Chapter 140
Now I finally understood the words the Arch Lich had left behind.
The being before my eyes, Retar, the Emperor of the Dead, was in a league of his own.
He was an absolute demon.
It felt as if I was facing death itself.
My whole body trembled like an aspen tree just from looking at him.
It wasn't just the ordinary hunters.
Even the brave executives of the Dragon-Subduing Fortress didn't dare raise their voices.
No one on the battlefield had the courage to confront him.
If there was any small consolation, it was that Retar showed no interest in the allied forces.
He was only staring at the corpse of the Arch Lich, which had turned to white powder and disappeared.
"I told you not to let your guard down even if your opponent is a weak human."
As Retar spoke emotionlessly and stretched out his hand, it happened.
Crack-
The skeletons hidden among the corpses scattered on the ground began to float in the air, taking on a familiar form.
At the same time, deep despair fell upon the faces of Wi Ji-gang and the allied forces.
"That, that's..."
They remembered it clearly, as it was an appearance they could never forget.
The shape the skeletons were taking was undoubtedly that of the Arch Lich they had just defeated.
It meant that the Arch Lich, which they had miraculously defeated while burning everything, was being resurrected.
"This can't be..."
They couldn't believe it.
To be more precise, they didn't want to believe it.
However, the reality unfolding before their eyes was too horrific.
The Arch Lich, revived in the same intact state as when they first encountered it, was kneeling and paying respects to Retar.
"Your unworthy son, Roktash, greets the most glorious Emperor!"
The resurrection of the Arch Lich, Roktash, alone was a desperate situation.
But what made the allied forces most despairing was something else.
"As your father and emperor of the dead, I command the legion to march forth."
Retar, turning his gaze with glowing blue eyes, muttered softly towards the rift that had opened in the air.
Then, from within the black rift splitting the sky, an uncountable number of corpses poured out.
Naturally, it was incomparable to the mass of corpses led by the Arch Lich, Roktash, earlier.
Among the forces that appeared at Retar's call were Rag Golems with massive 5-meter bodies made by patching together heaps of corpses, and Death Knights, said to be the pinnacle of death knights. These were beings with power rivaling kings.
It meant they had a force with strength and majesty worthy of being called a legion.
"General Rage, answering the call of our great Emperor!"
"Kraaaa!"
As the dead shouted their loyalty in their respective languages, Retar called out to them.
"Rage."
A Death Knight wearing gray armor and wielding a long sword looked at Retar.
"Rakhturu."
Then, a Rag Golem brandishing a huge hook and sword also looked at Retar.
Retar quietly pronounced his sentence.
"Clear away these humans before us."
"We obey! We shall carry out the Emperor's command!"
"Kraaaaaang-!"
Rage and Rakhturu bowed their heads and knelt on one knee to show their loyalty to Retar, then shifted their gaze and charged towards the northern allied forces along with the legion of corpses.
* * *
The presence of Retar, the Emperor of the Dead, alone was enough to bring despair and break the morale of the allied forces.
Now, an uncountable legion of corpses had joined the battlefield.
Moreover, among them were beings with power comparable to the Arch Lich Roktash they had just defeated - the Death Knight Rage and the Rag Golem Rakhturu.
Their performance was also overwhelming and desperate.
Kwagwang-!
Every time black demonic energy bloomed on the battlefield, the executives of the Dragon-Subduing Fortress and the high-ranking hunters, who were the pillars of the allied forces, were torn apart in an instant.
Of course, some managed to barely dodge the attacks.
However, it was nothing more than a futile struggle that only prolonged their suffering.
Shwik-!
Following that, they were pierced by a giant flying hook and sucked into the mouth of the Rag Golem Rakhturu, experiencing the agony of being chewed to death.
The tide of war was turning.
No, this could no longer be called a war.
It was nothing more than one-sided slaughter.
Due to the overwhelming difference in power, all the northern allied forces could do was crawl on the ground, screaming in pain.
"Stop, please... stop."
"Keuueue..."
The horrific scene before them was breaking even the strong heart of Jazan, who had never faltered in any situation.
'We can't win...'
The power flowing from Retar's body, with his cold glowing eyes in the air, was overwhelming beyond words.
Having traveled the world and seen countless rankers and monsters called kings, none of them possessed power like Retar's.
"In the end... is the fate of the world unavoidable?"
It didn't make sense that such a being could suddenly appear.
Retar was a calamity-like existence that even if Lee Seong-jun - no, all the so-called rankers he had met so far - joined forces and charged at him, they couldn't handle.
"We should have prepared more thoroughly."
As Jazan's words of lament flowed from his mouth, it happened.
Kugugung-!
Roktash, who had once again condensed black energy to create a massive black flame, swung down the staff in his hand.
"I apologize for not being able to keep my promise."
As Jazan watched the giant black flame falling towards the ground, biting his lips tightly at the pain of death that was soon to come, it happened.
Shwaeaeaek-!
With a sound like tearing the air, a man appeared in the void and stretched out his hand.
At that moment, a seductive red energy shot out like a bolt of lightning, erasing the falling giant black flame without leaving a trace.
"Wha, what...?!"
Jazan's eyes widened at the sight of the black flame sphere, which had felt like the end, being dispelled in an instant.
However, what had just happened was only the tip of the iceberg.
Woong-
The red energy flowing from the hand of the man who had dispersed the sphere instantly seeped into Roktash's body.
It started with not too much, but the red energy that relentlessly burrowed into his body quickly spread throughout Roktash's entire body.
Finally, Roktash's pure white bones were completely consumed by the energy that had flowed into his body, staining them blood-red.
"St-stop...!"
Roktash urgently cried out at the signal of fear sent by the experiences he had accumulated over long years as an Arch Lich.
Crack- Crack-
The red energy spread throughout his body, completely crushing the remnants of the soul that Roktash had engraved in every joint of his bones, the very foundation of his body.
"To think that this body would be defeated by a mere human again, it's absurd...!"
Poof-
Leaving behind final words like a common third-rate villain, Roktash met his death, turning into white powder.
'This, this can't be...!'
Jazan was filled with bewilderment at the sight of Roktash being completely annihilated so easily.
'Lee Seong-jun...! Did he possess power beyond what he showed me!'
Although he didn't directly speak or express his presence, the red energy that had just annihilated Roktash instantly revealed the identity of the man, Lee Seong-jun.
'To be able to defeat Roktash so easily...'
It was unbelievable even though he had seen it with his own eyes.
But he couldn't deny the reality unfolding before him.
'...Lee Seong-jun is a being on a different level!'
He began to understand why a being like Retar had suddenly appeared.
'Was it just to balance things out?'
It was like a desperate struggle of fate sent to counter the power of the anomalous being called Lee Seong-jun.
This meant that the endless army of corpses before them,
The Death Knight and Rag Golem freely roaming the battlefield,
All were mere trifles before Lee Seong-jun's power.
It meant hope was blooming on the battlefield!
"Lee, Lee Seong-jun!"
"Korea's reinforcements have arrived!"
Unlike the allied forces who were shouting with excitement and hope, Jazan was urgently speaking with a shadowed face.
"We must not let our guard down! Retar is a being of a different caliber from the small fry we faced earlier!"
It wasn't a very loud voice, but since he had used the energy of the area to transmit his words, they should have clearly reached their ears.
Indeed, Lee Seong-jun's gaze floating in the air was fixed on Jazan.
However, a relaxed smile was still blooming on Lee Seong-jun's lips.
* * *
Jazan's voice penetrating his ears was full of worry.
The reason was also quite understandable.
Right in front, Retar, who was sending a calm gaze, was more powerful than any being he had encountered on Earth so far.
That's why an undisguisable smile was blooming on Lee Seong-jun's lips.
"This will be interesting."
Lee Seong-jun's gaze, curved like a crescent moon, was quickly scanning Retar's entire body when it happened.
"How disrespectful! To gaze upon the Emperor's body without permission!"
"Kraaak-!"
With a voice that felt like it was piercing the head, Rage and Rakhturu, who had revealed themselves, swung their weapons wrapped in black energy, trying to tear Lee Seong-jun's limbs apart.
But it was a futile action.
Tak-
The moment Lee Seong-jun, with an indifferent expression, flicked his finger, red blood energy blooming from the void instantly pierced through Rage and Rakhturu's heads.
"This is no place for small fry like you."
Without even glancing at the two monsters falling to the ground in an unsightly manner, Lee Seong-jun flew towards Retar, emanating red energy throughout his body.
"Not bad, human."
Retar's blue eyes, which had been watching the previous scene without any emotion, emitted light.
Woong-!
Black blades suddenly generated in the air sliced Lee Seong-jun's body in half as he was closing the distance.
The body that appeared to be Lee Seong-jun scattered into red mist.
"You possess an annoying skill."
Retar, smiling at the corner of his mouth, turned his gaze.
Front, back, left, right. Lee Seong-jun's form was charging from all directions.
As Retar's blue eyes emitted light once again, dozens of blades shot out, cutting Lee Seong-jun's body.
But still, only illusions were being cut.
"Do you dare think you can harm me with such trickery?"
As Retar furrowed his brow and demonic energy was about to explode from his entire body, it happened.
"We'll see about that."
Lee Seong-jun, who had somehow approached right up close to Retar, had a cold smile on his lips.
Retar, with a surprised expression, stretched out his hand, and the demonic energy enveloping his entire body covered Lee Seong-jun's vision as if it had been waiting.
"Your antics end here."
It seemed as if the intense demonic energy wielded by the Emperor of the Dead, with power rivaling energy, was about to tear apart Lee Seong-jun's form.
Once again, Lee Seong-jun's form scattered like a mirage.
The Blood Sea Dragon Step, which shows erratic movements, and the Phantom God Step, said to be achievable only by blood demons who have reached the peak of Cloud Mist, had been deployed.
"Still think it's just antics?"
Lee Seong-jun's cold voice came from behind, in Retar's blind spot.
Retar tried to turn his body urgently, but there was no way Lee Seong-jun would just stand by and watch.
'Third Form of the Myriad Phenomena Blood Demon Sea, Asura Destruction Palm.'
Lee Seong-jun's hand, filled with internal energy that continuously undulates and surges, strongly strikes Retar's shoulder.
Kwagwagwang-!
With a thunderous roar, Retar's body, which had been floating in the air, was driven into the ground and disappeared from sight.