Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 70

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4. The Misfortune of the Veritas Magic Tower

1

A few days after returning to the territory, Luke went looking for Sebastian and Belpar.

He had tasks for them, but for some reason, they were nowhere to be found.

At first, he thought they were avoiding him, but they didn’t show up even by nightfall.

‘Belpar is one thing, but it’s strange that even Sebastian, who has the ability to disguise himself, isn’t showing up.’

Finding them wasn’t difficult, though. They were bound by their souls through the master-servant contract, so he could quickly sense where they were.

The two demons were in the golem production workshop in the basement of the Demon King’s Castle.

The golem production workshop had been shut down two years ago.

This was because they had secured enough production manpower and Gigant forces without needing to mobilize golems.

The golems produced so far had all been used either to stop the monster hordes during the monster waves or to develop mines in the wasteland west of the Rakan territory.

So, Luke planned to repurpose the golem production workshop as a Gigant production workshop in the future.

“What on earth are those guys doing there?”

Luke tilted his head, sensing an eerie energy emanating from the golem production workshop.

‘Well, I’ll find out when I see it myself.’

He went to the Demon King’s Castle and immediately opened the door leading to the basement, entering the workshop.

Inside, Belpar was with about a dozen humans dressed in various outfits.

He was sitting back arrogantly, with pretty waitresses and female mages standing on his left and right, diligently fanning him or pouring wine into his glass.

The rest of the men were pitifully sweating and struggling on the floor at Belpar’s gestures, repeatedly lifting and putting down rocks scattered around the workshop.

“Hey! Don’t you try to slack off!”

“N-No, I’m not, Master!”

“What do you mean you’re not? I saw that jaw-chin guy looking around and only half-lifting the rock before putting it down.”

Belpar, wearing the red hat of a Rakan Knights’ instructor, which he had taken from somewhere, was scolding the men.

“All of you, again! Start with the demon exercise!”

“H-Huh! Please, not that…”

The men’s faces turned pale.

But Belpar didn’t care about their pleas and gave a sly smile.

“Please what? Want me to reduce it? Okay. Then we’ll start with the demon exercise, eight times full-body twists. Eight sets of 100 reps!”

The men, with tearful faces at Belpar’s wicked order, lay flat on the floor, spread their arms, and raised their legs vertically.

And just as they were about to tilt their legs like a pendulum, their savior appeared.

“What are you doing here?”

“Cough!”

Belpar, who had been watching his subordinate demons rolling around with a joyful smile, was startled by the voice from behind and choked.

At first, he thought it was Sebastian playing a prank. But on closer inspection, it was Luke.

Belpar quickly put down the wine glass in his hand and stood stiffly like a newly enlisted soldier.

“O-Oh, you’ve arrived, Master!”

“Yes, it’s been a few days since I returned. I’ll ask again. What are you doing here?”

“W-Well, what happened was…”

Belpar, sweating profusely, told Luke the whole story, who was frowning.

After hearing the whole story, Luke looked dumbfounded.

“So, you captured the assassins and spies who were monitoring the Marquis family and made them your subordinate demons?”

“Yes! I couldn’t just leave them, and it was awkward to kill them, so I made them subordinate demons for now.”

If he eliminated the assassins and spies, the Emperor would surely become suspicious and send more. And next time, they would definitely send more capable people.

“I judged that it would be better to keep these guys alive and use them as double agents.”

“Hmm. Not a bad idea, but the demonic energy emanating from their bodies is a problem. If they are spotted by the priests…”

There would surely be an uproar in the Rakan territory, saying that demons had appeared.

‘If I’m unlucky, my secrets might be revealed. But they made their own decisions and did this without even asking me?’

As Luke’s gaze grew colder, Sebastian appeared from inside the workshop.

“Belpar! I finally succeeded. If we feed this to the subordinate demons…”

Sebastian, who was talking loudly as he came in with a bunch of flasks containing something, flinched when he saw Luke.

“M-Master!”

“You dared to do this without my permission.”

At Luke’s chilling words, Sebastian immediately knelt on the spot.

“N-No, it’s not like that. That bat-like guy seduced me with sweet words, and I think I lost my mind for a moment.”

“What are you talking about, you cat thief! You were the one who suggested it first!”

“W-Who said I suggested it first! I just…”

A thunderous roar fell upon the bickering demons.

“Quiet. Stop it!”

At the roar that was like magic, the two demons quickly separated and knelt down.

“It seems like your training has been lacking lately.”

Luke decided to properly train them today. Even if they were his subordinates, they could cause trouble if given the slightest chance.

In such cases, the answer was to control them so that they wouldn’t even think of causing trouble.

Crack, crack.

Seeing Luke cracking his knuckles, Sebastian, whose face had turned pale, pleaded.

“M-Master. Nobles don’t swing their fists in a barbaric way.”

“That’s right, please consider your dignity…”

“You don’t have to worry. I also know about culture.”

Luke never used his fists.

Why would he use his fists when there was more convenient and effective magic? Cracking his knuckles earlier was just to scare them.

Bang!

Zzzzz!

“Aaaah! Save me, vampire!”

“Oh, Master! I’m going to die!”

For a full hour, a merciless barrage of attack magic poured down.

Angri and the other subordinate demons were huddled against the wall, their faces full of fear.

“I-Is that really Marquis Luke?”

“Those cruel demons can’t even move!”

“We’re doomed. I didn’t know the descendant of the hero would be so vicious!”

Would it be better to just give up here?

The subordinate demons, who had been thinking that, soon resigned themselves. They couldn’t even choose to die, given their current situation.

After a while, Luke stopped the training(?) and asked Sebastian.

“What was that you brought earlier?”

When Luke pointed to the milky liquid in the flask, Sebastian quickly answered.

“Yes! That is a magical reagent to hide the demonic energy of the subordinate demons.”

The demons, being demons, couldn’t have been unaware of the demonic energy flowing from the bodies of the subjugated humans.

Knowing that they couldn’t properly use them like this, they researched ways to hide the demonic energy, and as a result, Sebastian created a demonic energy neutralization potion.

“Hmm, there was such a thing?”

“Among the demons who descended to the middle realm in the past, there were also non-combat types. They had to hide their demonic energy to survive, and for this…”

Thanks to the tearful efforts of those senior demons, the demonic energy neutralization potion was created.

Remembering this, Sebastian succeeded in creating it using the materials and reagents in the secret laboratory in the basement of the Demon King’s Castle.

“What? You raided the secret underground laboratory?”

“E-Everything was for the sake of helping Master’s great work! There was no personal gain!”

In fact, there was personal gain.

No, he used the pretext of Luke’s great work to fulfill his personal desires.

Luke was not one to be unaware of that.

However, since it seemed like he could get a decent result, he decided to stop the training of the two for now.

“B-But why did you look for us?”

“I have a task for you two.”

“Please, just give us the order!”

At the two demons’ reply, Luke revealed the reason he had sought them out.

“Get me seven top-grade magic stones, mandrake roots, and a unicorn horn, among other things. You can see the detailed list here.”

The two demons, who had looked at the list Luke had handed them, wore puzzled expressions.

“W-What are you going to use these for?”

“I’m going to summon a high-ranking demon.”

From high-ranking demons onwards, they cannot be summoned with Luke’s blood alone. In addition to blood, several sacrifices were needed.

“A h-high-ranking demon, you say?”

At Luke’s answer, Sebastian and Belpar looked surprised.

A high-ranking demon was a powerful being that could destroy a kingdom just by its existence.

The two demons couldn’t help but turn pale at the mention of summoning a being that was on a different level from a mid-ranking demon.

“W-We know that Master’s power is outstanding, but it will still be difficult to defeat a high-ranking demon…”

They knew that Luke was summoning demons from time to time to absorb their power.

However, they tried to dissuade him, fearing that they might all die if he was too greedy.

“Who said I was going to absorb its power?”

“T-Then?”

“Hehe, you’ll find out later what I’m going to do with the high-ranking demon, so go get the materials right now!”

At Luke’s urging, the two demons left the Demon King’s Castle with reluctant faces.

After sending them away, Luke approached the subordinate demons who were looking at him with nervous eyes and spoke to them.

“You guys were the Emperor’s lackeys, right? You’ll have a lot to do in the future, but for now, tell me everything you know about the Imperial Family and the Veritas Magic Tower.”

Although it was due to the demons’ greed, Luke had no intention of letting the unexpected gains go to waste.

2

The Vampire King Leviathan was one of the seven rulers who governed the demon realm.

He was relatively weaker in terms of power compared to the other rulers, so he was trying to increase his power by gathering as many subordinates as possible.

But from some point on, his subordinates began to disappear one by one.

At first, he didn’t care when insignificant lower-ranking demons disappeared, but when his useful subordinates, such as Naga and mid-ranking demons, disappeared one after another, he couldn’t help but pay attention.

Blood Land.

In the center of this land, the holy land where the vampire race was born and where Leviathan had made his capital, stood a magnificent palace built of red marble.

A demon with huge wings and a tail was sitting on the ornate throne of the royal palace, called the Palace of Blood.

He was the Vampire King Leviathan.

Before him, Crimson, Leviathan’s right-hand man and one of the great dukes of the demon realm, was kneeling.

“So, they all answered the summons of a black magician and didn’t return?”

Leviathan’s voice echoed thunderously throughout the great hall.

Crimson spoke with the utmost politeness.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Recently, some demons summoned to the middle realm have not returned. Despite warnings to be cautious, they seem to have answered the summons. Given that there has been no contact, it is presumed they have been annihilated.”

“Those foolish bastards!”

*Thundering!*

Leviathan’s roar caused thunder and lightning to strike within the great hall.

The blood subordinates lined up on either side of the hall trembled and bowed their heads to the floor.

After a moment, Leviathan, having calmed his anger, asked with curiosity,

“Just what kind of black magician is summoning demons and attacking them!”

Among the demon lords, if the balance of power is broken, they are quickly devoured.

That’s why they try to increase their subordinates as much as possible and avoid showing weakness. How dare a mere human black magician touch his subordinates!

“That has not yet been determined. However, there was a similar incident in the past.”

“A similar incident in the past?”

“Yes, about 500 years ago, a black magician named Seymon summoned and subdued demons, stealing their power. It was quite a famous incident at the time. Have you ever heard of it?”

At Crimson’s question, Leviathan pondered for a moment, then nodded as if he remembered.

“Now that you mention it, I recall. Even Gardan, the cousin of the Beast King Baal, was defeated back then. Could this incident be his doing as well?”

“That is not the case. A human’s lifespan cannot exceed 200 years, and Seymon was killed by a man named Rakan. It seems likely that his descendants are responsible.”

“How dare they, without fear!”

If he let this go, it would be a matter of the demon race’s honor.

Leviathan, who prided himself as the demon among demons and had ambitions to become the Great Demon King who would rule the demon realm, had no intention of forgiving them.

So, he asked Crimson for a solution.

“I plan to send one of the 18 generals on the next summons.”

Leviathan had a total of 18 generals under his command.

They were high-ranking demons who commanded the blood army, and their individual martial prowess was enough to devastate any human kingdom.

But that was not enough for Leviathan.

“Only one of the 18 generals?”

At Leviathan’s question, asked through gritted teeth, Crimson stepped forward to dissuade him.

“Of course, considering their past actions, it would be right to open the gate to the middle realm and slaughter all the humans with the blood army. However, that would violate the agreement with the divine realm…”

“Hmm, that would be troublesome.”

At the mention of the divine realm, Leviathan calmed his excitement.

The divine realm, which boasted an existence that was both present and absent, would exert its omnipotent power whenever things went too far.

In the past, many of the demon realm’s emperors who challenged the authority of the divine realm had fallen.

Molek, Leviathan’s sixth ancestor and the Vampire King, who held the title of Great Demon King at the time, also met a miserable end after showing unnecessary bravado.

After Molek’s death, a peace treaty was signed between the divine realm and the demon realm.

However, this was less of a treaty and more of a unilateral notice from the divine realm that they would thoroughly annihilate any demons who violated the agreement.

“Responding to a human’s summons does not violate the agreement at all. When humans summon demons, they are inviting their own misfortune.”

In such cases, the divine realm does not intervene, considering it a matter for foolish and greedy humans to resolve themselves.

Of course, if the summoned demon’s rampage went too far, they would provide indirect assistance by sending divine soldiers or bestowing divine powers.

“And a high-ranking demon like a general has the power to summon lower-ranking demons. That way, we can send the blood army to the middle realm and crush those who harmed our lord’s subordinates.”

“That’s right! That way, my dignity will be upheld!”

Leviathan wore a satisfied expression at Crimson’s explanation.

“Good idea. Prepare to implement it immediately! We must not let the lackeys of other demon lords steal the summoning opportunity!”

“Leave it to me, my lord.”

With Leviathan’s permission, Crimson immediately summoned the 18 generals.

The 18 generals, who wondered why they had been summoned, heard Crimson’s story and argued among themselves about who would go.

“Great Duke, leave this matter to me!”

“No, I, Cowen, am the most suitable!”

“Shut up! You ignorant cow-head, stay out of it!”

“What was that? You old man with nothing but bones and skin!”

As two generals grabbed each other by the collar, ready to fight, the general sitting at the head of the table stepped forward.

“Do not fight. In fact, shouldn’t I, the highest-ranking of the 18 generals, be the one to go?”

“Damn it! I don’t accept that. Let’s reorganize the rankings this time!”

As a conflict between the generals was about to break out, Crimson hurriedly intervened.

“Enough! If you fight among yourselves, who will benefit? Won’t the demon lords who envy His Majesty laugh at us!”

At those words, the 18 generals calmed down.

Crimson placed a container with small sticks in front of them.

“Each of you has outstanding martial prowess and abilities, so we will select fairly. The one who draws the stick with the red stripe will be in charge of this mission.”

The 18 generals each drew a stick.

Through the lottery, Cowen, the 12th in rank, was selected as the commander of the middle realm invasion force.

3

“Hmph! That emperor. Pretending to be noble while secretly using black magicians!”

Luke had interrogated Henri, who had become a subordinate demon, and the imperial spies, learning various pieces of information.

As a result, Luke could not contain his anger.

Most surprising of all was the fact that the emperor had commissioned the Veritas Magic Tower to place a curse on his body.

Moreover, it was said that not only Luke but also the successive heads of the Rakan family had been cursed and made to die young.

In Luke’s case, since he had not shown any signs of dying or falling ill despite his age, they had been constantly monitoring him through spies.

‘If it weren’t for Reina, I might already be dead.’

Luke clutched the amulet Reina had given him.

The amulet, imbued with her spiritual power, prevented him from having seizures at dangerous moments.

However, since the curse was not completely lifted, he had to research ways to break it whenever he had the chance.

“Gritting teeth! Arsen, you bastard. I was going to deal with your magic tower this time anyway… I’ll smash it to pieces!”

And next, the Baroque Imperial Family.

Having made that decision, Luke looked at one of the subordinate demons with a murderous glint in his eyes.

“Was it Henri?”

“Y-yes, it is.”

Henri, who had been singled out, quickly knelt down.

He could not withstand Luke’s murderous aura, and his legs trembled, but he tried his best to remain calm.

“You came to kill me?”

“T-that was because His Majesty, no, the Emperor ordered it…”

“That’s enough. I’m not trying to argue about that. You go back and report that the assassination was successful.”

After saying that to Henri, Luke turned his gaze to the other subordinate demons and continued.

“And you guys report that I suddenly collapsed and am on the verge of death. Say that the rumors that I’m fine are a trick by the Rakan family to hide the truth.”

“Y-yes, I understand.”

The subordinate demons, who were in no position to refuse, simply bowed their heads.

Luke stopped Henri, who was about to leave.

“Oh, right, you have more to do.”

“W-what should I do?”

“Kill the lower-ranking commanders and expert-level riders of the central army. Preferably the capable ones. You’re an assassin master, so you can do it cleanly, right?”

Killing commanders or master-level high-ranking officials could raise unnecessary suspicion.

‘Of course, I can shift that suspicion to the noble faction. But if useful subordinates disappear, the emperor will retreat and negotiate rather than fight the noble faction. While planning for the next time.’

Therefore, from the emperor’s point of view, it would be helpful to weaken the central army’s power by eliminating the lower-ranking commanders and riders who play an important role in the field, even though they are not very important.

The weakened central army would suffer an unexpected defeat against the noble faction in the upcoming civil war.

“I understand. Is there anything else you would like to instruct?”

“Hmm… Can you kill Emperor Rudolph?”

At Luke’s sudden question, Henri turned pale and shook his head.

“T-that is impossible.”

Rudolph was a Sword Sage-level powerhouse.

Moreover, he had recently become even stronger.

In addition, there were many knights and black magicians secretly guarding the emperor. The probability of successfully assassinating him was extremely low.

“Is that so? I understand. Just send me the list of Hydra’s members. I’ll give you other instructions later if I think of anything.”

That was the extent of Luke’s orders.

After sending the subordinate demons away, Luke sent a magic communication to Johas, the Meister of the Dark Moon.

“Is that Johas? I’m about to do something very interesting, would you like to join me?”

Luke, who was making a proposal that Johas would be tempted by, had a more sinister smile on his face than ever before.

4

When Sebastian and Belpar brought all the necessary sacrifices, Luke took them north.

At first, they thought they were going to the imperial capital, Nemesis, but Luke’s steps led them to Veritas Town, located above it.

“Master, isn’t this where the Veritas Magic Tower is located?”

“Are you planning to summon a high-ranking demon here?”

To the two demons who were wondering, Luke replied as if it were obvious.

“Yes, I think it will be a very nice gift.”

“Gasp! Then the imperial capital will be turned upside down?”

“Hehehe. That’s why I’m summoning it.”

Last time, he heard from Johas that the Veritas Magic Tower was sending a large amount of food and magical materials somewhere.

So, Luke also tried to gather related information through Argos for a few days, but he could not track its whereabouts.

‘I don’t know what they’re up to, but I can’t let them get away with it.’

So, what he thought of was to inflict a major blow on the Veritas Magic Tower so that they could not provide magical materials and food at all.

Moreover, now that he knew the true nature of the curse on his body, he absolutely did not want to leave them alone.

“Even the Veritas Magic Tower will have to be prepared to have its foundations shaken if it wants to face a high-ranking demon. And harming the imperial family is a bonus.”

If a high-ranking demon is summoned and rampages in the north of the imperial capital, the Imperial Guard Knights and the Central Army will surely come running.

They are the representative military force of the emperor’s faction.

“Oh, so you’re aiming for a two-birds-with-one-stone effect by harming them as well!”

“That’s not all. Considering the cause of the Magic Tower War, this incident will properly brand the Veritas Magic Tower.”

The Veritas Magic Tower is suspected of practicing black magic.

In such a situation, if a demon is summoned?

Many people will be convinced that the Veritas Magic Tower is a den of black magicians.

“And the reputation of the Baroque Imperial Family, which has had a long relationship with them, will also fall.”

“But, I doubt if things will go as planned?”

There was a reason why Belpar was pessimistic.

As a giant magic tower that divides the magic world of the continent, the Veritas Magic Tower was well-guarded.

The walls surrounding the magic tower were densely packed with boundary magic established by high-ranking mages, and mercenaries and mages were on strict guard.

It was already heavily fortified, and it was said to have been strengthened several times over since the Magic Tower War.

“It won’t be easy to infiltrate, will it? At this level, it’ll take quite a while to get in, and if we make even the slightest mistake, we’ll be swarmed from all sides like a pack of dogs,” Sebastian immediately added to Belpar’s explanation.

“Then we won’t even be able to attempt summoning a demon. Plus, if any traces are left behind, there’s a risk of being relentlessly pursued by those guys…”

“Yes, you’re right. It would be troublesome to carelessly reveal our skills.”

In such cases, it’s better to step back and observe.

While the two demons made that judgment, Luke nonchalantly walked towards the main gate of the Veritas Magic Tower.

‘Could it be, a frontal assault!’

The main gate before them looked more massive and imposing than any ordinary castle gate.

Moreover, there were four Gigants [large, powerful beings] stationed there, and the skills of the mercenaries and mages guarding the gate seemed extraordinary.

“Master, what on earth are you thinking…”

“Shut your mouth and focus on not getting your disguise exposed.”

After confirming that his disguise was also in order, Luke approached the mage guarding the main gate and spoke casually.

“Greetings. You’re working hard on guard duty.”

“What business do you have?” The mage openly showed a wary gaze at the appearance of a stranger.

“I’ve come to see the mage Fabian Azar. We’re cousins. Lately, my aunt has been very worried because of the Magic Tower War…”

“That’s enough. Wait here while I check,” the mage interrupted Luke and relayed the message inside.

Shortly after, a message came from within. Contrary to the two demons’ concerns, the mage readily allowed them in.

“Fabian said his relatives would be visiting and had requested permission for a meeting in advance. Don’t cause any trouble and meet quietly before you leave.”

Luke, smiling and nodding, stepped inside.

As he passed through the main gate, the vast and magnificent view of the Veritas Magic Tower came into sight.

‘Indeed, it’s worthy of being one of the top magic towers on the continent. But such prosperity ends today.’

As Luke thought this, a cheerful-looking mage approached and spoke to him.

“Hey, it’s been a while, everyone! Good to see you, good to see you!”

“How have you been, Fabian? Oh, my! Your face has become so gaunt!”

Unlike Luke, who exchanged friendly words with Fabian, the two demons still hadn’t grasped the situation.

It was only after they went to a secluded place that they could understand the general situation.

“A junior seeking truth in the darkness greets the master.”

“Yes, it’s good to meet you,” Fabian, having completely changed his attitude, respectfully greeted Luke.

He was one of Yohas’s disciples who had infiltrated the Veritas Magic Tower. The meeting permission had also been prepared after receiving a message from Yohas.

“What about the others?”

“They are preparing for the summoning. By the way, you’re planning something quite extraordinary. I heard you were a descendant of Rakan, so I thought you were unique…”

Only a very few people in the Dark Moon knew Luke’s true identity. Moreover, Yohas was the only one who knew that he was Seymon in the past.

“Why? Are you scared?”

“Hahaha, how could I be? I’m just looking forward to seeing what kind of chaos will unfold.”

Fabian, smiling, guided Luke’s group.

The headquarters of the Veritas Magic Tower was enormous.

The total area, including research facilities, workshops, experimental sites, accommodations, dozens of restaurants, and recreational spaces, was comparable to that of the Imperial Palace.

“There are over 500 mages who only do pure research. So, unless they’re working on the same task, they don’t even know each other’s faces.”

“Indeed, that must be the case.”

Luke clicked his tongue as he looked at the crowds passing by.

Regardless of anything else, the scale of the Veritas Magic Tower was truly enviable.

‘I need to grow the Katarina Magic Tower to this level too…’

While leisurely enjoying the sights, they met a meticulous-looking female mage in a fairly large restaurant.

She was a medical mage and also a disciple planted by Yohas. Until now, she had only contacted Fabian a few times, and they had never met face to face.

“This is the robe to change into, and this is the key to the warehouse we borrowed for today’s experiment. Senior Heath asked me to give it to you.”

“What about Senior Heath?”

“He’s preparing to escape from a sinking ship. Well, I’ll be going now. Master, may the blessing of the Black Sage be with you on your path.”

‘I am that Black Sage, Seymon.’

Instead of saying those words, Luke nodded and put on the robe the female mage had given him in a secluded place.

As Luke’s group put on the robes with the Veritas Magic Tower’s emblem clearly marked on them, the crowds who had been glancing at them no longer paid them any attention.

“Where is the warehouse we borrowed for the experiment?”

“It’s in a secluded corner on the west side of the magic tower. Our positions within the Veritas Magic Tower aren’t very high, so we couldn’t borrow a site closer to the center.”

“It’s fine. All we need to do is cause trouble inside the Veritas Magic Tower anyway.”

Arriving at the warehouse at the pre-planned time, Luke’s group began their work as soon as the sun set.

After taking out the materials from the subspace, Luke, along with Fabian, created a summoning magic circle inside the warehouse.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Belpar stood guard, dealing with anyone who approached the warehouse.

“What are those guys? If they want to date, they should go somewhere decent, why come here of all places?”

“They look like they’re having an affair. Drug them and then dump them in the bushes.”

It didn’t take Luke long to construct the summoning magic circle.

He had summoned high-ranking demons before when he was Seymon, and he had a useful assistant in Fabian.

“Master, are you finished now?”

“Yes, the last step is to finish with something that demons go crazy for.”

Luke, drawing his sword and cutting his palm, sprinkled his spirit-infused blood on the summoning magic circle and chanted the spell.

Whoooom!

With a huge tremor, the magic circle disappeared, and a pitch-black subspace appeared.

Belpar, glancing inside the warehouse, swallowed nervously at the sight of the subspace, which revealed a darker and larger darkness than before.

‘Who on earth is about to come out? I hope it’s not one of the 18 generals under the Blood King…’

He hadn’t seen the demon generals often, but he knew from rumors how strong they were.

There had always been conflicts at the borders of the lands ruled by the seven demon kings, and they were the ones who were dispatched each time.

Not all high-ranking demons were the same.

The 18 generals were powerful and ferocious beings who could kill someone like Belpar with a single finger.

‘Above all, the problem is that they were my superiors in the distant past.’

If they saw him as a human slave, especially in such an absurd state with divine power, they would surely cut him down in one stroke.

While Belpar was anxiously looking into the subspace, Sebastian rushed in to report.

“Master, a large number of mages and mercenaries have teleported near the warehouse!”

“Hmm, did they sense the summoning ritual?”

It was not a secluded outskirts but an area within the magic tower, so it was impossible not to notice.

Moreover, the Veritas Magic Tower was a group that secretly researched black magic, so they would surely know about demon summoning rituals.

“They’re coming at just the right time. The main characters of this play, that is.”

Finally, from within the subspace of the summoning magic circle, something huge began to emerge, tearing through the darkness.

Thud!

A large leg resembling that of a goat appeared first. Next was a human torso, and finally, a head that was quite similar to that of a bull.

Belpar and Sebastian, seeing the figure of the creature half-emerged from the subspace, turned pale and screamed.

“Hiiiik! It’s Kauren!”

Kauren was known to be the most ill-tempered and violent of the 18 generals of the Blood King Leviathan.

Moreover, he was so reckless that once he got angry, he would charge at even the six legion commanders, who were his superiors among the 18 generals.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the two demons rushed over and pulled on Luke’s sleeve.

“Master, we must escape immediately!”

“Why?”

“That Kauren is not an opponent we can handle! So much so that in the demon realm, there’s a saying, ‘Even if you fight an archangel of the divine realm, don’t fight Kauren!'”

“Is that so? That’s even better, then?”

At the two demons’ cries, Luke instead wore a satisfied smile. The stronger and more ferocious the summoned demon, the better.

“Kuaaaaaaa! I am Kauren, the commander of the Blood King Leviathan’s assault force. Who summoned me!” Kauren, having passed through the subspace, slammed his huge battle axe on the floor and roared fiercely.

The sight of the high-ranking demon, whose size was larger than a hero-class Gigant, made Sebastian, Belpar, and Fabian’s faces stiffen.

Luke was the only one who remained calm.

“I, no, we summoned you. Surrender your abilities and demonic energy willingly.”

“What? Then you are the ones… Kuaaak!” A purple magic sphere that Luke launched hit Kauren’s eye.

Luke, binding the staggering Kauren with a huge hold magic, quickly gathered Fabian and the two demons and deployed teleportation magic.

At the same time, he didn’t forget to act.

“Ick, that’s no ordinary demon. We should escape.”

“Kuaaaak! Stop right there!” Kauren, having broken free from the hold magic with his strength, swung his battle axe at Luke.

But just before the axe blade hit, Luke’s group disappeared in a flash of light.

“You rat-like bastards!” Kauren’s face, having lost face in an instant, was distorted with anger.

“You think you can escape with teleportation and I won’t be able to chase you…”

Just as Kauren was about to track down the traces of the culprits who had escaped, the warehouse door burst open, and the mages and mercenaries of the Veritas Magic Tower rushed in.

At the forefront was Meister Alber of the Veritas Magic Tower.

“Who dares to conduct forbidden experiments without permission!” Alber, who had shouted angrily, was startled to see Kauren glaring at them with murderous intent.

‘T-This is… Could it be… a high-ranking demon?’

‘They’re in cahoots with those rat bastards from earlier!’ Kauren, making a hasty judgment based on their attire, immediately swung his battle axe.

“You lot! Where did you hide those rat bastards!”

“Uwaaaak!” Except for Alber and the high-ranking mages who hastily dodged with blink magic, most were swept away by Kauren’s attack.

But that wasn’t enough to satisfy Kauren, who broke through the warehouse and rushed outside.

Alber and the high-ranking mages, who were running away in a hurry, screamed.

“It’s a monster! A monster has appeared!”

“Gather the magic tower defense force! Hurry!”

Screams and shouts echoed everywhere, followed by Kauren’s roar, which shook the entire magic tower.

The worst disaster in its history was about to befall the Veritas Magic Tower, which had prided itself on being the best on the continent for over 500 years.

Emperor of Steel [EN]

Emperor of Steel [EN]

강철대제
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] In the realm of dark magic, Shaymon stood unrivaled, mastering the deepest and most formidable arts. Yet, his unparalleled prowess became his undoing when he was wrongfully accused of being a Demon King and met a premature death. Defiant in his final moments, Shaymon's indomitable will propels him 500 years into the future, granting him a second chance at life. However, fate plays a cruel jest: he is reborn as the descendant of his former nemesis, the revered Sword Emperor. In this new era, where the legacies of magic and swordsmanship intertwine, Shaymon must navigate the intricate dynamics of his inherited lineage while confronting remnants of his past. Armed with ancient knowledge and a renewed purpose, he embarks on a journey to reclaim his destiny, challenging the very fabric of time and power. Dive into a tale of reincarnation, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of truth in "Emperor of Steel."

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