Was it because he chewed on Suho's flesh and blood?
Baran was recalling a very old memory that was buried deep within him and had been forgotten.
[Did you know that?]
That memory was a long time ago, before he became the king of demons, before he was even a demon.
[I too was once a resident of the gap.]
There was a time when he too was one of the dregs discarded by the Absolute.
[As all demons were.]
As he murmured those words, Baran's gaze suddenly lifted up and reached the vast sky.
Kkwarreung! Kkwargwangkwakwang-!
A blue storm rages across the pure white sky.
In the middle of it all, Baran continued to talk as if he didn't care whether Suho was listening or not.
Recalling memories of 'that time'.
[Did you know? The residents of the gap have no soul. Therefore, they cannot be killed. They were never born in the first place. So they are not even allowed to die. Therefore, if you want to kill us, just tear us apart, burn us, and destroy us.]
That was all there was to it.
A dreg of the universe, not permitted to live or die.
That was soon the resident of the gap.
It was his true self before he became a devil.
That is why Baran realized his situation anew.
[So, what I'm saying is, maybe the current me has gone back to that time?]
The spirit of a monarch who died and returned to nothingness.
The spirit of a corrupted demon king that even the World Tree does not accept. How is this any different from when I was a resident of the gap?
[So what I'm saying is...]
Once again, Baran lowered his head and looked at Suho.
Crackle! Crackle!
The blue sparks in his eyes shoot out fiercely.
'Deadly hungry'
That intense and pure desire captured Suho's appearance at a glance.
[Perhaps now, if even I just suck up enough nutrients, I could once again be reborn as a devil of the gap?]
gulp.
Ahh, I can't hold back my drooling.
Blatant gluttony.
Baran's smile as he looked at Suho became even more ecstatic.
His mind had already completely returned to the time when he was a resident of the gap long ago.
Baran declared.
[So, from now on, you are my nourishment. I will chew and swallow you myself, and only then will I become 'you.']
gulp.
That moment.
The flesh and blood of Suho that Baran had swallowed was finally digested inside him. Then something strange happened.
T-ring!
[The King of Demons, the Lord of the White Flame, uses 'Skill: Doppelganger'.]
'This is crazy.'
At that sight, Suho couldn't help but let out a groan.
Knock knock. Knock knock.
Baran's smile, which had been smiling at Suho, gradually became distorted into something bizarre, and his appearance began to change little by little.
But that appearance...
It was becoming more and more like Suho's face!
Kkwarreung!
At that moment, a thunderbolt struck from behind Baran.
Baran, standing in front of him in his magnificent full-body armor, was still smiling brightly at Suho. It looks like half of the face has changed into 'Suho's' face.
[I hope and wish...]
[Yes, I will be 'you'.]
I got goosebumps.
Before long, Baran's voice had also changed to sound like Suho's.
Kkwang!
'... ... !'
Baran's new form once again rushed towards Suho like a bolt of lightning.
Quazajak-!
His shark-like teeth mercilessly attacked Suho.
Like a predator hunting its prey.
No, as if they were going to eat the prey they had already captured. Just open your mouth wide and chew and rip.
Crunch! Crunch!
But Suho's response was clearly different from before.
Unlike the first time, Suho was able to see Baran's attack with his own eyes and avoid it by a hair's breadth.
Gaaaaaaaah-
A roar came from the gaping mouth of the creature, and blue flashes of light poured down like a rain from around it.
Flash- flash- flash-
Baran flinched at Suho's reaction speed, which was completely unwavering even in the face of concentrated attacks.
I could feel the bastard's agitation.
'Why? Are you surprised?'
Suho killed it.
"Do you think I've been getting beaten up for nothing until now?"
Clearly, the damage taken so far is significant.
However, Suho did not just overcome the Dragon Emperor's trials and obtain the Dragon Emperor's heart. The moment when he first encountered the dragon emperor and barely managed to withstand his overwhelming power.
'I have a compliment, no, a title, from my father!'
[Title: The One Who Overcame Adversity]
A title given to those who have successfully overcome adversity.
Abilities increase in proportion to the amount of stamina lost.
(1% stat per 1% health lost)
A buff that increases your abilities by a percentage every time your stamina decreases! That buff, which even inflates all stats, improves all of Suho's abilities!
Beru always said.
They say that the more you suffer, the more you grow.
'I'm confident in my ability to handle tough situations.'
So if you want to eat me, feel free to come at me.
'Whoever becomes the prey, from now on I will fight with all my might.'
Boom! Boom! Boom! Kkwarreung-!
A huge storm swept through Suho and Baran.
[It's no use struggling!]
As the prey struggled, Baran raised his hand with an even more impatient expression.
[You are already in my territory!]
Kwarreung-!
Yes.
This is Baran's realm.
If he wanted to, he could cover this entire space with his energy. As all other monarchs did.
Flash!
As his hand gesture pointed at Suho, dozens of lightning bolts struck Suho's body at the same time.
Kwajijijijijik!
[Got you!]
Baran had a look of joy on his face.
It was a terrifying thunder and lightning with terrible killing power and a stun effect.
But.
'Is this all?'
Suho was fine.
[Resists abnormal status with the effect of 'Buff: Immunity'.]
[Resists abnormal status with the effect of 'Buff: Immunity'.]
[Resists abnormal status with the effect of 'Buff: Immunity'.]
Baran's expression suddenly crumpled.
[You bastard Candiaru! You even came up with such nonsense!]
[Blessing: Blessing of the Great Shaman Candiaru]
-Persistent effect 'Illness Free Longevity': Becomes immune to all diseases, toxins, and abnormal effects, and regenerative abilities increase explosively while sleeping.
The lightning stun effect is completely blocked by the status immunity buff. But Baran was well aware of Candiaru's tricks.
[But that doesn't mean it will block the pain!]
The damage was definitely done.
Although he boasted of having tremendous stamina, if he kept pushing himself, he would eventually show his strength. The fact that a resident of the gap became the Demon King meant that Baran was a very persistent and greedy being. There was no giving up for him.
[I'll sink my teeth in and suck your blood just like before!]
Kkwarreung!
This time, all the lightning struck Baran's body instead of Suho's.
With all that brain power, Baran's attacks pursued Suho at an even faster pace.
At that moment, Suho saw the pure desire deeply engraved in Baran's eyes.
'Okay, let's admit it.'
And I reflected sincerely.
'I realized that I had been underestimating the monarch because I had leveled up a bit recently.'
Suho has earned the qualifications of a dragon king and has also single-handedly defeated the apostle of Itarim. There was a well-founded confidence in that.
But that alone is not enough.
It means fighting the monarch.
Looking back, the only monarch that Suho fought properly and won against was Queresha.
For the Dragon Emperor he was helped by his father's illusion, so wasn't it just a stroke of luck?
And the rest of the monarchs were all on speaking terms due to their own circumstances.
'Perhaps Queresha was the weakest of the monarchs. After all, she was a colony of insects.'
[The King of Bugs, the Lord of Plagues, groans and clenches her fist.]
Suho admitted his arrogance.
'It's still a long way to go. I thought I'd be able to fight back at my current level.'
Suho, who saw Baran's eyes, realized that it was impolite to rely only on his level and rush in.
'I'm sorry. I was rude. From now on, I won't be picky about the means or methods.'
The moment Suho's gaze changed.
[The King of Beasts, the Fang Lord, watches Baran.]
[The King of Bugs, the Lord of Plagues, watches over Baran.]
[The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, watches over Baran.]
[The King of the Mad Dragons, the Lord of Destruction, watches over Baran.]
[Ha! You managed to trick the other monarchs! What difference does that make! This is my territory anyway! Even if other dead guys come forward...!]
Before he could finish his sentence.
Tiring!
[The spirit of 'Pet: Gray' is possessed by the priest's body.]
A divine wind blew from somewhere and swirled around Suho's entire body.
Swaaaaaaah!
Suho's hair turns white and flutters in the strong wind.
[Use 'Skill: Wind of the Grassland'.]
[Movement speed temporarily increases by 30%.]
[Temporarily increases attack speed by 30%.]
Patchit!
Suho finally caught up with Baran's speed.
But Baran still laughed at him.
[The protection of the Fang Lord? Even if it gets this fast, it won't make a difference!]
'Yes.'
[Use 'Skill: Blizzard of Cold'.]
Phew! Phew!
[... ... ?!]
A sudden cold wave blew in and concentrated on Baran's body.
[The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, raises the corners of his mouth.]
[Sillad Inoom-!]
Baran exploded with anger on the frozen snowfield.
Damn it!
By the time Baran broke the ice and escaped, Suho's blade had already reached his sight.
'Got you, you punk.'
Choke choke choke choke choke choke!
[... ... !]
Two swords cut into Baran's stomach as he urgently raised his arms to guard.
But that wasn't all.
Baran realized that every attack directed at him was laced with lethal poison.
[This, this ability... ... Queresha?!]
[Use 'Debuff: Paralyzing Poison'.]
[Use 'Debuff: Kasaka's Poison'.]
[The King of Bugs, the Lord of Plagues, smirks haughtily at Baran.]
Suho killed it.
'That's why I said it from the beginning. I'm a bit of a mixed bag bag. So what if I'm a coward? I'm just as desperate as you.'
Just as Baran desperately wanted to live, Suho also had a goal he absolutely could not give up on.
'If I want to save my grandfather and help my father, I can't be defeated by someone like you.'
But that was also Baran's wish.
The desire to live.
Because that primal instinct was the driving force that made him, a resident of the gap, rise up.
[Kuaaaah!]
In the midst of pain and screams, Baran opened his mouth wide with eyes filled with venom.
Kwajangchang!
'... ... !'
Suho's eyes widened.
Baran's teeth bit down on Suho's blade
.
The 'Horn of Vulcan' that had been torturing him was shattered into pieces!
Then at that moment.
Baran realized something surprising.
[These are the devil's horns!]
And, unfortunately, inside Volkan's horn were the souls of a great many demons.
And Baran was still the king of all those demons.
[Sealed souls! Gather before me!]
[Demon King Baran uses 'Skill: Hell's Army'.]
... !
The forces of hell.
This was the power to gather the demon legions to where the Demon King was.
What the heck! Swaaaaaaah!
At that moment, countless demon souls began to fly out in all directions from Vulcan's horn blades. These were already dead souls, but this world was also a realm for the dead.
[Hahahahaha!]
[The demon soul is summoned.]
[The demon soul is summoned.]
[The demon soul is summoned.]
[The demon soul is summoned.]
Countless demon souls gathered before Baran. All in their original state.
[Kuhahaha. Thank you. The real war starts now.]
Baran laughed.
'this.'
Suho's eyes deepened at that sight.
A situation where he suddenly lost his weapon and even gave his troops to Baran.
But it was at this moment that I realized something.
'I get it now.'
Instead, Suho raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at Baran's legion.
'Baran, you said you betrayed Shadow Lord Ashborn before? Even if the Dragon Emperor incited you, I now understand why you betrayed him right away.'
Looking back, it didn't make sense.
Even though the soul-tainted demons were the only counter to the Shadow Legion, the difference in their abilities would have been obvious.
Yet Baran willingly betrayed Ashborn.
'Was it an inferiority complex?'
[...what?]
At those words, Baran's eyebrows twitched.
'Now that I look at it, the power of the Demon King is clearly a subordinate power of the Shadow Lord. A degraded version of the Shadow Legion.'
[Shut your mouth!]
At Suho's cold words, Baran shouted and attacked Suho with his demon army. But Suho wasn't afraid.
'Thank goodness. Then I really have no reason to lose.'
Suho revealed his power.
[Use 'Skill: Monarch's Realm'.]
Phew!
The shadow of the guardian expands its territory.
Of course, it is impossible to summon shadow soldiers in this realm. But it is possible.
Because he was... ...the successor to the Lord of Destruction.
'Rise, my infernos.'
Whoosh whoosh!
The land of pure white.
The flames of the fire dragon soared above Suho's shadow.
That fire led to the destruction of the souls of all the demons who rushed to kill Suho.