NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 358
Chapter 359
The journey towards the Sacred Grounds was nothing short of smooth sailing.
All visible enemies were knocked down, and any walls in our way were smashed to bits. This was one of the perks of having an internal map.
Normally, when traversing tunnels, one wouldn’t dare to tamper with structures for fear they might collapse. However, among our party was someone with a talent for smashing things, and with an interior map, we could discern what could be destroyed and what should be left alone.
And, unsurprisingly, that “smasher” was none other than Kim Hyun-soo.
No matter how thick the wall might be, he would resolutely strike first and then contemplate whether it was still okay to keep smashing. His approach was incredibly reassuring.
Anyway, most of our work was wrapped up thanks to Baekhwa-daebong.
With pure battle prowess, a master in the fight against the undead, Baekhwa-daebong successfully dealt with any undead and necromancers without breaking a sweat. If necessary, he showed no hesitation in slaying them.
After all, at this point, if they weren’t surrendering, they were enemies. Accepting the surrender of demons was one thing, but there was no need to coddle the oblivious fools.
“It’s easy, too easy.”
“I’m not sure if it’s okay to be this relaxed.”
As our party progressed at a leisurely pace, Kim Yoo-min muttered anxiously. What was there to be anxious about? One should save strength when they can!
Previously, it might have been a much tougher fight, but now that most necromancers had surrendered, it was different. The space felt remarkably ample. Had it been packed with necromancers and undead, my head would have surely throbbed.
“Glory to the Demon King…!!”
While Yeon-woo was lost in such thoughts, a necromancer suddenly dashed out from around the corner. Clad in impressive bone armor, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but swing his sword.
Swoosh, blood splattered. The reflexive strike took a life with alarming ease.
Since the opponent was a demon, Yeon-woo felt no guilt, but on the other hand, he sometimes felt a chill from the overwhelming power emanating from himself.
“…Whoa, that startled me.”
It was undoubtedly a statement that could be called psychopathic. To kill someone and then be surprised at it?
Well, even if something similar happened again, given the opponent was a demon, it would be a different story. If it had been a civilian, he would’ve definitely stopped.
As the necromancer fell, the undead fighting against Baekhwa-daebong crumbled like a house of cards. Some of them glanced at Yeon-woo, who simply shrugged in response.
The light from the dragons signaled the presence of a ritual chamber beyond the darkness. The imposing sight was reminiscent of a boss room inside a gate, causing everyone, except War Leader, to gulp nervously.
*
“Ugh…”
Someone’s retching echoed through the air. It must have been due to the scene revealed when the gates of the ritual chamber opened. Even Yeon-woo, accustomed to all sorts of atrocities, couldn’t help but grimace.
“Blasphemous.”
The War Leader commented briefly on the grotesque scene, and he was right. The walls, along with the pillars of the Sacred Grounds, were filled with bones and rotten flesh.
It didn’t end there. As Yeon-woo took a step forward, the ground began to scream. Peering down, he saw faces rising from the ground, writhing in agony.
Souls. Spirits used like flour glue to decorate the kingdom of the Demon King. It was a rather predictable notion. There was hardly a more suitable adhesive than souls for binding flesh and bone.
That fact didn’t lessen the discomfort, however.
[Have you arrived, unbelievers?]
At the very end of the ritual chamber, Nephren-Ka sat. His posture was haughtily regal. Surrounding him were kneeling necromancers, their attitudes utterly nauseating as they acted like they were something special.
[Now, I could let this slide, but what will you do? Will you offer your body and soul to me, the king?]
“Yeah, go screw yourself.”
We didn’t have a longstanding relationship where we felt compelled to keep staring into each other’s faces; getting straight to fighting was definitely better for mental health. Yeon-woo raised both middle fingers high.
[…You’re asking for death, aren’t you?]
It seemed he clearly understood the insult. Seeing the Demon King fuming was quite the spectacle.
The domain of the Demon King began to stir. Bones rattling. Flesh writhing, and souls started to sing. The negative emotions born from their suffering swirled throughout the ritual chamber.
Yeon-woo drew White. The pure lightning of the Heavenly Thunder God flowed through the air, and the powers of the Ice Snow God showered down like snowflakes.
“Wargh—!!”
The War Leader’s booming voice reverberated throughout the ritual chamber. The battle cry of an orc signaled the start of the fight.
The bones sprawled across the columns, walls, and floor raised their heads. They appeared grotesquely like barnacles, but they emanated a powerful aura, creating an undeniable sense of threat.
“Alright, from here on out, we each do our part. I’m going to kill that bastard.”
“What a hopeless idiot. To trust a life to such a guy.”
It’s strange to concoct a decent strategy when charging into the Demon King’s main camp; that’s just plain foolish. What do you know about strategy? When you barge in, improvisation is the name of the game!
Yeon-woo absorbed the fragments of bone shooting toward him like bullets. The main spear he’d first used was incredibly powerful, but the current main spear carried even greater might.
‘First, I need to clear this out.’
As if reading Yeon-woo’s thoughts, Namgung Seong spread his wings. Crackle, blue lightning flowed along the blade. The thunder streamed through the air in lines, branching out like tree branches.
Boom!!
There was thunder in a place with a ceiling. But what caused that tremendous sound was just a single sword strike.
The bone fragments that were flying toward Yeon-woo’s group splintered into powder upon impact. His fingertips trembled ever so slightly from exertion, but he could quickly recover from it.
In any case, there was no reason not to charge down the path opened by Namgung Seong. As Yeon-woo dashed forward, a massive form ran alongside him.
“I’ll chop off your head!!”
Of course, it was the War Leader. Yeon-woo, having slowed his pace, sprinted behind the War Leader who was charging at Nephren-Ka. With his size, he made for a perfect shield.
[Hmph, do you think I’ll entertain you for long?]
Nephren-Ka muttered nonchalantly, grabbing the collar of a nearby necromancer and hurling him toward the War Leader. The necromancer’s shocked face was visible to Yeon-woo.
Nephren-Ka’s strength was enough to claim the title of Demon King. The speed at which he threw the necromancer was beyond what an ordinary person’s body could withstand, causing the necromancer’s eyes to glaze over.
Was it just a simple bullet? Surely not. Utilizing the curses littering this ritual chamber was several times more effective than throwing his arm.
As the intention registered, Yeon-woo saw Nephren-Ka clenched his fist. Just then, Yeon-woo finally grasped his intent and tucked himself low.
“War Leader, duck!!”
“What?! I neither run nor hide!!”
“You idiot…!!”
Honestly, it didn’t matter much to Yeon-woo. If he was willing to play the part of a shield, what could be done? Even if the War Leader became a bit less useful, it wasn’t a loss.
As Yeon-woo lowered his head, a sound like popping water balloons burst overhead. Pffft, a necromancer who had just been alive morphed into a bomb in an instant.
The necromancer had exploded, using the Demon King’s energy as a fuse.
Essentially, it transformed the life force of one individual into explosive power. Even the War Leader appeared to struggle with the blast, as he wobbled on his knees.
“Did I tell you to avoid it?”
“…I’ll consider it next time!!”
Was it really that painful? Given that he was from the Violence Cult, especially as a Great Warrior who never showed signs of suffering, expressing that was quite unprecedented.
Regaining his footing quickly, the War Leader once again charged forward. His toughness was unreal. If Yeon-woo had taken that head-on, it wouldn’t have been strange if he had dropped dead on the spot.
Astonished by the scene, Yeon-woo dashed once more. However, he soon had to halt. A Death Knight emerged, blocking their path.
Previously, he could have effortlessly destroyed a Death Knight with a simple swipe, but it seemed this time would be different. No matter how he looked at it, an unfathomable curse had settled onto that body.
The spear the Death Knight wielded controlled the space with remarkable skill. He was a master of spears, likely recognized as such in any world.
On the other hand, Yeon-woo was completely unprepared. He had to watch out for the bone spears hurtling towards him, and there was a chance the dead might grab his ankles from the ground. The possibility of the Demon King tossing more necromancers into the fray was also definitely on the table.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were fighting against the world itself right now.
In this realm, everything unfolded according to Nephren-Ka’s whims. That was precisely why he was so leisurely and arrogantly looking down at them.
Curses began collecting. The skull staff rattled unpleasantly, filling the air with the ghastly cries of the undead, which seemed to gnaw at one’s sanity.
In a battlefield overwhelmingly advantageous to the Demon King, Yeon-woo bravely raised his sword. So what? Who cares? Just because the opponent is strong doesn’t mean victory is impossible!
Nowhere on earth does that suggest defeat is certain. As long as there is sufficient courage, humans can always set foot on that path to victory.
Nimbly dodging the incoming spears, he looked around. The War Leader was likewise pinned down by the Flash Golem.
There was no intention to cooperate. This was a duel. A trial to outmatch the War Leader.
Strangely, both shared a common trait: a fervent desire to win. And to those with such tendencies, there were times when striving to outpace one another led to greater synergy than any cooperation.
(To be continued in the next part)