I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 135

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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 135

 

Centered around the Empire, a certain rumor began to spread across the Continent.

 

-Billy’s theater troupe is preparing a new performance.

 

While it would be natural for a theater troupe to periodically open new plays, those who knew Billy’s troupe couldn’t help but be interested.

 

They had always performed only one show. Hadn’t they tediously repeated only the heroic tale of defeating the Dark Mage, the early achievement of Johnny, the Hero now renowned across the Continent?

 

Some said it was because the scriptwriter lacked skill, others said it was because of the troupe leader afflicted with artistic obsession. There were also those who called it the desperate struggle of those unwilling to lose their honor.

 

Of course, Billy’s troupe had become famous as it is now because of that very performance. But while Hero Johnny’s achievements were being updated with each passing day, there were more than a few people who wondered why they did nothing else.

 

But suddenly, a new performance?

 

While most opinions suggested it was an attempt to overcome the troupe’s prolonged period of stagnation, Billy’s troupe continued their radical course by keeping the content of the play they were preparing secret and canceling all performance schedules.

 

Therefore, what would normally be an insignificant rumor caused considerable ripples. Some existing Investors turned their backs, while new Nobles came seeking to invest their money.

 

However, the troupe rejected all new investments. As if they had already received tremendous funding.

 

“Is this really right?”

 

Holding down her robe fluttering in the wind, Melissa muttered while looking at the troupe from afar. She couldn’t understand what was so important about this that the vice Trading Company Owner had personally come to request it.

 

“Well, wouldn’t it be?”

 

In contrast, the man standing beside her only laughed heartily.

 

Noble bearing that couldn’t be hidden even by modest clothing. Noble blood destined to inherit the throne of a Kingdom. It was Ator Balayh.

 

“It’s none other than the vice Trading Company Owner of Golden Star Trading Company. He wouldn’t speak carelessly.”

 

“I know Magic better than Merchants do.”

 

“Isn’t it an Elf’s Secret Art?”

 

Ator shrugged his shoulders and paused for a moment before speaking.

 

“I don’t know how long it’s been since we traveled together like this.”

 

“It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago.”

 

“Well, by your standards, I suppose.”

 

“True. It has been a while though. The Little Kid who ran away saying he wanted to become a Hero, only to get captured by bandits and cry, has grown up so much.”

 

Melissa let out a hollow laugh and chuckled.

 

It was more than ten years ago now. Even though he possessed considerable skill for his age, the Prince was nothing more than a greenhorn. Caught in a bandit trap and captured, the Prince who had starved for four days was in a position to return to the palace in exchange for ransom.

 

The brief adventure might have remained as the worst memory, if not for one eccentric Mage who had reached the mountain in search of ruins.

 

“…You’re being too harsh about old times.”

 

“By my standards, it’s not such an old story.”

 

“No, surely. As far as I know, your age is…”

 

When Melissa glared at Ator, he flinched and turned his head away.

 

Even though he occasionally teased her like this, he didn’t know Melissa’s real age either. A face that showed no change compared to ten years ago. He could only guess that considering the Green Tower Master’s age, it was certainly not young.

 

Melissa, who had been silently looking at him for a long while, suddenly muttered in a dreamy voice.

 

“Adventure.”

 

“An adventure to find traces of the old God at that. It’s like adolescence has come again at this age. So, where’s the destination?”

 

“Wait. You came without even knowing that?”

 

It was absurd.

 

Even if it was a small Kingdom in the Southern Region, he was still a Prince of a Kingdom. Moreover, a man confirmed to inherit the next throne. He was past the age of recklessly running away from the palace. If he were to die young now, the Royal Palace lineage would be cut off.

 

It wasn’t something he should have recklessly run away for.

 

“Isn’t traveling without knowing the destination quite interesting in its own way?”

 

“Really. You haven’t changed at all. You must have hated the stuffy palace. As if I wouldn’t know you.”

 

“You as well.”

 

A brief laugh scattered in the wind.

 

“The edge of the Continent.”

 

Melissa spoke while spreading her arms and closing her eyes as if savoring the moment.

 

“The edge of the Continent…?”

 

“Yes. Beyond the Eastern Edge of the Continent, where the sun rises.”

 

A pair of Men and Women set off on their journey.

 

A Knight who had wanted to become a Hero, and a Mage who had tried to make him a Hero.

 

The Knight had given up on defeating the Demon Lord. He had accepted that he couldn’t become a Hero. Yet he hadn’t lost his dream. The Mage supported that faded dream.

 

Even if they couldn’t defeat the Demon Lord, hoping they could at least thwart one of his plans.

 

And so they set off on their journey.

 

* * *

 

Playing dead beside little Ruin and his friends, I thought.

 

In the end, I had no choice but to admit it.

 

Despite repeating, repeating, and repeating again, escaping from here on my own was impossible. More precisely, the Demon Lord wouldn’t give me that opportunity.

 

Just like when I created an illusion of myself, it seemed like some effort would work to a certain extent… but nothing beyond that actually worked.

 

That was a despairing thing.

 

Perhaps the Demon Lord already knew everything I was doing now, even the things I was thinking.

 

Ultimately, what I needed to target was the moment when the Demon Lord’s attention turned away from me. I doubted whether there would ever be a moment when that demon’s concentration would waver, but at least during the fight with the Hero, things might be different.

 

Of course, waiting until then would be the worst choice for me too. If I made even the slightest mistake, I would lose my life as well.

 

“Haah…”

 

“Oh, you made a sound! Number 66 is out!”

 

“You moved too, so you’re out.”

 

“Ah…!”

 

When I sighed and gestured, one of the children who had been moving excitedly made a tearful face. It was a face I couldn’t have seen until recently.

 

The only thing that had changed in the repeating time. There was one more person playing Corpse Play.

 

Was it Test Subject Number 93? Unlike the other little kids who had names, she was still called by her number. A girl. Another test subject I had glimpsed before. It was Kaella Rowan.

 

What could this mean? I pondered for a moment, but when no answer came, I shook my head. It was probably just that Demon Lord’s whim.

 

“Strange.”

 

Then, little Ruin, who had been lying still, sat up and spoke.

 

It wasn’t his usual childlike way of speaking, but a low, sunken voice. Even so, it only felt like a child trying to create atmosphere, but there was clearly something unsettling about it.

 

Little Kaella seemed not to notice this and exclaimed excitedly.

 

“Ruin made a sound too. You’re out!”

 

Ruin stared at her intently for a moment.

 

Doll-like appearance. An expression devoid of any emotion. As if finally sensing something was wrong, Kaella flinched.

 

“Is that so.”

 

Soon Ruin stood up from his spot and slowly began walking. As if the room he had always lived in felt unfamiliar, or like someone lost in memories, he looked around various places.

 

The other children who hadn’t given up on Corpse Play yet seemed to sense something was off too, as they were rolling their eyes frantically.

 

Finally, Ruin opened his mouth.

 

“So this was what had been interfering with my mind all this time. If I hadn’t obtained divinity, I would have never noticed.”

 

Strange. This was clearly an abnormal phenomenon.

 

A major anomaly that had appeared in the repeating past, where nothing had changed except for Kaella’s addition. Reflexively, my mouth opened.

 

“What are you?”

 

Could this be the Demon Lord’s whim? Or perhaps a trick to toy with me?

 

“That’s what I want to ask.”

 

Could he really be Ruin Epeldor? And what did he mean by obtaining divinity? Hadn’t he lost all his divinity after completing his mission as the Hero?

 

And Ruin, or someone who looked like Ruin, said.

 

“I won’t allow it any longer.”

 

Suddenly, flames erupted from his body.

 

I felt tremendous heat. I reflexively stepped back in surprise, but the fire didn’t spread to me. Even the Saint candidate and Kaella who were right next to him seemed unharmed.

 

It seemed like the flames weren’t even visible to begin with.

 

After the fire died out, what remained was Ruin. Just the appearance of a child, with no trace of that strange way of speaking from before.

 

“Could it be…”

 

What should I believe and what shouldn’t I believe?

 

If Ruin Epeldor had really intervened, why didn’t the Demon Lord appear? Why was he just watching this happen? There wasn’t a single thing I could understand.

 

For now, let’s assume that little Ruin’s words and actions were real. There wasn’t anything else I could do anyway.

 

If this prison created from illusions was affecting the real world. The Demon Lord’s words might have been true. Perhaps what I should have been deceiving wasn’t the Demon Lord. If this was really affecting these children’s real bodies… I might have been able to create an opening against the Demon Lord through my actions toward these children.

 

But I thought of an even better method.

 

I recalled the illusion of being tortured in the laboratory.

 

I overlay a new illusion on top of the illusion created by the Demon Lord. I had already done this before. It was similar to when I had created my own image.

 

The difference was the target. I drew an illusion over myself.

 

What I envisioned was me. Not the childhood appearance I couldn’t even remember, but my fully grown, complete self.

 

The current me cannot escape this place. But what about my original self?

 

After taking this form, I realized for certain. The talent I possessed was not normal. It was at such an absurd level that even the Demon Lord found it interesting. When I watched the fight between Kaella Rowan and Shtidy, my conviction grew stronger.

 

The Demon Lord had said so. That it was a battle between those who had reached the pinnacle of magic in this era. It was certainly tremendous magic, a tremendous fight. The accuracy and speed of drawing magic circles in the void was also impressive. However.

 

‘I can do better.’

 

This wasn’t creating something new. If I were to compare it to painting, it was more like smearing new paint over paint that had already been applied. Naturally, it didn’t work well.

 

My form became grotesquely distorted. I couldn’t breathe, and along with tremendous pain, my senses became confused.

 

It was a familiar experience. Pain was something I had endlessly endured during my journey with the Demon Lord, and the experiments I suffered here were torture.

 

The moment I thought the pain had exceeded its limit, my form partially returned. From then on, it was smooth sailing. As my body gradually regained its original appearance, it became easier to draw illusions.

 

And finally.

 

I opened my eyes with a clear mind.

 

My eye level seemed three times higher. I smiled at the children who were staring at me with their mouths agape in bewilderment.

 

All the mana I had gathered was completely consumed by this.

 

“This might not be the right answer, though.”

 

I scratched my arm with my hand to draw blood.

 

A healing magic circle with superior performance to the one in my room sent mana converted to holy power flowing through my body.

 

I caught it and drew a magic circle.

 

An illusion was born. The illusion collapsed. The scenery surrounding me gradually crumbled away.

 

What was visible through the gaps was complete darkness. This was the center of my mental image that I had confirmed during the battle with the Elf King. The World Tree’s power had drained away, but what had taken its place was the ferocious dragon’s divinity.

 

And.

 

-Well, well. What a disobedient master you are.

 

The Demon Lord’s voice echoed, and the crumbling illusion regained its original form. The illusion became more solid than before and wouldn’t easily change.

 

But that’s fine.

 

-Kii?

 

Beside me, the Ice Spirit tilted its head.

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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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