The 1st ranked black magician, Rose, was the first player to become a demon and she was known as a self-made person. She was highly regarded since the Yatan Church had been in a very difficult situation when she was a Yatan's Servant. She was often treated as a cockroach. She survived tenaciously even though she was hostile to Grid and the Overgeared members and became a candidate for a great demon. It was clear that she was a much better player than Veradin.
The power that Rose gained after becoming a demon was the magic power of hell that could interfere with mental power. There was nothing special about it. It seemed shabby compared to the fraudulent power of some demons. The comforting thing was that she had inherited the magic she accumulated during her days as a black magician. Thanks to this, she easily surpassed other players.
'I'm glad I wasn't a fool for becoming a demon.'
The Behen Archipelago had been turned into a battleground.
A deep smile spread across Rose's face as she ran and slaughtered humans. An omnidirectional invasion operation that considered the overall difference in abilities between demons and the human race.
There was the simultaneous creation of 33,333 portals across the continent to attract some demonic creatures and demonkin, as well as some great demons who they couldn't communicate with. Meanwhile, the main forces launched an attack on the Behen Archipelago and the Abyss. This operation was designed to keep a very small number of humans in check.
Grid and his apostles who were notorious in hell, Yura and Ruby who started to rise recently, Kraugel...
The 13th Great Demon, Beleth, who was in charge of the vanguard, was wary of the power of a handful of humans. He expanded the battlefield to prevent these people from gathering together. It was an operation that could be carried out because most demons and a significant number of demonic creatures were stronger than humans.There were many demons who ridiculed and opposed the plan, wondering why they set up such an operation against humans. However, it was meaningless.
Beleth was the king of madness. His angry violence had always gone beyond the norm. He killed his own species without hesitation. He used the most primal law of fear on the demons who were governed by the logic of power. The protests quickly subsided and the operation was conducted as it was seen now.
[Your level has risen.]
'Sure enough, a winning fight is very fun?'
The human forces guarding the Behen Archipelago were allied forces centered on Valhalla. There were hundreds of thousands of troops, but the number of hell soldiers exceeded that. The named NPCs to be wary of were 11 great swordsmen knights and two great magicians. There were only around 50 high rankers. Not many of them had a one-on-one advantage against a demon.
Only one person—the commander of the allied forces, God of War Ares, who gained power 'in proportion to the forces he commands,' showed an overwhelming combat prowess. He even boasted great items, but he was tied up by the 24th Great Demon and couldn't exert a great influence
This great demon, who took over the 24th position and replaced the dead Nebiros, was a newcomer and the prevailing evaluation was that he was inferior to his predecessor, but he gained the upper hand over Ares. Ares looked precarious, like a string pulled tightly. It was clear that the more allied soldiers that died, the weaker he became. He wouldn't last long.
Rose was fully relaxed. The demonic creatures and demonkin in front blocked the enemy's magic and arrows. She mixed into the gap of powerful demons and carried out a one-sided slaughter. There was a sense of stability. She felt a chilling pleasure, especially when killing players. It was an easy plundering of experience and items that others had accumulated with their efforts.It was fun to trample on other people's efforts and use them as sacrifices to grow. It was worthwhile to become a demon. She felt good because it was like paying back the hypocrites who criticized her.
'Every person has a different path. My path deserves respect too.'
They just wished they could be demons. They were hypocrites.
"Rose...! Are you still a human?!"
"Don't you know just by looking? I am a demon!" Rose deliberately and brutally killed a player who criticized her at the moment of death and licked the blood on her fingertips.
Was it due to the setting of demons using humanity as food? The act of killing a human gave her all sorts of buffs. Restoring her health and mana were just the basics.
"Kya! The best! It is really the best!" She was fascinated with the sense of omnipotence she had never known before. It was the sense of stepping foot into a new world. Wouldn't the pleasure that Grid felt as a god be hundreds of times greater than this? Rose genuinely wondered if he could hold on without being broken.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt'I'm certain that Grid will be a tyrant sooner or later.'
So far, many players who had become nobles had become corrupted by power. Compared to them, Grid was really like a saint, but...
How long would the hypocrisy last? Now that he became a god and gained a different dimension of power, Grid would soon follow in the same footsteps as others.
'I want to see it soon. The appearance of people despairing at the gradually changing Grid.'
She was looking forward to it. At that time, she would probably join Grid's side.
Rose was smiling with ecstasy when she came back to her senses. At the entrance of the Behen Archipelago, which was the stage for the war...
Dozens of warships appeared on the horizon behind it. They were colorful and huge ships even when looking at them from a distance...
They seemed to show off their affiliation. It was as if they had no rival on the vast ocean.
Rose was convinced when she saw the flags on the warships with her demon eyes.
'It is the navy of the Overgeared Kingdom.'
They had been noticed moving to Siren, and it seemed they rushed straight here without returning to Cokro Island. Then a new force appeared on the horizon in front of her. The types of flags were varied. It was the reinforcements from the allied forces. The Overgeared members and Valhalla's generals in the forefront stood out.
'The hell expedition team seems to have returned, but they are in bad shape... Luck, the leader of the three generals is absent. Out of the 10 meritorious retainers, there are only Regas, Pon, and... Jishuka?'
There were five great demons here as well as hundreds of demons who showed combat power beyond the high rankers. The allied forces believed they could stop the hell army with this much power? Seriously? Rose was scoffing when a bleak voice permeated her mind. Beleth was delivering his message to all the demons on the battlefield.
""Keep the formation while the monarchs will guard the coast.""
'Why is he wary of the navy?'
Rose bit her lip. There was a legend among the enemy soldiers coming with the horizon behind them. Bow Saint Jishuka—she was the opponent they should be most vigilant about in the current war. As far as Rose knew, there were no strong people in the Overgeared Navy. The high ranker called Soldier had the best power. He had a very low reputation even considering the fact that the military classes tended to be somewhat closed off. It wouldn't be strange if he was killed by a great demon in the 30s.
Yet Beleth was concentrating power on the shore even though he didn't seem to know who Jishuka was.
'It isn't a big threat even if the water clan king fights. I would like to advise him that it is better to maintain the battle lines.'
However, her head would be smashed the moment she brought it up. Beleth was so ferocious that she was reluctant to deal with him.
It happened as Rose was hesitating...
The symbol of Jishuka covered the sky. The illusion of the eastern god cast a huge shadow over the battlefield and the waters surrounding the island bubbled. The terrible heat was just a precursor. Soon, a rain of fire poured down. The power was different from the past. In particular, the hit rate was at a fraudulent level. Even if they took cover using various topographical features and the bodies of demonic creatures were used as a shield, arrows would fly from somewhere and pierce their bodies.
Rose made a pained face while recalling the analysis of an expert. The analysis compared Grid's field of view skills with Jishuka's field of view skills. He speculated that Jishuka's vision must resemble a satellite.
Of course, she believed it to be a ridiculous interpretation. She dismissed it as a delusion. Now after experiencing it, she realized that the analysis of the expert was accurate. The days of unreliable professionals were really over.
""Is that an apostle of the Overgeared God? Mines were planted on both sides...""
Even Beleth couldn't idly watch Jishuka's bombardment. The accuracy and destructive power were too good to be taken lightly. It was powerful enough to reverse the war.
[Your insides have been shaken by the Breaking Evil Arrow.]
[Your demonic energy has scattered. Your flesh and magic power won't be able to benefit from the demonic energy.]
[All stats will drop slightly until your demonic energy recovers. There will be a problem using magic and skills.]
[Defense has decreased slightly. Resilience has decreased significantly.]
'What is this?!' Rose's appearance after she became a demon was generally sharp. Her eyes had become fierce, but at this moment, they were so round that it was no different from her human days. She was surprised at the effects that stacked up every time Jishuka's arrows hit her body. The mana shields that she deployed intensively over each vital point were being scattered.
"The demonic creatures can't use their strength!"
"Now! Push them!"
The morale of the allied forces pierced the sky. Their wounds and health were restored thanks to Jishuka's rain of fire and they became bold. On the other hand, the hell army struggled like they had fallen into a swamp. The low-grade demonic creatures and demonkin continually turned into ashes or were seriously injured.
""The monarchs will protect the formations. I will take care of the coast.""
Eventually, Beleth stepped forward himself. He abandoned his passive attitude of standing and commanding in the middle of the battlefield and pulled out a spear from his subspace. At the same time, he expressed his power. The rain of fire from the sky stopped at once. It was a sight that seemed like a lie. It was like a video had stopped playing.
The power to control objects without a master.
The projectiles that left their master's hands naturally couldn't escape his power. In the past, Grid's sword energy had been controlled in this way.
The stationary scene was played back. The stopped rain of fire in the air returned on the path they had come from.
The reporters and streamers hiding throughout the battlefield and relaying the war were frozen and couldn't convey the situation properly to viewers. They were mesmerized by the sight they couldn't believe even after seeing it. Due to this, viewers only saw the rain of fire rising back into the sky. The scene of it reaching the other side and devastating the allied forces was inferred only by sound.
Beleth flew to the coast. He skipped several kilometers with a single leap. Unlike Titan, where it was early morning just before dawn, the Behen Archipelago was colored by the sunset.
Beleth's face was as distorted with anger as always as he stood on the golden sea and faced dozens of warships. However, his eyes were cold. There was a strong sign of patience despite his angry nature. What was making him so cautious? Rose and all the demons with intelligence questioned it. They sensed that the situation was unusual due to Beleth's strange appearance.
"Don't tell me that Grid is here?" The reporters and streamers were full of expectations. A battlefield largely divided between the Abyss and the Behen Archipelago. Out of the two, the area where Grid appeared could secure many viewers.
In this chaotic atmosphere, Beleth swung his spear hard. The water shining like gold due to the sunset split in half, revealing the true dark core. Dozens of warships shook precariously. Four warships were hit directly by the shockwave and sank in pieces.
Killing the opponent at the very beginning of the fight.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIt was a powerful armed force worthy of the one who had defeated Grid.
-Eh?What is this?
The speechless viewers discovered something. It was a red glow from a pair of eyes lurking quietly beyond the fluctuating waves. The reason why they noticed it wasn't a simple light but a pair of eyes was because it had locked eyes with Beleth. The shining eyes that caught everyone's attention soon disappeared like a lie.
The perspective of the cameras of the reporters and streamers expanded dramatically. Then they caught it. The owner of the red lights had appeared behind Beleth. It was wearing a black robe. There were strange magic circles and spells engraved on the white bones. It was probably due to this reason that the overbearing pressure was considerable.
A lich—it was the moment when the so-called King of the Undead entered the battlefield. It stood alongside the great demon so naturally that it seemed to be a reinforcement sent up from hell.
They were mistaken.
Beleth's spear penetrated the lich's face. No, it penetrated the afterimage that the lich left behind and scattered it. The lich had shifted back 10 meters. It was a strange scene. No sense of movement was felt.
""You smell like something I smelled in the past. The human who was hunted by me. Now I'm told he is the Overgeared God. I heard his apostles are great, but I didn't expect there to be a lich as well.""
[Be polite when discussing My Liege...]
At the same time, the audience got goosebumps. Unlike normal undead, there was an imposing demeanor and splendid effects that left a black afterimage with every action. There was also an eerie voice...
What was the identity of the lich that was unusual at first glance?
Haksen with the highest point magic or Jessica wth the echo magic...
The viewers gulped as they recalled the great legends.
Boom!
The storm that was created by the bombardment of arrows falling toward the middle of the battlefield—it caused the robe covering the lich to flutter and come off. The name that was revealed was 'Overgeared Skeleton Two.'
-Ah...
The viewers had sweaty hands as they lamented in unison. It had many meanings.
***
At Asgard...
"The people are calling me."
Martial God Zeratul, who was sitting on a golden cloud and meditating, rose from his spot. The justification to go down to the surface was enough. The power that the war-ravaged people craved—the form of that power was the martial god.
Since ancient times, war and starvation had been the greatest driving force in freeing Zeratul. It was an opportunity to create numerous followers.
"Before that... I will first punish the fake god."