Chapter 98
Time came to a halt.
[Passive Skill “(Unknown)” has been activated.]
This again? Checking the quest window, Suho found himself in a world of pure white, and before him, a massive shadow was cast. He raised his head to gaze at the colossal demon looming above him.
[The Greedy Vulcan]
The name tag floating before the demon caught his eye.
Are you Vulcan?
Vulcan offered no response. After all, the demon couldn’t speak. However, the intent was understood. The enormous demon lifted the corners of his mouth, making a cruel and wicked grin. Then he began patting his swollen belly boastfully and gently rubbed it.
Grumble!
A deep, resonant stomach growl echoed from his bloated belly as if on cue.
Huh. Suho couldn’t help but let out a sardonic laugh. What? Are you hungry?
Vulcan quickly nodded, drooling eagerly.
Seriously? It’s no wonder Vulcan’s Horn had been whining lately... It seemed that the alluring smell of demons permeating the air was to blame for the commotion.
Vulcan appeared far more menacing than any of the deceased Monarchs Suho had encountered so far, but despite his imposing presence, the demon felt significantly less intimidating in comparison.
Naturally, this was to be expected. Vulcan wasn’t a Monarch, and he was merely the residual soul left within an item. Compared to the deceased Monarchs, he even felt relatively endearing.
Vulcan’s Horn was a weapon that grew stronger as it devoured the souls of demons. The original owner of the horn had craved the blood and flesh of demons, but in death, he became an item longing for the souls of demons.
Even if Suho wanted to feed him, there wasn’t any chance of encountering many demons until now. So once Vulcan’s Horn arrived in the demon realm, it actively revealed itself, demanding sustenance.
No wonder Esil mentioned him being a gluttonous pig... Triggering the quest didn’t seem to be enough for Vulcan. He was so hungry that he had to show up personally.
Regardless, the vagueness of the quest’s requirements was somewhat unfavorable.
How much would it take to satiate this thing? Suho’s gaze lingered on Vulcan’s distended belly. Instead of answering, the gluttonous demon drooled more profusely, and he couldn’t help but smirk. Well, it doesn’t matter. Demons are in abundance here. He locked his eyes with Vulcan’s. Fine. I’ll feed you all you want. But... Your horn. Got another one?
Vulcan looked at Suho with an indecipherable expression. Then, the corners of his mouth curled up into a sly grin.
At that moment, the quest window before Suho changed.
[Emergency Quest: Vulcan’s Greed]
[Reward: Second Vulcan’s Horn]
A new line for a reward was added to the quest window.
Suho’s eyes sparkled. “Okay. Deal.” Negotiation complete.
In agreement, Vulcan gave his cruelest smile yet.
Whoosh!
Time began moving once more. In a flash, Suho returned to reality. His gaze was sharp
The crazed Minotaurs were charging at him from all directions. They were burning their last vestiges of life. But Suho focused solely on the chief guard and paid little attention to the others.
“Detoxify,” he said.
The words made someone in a distant void sinisterly open their eyes.
[Querehsha salivates over the sight of Mad Blood Poison.]
[“Debuff: Mad Blood Poison” is being detoxified.]
[“Debuff: Mad Blood Poison” is being detoxified.]
[“Debuff: Mad Blood Poison” is being detoxified.]
[“Debuff: Mad Blood Poison” is being detoxified.]
The demon guards had been controlling the other demons with the poison, and their attempt to feed Suho food laced with mad blood poison was part of this scheme. But unbeknownst to them, Suho could freely neutralize or detoxify the poison he had ingested.
The madness swiftly evaporated from the Minotaurs like smoke, causing them to collapse in the middle of their charge.
[Domesticated Minotaur has been defeated.]
[Domesticated Minotaur has been defeated.]
[Domesticated Minotaur has been defeated.]
Being on their last breath, the beasts died instantly as the poison’s grip was released.
[Level up!]
“Perfect timing.” Just as Suho’s strength returned to its peak, he extended his hand toward the chief guard. “Here, take this back.”
[“Debuff: Mad Blood Poison” has activated.]
A wave of poison surged from Suho’s hand and enveloped the chief guard.
“Hmph! Resorting to petty tricks, I see!” The chief guard dismissively waved his arm, incinerating the poison as if it were nothing.
The sudden collapse of the Minotaurs was disconcerting, but he had already reached Suho’s immediate vicinity. The chief guard’s searing heat lashed out at Suho.
But instead of retreating, Suho charged forward. He raised his hand and grasped the Vulcan’s Horn on his head. In his hand, the horn reverted to its original form as a sword.
[Skill: “Storm Slash” has activated.]
A fierce storm of blades cleaved the chief guard’s flames in half and continued forward.
The chief guard’s eyes widened in shock. “You are able to weaponize it! You truly are Vulcan’s son!”
“Hey, stop getting funny ideas! He’s not my dad!” Suho swiftly drew out Rakan’s Fang from his inventory and brandished his swords furiously.
“What will you do if they find out you’re human?” Esil asked. Her voice was laced with worry.
The chief guard was not an opponent to be taken lightly. Suho had to face him with all his strength.
The chief guard’s green poison and red flames swirled tumultuously, clashing fiercely with Suho’s storm.
Esil clicked her tongue. “What a nuisance. He can use poison and handle fire at the same time?”
Poison and fire were contrary forces, a tricky combination to wield together. Yet, the chief guard was demonstrating mastery of the difficult feat.
But to Esil, a demon noble, his display felt like a firework display instead of real combat. “Power should be used efficiently. Using all these different forces at once is—”
Just then, Suho boldly shouted, “Okay! Let’s see who can be even more messy!”
“Hey! Don’t compete over something like that!”
Diversity was something he also had in spades. He had an army of shadows at his disposal, and an army was stronger when it incorporated a variety of troops.
“Arise, Que!”
“As you wish, Master.”
Fervently engaged in combat, the chief guard was unaware of the deep shadow that had crept beneath his feet. Que, who had been biding his time, rose from the shadow and launched a sinister thrust.
The chief guard twisted his body in haste, but he couldn’t fully evade Que’s spear.
[Que’s “Debuff: Paralysis Poison” has activated.]
The chief guard, suddenly feeling his body go numb, was struck with horror.
Among the venomous insects Suho had consumed in the void, the most common were those carrying paralysis poison. As a shadow soldier, Que could imbue his weapon with Suho’s poison instead royal jelly.
“Poison like this doesn’t affect me!” With a surge of heat, the chief guard burned away the paralysis poison enveloping him.
[“Debuff: Paralysis Poison” has been deactivated.]
But the distraction was all he needed, and Suho’s swords were enough to slice through the neck of the chief guard.
[Demon Chief Guard has been defeated.]
[Vulcan’s Horn devoured the demon’s soul.]
The chief guard’s head rolled on the ground, eyes wide open in shock.
Oh. He’s worth ten souls. Suho quickly checked the amplification power of Vulcan’s Horn. He imagined Vulcan chuckling and patting his bloated belly.
Then an uproar filled the coliseum.
“The chief guard is dead!”
“Single Horn killed the chief guard!”
“A demon noble has appeared!”
“He really is Vulcan’s son!”
“Those despicable wretches! How dare they call the Young Monarch the son of such a foul demon?” Beru, unable to contain his rage, shouted.
Suho turned his gaze toward the demon guards. “So, who’s next?”
They froze in fear and couldn’t utter a word.
However, as he glanced around, Suho suddenly realized something. “Hmm?”
The terrified gazes of the guards weren’t on him, but rather somewhere else. At that very moment, a chill ran down his spine. Alerted by his senses, Suho turned his head towards the target of their gazes.
“Huh?” Suho was dumbstruck as the chief guard’s dead body rose to its feet but without its head. Flames suddenly erupted from the body and engulfed it whole.
[Mad Blood Tyrant]
The name has changed! Suho gripped his swords tightly as his eyes filled with tension.
Screams of terror from the demons began to echo from all around.
“The Tyrant King has come!”
“It’s the Tyrant King!”
Trembling violently, the demon guards dropped to the ground,
“It’s a parasitic demon!” Esil’s voice, laden with immense caution, echoed in Suho’s mind.
“A parasitic demon?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure if it was hiding in the chief guard’s body from the start... But something feels ominous.”
Suho stared down the Mad Blood Tyrant with his swords ready.
Whoosh!
The headless body of the chief guard was entirely engulfed in flames. It reminded Suho of how mist burns used humans for fuel. The color of the flames was different, but the fundamental structure was frighteningly similar.
Could it be a coincidence? Surely not. Many of the strange occurrences he had encountered so far felt like they had been waiting for him as if by fate—naturally placed in Suho’s path.
“This energy is... Young Monarch, prepare yourself.” Beru narrowed his eyes and glared at the Mad Blood Tyrant. “A follower of Itarim, the Outer Gods, has emerged.”