I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 83

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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 83

 

Even breathing was difficult.

 

It was hard to believe that the scene before my eyes was reality. Dragons were supposed to be fantastical beings that only appeared in old legends. However, the dragon’s shadow covering the sky was all too vivid.

 

Its appearance was utterly horrific. It looked like rotting corpses. The scales that should have been gleaming were dripping black mucus, and its flesh repeatedly collapsed and regenerated.

 

I knew what to call such a thing.

 

‘Undead…?’

 

A monster that occurs when corpses corrupted by magic transform, or when Dark Mages artificially resurrect them. What had revealed itself to the world clearly had the form of an undead.

 

Kruooooo-!

 

The dragon let out another horrific roar.

 

Though it had only one head, I had the illusion that dozens of creatures were screaming together. The tremendous cacophony tore at my eardrums and shook my mind.

 

Blood flowed from my ears.

 

I turned my stiffening body to look behind me.

 

A translucent barrier had appeared at some point, surrounding the Magic Tower. It seemed to be considerably offsetting the shockwave and torrent of mana that arose with the dragon’s roar.

 

The Magic Tower, which had been positioned at the center of the Empire for hundreds of years, couldn’t possibly be unprepared for attacks. The capital was probably the same. But that was only the story inside the barrier.

 

It would have been fine if that thing had appeared just a little earlier, or just a little later.

 

Standing awkwardly on the snow, I had no protective wall to shield me.

 

Just looking at it hurt my eyes. My skin cracked and burst open. I felt a suffocating pressure that made even breathing difficult. I was dying while standing. Like the world covered in snow, my vision was turning white when—

 

Kieek-!

 

The Ice Spirit that burst out wrapped me in a massive Ice Wall. As my breathing finally cleared and I collapsed forward, World Tree roots extending from the ground coiled around me.

 

Life force poured out frantically, healing my body. The shockwave that the Ice Spirit couldn’t completely block destroyed my body again.

 

“Ah, aah…”

 

A repetition of regeneration and destruction.

 

“Aaaaah…!”

 

My brain felt like it was melting from the seemingly endless pain, leaving me in chaos. My body naturally turned backward, trying to get away from the source of agony.

 

I can’t win. I’m going to die. I have to live. I can’t die here.

 

-Do you want to run away?

 

I heard the Demon Lord’s voice.

 

No, did I hear it? Did I just think I heard it? Am I even thinking properly?

 

-The trial has already begun. You should know that, right?

 

Even if I ran away, I couldn’t escape the trial. Rather, an even greater trial would come to find me.

 

Explosive laughter confirmed that what I heard wasn’t a mistake.

 

“Dam, mit…!”

 

Even in the midst of confusion, I finished assessing the situation. I gritted my teeth and forcibly put strength into my trembling legs.

 

I raised my head and looked at the form of disaster once again.

 

“How am I supposed to beat that thing, you crazy demon bastard!”

 

A curse close to a scream burst out.

 

It’s far. And high.

 

Could I reach that thing with these sluggish steps?

 

I knew it was inefficient, but if I had known it would come to this, I should have learned at least one Movement Magic spell.

 

I couldn’t think of a way to reach it.

 

-Well, if I had to say something consoling…

“I don’t need it…!”

 

I cut off the Demon Lord’s words and took another step forward. I couldn’t stop. My head spun frantically.

 

‘Dragons are living creatures too. No matter how huge, it must have a brain. If I burrow into its skull and detonate an Explosion…’

 

My thoughts cut off. My vision went dark and then returned. With my recovered mind, I continued my thoughts.

 

‘Somehow restrain it with Ice Spirit, and drain its life force with World Tree roots. Even after receiving an attack that absorbed the entire Great Forest, could it still be fine…’

 

My vision flickered every few seconds. I forcibly connected my breaking thoughts. I tried to think of a way to defeat that massive being and somehow survive.

 

Of course.

 

No matter how much I thought about it, the possibility of success was slim.

 

* * *

 

At the dragon’s agonizing roar, the leaves flutter.

 

The man lying in the garden enjoying the sunlight furrows his brow. His eyes open at the commotion that shows no signs of diminishing even as time passes.

 

“Haah…”

 

Though the Empire’s capital suffered no particular damage from the Demon Realm’s invasion, the sudden appearance of a dragon turned it into a scene of chaos.

 

Perhaps it was because they had never suffered damage before. Like gentle sheep, they weren’t the type accustomed to danger. They had been made that way. Raised that way for the past thousand years.

 

If even the thoroughly educated Imperial Palace servants were like this, how confused must the citizens outside the Imperial Palace be?

 

The Crown Prince, who had been watching an attendant trembling while unable to take his eyes off the sky, sighed and spoke.

 

“Ruin.”

 

When had he been there?

 

Hero Ruin. Ruin Epeldor.

 

The hero who killed the Demon Lord and saved the world. So naturally, he was there in that place.

 

“What do you think about that thing?”

 

Without even giving him a glance as if it were natural, the Crown Prince asked. With an amused smile playing at his lips.

 

The Hero looked up at the sky briefly with emotionless eyes that revealed nothing of his thoughts, then answered dryly.

 

“It’s a dragon.”

“Have you ever seen a dragon before?”

 

The Hero shook his head. The Crown Prince’s lips curved mischievously.

 

“Then how can you be so certain that thing is a dragon?”

 

Without answering, the Hero looked at him with an expression that seemed to ask how such a question could arise after seeing that thing.

 

“Tsk. What a boring fellow.”

 

The playfulness disappeared from the prince’s face, replaced by coldness.

 

“The Empire’s thousand-year history has never once allowed foreign invasion. To think it would be broken by the mere appearance of a single monster like that. What a disgrace.”

 

Well-trained soldiers moved without rest, and mages’ attacks flew toward the dragon beyond the barrier. However, nothing could reach the dragon, and everything was deflected with a single flap of its wings.

 

“Defeat that thing. You belong to the Imperial family now.”

 

Looking down at the people with contemptuous eyes, the Crown Prince spoke.

 

The Hero nodded without answering. At some point, the Hero disappeared. As if he had never existed in that place from the beginning.

 

Where he reappeared was outside the capital. Though the dragon’s shockwaves continuously erupted, he seemed unaffected by them in the slightest.

 

Standing in the midst of chaos, he kicked off the ground. He leaped dozens of meters into the air in one bound. Riding along the writhing dragon’s tail, he instantly climbed atop the dragon’s head.

 

“You’re here already?”

 

At his cold gaze, the woman shrugged and smiled.

 

“I didn’t expect it to grow this big, so it can’t be helped.”

“Get rid of it.”

 

The Hero’s cold voice was directed at the woman.

 

The expression of the red-haired mage, Kaela Rowan, changed. To think he would have such a reaction even after seeing the manifestation of a dragon before his eyes.

 

“Isn’t it quite a sight to behold?”

“….”

“Look, isn’t it beautiful? It was just born into this world. Isn’t it too precious to destroy?”

 

The Hero looked down at the dragon briefly, then gazed at the capital.

 

It wasn’t a contemplative look. He was silently expressing that if this were left alone, the capital would be destroyed.

 

“What if it gets a little damaged? This world would have been destroyed anyway if not for us.”

“Huh…”

“Think about it. The First Hero defeated the Demon Lord and established the Empire. He became the master of this vast world. But you?”

 

Ruin watched emotionlessly as she spread her arms and poured out intense emotions.

 

Taking his silence as an answer, Kaella continued speaking.

 

“At best, you’ve been incorporated as Imperial personnel. Far from being a master, you’ve become a servant being ordered around. Ruin, Ruin Epeldor. You don’t even reach the First Hero’s toes!”

 

The First Hero had gathered the divided humans and established the Empire.

 

The mage who was his companion and guide became the sage who built the Magic Tower. The Saint established the Holy Nation and was elevated to Pope. The elf who was an excellent marksman and Spirit Mage returned to the Great Forest and became queen of her people. The Sentinel who detected dangers and disarmed traps dominated the continent’s darkness and ruled through fear.

 

“You, me. And the other guys too! We can become masters of the world like the first generation.”

 

It was so different from the current generation scattered throughout the world, unable even to make their names known.

 

To some extent, it was a predetermined outcome.

 

Unlike the first generation who truly gathered to save the world, this generation’s companions, the Hero, were those chosen and selected for various reasons.

 

So they wouldn’t have the same influence as back then. So they couldn’t break the existing system, the order. So they wouldn’t even think of such things.

 

Naturally, great rewards followed, but desires grew and grew to never be satisfied with them.

 

“Sorry for saying this late, but I’ve already finished talking with the other kids….”

“Not needed.”

“….”

 

As if speechless at the short and firm answer, Kaella let out a hollow laugh and lowered her arms.

 

“I always disliked that about you. That attitude of acting aloof and alone, as if you weren’t human. Well, that’s your charm though.”

 

Mana moves beneath her outstretched hand. A Magic Circle formed in an instant emits light.

 

Fire bursts from Kaella’s hand as she appears behind the Hero. Ruin simply scattered the attack by waving his hand.

 

“It’s useless. You should know that, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

 

The Hero before her eyes was the one who had blocked even the Demon Lord’s spells that seemed capable of destroying the world.

 

Unless it was Hellfire, it couldn’t even leave a scorch mark on his skin. Even facing such absurd unreasonableness, Kaella smiled.

 

“But that’s not the only thing I know.”

 

Lightning bursts from the clouds that had been pouring snow. Once, twice. Consecutive Lightning strikes chase the Hero.

 

“You who defeated the Demon Lord no longer have the same power as before.”

 

Black hands tear through the Void and grab his feet. Each time snow touches his skin, curses stack upon each other. The air transforms into blades that slice flesh.

 

“Can you draw that?”

 

Kaella pointed at the Hero’s back with her finger.

 

The Holy Sword.

 

An Indestructible Sword that nothing could break, and a terminal that delivered the Goddess’s Holy Power to the Hero. It was the Hero’s most powerful weapon and source of strength.

 

Even through the endless attacks, the Hero did not draw his Sword.

 

As if Kaella’s words were true. As if he could no longer draw the Holy Sword.

 

Convinced of her thoughts, Kaella burst into loud laughter.

 

The Magic Circle carved in the Void emits light once again. Dozens of Artifacts worn on her body and Magic Circles engraved on her skin activate together. The abilities strengthened while passing through trials with the Hero made it fitting to call her a god of Magic.

 

Black tentacles burst from the Dragon Skin the Hero was standing on and wrapped around him. A Magic Bombardment that would be impossible even if dozens of High Mages gathered simultaneously pours down.

 

However. Even after the bombardment that lasted dozens of seconds, only his clothes were slightly torn. Instead, only the Dragon Scales that had been supporting him were miserably shattered.

 

As the tentacles binding his feet disappeared, the Hero leaped into the Void. Then he tried to swing the Sword on his back along with its Scabbard.

 

“Now’s the time.”

 

But as if waiting for that moment.

 

“Breath.”

 

The Dragon exhaled its breath.

 

“…Crazy.”

 

Jude, who had somehow reached below, watched the scene in a daze.

 

“You want me to get involved in that?”

-Hmm….

 

Even the Demon Lord was speechless.

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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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