Chapter 388: Prelude to Annihilation (4)

“A demon...?!”

Everyone was bewildered by Prokel’s appearance. They had considered the possibility, but actually coming face-to-face with a being from another realm was still shocking.

“I can’t believe a demon was dwelling in the imperial capital...”

“Have we been living among monsters this whole time?”

“What in the world was the emperor thinking...?!” Gordon Fabian murmured in disbelief, glancing at the demon lying beneath Karyl’s feet.

Hwarin and Miliana gritted their teeth, barely able to contain their fury.

“But how does Karyl know who this demon is? There’s barely any information available about demons,” Nain Darhon noted, his keen eyes perceiving Karyl's fury despite the chaotic commotion.

“It’s simple. He’s the sole inheritor of my repository of knowledge. Don’t think he’s the same as you lot,” Allen Javius said nonchalantly.

Nain nodded in understanding. “Please excuse my presumptuous question, Master.”

“That repository holds everything I learned during the Magical Era. Back then, there were sorcerers who even made contracts with demons. Nain, the vampirism in your bloodline stems from your house’s founder meddling with demons.”

“Is... Is that true?” Nain Darhon asked, wide-eyed.

“Well... considering that vampires are essentially demons, it makes sense,” Kadin Luer added, convinced by Allen’s words.

Even though all Great Sorcerers questioned and explored everything, Allen Javius’s word was absolute.

[You seem shaken up. Haven’t you proven yourself by now? Just like when you struck down the Platinum Dragon, true strength comes from honing your anger and unleashing it only at the final moment.] Allen’s calm voice echoed in Karyl’s mind.

Ugh, it’s just that Olivurn’s damn face resurfaced in my mind... I remember how he casually urged me to carry out the Oracle, even though he knew full well about the demons.

Karyl took a deep breath, letting Allen’s words sink in. He had vowed to not let his resentment sway him, but it seemed that anything concerning Olivurn was testing that resolve.

[Well... I get how you feel. After all, the Oracle turned out to be a quest to open the gate to the Demon Realm, and you practically brought them here yourself.]

Allen shrugged slightly. [No matter how powerful the Oracle was, I doubt the emperor would have recklessly sought its fulfillment if he thought it would destroy the entire continent. What could the gods have promised him to make him take such a risk...?]

No matter what deal was made, a life weighs the same as any other. Sacrificing the few for the greater good? I will never accept that.

With that thought, Karyl drove his sword into Prokel’s shoulder, channeling all his anger toward Olivurn into the blow.

Shhk!!!

An Aura Blade flared from Lakna, scattering the darkness in a burst of blinding light. The sword’s merciless radiance carved through without a trace of compassion.

I’m still being swayed by someone rotting in a grave. How pathetic...

Karyl frowned, twisting Lakna’s blade deeper into Prokel’s shoulder.

Crunch...!!

The demon’s collarbone shattered, wrenching an agonized scream.

“Aaaaargh...!!”

His protective spells had failed. Besides cutting through his shoulder, Lakna’s Aura Blade also seemed to absorb Prokel’s mana, condensing explosively as it flared.

What kind of insane mana is this...?!

Prokel thrashed in a desperate attempt to break free from Karyl’s grasp, but the more he struggled, the more his strength faded.

[So he’s one of the legendary Four Demon Knights? I must say, this is quite underwhelming,] Allen observed.

[They’re definitely not weak. It’s just that Karyl is absurdly strong. He’s absorbed not one but two dragon hearts. He’s quite literally the only one of his kind... At this point, trying to measure his strength would be silly.]

[Hmm... There are still three dragons left on the continent. What if Karyl were to consume their hearts as well?]

The Spirit Kings watched Karyl as he stood over the demon, assessing him like judges at a grand exhibition, each silently weighing his strength.

[Well, he has already absorbed the hearts of two elder dragons. His mana may be capable of handling more, but his body... I don’t think even the physique of a tribesman descended from a Blader would withstand it.]

[It certainly seems impossible... But then again, he always defies our expectations, doesn’t he?] Ramine spoke with a hint of amusement.

Strangely, the Spirit Kings seemed almost pleased at the thought of Karyl defying the boundaries they considered unbreakable.

[I see it differently,] Rasis chimed in, cooling the atmosphere. [The stronger he grows, the stronger we ourselves must become. When did the Spirit Kings become mere onlookers, content to observe from the sidelines?]

A brief silence fell among the three Spirit Kings.

[What are you getting at, Rasis? After all we’ve done to release you from the Platinum Dragon’s heart, you come here and judge us like this?] Duaat growled in response.

[And what is it you have done?] Rasis replied unflinchingly. [All you’ve done is lend him power once your seal was broken.]

[Spirit Power can only manifest in the human realm through bonds with contractors. Karyl’s strength enables us to wield influence here,] Ethereal argued. She seemed slightly irritated.

[Is that truly what you believe, Queen of Tides?]

[...What?]

[We all know there are ways for spirits to grow stronger without relying on their contractors.]

With that, Rasis silenced everyone.

[You discovered Psammead and chose to keep it sealed away to harness its power later. So only one remains—surely the one you all have been awaiting."

[...]

[The moment he opens the dimensional gate with the Soul Spring to summon Maktun, Lord of Rocks, from the Spirit Realm.]

Rasis spoke in a low, almost meditative tone.

[In the beginning, there were the Two Powers. Then, the four primal elements born from light and darkness. But there’s a seventh spirit, one that stands apart from us Spirit Kings.]

[I know who you’re talking about,] Ramine replied with a solemn expression.

[Thunder possesses the essence of light and heat, thrives in water, emerges with the wind, and even carries the darkness of storm clouds.]

[Kungen, the Thunder Lord.] Ramine nodded.

[His nature is so potent that it can surpass even the primal elements, outshining us in some cases. The Lord of Rocks is the only one who can contain Kungen,] Rasis continued in a low voice. [Awakening Kungen through the Lord of the Rocks, and then absorbing him as a medium to achieve Elemental Unity—only then can we transcend our limitations as Spirit Kings.]

[Elemental Unity...]

[A dreadful notion, yet one that cannot be dismissed.]

[But it’s clear that Karyl must grow stronger in order for us to achieve that,] Duaat added.

[We shouldn’t worry about that. The answer is right before us,] Mael intervened. [They say consuming a demon’s blood prevents aging. In other words, it strengthens the body.]

[That’s nonsense.]

[Why do you say that?] Mael flicked his tongue. With those words, he dissolved into Lakna’s Aura Blade, merging with the weapon as if absorbed by Karyl’s power.

Rumble...!!

Lakna’s blade surged with divine energy, its power erupting in a blinding flash of light that flooded the entire cavern.

“There’s still one more, isn’t there?”

Without even looking away from Prokel, Karyl drove his fist into the cave wall.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, one of the tomb’s pillars shattered, sending fragments of the ceiling tumbling down.

“Ugh...! Kugh...!”

Karyl then yanked a dark figure from within the shattered stone wall, tossing him forcefully into the middle of the tomb.

“Stop hiding like a rat,” Karyl spat, his tone betraying no surprise at the figure that had been lurking in the walls.

“...Tch!”

The figure stepped out from the rubble, brushing dust off himself as he shot Karyl a glare.

“What are you? A human with a dragon’s heart...? And how did you find this place?”

“Redshell...!! Be careful! This one... He’s an actual monst—ghah!”

Prokel tried to cry out a warning, but Karyl silenced him with a brutal stomp to the back of his neck, slamming him into the ground. The demon let out a helpless groan, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle.

Splurt...!

Karyl stomped down hard on Prokel’s head, the sickening crack of bone echoing through the air. Fragments of bone and brain matter splattered across the floor.

Redshell recoiled in horror, a few drops of blood staining his face. His terrified gaze shifted to Karyl, who stood still, eerily indifferent to the brutal execution.

“You don’t need to wonder. You’re going to die anyway.”

With that, Karyl slowly took a step forward.

“But first, there’s something you need to do. Hand over the two relics you guard, and open the gate to the Demon Realm.”

“...What?”

Redshell stared at him wide-eyed.

“Using the Soul Spring for this would be a waste, so I want you to open it directly. If you do that for me, you’ll get to die a better death than the one over there.”

“You madman...!!”

With a snarl, Redshell bared his sharp fangs, brandishing his swords as he lunged at Karyl.

Thwack!

But Karyl instantly responded with a vicious kick to Redshell’s face, brutally knocking him back.

“Ghah...!!”

Redshell barely had time to scream as Karyl’s relentless kicks rained down on him, each blow being more devastating than the previous.

“Resistance brings only pain.”

Karyl then ruthlessly severed Redshell’s right arm with Lakna.

Shing—!

The severed limb hit the wall, dragging a trail of blood as it slid to the ground.

“I’ll give you a choice. Greet death in one piece, or get ripped to pieces before your lord.”

“You... You bastard...!”

“You’re all so infuriating. Quit your whining, or I’ll finish you off right now!”

Karyl’s snarl, brimming with malice, sent a chill down Redshell’s spine.

“If you’re going to fight, gauge your opponent’s strength first.”

With that, Karyl plunged Lakna into Redshell’s left leg and slowly dragged it horizontally to sever the limb.

“Gah...! AAAARGH!!!”

[Seems like draining the blood of this lowly demon isn’t worth the effort, right Karyl?]

Mael looked down at the agonized Redshell with a peculiar smile.

[It ought to be the Demon King’s blood.]