Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 370

The body transcended the constraints of space. At that moment, Yeon-woo and his party were already gone from that spot. The massive chunk of mana that had been next to Yeon-woo’s heart melted away in an instant.

It couldn’t be called efficient. They only moved three people in total, yet a tremendous amount of mana was drained, enough for them to sustain combat for a while. However, there was no choice but to do it.

This space operated under unknown, independent rules. What seemed like a distance of about 100 meters might actually exceed several dozen kilometers.

Therefore, the solution to break the situation was to move based on what Yeon-woo could see, instead of moving through the distance.

Unfortunately, the Demon King was aware that he had such means at his disposal. Nonetheless, the advantage of the Demon King’s domain was enormous, forcing the situation to unfold regardless.

If it weren’t for mastering the Aura Blade technique, the word ‘fight’ might have never even formed.

As Yeon-woo landed on the ground, he scanned the surroundings. This was to prepare for any traps the Demon King might have set. His gaze swept around, detecting all the mana, and he relayed the results verbally.

“Jump!!”

At Yeon-woo’s urgent voice, Kargos and Baek In-hwa, who hadn’t fully grasped the situation, voiced their doubts but leaped into the air.

It was at that moment. A massive hole opened up beneath the three of them. Immediately, brilliant ice wings spread out behind Yeon-woo.

Shadow arms sprang from the shadows of the wings, grabbing the two. Yeon-woo glided slowly, keeping watch over the situation.

The hole in the ground appeared to have no end. Perhaps, at the moment of being swallowed, they would find themselves caught in an unfathomable abyss.

[Hoho, you picked up on that well. Truly enviable, it’s hard to believe a mere human possesses such responsive abilities.]

Receiving compliments from an enemy is not something to feel good about, but such strange praise felt less like praise and more like condescension.

Yeon-woo flapped his wings towards the smirking Demon King lounging on his throne. The feeling of distance didn’t seem to shorten, yet he had no choice but to act.

The hole that appeared beneath them began to move, trying to consume them. Kargos and Baek In-hwa’s faces grew pale as they saw the hole chasing after them.

It wasn’t something one often saw, and being swallowed by that would lead to an imagined fate hard to bear.

Continuously assessing the situation, Yeon-woo dove towards the ground like a missile. Stabilizing the landing for the two, he shouted.

“Watch your footing and fight!!”

He might hear words questioning if he was trying to fight by himself while flying, but it was nonsense to think he could carry both of them while fighting indefinitely.

Unlike Yeon-woo, those two couldn’t fight without solid ground beneath them.

While Yeon-woo had the reference of Namgung Seong and could change his physical condition through courage to adeptly manage aerial combat if needed, the other two could not.

The two nodded and, with tense expressions, unleashed their dual axes and chilling air. Bloody slashes filled the area, and coldness hung in the gaps.

However, the Demon King showed no intention of giving up. The axe and chill assaulted his body. Severed arms and bursting flesh swelled grotesquely.

Though the Demon King maintained a human form, the injured areas slowly began to discolor.

Finally, with a sickening squelch, repugnant black tentacles burst forth.

Massive tentacles previously hidden within his body swept towards both the Demon King and Yeon-woo’s group.

Kargos, having grasped the situation, clenched his dual axes tightly.

“UOoooooh!!”

With a roar that sent tingles throughout his body, Kargos began to wildly swing his dual axes. Bloody slashes swirled as he indiscriminately cut through countless tentacle tendrils.

Dirty blood splattered, and only after a deluge of tentacles had poured down did Kargos cease his slashing.

[We don’t need to converse, Great Warrior. Let’s consider it a prelude to the fight that will ensue after I destroy this world.]

From beyond the mass of tentacles, the Demon King’s laughter faintly echoed. Despite having sliced through all the tentacles, Kargos remained vigilant and instinctively moved his axe blade.

It was the instinct of a warrior, a survivor who had crossed through numerous limbs.

Suddenly, sharp teeth shot out between the tentacle mass. The speed was such that even Kargos struggled to react.

As the tentacle with teeth narrowly grazed the spot where Kargos’s neck was, Baek In-hwa intervened.

With a swift motion, Baek In-hwa’s cold blade completely halted the tentacle’s movement just as a bit of Kargos’s thick neck flesh was about to get severed.

“Huff… huff…!!”

Baek In-hwa exhaled heavily. He appeared to be severely exhausted. It made sense, considering he had intercepted an attack at a speed even a Master could hardly respond to with just an Expert’s body.

“If I’m going to die, I’ll die doing everything I can…!!”

“…Hmm!! You’re right about that!!”

Baek In-hwa spat those words out breathlessly. Kargos, staring blankly, grinned and nodded.

He could accept dying at any moment, but it wasn’t an honorable death by any means.

“Alright, cold lady!! Use me!!”

“That’s exactly what I planned to do…!”

In the midst of an unlikely partnership forming between the two, Yeon-woo charged forward, attacking the core of the Demon King from which the tentacles erupted.

“Die!!”

[Heh heh, you won’t be killing me that easily.]

Though Yeon-woo’s lethal strike was fierce, the Demon King smugly laughed and willingly gave up one of his arms.

Swish!! A sensation of cutting through flesh washed over him. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to begin with, but now it was even worse.

What was hidden within that flesh? Having simply severed the arm, it felt as if he were cutting through hundreds of parasites.

And that guess turned out to be correct. From the severed arm, dark, malevolent substances spilled forth along with the tentacles.

Sizzling, as if possessing the properties of strong acid, a shrill noise erupted as the ground melted away upon contact with the dark matter.

“Hey, your stomach acid is melting the ground.”

[I’ve been suffering from stomach inflammation lately. Can you help plug that hole in my stomach with your body?]

“Why not just widen it with a knife?”

In an instant, Yeon-woo pushed his expertise to transform White into its third form, plunging the Aura Blade into the ground.

He didn’t expect it to cause great damage. It was just a show, as he planned to fight with this from now on anyway.

‘Shar, I’ll leave the dragon’s flame to you.’

[Got it. Just give me a moment, and I’ll prepare it!]

‘Tae-oh, assist in operating the shadow arms.’

[Got it. Leave it to me.]

After briefly assigning tasks to the two, Yeon-woo grasped his dual swords.

The flaming White with the Aura Blade and the shadowy Doppleganger—both blades were masterpieces that would not disappoint.

However, it was doubtful how long these two swords could withstand against the Demon King. At the very least, Yeon-woo had felt a foreboding sense when that unknowable dark matter touched his sword.

The swords could break at any moment. Keeping that in mind, White’s third form needed to step up. At the very least, there was a necessity to find something capable of killing the Demon King.

*

“…Heheh.”

A man with chaotic eyes chuckled softly as he raised his head.

Had he not moved for so long? His neck creaked. His stiff shoulders cracked. He staggered to his knees and turned around.

““We meet the Heavenly Demon.””

It was a shabby yet beautiful palace. One could hardly imagine how great the power it once held, as even now, despite the dust and deterioration, hints of golden splendor remained.

Before the man, the Heavenly Demon, countless individuals stood lined up in five rows. At the forefront were five demons representing them.

Poison King, Sword King, Color King, Soolma, Jinma.

The five demons, who faithfully followed him, gazed at the risen Heavenly Demon with fervent eyes. Their sole desire was one.

That the Heavenly Demon would descend upon this world. Just as he had once tainted this land, he would also color the realms beyond.

As if he had heard their wish, the Heavenly Demon smiled broadly. Without anyone saying a word, he nodded.

There was no reason in his gaze. There was no sanity in his touch. There was no comprehension in his gestures.

What emanated from the Heavenly Demon was purely instinct. An instinct inherent in all living beings, the urge to leave something behind.

“Now, shall we go? To the other side.”

““Long live!””

All of those kneeling in front of the Heavenly Demon bowed their heads simultaneously, striking their foreheads against the ground until blood flowed. Countless streams of blood poured forth. They were all filled with joy.

*

“…They are coming.”

Hoo, a hot breath escaped through Richard Lionel’s thick beard.

The cold season had arrived. And simultaneously, the advance of the Demon King’s army began.

There were countless witnesses to the spectacle. From nameless mercenaries to the soldiers of the Sword House, many watched with tense expressions.

Word had it that the war ignited by Toyo’s Demon King had reached its climax. Perhaps not wanting to miss such a turmoil, events were unfolding simultaneously across dimensions.

Three dimensions, each fighting their own battles, with their fates hanging in the balance. Whether it could be labeled a positive event would be decided by future generations.

They simply live for today. Hoping that a day would come when future generations could evaluate their actions. Wishing for a peaceful world to arise.

Richard Lionel shifted his gaze. Then he focused on someone standing right next to him.

It was a child. No, he showed no signs of being that young. An old man who seemed utterly unfitting for the word aged, grasping a silent sword and quietly staring beyond the horizon.

“Are you alright staying here?”

Richard’s question carried multiple meanings. His two disciples—a warrior of Alkeion and one from Earth—were drawn together by a fate shrouded in mystery.

“I have not raised my disciples carelessly.”

The Master, Yuri, answered simply. It appeared he was trying to sever the doubts that had crept into his heart.

(To be continued in the next chapter)