Book 1 Chapter 759

759.

Kagagagak-

The ice fragments shattered by Leo began to return to their original places.

Soon, the demon race regained its original form.

A moment later.

Shaaaah-

The demon, having regained its original form, nodded its head a few times.

Kaddeuk- Kaddeudeuk

Thin ice fell to the floor.

It seemed not to be greatly shocked despite its neck being severed and its face blown off.

"You rude mortal."

He looked down at Leo and revealed his rage.

"Such a lowly attack will work on me…"

Kwak-!

This time, before the demon could even finish its sentence, Leo severed its mouth.

"Why do you babble so much?"

Leo said indifferently.

Once again, the ancient demon, whose head was blown off leaving only its jaw, recovered its face and showed its rage.

"You-!"

Simultaneously with that cry, Leo and Lycinus launched themselves.

Boom-!

Something invisible crushed the ground where Leo and Lycinus had stood.

Lycinus landed lightly on the ground and looked at Leo, saying.

"It seems you haven't changed your personality."

Among the five great heroes, the one the Tartarus demons hated the most was none other than the Hero of Genesis.

It wasn't because Leo had subjugated Erebus.

The demons' deep hatred for the Hero of Genesis had been deeply rooted since the Age of Calamity.

'Kyle hunted demons most cruelly among us.'

Leo never killed demons gently.

He humiliated and killed them as cruelly as possible.

Because of this aspect, Leo became the most hated and most undesirable opponent for demons to fight.

"By the way, what's the principle of recovery?"

Leo tilted his head, looking at the high-ranking demon.

Attacks weren't ineffective.

However, it received no damage at all.

Returning to its original form after its neck and face were severed wasn't recovery.

It merely reverted.

No power was used in that process.

'Does it have a core? But that would be inefficient, wouldn't it?'

Creating a core grants endless regeneration, but there's a clear drawback: it perishes if the core is destroyed.

To compensate for this drawback, they choose to hide the core outside their body.

However, it's still dangerous if the core's location is discovered, and there's a vulnerability where the core's location is easily detected when regeneration is active.

Therefore, the high-ranking demons of Tartarus did not create cores.

Leo, who was searching for the core's location with his supersenses, tilted his head.

'Its location isn't being detected?'

It seemed there was something special.

"You are arrogant for possessing the power of a wicked god! I will make you feel the fear of death! Knights of Repose! Spokespersons of Ameriol-nim! By my name, Carmol, I command you! Inflict upon that insolent mortal a pain greater than death!"

At Cardmol's cry, the knights moved.

Each of them was no different from a high-ranking demon possessing great power.

Goooooooh-!

An ominous aura of death emanated.

As Leo saw this, he clenched and unclenched his fists, about to step forward.

"I'll handle it."

"Don't overdo it, okay?"

"Overdo it?"

Lycinus tilted her head.

"Just that much?"

"My apologies."

Indeed, Lycinus was currently in a spirit state.

She needed Leo's help to properly use her power.

Even so, she was still Lycinus, the King of Wisdom.

"So?"

Kwak-!

Golden aura surged from Leo's sword.

Kwagagagagang-!

Golden slashes flew in, tearing the knights apart.

Slashes like a beast's claws.

It was Arion's sword strike.

But soon, the shattered demons returned to their original state.

"Have you figured out the principle of their regeneration?"

"Yes."

Lycinus, who nodded, looked at the ice pillar.

"There must be a legion commander-level demon leading these demons around here."

"How dare a lowly reptile! How dare you equate the noble Saintess with that grotesque monster! You want to die…!"

Kwak-!

Leo blew off Cardmol's upper body with magic.

"Who are you calling a reptile?"

"Leo…"

"Only I can call her that, you know?"

Kwak-!

Lycinus stomped on Leo's foot.

"This lowly slave race…!"

Cardmol regained his original form, but Leo and Lycinus paid no mind.

"The demon who is their leader will be the core."

"So, just capturing one head will finish it. Simpler structure than I thought."

"The stronger the power, the simpler its operation."

Cardmol, who heard their conversation, frowned.

'They saw through that fact in an instant?'

A long time ago.

When Nyx was defeated and swallowed by Erebus.

Styx, who served Nyx, retreated without fighting Tartarus.

At that time, Erebus's forces, having devoured other evil gods, were something Nyx could never contend with.

Thus, Nyx planned for the future and commanded her saints and saintesses to hide throughout the continent.

Soon after Nyx was swallowed by Erebus.

Styx's demons lost consciousness as they were.

Then Styx's demons opened their eyes again.

It was proof that their master had arrived!

It was unknown how much time had passed.

But Saintess Ameriol, realizing that humans were on the land where they had slept, began to act.

She intended to grant eternal repose to the people of this land and head towards their goddess, Nyx.

In the process, she discovered a human imbued with the detestable power of the heavenly gods.

Divine power.

And an immense power, almost reaching Nyx's own divine power.

Styx's demons knew their goddess was weakened.

If they offered that divine power to the goddess, she would immediately regain her prime strength.

Moreover, snatching power from a lowly human was not that difficult.

However, the dragon with that human immediately saw through the weakness of the Knights of Repose.

All of Styx's warriors, led by the Second Saintess, were beings blessed by the Saintess's grace.

They were granted infinite vitality, but in return, their fates were also subservient to the Second Saintess.

In the distant past.

Even when the Second Saintess and the Knights of Repose were spreading the grace of death across this world, no one saw through that fact.

Even if there were any, they did not survive and died.

But that dragon saw through the fact in a matter of minutes.

Cardmol felt an inexplicable uneasiness but paid no mind.

'Though somewhat strong, just a human and a dragon.'

Before Nyx disappeared, humans were nothing more than lowly slaves whom Styx controlled.

Most dragons dared to refuse the grace of Goddess Nyx and followed the incompetent heavenly gods, but that was all.

Regardless of whether they saw through the Second Saintess's secret, they could not reach the Second Saintess.

Even if they stood before the Saintess, it didn't matter.

'They will merely kneel before the Saintess's immense power.'

Cardmol sneered.

'What can mere beings like you do?'

"You go to the ice pillar. Kyle."

"For a lowly human to stand before the Saintess is rude. Where are you going…!"

Kwak-!

Cardmol's shadow shot up like a blade, blowing off Cardmol's head.

That wasn't the end.

Kwagagagagagang-!

The shadows of the Knights of Repose shot up, wrapped around their main bodies, and dragged them to the ground.

The movement of the knights surrounding the two was momentarily paralyzed.

"I'll go first."

As the encirclement disappeared, Leo ran towards the ice pillar at tremendous speed.

-Wow.

At that moment, Elsie, who was summoned onto Lycinus's palm, gasped in admiration.

-Well, Lycinus's spirit magic is similar to Leo's yet different. She can use power incredibly efficiently.

It was Elsie, none other, who bound the Knights of Repose.

Currently, Leo and Lycinus were bound by a pact.

With Leo's permission, she could act on Leo's pact anytime.

Lycinus had used Elsie's power by utilizing that proxy authority.

"Because I am the fundamental framework of Leo's spirit magic."

-That means Lycinus is Leo's teacher.

"Not quite a teacher. He just saw it and followed well."

Lycinus smiled sweetly and looked at Elsie.

At her gaze, Elsie's eyes widened, and she touched her own face.

-Is there something on my face?

"No. Just. When I first met you, I desperately wanted to make a pact with you."

Of course, Elsie had no memory of it.

Elsie's existence in this world was merely sustained as a reward from Hero's Record.

In actual history, Elsie perished 5000 years ago.

But Elsie recalled a story Lycinus had told her once before.

-That's right, you said. But back then, I needed Leo more than Lycinus… Hik?

"Yes. That's right."

Lycinus brought her face close to Elsie's head and inhaled.

-Ly, Lycinus. Too close.

"Do you know how much I wanted to handle you?"

Lycinus's eyes sparkled rarely.

It was a sight not easily seen on her normally.

Literally, the pure desire of a spirit user.

If Leo had seen it, he surely would have called it perverted, but Leo wasn't there now.

As Lycinus said, 5000 years ago.

Lycinus fell in love with the shadow spirit Elsie at first sight.

She was instinctively drawn to the great spirit of darkness, who held powerful strength as a black dragon.

However, at that time, Lycinus could not comfort the wounded Elsie.

Because Lycinus's ideal, which envisioned a bright future and spread hope, could not harmonize with Elsie, who was wounded and despairing in the world.

At that time, Elsie chose Kyle, who had a similar personality to her.

Lycinus, knowing that it was useless to force a pact, had no choice but to swallow her regret at the time.

But now it was different.

As a spirit user, she could finally wield Elsie's power, which had the best compatibility with her.

'If that spirit is the strongest spirit, it's an enormous blessing for a spirit user.'

It was certainly a blessing that only those who saved the world in a previous life could enjoy.

'Ah, did I already save the world once?'

While she was having such idle thoughts.

Boom-!

The Knights of Repose, freed from Elsie's restraint, began to emit terrifying killing intent.

"Do you think we'll fall for such a crude trick again!"

Cardmol exuded killing intent.

"Don't be arrogant! Dragon! Just a slave race! You won't be able to inflict any harm upon the Saintess!"

"Slave race… Indeed. I once read in ancient texts that some humans were slaves to demons. It seems you were the ones who used them."

Lycinus nodded as if she had learned something new.

Ancient texts from an era whose very age was unknown.

When she interpreted and read those texts, Lycinus felt doubt.

Tartarus does not enslave humans.

They merely divided the races of the land into two categories:

To kill them immediately.

Or to use them and then kill them.

Erebus's desire was to burn the world, leaving not even ashes.

When she saw records that such beings had enslaved humans in the past, Lycinus found it strange.

But it made sense for other evil gods.

Their ultimate goal was different from Erebus's.

'If the goal is to make the world into an unchanging, frozen world of death… then enslaving humans makes sense.'

A world of absolute, immutable stillness.

They wouldn't have gone extinct until that desire was achieved.

It was a thought Lycinus couldn't understand, but she knew well that gods, let alone evil gods, were beings who only caused headaches if one tried to understand them.

Therefore, Lycinus merely nodded calmly, as if she had learned a new fact.

"But you know. The era you lived in and the current era are very different. Especially the guy who just left is an expert at hunting and killing demons."

Lycinus smiled.

"Hmph! Forgetfulness is frightening! To have forgotten our terror."

Cardmol sneered.

"No matter how strong you are, it doesn't matter. It's common sense that you mortals cannot defeat us, the inhabitants of Styx, who serve the Goddess of Death."

"Common sense, huh…"

Lycinus smiled faintly.

Lycinus's eyes calmly gazed at Cardmol.

Her eyes shone with insight.

It was the power of this insight that allowed her to instantly see through the principle of Cardmol's infinite regeneration.

This insight was the foundation that made Lycinus the King of Wisdom.

Lycinus slowly looked at the Knights of Repose.

"You know what? Common sense exists to be broken. And from the start, we are abnormal beings."

If they were common-sense beings.

They wouldn't have been able to save the world in that situation.

Lycinus gently brushed Elsie's cheek with her other finger, Elsie kneeling on her palm.

Elsie straightened her back and her eyes widened.

-Huh?

Darkness slowly seeped out of Elsie's body, who had gasped without realizing it.

The darkness traveled down Lycinus's body to the floor and merged with Lycinus's shadow.

Then it spread out and touched the shadows of the Knights of Repose.

"Do you think we'll fall for such a crude trick again?"

Cardmol, who thought it was the same shadow binding as before, sneered.

Lycinus smiled, looking at Cardmol.

"Let me tell you something. We can defeat you even without dealing with that Saintess or whatever."

"Ignorance is frightening. To be able to harbor such vain hope…"

Kwak-!

"…ya?"

Cardmol couldn't finish his sentence and uttered a question mark.

'What is it?'

Did the opponent blow off his head again?

That was not it.

Thud-!

Cardmol's head fell to the floor and spun.

Cardmol looked at the one who had severed his neck.

It was none other than a Knight of Repose.

The demons' bodies began to tremble.

Soon…

Kwak-! Kwa-jik! Tukak!

The Knights of Repose began to swing their weapons at each other.

Limbs of the demons fell off, and a gruesome scene of slaughter unfolded.

"Wh-what is this…!"

Cardmol's face was painted with shock.

"You wench! What on earth is your true identity!"

"Hmm… What should I tell you? King of Wisdom? Foolish One? These titles are hard to grasp and won't resonate well… Ah!"

Lycinus, who had been contemplating, smiled sweetly.

"Slayer."

"What?"

"I am the hero who has killed the most demons in the world."