Chapter 84
A blinding spark turned into a thunderbolt, splitting the air and the enemies' formation.
A powerful electrokinesis that burned dozens of enemies in an instant.
However, unlike the rear, which was meant to be a distraction, the Gnolls and Kobolds stationed in the frontlines with elite soldiers were not so easily dealt with.
"Ugh..."
The bombardment from the light-beam weapons fired by the Gnolls focused on Cha Jiyeon, who had just unleashed a massive magic explosion of electrokinesis.
She quickly surrounded herself with electrokinesis, narrowly deflecting the light-beam attack aimed at her.
"There doesn't seem to be any Assassination Authority. Judging by the fact that we're still alive."
Chris, passing by her, let out a faint chuckle.
As he stomped his foot, rocky spears erupted from the quaking ground, skewering and killing a large number of enemies.
However, the enemies, who had once been devastated by just two S-Rank Hunters, had now developed even further.
"What is that? They don't even seem to be hiding it anymore."
Chris let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
A massive rideable war machine, the size of a tank, piloted by a single Gnoll, appeared on the battlefield with a clanking noise.
The bipedal walking machine brazenly flaunted its powerful firepower.
"Fire!"
Naturally, it became a priority target. Shells from tanks and anti-tank rockets flew toward it, causing explosions.
However, the rideable war machine, ensnared in the overlapping Barrier cast by the Kobolds nearby, remained unharmed and retaliated by firing from the large cannon barrel it held.
"No..."
Cha Jiyeon, who had shielded her face against the shockwave, gritted her teeth at the unfolding horror.
Hell descended in an instant, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. The very thing she had desperately wanted to prevent was now unfolding before her eyes.
"Hold on. There are others with as much of a sense of justice as you."
"Branch Manager Ji Changhyun."
She, who had been ready to charge forward at any moment, hesitated.
Ji Changhyun, without a moment's hesitation, drew his sword and leaped into the fray.
Engulfed in flames, he dashed forward, scattering red slash attacks from his sword in all directions.
In a single strike, he destroyed not only the Barrier and the rideable war machine but also everything surrounding it. The sheer impact of that single strike was enough to call him a one-man army.
In the aftermath of his attack, flames surged forth, consuming everything in their path.
Considering the fact that even the ordinary Gnolls, enhanced by the Stas Academy's formation, possessed the battle power of a C-Rank Hunter, the magnitude of his power was astounding.
"Back in his Hunter days, his techniques were more extravagant and flashy, but now he feels even stronger. He's Beyond S-Rank. I guess everyone grows, huh? Even if both of us were to take him on, it would still be difficult."
Chris muttered in a daze as he watched the scene.
In truth, the old rank game had lost much of its meaning. Both the Step-Up Hunters and the Hunters who had become Units were evolving their abilities in their own unique ways.
"But, I suppose the same goes for them?"
Chris stepped forward again.
A Black Knight clad in black armor charged at Ji Changhyun. It was neither a Gnoll nor a Kobold.
[The magic and ancient relics they use are primitive and outdated... Is this native sorcery? They seem to be trying everything they can as they near their limits. The Player's command is clear—finish it.]
The voice of the Player echoed in his mind. As the Player had stated, the enemies were desperately struggling.
They were doing their best to defend, but the inherent disparity in species' values was too overwhelming.
To counter beings like Ji Changhyun, Chris, and Cha Jiyeon, who had surpassed a certain threshold, they needed adversaries of equal caliber or overwhelming firepower. But the enemy had no such luxury at the moment.
Cha Jiyeon prepared to charge again, glancing back briefly.
'Will it be alright?'
The rear had also been attacked. And in the rear was him.
Though she wanted to go help immediately, the Player, judging that they had gained the upper hand, commanded them to press the attack.
*
"Useless! Idiots!"
"S-Shut up! Be quiet already!"
"Devastating loss! We can't hold them off!"
Inside the dim palace fortress, a Gnoll wearing a crown was jumping up and down, screaming.
The Great Chief of the Kobolds, who was facing the Gnoll, felt the same way in truth.
The enemies were too strong. Both species had received the grace of capable Players, but their innate limitations were undeniable.
After all, they were the lowest-tier demonic creatures who had once lived as slaves, while the enemies were the dominant species who had ruled the world for countless years based on their advanced intellect and civilization.
'...The world is truly indifferent.'
The Kobold Great Chief let out a hollow sigh.
He didn't know the exact reasons, but his Player, who had taught him various forms of magic, was currently extremely busy.
He understood that they were in danger, but he had no way to help at the moment.
Despite having received so much help, he had only been able to repay them with failure. The sense of helplessness was bone-chilling, and it weighed even more heavily on him now that he had gained intelligence.
"Those insignificant traitor species, have they finally realized their place? Did you enjoy living in the noble's mansion?"
At that moment, someone appeared silently in the space where only the two of them should have been.
The startled Great Chief glared at the Gnoll, but the Gnoll, equally surprised, shook its head.
"Don't make such foolish assumptions. I came here of my own accord."
The figure revealed themselves from the shadows. Beneath the hood they wore, a sly grin revealed sharp fangs.
"A High-Ranking Demon Clan!"
The Kobold Great Chief pointed his staff at him, and the Gnoll hurriedly aimed a handgun from its pocket.
But the figure merely laughed leisurely.
"Fools... Go and tell your two leaders, no, those 'Players,' that I want to make a deal. If they accept, I can restore the power they've lost while managing insignificant 'Units' like you."
"H-How do you know about that..."
"It's still strange to hear a Kobold talk. Just deliver the message. As someone who once led the glory of the Demon Realm, I can't stand to see these foolish humans trample on this land."
He pulled back his hood and smirked.
The black goat horns protruding from his head made them flinch as they recognized his identity.
"Demon King...!"
"Former Demon King. The current one is still asleep."
He corrected the Kobold Great Chief's words.
"...Our Player says, how can we trust you? That primitive magic of the Demon Realm won't help."
"Heh, what a ridiculous thing to say. But fine. To some extent, I'll admit it. I, no, the entire Demon Realm, was nothing more than a frog in a well. This world, this universe, is far too vast. So, foolish Kobold, deliver the message to your Player immediately. Tell them that you, too, are nothing more than a speck of dust. Who knows what calamities unknown to you might be lying dormant in your world?"
He chuckled leisurely.
The Kobold Great Chief was flustered. Despite the scornful words, his Player remained silent, as if they had been struck to the core.
"Think carefully. The Swirl of Destiny you've been caught in is ultimately about survival of the strongest. Stop clinging to useless pride and extend your hand. If you make a deal with me, you will surely gain something."
"They... They want to hear more."
"So do we! Our Player as well!"
Both the Kobold Great Chief and the Gnoll leader received responses from their Players.
He smiled knowingly, as if he'd expected it.
"As an Indigenous Species not bound by the Game, I am free from its rules. I have traveled throughout the Demon Realm, meeting the Demon Realm Factions currently fighting against those Earthlings. And I made my decision: to lend my power. In exchange, I want the culture and technologies you've learned and obtained from your Players. All sorts of magic, sorcery, spirit techniques, swordsmanship, spear techniques, particle weapons, martial arts, and so on."
"T-That kind of..."
"All of that has become my strength and can also become yours. As a Former Demon King, my power still spans the entirety of the Demon Realm. I can currently raise a Wraith Army numbering in the tens of thousands and summon Biological Legions scattered across the world. The seal placed on the entire Demon Realm by the Hero's self-sacrificial Mutual Death Destruction Device was indeed a powerful seal, but it was breached by the hands of a mere Orc who had learned spirit techniques from the Otherworld."
The initiative had completely shifted to him.
The seal, which had long suppressed the Demon Clan and the Demon Realm, had been easily broken by the power of the Otherworld. Now, even the Demon Realm could field indigenous forces like Earth's Allied Forces.
For these were the high-ranking Demon Clan who had once ruled this land.
"Survival comes first, doesn't it? Stop engaging in pointless competition and eliminate the most dangerous threats first."
He raised his head and shouted into the void.
It wasn't directed at the Kobold Great Chief or the Gnoll leader. He was speaking directly to their true powers.
[Say yes.]
[Accept it! Quickly!]
In the end, the desperate Players accepted his proposal.
"Then, for now, I should ensure your immediate survival."
With the deal established, he stepped out of the mansion and floated into mid-air.
His eyes took in the desolate, barren landscape tainted with dark energy.
He had once been the ruler of the Demon Realm, the master of this domain.
Now that the seal placed on the entire Demon Realm by the Hero's self-sacrificial Mutual Death Destruction Device had been broken, he had regained some of his former power.
'The Spirits of Dark Energy, the Ring of the Heart, and the mana accumulated in my dantian amplify my strength.'
And he could explosively unleash that partial power, momentarily exceeding even his peak.
The techniques provided by the Otherworld intruders made it possible.
Skillfully absorbing them one by one, the Demon King's Vessel exponentially amplified its mana.
"The Master who will liberate you commands it—Demon Realm, attack your enemies."
This was the first time he, who had covertly been aiding the Demon Realm Faction, revealed himself on such a grand scale.
It was partly because the Kobolds and Gnolls on this battlefront were weak, and partly because he now deemed it sufficient to step forward openly.