Chapter 187

Chapter 187

67. Tracking (2)

Northwest of Dreadville.

The border between Artia’s realm and Naznel’s realm.

Due to the nature of the Asmodian society, which does not impose any restrictions on simple commuting to and from the region, the border was not surrounded by iron fences or soldiers were standing at the boundary.

However, there was an exceptionally small-sized guard post installed here. Not to defend the border, but to manage the teleport gate.

The gate, which had been closed for quite some time, lit up with great effort.

Pot!

The soldiers in charge of the gate rushed to meet the guests. Moving through space means that they are at least a demon, so they were far higher than them.

“no?!”

However, the two who appeared inside the gate were not demons or demon lords.

It was a combination of an ordinary young man and an old man, there was nothing particularly awkward, but these northern demons had never seen a human in the first place. I was greatly embarrassed by the appearance of a strange form of life that was more surprising than the appearance of dragon blood.

“Put it away.”

“Yes.”

The old man faithfully answered the young man’s command.

Immediately, a powerful force surged from the old man’s hand.

“Hey!”

The soldiers who felt the powerful energy that could only be felt from high-ranking demons were terrified. It was only natural that he was wearing the shell of a human old man, but the kernel was actually a demon.

Saltion shook his arms from side to side vigorously.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

A wave of magical power swept the surroundings. Buildings and soldiers were bombarded at once and scattered like drooping leaves. It wasn’t even a matter of sweeping away the weeds.

Standing in the middle of the ruins with a clear view, Cha Shin Hyeon looked around. It was part of an ordinary field with a small stream running in the distance.

“The border between Artia and Naznel… did you say?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Hmm, it would be convenient if we could get to the Devil’s Castle at once like we did in Delite.”

“I’m sorry. Because only the Demon Lord can move directly into the realm of another Demon Lord… … .”

At Cha Shin Hyeon’s disappointing reaction, Sal Thion shook his head.

The Demon King’s estate is like the Demon King’s house, and therefore, it is impossible for demonic spirits to move into the Demon King’s house abruptly. It’s possible with the ability, but if you do, it’s a shame. First, you have to ring the bell outside the door. Because the coordinates of several teleport gates on the border were publicly available like this one.

The reason I was able to go to Delite’s Demon Castle at once under Saltion’s guidance the other day was because Saltion was Delite’s subordinate, so he knew the coordinates of the territory. He couldn’t even know the coordinates of the other people’s land.

“I know. I didn’t mean to rebuke you.”

“By the way, this is the closest gate to Naznel’s royal castle. I’ve never flown with full power, but it won’t take that long.”

“Guide me, I will follow you.”

“Yes.”

It’s Saltion, which I carry around in my head by default. After measuring the direction with magic, he flew into the distant sky.

Shoo woo woo!

Even considering the long-distance flight and adjusting the pace, hundreds of kilometers per hour came out lightly. Saltion’s new model moved away in an instant. He didn’t seem to care at all.

Cha Shin Hyeon lightly kicked the ground.

Even though it didn’t seem like he was putting much effort into it, he caught up with Saltion in an instant. No matter how fast you speed it up, it’s just the hand of Wukong in the palm of the Buddha’s palm. Saltion didn’t care about Cha Shin Hyeon and just flew towards the Demon King.

The two ran in a straight line from the outermost border to the Demon King Castle in the center of the territory. There were no more demons capable of stopping their flight.

‘I’ll probably find some clues.’

During the flight, Cha Shin Hyeon fell into contemplation.

Preparations for the remaining dragons and demons have been firmly established.

They retreated further south from the fortress and placed them near the end of the world altogether. Just in case Naznell would lead his men to raid Earth.He set up a guard so thoroughly that it seemed a little excessive, and he turned reconnaissance to prevent the enemy’s approach as much as possible in advance, and made Saltion contact him every hour unconditionally. If contact was lost, he was supposed to return immediately.

After preparing like that, I came right here… it wasn’t

Cha Shin Hyeon traveled all over Dreadville for three days using a combination of space movement and flying.

Saltion was not playing while the master was practicing the closure. By collecting the testimonies of the surviving demons and examining the corpses, we got a glimpse of who the surviving Naznel side demons were. The areas that Cha Shin Hyeon visited were mainly the domains of the demons.

Two facts were discovered through a three-day investigation.

None of the demons who escaped from the battlefield returned to their territory. His subordinate demons who remained in his estate did not even know what the outcome of the battle was.

And in the process of exhilarating, there was no specific removal or removal of witnesses, but Naznel, who must have been informed of Cha Shin Hyeon’s movement, did not respond.

He said, ‘There doesn’t seem to be any intention to strike first.’

I don’t know if it’s to wait longer and see the perfect opportunity, but if you’re aiming for dragons, demons, or Earth, now is the perfect time for Cha Shin Hyeon to wander around.

Still, staying still would mean that you don’t want to touch this in the first place, or at least have no interest in anything other than Cha Shin Hyeon. It was a good thing for Cha Shin Hyeon.

‘If you took all the demons and hid them, it seems that you are not simply avoiding yourself, but have a different plan… … .’

Whatever the truth is, you have to go and find out. After thinking alone, there is no further answer.

After stopping his contemplation, Cha Shin Hyeon concentrated on his flight.

His time passed quickly as he devised to improve and compensate for the sensitivity of the natural tile that was subtly distorted as the nature of his zen spirit changed. He was doing things that were difficult to do while sitting still while flying at high speed.

how long has it been

“Sir, we are almost there.”

Saltion, who was flying ahead, sent a message.

As he looked ahead, he saw a large and majestic castle about 10 kilometers ahead. Confirming the target, Cha Shin Hyeon narrowed his eyes.

“… No.”

His senses had already reached the inside of the castle.

There were at least 500 or more people staying in the castle, but there were no demons with the level of a demon, let alone Naznel. He was the only chaff left.

“However… If you filter the chaff, there will be some who get caught.”

Muttering Cha Shin Hyeon, speeding up slightly to outrun Saltion. Saltion, who had guessed the master’s will, on the contrary, slowed down a bit.

Less than a minute later, Cha Shin Hyeon arrived in the skies of the Demon King.

I see some high-level demons hurriedly running outside after realizing that something terrifying is coming from afar.

“huh.”

Cha Shin Hyeon snorted. Slowly decelerating to a stop, as if applying a brake, he lightly rolled his foot before coming to a complete stop.

It didn’t roll on the ground, but it was like floundering in the air, so there was no sound, but the roar came from somewhere else.

Cheeky!

The barrier that surrounded the entire demon king was shattered at once. Buildings that formed the axis of the barrier in all directions collapsed, causing chaos in the castle.

“Wow!”

“What, what?”

While the demons were in chaos here and there, Cha Shin Hyeon and Saltion slowly descended. As if worried about the presence of demons who could not see their appearance, he came down to the fortress wall.

“It’s an intruder!”

Still, it was the tallest acorn among the acorns, and the high-level demons who were the first to wake up bravely rushed forward. Of course, it was necessary to distinguish between arrogance and courage.

“Leave it.”

Cha Shin Hyeon stopped Saltion from going forward.

Instead, he raised his willpower slightly. He only watched the demons leaping over the fortress wall, revealing the power of the deep sword. He didn’t even make a simple gesture.

That was the end of it.

“Wow!”

“Huh!”

The moment our eyes met, his body refused to move any further. The demons, who had jumped vigorously, fell again with their bodies stiff. It was like a comedy.

But it was a tragedy for the victims. After seeing the superior demons running out of water, the rest of the demons came to a standstill. Those of low skill did not even understand why the superiors were doing this.

“I have no intention of messing around with you guys.”

Cha Shin Hyeon gave an order, arrogantly looking down at the demons.

“Gather together. Don’t miss a single one.”

A soft voice penetrated the entire Demon King Castle.

After ascending to the gods, the words and spirits, which gained more absolute power, restrained the minds and bodies of the demons. There was no demon who could disobey the voice that felt more forceful than the command given by the demon king.

Soldiers and servants, all the demons in the demon king’s castle gathered under the wall.

Cha Shin Hyeon raised the momentum slightly.

A feeling of pressure heavier than Mount Tai weighed down all the demons. The demons, who were unable to even stand properly, suffered, and at the same time trembled at the presence of the infinitely huge Cha Shin Hyeon.

“Now, it’s question time. If you know anything, no, if you think it might be related, even for a moment, tell me. all.”

Cha Shin Hyeon opened his mouth.

“Has Naznel come back here recently?”

“Yes… It is.”

Among the demons currently in the castle, the demon who seemed to have the highest rank answered with difficulty.

There was no way that a high-level demon could resist the words that even the demons could not resist. It was at the moment when Cha Shin Hyeon was about to ask an additional question, taking it for granted.

“My lord… The word to tell… There is.”

The demon spoke intermittently. It was something that could not be heard in vain. Cha Shin Hyeon frowned.

“what?”

“My lord… If an intruder comes, tell them… You have spoken.”

“Don’t hesitate, say it over and over again. Naznel left a message?”

“That’s right.”

look at this guy Cha Shin Hyeon’s eyes went cold.

At this point, he is the only being who will attack the Demon Castle, so the intruder must be pointing to him. Leaving a message on the subject that ran away.

“Look at it.”

“Come to the Ruin Mountains… He said he would be waiting there.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

It was some kind of false statement. Cha Shin Hyeon sang Saltion.

“Where are the Ruin Mountains?”

“It is the northernmost mountain range in Dreadville. It’s located in the northern part of Naznel’s estate. We’ve come all the way here from the border, so if we go north, we’ll get to the beginning of the mountain range.”

“What is there?”

“I’m fine… Nothing special is known about it. It’s just a mountain all over the continent. It’s in the far northernmost part of the country, so nobody really cares about it.”

“Nothing?”

At Saltion’s answer, Cha Shin Hyeon tilted her head.

“If everyone thinks that way, it would be a good place to decorate. But I don’t know what’s really good about fighting in the mountains. Did you dig a lot of traps?”

Even if it’s a trap that collapses a whole mountain, Cha Shin Hyeon can blow it up. I still couldn’t figure out Naznel’s plans.

He urged other demons with his words, but he didn’t know any more information. Their purpose was simply to convey words to Cha Shin Hyeon.

Saltion asked cautiously.

“What are you going to do?”

“Go.”

Cha Shin Hyeon made the decision.

“You came here to trample down whatever tricks you were working on, didn’t you? If you’ve prepared a stage, you’ll have to play along. only… … .”He finished speaking in a calm voice.

“Be careful not to become an actor, not an audience.”

* * *

Naznel was walking through a maze-like cave.

Next to him was a magical spirit, keeping pace. A few days ago, he was the one who had been stung by the Naznell for his bravery.

He had a guilty conscience, so it was very difficult for him to walk with Naznell, but the Demon King himself suggested that we go together, but he did not have the guts to refuse.

Naznel was taking him to the depths of the cave, saying he had something to show him.

I don’t think he intends to bury it in a place no one knows about. There were no other demons around when Naznel was talking. Trying not to struggle with such ominous imaginations, the demon followed silently.

“Would you like to hear an interesting story?”

Suddenly, Naznel spoke.

“Oh, yes.”

The magician answered quickly. Naznel grinned.

“It’s not just about trying, it’s going to be really fun. Do you remember the days when you fought against dragon blood? So before the Great War, when the two races occupied half the continent.”

“I remember.”

“At that time we lived in the north of Dreadville and the dragon blood lived in the south. The dragon blood, which was gradually pushed south as the war turned to our victory, eventually lost all its nests. Well, I didn’t know that there was a niche at the southern end that would lead to another dimension. But do you know why we were north and the dragon blood was south?”

“Yes? What reason is there?”

It was a question I hadn’t thought of at all, so the magician tilted his head. No, wasn’t it just that the domains naturally split like that because we lived for a long time? I never thought there was any particular reason for it.

“There is. It is because the gods who protect us, the demons, dwell in the far north.”

“No, what do you mean by that?”

“Of course, just because you keep going north doesn’t mean you can meet them… Are there walls that mortals cannot overcome? I don’t quite understand, either, but they say the direction is north anyway.”

Even after listening to the explanation, the demon still did not understand his expression. Naznel did not bruise him. Because the person who was explaining it didn’t know what he was talking about.

“The point is, the further north you go, the closer you get to God. I chose this place because it is located in the northernmost part of the safest and most secret places. Isn’t the Ruin Mountains the northernmost point of Dreadville?”

“that is… Is it that important?”

“It doesn’t matter. not important Come on in.”

Finally, Naznel stopped in front of a room.

As he mumbled softly and used his magic, the barrier of the thick stone gate reacted and slid open to the side.

The magical spirit who had unintentionally entered the room stopped.

As soon as I took one step, the smell of fresh blood wafted out. It’s not old either, it smells hot and musty, just spilled!

“what… Whoops!”

The demon uttered a suffocating suffocation.

Naznel’s hand pierced his chest and out. There is a difference in his ability to be cut in an instant even if he is stuck from the front, but he even got a surprise attack, so he didn’t have time to resist.

“Did you tell me to go in?”

Naznell, who spoke in a whisper, pulled out his arm. He grabbed the neck of the demon that spouted blood like a waterfall from the wound and dragged him inside.

In the sharply blurred vision, the magical spirit could see the scenery inside the room.

Inside too big for a room. The corpses of other demons scattered around. In the middle of it, a huge magic circle drawn in blood, visible beyond a 10 meter radius.

“That monster couldn’t be matched by protection, and it couldn’t be dealt with even by a strong spirit. It is said that the method of descending as an incarnation is not much different from the spirit god in terms of power output. I just can’t beat my grass and my body doesn’t break.”

And at the center of the magic circle.

Something unidentified was wriggling ominously, barely knowing that the blood had clung to form a single shape.

“then… The only choice is to summon Jinshin, even temporarily… … !”

Hearing Naznel’s mad voice at the last moment of the dying ritual, the life of the demonic spirit, which was shaking unsteadily, eventually collapsed.

Naznel did not hear the cry of the dead, who was screaming for injustice and betrayal. He only saw the demon as a tool, but he felt nothing.

[Not much left.]

Only the happy voice of the demonic god lingered in the demon king’s mind.