I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 109

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 109

 

Great Demon.

 

The darkness of the Mythical Age.

 

An enemy that leads humans to death merely by existing, fear itself given form.

 

This was a place I had already visited several months ago, just before the disaster in the Holy Nation occurred. The moment I stepped inside, the surroundings were engulfed in darkness.

 

But perhaps it was only natural. The darkness was much denser than before. I could at least recognize my own form before, but now I was gradually being swallowed by the sticky darkness. My senses were slowly becoming numb.

 

No matter how much I circulated my mana, the situation didn’t improve. At this level, it seemed impossible to repel the darkness even with the repulsion effect between mana and holy power.

 

“Lord Jude.”

 

Remal called out to me. There was a faint anxiety in her voice, which rarely showed emotion.

 

Well, of course. If it were just darkness, it might be different, but this was a place that made all living beings feel instinctual fear.

 

“Please help.”

 

When I spoke, tree branches came down the wall and connected me and Remal. I felt my muddled senses become much clearer.

 

In the end, it’s divinity.

 

There was only one reason why darkness held absolute power in this space. Because it contained divinity. If you couldn’t handle divinity, no matter how much mana you possessed, you would inevitably be swept away.

 

I too possessed divinity, albeit weakly, so I wouldn’t be completely devoured by this… but it was still a power I couldn’t control. Moreover, since Remal couldn’t handle divinity either, if I wasn’t going to abandon her, it was better to accept whatever help I could get.

 

-Your growth is faster than expected.

 

I heard the Demon Lord’s admiring voice. But it wasn’t directed at me. It was directed at the World Tree, which was using divinity to protect me and Remal.

 

Well, I was quite surprised too.

 

It made me think that the elves’ efforts to resurrect it over countless years weren’t in vain.

 

-In contrast…

 

The Demon Lord snickered.

 

“What, why.”

 

It had been months since I gained the dragon’s divinity, yet I still couldn’t control that power. He was probably mocking me.

 

“Let’s hurry.”

 

There was no need to engage with him. Considering the attack that split space itself, there was a possibility that the expedition force had already been wiped out. Of course, they might have been devoured by darkness before that, but since there was a Hero with a holy sword among them, that probably wouldn’t happen.

 

Perhaps I should consider the possibility that they had already defeated the Great Demon. The Second Hero Ruin Epeldor had cut down a dragon in a single strike even in his empty shell state after completing his mission.

 

No matter how unreliable he seemed, he was a Hero recognized by the Goddess. The power he had grown over several months couldn’t have failed to surpass that.

 

Tension began to rise.

 

Before the Hero could achieve victory against the Great Demon, I had to defeat it myself. It definitely wouldn’t be an easy task.

 

With such thoughts, I quickened my pace. Following the path opened by the World Tree’s roots, I advanced through the darkness. I could feel the power of the holy sword from afar. And.

 

“What the hell?”

 

Johnny was already in tatters. One of his arms had already been severed, and his whole body was covered in blood. He was clutching only the holy sword in his hand, waiting for death.

 

A little distance away, the pure white girl I had seen before. The Great Demon was indifferently watching the scene.

 

“What is this really?”

 

I couldn’t understand it, but I couldn’t just leave him to die like that. I didn’t care about Johnny’s life, but I didn’t know the whereabouts of Shtidy and Albeng. Besides, the holy sword could deal meaningful damage to the Great Demon.

 

Save him first, then figure things out.

 

However, because it was such an unexpected scene, my judgment was delayed. At the speed the World Tree’s branches extended, I couldn’t save Johnny.

 

Taking a breath, I drew out the power of the sleeping Ice Spirit.

 

My control was clumsy and the power was pathetic. It couldn’t compare to when I fought the dragon, or when the Ice Spirit controlled it directly. But it didn’t matter. What was important was the faint divinity contained within it.

 

An ice pillar that rose in front of Johnny’s feet pushed back the ice. But perhaps because the power was too weak. The darkness only hesitated for a moment before trying to cover the ice pillar again.

 

That alone was enough.

 

During the brief time I had gained, the World Tree’s roots wrapped around the ice pillar.

 

The roots touching my body trembled. Come to think of it, the World Tree and Ice Spirit didn’t have very good compatibility.

 

“You look pathetic, Johnny.”

“What is this…?”

 

Johnny blinked his eyes.

 

“Can you even call yourself a Hero like that?”

“…Jude?”

 

I could understand his confusion seeing the ice pillar that suddenly sprouted before his eyes and the tree roots that wrapped around it. But right now, I wished he would come to his senses first.

 

“Get up. If you don’t want to die.”

 

Watching Johnny nod with a stupid expression made me sigh.

 

“World Tree. Heal him.”

 

A single root burrowed into Johnny’s body. A pained groan burst from his mouth, but soon the wounded area began to regenerate. It wasn’t a pleasant sight to behold, as Johnny’s face turned deathly pale.

 

He looked comparable to the Great Demon standing over there.

 

“Don’t be such a baby. It’s better than dying, isn’t it?”

 

I glanced at Johnny as he awkwardly got up, then fixed my gaze on the Great Demon.

 

Its appearance hadn’t changed one bit from a few months ago. It wasn’t receiving any nutrition, so I wondered how it was still alive. The extinct Fairy Race used to use mana as energy – was it the same method?

 

-You see, divinity is…

“Shut up.”

 

There was no need to listen to the end of this divinity supremacist demon’s speech.

 

“Thanks for waiting.”

 

The Great Demon was looking at me with its pale white face tilted to the side. It was hard to believe this was the same being that had driven Johnny to near death just moments ago.

 

Perhaps it was recalling my behavioral patterns from the past with that face.

 

“You’ve seen me once before, right? I came for revenge.”

 

Of course, the chances weren’t very high.

 

The magnitude of power I could feel was incomparable to a few months ago. I had grown stronger than before too, but the gap had widened even more. It probably knew that as well.

 

The variables were the World Tree, Remal, and Johnny, who hadn’t been there before. I would need to combine them well in battle to achieve victory…

 

I hastily erected an ice barrier at the presence I suddenly felt.

 

Even though it was hastily made, the ice wall that could block a knight’s attack crumbled completely.

 

Beyond it, I could see Johnny gripping the holy sword.

 

“…Are you insane?”

“N-no!”

 

He looked bewildered himself. From past memories, he didn’t seem to have a talent for acting, but he was someone who had pretended to be a Hero for nearly a year. I shouldn’t judge based on expression alone, but…

 

His body was clearly being controlled by the sword. Even a Sword Master would find it impossible to intend such movements.

 

-It must be the Goddess’s doing. The will she breathed into that holy sword is hostile toward you.

“Didn’t you say the Goddess can no longer interfere with the Middle Realm?”

-Well, that’s about events after that day. We can’t know when she breathed her will into the holy sword, can we?

 

The holy sword continued to swing Johnny around. Sharp slash attacks followed one after another. I erected several layers of ice walls, but the holy sword neutralized them all.

 

“With this thing, why couldn’t you even beat that…!”

“S-sorry, ugh…!”

 

Johnny seemed to be struggling to control the holy sword with a tearful expression, but no matter how I looked at it, it was hopeless.

 

I shouldn’t have healed him. If I had known this would happen, I really would have left him to die.

 

It was an absurd situation. The Great Demon wouldn’t just stand by and watch this farce. In addition to the holy sword’s slashes, space itself began to distort.

 

Fortunately, I had cleared away some of the surrounding darkness with the World Tree and Ice Spirit’s power. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to dodge while simultaneously facing the holy sword.

 

“Snap out of it!”

 

I pulled out my scythe from my chest, trying to parry the holy sword.

 

“…!”

 

I expected a big impact, but it was too light. I felt no resistance at all. The moment I realized this, I threw my body to the side.

 

“Ha.”

 

The blade was completely severed.

 

I knew from the start that blocking the holy sword with an old scythe was unreasonable, but I thought it could withstand a hit or two since I had added the Ice Spirit’s power to it.

 

The fortunate thing was that I wasn’t alone.

 

An arrow shot by Remal flew in to pierce Johnny. The holy sword moved on its own to deflect the arrow. But rather than charging at Remal, the blade tip turned toward me again.

 

I threw the dysfunctional scythe to the side.

 

“I’m envious of that sword’s performance.”

-Well, it is a holy sword after all. You’re the one who refused to create something that surpasses it.

 

Perhaps because the user was Johnny, it didn’t have overwhelming power. But a sword with its own will that targets enemies was inevitably enviable.

 

“However.”

 

You’re not the only one who has such a thing.

 

Part of the roots that had covered the floor suddenly expanded rapidly. Roots thicker than a human torso swung at Johnny.

 

The holy sword cut through the roots, but Johnny only had one body. I needed to take advantage of the gap when he couldn’t focus due to roots attacking from all directions and at least knock him unconscious…

 

I threw my body to the side at the alarm bell ringing in my head.

 

“…”

 

The path I was about to move through twisted, and the roots on the floor exploded.

 

-It seems like you want me to pay attention.

“I told you to shut up.”

 

The Great Demon didn’t move even slightly from its original position, continuing to distort space. At the same time, it didn’t stop trying to erode with darkness.

 

If time continues like this, nothing will be different from before. Its power is endless, and I’ll lose when my stamina and mental strength drop.

 

A three-way battle.

 

Though to say that, both the Great Demon and the Holy Sword are targeting me. I can understand the Holy Sword, but why is that demon only targeting me? Has it already lost interest in Johnny?

 

“Ha.”

 

Nothing has changed from the beginning. Though the Holy Sword is uncooperative, that power is enough to act as a variable.

 

“Remal! Take care of it for a moment!”

“Which one do you mean…?”

 

Remal expressed doubt for a moment, but soon shot arrows to block the Holy Sword’s movement. In that gap, I dove toward the Great Demon.

 

I wrapped sharp ice around my fist and swung it toward the Great Demon.

 

It was close range, but as expected, it doesn’t work. The moment space twists, the ice shatters. If I keep throwing punches, my arm will get twisted along with it. Even though the World Tree can heal me, there’s no need to endure unnecessary pain.

 

I gave up and threw my body to the side. The attack failed, but I achieved my goal. The Great Demon, who had only been nodding its head, turned its body to look down at me.

 

“Now get out!”

 

Remal, who had been facing the Holy Sword, retreated backward. The Holy Sword, with no obstacles left, approaches dragging Johnny along.

 

But what stands between us is the pure white Great Demon.

 

To attack me, it has no choice but to attack the Great Demon. This could be called a temporary alliance.

 

The Holy Sword was flying in dragging Johnny, but as if the Great Demon had eyes on its back, the Holy Sword’s trajectory gets twisted.

 

True to being a Holy Sword that the Goddess granted indestructible properties, it didn’t break, but after briefly friction with the twisted space, it bounced away.

 

“It doesn’t go down easily.”

 

Even in that situation, the Great Demon’s gaze was directed solely at me.

 

-I remembered.

 

And then, the Great Demon’s closed mouth opened.

 

-Jude.

“…?”

 

What the hell, really.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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