Chapter 236
The rugged, uneven ground trembled and crumbled. The two Great Devils with animal heads were restrained by the solid terrain. However, the old man kicked the ground and sprang up to avoid getting caught.
Creak— Creak— Creak—!
The pieces of the shattered boulder tenaciously pursued the old man.
Thud!
The tentacles, which had been surging with menacing momentum, collided with the rocks, making them explode into fragments with their overwhelming demon force. The once solid rocks now lay lifeless in a pile of rubble. However, the directionless psychokinesis suddenly found its target, coiling around the old man's ankles with precision.
"It's not over yet!" shouted the Great Devil with a horse head.
The Great Devil with horse head broke free from the restraints and attacked with his blue demon power, unleashing a sonic wave that could seemingly shatter Lee Shin’s head. However, a single lightning bolt descended from the sky and erased its very existence.
"Just die already!" shouted the Great Devil with the lion head.
The lion-headed Great Devil’s attack lashed out like a whip, making Lee Shin’s shield explode, sending all three of them flying in different directions. Swept up by the explosion, the animal-headed Great Devils shook off the dust from their messy hair and bodies and smirked.
They thought the human must have suffered severe injuries from the explosion since he no longer had his shield and started laughing. However, they were mistaken.
Pizz—! Pizz—!
Breaking through the thick rising dust, a dark current that split into hundreds of branches engulfed the two Great Devils.
"Keaaahh!" The Great Devil with the lion's head let out a painful scream as the lightning arcs struck it.
The other animal-headed Great Devil avoided the lightning arcs by spreading his demon power. Lee Shin had precisely calculated this attack’s timing before the shield had exploded. He had wanted to hit at least one of them with this attack, so he smiled after seeing it work.
If they were to be hindered by such a light tactic, Lee Shin thought that this battle would end quickly, although there was a clear gap in their skill level. Of course, this strategy had worked because a wizard like Lee Shin had employed it, but that wasn’t important now.
Rumble— Crack!
What was critical was that Lee Shin still had plenty of room to maneuver.
[True Thunderbolt]
Suddenly, between the clouds that enveloped the sky, a bright white lightning energy struck through the darkness.
Babababam—!
The first step was neutralizing the lion-headed Great Devil in one fell swoop. Lee Shin did not think he had a high chance of success, but he was confident that he could deliver a critical blow, as the lion-headed demon was currently immobile.
‘Tsk.’
The True Thunderbolt struck someone, but it wasn’t the lion-headed demon. The old man had taken to the sky and blocked the True Thunderstorm using a shield enveloped in demon power.
"I did not expect devils to have such camaraderie," Lee Shin said sarcastically, looking at the old man because he was confused.
"Well, that’s just because this one is still worth something," the old man replied with a smirk.
Lee Shin now felt that the fight would last longer than he had anticipated. His current strategy had been built on the assumption that the devils wouldn’t cooperate. So, the old man saving the other devil puzzled Lee Shin, especially considering that Devils typically were not known for their loyalty and were quick to betray others even when they had a common enemy.
"That look on your face… You are dying to know what’s happening, right?” the old man muttered, smirking.
Looking at the man’s smirk, Lee Shin activated his mana again. He was aware that the old man was unlikely to reveal the reason, so there was no need for unnecessary conversation with this man.
[Tempest Burst Ground Magic]
Countless subatomic particles had formed due to the ongoing battle in this area. Suddenly, the dust and dirt that had been obscuring his vision ignited into flames and subsequently exploded.
Babababam—!
There was an immense explosion, easily engulfing a radius of several hundred meters, creating a dust storm completely blocking everyone’s vision. It was a subtle technique that applied the principles of two fields—lightning and fire—to earth magic.
The spell could only be executed through precisely controlling mana at the molecular level, guided by acute intuition and brilliant talent. While it did not possess the power to completely tear through the thick skin of the Devils and ravage their insides, it could, at the very least, sever the connection between them.
- Here he comes.
The lion-headed Great Devil emerged from the raging dust storm. Since Lee Shin had also used a spell to disrupt demon power infiltration, it would have been impossible for him to use his demon power to locate Lee Shin’s position. So, this demon had likely used his senses to locate Lee Shin.
Lee Shin, however, had already anticipated this. When the lion-headed Great Devil charged at him, Lee Shin immediately manipulated the dusty wind by snapping his fingers, imbuing it with physical force, and striking the demon.
Baaam—!The earthy storm, in the form of a fist, sent the demon flying into a space Lee Shin had artificially created. No matter how tumultuous the storm was, the eye of the typhoon remained calm. Amid the chaotic battlefield, Lee Shin stood completely undisturbed. Soon, a tail resembling an icicle emerged from under his feet and wrapped around his ankles.
"Keugh!" Lee Shin groaned in pain.
The thick tail was covered in sharp scales that dug into his flesh and twisted his muscles.
Woong—!
Lee Shin was abruptly thrown into the storm. Desperately channeling mana to shift the eye of the typhoon toward him, he could sense a massive flow of demon power working against him.
- Be careful!
A thick pillar of demon power suddenly pushed him in. Gene Ebrium shouted urgently, and Lee Shin unleashed his mana shield to protect himself.
Babababam—!
He continued to layer his shield with mana but could not stop the tremendous shockwave pushing against his body.
"Keugh...!" Lee Shin groaned again.
With the disruption of Lee Shin’s mana flow, the dust storm disappeared like the wind. The Great Devils, who were smirking, were also covered with injuries. They had withstood Lee Shin’s magic with nothing but their physical abilities. It was a brutally unsophisticated method but proved effective against wizards like Lee Shin. Consequently, for the first time, Lee Shin hit the floor, feeling the humiliation of a lifetime.
"It has been a while… rising to my feet from such a position,” Lee Shin said with a chilling smile, wiping the blood that had oozed from a small wound near his mouth as he got up. "What's your name?"
Riding an alligator-like creature that had grabbed Lee Shin’s ankle, the old man said with a red gleam in his eyes, "My name is Agares. And I am the Great Devil of Wrath seated on the second throne in this Demon World.”
"I am Marbas, and I’m seated on the fifth throne," Marbas also introduced himself after Agares.
“And I am Valefor. And I am seated on the sixth throne in the Demon World," said Valefor, seated on the lowest throne of all the Great Devils here.
As soon as he heard them introduce themselves, Lee Shin realized who he had been facing and let out a bitter laugh. Who would believe that they were the Great Devils seated on the second, fifth, and sixth throne of the Demon World when a mere human had simultaneously fought them all evenly?
"Great Wizard Lee Shin, the possessor of the titles He Who Knows Death and the Death Ruler, you have also reached the level of Transcendence. I can see that you didn’t get those titles by luck," the old man, Agares, said, listing out all of Lee Shin’s titles he was aware of.
Greed glimmered in Agares’ eyes. It was the first time that such interest had developed in him toward a human.
"Come under my command. I will grant you anything you desire," Agares said, looking at Lee Shin.
"Ha, do you really expect me to believe that?" Lee Shin mocked.
Agares’ face got distorted.
“What do you mean by that?” Agares asked Lee Shin as if he was offended by his response.
"Well, are you stronger than Baal?" Lee Shin asked.
When Agares heard that name, he made a decision: if Lee Shin had really been invited here by Baal, there was no need for further discussion.
Crunch—
Agares gritted his teeth.
"Baal... did you really bring us here for this?" As soon as Agares realized that something was going wrong, he asked Baal.
He suddenly looked upward. Simultaneously, Marbas and Valefor also looked up and witnessed a massive entity with dozens of legs. Purple demon power rained down on Agares from the entity’s legs, restraining him.
“Baal!” Agares shouted as he started to panic.
“How dare you try to mess with my guest! You must be out of your mind!” Baal replied to Agares, furious.
While Baal seemed angry, the sinister smile on his face was unmistakable. His long legs acted like iron bars, enclosing Agares, while the purple demon power from the legs turned into sharp thorns that pierced the old man.
“Argh!” Agares shouted in pain.
Agares could not do anything but scream. He could not even afford to resist properly, partly because he was already exhausted from his battle with Lee Shin, and Baal had attacked him suddenly. Although it was not life-threatening for Agares, he could not move at all, as it was one of Baal’s sealing spells. Therefore, even Agares found breaking free from his current state challenging.
“What are you trying to do?! Are you trying to break the rules?” Agares shouted in panic.
“You think I’m breaking the rules right now? I’m just trying to remind you about our rankings,” Baal replied with a smirk.
Baal’s red pupils shifted from Marbas and Valefor to Lee Shin.
[Kill Agares.]
A faint, chilling whisper floated in Lee Shin’s ear. Just hearing it sent shivers down his spine. Lee Shin, maintaining his stern expression, looked at Baal.[This is your opportunity to become the Adversary, so kill him.]
- He is indeed insane, just as the rumors suggest. Does he really want you to become the Adversary or something?
Gene Ebrium commented with a bewildered look. From Lee Shin’s perspective, there was no compelling reason for him to refuse this offer. However, Baal’s straightforward assistance made him somewhat hesitant. As if understanding Lee Shin’s dilemma, Baal initiated another conversation.
[The secret of the ninety-eighth floor... You can only hear it after becoming the Adversary. And that is why I brought you here.]
‘Hmm… The secret of the ninety-eighth floor.’
Lee Shin thought about this for a bit and finally activated his mana.
Woong—!
"W-what are you trying to do to me? Baal! This human is trying to kill me right now! You dare to defy the Demon God?" Agares shouted, his face filled with confusion and terror.
"Haha, you are funny. I'm just making you pay for messing with my guest. Besides, I haven’t even killed you, so I haven't broken any rules yet," Baal replied calmly as if he had done nothing wrong.
By the Demon God’s decree, the fifth district Great Devils weren’t allowed to kill other Great Devils below them in ranking. They could kill them, however, if the lower-ranked Great Devils challenged the ones above them. However, Baal was about to attempt to circumvent that rule.
"Very well. I will do as you please," Lee Shin said with a smirk.
Suddenly, shimmering blue mana radiated between Lee Shin’s fingers. He thrusted his right foot into the ground, causing the surface to surge and transform into a long spear. He then channeled the mana in his hand into the spear.
- Hey, you know that this could be a trap.
Despite Gene Ebrium’s fear and concerns, Lee Shin’s gaze remained calm.
"Yes, but it's fine," Lee Shin replied, seemingly uncaring of the consequences.
Woong—!
'If that guy wants to use me, then I can just use him in return.'
Swoosh—!
The charging spear charged forward, cutting the air, leaving a streak of azure residue, piercing Agares’ head. Agares trembled for a bit before he slowly turned to look at Lee Shin and collapsed.
[You have defeated an opponent with a divinity class of 30 or higher.]
[You have partially fulfilled the conditions of The Path to Become an Adversary.]
"Oh my! Oh my goodness…!" Marbas muttered in shock when he saw Agares collapse.
"Baal, my lord!" Valefor called out in shock and terror.
Although Marbas and Valefor shouted in dismay, Baal removed the thorns from Agares' corpse and grinned, looking at them.
"Were you guys part of the conspiracy as well?” Baal interrogated, trying to scare Marbas and Valefor.
He sounded oddly gleeful, which Lee Shin found eerie. Lee Shin felt sick when he saw the contorted expression on the demon’s face.
Creak—! Crack!
This time, Baal's legs ensnared the two of them together. Dealing with the ones seated on the fifth and sixth thrones was relatively easy compared to dealing with Agares, the second throne owner. There was quite a significant difference in skills between someone on the first throne and those on the fifth and sixth thrones. These Great Devils failed to devise a plan to escape this situation, so they desperately cried out, but it was in vain.
[Now kill them.]
Baal's determined command echoed in Lee Shin’s mind. Lee Shin also had no shred of pity for these individuals.
Crack! Crack!
As Lee Shin perforated the heads of the two Great Devils, system messages appeared in front of him consecutively.
[You have defeated an opponent with a divinity class of 20 or higher.]
[You have partially fulfilled the conditions of The Path to Become an Adversary.]
[You have defeated an opponent with a divinity class of 20 or higher.]
[You have partially fulfilled the conditions of The Path to Become an Adversary.]
[You have fulfilled the conditions of The Path to Become an Adversary.]
[You have acquired the 『Title - The Adversary』]
Woong— Woong— Woong—!
Lee Shin abruptly opened his eyes wide, staring blankly at the world. His perception had wholly changed. Something that he could not see a while ago, faint, blackish-bluish entities were floating in the air. The sound of rough winds was now very distinct, and Baal’s excitement-filled breath was loud and clear to Lee Shin.
"Heh heh... it is finally done," Baal muttered, looking at Lee Shin with a smirk.
Lee Shin and Baal's gazes met in space.