Chapter 408

Chapter 408
## Chapter 408

The Demon World Temple (2)

Once the grand sovereign of the Demon World, the dethroned 15th Demon King, Tanuin, had been reduced to a mere hex.

He had languished in captivity within this cryptic sanctuary for an immense duration.

His frantic gamble—a self-ruining act of resistance—had prevented him from being exploited right away… yet it offered only a brief intermission, a postponement of his doom rather than a genuine deliverance.

As long as his captor, Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis, persisted in his pursuit, the fallen king would eventually be tracked down and utilized.

After all, Krushaior was celebrated as one of the most formidable sorcerers in existence, possessing an unmatched command over dark magic and various prohibited disciplines.

Yet even as Krushaior pushed forward with his designs, the deposed Demon King, stripped of his might and with his spirit fractured, remained utterly powerless.

He could only boil with bitter malice, his animosity intensifying with every ticking clock, desperately fighting to hold onto his dissolving awareness as he watched on in futility.

“Ugh… W-where…?”

Then, as though guided by destiny,

…a sudden chance presented itself.

A particular human among those dragged in to be offered as a sacrifice held a… highly unusual talent.

‘That is neither magic nor witchcraft. It is something… entirely different, an anomaly that defies the established tenets of this reality… Perhaps that is why it holds such… immense potential.’

The capacity to detach and relocate one’s own consciousness.

It was a phenomenon he could only perceive due to his current… altered condition, having mutated into a curse born of absolute spite.

Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis, appeared completely blind to this detail, and the sanctuary itself, owing to its somewhat… unfinished architecture, failed to trigger any response to its existence.

‘This represents my final opportunity. It will drain every speck of my remaining vitality, but the gamble is justified.’

Thus, Tanuin, the 15th Demon King… or rather, the lingering fragments of his intellect… placed his bet.

Muster every scrap of his waning fortitude and fading intent, he injected it into the human’s fleeing consciousness, weaving his malevolent hex into the stranger’s intellect and recollections.

Likely due to the parallel plights they shared, the integration proceeded with surprising fluidity.

Reflecting on it later, the outcome had not been entirely unfavorable for Ken, who received this power.

His 「Thought Transference」, which otherwise would have dissolved into nothingness, was granted a path and an objective… guiding him toward an extraordinary vessel: a relic of a Demon King’s physical form that Krushaior had failed to secure.

“Ugh, my head… Where am I? Who… Ah! Those cultists of the demon!”

A few… minor complications had arisen… but such compromises were unavoidable.

Consequently, awakening in a fresh corporeal form—a vessel fashioned from the remains of a Demon King—he moved by pure instinct toward the stronghold of the Dark Nest.

Despite possessing fractured recollections, the yearning to rescue his primary physical form—the one who had launched the 「Thought Transference」—remained embedded within his core.

…Naturally, the pull of the hex played a significant part as well.

The Demon King’s malice yearned for the exact same outcome.

However, its motives were… entirely distinct.

It intended to consume Ken, swallowing his physical form and spiritual essence to reclaim its squandered authority and corrupt the sanctuary’s barriers by polluting them with Ken’s… mortal nature.

Even in its crippled state, it retained the essence of a Demon King, meaning it harbored no anxiety about being… overpowered by its own creation.

[“——!”]

Now, two decades later,

…the scheme was finally reaching its climax.

‘…To turn into a single entity. To devour and fuse. And then…!’

The moment Ken, unwittingly guided by the Demon King’s hex, stepped inside the sanctuary,

…the binding seal restraining the malice deteriorated, permitting it to break free from its dungeon in the sanctuary’s lowest depths.

It remained incapable of exiting the structure for now, but once it incorporated Ken… that obstacle would vanish as well.

‘…At last! Vengeance! Krushaior! Rebirth! Demon King!’

The hex’s shattered awareness, its impulses twisted into grotesque shapes, surged upward toward its ultimate… instrument of freedom.

Delay was out of the question. Should Krushaior make his return, the entire enterprise would collapse.

Its singular objective was rebirth!

To exact retribution upon the individuals who had brought about its downfall!

“Ugh, this is… proving far more troublesome than I anticipated…!”

Wooong—!

Whoosh—!

…Naturally, unexpected complications interfered.

A mortal voice dripping with irritation joined the deep, mechanical hum of machinery.

The Demon King’s hex, its forward momentum temporarily checked, shifted its focus toward a tiny, gnat-like entity buzzing in its perimeter, draining away its vitality.

Initially, it purposed to disregard the nuisance, treating it like an insect to be crushed effortlessly… yet it proved impossible.

The thing functioned like a parasite, anchoring itself to its form and siphoning its energy.

The volume of power being extracted was trivial… yet its persistence was… deeply aggravating.

Therefore, it resolved to wipe the irritation out first.

Furthermore, it harbored an… ominous premonition regarding that miniature entity.

Regrettably, Hesperon, who was operating the insectoid apparatus, found himself in an equally precarious position.

“Ahaha… This is… an oversight. I didn’t foresee such a massive disparity in our standings… Even with the combined effects of my specific capabilities, I can’t simply… siphon his entire reservoir in a flash.”

Hesperon, navigating the airspace within his Titan armor while managing the Black Flame Dragon via his right arm, offered a strained chuckle.

His strategy wasn’t inherently flawed, but the gap separating their raw capabilities was simply too vast.

It resembled a solitary parasite attempting to completely drain a massive beast.

Furthermore, the… density of the energy presented a hurdle. It felt akin to drawing thick syrup through a narrow pipe.

‘…It is possible in theory… but the time required is too great. Ken won’t survive that long. Do I need to pivot to an alternative method?’

He had intended to seize this moment to… elevate his own power…

However, his primary objective remained the containment of the hex.

He was the ideal candidate for this assignment, yet the current conditions were… tricky.

[“——!”]

As he wavered, caught up in his deliberations,

…the hex capitalised on his momentary lapse in concentration, suddenly expanding to trap him inside a dense swirl of dark smog.

“Ugh?”

In a split second,

…the dark smog, moving like an animated reflection, snaked around Hesperon’s Titan suit, bypassing its shielding mechanisms as a dominant intent—the raw psyche of a Demon King—forced its way into his thoughts.

-Perish.

A solitary command, functioning more like an… absolute concept than spoken tongue, its potency and wickedness eclipsing any typical curse.

‘…This is beyond my defensive capabilities. And yet…!’

The sensation of demise flooded through his physical form.

Instantly, 「Right Arm of Longing」 and 「Curse Devourer」 surged into action, consuming the penetrating malice.

「Clear Mind」 anchored his psychological equilibrium, while 「Sturdiness」, 「Super Recovery」, and various other protective traits triggered to shield his physical self and inner spirit.

The hex, as anticipated, failed to destroy him.

“Curses hold no power over… Ugh, what is this?”

…Granted, that would hold true if it were a conventional ‘curse’…

However, even in its shattered state, it had once ruled as a Demon King.

Its strike, tearing past the protections Hesperon assumed were absolute due to his distinct talents, hit him with unmitigated ferocity.

《The target has sustained a mortal blow. “Instant Death Immunity” has triggered, canceling the execution sentence.》

《”Instant Death Immunity” is now restricted for twenty-four hours.》

“Cough!”

Crimson, thick blood spilled past his lips.

—

“Ugh! Haa…”

He hacked violently, spraying a pool of crimson onto the floor panels.

A sharp ache throbbed in his skull, and his limbs felt battered, as though he had endured a severe physical thrashing.

He lost his footing, his sight spinning unreliably, and he grimaced.

“Ugh, this is a terrible development…”

He cleaned the crimson from his face and cast a look at his primary display.

‘…A solitary strike nearly ended me, and Titan has already sustained 18% structural degradation?’

A barrage of cautionary alerts illuminated his field of vision.

Yet they held no relevance now.

Sustaining another blow of that magnitude would mean certain demise.

‘…A Word Soul? Preposterous. Centuries have rolled by since he degenerated into a curse. Only his basic drives should remain… How can he command such sophisticated methodologies?’

He grimaced, tossing his head in utter skepticism.

He had weighed the hazards meticulously prior to deploying Hesperon to this location.

He calculated that combining 「Right Arm of Longing」 alongside 「Curse Devourer」 would suffice… but it appeared he had gravely misjudged the sheer weight of a ‘Demon King-level curse’.

‘…Had I not been piloting Titan, I would have been… wiped from existence, regardless of any curse resistance. Then again, he was a Demon King, an entity bordering on the divine before his fall… It was presumptuous of me to believe I could manage him with such ease.’

He had absorbed the lesson.

Even with a tactical advantage in attributes, a monumental gulf in power tiers could not be bridged so simply.

Overconfidence had blinded him, and now he was collecting the consequences.

“Tsk, making this trip was an error… This surpasses my limits.”

He observed the Black Flame Dragon, its dark armor reflecting light as dark currents danced around its form, and clicked his tongue.

A retreat was mandatory. He could not gamble on remaining in this space any further without his… safety net.

‘…And I feel a twinge of guilt regarding him. He traveled all this way expecting a massive feast… only to walk away with a meager plate of sweets.’

Hesperon and the Black Flame Dragon, bound via the 「Chains of the Oath」, participated in mutual advancement.

Had he been an elevated being… or even a highly-ranked master… he would have extracted far greater benefits from this engagement.

A wave of dissatisfaction washed over him…

Clang—

…and suddenly,

…a subtle, metallic ring, resembling the clinking of iron links, vibrated within his consciousness.

‘…Hold on. “Chains of the Oath”?’

An internal shift was occurring.

A bizarre flash of familiarity, a sudden intuition, a… flash of clarity.

Rumble— Kaboom!

The hex’s smog boiled forward once more, its strikes coming without pause…

…yet he could not spare any focus for that right now.

He pushed Titan’s propulsion units to their absolute limit, evading the incoming strikes while his mind whirled, attempting to grasp the… concept… hovering just out of reach.

‘…”Chains of the Oath” is showing activity. Why at this specific moment? What set it off?’

It was a capability designed to bridge two distinct entities, irrespective of their classification—be they individuals, implements, or raw forces.

Riley, the Crown Princess, Titan along with his other relics, the Black Flame Dragon…

Those comprised the entirety of his links…

‘…Hold on. Hesperon is the entity manipulating the talent. But I am the force steering him. My spiritual identity remains constant, even if my physical manifestations differ. So what takes place when I execute an agreement using a separate form?’

Clang—

His survival drives flared, delivering a sudden revelation.

The answer to this predicament…

…was positioned right in front of him.

He simply had failed to notice it until this second.

His cognitive processes accelerated rapidly, causing the surrounding environment to decelerate.

‘…Agreement, spirit, master, manifestation… ‘

His gaze tightened, his perception cutting through the illusions of the environment, and the truth became clear.

‘…There is no requirement to overcomplicate the matter. Strip it down, and I am simply… Han Seong-hyeon.’

But why would 「Chains of the Oath」 manifest a reaction at this precise juncture?

The query was fundamentally basic.

‘…Miyamoto Ken and that… hex… they have practically fused into a singular entity by now.’

Furthermore, Ken had sworn his allegiance to Hella.

A binding vow, cemented by numerous capabilities and her crushing authority, making it impossible for him to even contemplate a betrayal.

His current capacity to fight back was purely a product of those intricate and elaborate constraints.

He had not foreseen this dynamic, yet… Ken was fundamentally his… property.

‘…And Hella and Hesperon share an identical identity…?’

Consequently, a natural hierarchy of master and servant was forged between Ken and Hesperon.

And the hex, which was striving to integrate with Ken…

‘…It is likewise my… underling!’

The logic was somewhat… stretched.

Nonetheless, it had materialized.

In the domain of sorcery and supernatural phenomena, cause and effect operated as an unyielding force—a binding agreement that could not be easily unmade.

Hesperon halted his flight.

The dark smog, which had pursued him without intermission, was overtaking him… yet it no longer occupied his concerns.

Clang—

The resonance of iron links reverberated through his mind.

A vibration exclusive to his ears, marking the formation of an alignment.

A tether of cause and effect, binding him directly to the hex.

Raw force and standing tiers were not always the ultimate arbiters.

On occasion, even an immense chasm in capability could be bridged by an established relationship, a mutual tether.

And at this moment,

…notwithstanding the astronomical disparity in their tiers,

…a dynamic of master and servant, an unassailable hierarchy, had locked into place.

So long as that causal tether endured—,

Clang—

…he maintained the power to direct it.

The tether to the beast was firmly in his grasp.

Naturally, completely suppressing it immediately was out of the question.

The variance in their respective tiers remained too massive.

However, he could accomplish this much.

“Now then, let us proceed with a… proper feast.”

Hesperon smirked, his features twisting into a ravenous expression.

The Black Flame Dragon, its visage surfacing from behind his form, mirrored the expression, its look turning… malicious.

———!

Immediately following,

…a colossal parasite, its dimensions staggering, its maw parting wide, swallowed the reality stretched out before it.