Episode 512
– The power of ‘Hell Fire’ is enhanced according to the mysteries of the Black Tower.
– The range of ‘Hell Fire’ is expanded according to the mysteries of the Red Tower.
“Kkeueueueueuk!”
“Kkeueueueuk!”
Reviving Hell was the least fiery of the Eight Hot Hells.
Even the bugs living in the Eight Hot Hells could not survive the hellfire caused by Se-un.
All the numerous bugs were engulfed in flames, screaming in human-like voices and writhing.
Although they were demons of Reviving Hell, they did not die easily, but their bodies burned without any chance to resist.
Except for one being.
“Live, live! Live and crush that sinner!”
Thump, thump!
The prison guard, who emerged unscathed from the hellfire, vigorously slammed the floor with his iron club.
His magnificent cry filled Reviving Hell, reviving the bugs that had turned to ashes and scattered.
The bugs screamed in agony as they came back to life, baring their teeth, stacked like gears, at Se-un.
However, Se-un was not just watching.
“That was your weakness.”
The moment he swung his iron club to revive the dead bugs.
That moment was the gap in the prison guard’s defenses that Se-un from before regression had seen last before escaping the dungeon.
Before, even after recognizing the gap, he gave up attacking and left the dungeon because he had no way to defeat him in one blow, but not now.
– The fifth form of the Blood Wolf Sword Art, Blood Wolf Pack Hunt, is enhanced through internal energy.
Crack, crack!
Every time Se-un swung his sword, the flowing red sword energy turned into wolves and bit the prison guard.
The number increased with each swing, and dozens of wolves clung to the entire body of the massive prison guard, severing tendons and bursting blood vessels.
Literally, a Blood Wolf Pack Hunt.
It was as if a pack of blood-red wolves were hunting prey.
“The sinner of a thousand slaughters shall be punished.”
Even so, the prison guard did not stop.
With the wolves made of sword energy dangling from him, he stood up and grabbed his iron club.
The surroundings were filled with revived bugs, and the iron club was coming down from above.
Se-un had only one option left.
Attack.
– The sixth form of the Blood Wolf Sword Art, Blood Wolf Neck Twist, is enhanced through internal energy.
Snap!
It wasn’t the sound of cutting something with a sword. Nor was it the violent sound of something tearing when using the Blood Wolf Sword Art.
It was like a deafening sound of bones breaking.
As if to prove that sound.
“Sinner… Keok!”
The prison guard’s head had turned half a circle, no, almost a full circle.
At the same time, the red line drawn on his neck widened greatly, lifting his severed head and causing a fountain of blood.
“As expected, the Blood Wolf Sword Art is the cleanest in battles like this.”
Se-un uses various martial arts depending on the situation, but among them, the Blood Wolf Sword Art was the most familiar.
The same goes for using new forms like now.
Even though it was the first time using the form, the sword flowed naturally as if he had used it hundreds of times.
He swung it so cleanly that not a single drop of blood remained on the sword, even after beheading him.
– The Gluttony Authority has designated the entire ‘Reviving Hell’.
– The Fangs of Gluttony are engulfing the monsters!
The prison guard, including the bugs that died with him, were swallowed by Beelzebub [a demon associated with gluttony].
Beelzebub, who used to complain that the monsters of the Demon World were tasteless, was constantly pouring out noisy messages, as if he liked the monsters here.
In the meantime.
“The sin of refusing the judgment of Reviving Hell by one who has committed the sin of a thousand slaughters.”
“I will add a punishment of ten days and nights.”
“The sinner shall receive the punishment of Reviving Hell.”
Those who looked exactly like the prison guard he had just defeated appeared from all directions.
“Kkueueueueueuk-”
Accompanied by hundreds, no, over a thousand bugs.
He felt anew that he had made a commendable choice to run away after seeing the prison guard’s weakness before regression.
If he were surrounded by such enemies, it would have been difficult for Se-un from before regression to escape easily.
And one more thing.
“…Sinner, receive your punishment.”
Another being appeared at the end of his vision.
A demon holding a gruesome iron hook instead of an iron club, unlike ordinary prison guards.
The prison warden, who governs the prison guards, revealed himself, accompanied by swarms of red bugs.
Reviving Hell.
Looking back on it, it was an absurd level of difficulty.
Nevertheless, Se-un did not avoid it.
“Since you told me to receive eternal punishment anyway, what’s with the addition?”
“Go.”
Se-un’s sword moved without stopping.
* * *
“Seize the sinner.”
At the end of Reviving Hell.
A solemn voice echoed from the throne of hell, where only those who govern hell can sit.
At the king’s command, which echoed loudly through the cavern, countless vassals raised their voices in unison.
“Seize the sinner!!”
The vassals, that is, the countless demons such as prison guards and prison wardens who were managing Reviving Hell, raised their weapons towards Se-un.
Of course, the bugs they controlled also bared their teeth at Se-un.
Even a single prison guard was so powerful that Se-un had to swing his sword directly to catch him, and there were so many of them.
‘No wonder Cheonghae couldn’t conquer it.’
The title of the most powerful guild in Elheim meant nothing.
At this point, only a guild that had reached the next rest stop would be able to challenge it.
No, frankly, that might not be enough.
Even among the guilds in the ninth rest stop, it would have been difficult to conquer unless it was a top-tier guild like Valhalla.
Moreover, the difficulty would naturally increase if one tried to conquer Reviving Hell alone like Se-un.
– The stability of ‘Frozen Tempest’ is enhanced according to the mysteries of the Blue Tower.
Se-un gripped Durand tightly as he watched the approaching demons.
‘It’s the first time containing an 8th circle magic, but…’
He couldn’t just give up because it was difficult.
As always, practice makes perfect.
It was better to try somehow than to stand still after failing a few times in practice.
‘In the end, the method is the same.’
Se-un suppressed the storm of cold air that was swirling fiercely as if it would burst at any moment.
He activated the mysteries of the Blue Tower to the fullest to increase stability, and deliberately chose the Blue Tower’s water magic.
Kkiiiiiing-
Durand vibrated violently as it accepted the Frozen Tempest.
If it were an ordinary sword, it would have burst before even vibrating.
Only Durand could accept the 8th circle magic this much.
‘There’s no room to use martial arts.’
Internal energy is enough just to calm the trembling sword.
If he tried to use more technique than this, there was a risk of the Frozen Tempest in his arms going berserk, let alone using martial arts.
– The constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ is moved by your efforts for his meal.
– The constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ opens his mouth wide, saying he will accept your heart.
Se-un, ignoring Beelzebub’s message, raised his sword high.
What he needed now was not a complicated martial arts form, but a simple downward slash.
What he needed to focus on was the 8th circle magic, Frozen Tempest, which was contained in Durand and complaining of frustration.
“Sinner.”
“Receive the sin of rejecting sin.”
“Receive the sin of raising your head in front of the Jade Emperor as a sinner.”
“Your punishment will be eternal.”
“Become a ghost of Reviving Hell.”
The prison guard’s voice was low in front of him, but Se-un couldn’t hear any sound.
It was because all the senses of his body were focused on Durand.
Thousands of bugs formed a mountain, and the prison guards’ iron clubs rose above Se-un’s head, creating a shadow.
The prison wardens thrust their iron hooks forward, and the Jade Emperor on the throne lowered his hand and declared the punishment.
“Ruin.”
– Keureung!
Se-un opened his eyes.
Ruin, who popped out from the back of his right hand, dwelled in Durand as it was, and the trembling sword stopped for a moment.
Then, Se-un’s sword fell downward more upright than ever before.
Kwagwagwagwagwaaaat-!!!
The storm of cold air, filled with intense chill, split the Jade Emperor’s royal chamber in half.
In the meantime, thousands of ice blades resembling Durand lacerated the Jade Emperor’s vassals.
The bugs were already frozen solid by the cold air, unable to die or live, and the prison guards were freezing coldly with dozens of holes pierced through their bodies.
In that cold ice storm, only one voice echoed.
“Live. Live.”
Thump, thump!
The Jade Emperor slammed the throne with his fist.
Then the soldiers who had become ice statues trembled.
The ice statues cracked, and they were forcibly awakened from the order of death.
“Live and punish the sinner of a thousand slaughters.”
Crack!
The leading prison guard, who had become an ice statue while swinging his iron club in front of Se-un’s nose, woke up.
Whether his coldly frozen skin was torn off or not, he opened his eyes with his eyelids falling off and put strength into his iron club.
However, Se-un was no longer in front of him.
“Whether you’re a soldier or a king, the weakness is the same.”
Se-un popped out from the storm of cold air where he couldn’t see an inch ahead.
In Se-un’s hand was Apelion, Achilles’ spear, instead of Durand, who had been strained by containing the 8th circle magic.
And it was in the form of Mammon’s relic dwelling in it.
– The Vault of Greed has been opened.
[ The Last Stand of Rebellion, Rhongomiant ]
– The king’s spear said to have been used by King Arthur in the Battle of Camlann to pierce his son Mordred, who had rebelled.
It wasn’t for nothing that Se-un had been dealing with the small monsters in front of the boss monster.
Just as there was a gap when the prison guard revived the bugs.
Just as there was a gap when the prison warden revived the prison guards.
The Jade Emperor also had a unique gap when he revived his vassals.
As long as there was a guide to the journey. No, even if there was no guide to the journey, Se-un had the wisdom and experience to find the enemy’s weaknesses and gaps.
– Achilles’ spear, Apelion, unleashes the king’s energy dormant in ‘Rhongomiant’.
– The true king is recreated through ‘Rhongomiant’.
Puk!
Rhongomiant, which was embedded in the Jade Emperor’s heart, was not satisfied with this and went on to pierce the throne.
Even at that moment, the Jade Emperor’s expression did not change.
He simply commanded his vassals, who were dying with his breath, once again in a solemn voice.
“Punish… the sinner.”
And that became the Jade Emperor’s last words.
Kukung!
– The constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ cheers.
There seemed to be nothing to salvage from the Jade Emperor’s corpse, so he shoved all the monsters in the royal chamber, including the Jade Emperor, into Beelzebub’s mouth.
Then he calmly looked around.
The reward for the dungeon was from now on.
‘What could be there?’
– The constellation, ‘Crow Bowing its Head,’ quickly looks around.
Reviving Hell was a dungeon that even Se-un from before regression had not conquered.
He was very excited because he didn’t know what kind of reward there would be, but something caught his eye before he could even take a step.
The throne where the Jade Emperor was sitting.
Something seemed to be visible through the crack that had been pierced by Apelion.
‘Hmm?’
Without hesitation, he completely destroyed the throne.
Then the treasure hidden inside the throne revealed itself.
It was a small jewelry box, and it was tightly locked, no matter what was inside.
‘Is it a hidden reward?’
No matter how sturdy the lock was, it could not resist the master key that Se-un possessed.
Se-un first took the jewelry box and looked around widely.
As expected, a huge treasure chest befitting the Jade Emperor’s name was placed at the far end, and it was filled with numerous gold and silver treasures, various materials, and equipment.
As soon as he collected all the rewards, a message announcing the end of the conquest popped up without fail.
– You have perfectly conquered the hidden dungeon, ‘Reviving Hell’.
– As a reward, your personal contribution points increase by 1,000,000 points.
– You have acquired ‘Torn Scripture of Wrath (1)’.
A dark orange piece of paper was in Se-un’s hand.
It seemed to be part of a scroll, and it felt like an unusual energy at first glance.
– The constellation, ‘Crow Bowing its Head,’ whispers, saying let’s put aside such trash and talk about the treasures you just obtained.
Trash?
That couldn’t be. This was such an important item that it was the decisive reason for Se-un to conquer Reviving Hell.
‘I guess I’ll have to collect eight of these.’
It’s not certain.
It’s not certain, but considering the information he obtained before regression, if he collects eight of these scriptures, he might be able to enter the Temple of Wrath.
In other words, the last of the Seven Demon Gods that Se-un has not yet met.
He might be able to meet the Demon God of Wrath, Satan.
With this, the goal has been achieved.
Se-un, who was about to leave the dungeon immediately and set out to find the next trial, the Eight Hot Hells, stopped walking for a moment.
A suspicious door was opening at the end of Reviving Hell, which had begun to collapse.
There was only one being who could dare to interfere with the Tower’s system and appear in that way.
The Tower’s administrator.
And there was only one administrator who would appear in front of Se-un.
“Tuning?”