The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 65: The Heart of the Dungeon

In the dense forest where no horse could tread, the mighty ones climbed the trees to gaze upon the path of Urea, the unyielding.

Whoosh!

My comrades and I moved beneath the canopy. The camp’s hunters were still busy tending to the fallen, oblivious to our departure.

Our party’s desertion would not be seen as treachery, not until our mission was fulfilled.

Urea, the indomitable, marched southward from her original position, while our assigned spot was to her right rear.

‘The dungeon lies there.’

Meaning, we were not in defiance of orders until we stood upon the dungeon’s very ground.

Thump… Thump…

Only now did my heart begin to race.

Not from the tension of what lay ahead, but because…

‘The Core draws near.’

The Core, akin to my artificial heart, its proximity now a physical sensation.

Is it still buried beneath the dungeon? And if so, what of the demon minions?

Our steps towards the unknown quickened, considering the circumstances.

Roarrrrrrr!

From afar, we witnessed Urea engage in battle with Skala.

Now, it was like a timed marathon. We must distance ourselves from Urea before Skala brings her down.

“…We’ve arrived.”

Here it is.

The very spot where the dungeon’s rotten roots once thrived…

Stand tall.

I sensed an uninvited presence.

Swoosh!

A blade storm surged forward.

Clang!

Ruby parried the frontal assault with her sword.

The assailant, as expected, was the vile Twin Blade Lee Moon, who had ambushed the La Fon party, our fellow hunters.

“…What are you playing at?”

“As you see. Didn’t I tell you before? I repay insults manifold.”

“You speak in circles of your narrow mind and impatience.”

“The dying man scratches about. Is that your last word?”

…What to do.

“Ruby, don’t interfere.”

“Eh? Why not…”

“I’ll handle this.”

The reason for my decision:

“Scouts are nearby.”

“…Ah.”

They move in pairs, undoubtedly.

Even if one is dealt with, the other would watch from a position too challenging to strike.

If Ruby’s true nature is revealed through combat, they would summon all nearby hunters.

Conversely, if it’s a personal fight with Twin Blade, even if the scouts report, Neil is likely to ignore it.

‘They choose not to intervene in the fight…’

A decision made solely for information gathering.

‘It’s been a while since real combat.’

I was prepared.

My body, flawed, would quickly exhaust its strength when power is used.

But… it’s been quite some time since I’ve fought.

Has my skill rusted?

No.

If anything, I’ve become sharper than before.

The reason isn’t hard to guess.

‘It’s because of the souls.’

The souls of the mighty who perished in the dungeon not only stabilized my unstable body but also summoned greater strength.

My strength, agility, and magic have all grown. Where once a single battle would leave me spent, now it does not.

“Now, there’s no one to fuss over you and protect you.”

“Do you think they protected me?”

“…What?”

“Enough. I tire of wasting time.”

Twin Blade took a step back, readying himself.

He would draw his sword. But it’s not a true draw.

Knowing that using demonic power consumes vitality, he would use the sword for its intended purpose unless the fight was of utmost importance.

“Any last words?”

“Do you have any?”

“Your last words.”

“…You damned brat!”

Boom!

[Lee Moon unleashes: Twin Serpent Strike.]

[He draws his weapon at lightning speed, slashing in a cross pattern. The attack deals 400% damage within a straight radius, but if it hits nothing, his stance breaks.]

Twin Blade’s momentum was like a cannonball.

A technique I had seen once before.

‘Dodging seems right.’

But certainty did not allow me to dodge. I was confident I could block his attack.

I was curious how powerful Faust’s strength, grown by consuming many souls, truly was.

Was it a power worth its reputation?

Clank…

Kaaang-!

The blade of the lake met precisely at the cross of Lee Moon’s twin swords.

That monstrous strike, which had cleaved not only the Rapun party but also two ogres in twain, now seemed as precarious as a candle in the wind.

Creak…

Creak-creak…

The Twin Assassin, flustered, changed his tactics.

[Lee Moon activates Twin Sword Dance.]

[A flurry of attacks with both swords. The heavier the weapon, the less effective the strikes, and this applies to polearms as well.]

Kaaang-!

Kagang! Kang!

Despite the penalty of his technique, his movements flowed like water. Yet, the points I targeted with my sword were the crux of his motion, freezing the flow bit by bit.

‘I can see it all.’

Just what caliber was the Twin Assassin? He seemed on par with the martial artists from the Blood Sect who had ventured into the dungeon.

Pop-!

[Lee Moon unleashes Cross Slash.]

[A cross-cut with the weapons. If both strikes hit, the damage doubles.]

Kagagagagagak-!

The lake parried his sword strike.

“Why…”

Having gauged his level, I casually put my hands behind my back. To him, it must have seemed like a disciple receiving a lesson, his form now pitiful.

Kaaang-!

Kang!

He swung his sword desperately.

‘…To the right.’

I subtly shifted one foot, moving to the left, and his blade struck where I had been.

Crash…

‘How strong is he, really?’

Swoosh…

I slipped my right foot into the gap, kicking his shoulder.

Crack…

“Ugh…!”

“You’re weak.”

“You insect…”

My body was slowly adapting to the movement. My gaze, my thoughts, all becoming one with it.

I was born a weapon.

And the man before me? Merely flailing about with his.

The difference was stark.

Whoosh-!

Whooosh-!

No matter how much he swung, he couldn’t reach me.

“The eyes that lingered around me weren’t guarding me.”

“It was…”

“You.”

The Twin Assassin, Lee Moon, furrowed his brow.

“I am strong! Not like you, relying on comrades…”

“Listening to you, it seems going solo has always been your Achilles’ heel.”

“…I’ll kill youuu!”

[Lee Moon uses Floating Dandelion.]

[Spins rapidly, swinging the polearm. With each hit, the attack power increases for 30 seconds.]

Sssssshk-!

A noise like the beating wings of a giant bee.

Clang-!

With a clear ring, I stopped his spin with a single swing.

To me, it all seemed so slow.

“The belief that one must stand alone to be strong… I understand.”

Fwoooosh-!

I drew my sword diagonally upward, and his chest split open.

“A true strong one might not care, but…”

“Ugh… Ughhh…”

“You’ve stolen my time, so I’ll leave your corpse for the beasts to feast on.”

Thud…

The Twin Assassin collapsed onto the weeds.

“Hahaha! Serves you right for showing off!”

Crash…

Ruby crushed his head underfoot. Then she turned to me, marveling.

“Faust! That was the first time I saw you fight! You’re incredibly strong!”

“…”

“I had no idea, you were always sitting in that chair.”

Bill and Mori, too, must have seen my true strength for the first time.

“Indeed…”

“It was a clean move.”

I felt the blood coursing through me. I clenched and unclenched my fists without thinking.

‘That was a good warm-up.’

I had delayed too long with important matters ahead; I couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

I looked at the entrance to the shattered dungeon.

It was clear. Right beneath here, the core was resonating.

Are they all alive?

…They must be.

That’s why I came here.

Groan-!

I brought my great sword down from above. Instantly, immense power flowed from my body, shattering the ground.

Kwaaaaang-!

With a tremendous roar, the dungeon’s entrance collapsed. Something burst forth from the large cavity.

“My lord-!”

Phenex rushed to embrace me.

“I missed you! I was scared I’d never see you again!”

I let her bury herself in my arms, half in jest, half in earnest, and turned my gaze to the cavity.

**Rustle…

* * *

“Aaaaah!”

“Master! You’re too far ahead…”

[Skala unleashes Midnight Roar.]

[Vitality surges explosively, granting tirelessness.]

Crash…!

Skala, cleaving through Urea’s vine as large as a house with his halberd, was now half-lost in frenzy.

“It’s not the Master’s fault! No one could have predicted Urea’s breath would strike the camp directly!”

“Silence, Neil! If you have the energy to chatter, join the fray!”

“Damn it…!”

Groooaaar…

Urea wasn’t just massive; it attacked in various ways.

[Urea uses Leaf Bullet.]

[Some fallen leaves harden and target the enemy.]

Ratatatata-!

“Expedition team! Provide cover!”

At Neil’s shout, the investigators under his command deflected the leaves aimed at Skala.

For those who could slice through arrows shot at high speed, this was child’s play.

Fortunately, only the regular adventurers who joined the subjugation mission were directly hit by Urea’s breath.

The three parties of the expedition team maintained their full strength. With them, the conquest of Urea could proceed as planned.

Not a single adventurer party that had agreed to join had stepped forward. It was presumed that if there was even one casualty within a party, they would hesitate to advance.

“We’ll bring down Urea… and chase those who led us into this situation. How dare they… dareee!”

The fiends who lured Urea out.

This was no mere accident.

It was a deliberate trap.

“How dare they challenge me, Skala… I’ll strip them to the bone.”

[Skala uses Cloud Cleaver.]

[Launches a powerful slash that strikes distant targets.]

Kwaaaaang-!

Skala’s slash hit Urea’s trunk.

Groooaaar…

A ghastly gash.

A monster capable of inflicting a fatal wound on such a gigantic beast.

The expedition members, witnessing the one-eyed wolf Skala’s renown, focused on assisting him.

“Set fire to its stem! Freeze the roots so it can’t move!”

“Yes!”

Initially in disarray, the expedition team soon relied on Skala’s might, advancing their strategy step by step.

If they maintained this momentum, they could bring down Urea just like last year.

“Urgent! It’s urgent!”

A sudden report came during the assault.

“To the northwest, a small number of demons have appeared! Mostly orcs and goblins! They are currently fleeing in the same direction!”