Chapter 158 – Demon King [The Deceased]

As if recoiling from the very essence of light, the entire space is submerged in pitch-black darkness.

Within the space shrouded in gloomy darkness, lifeless beings stand in a row, dividing the entire area in two.

They are being observed by a single entity seated upon a massive throne made of human bones, positioned atop 666 steps.

The being, covered in bizarre geometric tattoos, wears a skull mask and gazes down at its minions with hollow eyes.

Whoooosh—!

Suddenly, a deep blue smoke approached him.

The skull-masked being calmly raised a hand and gently stroked the deep blue smoke.

At that moment, an intense dark mana erupted from his hand, stimulating the deep blue smoke.

Fizzle—!

Dark, crackling sparks flew, and soon the deep blue smoke rapidly descended the stairs, taking the form of two individuals.

Copies of Adolf Randlinger and Li Yixin, who had died in Moscow and had just been turned into smoke by Siguk.

Looking at them, the skull mask spoke.

“The final war is coming soon.”

A sinister, low-pitched voice echoed through the darkness-filled space.

“Prepare for that time.”

At his command, which was more like an order, the lifeless beings merely nodded their heads silently.

19:00, ten hours after the Assault Team began their assault.

In a place without sun or moon, the Assault Team had finally captured most of the fortress.

“Finally.”

Ivan Ivanov, bearing traces of fierce battle, muttered as he gazed at the sinisterly towering Demon King’s Castle.

Alex Burke, still under the effects of his Berserker Skill, and Liu Yaofang, frowning as he shook off the rotten blood clinging to his staff, approached him.

“Once we capture that, everything will be over, right?”

In response to Liu Yaofang’s question, Ivan Ivanov nodded slightly.

“Perhaps?”

“I’m sick and tired of this fight. I just want it to end now.”

“I feel the same.”

The three of them gazed at the Demon King’s Castle, each lost in their own thoughts.

Mobile Unit Captain Olande Pompidou, Recon Unit Captain Julia Texon, and Siguk gathered beside them.

Olande Pompidou pulled two Mana Potions from his pocket and downed them one after another, while Julia Texon reloaded additional mana rounds.

Siguk stood beside Ivan Ivanov, looking up at the Demon King’s Castle with a serious expression.

Ivan Ivanov asked him.

“So, what are your impressions?”

Siguk let out a light snort and replied.

“If it were possible, I’d want to use it as a haunted house theme park—it’s that eerily well-built.”

“A theme park… If this castle doesn’t collapse, the Democratic Republic of the Congo could use it during reconstruction.”

“Reconstruction… Do you think that’s possible?”

Siguk asked, looking at Ivan Ivanov.

Ivan Ivanov gave a bitter smile.

“We’ll have to try somehow.”

Siguk looked straight ahead and spoke.

“I saw Li Yixin and Adolf Randlinger.”

Instantly, Liu Yaofang and Olande Pompidou, who understood Russian, flinched and stared at Siguk.

Ivan Ivanov also widened his eyes and looked at Siguk.

Siguk continued.

“They were a kind of Undead that had copied almost all of the abilities of the two individuals from their lifetimes. When I eliminated them, they turned into deep blue smoke and entered the Demon King’s Castle. It seems Ululu Tumbebe summoned them personally.”

Siguk’s words were translated into English by Julia Texon. Upon hearing them, Alex Burke glared at Siguk with bloodshot eyes and shouted.

“Why are you only telling us this now?!”

Siguk looked at Alex Burke and spoke in English.

“It happened during combat, and it was an event that occurred just 40 minutes ago. It may not be exceptionally fast, but I don’t think it’s too late, do you?”

At Siguk’s words, Alex Burke gritted his teeth and glared at the Demon King’s Castle.

“What are we supposed to do about this? Undead that copied A-Rank Hunters? What does this even mean?”

Olande Pompidou spoke excitedly, to which Liu Yaofang said one thing in French.

“Please be quiet for a moment.”

Then he turned his gaze to Siguk and spoke.

“See that? I told you. Our agents saw an Undead Legion led by Li Yixin in Djibouti.”

Siguk looked at Liu Yaofang with a pitiful expression.

“What’s the point of bringing that up now?”

“I’m just saying, not arguing.”

Liu Yaofang closed his mouth.

Ivan Ivanov, who had been quietly listening to the Chinese exchanged between the two, looked at everyone and spoke in English.

“The key to capturing the Demon King’s Castle is speed. Undead can be summoned endlessly as long as there is sufficient time and materials. And since they have plenty of materials, all they need is time. We must not give them that.”

Everyone nodded at his words.

“Even if there are Undead that copied the abilities of dead A-Rank Hunters, they won’t be able to overwhelm our forces. Everyone, disperse to your positions and prepare for the assault on the Demon King’s Castle in 90 minutes.”

Everyone agreed with Ivan Ivanov’s words.

As he said, even though a portion of the enemy’s core forces had been identified belatedly, it was impossible to delay the attack at this point.

Alex Burke ran toward the 3rd Corps Hunters, Liu Yaofang toward the 2nd Corps Hunters, Julia Texon toward the Recon Unit, and Olande Pompidou toward the Mobile Unit.

“What about you?”

Before heading to the 1st Corps Hunters, Ivan Ivanov asked Siguk.

Siguk looked at him and replied.

“I’ll try to do what I can. For 90 minutes.”

20:30, July 9, 2033.

Finally, battle cries for the final decisive battle echoed from all sides of the Demon King’s Castle at the very center of the darkness-shrouded Kisangani Fortress.

Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!

Fire Magic cast by Mages synergized with Wind Magic, striking the outer walls of the Demon King’s Castle with deafening explosions.

The impact was immense, as it was an attack launched by hundreds of B-Rank Magic Type Hunters alongside A-Rank Magic Type Superhumans, including Liu Yaofang.

The outer walls of the Demon King’s Castle shook violently, and the rotten flesh composing the walls crumbled down in heaps.

However, as this was the dwelling of Ululu Tumbebe, it did not collapse in a single blow.

“Kieeeek—!”

From that state, the Undead quickly recovered from the shock and began their counterattack.

Skeleton Mages floated in the air, indiscriminately firing magic at the Hunters.

Skeleton Archers fired arrows from bows whose range had been immensely extended by mana power, and the Corpse Poison on the arrowheads posed a tremendous threat.

“Tankers! Shields!”

At the commanders’ orders, the frontline Tankers raised their Shields.

The Undead’s magic and arrows collided with the Shields, producing terrifying explosive sounds, but they failed to attack the Hunters.

Kaboom—! Kaboom—! Boom—!

Meanwhile, another barrage of powerful Fire Magic struck the castle’s outer walls.

This time, too, the walls barely held, but the Detectors and Siguk’s All-Seeing Eye could see that the mana supporting the piles of corpses forming the walls had significantly weakened.

Kaboom—!

The final Fire Magic attack synergized with Wind Magic and struck the walls.

Finally, the mana maintaining the walls collapsed, causing the walls to crumble down, burying the skeleton archers.

With the walls on the east and west sides destroyed, it was now the turn for the Melee Dealers and Tankers to step forward.

“Charge!”

Ivan Ivanov led the Tankers from the front in a charge.

“Kuhahahahaha!”

Behind him, Alex Burke, whose vision was gone due to his Berserker Skill, followed.

Siguk also kept up, quickly following Ivan Ivanov into the castle.

Boom—!

Ivan Ivanov and Alex Burke shoulder-charged the remaining piles of the wall, sending them flying.

Behind them, Siguk, the Tankers, and the Dealers entered.

“……”

Beyond the collapsed walls, beneath a towering massive tower, a being awaited the Assault Team.

“Li, Li Yixin……”

A group of Undead, having copied the abilities of the deceased, gazed at the Hunters with lifeless eyes.

“Gasp!”

Julia Texon, who had followed them in, widened her eyes in shock.

“Go, Goldenhil……”

Because standing behind Li Yixin and Adolf Randlinger at the forefront was George Goldenhil.

It wasn’t just Goldenhil.

Including Goldenhil, all 12 A-Rank Hunters who had died during this expedition were standing there.

“As expected……”

Ivan Ivanov looked at the deceased with a serious expression.

“What are you doing?! We must attack now!”

Alex Burke, his eyes gleaming, shouted.

Ivan Ivanov nodded.

They were not the living.

Nor were they the souls of the dead.

They were merely copies of the deceased, summoned by Ululu Tumbebe through some method.

Therefore, there was no need to hesitate to attack.

However, that didn’t mean they could charge recklessly.

Even though they were copies, since their abilities were almost perfectly replicated, a strategic approach was necessary.

“Tankers! Forward!”

At Ivan Ivanov’s command, the Tankers stepped forward.

“Long-range! Load!”

At that command, the Mages and shooters who had followed in prepared to fire at any moment.

“Melee! Prepare for close combat after the long-range attack!”

The Melee Dealers also complied with the command.

Instantly, a heavy atmosphere flowed between the two sides.

‘First, we’ll throw the enemies into confusion with a long-range attack. If the enemies are confused and unable to respond properly, we’ll engage in close combat. If not, if they counterattack immediately, we’ll defend first with the Tankers.’

After roughly formulating a tactic in his mind, Ivan Ivanov shouted.

“Long-range! Attack!”

At that moment, magic attacks from Mages led by Liu Yaofang and Olande Pompidou, and gunfire from shooters led by Julia Texon, poured down upon the deceased.

Overwhelming masses of mana exploded toward the deceased for a full minute.

An immense cloud of dust, mixed with the piles of corpse flesh and rotten blood forming the ground, shot up into the air.

Soon, the attack ended, and as the rotten dust had not yet settled, Ivan Ivanov focused as much as possible to grasp the movements of the deceased.

“Kuhahahaha—! Charge!”

At that moment, Alex Burke charged forward.

Those following him also leaped into the dust cloud.

“No! Stop!”

Ivan Ivanov called out to them belatedly, but it was useless.

“Kuhahahahaha—!”

Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!

From within the dust, only Alex Burke’s mad laughter and tremendous collision sounds could be heard.

“That foolish human!”

Ivan Ivanov clenched his fist in anger.

‘Given this situation, we must provide support.’

Ivan Ivanov frowned and was about to speak.

But Siguk stopped him.

“Don’t.”

“Sup… What?”

Ivan Ivanov looked at Siguk with a puzzled expression.

Siguk stared into the dust with a bewildered expression and spoke.

“If we go in now, everyone will die.”

Ivan Ivanov’s gaze followed Siguk’s back toward the dust.

By now, the collision sounds had ceased, and Alex Burke’s mad laughter was no longer heard.

A moment later, the dust began to clear.

Ivan Ivanov stood in front of the Tankers, ready to deploy a Shield at any moment, and stared intently beyond the dust.

“Gasp!”

“Th-this can’t be……”

“Ugh……”

Soon, the dust cleared.

And at the revealed sight, the Hunters were left speechless.

“Bu, Burke Hunter-nim……”

A copy of Adolf Randlinger was stepping on a man’s corpse.

The hammer clutched in the man’s right hand revealed his identity as Alex Burke.

The other Hunters who had followed Alex Burke in were also all corpses.

“Stupid bastard!”

Ivan Ivanov spat out a curse.

Julia Texon, Olande Pompidou, and Liu Yaofang merely stared with hardened expressions at the copy of Adolf Randlinger stepping on Alex Burke’s corpse.

And Siguk,

• Master, can you see it!

Receiving the bewildered telepathy from his Familiar, watched with trembling eyes through his All-Seeing Eye the powerful mana wave occurring around Alex Burke’s corpse.

“Now that it’s come to this…”

Just as Ivan Ivanov was about to issue an order.

Whoooosh—!

Deep blue smoke began to rise from around Alex Burke’s corpse.