Chapter 340
“I do not know how you got in here. This has become bothersome.”
The Demon King of the Red River clicked his tongue and looked at Christian.
It was merely a gaze, but Christian’s complexion turned white.
His entire body trembled.
A pressure as if his very soul were being crushed pressed down on him.
‘I can't fight him.’
He didn't even dare to try any tricks.
A profound sense of terror encroached upon his mind.
‘Get a hold of yourself!’
Chris bit down hard on his tongue.
Even if he were to die here, he could not just be taken down helplessly.
Paaaaah.
As he drew up his presence, the Demon King of the Red River's eyes showed a slight flicker of interest.
“As expected. Impressive. I like it. If only you hadn't trespassed in this place, we could have spoken in a slightly better atmosphere.”
“…Why is His Majesty the Demon Emperor doing something like this?”
Perhaps thinking he would be disposing of him anyway?
The Demon King of the Red River, unexpectedly, answered willingly.
“It is for the sake of the world.”
“!!”
An incomprehensible story.
‘What… kind of bullshit.’
As if reading Chris’s mind, the Demon King of the Red River shook his head.
“Of course, I understand that you cannot accept it. Because it is an act that is horrific beyond measure. However, His Majesty the Demon Emperor also has his unavoidable reasons.”
“……”
“Well, no matter. You won't remember today’s events anyway.”
The Demon King of the Red River cracked his knuckles.
“Your existence, too, is a part of His Majesty the Demon Emperor's noble plan. I cannot kill you, so I will just erase your memories.”
Fwoooosh.
The Demon King of the Red River was from the Destruction Demonic House.
The presence of a blazing Flame of Ruin began to bloom.
“…I will not go down without a fight.”
Chris also gritted his teeth and drew up his Dark Demonic Energy in response.
The Demon King of the Red River wore an interested expression.
“Yes, come. I will see for myself the skills of the recently renowned Demonic Radiance.”
Chris, his face hardened, leaped at the Demon King of the Red River.
His Dark Demonic Energy surged toward the energy of destruction.
* * *
“!!”
When he opened his eyes, he was looking at an unfamiliar ceiling.
“Are you alright?”
It was Duke Sant.
Chris spoke haltingly.
“Ah… yes. But why am I?”
“Do you not remember what happened at all?”
Chris frowned, then spoke as if trying to recall his memories.
“I believe I went to a pub… After that, I don't remember much. By any chance, was I drunk?”
The light in Duke Sant’s eyes shone low.
A gaze as if it were probing him studied Christian, and when Christian just wore a blank expression, he nodded his head as if relieved.
“Yes, that is correct. To think you would get drunk from a single glass. It seems it would be best for you, Grand Duke, to refrain from alcohol.”
“…My apologies.”
“Please prepare to leave. You must have an audience with His Excellency the Chancellor soon.”
As Duke Sant went outside, the light in Christian’s eyes changed completely.
‘What a relief. I succeeded in deceiving him.’
It meant that he had not lost his memories!
The fight with the Demon King of the Red River had, of course, been one-sided.
However, he had been able to hold out for a surprisingly long time, and that was because the Demon King had been trying not to injure Chris in the slightest.
To be precise, the Demon King of the Red River had faced Christian as if enjoying some entertainment.
Thanks to that, Chris had been able to buy time. He had been able to do so by fragmenting and copying his memories, then hiding them in a remote mental space to preserve them.
‘What on earth is the Demon Emperor thinking?’
Chris clenched his fists tightly.
The horrific sight he had seen in the Garden in a Painting would not leave his mind.
That wasn't the only question.
-Your existence, too, is an important part of His Majesty the Demon Emperor’s plan.
It was something the Demon King of the Red River had said in passing.
On top of that, there was the girl who looked exactly like Marie.
The questions were endless.
But he could not continue his thoughts any further.
A servant entered and said these words.
“It is time to enter the Imperial Palace.”
“!!”
It was time to meet the Magus Chancellor.
* * *
He entered the Imperial Palace.
The Imperial Palace, too, had a similarly unsettling appearance.
It was unrealistically grand and splendid, but it was chilling because there was no sign of anyone living there.
He was guided to the audience chamber, and there was a guest who had arrived earlier.
It was the Vice-Head of the Necromancy Demonic House whom he had met a short while ago, the Holy Knight of Death, Drenne.
Since the official purpose of this audience was the truce between the Dark Alliance and the Four Kings' Castle, she had come as the representative of the Four Kings' Castle.
He returned the curt nod that Drenne sent him, and after waiting for a moment, a cheerful voice was heard.
“Well now. Have you been waiting long? It is good to see you all.”
At the appearance of the neat man dressed in a gentleman's suit, Drenne rose from her seat and paid her respects.
“We greet Your Excellency, the Magus Chancellor.”
“Hehe. Yes, your name was Drenne, was it not? I believe this is the first time we have met.”
The Magus Chancellor sized up Drenne.
“Your achievements are as great as the rumors say. It seems a new king might be born in the Necromancy Demonic House after a long time.”
“It is an honor.”
Drenne bowed her head.
“I'm not just saying that. My eyes are quite accurate. That's why I'm asking—since you've come all this way, would you like to receive my teachings?”
Drenne’s eyes widened.
“Are you saying that you, Your Excellency the Chancellor, will personally bestow your teachings upon me?”
“It’s fine if you do not wish it.”
“I humbly request them. It would be an honor.”
Drenne hurriedly bowed her head deeply.
She was an Absolute of High 8-Star, powerful enough to be a match for the Nordian of the past. Excluding the Demon Kings, she was a supreme powerhouse who was counted among the best in the entire Magus Empire.
The Magus Chancellor's teachings were such a great, fateful opportunity that even she was tempted.
“Yes, let us make time after this is concluded.”
The Magus Chancellor then looked at Christian.
“Christian, how about you? I can bestow my teachings upon you as well, if you wish.”
“!!”
Chris frowned.
As one could tell from Drenne’s reaction, it was an enormous opportunity.
But he shook his head.
“That's alright. I must decline.”
‘I can't trust the Magus Chancellor.’
The horrific sight from the Garden in a Painting came to mind.
The Magus Chancellor must be involved as well.
“Fine. Then, let us end the idle chatter here. Let's get to work. The Dark Alliance and the Four Kings' Castle will sign a truce.”
The Magus Chancellor perched on his desk, then carelessly scanned the documents submitted by the two powers, flipping through them.
“I just have to stamp this here, right?”
He stamped it alternately with the seal engraved with the Demon Emperor's official seal and his own, then shrugged his shoulders.
“There, that should do it, right? The Four Kings' Castle and the Dark Alliance will form a non-aggression pact, and as a symbol of peace, establish branch families in each other's territories.”
An anticlimactic sight.
Drenne bowed her head.
“Thank you for your mediation, Your Excellency the Chancellor.”
“Yes, I will call for you shortly, so please get some rest.”
“Thank you.”
After Drenne disappeared, Christian looked at the Magus Chancellor.
“Do you not have something else to say to me?”
“That's right. As expected of my descendant. How clever. First, would you like to sit?”
As he sat at the table, the Magus Chancellor snapped his fingers.
“Shall we have something to drink? What would you like? Ginger ale? Strawberry juice?”
“…If possible, I would like Bulmongju.”
“Alright. But are you sure you have no intention of receiving my teachings?”
“…Why do you ask?”
“Because if I leave you as you are, your vessel will collapse. You'll even lose your life.”
“!!”
The Magus Chancellor took a sip of the black tea that had been poured before him and continued.
“You must have a rough idea yourself, right? You're in a very dangerous situation right now.”
Drip, drip.
An enchanting, golden liquid was poured into the cup placed before Chris.
It was the Bulmongju he had longed for, but this was no situation to enjoy it.
“You overdid it. To think you would obtain the rank of a Transcendent when you haven't even properly reached the state of an Absolute.”
The Magus Chancellor clicked his tongue.
“The rank of a Transcendent is something one can only handle when they are around High 9-Star. At this rate, your vessel will not be able to withstand the weight of your soul and will shatter to pieces.”
For reference, the Demon Kings reach the rank of a demigod at around Mid 9-Star.
But Chris was not a demigod, but a Transcendent. And had even obtained the rank of a noble-class devil, at that. It meant his vessel could not handle it.
“Furthermore, you made one more reckless move. You are also embracing the power of light. I understand your intention, but because darkness and light are forced to coexist, it's as if your vessel is already cracked. It will collapse much more easily.”
The Magus Chancellor beckoned with his finger.
“At the shortest, one month. At the longest, two. After that, your vessel will begin to crack. You must take measures before then. However, even for you, it would be impossible to reinforce your vessel in just one month.”
The Magus Chancellor stared intently at Chris.
“I will help you.”
“!!”
“I am the patriarch of the Dark Demonic Energy. If you receive my aid and strengthen your Dark Demonic Energy, you will be able to postpone the collapse of your vessel.”
It was a great proposal.
However.
Chris shook his head without a moment’s hesitation.
“I thank you for your goodwill, but I must decline.”
“!!”
The Magus Chancellor crossed his arms.
“You decline?”
“Yes. With all due respect, Your Excellency, what you have just said are facts that I am already aware of.”
Yes.
From the moment he had decided to absorb the Three Origin Essences and obtain the rank of a Transcendent, he had anticipated all of this.
“What do you plan to do? You must know well that strengthening your Dark Demonic Energy is not something you can do on your own.”
The ‘strengthening’ the Magus Chancellor spoke of here did not simply mean to make his energy stronger.
It meant to transform the very nature of his Dark Demonic Energy and have it be completely reborn.
A realm that even Nordian, who had reached entering 9-Star, had not reached.
‘Of course, I will be able to reach it on my own one day.’
The problem was time.
Because there were less than two months until his vessel would begin to collapse.
However.
“I do not wish to lose sight of what is more important by being preoccupied with the problem at hand.”
Yes.
In the short term, it would be a great help.
He could even drastically reduce the time it would take to reach 9-Star.
But what Chris desired was a state that surpassed even the Magus Chancellor. It was only natural that his growth would be hindered if he were to receive such artificial help.
“Above all, it's not as if one must use only Dark Demonic Energy to harden one's vessel.”
The Magus Chancellor had an interested look in his eyes.
“By that, you mean?”
“Yes, I plan to use the power of light.”
“!!”
Yes, this was Chris’s plan.
‘It’s wrong to say that the power of light makes my vessel unstable.’
Of course, that was a correct assessment for now.
But that was because his power of light was currently lacking compared to his Dark Demonic Energy.
To be precise, it was because his power of light was ‘incomplete’.
The completion spoken of here did not mean to reach the end, but to ‘complete’ a firm world of its own.
What if Chris were to ‘complete’ the power of light with his own enlightenment?
And what if his Dark Demonic Energy were to embrace even that power of light?
‘My vessel will become incomparably harder than that of other 8-Stars. I will be able to withstand the weight of my soul as well.’
This was the reason he was going to the Keinper Training Center this time.
Because the Keinper Training Center was the place where the most vast knowledge and secret arts in the entire Alliance were accumulated.
It was the most suitable place for Chris to cultivate his power of light.
‘That’s not all. There is also the Round Table and the Celestial Magic Tower.’
Of course, no matter how much Chris acted as the Hero, there was no way the Round Table and the Celestial Magic Tower would easily hand over their secret arts.
‘I just have to create a situation where they have no choice but to hand them over.’
Chris narrowed his eyes.