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Chapter 258

“Giiiiikkk.”

The bio-ghouls’ mindless screams wafted out of the endless pit of darkness.

Or, rather than “mindless,” it would be more accurate to say that their minds were stolen. Once upon a time, they were just normal people like any other.

-He’s past there.

-He’s our master.

-The greatest demonic contractor.

-We signed the contract, so we can\'t defy his will. Please—

-Be careful.

The liches called out to him as if his path was already decided. They were, as he had expected, former Class 5 Mages who had struck a deal with that man in exchange for their physical forms. And that man had agreed to the deal sot these liches can create more bio-ghouls.

— Hmm. That’s odd.

Lugia’s voice tickled Joshua’s ear, and the latter stopped in his tracks.

— He felt your energy, but it seems like he has no plans of moving.

“It should be one of these two…”

A small smile crept onto Joshua’s lips. He could feel at least ten different energies inside. Three of those energies belonged to a knight nearly equal to a Master.

“It’s either that he’s been trapped in his body here, or… he doesn’t think it’s even worth checking out.”

Joshua took a step forward.

— Are you sure about that? It makes no sense.

Joshua continued moving in spite of Lugia’s concerns. One step, two steps, and something incredible unfolded before his eyes.

“Grrrrrr…”

The cries of the ghouls continued to resonate softly in the area. Then, they parted like the sea before Moses. Hundreds of monsters shrieked and ran in all directions around Joshua as he walked. Some even fell to their knees; clearly, they lacked egos or minds. Submission must be instinct to them.

— Engrave this in your heart.

Lugia’s arrogant voice sounded in Joshua’s head.

— You will keep walking paths like this in the future. You will soon get sick of all these reactions.

Joshua\'s unfaltering march suddenly stopped.

“...But what if I like all of it? Does saying those cheesy lines make you feel like you’re in power?”

Lugia was stunned silent for a moment.

— You’re such an idiot, you don’t even know how to act cool. You won’t even consider learning from me.

Joshua ignored Lugia’s grumbling and arrived in front of the stone gate. A carving that looked like a cow was engraved on the door.

Of course, Joshua knew what it was right away.

“Asmodeus.”

Although he was only the 32nd rank demon now, he was once one of the Seven Demon Lords synonymous with the Seven Deadly Sins. Even in the Demon Realm, there were many stories about Asmodeus. If Joshua had to choose one story that best represented him, it would be the incident that caused Asmodeus to drop to the 32nd rank.

As his other name, the King of Lust, suggested, he adored excitement. No… he was obsessed with it. When he was at his strongest, he wielded his demonic powers against different races everywhere in the mortal realm, even Pandemonium.

In the end, that twisted desire led him to the opposite end of existence. Just to satiate his desires, he tried to infiltrate the heavens on his own. His arrogance was his undoing. Asmodeus set foot in heaven, but achieved little else—Raphael, one of the Seven Archangels, discovered him and threw him from heaven covered in wounds.

“Of course, Raphael was also fatally wounded as well. But that\'s an old story. What’s important is who Asmodeus’s contractor is.” Joshua’s eyes gleamed in expectation. “Beyond this gate lies Berber.”

— Sweet revenge. This is getting interesting.

Clapping sounds could be heard in his mind as Lugia seemed to applaud for Joshua.

— You already know how to break through these gates, right?

Joshua didn\'t answer. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the stone gate.

There was only one way to bypass a demon barrier: using a greater authority to break the barrier. As always in the demon realm, might made right.

There was a mighty boom, and the tightly sealed stone gate slowly creaked open.

***

“Ugh…”

“It must be my lucky day. One of the Twelve Superhumans. I never thought that I’d get the body of the Knight Commander Rod!”

“You…” Knight Commander Rod stared at his black-cloaked captor with bloodshot eyes. “You… who are you…? To have such physical power, are you even a mage… keugh…”

Rod felt a worrying pressure on his neck again, and his expression distorted.

He found it hard to believe at all. When he had opened his eyes, he saw a totally different world from before. He wondered if this was how hell would be like if it appeared on earth. Logic told him that he was still inside the Imperial Palace, yet there was an ominous blood-red moon hovering overhead.

That wasn\'t all, though. Hair-raising screams pierced the darkness, and the cold air weighed heavily even on the body of a Superhuman. Worse, he kept getting attacked by the hundreds of thousands or even millions of skeletons littering the ground. They seemed to have self consciousness. No matter how much he crushed them, they always got up again.

But the biggest surprise was the existence that stood next to the robed man.

‘That’s—’

The existence standing beside the robed man was staring at him with a sullen attitude. One look at him and Rod broke out in cold sweat.

Clad in full black armor and with red eyes, he was sure it was the legendary demonic creature—A death knight. But there was something wrong with him.

‘He’s using the swordsmanship of the Imperial family of Avalon. The Sun Sword that can only be taught to the Britten family…’

Knight Commander Rod grit his teeth. The missing pieces of the puzzle had finally been put together. The missing prince was here; what Joshua said was true. He had to tell His Majesty everything he had seen and heard as soon as possible.

He took a step back and reached for his mana. His golden mana stood spread out with him as the core.

“Pointless.”

“Keugh…!”

A shattering sound pierced the air as energy infiltrated his body and he coughed up blood.

“Knights haven\'t improved at all after all these years. They\'re still proud and think they\'re the best, especially in close combat. During my active days, you were already pretty famous, and yet, this is all you can do. Others would be just nothing but worms. Even back then, you only looked like a blood clot to me,” the robed man remarked.

A thought flashed through the Knight Commander’s foundering mind and his eyes widened in shock.

‘There was someone decades ago who was so good at fighting that even knights couldn\'t beat him in close combat: the Battle Mage!’

He had completely forgot about the existence of Battle Mages. After that, even since he disappeared, it was safe to say that battle mages were gone from the world for good. A few people tried to carry on his legacy, but they were all low-level wizards with a poor synergy of mana; they used his techniques as passively as they could.

‘If the person in front of me is him—!’

Rod’s fist clenched unconsciously.

A mage so monstrous that he was even considered for joining the Nine Stars. His name was…

“Jerath dek Orbis!”

“Hoho?”

The figure made a small sound of surprise and then threw back his robe, revealing the clean face of a man in his mid-thirties.

Rod was shocked because he had thought Jerath was dead, but the latter didn\'t look like a lich; on the contrary, he looked like he’d gotten younger.

“How did you…?” Berber, no, Jerath said, eyeing the stone gate. “I’ve spent too much time on a dying man. Die! Be reborn and serve me as my faithful servant!”

A mass of black demonic power burst out of Jerath’s body and wrapped itself around the Knight Commander’s body.

“Keugh…”

Knight Commander Rod fought hard against the sharp pain. It was like nothing he’d ever felt. Despite pushing himself beyond the level of a superhuman, he had suffered a perfect defeat and felt so much pain. Never in his life had he experienced all these. Just as Knight Commander Rod’s skin was turning black, the sound of moving stones echoed in the air.

The stone gate began to open on its own. Jerath’s eyes widened in disbelief as he had no doubts in the security of his magic barrier.

— You seem to have great luck. If you do well, you might be able to make another master of a Minor Demon serve you.

“Don’t tell me… A demon?”

A man with a glowing red spear strode through the gate, but the voice wasn’t coming from him.

— Oh… You can hear me? Great, then you’re worthy of your name.

“How…?”

— Are you surprised? Don’t be, you’re not the only one who can make contracts with demons. Woah, are you crazy? A lich with a living body… Is that how it feels to be a thief?

Lugia’s rambling finally set Jerath off.

“What a crazy bastard. How dare a demon sealed in iron made by humans…!”

“You shouldn’t be the one who’s angry…”

“You—”

Joshua strolled in with a smile on his face.

“I finally get to meet you, Berber.”

— Leave it again to me this time.

Before Joshua could answer, Lugia violently rattled.

— Hey.

Jerath jumped in surprise upon hearing Lugia’s voice this time.

— You have the guts to ask me if I dare? Calling me crazy and all… Ha. Ha. I’ll show you how insignificantly small you are…

Demonic power of another realm swept through the area and Lugia\'s appearance began to slowly change as the spear’s unique skill began to take effect.

It was his other form from a second awakening.