The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Tap.

Raul landed at the entrance of the floating Demon Temple, bringing along the hero’s party.

“Ugh, the stench of demonic energy!”

Regan, the mage, grimaced and gagged at the thick concentration of dark mana.

“No one seems to be at the entrance. Could they be careless?”

As Asher observed, there was not a single beast in sight in the open area and steps in front of the Demon Temple.

‘Are they daring us to come in?’

If that was the case, then so be it. Without hesitation, Raul ascended the steps and approached the temple entrance.

The hero party hurriedly followed behind him.

Buzz.

‘A barrier.’

This was expected. There was no way five demons would huddle in such a tiny temple, implying spatial expansion magic was in place.

‘Let’s see who exactly has descended this time.’

Raul stepped confidently into the barrier.

*

“Watch out!”

Boom!

A pool of blood on the ground exploded, splashing towards Asher. Just before it could touch him, a translucent shield blocked the blood.

Sizzle.

The blood, blocked by the shield, half-melted it before evaporating into the air.

“Grrr!”

Wham!

Not far away, Shimar nimbly avoided a falling flail. What he was dealing with was a ‘Blood Golem’.

A creature made of blood, standing at three meters tall, seemingly impervious to physical attacks as it still moved energetically even with half a dozen arrows lodged in its body.

“Holy Spear!”

The saintess’s pure white spear struck the Blood Golem’s chest. It burst with a brilliant light, disintegrating the golem’s upper body.

Thud.

Shimar, with gleaming eyes, quickly shot an arrow, shattering the golem’s core, a ‘red gem’. Meanwhile, Asher and Regan managed to bring down a wolf-shaped Blood Golem.

‘Not bad coordination. It’s a pity they lack a main tank.’

Raul, arms crossed and leaning slightly against a pillar, observed them keenly. Beyond the pillar, more than a dozen Blood Golem remains lay scattered.

Inside the barrier was a massive palace-like structure. Fortunately, it wasn’t a maze but a straightforward building.

However, the walls and pillars were all tinged with red. Pools of blood were everywhere, not just on the floor but also dripping from the ceiling and walls, giving a foreboding atmosphere.

Then came the appearance of various ‘Blood Golem’ type monsters. If the core wasn’t destroyed, these creatures could regenerate infinitely.

Of course, Raul was unaffected. His analytical vision could easily pinpoint the core’s location within the golems.

‘Now that I’ve gauged their capabilities, it’s time to speed things up.’

Even without Raul, the hero’s party was strong enough to break through the enemies. However, they were taking too long. Considering the situation outside, they needed to clear this place as quickly as possible.

“I’ll go ahead. Follow at your own pace.”

Unleashing over fifty knives emitting mana blades, Raul sprinted through the palace corridor.

“Grrr!”

“Scrrk!”

Blood monsters lunged at him from all directions, but not a single one managed to get close as his knives precisely penetrated their cores, causing them to collapse.

Swish, swish!

With every leap, Raul advanced ten meters, leaving behind a trail of blood.

“Whistle. At this pace, there won’t be anything left for us to do!”

Shimar clicked his tongue, sprinting after Raul.

As a scout, he was supposed to be at the forefront, identifying and dealing with threats and traps, but today, that role was redundantly filled.

Raul left nothing behind as he swept through.

‘He even broke all the traps.’

Though he appeared cold on the surface, it was clear he was considering their well-being, ensuring a safe path for them.

“Alright, everyone, let’s hurry! At this rate, we won’t even get to see the demons’ faces.”

With little left to do, the hero’s party raced down the now empty corridor.

***

“An unwelcome guest, I suppose. I was enjoying a leisurely entertainment, but it seems that’s been disrupted.”

At the top floor of the palace. Sitting on the throne, a demon in a red suit held a wine glass, leaning comfortably against the throne with an air of relaxation.

The demon’s eyes, like pools of blood, gazed down at the battlefield.

“Disgusting stench,” Raul said, scrunching up his face.

Below the throne, a small pond and fountain had been installed, but instead of water, they were filled with blood. And in the pond, mutilated human corpses floated, adding to the gruesome atmosphere…

Gulp.

The demon, holding the wine glass, gestured towards the fountain, and the blood in it seemed to come alive, refilling the glass. Raul showed no interest, his expression nonchalant.

‘What a disgusting creature, sucking human blood like a mosquito.’

Raul had no desire to engage in conversation with this demon.

Clack.

Regnator enveloped Raul’s body, and behind him, a radiant arsenal of weapons emerged, filling the battlefield.

“Let’s go!”

Upon Raul’s command, the weapons poured down on the demon. And Raul, too, leapt towards the demon.

Splat.

Stepping over the blood-covered pond, Raul jumped towards the throne, his sword now adorned with a sharp, golden aura blade.

Boom! Crash!

“Ugh….”

Raul performed a backflip in mid-air, landing on the fountain. His palm, gripping the sword, felt numb. And the arsenal of weapons that had targeted the demon…

Clang. Clatter.

Broken, mangled metal scraps fell to the floor beneath the throne.

“Ah, you’re quite skilled, I see.”

Clatter.

The demon, who had discarded the wine glass, smiled sweetly as he stood up from the throne.

With the exception of his thick, long horns, resembling a goat’s, he would have been a handsome middle-aged man in any setting.

Of course, his red eyes, red hair, and red attire, all matching his red suit, were a bit too much.

‘… What’s that?’

Raul was more concerned with the transparent aura surrounding the demon than his appearance. That aura, which had briefly appeared at the moment of impact…

“Is that the end? I suppose, if you’ve felt the gap in our powers, you might lose your appetite…”

Boom! Thud!

Raul’s aura blade drew a golden trajectory as it continued to strike the demon. And what blocked its path was a thin, crimson-colored barrier.

Once again, the barrier around the demon distorted, launching spikes like barbed skewers towards Raul.

‘Hmph! Do you think I’d fall for the same trick twice?’

Raul skillfully dodged the spikes with agile steps, continuing to hammer away at the barrier.

“Hmm. Quite a lively one, aren’t you?”

But his attacks failed to inflict any real damage. The barrier, about a meter away from the demon’s body, blocked Raul’s Aura Blade perfectly.

Wham!

Raul’s weapons, aimed at the demon’s back and infused with aura, couldn’t penetrate the barrier. Moreover, when caught by the tentacle-like extensions of the barrier, they lost connection with Raul.

Clatter.

Another heap of weapons turned into scrap metal, clattering to the floor.

“… Boring.”

Flash!

Before the demon’s words even finished, an enormous power burst forth from his body. The barrier around him expanded rapidly, threatening to engulf Raul.

Woosh~ Tap.

Raul retreated well beyond the blood pond.

「Did you figure it out?」

Rabel asked quietly.

「Yeah. I think I know the source of his power.」

The barrier surrounding the demon was created by manipulating the blood with dark mana. Rumor had it that each demon lineage had unique traits, and this demon seemed to control blood.

「A troublesome opponent indeed, given the surroundings.」

The blood-soaked environment might not only be due to preference but also to amplify his abilities.

‘He’s far stronger than I anticipated. This is troublesome.’

Feeling the overwhelming aura, it was clear the demon’s power exceeded that of an advanced Master. Even though he couldn’t exert his full strength after crossing the gate, his current power revealed his true potential.

Of course, Raul hadn’t been fighting with his full strength from the start either. Facing such a high-ranking demon head-on was a first in both his past and present lives.

It was crucial to assess the demon’s abilities and level before going all out. Though his memories from the past life were distorted, he never heard rumors about such a demon.

Even the information that demons appeared near the barrier was nonexistent.

‘Back then, the barrier itself was wiped out without a trace.’

What could have happened in his past life?

The complete annihilation of not just the barrier but also parts of Copse Road seemed incomprehensible. But now wasn’t the time to ponder such matters.

“Tah-hah!”

Raul directed his legion of weapons to attack the demon once more. Despite calling him boring, the demon began to move in earnest.

Bang! Boom!

The distance between Raul and the demon was roughly 30 meters. In the air above them, their respective armies clashed violently.

Raul’s legion of weapons and the blood orbs countering them. Fist-sized orbs, shot from the blood barrier, intercepted Raul’s approaching weapons.

With each collision, the orbs exploded, spilling blood onto the ground, while Raul’s weapons lost their momentum and fell.

Ssshh.

The spilled blood flowed back into the pond, absorbed once more into the demon’s barrier. Meanwhile, Raul’s fallen weapons, unlike earlier when they were ensnared by the barrier, rejoined the legion in perfect condition.

Deadlock!

The battle between the legion of weapons and the blood orbs continued without end.

“Impressive indeed, human warrior. It’s been quite a while since a human has held out against me for this long. How about it? If you pledge your loyalty to me now, I’ll make you the king of this place!”

The demon, still leisurely and confident, produced a new glass from somewhere, savoring the blood while making his proposal to Raul. Raul’s response was predictable.

“You must be joking. Do you really think the emperor of the Cranen Empire would allow that? A king, huh? Under the control of mere Imperial hands. How laughable.”

Raul’s mocking expression made the demon’s eyebrow twitch.

“How dare you insult me, 『Count Forsis』, ranked 33rd in the demon realm? A mere human thinking they can control a noble of the great demon realm! The Imperial Emperor is…”

Raul perked up his ears. Information about the Emperor was the highest of secrets, even unknown in his past life.

“Did you think I’d tell you? Foolish human. There’s no reason to show mercy to you.”

‘Tch.’

Raul clicked his tongue internally but hadn’t really expected anything.

“See? 33rd? I thought you’d be within the top ten. What’s the use of making me a king if someone higher-ranked than you can just override it? Doesn’t that make you a swindler? Prove me wrong if you can.”

Forsis paused momentarily before regaining his stern expression.

“You insolent wretch! The demon realm doesn’t operate solely on rank and hierarchy! To think a mere human would dare question the integrity of a noble Count of the demon realm…”

“So, if a Marquess, Duke, or even the Demon King shows up, you can overrule them?”

“…Talking to a trivial human is pointless.”

“What a coincidence. I feel the same about dealing with lying demons.”

Whooosh!

With a wave of Forsis’ hand, a massive wave of blood surged toward Raul.

‘Hmph!’

Raul countered with his golden Aura Blade and psychokinesis.

Booom!

The immense impact shattered the blood pond and fountain. In the sky, the battle between weapons and blood orbs raged on. On the ground, Raul and Forsis engaged in earnest combat.

Meanwhile, Under Rabel’s guidance, the hero’s party moved stealthily, evading the demon’s senses and reaching their designated positions.

‘Only one chance!’

Asher, cautiously moving while sneaking glances at the monumental battle between Raul and Forsis, felt his palms grow sweaty.

(To be continued…)