Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Chapter 698

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 698: Episode 25: Demon King (1)

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「There are three ways to become a Demon King. I've forgotten some of them. But at least one thing is certain. You must kill another ‘Demon King.’」

* * *

"Demon King of Salvation?"

When Yu Junghyeok faltered at the modifier, Anna Croft immediately asked, "Do you know that Demon King?"

No.

That was what Junghyeok intended to say.

None of the Demon Kings of the 72 Demon Realms he knew possessed that modifier. Yet the moment he heard it, a headache struck him, and a voice rose in his mind.

「"That damn sunfish bastard again!"」

It was a teasing voice, like one calling out to a close friend.

Friend.

It was strange. Such a concept had never existed for him throughout forty-one repeated lives.

Then whose voice was this, and where had it come from?

He soon found the answer.

‘Memories from another worldline.’

They had to be memories a woman named Han Suyeong had placed inside his head.

「"Demon King of Salvation."」

He didn't know whether that was the man's name in those memories. Still, the emotions of those who called out that modifier remained vivid within them.

Some were happy when they spoke that name. Some were sad. Some missed him.

They were emotions Junghyeok no longer possessed.

He tried to recall the man's face, but it was cunningly hidden behind a hazy blank, refusing to reveal itself.

Instead, the items the man used came to mind.

A white coat.

A sword with three attributes.

A smartphone he carried around like a talisman...

The thought sent a chill down Junghyeok's spine.

He already knew an Incarnation who used those exact same items.

"Supreme King?"

Anna's repeated question pulled Junghyeok back to reality.

"A Demon King I don't know."

Anna watched him for a moment before saying, "I won't use [lie detection]. I don't think you're the kind of person who would lie about something like that."

"You speak as though you know me well."

"Of course I know you, Supreme King. I've inherited the memories of all the previous rounds..."

"I told you my Patience isn't deep in this round."

Anna fell silent. Junghyeok closed his eyes, reined in his emotions, and asked, "What else did you find out about the Demon King?"

"It isn't a high-Status Demon King."

"How do you know that?"

"None of the 72 Demon Realms have changed rulers."

A Demon King's strength was normally determined by the order of the Demon Realm they ruled.

For instance, Andromalius, ruler of the 72nd Demon Realm, was weaker than Dantalion, ruler of the 71st Demon Realm.

If the rulers of the existing Demon Realms remained securely in power, then this Demon King had yet to enter the rankings.

‘A small blessing in this misfortune.’

A Demon King's servants were influenced by the Status of the Demon King they served.

For example, a Tier-7 demonic species like the Warden of the Dark could rise to Tier 6 or fall to the level of Tier 8 depending on the Demon King it served.

If this Demon King of Salvation was a low-Status Demon King, its servants wouldn't be high-ranking creatures either.

"What sort of creature took over the dome? If it descended as a Calamity, it must still be formidable."

A Calamity-grade creature couldn't possibly be a mere Tier-6 or Tier-7 demonic species.

At minimum, it would be a Tier-5 demonic species or higher.

It might have been a fallen noble of the Demon Realm, sold as a Calamity after falling into debt with the Administration Bureau.

Most likely a demon baron or viscount. If they were unlucky, a count. If they were truly unlucky, perhaps even a marquis.

Anything above that wouldn't be able to descend due to Plausibility.

"All we learned was that it has a humanoid form. Christina did gain one thing from facing the Demon King's symbolic form, but..."

"The Demon King's symbolic form?"

Junghyeok's expression hardened for the first time. He hurriedly looked around, but he couldn't sense any unusual signs yet.

"Why didn't you tell me that first?"

If enough Plausibility was permitted here for a Demon King's symbolic form to manifest, then it would be better to abandon the Washington Dome.

Reading Junghyeok's thoughts, Anna hurriedly added, "It wasn't in Washington. Christina faced the Demon King's symbolic form in Las Vegas."

"Las Vegas?"

The Las Vegas Dome was still in the early Scenarios, a place where Demon Realm conversion hadn't even occurred.

No Demon King, not even through a symbolic form, could manifest carelessly in a place like that and escape the backlash unharmed.

Then...

"Did she make contact through the hypnotist's [Nightmare]?"

Anna nodded.

The hypnotist's Exclusive Skill, [Nightmare].

That skill could create a dream with a low Plausibility cost, allowing its user to meet a being of high Status for a brief time.

"The Demon King told her not to touch Washington."

"I'll need to hear the details from the hypnotist. Where is she?"

"I called her here, but it'll be hard to get the details even if you meet her. She may have used [Nightmare], but the other party was the symbolic form of a Demon King. Christina couldn't handle someone like that. She couldn't sleep for two days after waking from the dream, and for a while, she had seizures whenever she spoke about it."

With such a severe fear response, there was a high chance it really had been the symbolic form of a Demon King.

If the symbolic form had appeared personally to give a warning, then this place had to be important to that Demon King.

"We may need to prepare for the worst."

"The worst would be..."

Junghyeok didn't answer. He looked down.

Yu Mia, who had been drawing pictures in the dirt, looked up at him as if asking what was wrong.

One of Junghyeok's eyebrows twitched as he opened his mouth.

"Mia."

"Yeah."

Junghyeok looked at his younger sister's face for a long time.

Even now, after his heart had been worn down by repeated regressions, he could still feel a faint warmth whenever he looked at her.

His only family in this world.

When the apocalypse first began, Junghyeok had made a decision. No matter what it took, he would protect this child. That was the entirety of the mission he had been given.

There had certainly been a time like that.

Then he lost Mia.

Once, twice, three times, four times, five times.

After witnessing his sister's death dozens of times, screaming and crying out each time, Junghyeok reached one truth.

He couldn't save his sister.

Not until he ended this damned world with his own hands.

"Take this."

A pitch-black pill rested on Mia's small palm.

She said, "It's that thing, right? The one that makes you have good dreams."

Junghyeok didn't answer, but Mia seemed to know everything already.

She stared at the pill, then spoke in a sad voice.

"You can just protect me, Oppa."

"I will."

Both the child and Junghyeok knew it. He would risk his life to make sure she never had to use this medicine.

Even so, she needed it.

"When did I tell you to use it?"

"At the very last moment."

"When is that?"

"When all the people you told me about have died, and there's nobody left who can help."

"And?"

Mia lowered her head and muttered, "I don't want to. I'm not saying it."

Then she ran over and threw herself into Lee Seolhwa's arms.

Seolhwa gently patted Mia's back, then gave Junghyeok a slight bow.

Junghyeok nodded in return.

Anna, who had watched the situation in silence with her lips tightly pressed together, finally spoke.

"Do you really need to do that to a child?"

"..."

"Do you think you might fail?"

Junghyeok looked up at the sky for a moment.

If his thoughts were correct, this round would be his final life.

There would be no more chances. He had to give it his utmost effort, more than in any life he had lived so far.

Even then, tragedies beyond his best efforts could happen at any moment.

Just as they had throughout the past forty-odd lives.

Rumble...

The sound of monsters moving echoed from afar.

Using [Telescopic Vision], Junghyeok observed the movements of the demonic species.

Demonic species and their eggs densely filled the city center. It seemed they had already finished breeding, as low-grade demons born in real time had already formed a large army.

He counted the creatures with high combat strength and asked, "What happened with the other countries? You didn't only contact us."

"I contacted Japan, China, and India too."

India had Rannvir Khan.

China had Peihu.

Japan had Asuka Ren.

"Japan can barely handle its own Scenario, and China and India said they would consider it."

Not many countries could afford to help another nation so early on.

They had to consider the gains and losses of their own Incarnations, and interfering carelessly in another country's Scenario carried tremendous risk.

In that sense, the judgment of those who hadn't come here was very wise.

"Should we wait a little longer?"

Junghyeok had still come here.

"No."

The reason was simple.

「If more time passes like this, clearing the Scenario will become impossible.」

Once the Washington Dome's Demon Realm conversion passed a certain point, Demon Realm encroachment across the entire American continent would begin.

Once the American continent was being encroached upon, it would only be a matter of time before all of Earth underwent Demon Realm conversion.

At that point, nobody would be able to stop it.

What was happening on the streets of Washington would happen all over the world.

Demons would flood forth, and a Demon King would descend.

Humanity would be finished.

[The Constellations of the nebula Eden are watching your choice.]

"I'll stop it."

As Junghyeok made his declaration, the roar of a demonic species sounded from afar, as though it had read his resolve.

[The demonic species of the Washington Dome recognize your presence.]

A message appeared in the air. The contents of the seventh Main Scenario were displayed clearly.

Category: Main

Difficulty: SS+

Clear Conditions: Defeat the ruler of the Washington Dome and liberate the Washington Dome.

Time Limit: -

Reward: Liberation of the Washington Dome, 300,000 Coins, ???

Failure: Washington's destruction

[You have joined this Scenario as a mercenary.]

[Upon clearing this Scenario, you can obtain the same rewards as the original participants.]

[The Scenario Mercenary achievement has been attained.]

[The legions of the Demon Realm are approaching!]

Junghyeok drew the halberd from his back and gave an order.

"Everyone, prepare for battle."

Lee Hyeongseong, Lee Jihye, and Kim Namwoon stepped forward.

The Apostles who had been scouting the area from the rear quickly formed their battle line as well.

"Mister Dansu, take the rear. Sein and Yerin, take the front. The Second Apostle and I will provide support from the middle."

Judging by Yehyeonwoo's ability to command, he at least didn't seem likely to get in their way.

Soon, demonic species appeared from behind the ruins of the buildings.

Most were equivalent to Tier 8 or Tier 9. What stood out most were the ten-odd Tier-7 demonic species at the front.

‘Wardens of the Dark.’

Monsters that would slaughter ordinary Incarnations in an instant.

But the people here weren't ordinary Incarnations.

"Lee Hyeongseong."

At Junghyeok's command, Hyeongseong shot forward like a cannonball.

"Haaaaah!"

Charging forward bravely, Hyeongseong used [Mount Tai Shove] to knock down the Wardens of the Dark at the front all at once, then used [Great Mountain Crush] to cave in the ground around them.

The demonic species' screams echoed through the thick dust.

Junghyeok gave another order.

"Kim Namwoon. Lee Jihye."

Namwoon let out an unpleasant laugh and tore through the battlefield, wildly swinging the daggers in both hands.

"Heheh! One tentacle bug eliminated!"

Namwoon killed a Warden of the Dark in an instant, laughing strangely as he accelerated his Mana circuits.

The energy of [Black Flame] streamed continuously from his twin daggers.

Namwoon rampaged across the battlefield like a mad clown.

"Idiot! Behind you!"

Jihye covered Namwoon's opening.

[Demon Slaying] and [ghost walk] followed in succession.

Namwoon, already covered in cuts, grinned broadly and shouted, "You came to save me after all!"

"Shut up!"

As the demonic species staggered back before the pair's combined attack, Kang Ilhun stepped in to seize the opportunity.

"All right, time to go back to hell."

Namwoon glared at Ilhun as though asking what the hell he was.

Unbothered, Ilhun fired his bowgun in rapid succession.

Dududududu!

The bolts contained Archangel Jophiel's [503rd Unit].

The bolts struck the demonic species, causing dust explosions that completely destroyed the vanguard.

It was enough force to wipe out an entire company of demonic species in an instant.

Anna Croft couldn't close her mouth.

"Don't tell me you have an Incarnation of Jophiel with you?"

"That's right."

"Someone who wasn't in the previous rounds..."

"Time to break through."

The dome's main servants hadn't appeared yet. Since the other side had the advantage in numbers, the best option was to push through quickly before their forces could gather in full.

"Move aside."

Cold moonlight-like Mana condensed around the tip of the Moon Halberd, Yu Junghyeok's favored weapon from the forty-first round.

[You have activated the Exclusive Skill Sky Splitter Lv.10!]

The violent Mana of Sky Splitter, which had reached Level 10 long ago, swept across the battlefield. The demonic species' heads flew through the air as if severed by an invisible guillotine.

A momentary gap opened in the battlefield.

Junghyeok didn't miss it.

The muscles in his thighs flexed like those of a wild leopard as he drove himself off the ground with explosive force. The scenery around him rushed backward in an instant.

Only Anna, who possessed the ability to fly, followed him at a slight distance.

"That way!"

The brightly glowing [Arch-Demon's Eyeball] read the immediate future. The routes the demonic species had failed to defend spread out clearly before her eyes.

"Right! Then the path on the left!"

How long had they run, cutting down demonic species along the way?

In the distance, the Capitol building occupying the center of the dome came into view.

The moment Junghyeok saw the Capitol with a massive pond at its center, he instinctively understood.

A deeply ominous and sinister Status.

Nobody needed to tell him.

The master of this dome was there.

Junghyeok stepped forward without hesitation.

Bubbles rose from the center of the pond.

The head of a long-horned demonic species slowly emerged.

The aura it gave off was on an entirely different level from the Wardens of the Dark.

At minimum, it was a noble-class demon.