Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 414

“Hah hah hah!! To be doing this in front of the Demon King’s castle, you really are a daring human!!”

A massive demon clad in black armor stated.

Remarkably, the lesser-known demon properly scratched Yeon-woo’s unfortunate spot. It was Malchut, one of the Four Demon Lords.

In truth, bringing along a demon that Yeon-woo knew wouldn’t be so easy. After all, there were only five demons Yeon-woo was familiar with, and two of them were already dead.

Without counting the Four Demon Lords and the Demon King, there weren’t any familiar faces for Yeon-woo. Therefore, one could understand how much effort the lesser-known demon had put in.

‘They probably can’t try any harder than this.’

If Yeon-woo were to take down Malchut here, the demons would soon start suspecting the lesser-known demon.

If that happened, the lesser-known demon would likely return to the Demon King’s castle and face death.

“…Next, step forward.”

“Oh, Lord Malchut!! Look at that bastard!! Drenched in the blood of my kin… you must repay this grudge!!”

As soon as Yeon-woo’s words finished, the lesser-known demon pushed Malchut from behind.

What a brave act. It’s a risk to get in the way of Malchut, who can nonchalantly rip apart even a fellow demon when bored.

Malchut, seemingly indifferent, stepped onto the stage as if to say he’d permit this amusing event once.

Man, he is huge.

He looked to be at least 3 meters tall, and the bulging muscles beneath his armor were impressive.

With a giant sword resting on his shoulder, Malchut gazed at Yeon-woo.

“Hey, human. What confidence do you have to act like this?”

“…Everything piques my interest. I can kill you all, so that’s why I’m here.”

“Ha hah! Bold, indeed! Only with that spirit can this body find joy in drinking blood. Very well, I shall entertain you.”

Malchut seemed to be quite mistaken, but that didn’t spell trouble for Yeon-woo.

As Malchut slammed his sword into the ground, the eye attached to the sword began to scan the surroundings. It was quite an unsettling sight.

“Come.”

With an ease surpassing even breathing, Yeon-woo drew his sword, feeling its weight comfortably in his palm.

Malchut’s expression hardened at that moment. He sensed that the man standing before him was no typical opponent just from that action.

Both sides possessed a similar level of mastery. For those who entered the realm of mastery, reconnaissance was unnecessary. Yet still, Malchut must have found himself bewildered.

Why? Because before unsheathing his sword, Yeon-woo had not felt like a master at all.

In short, Malchut was more likely to be mistaken in thinking that Yeon-woo’s mastery was higher than his own.

‘Indeed, following my master’s advice always proves beneficial.’

Yuri might appear to be a fair and just swordsman at a glance, but he was surprisingly packed with all sorts of tricks.

From ways to gain an advantage in duels to methods for intimidating opponents.

As things approached a climax, most of those tricks became meaningless, but they still held value even for Yeon-woo.

Especially, the theory that revealing one’s mastery at the moment of unsheathing one’s sword would force an opponent into tension resonated with Yeon-woo.

Besides, it seems that it was actually working. With that thought, he aimed his sword, only for Malchut to raise his giant sword in a wide arc.

With an extraordinary force, tiles covering the stage were sent flying. No matter how desperately they clung to the ground, they were ultimately forced aside by Malchut’s overwhelming might.

“Ha! Now it feels like I’m finally getting a grip on the ground. No need for trivialities in a master-to-master duel.”

“…I will certainly kill you.”

What does he think others’ efforts are?

While harboring murderous intent against Malchut, Yeon-woo lunged forward like an arrow. Grinning fiercely, Malchut lifted his great sword.

The clash of the sword and Yeon-woo’s weapon resonated through the air. While it seemed Malchut had not properly grasped the skills of actual swordsmanship, he was likely a case similar to Christopher, having reached mastery solely through slaughter.

Therefore, he would almost surely prefer a straightforward approach. It was certain that he was the type to focus intensely on offense.

The reason Yeon-woo could be so certain was simple. Only heroes could slay high-ranking demons in this insane world.

The Four Demon Lords were the greatest beneficiaries of the laws of this unreasonable world.

However, was immortality really that good?

If they know they can come back to life, they surely develop a bad habit in their fights.

Clang!! The clear sound of swords clashing rang out.

With a technique, Yeon-woo dampened the recoil and slipped past Malchut’s sword. Piercing through the thick barrier of the great sword, his blade aimed directly for Malchut’s arm.

How would Malchut respond to Yeon-woo’s strike?

A typical response would be to block with the great sword. No need to increase injuries when you could simply stop it.

But Malchut did the opposite. He swung his sword up and at Yeon-woo.

A cross-counter. Making a call to exchange flesh for bone.

‘This brings back memories.’

I used to fight like that, Yeon-woo thought as he infused the power of courage into his being. Unfortunately, he had picked the wrong opponent.

Choi Yeon-woo was an expert in that field, and no matter how perfect a cross-counter, he had the means to evade it.

With a fluid motion, Yeon-woo’s body seemed to melt away. Malchut was left startled at that spectacle.

Can a human body really flow like that? Is this guy really a cat in disguise?

As Malchut’s swung great sword lost power and drifted away, Yeon-woo’s form restored itself. With that, only Malchut’s completely exposed body remained.

With a light breath, Yeon-woo swiftly aimed for Malchut’s heart.

“Ugh!!”

With a fierce shout, Malchut twisted his body. Yeon-woo’s attack, aimed precisely at his heart, veered off, embedding itself in his shoulder instead.

Black blood splattered everywhere, and Malchut grimaced for a moment.

‘This immortality isn’t really that great, after all.’

With that thought, as Yeon-woo tried to extract his sword, his arm suddenly halted. Confused, he realized Malchut was forcing his shoulder to hold on.

It’s as if he’s telling me to drop the sword, as he swung the great sword toward Yeon-woo’s direction, which he dodged by stepping back.

“Now it’s 1:1!!”

Malchut laughed like he was enjoying himself.

It looks like I can’t use this sword until I kill him. Well, it shouldn’t matter since Malchut is no one to take my weapon and wield it.

“But without a sword, what will you do…?”

At that moment, Malchut stopped talking. That was because Yeon-woo had drawn his sword.

The disappointed look he had was rather amusing. He liked killing others over winning himself.

“I’m coming.”

*

“Hah, hah….”

Malchut was panting heavily.

Something felt off. His entire body was soaked in fatigue and pain, barely functioning as he wished.

“What is happening…?”

“Are you lacking in intelligence?”

Yeon-woo unconsciously voiced what he’d thought. Of course, he felt no regret for saying it.

After all, it was hard to fathom how someone could feel unconstrained when their body was like a porcupine, pierced all over with weapons.

Malchut’s body was dotted with piercing weapons, beginning from the one that bore through his shoulder, extending to his arms, legs, abdomen, and neck… countless blades adorned his entire being.

Each time Yeon-woo had thrust a sword, the muscles had gripped it tightly so it wouldn’t come free. What a truly terrifying moron.

“What on earth, do you…!! How many weapons do you carry in that magical bag…!!”

Ah, it seems he was misunderstanding something. Only then did Yeon-woo grasp Malchut’s intentions.

This place was the depths of Pandemonium. Naturally, considering there was only the corpses of monstrous beasts to eat, Malchut had expected that Yeon-woo’s item box was filled mostly with essentials.

Most item boxes are convenient, but they have limited capacity. Since it was Relin’s Warehouse, the artifact could handle whatever Yeon-woo carelessly shoved inside.

Thinking that way, one could also say Malchut’s strategy was somewhat rational.

Usually, one might carry a couple of spare weapons, but it’s rare for someone like Yeon-woo to store an overwhelming amount in a warehouse, pulling them out as needed.

‘Honestly, I didn’t even notice I had this much stocked up.’

To be clear, Yeon-woo had just gathered them out of collector’s instinct.

His primary weapons were the indestructible Doppleganger, the potent White, and the Thunder Blade that enhanced himself.

No matter how good a sword is, it would likely not surpass even these three.

Blood streamed thickly from his blades. It would be more fitting to call Malchut a fountain of blood.

In fact, to keep fighting in such a condition was impressive.

While his weaknesses were too prominent, it seemed like it was about time to end this as Yeon-woo drew a new sword.

Forward…. I could pull out a hundred more. That was his silent assessment.

[See? You really buy too much regularly!]

‘No, it’s just that the quality was good!’

[But it’s so expensive!]

It wasn’t really that pricey…. Maybe Yeon-woo’s sense of money had become warped. He was likely copying money even as he stood here. If Shar said that, it might hold true.

In the meantime, Malchut buried his great sword to the ground.

Wait? What is this guy trying to do again? Is he planning to collapse the very foundation?

With that thought in mind, Yeon-woo noticed the great sword drinking in the blood from the ground.

Gulp, gulp, and the sound seemed to be heard. This might sound a bit strange, but it resembled an illustration of a demon sword coming to life.

From the sword, veins sprouted, muscles and flesh bonding together as if it were a living being.

‘Wouldn’t that make it even harder to cut?’

[That’s true. Is it in the process of transforming into a club?]

[What an odd weapon.]

So went the assessments of the three. Their conversation lacked any tension whatsoever.

“Ha hah, how foolish, human…!! The Dainsleif has drunk its fill of blood. Know that you have no chance of victory against me!!”

So that’s the name it goes by. Well, it does suit the sword, doesn’t it? For someone who indiscriminately kills from the battlefield, I would think it’s fitting.

Clink, clink, the clear sounds of swords dropping to the ground echoed multiple times. It seemed to be regenerating. What a self-recharging weapon, drinking its own blood!

Well, that amount wouldn’t undo him easily. Thus thought Yeon-woo as he pressed the ground beneath him.

Boom, the stage trembled at the sound. As the ground vibrated, the swords scattered across it soared into the air.

“What…!?”

Controlling a multitude of swords was simple. Those had passed through Yeon-woo’s hands just moments ago.

Within those lay remnants of Yeon-woo’s aura, and distance was no issue for him.

‘Tae-oh.’

[Good wifi reception-.]

If Tae-oh is here, I could connect faster than even 5G, maybe at around 550G.

While one might wonder if it’s unfair for three to face off against one, who cares? If you’re upset, don’t get caught.

As the swords floated randomly in the air, they shook a few times before all pointed straight at Malchut in a single moment.

With an open palm, dozens of swords charged toward Malchut.

“U, ooooh…!!”

It seems as if Malchut doesn’t want to get stabbed again, as he began swinging his great sword to deflect the incoming blades.

Perhaps he’s sensing with his instincts that if he dies, he won’t come back, even if his head is cut off.

Amidst the rain of blades, Yeon-woo charged at Malchut.

He drew Thunder Blade through mana. With his left hand, he gripped White, clad in an Aura Blade.

Malchut noticed that figure charging towards him and thrust his great sword toward Yeon-woo, but the power of courage did not allow that blow to pass.

As Yeon-woo’s form dispersed like mist, it reformed from the side. Honestly, that didn’t leave a good feeling.

However, if that meant he could take down one of the Demon Lords, it was alright.

Scrape.

(Continued in the next installment)