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Chapter 129
3.
The degree of realism in Eternal World was truly beyond imagination.
Everything was so vast and exceptionally well-crafted that it was no different from another world.
It wasn't for nothing that it carried the title of the "Eternal World."
The thought processes of NPCs were like those of actual humans.
The ecology of monsters also closely resembled reality.
One might expect that in cases where the habitats of various monsters overlapped, they would fight to the death, as often imagined in fantasy. However, that wasn't the case at all.
Rather, once habitats were established like that…
An ecosystem formed where they did not invade each other's territories.
For the monsters, it was an ecosystem.
From the perspective of users or NPCs, it was nothing short of a Demon's Realm.
The place known as the Demon's Realm of the Dune Wild Trail.
Kahku’s third storage was hidden there.
“Hmm.”
Seonghyun scratched his cheek as if slightly troubled.
It wasn't feasible to hunt through the entirety of the so-called Demon's Realm.
However, if he didn't break through at least one area, entry would certainly become tricky.
Kahku’s storage was located in the center.
The closer one got to the center, the more habitats there were, and the number of enemies to face would increase exponentially.
How should he prepare for this?
Other users would have prepared methods like breaking through as stealthily as possible.
Or perhaps breaking through as quickly as possible.
They would have prepared such tactics.
No matter how powerful an Almighty rank class was, there was a limit to what one could do alone against such numbers.
However, Seonghyun was different.
“Are you ready?”
At his words, Seonghyun’s legion, positioned behind him, shouted in unison.
““We are ready!!!””
A deafening roar.
No, it was a war cry so powerful it felt as if the very atmosphere trembled for a moment.
The faintly shimmering haze above the legion and the aura they emanated accompanied a shout so immense it seemed capable of overturning the surrounding land.
All of Seonghyun’s retainers and all his legions were ready.
Their numbers reached almost 200, a grand army.
It was a legion far too numerous to have been raised by a single user.
Within their ranks, the ground forces were led by the Death Knight Commanders Barpur and Leonik, while the air forces were commanded by the Death Knight Commander Anemor and Karisha, who had obtained a Transcended Body of Death.
And interspersed among them, Seonghyun’s retainers, Fiora and Noktrinium, formed special units.
Approximately 150 ground troops.
Approximately 50 air troops.
And two special units.
At Seonghyun’s single command, that grand army invaded the place called the Demon's Realm.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Whoosh—! Swoooosh—!
The sound of the ground forces advancing shook the earth.
The sound of the air forces sallying forth split the sky.
It was truly a scene befitting the words: the Demon King’s invasion.
Seonghyun filmed the entire process, feeling rather pleased.
There was a time when he had cringed at the moniker "Demon King," wondering what it was all about.
But how could he resist after seeing this?
The sight of hundreds of his legion, wreathed in an aura of teal and an darkness akin to death itself, assaulting the Demon's Realm below was enough to evoke an indescribable emotion.
It was a spectacle that no man could easily ignore.
“Oho.”
Feeling quite satisfied, Seonghyun thought perhaps it was time for him to move as well.
He suddenly remembered one among his retainers who normally would have been the first to rush out and wreak havoc.
Demon Knight Balthar.
What on earth was that fellow doing, not participating this time either?
Seonghyun was quite puzzled but decided to let it be.
‘It’s not like we’ll fail just because Balthar isn’t here.’
Their forces were already at a level that could be called overkill.
Seonghyun didn’t pay it much mind.
He’s probably taking good care of Drakhanos.
He thought that and moved on.
Deciding to focus solely on filming now, Seonghyun stepped forward.
Well, even if he didn't pay attention, he had set the camera to focus on any retainers or soldiers involved in special events.
It would capture the angles perfectly.
Therefore, Seonghyun walked out as if on a casual stroll, unconcerned.
The Death Legion, for the sake of their master, swept away everything in his path, leaving not a single life untouched.
A land made silent and desolate by death.
Seonghyun’s steps, as he leisurely strolled through it, were like those of an absolute being.
4.
Almighty rank classes.
They were beings who could overturn the established order in Eternal World, and the presence of even one could change guild rankings.
However, the number of people who had clearly revealed themselves as such was surprisingly small.
Even Seonghyun hadn't definitively stated he was an Almighty rank.
But the majority inferred it to be so.
On the East Asian server, there were roughly ten users presumed to be of Almighty rank.
Across all servers, there might be a few more.
But even that was mere speculation.
Kyou was not included in that count of ten.
Although a few had guessed, it wasn’t seen as the established theory.
Therefore, he wasn’t considered one of them.
Should it be said he had hidden it well?
In the first place, he had only earned the epithet "Rookie Slayer" in the Dune Wild Trail.
He hadn't received much significant attention.
He had only operated in a "dojo-breaking" style.
Because of this, not many knew the true depths of Kyou’s strength.
They merely speculated that if he wished, he could join any major guild right now, and that the guild he joined would likely be incredibly successful.
“It really is the Demon King, isn’t it?”
Following the coordinates Oboro had given him, he arrived.
The place called the Demon's Realm was being mercilessly trampled.
Would the offensive of a Demon King's army invading the land look like this?
It was exactly that kind of scene.
It was certainly enough to pique Kyou’s interest.
The strength Kyou witnessed was enough to send a slight shiver through him.
“If the legion is like that, the master himself probably isn’t all that strong…”
That was common sense.
No matter how powerful an Almighty rank class was, they were still bound by the rules of the system.
Kyou, also being an Almighty rank class user, knew this well.
Unlike when he had spoken like an arrogant brat during his conversation with Oboro, he began to analyze the situation thoroughly and coolly.
‘Was Oboro taken down not by the master, but by one of the retainers?’
If it was an Almighty Necromancer, that was certainly possible.
They could have retainers more outstanding than an average Legendary rank.
Right, if it's the Demon King, said to be the strongest among recent rookies, that could be the case.
It was someone he planned to go and defeat soon anyway.
He had seized the opportunity perfectly.
If he won, he could also obtain a Hidden Piece.
Killing two birds with one stone.
“Well then, shall we get started?”
Intending to defeat the retainers first, Kyou immediately used a detection skill to check.
However, what Kyou’s detection skill picked up were a total of seven strong auras?
Wait, could there really be seven? 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
‘Isn’t that too many?’
For a moment, Kyou was so taken aback that he became flustered.
He checked again, and it was still seven.
He wondered if this was correct.
It could be.
Since he had selected for above-average strength in the vicinity…
Couldn't it be a case of quantity over quality?
His detection skill wasn’t sophisticated enough to discern differences in strength levels.
So, although he couldn't get a clear idea of where to go first…
He headed towards the nearest one.
‘I hope this one is the strongest.’
Kyou smirked, wondering what he would do if it ended too anticlimactically.
No matter how strong the Demon King’s retainer was…
At best, weren't they just byproducts of an Almighty rank class?
They were bound to be inferior to him, an Almighty rank class user himself.
With victory already assured in his mind, Kyou moved quickly towards one location.
According to his detection skill, the target had also sensed Kyou and was rapidly approaching.
Perfect timing.
Kyou used one of his skills, Lightning Bird, and sent it as a substitute for a greeting.
Crackle—Spurt!
Lightning sparked from Kyou’s hand, gradually taking the form of a small bird.
Then, it shot out towards one spot like a flash of lightning.
The lightning bird, launched towards the approaching retainer, flew, embroidering the empty air with trails of blue electricity.
A strike that no ordinary user could easily block.
Although sent as a greeting, it was an exceedingly fast and sharp skill.
Just as he was about to see how the target would deal with it…
Sliiice—
An unbelievable sound echoed around.
‘It was… cut?’
His Lightning Bird?
The number of users who had ever reacted and defended against it could be counted on one hand.
Moreover, there had never been a case where someone reacted and countered it.
But this person reacted and struck it down?
Unbelievable.
However, it had already happened.
Is this the strongest retainer?
Kyou thought so and grinned so wide it looked like his mouth would tear.
Was the closest one the jackpot?
With that thought, he waited for the entity to arrive.
Something burst out from between the countless trees and bushes.
However.
-Hueh? It’s a-a person?
“……???”
Kyou couldn’t help but be flustered.
It looked like a slime, with a body that seemed to resemble the cosmos, a fluid, wobbling form, and it had taken the shape of a small girl—a monster-like being emerged.
And a very weak-looking one at that.
It was Seonghyun’s retainer, Fiora.
But Kyou had no way of knowing that.
‘He has a retainer like that?’
No, more importantly, that thing struck down his Lightning Bird?
He couldn’t understand it.
He wondered if there had been some mistake.
But his detection skill, still active, clearly showed that apart from that creature, there was no one else in the vicinity.
Did that mean that thing really did strike down his attack?
Just in case, Kyou used another skill.
He clenched his hand in the empty air, and a spear of lightning appeared.
However, that lightning spear flew towards Fiora with far greater power and speed than the lightning bird.
-Hueh!?
For a moment, something flashed, and then the spear of lightning appeared before Fiora.
Normally, it would be absolutely impossible to dodge.
However, in that instant, Fiora changed her legs into those of a feline and lightly evaded it.
She hadn't been able to cut it down as it was far too close.
But just the fact that she had dodged it was enough to startle Kyou.
‘She… dodged this?’
How on earth did she dodge it?
It couldn't be called Kyou’s fastest skill.
But in terms of speed alone, it was among the top few.
Yet, how could she see that and dodge it immediately?
While Kyou was so dumbfounded he couldn’t even speak…
Fiora, having dodged the spear of lightning, said.
- I-I am the Lo-Lord’s pet. If you a-attack more, I will a-attack too.
An extremely cautious, extremely polite warning.
Seeing it, a vein throbbed on Kyou’s forehead.
It was the first time in his life he’d received such a warning.
Especially after she had neutralized two of his skills as if completely dismantling them—this was truly a first.
For the still-young Kyou, nothing could have wounded his pride more.
Therefore.
“Kikik. Consider yourself dead.”
Despite that shabby-looking appearance, this creature was the strongest among the Demon King’s retainers.
Kyou, convinced of this, used various buff skills.
Crackle-crackle-crackle—!
A buff that absorbed all the surrounding lightning energy.
A buff that maximized the lightning energy within his own body.
Even a field that made the surroundings more conducive to lightning.
As he deployed everything…
Fiora watched him and, still in a timid voice, said.
-Hueh? I-If you do this, I-I’ll take it as you w-wanting to fight.
In stark contrast to her overly timid voice…
Her body began to transform.
The small girl’s body changed into that of an adult woman, and her arms gradually altered.
One arm became sharp, like a sword.
The other arm took on a pointed shape, like a spear.
The moment the two faced each other.
“Die!!!”
Kyou activated his skill.
In the fierce lightning, the world lost its color and was suffused with white light.
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