NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 356
Chapter 357
The stirrings of the Cult of Oblivion and the Demon King’s army were matters that could not be taken lightly. While the former was somewhat expected, the latter was particularly alarming.
‘There was that time a demon managed to escape.’
It was something that Yeon-woo had to deal with reluctantly, so he remembered it well. Before his return, he had never even left Cheonju City, so he had no idea of the extent of the situation.
In truth, he had known from that point on that the Cult of Oblivion was on the move. They weren’t fools, after all; there was no reason for them to hide away, having already sullied martial arts beyond recognition. However, the fact that their movements had begun to be observed was an entirely different discussion.
‘Is the Heavenly Demon starting to show its ambitions toward us…?’
The developments now were vastly different from before his return. Though the number of demons appearing on Earth had increased yearly, a serious invasion was never attempted.
“It seems to be getting serious now…”
Yeon-woo murmured this in the living room after Jiz had left. Nea, hearing him, chuckled softly.
“Isn’t it about time for things to change? After all, I was brought out.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
“There’s no need to worry too much about a future you don’t know. Haven’t such events happened plenty of times until now?”
Nea gently patted Yeon-woo’s head, who wore a troubled expression. She was right. Not everything flowed according to the future he knew. The reality was the result of doing his best in facing an unknown future.
“Right, if you know, let your expression relax. If you keep that serious face on, Leviathan will make fun of you.”
At those words, Yeon-woo’s tense expression instantly softened. Being mocked by Leviathan? That simply couldn’t happen. How could he stand for such a thing with his pride intact?
So, while the children played games with Leviathan, he chatted with Nea about trivial matters. It felt like a heartwarming time.
*
[Ahhh, we lost!!]
“Hehe, Daddy, Daddy! Leviathan is really bad at games~.”
“Weak… Indeed.”
[Ugh…!! If I had just a little more time to play…!!]
The children chased after Leviathan, who ran out while grumbling in frustration. Shar was explaining just how terrible Leviathan was at games, while Tae-oh looked at him with a genuinely sympathetic gaze. Tae-oh, that scary kid…!
[J-Just you wait! Next time, I’ll really show you!!]
“Oh dear, who would have thought the Demon King would return so thoroughly beaten?”
[I-I could win in a fistfight…!!]
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
Following the remarks typical of the eccentric villain group in an anime, more childish comments couldn’t help but pop out.
Jiz smiled lightly at his master’s ridiculousness. What a laughable Demon King. Here he was, genuinely shedding tears over losing a game to kids.
Is it really that he’s serious about gaming…?
[W-Why are you looking at me like that!! Don’t pity me!!]
“I didn’t pity you at all…”
It felt like there was a subtle kinship there. When I play games with Tae-oh, I find myself getting serious without realizing it. I didn’t want to be pricked by that innocent murmur.
“Come and visit sometimes. But don’t let anyone find out.”
[R-Really? Is that okay!?]
He said he would play with the solid Tae-oh instead of me, which made me want to ask for something in return. I can’t help but wish he’d practice hard and one day be able to defeat Tae-oh.
“Okay, kids. We have things to discuss, so why don’t you go back inside and play?”
“Aw, but I want to play a game with Daddy…”
“Aah… Leviathan was just too weak. We need someone strong like Daddy.”
Tae-oh’s choice of words was quite odd. It sounded like something a middle schooler under the influence of power would say. Stop it, Tae-oh. You’re the Spirit of Darkness, and it suits you way too well if you go down that path.
“I’ll play with you in a bit, so for now, play with Mom.”
“Me, suddenly?”
“Mom… A force so strong I can’t even win…!!”
Coincidentally, the title of the gaming king in our house belonged to Nea. Initially, she didn’t even know how to hold a controller, but as she played the first round, she gradually improved, showcasing gameplay that left no room for luck to explain it. At that moment, I realized the difference in talent.
1st place Nea, 2nd place Tae-oh, and a dismal battlefield for all others.
With both arms held by Tae-oh and Shar, Nea was dragged into the room. Only then did Leviathan stand up straight. Trying to save face now seemed absurd.
[So, how far did you and Jiz get in your discussion?]
“Wipe those tears before you speak.”
[Sniff.]
At Yeon-woo’s words, Leviathan rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. It felt a bit silly, as if he were a cute little kid. Thinking like that made me slightly angry. How dare he act cute?
“I didn’t hear anything particularly important; just that the Cult of Oblivion and the Demon King of Alcheion are on the move and that we have information related to the Demon King of Fire.”
[Sounds like you got the gist. Just need a detailed explanation, right?]
“Indeed, my Demon King.”
With a polite bow from Jiz, Leviathan sprawled on the couch and crossed his legs. What a haughty pose, befitting a Demon King. I just hope he doesn’t do that in someone else’s house.
[What should I say…? Maybe a clue about a strategy?]
“…Strategy against the Demon King of Fire?”
[Yeah, just hearing it makes you interested, right? But you’ll only understand that feeling if you face the Demon King directly. He’s the sort you think you can’t possibly defeat.]
Hearing Leviathan’s words, Yeon-woo unconsciously nodded.
It was indeed so. If even a fellow Demon King felt that way, then the overwhelming sense of despair Yeon-woo felt might be due to not being strong enough to compare with them.
[But the ridiculous part is that this information is the same. To deal with an absurd being, we must abandon common sense ourselves.]
“…What could be so bad that it scares you that much?”
Yeon-woo sighed, glancing at Jiz, who wore a knowing look.
[Well, the delivery method is the same as before, but isn’t there some way to fix this constraint?]
As he said this, Leviathan pulled out a token from his pocket. It was a recognition token needed to enter the Gate managed by Golden Desire.
“Looks like I’ll have to drop by after handling Toyo. This is annoying. Couldn’t you have just given it to me after killing Toyo?”
[There’s no guarantee things wouldn’t go sideways at that time, right? This is something you should hand over when you have time.]
It had been a while since he last received something. Yeon-woo nodded, acknowledging it as he naturally tossed it into the storage.
*
“Damn it, damn it…!!”
As the Demon King of Toyo unleashed his fury, the earth trembled as if it was crying. It wasn’t just the ground; even the necromancers were quaking in terror. They knew that if they drew the Demon King of Toyo’s attention, death was the only outcome.
That didn’t mean they accepted death. There were those who truly betrayed him, and those who were left with no choice but to flee.
‘If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have betrayed him.’ It was only natural for the necromancers to think like this, as the Cult of Oblivion found itself cornered.
The greatest fear for any group should be internal division. The moment the members start thinking differently, the group loses its direction and can only be torn apart.
It was only by the thin thread of the Demon King’s frightening presence that they barely held together. Were it not for that, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they had already fallen apart.
Naturally, the necromancers thought they needed to escape. They had no idea what plans the Demon King was concocting, but they certainly didn’t believe those plans could overturn the situation.
Of course, there would be hunters waiting outside, but even they wouldn’t attack at first sight. Many were those who couldn’t even harness magic, and the few who were demons would likely survive if they volunteered as research subjects.
The number of individuals who held internal information was never enough. If they played their cards right and defected, they could live a life of relative freedom and at least save their lives.
That night passed as everyone harbored different thoughts. During this time, Christopher and the assistant priest remained unseen.
*
“Ah~ I want to kill that Demon King~”
“Don’t say such loud things, you fool.”
Yeon-woo stretched and exclaimed, being scolded by Baek In-hwa beside him.
In an instant, the attention of those nearby began to converge on them. As they looked at the hunters rushing in with fiery eyes, Baek In-hwa opened and closed his hands. Then, men in white martial robes appeared and surrounded them.
“Is it alright to waste such precious manpower here?”
“Preventing troublesome things beforehand is part of Seolpungdae’s job too.”
Is the gathering of people considered a troublesome matter? Well, it makes sense; those from the Ice Palace aren’t exactly known for actively communicating.
A week had passed, and they prepared everything so the contract could be transferred at any time. Returning to the battlefield, Yeon-woo and his group headed towards an area where the Ice Palace was stationed within the base camp.
When facing Toyo, the Ice Palace’s presence was indispensable. They had suffered more than anyone from Toyo and, at the same time, were the ones to anger him the most. That was the Ice Palace for you.
In other words, they stood at the front lines of war against the Cult of Oblivion. They had always been in that position.
“Ugh, I can’t believe I have to see that person again…”
“He’s my father, you know.”
“I’m uncomfortable with it….”
Understanding Yeon-woo’s discomfort, Baek In-hwa gave him a sympathetic look. Their father-daughter relationship was not bad, but as a princess, she had to maintain a degree of strictness, causing them not to be particularly close.
As they continued their exchange and walked, a massive camp distinctive of the Ice Palace began to come into view from afar.
The closer they got, the more uncomfortable Yeon-woo felt. I really hate this. Collaborating is great, but once we handle this, there’s no doubt they’ll cause a fuss about my marriage to Baek In-hwa.
Thinking this, he briefly glanced at Baek In-hwa. She met his gaze directly, and at that moment, she suddenly turned her head away. Her ears slightly reddened, so it was clear she was embarrassed.
“…Sigh.”
As if to reveal that her father, Baek Joo-han, was waiting, a snowstorm began to blow around. It only seemed that the weather was acting strange here… Is this what they call an abnormal climate or something?
(To be continued)