NOVPUB
Chapter 240
Suho blinked and suddenly found himself in a world of pure white.
He was used to this sort of thing by now. He had actually anticipated it the moment Baran’s Horn was offered as his quest reward. As he took the horn in his hand, he knew this would be the natural result.
Though there were some exceptions, most of the dead Monarchs that Suho had met so far had given him the title of “shaman.” They only wanted one thing from him—that he find a worthy successor to carry their powers. He had become the representative who would oversee that important ritual, so to speak.
But why him? Why was the son of the Monarch of Shadows, the man who had slain the other Monarchs, chosen for such a vital role?
“That’s because we have no choice.”
Recently, Antares had provided Suho with the answer to this lingering question. As he had remained at Suho’s side, he had many opportunities for idle conversation, unlike the other Monarchs.
“You are the only one left, though I don’t know how this came about.”
Antares had worn a bitter expression as he spoke of the Monarchs.
“Normally, a shaman of the same race chooses the next Monarch when the reigning one dies. At times, their power is passed on even without the facilitation of a shaman. That is the way of things.”
It was the Absolute Being, of course, who had designed it this way.
In the beginning, the Absolute Being had divided up the power of the great darkness to create eight rulers. These were the Monarchs, and that power was the primordial darkness.
“That is why, if we die, the primordial darkness inside us naturally flows into a successor.”
Now that the Absolute Being was dead and gone from this universe, the laws he had established had begun to falter.
“It has all malfunctioned so badly that you—basically a nobody—can awaken our souls after we have been reduced to nothingness.”
“How dare you speak of the Young Monarch like that?!”
Beru had bristled with anger, but Antares was not trying to insult Suho. On the contrary, he was genuinely curious about how the young man had come into such power.
Ignoring Beru’s outrage, Antares had pressed on.
“Of course, your father is one of the Fragments of Brilliant Light created by the Absolute Being, as well as the ninth Monarch. He is a shadow who holds both light and darkness inside him. But not even the Monarch of Shadows could manipulate the spirits of the other Monarchs, his equals. If that had been possible, the Monarchs would already have been reduced to shadow soldiers.”
Fully aware of this, Antares regarded Suho’s ability with extreme caution.
“I would advise you to be careful of that skill with no name. It doesn’t seem to be a power that comes from your father.”
He had repeatedly warned Suho of its dangers, as it was a passive skill that activated automatically.
Suho had taken Antares’ words to heart, though there was little he could do to prepare. He didn’t even know what the mysterious skill was called.
Understanding this, the Monarch gave him a final warning.
“Just remember one thing. Not all Monarchs will be favorably disposed toward you. I certainly wasn’t. And Baran, the King of Demons, in particular...”
[The King of Demons is watching you.]
So you’re Baran, Suho thought, raising his head and gazing outward toward the horizon.
In the far distance, a demon stood tall, clad in opulent armor fit for royalty. A blue glow surrounded him, and his piercing eyes gleamed with blatant malice and hatred.
Suho was no stranger to such encounters. In hindsight, things had been the same not only with Antares, but also when he’d met Querehsha.
Their fury wasn’t difficult to understand.
They want revenge against my father.
It was only natural. Unless they sought to pass their powers to a successor, the Monarchs had every reason to direct their vengeance at the son of the one who had killed them.
But Suho had already heard about Baran from Antares. He hadn’t actually been killed by Jinwoo, but rather by Ashborn, the previous Monarch of Shadows. The “Baran” that Sung Jinwoo had slain in the Demon Castle when he was younger was only a copy, as the real Baran had been executed long ago after betraying Ashborn.
This meant the Baran standing before Suho had never even met his father.
And yet he’s furious. That means...
Suho clenched his teeth.
Lightning flashed despite the distinct lack of clouds. It was Baran’s rage and hatred made manifest.
Thunder rumbled alongside the lightning bolts as their reach rapidly expanded outward from Baran’s location. The lightning seemed about to swallow up the entire world around them.
Suho had witnessed such power only once before—when his mother, Cha Haein, had taken the Demon King’s Longsword and killed a follower of the Itarim. However, the lightning emanating from Baran’s body now was far more intense than what he had seen then.
At the center of the overwhelming display of power was the King of Demons himself, glaring at Suho with bloodshot eyes. His gaze lingered on Suho’s chest, as though he was trying to gauge the true nature of the power hidden within it.
[Baran discovers the “Heart of the King of Dragons” inside you.]
Sh*t. So this is how it’s going to be? Suho sighed, inwardly cursing Antares.
“Lowly human, I will ask you but one question,” Baran boomed. “Are you the successor of Ashborn, or of Antares?”
It was clear he wasn’t seeking an answer. He already knew.
“How is it that I sense the energy of both inside you?”
Suho’s thoughts were directed toward Baran. “I thought you were only asking one question. Look closely, and you’ll discover the protection of other Monarchs as—”
“You talk too much.”
Suho knew that conversation in this spiritual world was a waste of time.
[Baran realizes that you are the successor of Antares, the King of Dragons.]
[Baran recalls the atrocities Antares has committed.]
The system was kind enough to tell Suho everything Baran was thinking.
[Baran recalls that it was Antares who encouraged him to betray Ashborn.]
Baran sought vengeance against two beings—Ashborn, the former Monarch of Shadows, and Antares, the former King of Dragons. Suho, having inherited the powers of both, was his perfect target.
So instead of responding, Suho summoned all the mana he could. It was impossible to call upon shadow soldiers in this world, so he would have to rely only on himself.
The Heart of the King of Dragons burned, and dark flames like those of Antares enveloped him.
This was as clear an answer as any for Baran, and his eyes went wide.
“So it’s true! Damn you!”
In that instant, he transformed into a streak of lightning and launched himself at Suho.
[Baran used the skill: “White Flames.”]
What the...?!
Suho didn’t even have time to think.
He had been ready, but Baran was so fast he could hardly react. The lightning bolt struck him, hurling him backward.
This was just the beginning.
Baran’s maw opened wide. Inside, jagged, shark-like teeth waited, ready to bite Suho’s head clean off.
Suho twisted just in time to evade the fatal strike, leaving his shoulder exposed in the process.
It all happened in less than a second. In that brief moment, Baran tore into his shoulder.
Arrrgh!
Suho’s vision flickered wildly as powerful electricity coursed into his body through the bite.
The agony was indescribable, like being struck by lightning. He felt ready to faint.
“Die! Die! Die, damn you!”
Baran tore at Suho with demonic fervor, as if wishing to crush and feed on his flesh and bone.
Suho gritted his teeth to endure the pain and prepare a counterattack.
[Skill: “Iron Body Technique” has activated.]
[Skill: “Giant’s Armor” has activated.]
[Skill: “Dark Flame Storm” has activated.] 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓾𝒷.𝒸ℴ𝓂
He unleashed all three skills simultaneously.
Baran didn’t even bother to dodge, taking the attacks head-on. He grinned.
“Hehehe! Very good! So this is how you fight!”
The madness in his gaze made Suho’s eyes widen. The Monarch was feeling the pain, but he was enjoying it.
“A demon lives to fight!”
This was Baran, the pinnacle of demonkind. Demons lived for violent, bloody battles, and he was an apex predator who had devoured more demons than anyone else.
The ferocious battle transformed the once-pure white world into a storm of madness. The flames of white lightning erupting from Baran’s mouth burned even brighter, and Suho expanded his senses to their limit, attacking with all his might.
This isn’t easy.
Suho was realizing once again just how helpful his father’s apparition had been in the battle against Antares. He had known from the start this would not be an easy fight, but the reality was much worse.
As they exchanged countless blows, Baran swallowed bits of Suho’s flesh. As if he had discovered something, his face suddenly split into a wide grin.
“Haha! Now I understand! So this is why a mere human like you has grown so strong...”
He had noticed the source of the power engraved in Suho’s body.
“I taste the spells of the mystic beings! Has a sorcerer from the arcane realm taken human flesh and placed a mimicry of the way we demons grow inside it? No wonder I felt as though someone had taken a bite out of my spirit!”
[Baran realizes how the leveling system was created.]
What?!
Even Suho couldn’t hide his shock this time.
No wonder the system messages have been so talkative today... Don’t tell me the system is made of...?
“Ehehe. There is only one being from that realm who would conduct such research... Kandiaru, the Grand Spellcaster! He was always eager to overtake Yogumunt and become the Monarch of Transfiguration!”
Through their battle, Baran had pieced together far more than Suho had anticipated.
The moment the King of Demons had awakened in this empty world, he had discovered a mysterious wound on his body, as if someone had torn part of him away.
After tasting Suho’s blood and flesh, he knew for certain what had happened. Only Kandiaru, the eternal second-in-command in the arcane realm, would go so far as to study the spirit of a dead Monarch.
“Yes. His sorcery would be more than capable of that! He could have done something as small as create a copy of me using a piece of my spirit, but he’s been far greedier. He’s replicated the demon growth process in a lowly human!”
Upon realizing the hidden truth, Baran was utterly nonplussed.
Yogumunt, the Monarch of Transfiguration and the King of Demonic Spectres, was once served by Kandiaru, who had always sought to replace him. Even as the war’s outcome became evident, Kandiaru had been desperate to amass power.
“So you are the result, I take it?” Baran asked, giving Suho another once-over.
He was actually inspecting the leveling system inside the hunter. The system was the same process by which the demons and the Residents of the Rift grew: killing living things, sucking their souls dry, and achieving infinite growth.
With that realization, he gave a predatory grin and smacked his lips.
“Now, I wonder... What will happen if I devour everything you’ve eaten so far?”
With that, electricity flowed through Baran’s saliva-covered teeth.
