Chapter 342. Demon Lord (5)
“The Demon Lord is indeed in there.”
After flying to the aerial dungeon, I immediately recognized the energy inside it.
I had met the Demon Lord in the Luka continent. What I felt from him back then matched the energy I felt in the dungeon.
“But Shin, what are you going to do? The land transmittance isn’t over yet.”
“Hm.”
I looked down on the ground. Even if everyone went a bit insane from the continued calamities, I couldn’t just leave them to die.
In truth, I didn’t really care what other people did or what they called me. I was only annoyed because they were targeting other member of Revival.
I was protecting humanity because I could. If people important to me had to get hurt or killed, I would abandon humanity without hesitation. That was one thing I never changed my mind about.
So from now, we wouldn’t move separately. Of course, only a few of the strongest members would enter the Demon Lord’s dungeon, so I had to think of a solution for the members who would stay behind in case powerful demons remaining in the Luka continent crossed over while we were gone.
“… Right, I can just deal with them first.”
I clapped my hands at my sudden insight.
“Hwaya, can you show me the areas that land transmittance hasn’t happened in?”
“Yeah.”
Areas that land transmittance hasn’t occurred, in other words, these were the areas that demons could come to from now. Picturing the terrain of the Luka continent in my head, I nodded.
“Alright, I’ll need one hours and thirty minutes in the worst case. That should be quick enough.”
“Shin, what are you thinking about?”
“Wait, Hwaya, is Ina in Beyond?”
“No, she should be in the First Dungeon. Why?”
“I want you and Ina to support me with mana. There’s something I want to do before I go into the Demon Lord’s dungeon.”
“… You need more mana on top of that absurd amount you already have?”
“Yeah. I can’t use all of my mana right now, so I need your help.”
Hwaya tilted her head, but realizing that I made my decision, she nodded and messaged Ina.
Ina immediately ran out of the dungeon and flew up to us. Ina had grown immensely in the past month. The moment she left the dungeon, I could feel the colossal amount of mana she carried.
Of course, I had called her precisely because I expected to have grown this much, but it was still surprisingly nonetheless. Solely in terms of quantity of mana, she might surpass Hwaya and Daisy. It was truly shocking, especially considering she was only 10 years old.
“Daddy!”
“I’m back, Ina.”
“Daddy!”
Ina smiled sweetly and charged towards me. This charge was strong enough to injure even the Beast King, but I easily received Ina into my embrace.
Ina sniffed my scent like a dog before digging her head into my chest.
“It really is Daddy! Where were you? Ina wanted to see you!”
“Yeah, it’s the real Daddy. Sorry for being late, Ina.”
Seeing Ina acting spoiled like Hwaya did, I smirked as I patted her. Hwaya looked at us with a complicated expression before asking Ina.
“Who do you like more, Ina? Daddy or Mommy?”
“Daddy!”
“I see…”
Well if you ask that now, of course she’d say it’s me…
After spoiling Ina a bit more, I asked.
“Ina, Daddy has something he needs to do. Can you help me with your mana?”
“Un! I have lots of mana! I can give lots to Daddy!”
Ina seemed happy to be of help, shouting joyfully as she flew around the sky. Seeing her so cheerful after what she must have gone through in the past month put a smile on my face.
“Should we start now?”
“Yeah.”
Ina and Hwaya placed their hands on my hand. As I received their hot and cold mana, I released my own mana and combined them into a single ball. In just a few seconds, close to two million points of mana agglomerated in the air.
“This is enough.”
I held the ball in on hand. In the next instant, a halo shot up on each of my two horns and began to spin. I held up the ball of mana and threw it at the dungeon in front of me.
“Stay put for just two hours!”
My words became the trigger for a magic spell. From the ball of mana I threw, platinum colored chains shot out and coiled around the huge dungeon. Hwaya seemed to have felt something from my spell.
“Shin, you…”
“For the next two hours, not even Sherafina will be able to undo those chains. Of course, that means the Demon Lord also won’t be able to.”
“… Just where were you for the past month?”
“Just like how my enemies know about the dungeon, I simply studied for a bit.”
I gave a light reply as I watched the chains completely encase the dungeon. At that moment, a black ripple spread across the chains and a deep voice rang out.
[Huhu… Hero, you—]
“Shut it.”
I waved my hand and added more mana. The voice was cut off and the dungeon fell silent. Now, no one would be able to enter or leave the dungeon.
The Demon Lord used the dungeon’s power for himself to perform this cute trick. This is what he gets for not expecting that someone else could do the same.
“But Shin, if the Demon Lord could have come whenever he wanted… Why didn’t he when you weren’t here?”
“Right now, Kain is in Earth. Just Kain might not have deterred him, but he didn’t know exactly when I would come back, so he used his subordinates to test the waters.”
I was certain. The Demon Lord knew that Earth had someone on the same level as my old self. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have encaged himself in a dungeon.
“Ah… You mean…”
“There can only be one reason that he brought over a dungeon when he could have come through a land transmittance. It’s because he didn’t want to fight me and Kain at the same time. The dungeon he’s in right now has an entrance limit. Kain and I can never enter together. At best, only me and two other Revival members would be able to go in. The one who created this dungeon isn’t Sherafina, but the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord completely discovered the dungeon’s mechanism.”
“… Then what was the point of us climbing the dungeon?”
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t.”
I gave a simple rebuttal. Hwaya immediately acquiesced and nodded.
“Right, I wouldn’t be able to stand next to Shin if I didn’t climb the dungeon. Huhu, if I think about it like that, I’m quite thankful.”
“That’s not what I meant…”
I replied with a sigh. But of course, I knew Hwaya understood what I really meant.
“Anyways, once I carry out what I’m planning, the Demon Lord will notice it and try to leave the dungeon. Until now, he didn’t know when I would be coming back, but now, he would know for sure.”
“How?”
“I plan on going to the Luka continent.”
Hwaya understood what I meant.
“And the demons in the Luka continent would be able to contact the Demon Lord.”
“Right. So once the Demon Lord knows I can’t come back to Earth, he’ll try to kill Kain. But since I closed the dungeon, he won’t be able to for the next two hours.”
“Shin, are you trying to do what I think you’re trying to do…?”
I replied.
“I’m going to sweep the Luka continent.”
“… Alone?”
“Alone.”
“I’m going to get angry.”
“It’s fine. The Demon Lord is here, so no one in the Luka continent can be my match.”
Hwaya became lost for words at my confident tone. Just when I thought she’d stay silent, she blurted out.
“Shin, you’re super cocky now.”
“I know.”
“But also really cool.”
“I know that too.”
I grinned at her and continued my words.
“The monster continent might move too. That’s why I’m leaving you on Earth. We already took a massive blow because of their tricks, we don’t know what the monsters would do while we’re focusing on the demons. So stay on guard.”
“But didn’t their Five Kings die?”
“But there’s a monster above them. We don’t know if the Five Kings were the only powerful monsters, so please, I feel like they’ll do something.”
“… Will you be fine on your own?”
“Of course.”
After confirming that the dungeon was sealed tightly, I contacted Kain.
“It’s Kang Shin. Kain, I’m going to leave Earth for a bit. Please be on standby.”
[You’re back. Did you get stronger?]
“Yes… I’ll finish everything before the day ends.”
[Huhu, I like how straightforward you are. Good. I’ll come soon.]
Soon after Kain’s reply, a tremendous energy descended above our guild house. It was Kain. Feeling his mana, I nodded in satisfaction and contacted others.
“Leon.”
[Hey! You’re safe!]
“Where are you now?”
[In the First Dungeon! I’m on the 91st floor!]
“You don’t need to climb the dungeon anymore. Come back to Earth. There’s something I need you to do.”
[Just say the words!]
I told Leon my request.
[… Is that okay?]
“Don’t worry about the consequences and just do it. You should be able to, right?”
[I can, but…]
“I’ll have the succubi support you.”
[Understood.]
Leon also began to move. Good, with this, I made all the preparations I could.
Before I left, I entered the dungeon for the last time and went to Resting Place of the Angels. I came to get Plene, but surprisingly, both Lotte and Licorice were there too.
“Lotte, Licorice!”
“H-Hero. I knew you were safe.”
Lotte rubbed her eyes the moment she saw me and greeted me cheerfully. I grinned and stroked her head.
I then turned towards Licorice. For some reason, it didn’t feel like I haven’t seen her in a while even if she looked different after her awakening as the empress.
“Dear Husband, did you come to take Plene?”
“Yeah. Licorice, I’ll leave Earth to you. Help Leon.”
“Got it. I already know everything.”
Indeed, Licorice knew everything on my mind. I didn’t know exactly when it happened, but Licorice and I came to share a consciousness just like she did with the other succubi.
It was around the time I finished absorbing the dragon’s power. I suddenly knew that Licorice completed her awakening as an empress and realized that a new link between us was made. This link wouldn’t be blocked or severed no matter what or who was interfering.
Licorice had gotten stronger, and as we could transfer our thoughts to each other, she was someone I needed by my side.
“Little bat… How foul.”
“Hmph, this is the difference between our Leagues!”
Despite Lotte getting stronger, the two of them stayed the same. I grinned once again and patted Lotte one more time.
“Please, Lotte. Wait with Licorice for just two hours. I’ll be back soon.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s go Plene. I need your help.”
“Un!”
I brought Plene and used my version of Dimensional Travel.
When Dimensional Travel completed successfully, Plene and I found ourselves in the place where we used Return to go back to Earth in the past.
And this place was surrounded by demons, as if someone had told them I would be coming. When they saw me, they seemed frightened out of their minds. It was rather funny.
“Damn it, the Hero really…!”
“Run! We need to live!”
“We’re all dead, we’re screwed!”
“No, please…!”
They were acting like the end of the world was upon them. I couldn’t blame them. There was no way they couldn’t feel my magic power.
I spoke.
“You might be able to kill ordinary people, but you won’t be able to kill me. You could have lived peacefully in Luka continent without invading another world, but that’s not what you did. I will no longer let you be.”
I raised my hand into the sky.
[I am Dortu. Creating a mirror.]
Dortu’s power activated, and a giant metallic mirror appeared in the air. I looked up. The power of my eyes dyed the mirror, and in an instant, the light reflected off the mirror covered more than 10% of the entire continent.
I have arrived.”
