NOVEL NEXT Chapter 203
Chapter 203
A suffocating wave of scorching heat engulfed the room.
It was the presence radiating from Igni.
She was the Flame Demon King, the very embodiment of fire capable of incinerating everything.
“What’s happening?”
Igni asked, suppressing her wrath.
The fact that she could remain calm despite her fiery temperament was what made her truly frightening.
“Well…”
Dagin was no ordinary Demon either.
In front of the raging Igni, very few demons could maintain their composure.
Dagin continued, “I merely gazed at the stars and interpreted the Heavenly Principle. The details are beyond my knowledge.”
“So you don’t know. Hmph, well, I’ll find out when I go there myself.”
Igni rose from her throne, ready to act without wasting any unnecessary time.
“Wait a moment.”
Dagin halted her with a gesture.
“What is it?”
“The previous remarks were just a courtesy. What I truly wish to convey hasn’t even begun yet.”
“….”
Igni sat back down on her throne, nodding slightly as if inviting him to speak.
Dagin’s lips parted.
“The time of destruction is approaching.”
The abruptness of his statement left even Igni in disbelief.
“What do you mean, destruction?”
Dagin pointed at himself, then shifted his finger to point at her.
Igni’s brows knitted together.
“Don’t mess with my temperament and speak clearly, will you?”
“I conveyed it plainly; it’s simply that you couldn’t grasp it.”
“Ha, really?”
Igni scoffed in disbelief.
Dagin opened his mouth once more.
“But if you insist, I’m willing to explain further.”
“How generous of you, I could almost cry. Hurry up and speak.”
“The time of destruction is coming for the demons.”
Dagin delivered his statement as if it were the most mundane of observations.
Yet the weight behind those words was heavier than anything else imaginable.
Igni crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.
“…What nonsense is that? Demons facing destruction?”
“Believing or not believing is your freedom.”
As if signaling the end of his discussion, Dagin turned his body. He then moved to exit.
“Wait.”
This time, Igni stopped Dagin in his tracks.
Dagin paused but didn’t turn around.
Igni, with a complicated look, scrutinized his back.
“Regardless of what other demons might think, I genuinely acknowledge your abilities. You’re certainly wiser than anyone else. That makes it even more absurd. Who would dare bring destruction upon us demons?”
Demons held immense pride.
Igni was no exception.
Of course.
Demons had reigned over the myriad races of the world as mighty rulers.
That was a truth proven over thousands of years.
The path of the demons had seen only victory and glory.
Destruction?
That was an alien concept to the demons.
So, Igni’s reaction was entirely justified.
“There’s nothing strange about it. With a beginning, there must be an end. Eternal prosperity does not exist. It’s just that demons have enjoyed that prosperity for a longer time.”
Dagin spoke in his usual calm manner.
“So who exactly?”
BAM!
Igni slammed her fist down on the armrest of her throne, rising up.
“Humans.”
“Humans…?”
Dagin’s answer made Igni genuinely ponder whether he was mocking her.
The notion of humans was that ludicrous.
Humans were weak.
That was why they lived as slaves in the lowest levels.
There was no comparison to the ruling demons of the world.
…But such humans?
“This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”
“As I said earlier, it’s really nothing strange. It’s just the natural order of things. For long, the scales have tipped in favor of the demons; now it’s time for them to tip towards the humans. Soon, they’ll tilt in another direction. It’s the natural law.”
“Humans….”
Igni muttered, contemplating deeply.
She heard Dagin had died. And Jin had been captured as a prisoner.
Dagin had gone for vengeance against humans.
Thus, humans killed him and captured Jin.
That alone shattered her preconceived notions of human strength.
Igni willingly acknowledged it.
Among countless humans, some possessed enough power to defeat Jin.
But still, how could humans drive demons to destruction?
That was absurd!
Demons of Jin’s caliber were abundant in the Demon Realm.
Igni squinted and began slowly descending the steps of her throne.
She intended to track the coordinates of the Gate that Renchik had opened and jump right there.
After all, she had her younger brother’s business to settle, and she intended to see it with her own eyes. Then everything would become clear.
“You are certainly strong. However…”
Dagin’s words stopped Igni in her tracks again.
She fixed her gaze on Dagin’s back, urging him silently for the next part.
It felt like Dagin read her expression as he continued.
“You have cast a shadow of death upon you.”
“What?”
Igni’s eyes flickered.
“Originally, you were destined to die soon. However, thanks to my imparting the Heavenly Principle to you, your destiny has slightly changed.”
Dagin turned to face her.
And with a face unreadable, he locked eyes with Igni.
“Now it’s fifty-fifty. Good luck. If fate allows, we may meet again.”
Dagin swiftly turned and walked out.
Even after he vanished, Igni stood frozen for a while, as if struck by lightning.
◈ ◈ ◈
“This is….”
A quiet young man suddenly muttered.
His left eye was blue, while his right eye was red.
Everyone present understood the implications of his physical features.
The gaze of the Sword Master and Gwonma simultaneously turned toward the Great Sage before them.
“What’s going on?”
A tall, skinny old man with a grasshopper-like appearance asked.
He was Gwonma.
He was a uniquely unremarkable figure with a considerable reputation on the continent as a former mercenary.
Having survived through countless battlefields, he amassed skills that matched the title of the continent’s number one.
He was almost a legend in the mercenary world.
“The Heavenly Principle has shifted a bit.”
The Great Sage, Ibraim, spoke up.
“Is that such a significant deal? I mean, things can change a bit, right?”
Gwonma shrugged nonchalantly.
Having lived a life fiercely carving out his path, he didn’t particularly care for concepts of fate or fate theorists.
To be fair, his perspective wasn’t entirely wrong.
There was no perfectly predetermined fate.
Fates gradually altered due to the countless interactions that inevitably occurred as the world flowed along.
However, although there might not be a perfectly predetermined fate, there did exist fates with a high probability of being set.
And prophecies regarding those fates never missed by much.
Yet…
“Of course, that’s possible. However, this time, it’s different from mere distortion. Someone intervened after reading the Heavenly Principle.”
Ibraim wore a peculiar smile.
He already had a hunch the moment the Heavenly Principle changed.
There was indeed a true sage among the demons.
Though even they would understand well.
The energies of the demons were waning, while those of humans were rising.
And that decisive flow couldn’t be countered by any single force.
“Should we change our plans?”
The Sword Master inquired.
“No. Let’s just observe as it is. Let’s see how this unfolds.”
Ibraim displayed an expression of amusement.
◈ ◈ ◈
Before stepping into Earth, where humans lived through the Gate, Igni hesitated for a moment.
Had it been words from another demon, she wouldn’t have paused even for a second.
But those were Dagin’s words.
“It’s infuriating.”
Igni grumbled as if complaining.
Yet she quickly shook off such thoughts and walked toward the open Gate.
◈ ◈ ◈
‘Nothing unusual today.’
Si-hyun thought as he started the car.
There shouldn’t be anything wrong with the National Intelligence Service either.
If something were to arise, they’d contact him immediately.
It had been five months since that incident occurred.
If the demons were aware of the situation, they would have responded by now.
Perhaps the National Intelligence Service Director’s words might hold true.
Of course, that would have been the best scenario possible.
Si-hyun pressed the accelerator.
The car rapidly accelerated onto the road.
He was just about to drive home as usual without any deep thoughts.
BANG!
Suddenly, there was a loud thud as something collided with his car.
Si-hyun, startled, slammed on the brakes.
Screech!
The car came to a deafening halt.
He had hit something.
That much was certain.
But it couldn’t have been a person; he hadn’t seen anyone on the road moments ago.
So what could it be?
He opened the car door and dashed out to check.
In that moment, he wore a face of shock as if he had just been struck.
That was…
A Gate?
A familiar whirlpool appeared before him.
As he stood there, momentarily stunned from the unexpected situation, something on the ground near the Gate began to rise slowly.
Si-hyun’s eyes widened as he spotted a figure slowly getting up.
A person?
It appeared to be a woman with red hair, surely a person.
But Si-hyun understood well that the being emerging from the Gate couldn’t possibly be human.
A demon.
There was only one conclusion.
Soon, countless monsters would spill out from the open Gate.
Si-hyun hastily racked his brain on how to respond.
“What a splendid welcome ceremony you have here.”
At that moment, the red-haired demon muttered.
“Either way, this isn’t where I should be. But…”
She spoke to herself once more and finally turned her gaze towards Si-hyun.
In that moment, he made a firm decision in his heart.
Before the monsters burst forth, he had to take down that demon…
“You there, human.”
Her words stopped Si-hyun in his tracks just as he was about to move.
Si-hyun awkwardly froze, staring at her.
“…Why?”
“Are the humans really that strong here?”
“….”
She was a rather strange demon.
“Answer me.”
“Well, I don’t really know…”
Caught off-guard by her sudden question, Si-hyun responded dismissively.
His mind was on the Gate behind her.
Fortunately, there were no signs of monsters pouring out yet.
“Why don’t you know?”
“….”
“I suppose I’ll have to test it myself.”
“…go ahead.”
Si-hyun shrugged incredulously as he pulled out his guard baton.
She silently regarded his action before opening her mouth again.
“Yes. I can certainly feel it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re filled with considerable confidence. You possess a strong certainty about your own strength. You’re undoubtedly strong.”
“….”
“You’re a perfect candidate for testing.”
Si-hyun felt something was off.
The demons he had encountered before viewed humans as inferior without exception.
And that was a fact confirmed through the intelligence of the Great Sage or interrogations.
But here, there was something?
That reaction was not what one would expect from a demon.
It seemed likely that this was somehow connected to the business of defeating two Demon Kings.
Regardless, what he had to do remained unchanged.
He had to take down that demon.
“Test away as you please.”
Si-hyun’s body tensed up.