'

As long as Oriax didn't realize that Kang-Woo had become weaker, fooling the demon would be a cinch.

'Deceiving a fear-stricken dog is a piece of cake.'

It wasn't hard at all. Rather, it was so easy that it almost felt boring.

[You've meddled in my plan,] Kang-Woo said in a serious tone.

Oriax's eyes widened, and a one-sided conversation ensued.

[P-plan…?]

[How dare you talk back to me?]

[I-I apologize!]

Oriax became desperate because his question was denied, and he was trembling because he feared the demon king.

Kang-Woo thought,

'And the more desperate he becomes…'

The more thoughts Oriax would have.

[U-Urghh…]

Oriax was desperately thinking about what Kang-Woo's plan could possibly be.

Kang-Woo looked at Oriax with a relaxed expression on his face. It didn't matter how much Oriax thought—there was no way he'd be able to figure it out.

'Because there is no plan. I just used some random serious-sounding words.'

To make Oriax not suspect that he had become weaker, Kang-Woo only had to make the demon not have time to think.

Oriax's face distorted even more. He couldn't figure out Kang-Woo's plan no matter how hard he thought.

Kang-Woo, who had been waiting for the right timing, spoke in a low voice.

[I will give you a chance.]

[A-A chance, you say?]

[Yes. If you succeed, I will accept you as my Familiar.]

[F-Familiar?!]

Oriax was shocked.

A Familiar of the demon king…

After all the seven princes of Hell had been killed under the hands of the demon king, the greatest honor among the demons was to become the demon king's Familiar.

If he became the demon king's Familiar, he'd be able to receive a portion of his power. Receiving even a fragment of the demon king's near-infinite demonic energy would make him absurdly powerful in an instant.

Oriax would probably become so strong that no one in the Eighth Hell, or even the Ninth Hell, would be able to take him lightly.

For demons, who worshiped strength, it was an offer they couldn't refuse.

[I will follow any order! I, Oriax, swear eternal loyalty to the demon king!] Oriax shouted excitedly at the sudden offer.

[Defeat every single human here without using your weapon. I will test whether or not you are worthy.]

[Yes, my king!]

Oriax nodded without hesitation.

Kang-Woo smirked.

'You should learn to doubt at least a little.'

Most living beings with intelligence would have doubts if someone asked them to fight without weapons against enemies to test their strength.

'Although he probably can't think properly right now.'

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

This wasn't a matter of knowledge or intelligence. It was the effect of the absolute authority that the title of demon king possessed. Just like the Milgram experiment had shown, humans tended to obey authority figures all too easily.

It was the same for demons.

Oriax dropped his scythe and kicked it to the side, getting into position to fight against the Hwarang Corps bare-handed.

"What's that demon doing all of a sudden?"

"I'm… not sure," Baek Hwa-Yeon said while narrowing her eyes. "But I'm sure this is the perfect opportunity for us to attack."

They weren't sure why the summoned demon had suddenly started to act strangely… but they were sure that because of it, they had been given the upper hand.

'Westerly Wind.'

Hwa-Yeon extended her sword out to the side.

Wind blew from her white sword. Hidden within the serene wind, which was created with mana, was a sharp materialized aura that could tear apart flesh.

Slash!!

[Kuurrgghh!]

Oriax moaned in pain. He'd defended against the wind with his bare hands, and his skin was split.

[Damn insects!]

Oriax swung his fist. Hwa-Yeon's sword and Oriax's fist clashed against each other.

Clang!!

"Kurgh!"

A loud explosion rang through the cave. It was hard to believe that the sound had come from the clashing of a sword and a fist.

Hwa-Yeon was pushed back.

Oriax was about to charge toward Hwa-Yeon when Yeon-Joo blocked his path.

"Hmph, who the hell do you think you're calling an insect?"

Yeon-Joo angrily extended her hand as she closed her eyes to concentrate. The bracelets on both of her hands shone with a red light.

'Blood Chain.'

Dozens of chains with sharp thorns shot out from her bracelets and, like snakes, slithered across the cave floor. They spread throughout the cave like a massive net and engulfed Oriax.

[Gaaaahhhh!!]

The sharp thorns pierced Oriax's skin. His skin was torn apart, and blood leaked from him. The chains greedily absorbed his blood.

Oriax glared at Yeon-Joo while frowning.

'She's strong.'

It was hard to believe that she was just a human.

[Damn!]

Yeon-Joo's attack was so strong that he wasn't sure if he could have blocked it with his weapon. He looked down at his bare hands in frustration.

Maybe things would've been different if he was a demon that fought with bare hands, but he'd fought with a scythe for a very long time. All his movements had been optimized for fighting with a scythe. Therefore, he would obviously struggle if he suddenly began fighting with his bare hands.

Oriax's movements had become sluggish, and the power he could exert was beyond terrible.

'But this is all to pass the demon king's trial!'

He quelled his frustration and kept fighting against the humans.

The longer he fought, the more wounds he received. His movements started to become slower, and his eyes started to lose light.

[Guuuuuhh.]

Oriax knelt on one knee.

He wasn't sure if he would be able to beat the humans at that point, even if he used a weapon.

At that moment, he saw Kang-Woo approach him with the weapon he had kicked aside.

'He's trying to return my weapon!'

Oriax's eyes recovered hope. Once he got his weapon back and received the demon king's power, he'd be able to completely wipe out all the humans and, with overwhelming strength, crush all the insects that'd dared to threaten his life!

'I can already see it happening!'

He had tried his best to overcome the trial. The demon king had probably been moved by his effort.

[Ahhh… my k—]

Stab!

[Huh…?]

The scythe that Oriax had thought the demon king would return had pierced his chest. Oriax looked down at his chest in confusion.

[Wh-why…?]

"Do not resent me, Oriax."

Kang-Woo violently slashed down with the scythe he had used to stab Oriax. The wound deepened, and blood poured from Oriax's chest like a fountain.

A deep smile appeared on Kang-Woo's face.

"It's your fault for being fooled."

Ring.

[You have successfully defeated Oriax, a demon of the Seventh Hell!]

[Additional EXP has been awarded for dealing the finishing blow.]

[Exponentially increasing EXP.]

[Your level has risen by 5.]

[You have reached Level 50 and have achieved your Sixth Awakening.]

[Unlocking a new Trait.]