ALL NOVEL Chapter 447
Chapter 448
Every time Moryo wielded his strength, the world “inside” trembled greatly.
Tae-oh was both confused and alarmed by what felt like an earthquake, or perhaps something even more absurd, yet he marched on bravely.
Behind Tae-oh, a countless number of people had begun to follow him. As usual, they walked with dazed expressions, hardly showing any strength, but this time their faces shimmered with a subtle vitality unlike before.
It was nothing short of a bizarre sight. To call it a sight was almost awkward, given the complete darkness that enveloped that world.
Yet, they pursued the boy bravely moving ahead as if he were a beacon of light.
Tae-oh did not impose anything on them. He had never forced them with the power of shadows, and had even told them they didn’t have to follow.
Something faintly remaining within them was making them do so. What kind of emotion that was, he could not tell….
Tae-oh had no way of knowing how this movement was affecting the outside world.
*
Swords clashed, sparks flew, illuminating the darkness of that world for a moment.
In a space shrouded by curtain-like shadows, where no light penetrated, Yeon-woo moved as if he could see everything.
He avoided traps writhing beneath the ground and massive hands reaching out toward him.
Though his energy sense was slightly muddied, that posed no threat to Yeon-woo. His senses were exceptional, but even if obscured, it didn’t mean there was no alternative.
Of course, with the Dragon Eye, energy sense was suited for vast exploration, but in this case, it was better to rely primarily on the Dragon Eye.
His golden eyes were not concealed by anything. Initially, Moryo had attempted to block his vision, but at some point, he simply resorted to attacking.
Of course, there was no reason not to obstruct his view, and he occasionally glared at him.
Yeon-woo didn’t worry much about it. Losing one eye or two wouldn’t take long to regenerate.
It might hurt, but that wasn’t the issue now. If he thought he couldn’t endure that level of pain while fighting Moryo head-on, he was making a huge mistake.
Having stepped into this unfair and disadvantageous battlefield, he was fully prepared.
Who would be foolish enough to challenge the Demon King 1:1 without any resolve? Yeon-woo’s only thought was that he had to bring Tae-oh back.
However, that thought didn’t last long.
As Yeon-woo swung his sword down, Moryo gently deflected it with the back of his hand. A large opening appeared in Yeon-woo’s torso. Seizing the moment, Moryo’s claw reached out.
It was within a range that could be countered, so in an instant, Yeon-woo transformed his Doppelganger into a shield to block the attack.
But no expected impact came. Yeon-woo concentrated, wondering what was going on, and saw Moryo’s hand beyond the shield.
Moryo’s left hand dripped down like melted chocolate. Even Yeon-woo, along with Moryo, couldn’t understand what had just happened.
“What did you do? Did you sprinkle hydrochloric acid on your hand?”
[…Hmm.]
The shield hidden in Yeon-woo’s hand instantaneously transformed into a sword. It was rather an opportunity. Perhaps that hand wouldn’t be usable permanently.
His body was not in a form easily understandable as a human, so this was merely a temporary hindrance.
From his reaction, it was clear there was some sort of variable at play.
‘Seems Tae-oh is still fine.’
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Yeon-woo swung his arm. He didn’t know precisely what had happened, but it was clear that preventing Moryo from focusing on that side was advantageous.
He swung the sword grasped tightly in both hands. With reckless motions, he came close to diving into Moryo’s embrace if not careful.
This was somewhat uncharacteristic for Yeon-woo, who preferred a defensive fight while observing the situation.
“What are you spacing out for!!”
With a click of his tongue, Moryo glared at Yeon-woo. Yeah, that’s right. Your foes aren’t just one or two.
All of humanity in this world hates you and wants you dead. How can you ignore me, who can represent that hatred?
*
Meanwhile, warmth bathed the party. Surprised by the suddenly intensified light, Yeon-woo’s friends looked back. There stood Ilucia, tilting her head.
[…What is this?]
Kai rushed over to the startled Ilucia.
“Is something wrong, Goddess?”
[Well, it’s not that. I’m fine. It’s just that suddenly faith seems to be sprouting from somewhere….]
“Indeed, the radiance has definitely grown stronger. Hmm.”
As he stroked his chin, Ilucia pushed him away shyly, examining where these newly emerging believers were headed.
It was certainly unusual. Hadn’t it been such a short time since she arrived in this world for faith to manifest?
Therefore, she could only speculate one place, and that suspicion soon proved to be fact.
[…Thank you.]
The divine radiance of sunlight flowed from, of all places, within the shadow. Ilucia suppressed the emotions threatening to overflow.
Now was not the time. Once everything was over and they recovered their peace, she could let those emotions spill.
[And, I’m sorry….]
May there be blessings for the lost children. May there also be blessings for the boy guiding those children she had let slip from her hands.
What Ilucia could do was nothing more than a prayer that hardly suited someone claiming to be a god.
*
It was a strange journey. Everywhere they went, more people gathered, and after three minutes of having said he would release them, Dad had yet to do so.
Even so, given the quaking earth, it was reasonable to guess what situation they were in. Dad must be fighting Moryo. He must be busy.
Thus, Tae-oh was doing what he could. His father always taught him that if one steadily worked through what they could do at the moment, they could overcome any adversity.
Tae-oh didn’t know exactly what he was doing, but he continued to converse with the people.
He chatted lightly and embraced them tightly. Tae-oh loved being held by Yeon-woo, so he simply assumed that others would feel the same.
Anyway, if good results come out of it, that’s what mattered. Were good results not already happening?
Since people were following him for reasons unknown, he just assumed it was not a bad sign.
“Everyone, we’re going!!”
At Tae-oh’s starting signal, small cheers rose among the people following him. Hmm, Tae-oh felt satisfied.
At first, they had seemed so lifeless he thought they were zombies, but gradually he felt they were following his enthusiasm.
“~♬”
Tae-oh hummed a little song as he marched on bravely. Countless people followed the back of the boy walking unhesitatingly into the dark abyss.
From his back, which seemed to shine in some way, people recalled someone.
That was a god, a warrior, and simultaneously the prince leading them now.
“…Let’s follow.”
The farmer who first embraced Tae-oh muttered unconsciously. Though he didn’t fully understand it, he felt this was right.
Not out of someone’s coercion or violence, but they were learning from the steps of a young child that they should move forward.
“Let’s return to where we belong.”
Their voices began to grow louder. People began to sing different songs. Songs that had been sleeping somewhere in their memories began to flow out.
Tae-oh watched with delight as he walked before them. Yes, walking before people was quite a joyful event.
*
[Hehe, cough, haha!!]
Yeon-woo was taken aback by Moryo’s sudden laughter, yet he did not relent in his attack. Moryo’s physical dissolution was becoming more periodic and increasingly rapid.
It would be foolish to let such a advantageous timing slip away.
Moryo felt the current situation was truly absurd. The depth was painfully shallow. A strategy that wouldn’t even deserve the title — a trashy plan.
Ilucia and Shuyo were one thing, but as for that Doppelganger named Tae-oh, he could only think of it as such.
What on earth was he thinking? Talking to people swallowed by the world inside him? What would that accomplish? He almost wanted to ask.
‘…Ah, so that really works.’
Absurdly, it was he who was getting caught up in that trashy plan. Since the day he became the Demon King who devoured a world, he had ruled lives through violence and fear.
At any moment, life could be extinguished. At any moment, he could extinguish life. By engraving such fear, humans lay flat beneath him.
Seeing them behave that way greatly pleased him, making it all the more excellent for ruling.
Moreover, he even granted them immortal bodies, so he thought he should be thanked.
Was it not acceptable to give them a few whacks and keep them subdued after granting them immortal bodies?
But then, foolish subjects began to reject that. If they lay flat beneath him, wouldn’t he one day build them paradise?
Though the time seemed endlessly far away, what complaints could there be when they wouldn’t age and die?
[I cannot understand this, not at all!!]
Moryo’s fury manifested from within the shadows.
It was a dragon, a lion, and a serpent. Each of their bodies grotesquely mixed, giving birth to a strange beast that let out a bizarre roar before Yeon-woo.
『────!!』
Yeon-woo was pushed back by the sound pressure. His arms tingled. He didn’t know what to call it.
Compared to the clones created by Toyo, it had a proper semblance of a living organism, but the essence of that thing was something other.
The Dragon Eye made it abundantly clear. Someone dies. Someone curses. Someone deceives. Someone is discarded.
[I shall discard you, for I cannot understand. Yes, humans are worthless. What reason do I have to care for a folk that only wishes to harm the same humans over and over?]
Just as the sun rose to its highest point, Moryo transformed into the Demon King, Zahak.
He had become a serpent. Two snakes that grew over his shoulders emitted envy and jealousy while black shadows consumed his body.
Just as on the day he became a king, he once again discarded humanity. Yeon-woo named what he saw. His instincts whispered that name.
That was “pure evil.”
(To be continued in the next part)