by Road Warrior
Everywhere Sungchul went, blood was spilled and mountains of corpses were formed. Not even five minutes passed before around ten thousand demons were slaughtered.
“W-what the fuck! Just what is that?”
When Prontorowa the high rank devil had heard the news that Hesthnius Max had thrown away his physical form to escape from Sungchul, he had mocked the Demon King, calling him a coward who lacked the fundamentals of a demon. But little by little he was forced to see differently, until now when Sungchul headed straight for him and completely changed his opinion.
“Are you the head of these devils?”
The human, without a drop of blood on him or breath out of place, stood tall before Prontorowa. When that human looked at him indifferently without any emotion in his eyes, Prontorowa felt a strong compulsion to bend his knee and beg for his life, but his pride as a High Devil stopped him. Instead, he managed to muster up some dignity as he opened his mouth. “T-That’s right, you lowly human!”
Sungchul’s response to the devil was Fal Garaz. As the hammer rose, Prontorowa tried to call out every magic known to him, but the hammer moved faster than his lips. Fal Garaz’s head met Prontorowa’s mouth. His jaw bone flew out of his skull, and his tongue that had been bent like a snake was pulled out in its entirety after being caught by the hammer.
“Kuuu….”
The leader of a hundred thousand devils met his end without being able to put up any resistance. Sungchul scraped off the disgusting offal from his hammer and looked toward the devils before raising a serious question. “… Who’s next?”
None of the devils dared to meet him. A hundred thousand… no, now a number much lower than that fell back in retreat, leaving behind a single man on an empty battlefield.
–
“Sungchul, that bastard. How did he get that strong? The bastard’s strength is on a different level than the Sungchul we knew.” Executor Aquiroa spat out profanities as she looked away from the scrying orb.
“…Definitely powerful. Even Kha’nes, who is known as the most powerful recluse, would be no match for him,” said Shamal was of a similar opinion. Currently, no one could stop Sungchul. This gathering of powerful people in an undisclosed location was now coming to a consensus.
“There is now a need to utilize every method known to us to stop that beast.”
There was a sense of urgency in Aquiroa’s voice. If that monster managed to reach the Demon King, his life would be forfeit and according to the Scripture of Calamity, the Seven Heroes would awaken at the death of the Demon King. Not one, but seven individuals whose strength was known to be equal to or exceeding the Demon King would awaken. The chaos wrought at their hands would be unprecedented. At the very least, that had to be stopped.
Aquiroa and the others each held their own thoughts as they returned to their territories. The only ones now remaining were Shamal Rajput and his subordinates. Shamal looked at the young man assimilated into the shadows with vacant eyes as he spoke. “…How is it, Kaz Almeira? Can you do it?”
Kaz shook his head at Shamal’s question. “That is not an opponent I can beat. I feel that it is rather a blessing to have survived an attack of such a man and lived.”
Kaz who had been burning with vengeance could feel its flames simmer as he witnessed Sungchul’s divine might.
Shamal turned his head toward Sujin. “How about you?”
She couldn’t reply to his question for a brief moment. It was difficult for her to accept the identity of the Enemy of the World.
If that man was the Enemy of the World, just what have I done? Why did I not recognize that the man was the Enemy of the World? If it was going to be this way, why did I even bother coming back in time?
Shame had enveloped her heart in darkness. She only managed to regain her senses after Shamal called out her name a second time.
“Ahmuge. I asked for your thoughts.”
Sujin finally realized that Shamal was calling out to her, and spoke out in surprise. “I can’t handle him yet.”
Sujin replied as such, but she was different than Kaz. She looked directly at Shamal as she continued in an unperturbed manner. “However, when the opportunity arises and if I manage to get the strength to pierce his heart, I will be able to put an end to the Calamity that he will bring.”
A faint smile rose and left Shamal’s lips. He could still remember it clearly. The moment when he had met the woman called Ahmuge. It was at the Castle of the Assassin’s Guild, also known as the “Forbidden Palace.” An intruder had managed sneak into the sect leader’s sleeping quarters located at the center of the castle without being detected.
The woman boldly held a cheap dagger aimed at Shamal Rajput known as the King of all Assassins. Shamal realized Ahmuge’s presence only when the end of her cold blade had touched his neck. This accomplishment wasn’t brought about by strength nor ability, but rather a privilege that could only be earned by those with the unseen blessings, divine blessings, or similar soul contracts. Shamal could see Ahmuge’s usefulness as an assassin in a single glance and lent his ear to her story.
Her future had been different compared to those that crossed through the threshold of time for their own personal benefit. There were some amusing and shocking details within. The particular detail about Sungchul, his old comrade, being the one to bring the end of the world was enough to draw the coldblooded Shamal’s interest.
“I came from the future to kill him. The Enemy of the World. Killing that man is the life mission from which I cannot be dissuaded and also the sole reason I have come to live in this foreign world.” Ahmuge or Sujin Lee bowed as she spoke with resolve. Shamal nodded and looked toward the north with vacant eyes.
“When the time comes, an opportunity will arrive. However, the time is not now. But do not fret. Your heart’s desire will come to pass soon.” Shamal disappeared in a puff of smoke after those words.
At the same hour, Sungchul was now situated in the middle of Harupaya Ridge in between two hostile factions. In front of him was the brazen devil army that was still occupying the wilderness, but they didn’t dare to attack Sungchul. The problem was the factions situated behind him.
“Enemy of the World! Return Fal Garaz! Only then will we spare your life!”
They were the survivors of the dwarf, elf, and human allied forces that had been fighting alongside him just a moment ago. They spat out every threat and insult they could muster first, then followed up with arrows and catapults.
Sungchul looked at his former comrades attacking him with disinterest. A single arrow split his hair and stuck onto the ground.
“…”
He knew that it would end this way, and that was why he was hesitant. Hesitant to help his fellow fighters that were fighting with him under the same banner.
“This is too much. Really. Why are they acting like this? Even after you saved them?” Bertelgia asked, her angry voice filled with frustration. “Why are they doing this to you?”
It was then that a massive artillery shot, fired from the dwarven camp, flew past Sungchul and caused a large explosion. When the explosion subsided, Sungchul was visible again without so much as a scratch on his clothing.
Sungchul raised Fal Garaz high into the air and struck the ground. Powerful quakes shook the earth, and the artillery placed on the unsteady ground fell over, causing a massive explosion.
The dwarf-elf allied forces were scared stiff by his actions and retreated.
Sungchul who had managed to shut them up looked toward the devil army still stationed within the wilderness as he stood his ground at the peak of Harupaya Ridge. The wind blowing down from the mountain rustled his clothing and hair gently as it blew past.
Once silence fell over the battlefield, Sungchul looked down toward it and spoke in a firm voice. “This is my fate.”
Chapter 16 – Followers Of Calamity
Animosity against the Enemy of the World was universal, and no one would openly dare refute it. The clergymen attrib
uted all sorts of evil to the Enemy of the World during their sermons and denounced him while wanted posters of him with an astronomical figure as a bounty were stuck in prominent places in plazas.
There were efforts in libraries to belittle his achievements. Every one of his heroic acts was erased, and misdeeds were added to his resume in fearsome amounts overnight. Statues of Sungchul that had been erected in places throughout the Human Empire were torn down and destroyed. Those that weren’t already aware of him naturally concluded this man known as the Enemy of the World was a dangerous man capable of heinous acts through literature and word of mouth.
However, there were a rare few that questioned this oppressive opinion about the Enemy of the World. “Is what we’re doing really justified?”
Kaal Bomba was watching this man who stood at the peak of Harupaya Ridge creating a divide between the human and devil armies with eyes filled with complicated emotions.
“Regardless of what anyone says, didn’t the Enemy of the World fight alongside us and save us from disaster twice?”
He could still vividly recall the reverberation of the horn flute that swept up from below like a fierce wave carrying a powerful wind along the slope. If Sungchul hadn’t appeared precisely when he did, Kaal and his comrades would have been killed and forgotten. Kaal could understand his comrades that were aiming their siege weapons at the man while pouring out profanities, and yet he was also filled with doubt.
“A dwarven grudge is deeper than the rivers and the seas, but does this mean our grudge is more important than our gratitude towards our savior? This is my question.”
Unfortunately, the other dwarves did not see things his way.
“I don’t know what he was thinking while saving us, but just look at what’s in that bastard’s hand. He is holding the divine tool gifted to us by our God with his filthy human hands and dirtying it with filthy devil blood. He has committed the gravest of sin against us and made mockery of our people.”
“Rightly so! This is an insult that cannot be overlooked by any dwarf.”
Their hatred toward Sungchul could not be diminished. As long as Sungchul refused to return Fal Garaz… or even if he did, their intention to never forgive his actions was clear. Dwarven stubbornness was often compared to that of stone. Regardless of how much time has passed or how strong of a force tries to bend their will, this hatred would not fade.
Kaal shut his mouth as he knew all too well that his friends would not change their minds so easily. Behind the dwarves who were openly showing hostility, armies big and small were taking up positions on the hill. It was a military unit that was gathered by each nation urgently to respond to the loss at Harupaya Ridge and the appearance of the Enemy of the World.
“…”
Sungchul watched without emotion as human reinforcements gathered upon the hill where the biting winds blew.
Martin Breggas had forfeited his duties, and the Order of the Iron Blood Knights now waves the flag of rebellion. It might have been odder if the feudal lords hadn’t responded urgently.
The majority of the reinforcements that had been quickly gathered were mercenaries. Lords of every small nation located behind the Demon Realm battlefront had expended all efforts in order to form this mercenary company. Sungchul didn’t care if the force was composed of mercenaries or standing armies.
He turned his head to look north. The devil army had suffered greatly because of Sungchul and lost a lot of vigor, but the grand devil army that was positioned in the plains still had numbers nearing a hundred thousand. They had their feet tied due to a single person, but as soon as Sungchul left, they were prepared to move south once again.
There was only one reason that the Devil Army was showing such leisure. It was because of the attitude that the humans and its allies had towards Sungchul; the Humans launched sporadic assaults against Sungchul while the Devils watched.
Sungchul’s response to this had been passive, but it gave assurance to the Devils. Sungchul was also an enemy of the humans, and that meant he might not side with the humans and simply depart from Harupaya Ridge. They might have lost their commander and a large number of their high-grade Devils, but they weren’t willing to give up on this rare opportunity.
“How long are you going to stay here?” Bertelgia spoke with a heavy sigh as though she was fed up.
“I’m staying until the human army and their allies gather a powerful enough force to stand against them.” Sungchul looked south through squinted eyes. The numbers were growing with the arrival of large and small mercenary companies, but it was still an insufficient number to stop the demons.
He would probably have to wait at least two more days for the humans to be able to defend themselves. Sungchul briefly reflected on this, leaned on a nearby rock, and closed his eyes.
“So frustrating! You’re going to protect those ungrateful idiots who are repaying your help with malice? If it was me, I’d have been long gone. See what they can do without me!”
“There’s no benefit for me if this place is broken through,” said Sungchul as he picked up a single pebble and tossed it into the air.
PIK! PIK!
Drops of blood fell from the path the pebble had flown by, and the remains of an eyeball fell to the ground like a deflated balloon. It was an Observer’s Eye sent by a mage of the human faction. It was one summoned with high-grade summoning techniques on a different level than what could be found back at the Summoning Palace, but to Sungchul it was just a plaything to pass the time.
“To get rid of the Seven Heroes quickly, it is advantageous to maintain the current strategic state in many different aspects. If by chance the Seven Heroes arrive in a land where humans have been exterminated, it’ll make things more complicated.”
“But still, I don’t like it. Especially those dwarves! They’re calling you a son of a bitch! Just ‘cause you stole a hammer!”
“It’s because this hammer isn’t ordinary.”
He had now held the hilltop for two days and had begun to feel peckish. He had filled his belly so far with water and date palms, so Sungchul decided to cook for himself before the watchful eyes of a hundred thousand demons.
There wasn’t anything particularly edible in the area; just the colorless, odorless, and tasteless mushroom that he didn’t know the name for. Sungchul held a head-sized stone and looked toward the Omen of Calamity soaring through the air. He waited patiently until the Omen was at the nearest point to him and threw the rock. It flew in a straight line like a beam of light, tore through the Omen’s beak, and smashed its skull causing the massive bird to crash toward the ground. Sungchul butchered the fallen Omen of Calamity with a blade and inspected the state of its meat.
“… This is not something anyone should eat.”
It was something he put effort into hunting, but he left it behind without a second thought. Instead, he dug through his Soul Storage and pulled something out. It was noodles fried with oil and dehydrogenated soup. It was something called “instant ramen” back in Sungchul’s world. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t instant ramen. There was no ingredient that hadn’t been carefully prepared by Sungchul’s hands within the homemade instant noodle.
Sungchul took one of the helmets rolling around and used it as a canteen by carefully washing it with water before boiling some water within it. Once the water began to boil, he added a soup base he had sealed inside of a tin container and added noodles that had been fried in oil into the water. All that was left was to watch it boil.
Sungchul didn’t use any additional additives in his ramen. He followed the principle that the true flavor of the ramen would come alive as long as he stuck to the standard ingredients.
“Mmm.” His stomach, which had been filled with nothing but hard palm dates for the past few days, began to rumble when he breathed in the aroma of his cooking. Sungchul pulled out some chopsticks and began to stir the ramen boiling in his helmet as he took in the aroma. It was at this moment that he could feel an unfamil
iar presence close by. It was an intruder.
“…”
Sungchul glared as his eyes shifted toward the direction where he felt the presence. He couldn’t see anything with his naked eyes, but his Soul Contract – Eye of Truth activated automatically to see the single human figure beyond what his eyes were capable of.
It was an individual who cloaked her body with an unconventional invisibility magic. A young woman draped in a thick robe. Her yellow pupils that held a persistent light resembled one from a reptile. Curiosity rose in Sungchul’s eyes. Isn’t she that dragon that appeared two days ago on the battlefield?
The one approaching Sungchul was none other than Kha’nes from the Tower of Recluse.
Is he the man known as the Enemy of the World? Quite plain. Not to mention his clothes are pretty much just rags. She did not even imagine that Sungchul had already discovered her. She had not hidden herself through ordinary magic, but the highest-grade magic of the dragons known as Dragon-tongue. She did not think a mere human would be able to see her at all.
However, she did not have a chance to witness Sungchul’s fight herself. She had been at some nameless lake in Trowyn sprawled onto a sandy beach while Sungchul was massacring the devils. All because she had overexerted herself from being in Dragon form for so long.
She had heard that Sungchul managed to defeat the Devils by himself but to simply accept the rumors of his exploits would be exceedingly unrealistic. Seeing is believing. It was all for this reason that Kha’nes had decided to discreetly investigate this man known as the Enemy of the World, but a strange aroma tickled the tip of her nose as she took a few steps closer.
Huh? I can smell something delicious.
Sungchul was boiling something on the fire. A red soup was boiling inside a helmet, and she could see some white flour-based noodles dancing within it. It was an aroma that she had never smelled before coming from the food she had never seen before.