39. Finding a path leading underground
(1)
It didn’t matter if all the knights died here.
Spearmen were worth less than the horses ridden by knights.
Wizards take a lot of time to train, but if they could overpower Zeke, it was worth throwing them out.
But it wasn’t Zodiac Knight. Ten years ago, three Zodiac Knights were lost
in a battle with the Demon King .
If it weren’t for the damage at that time, Zodiac Knight would have stored up much more powerful power now.
“Zeke, you said it wasn’t the power you developed to fight humans, right?”
“That’s right.”
“But why are you aiming your sword at us now?”
“I am sorry about that.”
“If you are truly sorry, put away your sword and go to Seonghwangcheong together.”
“That is impossible.”
“It is right to resolve Ms. Signy’s problem according to nature.”
“Is what is natural for you also what is natural for my sister?”
“She is a saint. Just like a warrior, it is natural for a saint to sacrifice herself for humanity. Are you willing to reject that fate?”
“If it’s a sacrifice, it’s already been done. This is a poor child. I can’t let you suffer any longer. “Just turn a blind eye.”
“It’s impossible. A warrior who refuses to follow the commands of the Holy Emperor
is no longer a warrior. “It’s just as dangerous as the devil.”
“Mr. Cadenza, don’t you know very well that I am not antagonizing the Holy Emperor?”
“How can you know a person’s true intentions? “We were once played by the devil.”
“That’s…
“Surrender. “It may be mean to say this, but if you don’t surrender, those in Neuekahn will never be forgiven.”
“Do you mean to take me hostage?”
“yes.”
“Threats are useless. “They have already entrusted their lives to me.”
Cadenza sighed briefly. Conversation only draws parallel lines. In the end, I had no choice but to see blood.
How many knights, magic poetry spearmen and zodiac knights will be hurt?
I had already prepared myself for the competition, but when I faced reality, I felt sick.
Why did God send Zeke down? Because of him, I found hope.
And I despaired because of that.
Cadenza raised his sword.
If it hits, there will be irreparable damage between Zeke and Seonghwangcheong.
It was right then.
Someone fell from the sky.
The name of the boy, who wields a long sword as big as his height with a body as agile as a rain general, is Regin Panhul Jade.
He was Zeke’s younger brother.
The two auras mixed together to produce a sound.
Aura is the wavelength of living organisms.
It contained both light and sound.
The waves interfered and scratched the surrounding space.
The point where Zeke and Regin’s auras collided and amplified was to the point where everything was crushed and reduced to particles.
Naturally, the knights retreated. It was so difficult to endure even the cadenza that I had to take a step back.
“Regin.”
“Good looking brother! Long time no see!”
Regin laughed as he put his
sword behind his neck and slashed with all his might .
That laugh was so strange that it cast a shadow over Zeke’s mind.
“I just feel sorry for you.”
“sorry?”
“I entrusted it to Mr. Cadenza and Mr. Oridon because I trusted them.”
“Yes, they are good people. It’s not like I sold my soul to the devil like anyone else. “Brother, if you really feel sorry for me, won’t you give me just one thing?”
“That neck!”
The sword drew a sharp trajectory again.
Zeke raised his shield to block.
“You seem very angry.”
“Don’t act like an adult! “Do you really think I can’t kill you?”
“I couldn’t help it for your sister.”
“My lovely sister Signi! “You even took my only light.”
“To save her…
“Lie. You actually caused my sister to die! “By joining hands with the devil!”
Zeke felt Regin’s words more painful than the shock wave created by the sword.
He accepted Regin’s sword and offered an excuse.
“It’s not like that. “I was planning on sacrificing my life for SIGNI!”
Regin snorts.
“Signi was my older sister and mother. Who was the person who took care of me when I was sick? “Who do you think was the one who held my hand and begged for food when I was hungry?”
Zeke’s part-time salary
was not enough to feed his two younger siblings.
Moreover, Zeke worked harder on teaching his younger siblings than on eating them. Even if food expenses were skipped, investment in education did not stop.
Regin was too young to understand such things.
I was just hungry, and I especially remembered the dry bread that Signi had gotten from doing chores.
“Your sister is a witch? you’re welcome! My brother really joined hands with the devil and corrupted my sister. I wish I didn’t have a brother! “If my brother hadn’t made a contract with that devil,
my sister wouldn’t have ended up like that!”
“It’s not like that! Something like that…
Zeke gritted his teeth.
He reached out his hand and grabbed Regin’s blade.
The aura was protecting my palm, but it ended up being torn and my palm was stained with blood.
Regin drew his sword.
But the sword in Zeke’s hand did not move.
“Regin you are my sister. Just like Signy… he
is an incredibly precious younger brother to me. “I only broke off the relationship so that you alone could clear your name.”
“It seems to be true that the devil has a cunning tongue. Brother, brother. “If you really want to apologize, give it to me!”
“Regin, if that is the path for you, then what is there that I can’t give you with my life? But no.”
I drew my sword. Regin, who was holding on, ended up missing the hilt of his sword. The difference in power was evident.
Zeke threw Regin’s sword and stuck it in the ground
.
Immediately after that, I recited the spell.
All of the Zodiac Knights were in a daze due to the fierce battle with Regin. If I missed this opportunity, it seemed like the battle would break out again.
Wings of flame rose from its back. Zeke soared high into the sky with the power of Suzaku.
Even the wizards didn’t notice Zeke’s magic.
Everyone just looks up at the sky like a dog chasing a chicken.
“After all, you are the Demon King! I can’t believe you’re hiding the number of such sudden reversals. Even if you return to Mahon in peace in 10 years, I will not blame any of you.”
“Alex, you bastard, the corners of your mouth will reach your ears. “Is it that good?”
“Good, good. “It’s really good.”
Alex wasn’t the only one I liked.
The other Demon Dukes who attended the meeting also had smiles on their faces.
“Hehehe, I never thought my lord would do such a great thing
! He hasn’t been able to produce even a single prince so far, so I was worried that it might be that.”
Seyton stroked his beard and laughed.
Sloth Seiton was the master of devils and devils. Races such as satyrs with goat faces and human bodies and devils with huge horns served him as their monarch.
“Not really. I checked everything at night. Hohoho.
At the words of Santrina, the six dukes, the other six dukes said, ‘Oh! ‘That’s great!’ They
clapped and shouted.
“Oh, just do it in moderation. “Before I kick them all out and pick a new one.”
Deus’ expression was filled with anger, but the authorities paid him no mind.
“Once the prince is born, we will have to start classes right away. “Before, there were many princes, so we taught them separately, but this time, I think the seven of us will have to attend to him together.”
Everyone nodded at Glutton Daroche’s words.
Becoming a prince’s nanny
was the same as gaining the power to lead the next century.
“Oh, I really can’t listen to you. “If you guys are going to play drums and janggu together, why did you invite me?”
Alex nodded.
“When I think about it, yes. It’s okay to go back. “Go and do your work.”
Deus gritted his teeth and got up from his seat.
I closed the door loudly and left the conference room.
After he left,
there was silence in the conference room for a moment.
Alex clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“This too must be God’s will.”
At this moment, the expressions on the Demon Dukes’ faces were extremely complex.
Meanwhile, Deus returned to the room at a stomping pace.
Yulgeum happened to be alone there.
“Signi?”
“The Duke of Demon’s servants took me to see what kind of gift it was. “You need to check the list or something.”
“Why are you so swollen?”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“It’s a profound line that somehow seems to cover everything in one word.”
“Are you going to sound carefree? “Don’t you know how serious this incident is?”
“Hmm… Considering my personal history, it’s definitely a big deal, but I’m not sure if it’s something that will weigh on you as well.”
“Ha,
of course, as someone who falls in love with a man and chases him around, it may be surprising that his child suddenly appears.”
“Who is chasing whom? “If you think about it, isn’t it the opposite?”
“what? Think carefully. “Who was chasing whom?”
“Oh, this isn’t even fun to talk about. now.”
Deus sat across from the tea table where Yulgeum was sitting.
Yulgeum sighed again towards Deus, whose eyes were rolling.
“Ha, you really have no idea?”
“yep. “Can you please lend me your brain?”
“What kind of child will be born?”
“I think it’s a newborn baby.”
“Stop playing around.”
“He must be the devil because he is the devil’s child.
The magic peacocks are not making a fuss right now. Just because you have an heir, who would give or take a nanny…
“It’s not that simple!”
” why?”
“It’s not mom… but anyway, who is giving birth?”
“It’s Signi.”
“What is your occupation?”
“Saint.”
Deus’ expression hardened slightly.
“Have you noticed it now? That child is a demon king, but at the same time, he has the blood of a warrior
. “I don’t know if it’s a curse or a blessing.”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not Signi’s child. I don’t know exactly, but the Demon King produces the second generation in a different way than humans…
“Blood is bound to be inherited from the mother. “To be exact, it’s the immune system or something like that.”
Deus thought of the black blood vessels rising on Signi’s back.
Inside the sword-shaped baby house, the child seemed to be living off of SIGNI’s blood.
“And a warrior considers bloodline the most important.”
“So, are you really saying that this child can become both a demon lord and a hero?”
“Now do you think you know why I have a serious expression?”
“JL Is that so?”
“Why not send the child to Signi to raise him as a warrior and create a new child?”
“What do you mean!”
“Take a random woman from the demon world and hand over the demon spirit to her.”
Yulgeum crossed her legs and continued speaking
.
“You’re actually having a headache too. After all, a 10-year-old girl…
“Could you please stop talking like that? In the first place, this was an accident that occurred because of a wrong bell. Besides, if I hadn’t done that at that time, Signi would have died.”
“Can’t we at least wear rubber gloves and hold hands?”
” uh?”
“Anyway, this is why sex education is important. Even if you only use rubber gloves, your liability will be greatly reduced.”
39. Finding a path leading underground
(2)
Deus lost his temper as he continued to be cornered.
“Oh, I don’t know! This body is the devil. I don’t care if it’s a 10 year old or a 5 year old! Why is the Demon King sowing seeds here and there…
“I came back…
The door opened and Signy came in. There was no way he couldn’t have heard
Deus’s
story, as his voice grew louder at that moment.
Deus made eye contact with the white-faced SIGNI.
Yulgeum made a sharp remark.
“idiot.”
“Si Signi…. So this is it!”
Deus’ efforts to return the cold air to normal lasted for three hours.
“Now that I think about it, that’s true. “The new child to be born is the child of the devil, but it is also the child of a saint.”
Signy thought for a moment and then
opened his mouth again.
“Don’t you think it would be good to be given the role of reconciling the two forces? Maybe God wants to put an end to the long war. “Isn’t that why you put this child down?”
Even Yulgeum’s heart was shaken by her words that seemed to cut away a messy knot.
Is that really God’s will?
Meanwhile.
With Zeke and Signy gone, Neuekahn
was unable to come to his senses due to the immediate problem.
Lache and Sadimus, who had lost Signy right before their eyes, gathered Neuekahn’s commanders and held meetings.
The majority opinion was that SIGNI should be recovered, but the question was how to do it.
Above all, the person who kidnapped Signi was none other than the Demon King.
Noiekan, desperate for survival, invades the Demon King’s territory and rescues Signy?
It was a story that went beyond the impossible and even ignored the laws of the world.
First, one of the main knights decided to quickly go down the mountain and deliver the news to Zeke.
But I couldn’t decide what to do next.
The confusion in the command immediately affected Neuekahn’s morale.
Above all, as the giants Zeke and Signy had disappeared, the vacuum in power could not be ignored.
Sadimus and Laketeriyan and Nezar.
The four beings gathered in the conference room of City Hall.
It was Nezar who called them together.
It was something that rarely happened, so everyone tilted their heads and looked at Nezar.
“I heard that your main knights were defeated in the battle of the northern wall yesterday. Is that okay?”
From Nezar’s first words, Teriyan’s insides were scratched.
“It wasn’t a battle to win. “We just suffered an unexpected attack while taking out a surveillance post at the front line to increase the density of the front line.”
“I understand. Because humans are weak. Just because Zeke
and Signy weren’t there, my morale dropped quite a bit. “I understand.”
Teriyan clenched his fists.
What that rude slave said was really unpleasant to hear, but it wasn’t wrong.
Even knight-level knights often fell into panic during battle.
It seemed like they were pushed to the edge just because there was no savior.
“I can understand, but I don’t think it can continue like this. “How many days will it take until Neue
Kahn’s destruction?” Sadimus let out a heavy voice. “I didn’t care even if you said something presumptuous
. Because Zeke wanted it. But don’t expect me to tolerate it forever.”
“What if I don’t hold back? Is there anything among the guys here right now that can beat me? Lich King? Mandarake? He wouldn’t even be at the level of a corps commander. “Now my power is overwhelming all of you.”
Sadimus glared straight at Nezar.
“
Do you think I will fall for your childish provocation? Nezar, you are Zeke’s servant. “Make efforts to protect Neuekan in accordance with its duties.”
“So how many more days do we need before destruction?”
“Nezar!”
“How much longer can we last against the mugwort monster? You guys saw it too, right? The power of the mutant Leviathan. If such a monster appears again, who will stop it? Sadimus? How many seconds will the bones you summon last? Lakhe? “You mean you can stop the advance of such a monster with just a vine?”
Nezar looked at Legion Commander Teryan.
“What about the main knights? Over the past 10 years, I have developed quite a bit of skill in this difficult environment. “How would it feel to lose your entire foundation in just one fight?”
“What do you want to say?”
Nezar said in response to Teryan’s question.
“I will stop it.”
“Huh, if you said it because you wanted to be funny, it was pretty useful.”
“Is it funny?”
“After obtaining the Thunderbolt Hammer,
I have become one person, but that doesn’t mean you should be mistaken about your skills.”
“It doesn’t mean I can do it the way I am now. “Right now, we can defeat the corpses and tree ladies that are alive and walking around here, but we can’t defeat the real ones.”
A blue light blazed in Sadimus’ eyes.
“If it was so great, why didn’t I feel it?”
“Because I’ve never tried my best until now. Would you say there was no opportunity to step forward?
“My skills right now are not as good as Zeke’s, but I guess I can say that I have no rival among humans other than him.”
“Is the reason you summoned us in this urgent situation to discuss your endless arrogance?”
“No, the real point starts now.”
Nezar laughed. Everyone frowned at that mischievous laugh.
“Who is Neuekan’s commander now?”
Sadimus turned his eyes to Teriyan.
“Nominally, it’s Teryan.”
“My master Zeke left me in Neuekan. The one who can give me orders now is Teriyan. “He must be a temporary owner or something.”
Teriyan nodded.
“Obviously, Lord Zeke told me to do it. But what does that mean?”
“I want you to make a small artifact.”
“Artifact?”
“It’s not a big deal. “It’s like a bracelet that amplifies my power.”
Deus did not tell anyone about Nezar’s true identity.
Because of that, neither Sadimus nor Lache knew about the Almighty Bracelet.
“bracelet? If that’s the case, you can just make it. “Is there a need to make such a grand declaration that I will make bracelets?”
Sadimus burst out laughing.
“It’s not that simple. I wasn’t even allowed to pick up a weapon because the devil had his ugly fur on me. “I don’t like what you’re saying or something.”
“It’s true that you are rude. “He was your first owner, right?”
“I made him a real slave just because he lost a bet, and he said, ‘Yes, I understand.’ “Are you saying I should have become obedient?”
“I and Lakhe here were once his servants. “Because that was the contract, I kept it faithfully.”
“I’m sorry for being mean, but I lived in a time when there was no such thing as slavery. Anyway, it is true that I am not an obedient person. Strangely, Master Zeke is strictly following the words of his enemy, Deus
. “Why are you still following me when I tell you not to trust me?”
“It’s a good thing to be self-employed.”
Nezar sighed at Sadimus’ short answer.
“Now I live for Zeke. How will he feel when he returns and finds Noi Ekan full of the bodies of his old colleagues? No, there would be no body left. “The monsters would have eaten it all.”
“Do you really have to say it that way?”
“No matter how you say it, isn’t it true?”
Sadimus kept his mouth shut in response to Nezar’s question.
It wasn’t wrong.
Everyone knew that the current situation was not easy.
The fact that SIGNI had been stolen by demons was weighing heavily on everyone.
Among the knights, there were many who worshiped Signi like a goddess.
There were more than a few warriors who were frustrated because they didn’t have the honor to see Zeke.
Moreover, Signi was a saint with great abilities. Over the past ten years,
countless warriors’ lives have been saved thanks to her blessing magic.
The reason Zeke was able to vacate Neuekahn now was thanks to his belief that Signi would protect Neuekahn.
Teriyan asked Nezar.
“Are you really saying that if you have just one piece of equipment, you will be strong enough to protect Noiekan?”
“of course.”
“But isn’t that artifact something that can be made in a day or two?”
“Actually, I made it all up. I just
can’t use it. “Because there was no permission from Master Zeke.”
“He’s always been holed up in a place that looks like a lab, but he seems to have a plan.”
Nezar laughed at Sadimus’ words.
“If it’s a plan, it’s a plan. “I was planning on using the Almighty Bracelet the moment I got permission.”
Nezar turned to everyone.
“lets think. Neuekan cannot survive unless he is an absolute strongman. If it weren’t for those great warriors, Zeke and Signy, I would never
have been able to last here for 10 years. How long will it take to find Master Zeke and bring him back? one month? You went to the northeast corner, right? Even if we are lucky and meet right away, it will take 20 days? If you go deep underground to meet the underground dwarves, I don’t think you’ll be able to return within a month or two. Three months? Or half a year? “Can you last that long?”
As Nezar continued to speak, Teriyan’s expression faded.
There was no way that
the monster Leviathan I had encountered just a few days ago would not come back again .
Even if that wasn’t the case, quite strong monsters would appear here several times a month.
It took a lot of luck to survive here for several months without Zeke.
“If I become stronger, it will also be helpful to Master Zeke. “I am Master Zeke’s servant.”
Teriyan looked at Sadimus and Lakhe alternately.
It was a face that seemed to please him, but he didn’t say anything against it.
“Let’s just think about survival.”
Nezar’s words became a wedge.
Terrian’s heart changed at that word that seemed like a habit from Zeke.
“I take responsibility. “Nezar, use that weapon.”
The corner of Nezar’s mouth twitched.
However, I restrained myself by nodding my head with a polite expression.
Deus cannot be defeated with the Almighty Bracelet alone. We must obtain stronger power.
I promised myself that I would endure a little longer until I could regain this world that I once ruled as a god.
Carrying the flames, Zeke flew at once to a distance of ten kilometers.
It was the first time I used the power of Suzaku. It is an ability that far surpasses that of humans.
Because he was so close to God, I felt afraid.
I put away my shield and sighed.
The place where Zeke landed was the devil’s whisper.
I had unconsciously flown to a place that was somewhat familiar to me.
But the fire and smoke here no longer felt painful.
The molten iron was boiling nearby, giving off heat, but all I could feel was a warm breeze touching my cheek.
Zeke took a step further toward the lava flowing river.
I even put my hand into the homemade fire pit.
A red light enveloped his hand. Only then did he realize what was happening to him.
Suzaku was the embodiment of fire.
You will have him as your servant and you will no longer have to be afraid of the heat.
It was a good opportunity.
Zeke began exploring the path leading underground again.
If he can join hands with the short charcoal gangsters, Neuekan will no longer have to worry about survival.
They could have expanded their range of activity by using the underground paths that had existed for hundreds of centuries.
