Chapter 238

It was in the midst of a silent emptiness, surrounded by an endless horizon. On the edge of that pure white world, time itself seemed to have stopped completely.

A demon opened his eyes. He frowned in confusion.

Where am I?

Who am I?

How long have I been asleep?

His mind was fuzzy.

“I am...”

Gradually, his consciousness began to surface, emerging from the depths of oblivion. Scattered memories started to gather, slowly piecing themselves together, and in the end, he succeeded in remembering himself.

Yes, I remember now.

I am...

“Baran.”

Yes,

my name is Baran.

I am the strongest demon alive, the King of Demons who reigns over the demon realm.

But where... Where am I?

How did I end up like this?

Another memory awakened inside his dormant mind. It was a memory of a conversation with a certain person, the last memory he had before his death.

“Why did you betray me?”

It was a voice like ice, cutting and frigid.

Even as Baran’s instincts trembled at the reprimand, he had bared his teeth, defiant even in his dying breath.

“What a pity...

I could have ended your life today...”

“I asked you a question.”

“Hehe.

Why, you ask?

Do you really not know the answer to that question?”

He remembered simply laughing at those words.

“Hehehe.”

He chuckled as though deeply amused, his head bowed.

Then he abruptly stopped and raised his head. His laughter ceased, and the powerful rage that had been suppressed thus far exploded outward.

[The King of Demons and the Monarch of White Flames opens his eyes.]

The serene white void was engulfed by a torrent of savage, unyielding malice.

But nothing happened.

There was no one in this emptiness to accept his rage. The vermin who had once quivered beneath his feet, the armies of the Rulers he despised, and even the damnable individual who had killed him—they were all gone.

Realizing this fact and feeling a heavy emptiness in his gut, Baran threw back his head and roared at the sky. Sparks of blue electricity crackled within his gaping maw. Blinding, otherworldly lightning filled the void.

The featureless sky retaliated, unleashing white flames from above as if in divine punishment.

The King of Demons cried out in frustration.

“Where are you?! Monarch of Shadows, the Greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light!” he called to the one responsible for his downfall. “Show yourself! I am here! The King of Demons who betrayed you is here!”

But this was an empty realm. No matter how many times he screamed, his voice accomplished nothing, only echoing through the white sky.

But Baran refused to yield. Demons were not known for giving up easily—and he had been the pinnacle of all demons. The very essence of their being revolved around their relentless struggle for survival.

He had no idea how he had awakened, but now that he was alive, he would act like the demon he was.

“If you refuse to come to me, then I will find you myself! No matter where this is, it doesn’t matter! I am Baran. Wherever I stand becomes the demon realm itself!”

With that, he raised a hand high.

“All demons! Gather before me. Your king is here!”

His hand unleashed a power granted only to the King of Demons.

[Baran, the King of Demons, used the skill “Hell’s Army.”]

This skill summoned his followers to his side, no matter their location.

Dozens of magic circles formed above his head, and they began to distort the dimensional breach in order to summon the demons.

However, it was futile.

“Damn it! Show yourselves!”

Not a single portal succeeded in bringing forth a demon, for this was the world of nothingness.

But there was one thing his power did achieve.

[“Sanctuary of the Demons” has been activated.]

Where the King of Demons existed, his realm manifested. Although he had failed to summon his followers into the void, his power gathered the scattered demons drifting through the dimensional rift into a single place.

And that was the exact moment that Suho was facing the Demons of the Rift.

***

Ding! Ding! Ding!

As Suho’s vision filled with a rapid succession of

system messages, his eyes glinted with realization.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

[A quest has arrived.]

[The King of Demons and the Monarch of White Flames opens his eyes.]

[Baran, the King of Demons, used the skill: “Hell’s Army.”]

[“Sanctuary of the Demons” has been activated.]

“The King of Demons... has awakened,” he muttered.

“What?” Antares asked.

“And the Sanctuary of the Demons has just been activated.”

His sudden seriousness caused the Monarch to hesitate. “You mean... Baran is awake? I don’t sense anything.”

This was a shocking development. It wasn’t like Suho to spout nonsense, yet Antares, the King of Dragons, could detect nothing of Baran’s awakening. This hurt his pride considerably.

Was I awakened in the same way?

Son of the Monarch of Shadows, indeed.

It was hard to believe this was a mere coincidence. The King of Demons had been roused at the exact moment they encountered the Demons of the Rift.

But a coincidence...?

It can’t be.

Antares’ eyes glowed as he narrowed them at Suho.

What an interesting young man.

He has the ability to bring back Monarchs who have died and dissolved into nothingness...

While it was surprising that this was possible at all, he was satisfied by his wise choice to select such an individual as his successor. It took more than ordinary levels of talent to contain Antares’ immense power within a mortal frame, as most would have been reduced to nothing but ashes.

“Come to think of it, the cracks here are worse than anywhere else,” Antares muttered.

He quickly scanned the area, realizing why there were so many Demons of the Rift gathered here. The space was full of breaches, seemingly created by force. These breaches were pulling the Residents of the Rift into one place.

They weren’t proper gates. Rather, it looked as though Baran had used his power to summon his army.

“Hehe... The Sanctuary of the Demons, hmm? This is a golden opportunity for the Residents of the Rift. Perhaps one among them will succeed in claiming the title of King of Demons.”

The right to become the King of Demons was not granted only to pure-born demon nobles. In truth, the dregs who had not yet become demons also had a chance. By consuming enough demon souls, their rank as a demon could significantly change.

Aside from the place they were currently standing in, Antares knew of two more spots in the universe with massive concentrations of demons. One was the territory ruled by Esil Radiru, the demon noble.

And the other...

His gaze swept across the desolate landscape. The Residents of the Rift were everywhere, filling his vision and covering the barren land entirely. The wilderness was bone dry, devoid of water. Jagged, thin rock formations jutted into the sky, creating an alien atmosphere.

The Residents of the Rift here varied in appearance, just as the demons they had consumed differed in size and form. However, they all shared one singular focus—Suho. It didn’t matter what kind or how many demons they had fed on, it was the hunter—or rather, the swords in his hands—that drew their attention.

[Item: Vulcan’s Horn]

[Acquisition Difficulty: ??

Type: Sword

Attack Power +40

It’s a sword made from the horn of the greedy demon Vulcan.

Vulcan’s power imbues it with the ability to inflict greater damage.

Effect “Destructive Desire”: Increases physical damage by [300%]

Effect “Demon Devourer”: As it feeds on demon souls, Vulcan’s power grows stronger.]

[Devoured Demon Souls: Satiated State]

“What? You want these, do you?” Suho asked, noticing their greed and raising the swords in the air.

The weeds screeched and chittered in response. Though wary of his power, their instinct to feed overcame their caution. They rushed forward, driven by hunger.

Suho grinned at the sight of their crude, animalistic desire. “Yes, of course. I have fed many a demon soul to these greedy blades,” he said.

[Devoured Demon Souls: Satiated State]

Indeed, the Vulcan’s Horns contained an immense concentration of demon souls. If the Residents of the Rift got their hands on them, the resulting demon would be unimaginably powerful.

It would be a demon noble on par with Vulcan, or maybe even stronger.

Such a demon might even vie for the throne of the King of Demons.

Currently, the only living demon noble was Esil. That made this the opportunity of a lifetime for the Residents of the Rift, who longed to ascend to true demonhood.

“We wanted the World Tree, but it looks like we’ll get the blood of the King of Demons instead,” Suho said, grinning.

He checked the quest window.

[Quest: Trial of the Demon King]

[Residents of the Rift who wish to become demons have invaded the territory of Esil Radiru, the last demon noble.

Sacrifice as many as possible to help Esil Radiru become the legitimate successor of the King of Demons.

Reward: ??]

“So the trial has already begun... That means I don’t need to hold back anymore,” Suho said, his eyes gleaming viciously. He glanced down at his feet.

His objective had changed. Until this point, he had simply been looking for the World Tree, but now he could kill without limitation.

[Skill: “Monarch’s Domain” has activated.]

It was time for a massacre.

Suho’s shadow spread out in all directions at once, as if to fill up the dimensional rift.

“Arise.”

At that moment, thousands of shadow soldiers rose from the darkness. This included the shadow Nagas he had gained at the Loktak Field, the shadow dragonkin, and Sita, who soared into the sky on black wings.

Suho’s voice rang out, chilling and resolute.

“Kill them all. Don’t leave a single one alive.”

The more sacrifices, the better.