The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 45

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Strongest in Our Neighborhood (45)
“Stop this at once, you bastard!”
As Jang Ga-in summoned a gust of wind and sent it toward the count, Deputy Knight Corps Commander Macdor Darwin was the first to react.
He drew his sword and swung it toward Jang Ga-in’s neck in a single fluid motion, intent on severing his head.
‘I’ll be fighting alongside these knights against demons—I can’t hurt them badly.’
Jang Ga-in sidestepped the blade, then reflexively drew his own sword, but held back from striking. Instead, he twisted his wrist and slapped Macdor Darwin across the cheek with the flat of his blade.
Whack.
As he snapped the blade short like shaking water from a wet towel through the air, Macdor Darwin’s head whipped around violently.
“Ugh!”
“All of you, attack him!”
As Macdor Darwin staggered backward, the other knights rushed at Jang Ga-in.
Jang Ga-in deployed the Wind Blade Technique, continuing to strike the count’s body with gusts of wind while using the flat of his blade to swat away the knights attacking him.
Whack, whack, whack…….
After felling several of them, an opening appeared. Jang Ga-in dashed forward, twisted the count’s arm, and pressed his blade against the man’s throat.
“Everyone stop! If you attack me again, I’ll cut your lord’s throat!”
“Gasp! W-wait, all of you!”
“No—you all need to stop. Back away, every one of you. If you don’t, I’ll slit the count’s throat.”
At Jang Ga-in’s threat, the knights faltered and dared not advance further.
As the standoff continued, Jang Ga-in gripped the count’s nape and activated the Absorption Technique, drawing out all the Demonic Energy embedded in the man’s head and body.
‘I don’t know how they brainwashed him, but if I can drain all the Demonic Energy from his head, his mind should return to some degree.’
Since the amount of Demonic Energy lodged in the count’s body wasn’t large, he was able to extract it all in less than a minute.
* * *
“Grrrgh…….”
Even as he was pinned down by Jang Ga-in, Count Yohansen had been focused on aiding the Demon who had transformed into Bedolla Bar—until suddenly his entire body began to ache, and he clenched his teeth.
‘Why does it hurt so much? Even if this man has subdued me, there’s no reason for my body to be in such pain.’
Crack-crack-crack…….
The spine that had been stiffened after receiving the strange power from Bedolla Bar suddenly curved back to its original bent state, and the taut skin rapidly wrinkled. Beyond that, his chest grew heavy as though weighted down by stone, breathing became labored, his heart pounded erratically, and his legs lost all strength, his knees trembling.
Count Yohansen realized the symptoms of old age and infirmity had returned to him.
‘Curse it! The blessing Bedolla Bar granted me has vanished! He said it was a blessing of eternal immortality—what happened?’
As his body grew heavy and his strength drained away, a seed of doubt took root. And as that doubt grew, his once absolute affection for Bedolla Bar diminished proportionally.
In a flash.
Then, in a single moment, his mind cleared, and he could suddenly see himself soberly again.
‘W-surely I wasn’t mesmerized by the Demon into imprisoning even my own children who worried about their father?’
Beyond that, all the senseless orders he had given under the Demon’s influence came flooding back.
Commands to move intelligence agencies to search for saints, elderly bachelors, children recently deceased, and those who had survived plague—they all amounted to hunting sacrifices for the Demon.
‘I was nothing but a tool for the Demon disguised as Bedolla Bar.’
The creature promised to cure all ills and grant eternal life, yet the Demon itself didn’t even possess immortality—how could it grant it to another?
‘Why did I believe the Demon’s words so absolutely?’
He felt like a fool for having followed its words.
“So you’re regaining your senses?”
Count Yohansen heard the man holding a blade to his throat speak, and a bitter smile crossed his face.
“Did you restore my mind?”
“I extracted the Demonic Energy lodged in your body, and your mind seems to have cleared.”
Jang Ga-in withdrew the blade from the count’s throat and took a step back, whereupon the count quickly signaled the approaching knights to stop.
He then turned his head toward Jang Ga-in and asked.
“Will I remain in my right mind? Or have I merely temporarily returned to it?”
“I’ve extracted all the Demonic Energy from your body, but I can’t guarantee how long your clarity will last.”
“Then I should issue proper orders while I’m still in my right mind.”
“I’m not sure what orders you should give, but do you see that sky over there? Where the dark clouds have gathered and blotted out the sun?”
The sky where Jang Ga-in pointed was thick with storm clouds, and the wind sounded like a mournful wail.
“I see it.”
“The Demon opened a Gate connecting to the Demon Realm in that place, and once time passes, Demons and Demonic Beasts will crawl through. Before that happens, I intend to kill the Demon guarding the Gate and seal it shut. I’d appreciate your support—your knights, mages, and spiritists.”
“Of course we must support it. And while I still have my faculties, I must also name my successor. Jaslan.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Normally, there are many procedures required to transfer a title, but since I may not have much time left in my right mind, I will transfer the count’s peerage to you here, before all gathered as witnesses.”
“Father, let me summon a priest at once to treat you. With the priest’s Holy Power, you won’t be susceptible to the Demon’s mind control again.”
“You may do that after you’ve accepted the count’s peerage.”
Jang Ga-in listened to the father and son speak, then turned his gaze northward.
The Demonic Energy emanating from where the dark clouds gathered had grown far thicker than before.
It felt as though something catastrophic might break loose at any moment.
“Listen, Count. Couldn’t we close the Gate first and handle everything else afterward? That’s what’s most urgent.”
“Understood. Everyone listen. We’ll hold the peerage ceremony later, but since this matter is pressing, from now on Jaslan Milley will act as Count in my stead and carry out the Count’s duties. Treat his orders as my own and obey them. Jaslan Milley.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Take the Seal Ring bestowed upon me by His Majesty. From now on, you must act in my place.”
Count Yohansen slipped the ring from his own hand onto his son’s, and the boy bowed his head deeply.
“I understand. I will assume the duties of acting Count for the time being. All knights, mages, and spirit summoners gathered at the Training Ground, hear me.”
As Jaslan slipped the Seal Ring onto his finger and raised his hand high, everyone except Jang Ga-in and Count Yohansen dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
“We await your command.”
“A Demon who disguised itself as Bedolla Bar deceived Father and opened a Gate at the Ancestral Tomb of our house. Deputy Knight Corps Commander Macdor Darwin, lead the knights and soldiers to eliminate the Demons.”
“Yes! I accept your order, Acting Count Jaslan.”
“Mage Layla Frang, listen.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Layla Frang, join forces with mage Loria and aid in the elimination of the Demons.”
“I accept the order.”
“Spirit summoner Bolgard, listen.”
“Please command me.”
“I will provide skilled riders. Bring High Priestess Pamilaya here to treat Father, and gather Holy Power-blessed priests from every Temple throughout the land to aid in closing the Gate.”
“Understood.”
* * *
The burial ground, lined with the tombs of successive heads of the Count’s house and their retainers, was shrouded in darkness like early dusk despite the hour being midday, the sky blackened by churning clouds.
Jang Ga-in’s eyes widened at the sight of cracked tombs and the skeletal remains that had clearly emerged from them—wielding rusted armor and weapons.
“Lady Layla, didn’t you say it takes some time for Demonic Beasts from the Demon Realm to emerge after a Gate opens?”
“Those skeleton soldiers aren’t Demonic Beasts from the Demon Realm. That high-ranking Demon standing at the Gate entrance is using Dark Magic to awaken the corpses that were sleeping underground.”
“They seem quite strong for mere moving corpses, though.”
“When a high-ranking Demon wields power as they do in the Demon Realm, the magic they cast is correspondingly strong.”
While Jang Ga-in spoke with Lady Layla, knights under Macdor Darwin’s command charged forward and clashed with the skeleton soldiers rushing toward them from the opposite side.
Crash, bang-bang-crash, crack-crackle, clang-clang-clang…….
The skeleton soldiers seemed to be sent flying and easily shattered by the mounted knights’ charges, but within mere seconds, the skeletons whose limbs had been scattered reassembled themselves as if by invisible hands, and then hurled themselves at the knights and soldiers once more.
“Those skeleton soldiers keep reassembling even after they break apart. This is going to be troublesome.”
Following behind the knights, Jang Ga-in leaped into the thick of battle and unleashed the Wind Blade Technique, gathering wind to strike at a skeleton soldier.
Boom, crack.
Unlike before, the skeleton soldier struck by the wind fist did not reassemble and crumbled, rolling across the ground.
“To eliminate the skeleton soldiers, the only options are to burn them, purify them with Holy Power, or neutralize them with Spirit Power like Commander Cain does.”
Layla raised flames with her Magic Staff and set fire to nearby skeleton soldiers, and the reassembling skeletons collapsed like burning logs.
Boom! Bang-bang-crash!
Meanwhile, Deputy Knight Corps Commander Macdor Darwin and several knights broke through the wall of skeleton soldiers and began fighting the Demon standing at the Gate entrance.
When the Demon lightly dodged the spear Macdor Darwin threw and hurled black fire made of Demonic Energy in return, one knight who couldn’t evade in time was knocked from his horse and flew some ten meters; another knight, whose mount was struck by the black flames, abandoned his horse and leaped up, swinging his blade toward the Demon’s leg.
“Lady Layla, I should join that fight as well.”
“Go ahead and slay the Demon. I’ll finish clearing the skeletons here.”
Whoooosh…….
Jang Ga-in channeled the Wind Blade Technique, riding the wind as he soared upward and flew directly toward the Demon.
‘Is it the Demonic Energy? The vital force within my body is surging!’
The surge of power he felt now under the influence of Demonic Energy was doubly stronger than when he first encountered a Demon in the forest.
‘These knights and soldiers can’t perform at their best because of the Demonic Energy’s influence, but I’m the opposite!’
Now he felt he could unleash energy-intensive techniques like the Death Flower or Spear Heaven Blood Extreme one after another.
Whoooooosh…….
The Demon fighting with the knights saw Jang Ga-in riding the wind toward him, flapped its wings, and sent forth a furious blast of wind.
“Wait—it’s not just ordinary wind!”
Feeling the sharp, blade-like edge in the approaching wind, Jang Ga-in swung his spear and released a Spear Wave.
Kaboom…….
When the Spear Wave and the Demonic Energy-strengthened wind collided, an explosion erupted, and in that moment, dust obscured his vision.
Whoooooosh…….
Then, through the dust, two powerful, violent wind currents shot toward him, faster than before.
‘What? This is completely different from when it fought the knights!’
If the Demon had unleashed wind like this at the knights, they wouldn’t have been able to approach at all.
Jang Ga-in released Spear Waves toward the incoming wind, while simultaneously changing the direction of the wind he was riding to evade the blast radius.
As the Spear Wave and the ferocious wind collided and exploded, Jang Ga-in shot through the air and descended above the Demon’s head, swinging his spear down.
‘Death Flower!’
Snap-snap-snap-snap-snap.
The spear tip quivered, and a chillingly cold flower bloomed.
The Demon sensed Jang Ga-in’s movement as well. He kicked away the Knight approaching from the side, then hurled his fist toward the Death Flower.
Crash!
The moment his fist collided with the Death Flower, a tremendous explosion erupted, and Jang Ga-in’s body was thrown ten meters into the air by the force of the blast.

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