Chapter 159 – Demon King [The Demon King]

The Hunters all fell silent.

Even Ivan Ivanov, who had been about to order the charge, and Siguk, who was watching everything with his All-Seeing Eye.

Not a single person dared to open their mouth.

As they watched in silence, the dark blue smoke rising from the corpse of the dead Alex Burke gradually coalesced into a human form.

“Bu… Burke……”

An existence with a face identical to the dead Alex Burke—pale, devoid of humanity, expressionless—stood naked, emitting a faint, dark blue aura, silently looking down at Alex Burke’s corpse.

It slowly bent down and placed a hand on Alex Burke’s corpse.

Soon, Alex Burke’s corpse began to melt, being absorbed into its hand.

After a while, Alex Burke’s corpse had completely melted away, and the naked Undead stood up, now clad in the thick armor and wielding the sturdy hammer that Alex Burke had in life.

“My… my God……”

“This can’t be……”

Despair-laden sighs erupted from among the Hunters.

Witnessing the scene where an A-Rank Hunter who had dominated America, nearly the equal of Ivan Ivanov,

a heroic figure who had led countless Dungeon Raids to success and brought immense profit to America and his Guild,

died in an instant and immediately became an Undead, the Hunters fell into a state of panic.

‘Damn it……’

Ivan Ivanov, as the Assault Team Captain overseeing the team, frowned at the plummeting morale he felt from behind him.

“Nikolayevich.”

At that moment, Siguk called Ivan Ivanov, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

Ivan Ivanov looked at Siguk.

“If we leave things like this any longer, morale will drop to an uncontrollable level.”

“I agree.”

“Therefore, we must eliminate them quickly.”

“Eliminate them?”

“There are only fifteen of them anyway. If our A-Rank Hunters fight with the resolve for an all-out battle, it’s not impossible.”

It wasn’t a wrong statement.

But it wasn’t that Ivan Ivanov didn’t know that.

“Ululu Tumbebe hasn’t even shown himself yet. If all the A-Rank Hunters are fighting those things and he attacks the B-Ranks, we’ll be picked off one by one.”

That also wasn’t a wrong statement.

But Siguk was determined to push through his insistence.

“You don’t need to worry about that part.”

“Do you have some method?”

Siguk looked at Ivan Ivanov and, even amidst slight tension, managed a smile.

“You know I’m not the type to charge in without that level of preparation, right?”

Given the situation, Ivan Ivanov had to choose quickly.

“……Alright. I’ll trust you.”

Ivan Ivanov took a deep breath.

A tremendous movement of Mana began to stir around him.

“B-Ranks! Retreat 50 meters!”

A shout Skill that boosted morale was activated.

Ivan Ivanov’s voice stabilized the psychology of the B-Rank Hunters who had been trembling in fear and panic.

Having almost lost the will to fight anyway, the B-Rank Hunters followed Ivan Ivanov’s words without complaint.

The A-Rank Hunters looked at Ivan Ivanov with puzzled expressions.

“Let’s go in ourselves.”

At those words, some nodded in agreement, some expressed doubt, and some made dissatisfied faces.

But no one voiced opposition.

Click-!

Julia Texon loaded a Mana Bullet. She used the collapsed wall debris as cover and aimed at George Goldenhil.

Olande Pompidou also finished his combat preparations after downing two bottles of Mana Potion.

‘Right, it’s do or die. There’s no way back.’

That was the common thought shared by all the surviving A-Rank Hunters.

Ivan Ivanov confirmed that everyone was ready for battle.

“Hoo-!”

After taking a big breath, he shouted.

“Ura-!”

As a signal, the A-Rank Hunters charged towards the Copies of the deceased.

Simultaneously, the Copies of the deceased, maintaining a chilling silence and inhuman, indifferent expressions, also charged towards the A-Rank Hunters.

Boom-!

Soon, a powerful collision occurred between the two.

A massive Shield created by Ivan Ivanov blocked the first wave of the deceased’s charge.

Whoosh-!

Simultaneously, the Shield exploded, sending some of the deceased with lower Defense flying high into the air.

Bang-!

Magic from Olande Pompidou and several other A-Rank Magic-Type Hunters flew towards them.

“Wuaaaaah-!”

Ivan Ivanov let out a roar at the top of his lungs.

Instantly, a powerful dragon-like aura erupted from him, enveloping both the deceased and the A-Rank Hunters.

“Kieeeek-!”

The deceased, who had been maintaining silence, screamed in pain and momentarily faltered.

In contrast, the Hunters, receiving an enormous Buff, poured attacks onto the deceased who were confused and in a temporary debuff state.

Thud-!

Among them, Siguk’s performance stood out the most.

He first stabbed his sword into Li Yixin’s neck and spun once in the air.

From that blow, Li Yixin turned into dark blue smoke and was sucked into the central tower of the Demon King’s Castle.

At the same time, Siguk lightly stepped on the shoulder of Adolf Randlinger, who was reaching out towards him, to leap, then came back down and drove his sword into the top of his head.

Adolf Randlinger also similarly turned into dark blue smoke and was sucked into the tower.

And he shattered the frozen head of George Goldenhil with his fist, turning him into dark blue smoke as well.

‘Kill that?’

Julia Texon, who had fired a Mana Bullet into George Goldenhil’s side, watched as Liu Yaofang, with her assist, froze him and then Siguk finished him off with a fist.

She quietly shook her head.

‘That’s insane. How do you kill that?’

Siguk was perhaps a powerhouse who could be said to be at the peak among Melee Dealers.

It wasn’t just Julia Texon who felt that.

From Olande Pompidou to the British Hunters and up to Liu Yaofang.

Everyone was of one mind, making similar assessments of Siguk.

‘Killing that is impossible. It’d be easier to just kill Smith after this expedition ends.’

Thinking that, Julia Texon sniped the Copy of an American A-Rank Hunter not affiliated with NAC who was aiming for the back of Olande Pompidou’s head.

Its temples were pierced left and right by the Mana Bullet, and towards the half-dead thing, Olande Pompidou launched a lightning fireball.

The thing, burned by the lightning fire, turned into dark blue smoke and disappeared into the tower.

“Ooh!”

The B-Rank Hunters, who had retreated to the rear, gasped as they watched the deceased disappearing in an instant and the A-Rank Hunters dispatching them.

Their morale, which had hit rock bottom, began to rise again, and soon they began to think they could win.

‘Simple fools.’

Siguk, who heard of their change in heart through a Familiar hidden in their shadows, wore a light sneer at the corner of his mouth as he threw his sword at Alex Burke’s Copy.

Thunk-!

The sword lodged itself in its neck.

Its movements slowed momentarily, and Olande Pompidou, not missing the chance, launched a lightning fireball at it.

Between Siguk’s sword and Olande Pompidou’s lightning, Alex Burke’s Copy was brought to the brink of death.

And towards such a thing, Julia Texon’s Mana Bullet flew.

Bang-!

With a light explosion sound, Alex Burke’s Copy also turned into dark blue smoke and was sucked into the tower.

“Hoo……”

Ivan Ivanov let out a deep sigh.

The other A-Rank Hunters also similarly exhaled long breaths.

After a battle lasting a full 30 minutes, the A-Rank Hunters had, quite naturally, won.

Of course, it wasn’t a perfect victory.

Because ultimately, Undead only completely vanish when their summoner is killed.

But they had succeeded in buying some time.

“Wahhh-!”

“We won!”

“Yeah! This is A-Rank class!”

The B-Rank Hunters in the back cheered in joy.

The A-Rank Hunters, who had been worried about being exposed to Ululu Tumbebe’s attack while they were focused on fighting the deceased, also showed relieved expressions.

Olande Pompidou downed three bottles of Mana Potion; it was hard to tell if it was to replenish his expended Mana or to quench his thirst.

Julia Texon also came out of cover and rechecked her Mana Bullets.

Liu Yaofang, Ivan Ivanov, and all the other A-Rank Hunters each did their own thing, gradually easing their tension.

‘……’

Only Siguk remained, still watching the tower where the deceased had turned into dark blue smoke and been sucked in, with tense eyes.

“……What’s the matter?”

Ivan Ivanov, who noticed this first, approached Siguk and asked.

Siguk remained silent, just staring at the tower.

Ivan Ivanov’s gaze also turned towards the tower.

Then, Liu Yaofang’s gaze, who was nearby, also turned towards the tower, and as three A-Rank Hunters stared at one place, the rest of the A-Ranks also turned their attention there.

“Huh? What are they looking at?”

Naturally, the B-Rank Hunters, intoxicated with victory, also focused their gaze on the tower.

From the sinisterly towering, massive dark tower—one that might resemble the Tower of Babel if it existed—even a sinister aura could be felt.

But there was no other phenomenon beyond that.

“Do you see something?”

In response to Ivan Ivanov’s question, Siguk said nothing.

Instead, he just readjusted his grip on his sword and prepared for battle again.

Seeing that, Ivan Ivanov also reorganized his combat posture.

“What’s going on? Why are you doing this?”

Olande Pompidou, who had quenched his thirst with a Mana Potion, looked at Siguk and Ivan Ivanov with an uneasy expression and asked.

Ivan Ivanov answered him.

“Hunter Pompidou, please also prepare to fight.”

Liu Yaofang, sensing an unusual current, immediately flew over to the B-Rank Hunters and straightened their scattered ranks.

In an instant, the tension of battle once again dominated the Hunters.

Fortunately, because the A-Rank Hunters had overwhelmingly defeated the deceased, morale had risen to some extent.

Just as the Hunters finished their reorganization, suddenly, a black object appeared from the top of the tower and began descending to the ground.

Sensing unusual Mana, all the Hunters tensed up and watched the falling object.

The object fell rapidly from the tall tower, then began slowing down around 30 meters above ground, finally coming to a very light stop about 3 meters above the ground.

“……He has appeared.”

A chair made of what seemed to be human bones, atop a mass of Mana like a black cloud.

The one sitting in that chair, body covered in a cloak and face hidden even by a skull mask.

A man from whom a sinister aura emanated from his entire body.

The words Ivan Ivanov spat out while looking at him—”He has appeared”—were the same as everyone else’s thoughts.

The ultimate goal of this Liberation War.

The ruler of Africa.

The spiritual pillar of Necromancers.

The supreme commander of the Undead Legion.

The Lord of Death.

The Demon King.

Called by all sorts of epithets, arguably the world’s greatest Villain.

Ululu Tumbebe.

At his appearance, all the Hunters fell silent.

“……”

The Demon King glanced over the Hunters once.

From behind the skull mask made of the dead, his eyes, like flames rising from a deep cave, swept over the Hunters, and they had to lightly shudder from an inexplicable discomfort.

“Disgusting.”

Ivan Ivanov spat out the words as if chewing and twisted his body.

“So, what gave you the confidence to show yourself directly?”

Ivan Ivanov asked Ululu Tumbebe.

The Demon King just looked at Ivan Ivanov, offering no particular words.

“Undead that perfectly copy the abilities of dead Hunters…… impressive. More surprising and more disgusting than you just using Warp Gates for mere terrorism.”

“……”

“If you have no such confidence, did you come out to die willingly? Well, it’s a fine choice. Better than making us go all the way up that tower for nothing.”

“……”

Ivan Ivanov shot a cold sneer at the silent Ululu Tumbebe.

Swish-!

At the same time, Siguk threw his sword at Ululu Tumbebe’s face.

Faster than anyone, without giving anyone time to stop him, his sword flew towards Ululu Tumbebe’s face, shattered his skull mask, and embedded itself deeply right in the center of his face, leaving only the hilt visible.