I Never Run Out of Mana

“Kuurk…”

“Don’t struggle. You’ll die anyway.”

“If you have the time to waste talking, finish him already!”

“Don’t command me. I do not listen to you. And I’m the oldest!”

“Damned if you’re the oldest.”

Keltar’s breathing was labored.

The destroyed lobby floor was being coated by his blood.

Not concerned by the situation, the first and second seemed busy arguing amongst themselves.

Min-Cheol and his clones pushed Keltar to the limit.

Because there was a massive gap in strength, all he could do was to endure.

He did all that he could to escape and look for a chance, but even that seemed impossible.

A chance to retaliate was out of the question, as there wasn’t even a gap he could see.

While he did dream of running away, the situation was that he was enclosed in 6 layers of barriers, unable to do anything.

The result of the fight was decided the moment it began.

From the moment that the sword aura made contact, the overwhelming difference in power was displayed.

It was just that Keltar had a hard time accepting that.

Until now, the only one above him was the Castellan Mithrael.

He naively believed that no one other than the castellan could make him submit or be overpowered by force.

Today, however, he had met a real adversary that could be described as an absolute being.

Min-Cheol, the clones, and Keltar looked at each other, on guard.

Min-Cheol thought of delivering the final strike, and Keltar also planned to gather all his remaining strength to proceed with a final attack.

They charged towards one another with the sound of debris falling from the ceiling announcing the start.

And like that, it happened as they came close to one another.

Keltar suddenly fell.

And as if a bullet had gone through his chest, there was a hole the size of an adult’s arm.

Something from behind Min-Cheol’s back had flew forward and struck dead center.

With Keltar’s death, Min-Cheol and his clones were shocked.

“Dead. We’re not the ones who killed him.”

“You idiot. Should’ve finished quickly!”

“Someone here. Hiding in the estate.”

“Damn it… Put in all the work only to have it be stolen. Search the premises. There is someone hiding in the estate!”

The person to deliver the killing blow to Keltar wasn’t Min-Cheol.

And it wasn’t the clones either.

Someone who had hidden inside the estate had waited for the perfect moment to strike.

It really was the equivalent of destroying something that someone had worked really hard for in an instant.

Like how magical energies worked, the Protector’s power in Hell goes to the one who reaps the target’s life.

It meant that no matter how much someone beat up their target, the one to take all the power was the person who dealt the finishing blow.

Min-Cheol and the clones were enraged, looking all over the place.

It was to find out the thug who hid with their breath held while looking for a chance, only dealing the last hit on Keltar.

You could say that this was an unearned income.

While it wasn’t technically cheating because they had dealt the killing blow, it was obvious to anyone that this method was ill-mannered and petty.

After all, they were stealing someone else’s hard work in an instant.

There was no way that they had traveled through 6 layers of barriers.

Min-Cheol thought to himself that the perpetrator had been hiding here some time after defeating Marquis Leon and before Marquis Keltar rushed here.

Min-Cheol and his clones spread out rapidly to began searching for the intruder.

It was then.

“Kuhat. It was such an amusing spectacle that I couldn’t leave and miss it.”

“…”

“I cannot understand. They’re fighting each other when they should be occupied searching after me.”

There was no need to locate the intruder.

A dark shadow slowly showed itself from the lobby’s ceiling.

He was a grey haired old man with a trained built body.

Min-Cheol could tell immediately who he was the moment he laid eyes on his face.

He was someone that not only Min-Cheol was looking for, but had become the target of every single noble in Larkenta.

Min-Cheol stared at him with a vexed expression while speaking.

That is, to Demon.

“Demon…”

“You’ve really prepared a nice meal. How could I show you my appreciation? Kuhat!”

“Got good at acting like a thug? You appeared here willingly when you should be running as fast as you can.”

“It seems you’re quite the entertaining one.”

“…”

“I partook in the Festival of Blood as Millions’ slave. The competition that is the obsession of the nobles here in Larkenta.”

“It’s a pretty famous festival, and I know that you’ve really made a name for yourself in it. The king of the festival. Demon.”

“Kuhat. The nobles sought to observe the festival by seeking the battlefield. Obviously the counts, but the marquises too. However… Out of the less than 10 marquises that exist, I have not seen your face.”

“…”

“The one I took the life from is Marquis Keltar. If you’re someone who could deal with a marquis as he was a child, then wouldn’t they be someone who has at least a title greater than that of a marquis? You could be the Castellan Mithrael. Or…”

“Someone from another world?”

“Kuhahat! So we meet like this.”

“I had my doubts, but it seems this is how it is. Barub. I thought that you had become so famous in Hell that you planned to enjoy a laid back life here.”

“Didn’t you come visit me in the Festival of Blood before?”

“I did, once. It was when I was beginning to suspect that you were Barub.”

“I knew it. I’m sure that my opponent was Jurassic at the time. While I was fighting him, I felt an intense killing intent. It wasn’t from Jurassic. It was someone from the crowd. It was the killing intent that you let out.”

“While I was tense, I don’t think I’ve let out my killing intent. Well, I guess I don’t have to go to the celestial plane because of how things have turned out. You’ll meet your end here, Barub.”

Min-Cheol planned to immediately fight Barub after the reveal.

After all, Min-Cheol was far stronger than Barub now.

It was true that there was nothing to gain from giving Barub more time.

However, Barub was not a fool.

And Barub had just witnessed Min-Cheol overpower Keltar.

Before this, Barub had only enough strength to defeat two or three counts at most.

But after a long wait, Barub was able to obtain a massive amount of power.

Barub had no plans to fight Min-Cheol as of now.

And on top of that, Barub was rather surprised just how strong Min-Cheol had become.

Barub had thought that the Festival of Blood was the only answer to become strong before, but now Min-Cheol was far stronger.

And Barub’s surprise didn’t end there.

It was a shocking revelation for Barub to see that Min-Cheol had the same idea of hunting down nobles.

Barub laughed heartily while speaking.

“Kuhahat. I see that you’re impatient as usual. Lowly human.”

“Let’s see how long you can keep talking like that. The only one to return to the celestial plane will be me!”

“I’ve already confirmed your strength with mine eyes. And you think I will still face you?”

“…”

“If the person I had murdered by tearing him apart wasn’t a count, this could’ve been rather troublesome”

“What…”

“It would be difficult for me to break through the barriers you have put up.”

Demon knocked on the barriers set up all around the lobby while speaking.

Demon was right.

These barriers have been set by Min-Cheol’s power.

And his clones had joined in the fray as well.

This meant that Barub could not escape using one’s own strength.

But the reason why Barub could be so bold was because of the Return Scroll.

Before coming here, where Min-Cheol was.

Barub had to wait for a very long time at a nearby estate to kill a single count.

The count that had been overwhelmed had decided to pick the last resort of fleeing.

And so one of the items that spilled out of the storage was a Return Scroll.

For Barub, it was extremely fortunate.

Before, Barub had no knowledge of artifacts and consumables, but this event had opened the eyes.

Painfully torturing the dying count, Barub forced him to pour out the countless artifacts within the storage.

Due to how large the size of the storage was, the amount of artifacts that poured out was just as much.

Of course, Barub was not interested in jewels or cores.

To Barub, they just looked like colorful rocks after all.

Not giving a second glance to magical orbs or skill scrolls, Barub’s focus was on the Return Scrolls, weapons, and defensive equipments.

It was an item that the count had tried to grab right before dying.

Anyone could tell that it’s purpose was to transport or at least used to aid in escaping.

Barub brought up a Return Scroll to Min-Cheol.

Confirming what Barub was holding up, Min-Cheol’s expression hardened further.

After all, he knew better than anyone what that bloodied, muddied, and half ripped scroll signified.

Min-Cheol gave a defeated smile.

No matter how fast he attacked Barub, there was no way that he could kill him in the short amount of time it would take to tear apart that scroll.

Barub continued to speak calmly, probably aware of that as well.

As if trying to make Min-Cheol collapse from the frustration, Barub mockingly continued.

“Kuhu. Seems I’ve received quite a big gift unexpectedly before my departure. I think with this much power, I should be able to aim not only for counts, but marquises as well.”

“Remember that feeling well. It’ll be the last bit of power you obtain.”

“Kuhat! We’ll see about that. There are still 19 days left before the return trip back to the celestial plane. That’s more than enough time to flip the tables completely.”

“It won’t go the way you plan.”

“Are you sure about that? As you have guessed, I have been hiding in the estate long before Marquis Keltar arrived.”

“…”

“There’s no way that I did not hear the conversation between you and the two people hiding in your storage.”

“You plan to sabotage my plans?”

“Am I not allowed to do so? You speak as if we’re allies.”

“Ah ah. I’ll apologize for that. Go ahead and try to ruin my plan. Even if you do, it won’t change the results.”

“Look forward to it, human.”

****

“Damn it!”

Min-Cheol couldn’t suppress his anger and swung his sword at where Barub had left.

The air around the tip of the sword distorted and a projectile bathed in blue light flew in all directions.

The thick pillars planted all over the lobby snapped like sugar canes when the projectiles made contact.

Not only was the plan going off its tracks with Barub’s appearance, but he had his catch stolen right before his own eyes.

Stopping his angry fit here could honestly be considered a demonstration of good self control considering what had happened.

Min-Cheol immediately opened the storage and summoned the two of them.

“We need to relocate.”

“Master, what is it?”

“I’ll explain the details later. Just think of it as a saboteur has joined the fray. Count Audu. We’ll continue the operation after moving to a new location.”

“I understand. After all, the location does not matter.”

With the interloping Barub’s appearance, the three relocated.

Since the nobles were going to be summoned by Audu’s summoning, it was true that the location does not matter.

And like that, the three of them settled in the remote mountains.