NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 350
Chapter 351
“Uhhahahaha!!”
Looking at the back of the War Leader, who was charging forward while wildly swinging his double axes, Namgung Seong spoke with a worried face.
“The path to the Demon King is cleared, and the situation doesn’t seem too bad for now… but is this really okay?”
“Of course it’s not.”
“Good grief.”
The War Leader may seem foolish, but he was not an idiot. This matter was only temporarily set aside, and once the battle with the Demon King was over, he would certainly turn his sights back this way.
They had simply prioritized the fight. Where could they find enjoyment when their stamina and mana were sufficient? Was there an opponent they could enjoy battling even in a somewhat tough state?
After calculating this, they concluded that facing the Demon King would allow them enough time before dealing with the aftermath.
“I underestimated him completely.”
“Considering he’s called the Demon King, I can’t even complain.”
The two grumbled as they followed behind the War Leader. Thankfully, thanks to the War Leader moving ahead, the Undead were being utterly destroyed. Yeonwoo was running around, spraying purification potions as if spreading salt on the snow.
“This is easy money.”
“Yeah, Undead don’t age, do they?”
“…?”
Yeonwoo looked at Namgung Seong with an expression of disbelief. Did that lame joke really just come from a seventeen-year-old?
“Alright, let’s get into the explanation~.”
“Don’t do that, seriously.”
It wasn’t surprising that he’d pull such absurd antics, considering his family supposedly practiced the Thunder Roar King technique. With a snicker, Namgung Seong chased after the War Leader.
*
[Damn it, is Hwayo unable to even handle his hunting dog properly…!!]
Toyo clicked his tongue as he saw the War Leader dashing towards him like a madman.
They had successfully laid the foundation, but the subsequent developments were utterly displeasing. It was frustrating that the demonic forces they had worked so hard to gather were being hindered by mere potions.
He was furious at the incompetence of his subordinates. It was questionable what kind of glory he hoped to achieve by gathering those useless fools.
[It can’t be helped.]
If his subordinates were incompetent, as their king, he must demonstrate the power befitting a ruler. While strength was not a necessary quality for a king, a king’s strength was often directly tied to the nation’s strength.
The Demon King let out a clatter as his jaw dropped. The jawbone perched ominously on the edge of his skull began to tremble. Dark energy started to ooze from the eye sockets of his skeletal staff held like a wine glass.
It was an unbelievably vile arrangement. The cries of the innocently departed resonated within him. Just that alone was enough to give one chills, but the layering of the Demon King’s curses made it impossible to discern its original form.
Terrifying shrieks, the final words of the deceased that could not remain in the living world, and voices struggling to accept the current situation mixed together to create a haunting melody that made the soul tremble simply by hearing it.
As the Demon King languidly toyed with his staff, it was as if he was conducting a chorus, altering the tune of death with every movement. Accordingly, the malevolent energy emitted by the dead only grew stronger.
[Ah, how lovely….]
Toyo let out a sinister chuckle as he fiddled with his staff. By the time the malevolence had gathered above his head like a fluffy cloud, there was a thunderous bang as the War Leader landed right in front of him.
“Demon King!! Let’s fight, you and me!!”
[Curse your barking…!! Who do you think you’re baring your teeth at!!]
At the Demon King’s roar, the curse clouds began to writhe. The War Leader shouted towards the sky, gripping his double axes tightly.
However, even with the Orcish traditional War Cry erupting from him, which could solidify a human’s body, the curse clouds showed no hesitation. This was because the Demon King’s curse was obscuring the eyes of the dead.
The roiling clouds transformed into massive arms. The gigantic cursed arm swung towards the War Leader. The War Leader planted his feet firmly into the ground and crossed his axes to brace himself.
Thud-bam!!
“Kugh!!”
The War Leader’s body was pushed back slightly. While it might have seemed like a mere physical attack, considering he was using the essences of dark magic, it was far from a simple physical confrontation.
The War Leader was strong and powerful. With the kind of strength that could hoist a simple giant and leap around the village, he was also tough enough not to be injured by ordinary weapons—though perhaps not as resilient as Christopher.
“Haha, unbelievable strength!!”
The War Leader let out a boisterous laugh. But as a sizzling sound began to emanate from his body, smoke rose into the air. Sniffing in the bizarre stench, the War Leader looked down at himself.
“What happened, what is this!!”
[Rot away, maggot.]
At the War Leader’s startled voice, Toyo cackled, mocking him. His mummified face, which had little flesh left, twisted into a smirk. The War Leader’s green skin was rotting away.
The War Leader’s face clearly showed panic.
“Wha—what is happening to my body!!”
[Quiet down. When your body decays, I’ll gladly take it for myself, so be thankful.]
As the War Leader was throwing a fit, the Demon King frowned at the disturbance.
It’s not easy to damage a master’s body enveloped in aura through external interference.
It would typically be easier to injure someone with a blade; causing decay or burns was much more difficult.
Yet, even so, the cursed arm created by that curse was rotting away the body of a master—and one of the upper-tier strong ones—just by making contact.
Meanwhile, the Demon King was preparing to use another dark magic, so it was clear this was no mere weak curse to be dismissed as simple brute force.
“Is he going to die like this?”
Watching from a distance, Namgung Seong mumbled to himself while cutting down more undead.
“It’s best not to underestimate the Great Warriors of the Demon King Cult.”
“Are you close with the Demon King Cult?”
With those seemingly protective words for the War Leader, Namgung Seong looked at Yeonwoo in disbelief. Of course, Yeonwoo hated demons. But it was exactly because he hated demons that he wouldn’t underestimate them.
“It’s wise to keep watch. If we don’t fight here and turn tail, we might see something similar.”
“What? What do you mean—”
“UAAAAAAAH!!”
Before Namgung Seong could finish speaking, a tremendous roar erupted. It was the War Leader. The two turned to look at the source of the booming sound that shook the battlefield.
*
“‘Everything is inherited from our ancestors, and in the end, it must be returned to the earth with a glorious battle.’”
“What’s that, you nerd?”
“Come on. Even if I tell you. It’s like an Orc tradition. Among Orcs, there are hostile tribes and collaborative tribes, but most tribes carry a saying like that.”
It was a story he had heard before his reincarnation. After being reincarnated, he hadn’t had much interaction with Orcs… though he did maintain a friendship with Karkas. He would become something significant later on.
“So what does that have to do with anything now?”
“It means I’m angry that the Demon King has sullied his own body. It should be returned to the earth, but instead, it’s rotting away.”
“Hmm, but is it really that important?”
“Very important.”
Regardless of what others felt, it was crucial to keep this in mind when facing the War Leader.
This was precisely why Yeonwoo seemed to acknowledge the War Leader. Absurdly enough, fighting the War Leader required a sense of honor.
“That guy gets stronger the angrier he becomes.”
As soon as Yeonwoo finished his statement, the War Leader’s body began to swell as he roared. Should he be praised as the Demon King of Fire, known as the Maou of raging fury?
Looking at that scene, the Demon King sneered. The curse clouds that had sharp claws sprouted from his arms surged toward the War Leader.
However, the War Leader did not move. Just like before, he planted his legs firmly into the ground and raised his arms to the sky, catching the oncoming curses.
“UUOOOOO!!”
The War Leader let out a mighty roar. Though the arm he had caught was beginning to rot away, it seemed as if the War Leader was blind to everything but rage. Rather, with every bit that rotted, it appeared he felt an increasing rage, causing him to swell even more.
[What, what is…!!]
Kaboom…!! At some point, the War Leader, who had been pushed back with no chance to fight back, suddenly halted. At that moment, his entire body’s muscles seemed to have doubled in size. With blood-red eyes, the War Leader let out a low growl.
“Grrrrr….”
The War Leader, having spun several times while clutching the curse clouds in both arms, hurled them towards one side of the battlefield.
As the clouds blocking the way faded, the War Leader charged quickly, picking up the double axes that had been embedded in the ground. He then hurled one of the axes towards the Demon King.
Encased in blood-red mana, the double axe flew toward the Demon King. Despite being bewildered that a malevolent spirit created from a special curse flew away through sheer physical force, the Demon King swiftly countered with his staff to deflect the axe.
The War Leader snatched the flying axe mid-air and landed right in front of the Demon King. Now towering like the Demon King’s throne, the War Leader swung down the axe.
[Don’t make me laugh!!]
As the Demon King swung his hand, countless coffins erupted from the ground. The coffin that appeared directly in front of him split in half, but numerous dead hands that sprang from nearby coffins reached up, grabbing onto the War Leader’s body, though they could not reach the Demon King.
“Get lost!!”
The War Leader swung his body to shake off the hands as he roared. The hands detached with ease, but yet again, newly emerging hands clawed at him, seemingly trying to pull him into the underworld.
However, knowing this well, the War Leader did not resist and instead swung his arms to shatter the coffins while advancing toward the Demon King.
“Dishonorable scum, die!!”
As the War Leader raised his axe high, Toyo, the Demon King, twisted his face in disgust. It was a humiliating expression. He hadn’t anticipated that he would allow such close proximity.
Enveloped in humiliation and rage, the Demon King swung his staff to strike the War Leader.
Kaboom!! Whether it was the power of the curses erupting from the staff or part of the Demon King’s inherent strength, the War Leader’s body was slammed sideways into the ground. Even though he suffered damage, the War Leader remained intact and strong.
It appeared the Demon King was now serious, gritting his teeth in an incomprehensible language while clutching his staff. Curses began to flood in from underfoot, the skies, and all directions.
Steam poured from between the War Leader’s teeth. His green skin was gradually being tainted red. It looked like he was preparing for something big.
As the two monsters faced each other, both bracing to kill, Yeonwoo was watching with delight. He knew without saying, right now, they were both going to absolutely fight to the death.
(Continued in the next chapter)