ALL NOVEL Chapter 436
Chapter 437
Yeon-woo and Baek In-hwa were witnessing Shuyo voluntarily relinquishing his title as the Demon King, his downfall unfolding right before their eyes. At first, they were utterly bewildered, but surprisingly, it was all quite ordinary.
[Uweeeek….]
With a rather realistic sound, a black mass spewed forth from Shuyo’s mouth.
It was a wholly different form from Moryo’s true body, yet the sensation it gave off felt pretty similar.
The black mass that Shuyo expelled began to sizzle and evaporate as it melted into the ground.
It seemed to be the kind that would naturally disappear without some sort of containment.
That made sense. Just because he spat out the title of Demon King on the ground didn’t mean the Earth would become the Demon King.
Meanwhile, Shar and Yeon-woo were busy drafting a contract. There were so many conditions to include that they needed to get started early.
[I shall banish Moryo.]
The Earth Serpent declared as it began to look around. Perfect division of labor indeed. Wonderful teamwork.
[Is this… it…?]
Shuyo spoke with a voice laced with agony. He had given up his title of Demon King and also reclaimed the demons of Sloth.
He wanted to have him relinquish as much power as possible, but in the current situation, doing so would be too much of a loss, so they decided to enforce it after the battle ended.
“Alright. Then we must make the contract, right?”
Baek In-hwa nodded with a somewhat sulky expression. Strangely, Shuyo looked quite cheerful.
It seemed he was just glad to be alive after all. He was more positive than expected…
Yeon-woo had laid down every conceivable condition.
No betrayals, no harming humans, he could only eat what Baek In-hwa’s people provided, he couldn’t harm the Earth Serpent, must obey Baek In-hwa’s orders, and could not even digest food without orders—there was a mountain of restrictions.
Yet, Shuyo let out a sigh of relief as he stood upon the magic circle. To think he could smile even after checking the contract’s content was impressive.
[If you save me, I’ll do anything…! Maybe even lick your feet? Huh?]
“Ugh, that feels gross….”
Even so, the thought of licking feet was a bit much.
Just a moment ago, he had acted so arrogantly toward Yeon-woo, and now he had completely changed his demeanor.
It seemed that having a natural enemy was quite the character-altering power. Not that the Earth Serpent changed at all, but still.
“Should we call you… Lime?”
[That’s such a lackluster name! Do you have no proper name?]
“I might rename you if you behave.”
[Got it! I’ll do my best…!!]
Watching the squirming Lime making its resolve, Baek In-hwa quietly sighed.
To be honest, she despised the idea of making a contract with such a being. However, she had no intention of avoiding it if it was necessary.
‘… Is it okay if it moves like a snake, I wonder?’
Baek In-hwa merely pondered for a moment. The sight of Lime wriggling, though pitiful, didn’t seem entirely bad.
*
[Doesn’t it seem like things are getting interesting?]
[… Why are you trying to act friendly?]
Tukwaang!!
At Moryo’s words, Hwayo swung his leg fiercely. With that careless kick, the ground shuddered and exploded apart.
However, Moryo spoke as if nothing had happened, opening its mouth from within the shadows.
[Look. The hero has even subjugated the Demon King under his control. Isn’t that rather intriguing for you?]
[What do I care? Just get lost before I kill you myself.]
[Hehe, touchy, aren’t you? Well, you suit being alone. I’ll be on my way.]
As Moryo spoke provocatively, its presence faded. Hwayo irritably brushed his hair back.
Even wearing the cloak of day, it seemed that meant nothing to that guy.
[… Maybe it’s time to move.]
It appeared Moryo was about to make its move as well. That meant Hwayo also needed to act.
One must forge their own weapons to kill themselves. As trials increase, humans grow stronger, so facing trials where two Demon Kings stood in the way would surely temper the hero.
[I’m looking forward to it, Hero. Whether you can stop me or not. Whether you can grant me peace or not….]
With a sly grin, Hwayo stomped on the ground. The quaking it created rippled through the earth.
The land screamed. With that recoil, Hwayo’s body soared, breaking the sound barrier, heading towards the gorge.
As if signaling, the Violence Cult revealed itself. Leading them was Christopher, the man formerly known as the Gloomy Monster before his return.
“Yawn, let’s go, everyone.”
““Woaaaaah──!!””
The roar of war echoed. There weren’t many in numbers. However, in war, especially modern warfare, numbers aren’t everything.
What mattered was which side had the asymmetrical advantage. By that standard, it seemed humanity’s forces would never lose.
Yet they were the fallen of the battlefield. Their existence was one of bloodshed, where shedding blood was the meaning of life, and dying on the battlefield was their ultimate goal.
Thus, they moved forward without hesitation.
*
[We’ve found the Cult of Gloom and the Cult of Violence.]
“… Great.”
Yeon-woo sighed at Riley’s report that reached his ears after the contract was concluded.
Fortunately, he managed to handle Shuyo before it began, but in the end, Shuyo wasn’t the main problem. It was the others that were.
“Do I really have to face all three at once…?”
[Three? What three? Oh, right. You wouldn’t know, would you?]
Riley opened up after hearing Yeon-woo’s muttering. As Baek In-hwa shot him a glare, he shrank back and closed his mouth.
“What is it? Spill it.”
“Feel free to say it.”
[Thank you… The Demon King of Day was probably killed by Hwayo. I know the lake that he likes.]
“Oh ho.”
That was surprisingly crucial information. It was incredibly good news that one of the Demon Kings, especially the bothersome one from the Demon King of Day, had been killed.
The ‘phenomenon’ that roamed the world, randomly swallowing people up…
Not to mention, the ability of the Demon King of Day to erase all traces of one’s existence when entering the battlefield had made it impossible to counteract.
When someone disappeared from beside you, no one would notice. And the more numerous the side, the worse off they became.
That was why Hwayo killing Moryo was something he felt grateful for.
‘Hwayo is quite the peculiar guy.’
It felt as if he was somehow helping humanity. However, it seemed especially strange that this was happening intentionally instead of just happening to occur naturally.
If that were the case, he could have just helped openly like Leviathan. Well, it was clear he had a purpose now…
Riley’s research wasn’t solely about finding the Demon King’s weakness. Originally, weakness could not be inferred unless one knew about the opponent.
Thus, he was digging up every scrap of information he could find about the Demon Kings.
What had been uncovered was that Hwayo’s true form was a so-called “Stone Man,” an immortal discovered within the ruins of a gate.
Initially, he had suspected either Shuyo or Hwayo, but as Shuyo was a slime, it was safe to conclude Hwayo was the immortal.
“Both Moryo and Hwayo, it turns out, are both human-born.”
One had devoured a god while in a human form, and the other had suddenly come into being as the first human.
Whether one could call an immortal a regular human is up for debate, but it was pretty tragic.
[Both are crazy. You should abandon any thoughts of facing them head-on. It’s not even a comparison with me.]
“It’s reassuring to have someone like that voiced by the notoriously troublesome Shuyo.”
[Ugh… I know saying sorry won’t suffice, but I am.]
What a surprisingly communicative fellow. Seeing a Demon King shrink back at his words wasn’t such a bad feeling.
“Well, anyway, you must help me deal with those two. We signed a contract, so getting a few hits won’t kill you, right?”
[You’re just using me… I’ll still help because I despise those guys.]
“Good, good. I really like your kinder tone. Is it Baek In-hwa’s influence?”
Generally, one tends to influence their contractor upon signing.
Shar and Tae-oh were less affected, but with this lopsided contract, it would be hard not to be influenced.
[Of course. Our master is so kind…!]
“Shut up.”
At Lime’s words, Baek In-hwa covered her face in embarrassment. Seeing that reaction, Shuyo sparkled his eyes as if he had noticed something.
For a weak organism to survive, the most crucial factor is perception. The ability to understand the situation and decide which side to cooperate with.
In a certain sense, Lime could be considered the most perceptive being in all existence among the Demon Kings, or perhaps all living beings in this world.
After all, how many hardships and trials had its existence gone through to reach the position of the Demon King as a mere slime?
Each and every time, Lime had navigated through with wit and survival instincts and finally ascended to the throne of Demon King.
While Lime praised their master, Baek In-hwa shyly observed Yeon-woo. Yet, Lime could see she was unexpectedly pleased.
Having consumed countless lives, Lime could read that sentiment. This subtle pink atmosphere clearly showed that the master in front of him loved the hero.
[Master, Master, let me help you…!!]
‘W-What are you planning to do?’
Lime grinned. It didn’t seem to be something outrageous.
Human love may arise from a fleeting, intense emotion, but it is often built upon a series of subtle and calm feelings.
Just by complimenting someone, good emotions bloom, and that simplicity is a characteristic of human beings.
At that moment, Lime was truly a connoisseur of humans. At first glance, it was evident the hero had some positive feelings toward Baek In-hwa, but they seemed merely friendly.
There was no way it could be classified as love.
‘I’m pretty sure the hero has a wife.’
While originally his own world prohibited polygamy, he recalled this world was different.
When considering many factors, calculations were commencing in Lime’s mind.
‘Just enough.’
Overexerting oneself towards someone who already has someone could lead to negative impressions. Thus, moderation was necessary.
Lime decided to become the messenger of love for the woman who had become his master.
(Continued in the next part)