Chapter 226 : Alforam (10)
Chapter 226: Alforam (10)
Carl realized one thing after coming to Artenia.
There were even more people here who needed to die than in the Central Plains.
Even though he had postponed the path of an assassin and chosen the Primordial Unity Divine Art, that devil, like now, still provoked the instincts of a killer.
"Fine."
Carl nodded.
He calmly wiped away the intricate plans he had devised against NOX and Alforam from his mind.
"Tonight, not a single Demon Human in the Alforam Royal Palace will make it out alive."
He abandoned the plan to subdue and capture some for extracting information.
There was no need for rational judgment when dealing with vermin that held no value to exist.
"Queen."
—Yes.
"Tell Seven to activate the barrier. For tonight only, the Alforam Royal Palace shall be a place that does not exist on this continent."
—…By your command.
Seven was NOX’s foremost mage.
However, her true ability lay not in magic but in development.
Most of the equipment used by NOX had been created by her, and one artifact Carl had commissioned long ago for the assault on Alforam was among them.
Fwoooosh.
The entire palace was engulfed in darkness.
Like a massive curtain being drawn, it surrounded everything on all sides, completely blocking all access in or out.
It was still in the experimental stage and not perfect, but if it was Seven, she would somehow maintain it.
Believing that, Carl slowly tightened his grip on his sword.
Crackle.
For the first time, the suppressed demonic energy began to be released without any restriction.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, as the pinnacle of divine arts, was far more powerful than any other demonic technique, thus requiring delicate control.
A slight mistake could cause the caster to fall into demonic obsession.
However, Carl pushed that demonic nature to its extreme instead.
—Kiiiiiii!
The wailing of an evil spirit resounded.
A despairing wave of demonic energy filled with wails and a murderous aura that felt like it would tear one apart emanated from Carl, prompting the demon to question him.
—What are you…? Were you also a being of the Demon Realm? This is not an aura a human could emit.
"It’s simple."
Demonic Fire flickered on the raised blade.
Carl exhaled a shallow breath and pointed his sword at the demon.
"Only a greater evil can subdue evil. The same goes for demons."
Boom!
The ground collapsed as Carl’s figure vanished.
Reappearing within the shadows, Carl emerged beside the pillar that served as the focal point of the scattered demonic energy.
Slash!
He pierced through the space between the pillar of demonic energy and the aura of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The demon scoffed and extended its energy like tentacles to attack, but Carl evaded every trajectory with movements that bordered on inhuman.
Fwoooosh!
The Demonic Fire flared even more fiercely.
As if to counter the demon’s energy that threatened to engulf the palace, the blazing flames surged toward the demon once again.
—It’s useless…!
Fsssh.
Contrary to the demon’s confidence, the Demonic Fire of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art began to burn away the demon’s aura that had spread in all directions.
Like oil being spilled, it spread rapidly and soon consumed all of the demonic energy.
—…!!
The demon’s face appeared between the pillars, twisted in shock.
The pain of a body burning was not something easily endured.
Even a demon would feel the same torment.
—…How?!
The demon’s question was justified.
Only a being of a higher tier could affect another’s demonic energy.
That meant this masked figure was a higher-ranked demon than himself?
‘No, that can’t be.’
Then what exactly was this strange flame?
And what was this demonic energy that seemed similar yet subtly different from his own kind?
—…
The demon, who had planned to toy with Carl before killing him, changed his mind.
If there were more humans like him, it could severely obstruct their grand scheme.
So even if it cost him something, he decided to shift focus and capture Carl here.
—Rise.
Crunch.
From within the burning demonic energy, human-shaped figures began to stand.
Carl, who had withdrawn slightly, stared at them with sharp eyes.
‘They summoned demons into human bodies?’
They were already hollow shells, souls long gone.
They must have been sourced from Alforam.
Carl could see through their plan in an instant.
"I see."
The summoning of demons.
Even the summoning of a Demon King.
He had read that such rituals required a sacrifice from a special bloodline.
Past Demon Kings and high-ranking Demonic Races that invaded the continent were summoned this way.
Their dominance over royal families like Alforam's stemmed from precisely this reason.
‘The Empire…’
From what he had gathered, the Empire was relatively safe from such threats, but there was no room for complacency.
One could never know when or where these vile beings might strike.
Thinking that he had yet another thing to inform Crown Prince Yulian of, Carl plunged into the midst of the Demon Humans in an instant.
Slice─!
There was no hesitation as he beheaded the possessed soldiers.
Judging by their attire and physical condition, they were all trained knights and soldiers.
They were likely knights of Alforam or members of the royal guard who had been kidnapped.
If left alone, they would bring about a massacre in the kingdom, so killing them to grant rest was the best option.
—How long do you plan to keep running with your tail between your legs?
"I was just about done anyway."
Carl turned his head and looked around.
If he made a mistake, NOX agents or others nearby could have been caught in the crossfire.
That was why he deliberately moved flamboyantly to draw the demon’s attention.
—Evacuation is complete.
Just then, Queen reported that everyone in the vicinity had been safely evacuated.
With nothing left to hold him back, Carl slowly raised his sword.
Fwoosh.
The demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art that had been radiating outward was withdrawn and concentrated solely into his sword.
Carl twisted his lips and shifted his gaze toward the demon.
"You lot, that’s always your problem. You always assume the person in front of you is beneath you, never even considering who they might be."
That’s the reason you die.
Carl repeated those words silently and struck down with his sword.
Rumbleee—!
Heaven-Flow Twilight Flash, released with ten-star energy, tore through space and crashed down upon the demon.
The barrier spread around the royal palace rippled as if it would shatter completely from the shockwave.
The palace buildings were utterly torn apart, and even the underground structures collapsed, sinking lower than the surroundings.
"……"
Carl drew upon his internal energy to block out his hearing.
If he had heard it without any preparation, even he would have suffered damage to his eardrums.
An explosion rang out beyond human auditory range, sweeping away all the demon’s energy that had attempted to consume the palace.
When the explosion ended and thick dust surged upward, Carl exhaled with a weary expression.
"……"
Had he used the Primordial Unity Divine Art, he likely could have ended the demon much more easily.
But Carl had deliberately refrained from using the Primordial Unity Divine Art.
Mastering the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was also important, and he judged that it was unnecessary to deal with a mere demon like that one.
‘Bringing out a cow-killing knife to butcher a chicken would’ve been excessive.’
As a result, he had expended more stamina and internal energy than expected, but it wasn’t a serious issue.
Step.
Carl walked toward the center of the sunken ruins beneath the palace.
It looked as if a massive bomb had exploded, leaving behind a deep crater.
He moved forward slowly and stood before the being buried within.
"…Uugh, ugh."
It was the King of Alforam, whose hair had turned completely white.
The demon, judging by the lack of traces, had likely abandoned the king’s body and fled somewhere just before dying.
‘Not using the Primordial Unity Divine Art may have been the right call.’
The fleeing demon would share information about Carl and his strange demonic aura with others of its kind.
Now, any demons foolish enough to charge at him could just be killed with the Primordial Unity Divine Art.
"…Is someone… there?"
With a cracked voice, the king searched for someone.
Since he was a friend’s father, Carl was willing to hear his last words, so he stepped forward and removed his mask.
"Please speak."
"Ah, it was you."
The king coughed weakly but opened his eyes wide.
His pulse was faint, and the breath of life even weaker.
Even if Carl forcefully injected internal energy, he wouldn’t live long.
Rather than endure in pain, it would be more merciful to let him pass cleanly.
As Carl approached on one knee, the king spoke in a feebler voice.
"I saw everything… from within that thing. It was agonizing, truly. To see this beloved kingdom I protected my entire life fall into ruin…"
His cracked lips began to break apart.
His body reached its limit before his life ended.
Even so, the king didn’t stop and looked at Carl with dim, light-filled eyes.
"Please… take care of my daughter. She deserves to be happy. Please…"
"……"
Carl gazed at the king as he slowly took his final breath.
He wondered if perhaps the reason Laysis had not fallen to the demonic forces and had safely reached Bayern was because of the king.
‘Laysis once said she believed her father didn’t love her.’
A target for a political marriage.
Nothing more, nothing less.
She said she never even yearned for parental affection.
But reality had a way of proving otherwise.
Even if it had hurt her, all of it had been the king’s way of protecting Laysis.
Carl gave a short nod and stood up, brushing the dust from his knees when he sensed a presence behind him.
Queen had arrived with Laysis at the edge of the crater.
—I thought this was necessary.
Queen worried she may have acted needlessly, but Carl gave a slight nod in gratitude, and she felt relief at his gesture.
"Laysis."
"……"
Carl gave a small wave to her as she stood frozen.
Laysis hesitated, biting her lip, before finally moving her feet and stepping inside.
She knelt before her father, who now rested in peace, and stopped moving.
"……"
No tears or wailing came forth.
She simply stared quietly at her father’s face.
Then she slowly raised her hand and brushed his now coarse face.
"…It’s been a really long time. Since I last looked at your face like this. You’ve aged a lot."
"He worried about you to the very end."
Laysis flinched.
Still, it was a duty to relay the final words, so Carl continued in a matter-of-fact tone.
"He said nothing of Alforam or anything else. He only worried for you and asked me to look after you. He said… you deserve to be happy."
"……"
Laysis clenched her fist tightly.
Her jaw tensed as if she were grinding her teeth.
"Would it have hurt to say something like that while he was still alive?"
The demon had kept him from doing so.
But Carl didn’t say that.
As the daughter, Laysis had every right to voice her grief.
Closing her eyes and letting out a long breath, Laysis slowly lifted her head and looked at Carl with a face full of resolve.
"…I’ve come to terms with it. What should I do now? I assume there’s still something I need to do?"