Chapter 229

Chapter 230. Haven’t You Heard the Rumor? (1)

The fragment of the Evil God, Demon Bow Amaranth.

And the pinnacle of imperial biotechnology, Homunculus Decameron.

Both are beings beyond human comprehension, feared by the world. Even the monsters of the Demon Realm wouldn’t dare to challenge them easily, but—

*Crunch!*

Decameron’s left arm is crushed by the fangs of the two-headed wolf, ‘Double Wolf.’

*Thud, thud, thud!*

Decameron, who had been stabbed repeatedly by Double Wolf’s Aura Sword, mutters,

“…Ice Wall.”

Creating a wall of sharp ice spikes, Decameron buys himself some time and assesses the situation.

*Glance.*

The regeneration of his bitten left arm is slow. The saliva was highly acidic.

‘The monsters of the Demon Realm are as troublesome as the records say.’

They’re not just horrifying in appearance. Each one possesses bizarre abilities.

‘And there are too many of them.’

Even though they’re not inside the Demon Realm, monsters are pouring out. The clash between Hyperion and Keter had momentarily weakened the Demon Realm’s barrier.

Amaranth, who had been confident, seems to have run out of strength, as the monsters hit by his Mana Arrows are still running around unscathed.

*Whoosh!*

Amaranth is pushed back by the charge of a rock-like monster, ‘Rockman,’ and shouts at Decameron,

[Tin can. Take Keter’s corpse and run now.]

“You have no authority to command me.”

[You idiot. If we stay like this, Keter will die anyway. No, he’s already dead. We need to at least preserve his body!]

“Keter is dead, but not dead.”

[What kind of nonsense—]

*Crash!*

The ice wall blocking the monsters shatters. At the same time, an enormous monster appears.

A one-eyed giant, Cyclops.

But this one is different from the ordinary ones. It has yellow horns on both sides of its head.

The Devourer of the Demon Realm, ‘Thunder Cyclops.’

As if to prove the horns aren’t just for show, yellow currents of electricity begin to flow from them.

*Roar!*

The Thunder Cyclops lets out a roar, and bolts of lightning pour from its horns and eyes.

Amaranth and Decameron, seeing the nearby monsters being fried, quickly defend themselves.

[Shepherd’s Blessing.]

“Iron Column.”

A corrupt veil spreads like a net, and steel pillars rise from the ground to block the lightning.

*Boom, boom, boom!*

They block the first attack.

As the Thunder Cyclops prepares to unleash a second wave of lightning, the two aren’t about to just stand and watch.

*Whoosh!*

*Slash!*

Amaranth’s Mana Arrows and Decameron’s slashes rain down on the Thunder Cyclops’s massive face.

*Huh?*

The Thunder Cyclops scratches its cheek with its finger, as if wondering what just happened.

Even though Amaranth is exhausted and Decameron can’t even use half his power due to injuries, they didn’t leave a single scratch.

Decameron mutters softly,

“In this situation, the phrase ‘we’re screwed’ seems appropriate.”

*Roar!*

The Thunder Cyclops unleashes another wave of lightning.

Amaranth and Decameron try to defend themselves the same way, but—

*Crash!*

*Zap, zap, zap!*

Twice as many lightning bolts as before engulf them.

*Poof!*

Smoke rises from their bodies as they’re struck by the lightning. Though they survive because they’re not human, their sluggish movements show they’ve taken significant damage.

[Damn it. Am I going to have to sleep for another few hundred years?]

Amaranth, thinking it’s the end, is disheartened, but Decameron silently stands guard in front of Keter.

*Roar, roar…!*

The Thunder Cyclops, showing no signs of fatigue, prepares a third wave of lightning. The amount of electricity gathering in its horns is larger than its own body.

But then—

*Huh?*

The Cyclops, about to unleash the lightning, suddenly stops.

Amaranth and Decameron are startled. They sense something unnatural.

*Squish, squish.*

There, a white arrow, Baeklin, floats in the air, swaying.

The Thunder Cyclops looks confused, wondering why an arrow is floating by itself, but then regains focus and tries to unleash the lightning again.

And at that moment—

Baeklin disappears.

Simultaneously, a hole appears in the Thunder Cyclops’s forehead.

*Huh?*

The Thunder Cyclops blinks, not understanding what just happened.

*Thud!*

Baeklin, flying from somewhere, pierces the Cyclops’s eye.

*Roar!*

Finally realizing it’s been attacked, the Thunder Cyclops goes berserk.

Despite having holes in its head and its eye attacked, it doesn’t die and scatters lightning everywhere.

*Screech!*

The Demon Realm monsters, waiting like hyenas for an opportunity, scatter in all directions at the sight of the lightning.

The Thunder Cyclops tries to grab Baeklin stuck in its eye, but the arrow digs deeper, piercing through the back of its head.

Not stopping there, Baeklin begins creating more holes all over the Cyclops’s body.

*Groan….*

In seconds, the Thunder Cyclops, now riddled with hundreds of holes, lets out a pitiful cry and collapses.

*Thud!*

The Devourer of the Demon Realm, Thunder Cyclops, who could easily be an S-class named monster, falls like that—

*Rustle.*

Keter, who was a corpse, pushes himself up from the ground.

[…What the! His heart definitely stopped!]

Amaranth can’t understand. Keter is clearly human, and humans die when their necks are broken. So how could Keter come back to life?

The revived Keter stretches and shouts with a refreshed expression,

“Ah, I slept well!”

* * *

Just before Hyperion’s spinning kick broke his neck.

Keter put himself in a state of suspended animation. It was an unconscious action born from countless battles and medical knowledge.

Above all, Keter believed in his regenerative abilities, which could even restore lost body parts, and his skin respiration. He was confident that given enough time to recover, he could revive.

And he wasn’t wrong.

His broken neck and spine regenerated. His stopped pulse and breathing returned. His will to live even rejected death.

The revived Keter had the most refreshed expression in the world. After all, he had defeated an opponent two levels stronger than himself.

He had literally died and come back to life. The effects of survival of the fittest were maximized. Naturally, his stagnant Aura and Mana had grown ridiculously.

Aura: 117 years.

Mana: 108 years.

He had stepped into the threshold of a Grandmaster in one go.

But that wasn’t all. Survival of the fittest is a cultivation method that adapts and evolves. Having survived a battle with Hyperion, the pinnacle of striking techniques, Keter had developed a considerable ‘immunity’ to strikes.

The Clear Sky Thunder Fist, which he could only withstand with the Death Pact, could now be endured without an Artifact.

Keter, spreading his arms, takes a deep breath and shouts,

“Good, good! Refreshing, exhilarating, delightful! Ahahaha!”

At Keter’s mad laughter, the watching Demon Realm monsters flee in fear.

The aggressive Demon Realm monsters running away shows just how much Keter’s growth had been explosive and overwhelming.

All his wounds had healed, and his energy was fully restored. Survival of the fittest is hard to activate, but once activated, it’s a cultivation method worthy of being called a Divine Technique.

“But there are always some clueless ones.”

Not all the Demon Realm monsters had fled. A few 5-star monsters remained, circling Keter.

They were looking at Keter, but their side glances were directed at something else.

Keter follows their gaze.

“Ah, that?”

Keter, full of energy, had given up, but the monsters’ desire to eat the corpse of Hyperion was clear. Keter nods in understanding.

*Click.*

Keter raises his finger.

Soon, Baeklin, which had killed the Thunder Cyclops, is summoned onto Keter’s finger.

Celestial Infinity Technique No. 7, ‘Drone.’

A technique that shoots arrows with just willpower, Drone only performs at its best when used with Ain.

Though it can be mimicked with Aura and Mana, its power and speed are far too lacking for practical use.

But with Aura and Mana levels exceeding 100 years, it could be forced to work.

“Whistle.”

Keter whistles. In that moment, Baeklin shoots out, leaving an afterimage.

*Screech!*

The skilled Demon Realm monsters react, defending, dodging, or charging, but—

*Boom, boom, boom!*

It’s all meaningless.

Drone is faster than any bow.

“Milky Way.”

Moreover, it can use techniques mid-flight.

Baeklin, positioned among the monsters, explodes. The monsters, with holes in their heads, are swept away by the explosion before they can recover.

Keter, who wiped out dozens of 5-star monsters in just two moves, doesn’t look satisfied but rather dissatisfied.

“Still, Ain is necessary.”

No matter how strong, it’s nothing compared to Ain. Knowing the power of even a crude Ain, Keter couldn’t be satisfied despite his immense growth.

As his gaze naturally turns to Hyperion, Amaranth approaches.

[You monster. Even with your neck broken, you came back to life. It’s a shame I couldn’t take your body, but…]

Amaranth, whose form is crumbling as if out of strength, points at Hyperion with his finger.

[As promised, his body is mine.]

Keter had promised Amaranth. If he died, he would give his body, and if he killed Hyperion, he would give his body.

As Amaranth reaches out to Hyperion’s corpse, Keter says,

“As promised, you get nothing.”

[What?!]

“You seem to have forgotten. I said I’d give him to you if I killed him.”

[Are you playing word games?]

“Don’t make me the bad guy, look closely. He’s not dead.”

At Keter’s words, Amaranth moves closer to Hyperion. Then, his eyes widen.

*Twitch, twitch.*

Hyperion’s fingers are twitching slightly.

It’s definitely not rigor mortis. The hole made by Keter’s Big Bang is slowly regenerating. The wound, originally the size of an adult man’s fist, is now the size of a child’s fist.

[What the… There’s another monster like you!]

“I was going to give him to you if I killed him. But since he’s not dead, Amaranth, I can’t give him to you.”

[Don’t make me laugh! This guy’s already a walking corpse. Just kill him!]

Amaranth, holding a Mana Arrow, tries to stab Hyperion’s heart, but—

*Stop.*

[……!]

Without moving a finger, Keter stops Amaranth’s arm.

[Keter… you bastard…!]

“Can’t have my property moving on its own, can I?”

Amaranth is Keter’s possession. He can’t act against Keter’s will.

Which means Keter doesn’t want Hyperion to die.

[You deceived me! You’re worse than a devil! I’ll never cooperate with you again!]

“Whoa, whoa. Amaranth. Deceived? It’s just that things didn’t go as planned. I really wanted to help you, you know? But what can I do? I need that guy.”

Keter had originally planned to steal and learn the Ain Hyperion used while fighting him.

But Hyperion was much stronger than expected, and facing the Clear Sky Thunder Fist, which could send him to the afterlife in one wrong move, made it impossible to steal and learn the Ain. So, he ultimately failed.

‘There must be others in this world who can use Ain, but this guy is the only one who’d teach me.’

When would he meet another Ain user to learn from? Who knows what ridiculous conditions they’d set.

And trying to learn Ain through threats is nonsense. They’re all Transcendent Beings. They’d rather choose death than submit.

Though he had fought Hyperion for nearly ten days to kill him, Keter realized,

‘This guy’s a pushover. If I treat him well, he’ll give me everything.’

Becoming friends is hard, but once you do, he’ll be on your side forever.

So, Keter plans to keep Hyperion alive and learn his Ain techniques.

‘Even if we become enemies again, I can handle it now.’

At worst, they’d just fight again, so Keter isn’t worried.

[I curse you, Keter! I’ll definitely take your body and destroy Sephira before your eyes!]

“You’re too excited. Good job, and thank you. Rest for now.”

*Thud!*

Slapping the Mana Arrow shooter with his palm, Amaranth is absorbed back as a tattoo. Clearly upset, he doesn’t even struggle.

“You did well too, Six Hundred. Thanks for protecting me.”

*Pat, pat.*

Keter pats Six Hundred’s head.

Though he shows no emotion, unbeknownst to anyone, the corner of Six Hundred’s mouth twitches upward.

* * *

“Mom… I don’t want to go…”

Hyperion, tears streaming, tosses and turns. Whether dreaming of the past or a nightmare, he looks utterly miserable.

“Gasp?!”

Hyperion, stretching his arms, sits up and immediately assumes a defensive stance, scanning his surroundings.

It’s pitch black. But in front of him, it’s bright and warm.

*Crackle, crackle…*

A campfire. And sitting in front of it is a familiar face.

“Did your mom abandon you?”

Keter, poking the campfire with his finger, asks. Hyperion’s face crumples.

“You, this… ugh.”

Hyperion, who had raised his fist, clutches his stomach. Then he realizes. He had been defeated. And he had definitely felt ‘death.’

But for some reason, he’s alive, and the wound on his stomach is neatly treated, bandaged. Though the pain is excruciating, it’s proof he’s alive.

“Did you save me?”

Keter shrugs, answering silently.

Hyperion glares at Keter for a moment, then lowers his fist and sits down.

“…….”

“…….”

*Crackle, crackle.*

The two silently watch the flickering flames.

Hyperion is the first to speak.

“Mom didn’t abandon me. I abandoned her.”

“You’re a disgrace.”

“No!”

Hyperion jumps up, furious. His fists trembling, he says,

“If I stayed, my family… would have been…”

Not wanting to explain further, Hyperion sits back down and stares at the campfire.

A pot dangles over the fire. It’s the same pot he had kicked, now dented.

*Bubble, bubble, bubble.*

Inside the pot, soup is boiling. The rich, savory smell of chicken fills the air.

*Growl.*

Hyperion’s stomach growls like thunder. Having fought for three days and nights without eating or sleeping, it’s only natural.

Keter naturally scoops some chicken soup into a bowl and hands it to Hyperion.

Hyperion doesn’t refuse. He takes the soup and gulps it down.

It’s delicious. And peculiarly warm. It warms not just his body but his soul.

“…Why did you save me?”

There’s no hostility in Hyperion’s voice. Instead, pure curiosity seeps through.

Keter takes a sip of the soup and says,

“Because it’s a waste.”

“……?”

“You’re too strong to die like this.”

“……!”

It’s not pity or a threat.

It’s respect for a strong opponent.

At Keter’s words, Hyperion’s fists tremble.

“Keter… you’re a madman and a weirdo… but also a good guy.”

*Gulp!*

Hyperion, finishing the chicken soup in one go, stands up and says with a solemn face,

“I retract my previous statement that you’re worthy of being my subordinate. You’re worthy of being my friend. Will you accept?”

Hyperion is awkward with relationships. Even to someone he wants to be friends with, he speaks as if saying ‘I’ll do you a favor.’ But Keter doesn’t mind and stands up. He offers a handshake, signaling his acceptance.

Hyperion, having made his ‘first friend,’ smiles with joy and shakes Keter’s hand.

Keter, with a benevolent smile, says,

“Dummy.”

“Dummy… what?”

“Between friends, what’s mine is yours, right?”