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Chapter 231

“Awaken the demon that slumbers in the capital. By doing so, Riadolf will fall.”

Just before Soberion was devoured by Riadolf.

Valderian stumbled upon a stone tablet inscribed with that phrase.

The demon lying dormant in the capital.

If that demon were awakened, he could bring ruin to the doomed Riadolf and reclaim Soberion.

Driven by that single purpose, he founded Crawford and gradually gathered like-minded people from Soberion, establishing their base of operations in Riadolf’s capital.

And today, the long-awaited moment had come, delivered by an outsider.

Now, all that remained was to lead his people out of Riadolf, and it would be over.

“Even if we don’t make it out unscathed…”

It didn’t matter.

From the moment Crawford was established, he’d resolved to lay down his life.

Could he not sacrifice a single life to reclaim his homeland?

But the outsider who had granted them their wish had already left.

“Ch-chase him down!”

Valderian shouted urgently.

Following his command, the guild members moved to pursue Jeong-hoon.

However, Jeong-hoon had already entered the heart of the capital, where a massive demon flapped its wings, showcasing its ominous presence.

“Guildmaster… we may need to retreat.”

“You’re right. Even if he attempts to destroy that creature, nothing will change.”

Valderian shared the same thought as his guild members.

At first, he intended to chase Jeong-hoon, but upon seeing the colossal demon, he reconsidered.

No one could possibly defeat that demon.

Damn that man.

Let him face the consequences for his betrayal.

“Retreat.”

Valderian and his guild members began to withdraw from the capital.

* * *

“How pitiful.”

The demon Baramuth smirked as he watched those trying to escape the capital.

With a simple gesture, a dark barrier formed around the capital, blocking any attempt to flee.

<Annihilate Riadolf.>

Having received this command, he had awaited the right moment, but someone had hastened it.

Thanks to that, he had awakened much sooner than expected.

“Hey.”

Someone called out to him.

“Hm?”

Baramuth’s gaze dropped downward.

There, a lone man aimed an arrow directly at him.

“Do you intend to destroy Riadolf?”

At this question, Baramuth smirked.

“And if I do?”

“Then I’ll have to destroy you.”

“Heh, you think you can destroy me?”

An absurd declaration.

To think a mere creature would dare to declare his intent to eliminate one who has ascended to a transcendent plane.

“What an amusing human. Heh heh.”

Baramuth was originally a transcendent of apostolic rank.

However, in the past, during a dimension-wiping operation, he had been penalized and destroyed.

If not for divine grace, he wouldn’t be alive now.

Although he was currently tasked with merely wiping out a mortal nation, simply existing again was satisfaction enough.

This was the reason he had been able to endure his long period of suffering.

“Why? Think you can’t do it?”

The human gave a faint smirk.

“Heh, fine. In honor of being outside, I’ll let you land one hit.”

Baramuth spread his arms wide.

He intended to show mercy, allowing the human to experience the insurmountable gap between them.

“As you wish.”

The human released the drawn bowstring.

Fwshhh!

The arrow flew straight toward Baramuth’s chest.

Even so, Baramuth was calm.

After all, that arrow couldn’t possibly pierce him.

“Do you really think an arrow could penetrate my body?”

An invisible barrier was always protecting his body.

Thud!

But the arrow pierced through the barrier and lodged directly in his chest.

“Gah!”

At that moment, searing pain flooded him, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Simultaneously, a rain of arrows descended, embedding themselves all over his body.

“Aaaah!”

The excruciating pain forced a scream from his mouth.

How could this be?!

He hurriedly attempted to use his abilities to dispel the arrows.

[Abilities cannot be used.]

[Abilities cannot be used.]

No matter how hard he tried, his powers wouldn’t activate.

“Could it be…?!”

Did these arrows have the power to restrict his abilities?!

“Damn it!”

Baramuth glared at the human, eyes bloodshot.

The human simply sneered back at him.

***

[“Puhahaha! Serves you right for letting your guard down!”]

“I can’t relax; it’s not over yet.”

Anima was right.

The creature’s level was also marked as a question mark.

“Not even the thought of standing against him crossed my mind.”

James Marcus, who had escaped with Crawford, assessed Baramuth this way.

Back then, during a quest, he barely managed to shatter the creature’s barrier, barely concluding that episode.

Since he hadn’t yet ascended to the celestial realm, facing Baramuth had been virtually impossible.

While Baramuth was now at the lower ranks among the transcendent, he had once been an apostolic-level transcendent.

But Jeong-hoon was confident he could take him down.

“He’s stronger than Rakandra. But I, too, am constantly growing.”

At the time Jeong-hoon defeated Rakandra, he had only reached his third class advancement.

But now?

He had completed the fourth advancement, and every skill he acquired through Steadfast Will had been upgraded and reached its maximum level.

He had even gained close to 100 levels and earned the title “Demon Slayer.”

No matter how powerful Baramuth was, he could no longer be a match for Jeong-hoon.

“You damn bastard!”

With his roar, the rain of arrows ceased.

Baramuth, having taken the full brunt of the onslaught, was a wreck, without a single unscathed spot on him.

“Hm? Why are you getting angry? Didn’t you say you’d let me hit you once?”

Jeong-hoon tilted his head in mock confusion.

“You damn mutt! Was that supposed to be a single hit?!”

Baramuth, clearly feeling wronged, pointed to his battered body.

“That was a combo; it should still count as one hit.”

Where was the attitude of willingly taking a hit he’d boasted about earlier?

Are all demons so quick to change their words?

Jeong-hoon clicked his tongue, looking at him with disdain.

“Don’t tell me… you actually think I’m… pitiful?”

Baramuth’s voice trembled as he looked at Jeong-hoon, his face a mixture of shock and frustration.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Aaaargh!”

Baramuth clutched his head in agony, clearly rattled by the human’s taunts.

Jeong-hoon drew his bowstring again and released it.

Fwshhh!

This time, however, Baramuth caught the arrow in his hand before it could pierce him.

‘Impressive reflexes.’

But he wouldn’t be able to dodge this.

Boom!

A magic missile, conjured simultaneously with the arrow, struck Baramuth.

“Argh!”

Baramuth screamed in pain.

In that moment, Jeong-hoon drew and released his bowstring once more.

Fwshhh!

In response, a surge of dark energy exploded from Baramuth’s body.

Boom!

The magic missile and arrow disintegrated instantly.

[The Archdemon Baramuth uses “Annihilation.”]

As Extreme Archer’s duration expired, Baramuth was able to activate his special ability.

[The Archdemon Baramuth uses “Enhanced Death’s Judgment.”]

[A debuff that cannot be safeguarded against has been applied.]

[Death’s Judgment countdown begins.]

[Reduce the Archdemon Baramuth’s life force below 30% within 3 minutes.]

[Failure to do so will result in your life force dropping to 0%, resulting in death.]

It was a familiar ability.

It was the very one the Archdemon Rakandra had once used.

Yet this enhanced Death’s Judgment required him to reduce Baramuth\'s life force below 30%—within just three minutes.

“Not even a three-minute cup of noodles.”

Jeong-hoon smirked.

[Remaining Life Force: 68.16%]

Baramuth’s life force was still at 68%.

Three minutes was more than enough.

Jeong-hoon began using his buffs, starting with Blackfield and adding Celestial Aura.

As all his stats surged wildly, his aura transformed.

[You are affected by the “Enhanced Death’s Judgment” debuff.]

[Monsters within the field are not affected by a stat reduction.]

However, with the effects of Enhanced Death’s Judgment, Baramuth’s stats hadn’t dropped.

But not anymore.

[Safeguard activated.]

[Debuff has been dispelled.]

[Blackfield effect: All stats of monsters within the field are reduced by 10%.]

[Celestial Aura effect: Archdemon Baramuth’s attack and defense power decreased by 10%.]

This was a Legendary-tier Safeguard.

Its level was at Max.

An enhanced Death’s Judgment was manageable.

“This is insane!”

Baramuth was aghast.

It wasn’t just that the debuff was lifted—it was the fact that this human had reached a heavenly realm.

Jeong-hoon drew and released his bowstring again, firing a series of arrows.

Two of them pierced Baramuth’s leg and arm.

“Damn it!”

Baramuth urgently tried to activate his special ability.

[Ability cannot be used.]

Just like before, his powers wouldn’t activate.

These damned arrows!

“Arghhh!”

With another barrage of arrows hitting him, Baramuth finally plummeted from the air.

Jeong-hoon had been waiting, preparing Heavenly Step.

This time, he held Leviathan in his hand instead of Anima.

“It’s over.”

In a flash, Jeong-hoon was above the fallen Baramuth, bringing his sword down with lethal precision.

Thud!

Leviathan pierced directly through Baramuth’s throat.

“Gah!”

Baramuth’s eyes widened as blood spurted from his mouth.

“How does it feel to be taken down by a human?”

“How dare you…!”

“That pride of yours hasn’t changed.”

“Shut… up…”

Jeong-hoon said no more.

Instead, he slowly withdrew Leviathan from its embedded position, then struck down again, putting an end to Baramuth’s life.

[You have defeated the Archdemon Baramuth for the first time! Achievement Points: 100,000 awarded.]

[Points: 10,000 awarded.]

[[Title] Demon Slayer has leveled up to Lv.2.]

[You have defeated a being who ascended to the heavens! You acquire 0.3% of the ultimate energy, an unknown power.]

[You gain 2,500,000,000 experience points.]

[Your level has increased.]

[All stats have increased by +1.]

[You received a bonus stat point.]

[As you possess one of the Seven Deadly Sins, the reward has been partially modified!]

[You have obtained a “Mystery Box (Sin).”]

Just like with Rakandra, countless reward messages appeared in rapid succession.

It was expected, given he had defeated a being of heavenly rank.

“Kreeee!”

At that moment, Sloth, who had been hiding in Jeong-hoon’s arms, squirmed out.

“Hm? Are you planning to absorb this one?”

“Kreeee.”

With a confirming cry, it crept over to Baramuth’s corpse.

[Absorbing the abilities of Archdemon Baramuth.]

[Due to absorbing a transcendent being, one of Baramuth’s abilities will be acquired.]

[The Seven Deadly Sins entity “Sloth” has acquired “Annihilation.”]

[The rank of Sloth has been upgraded by one level.]

“Oh!”

Jeong-hoon’s eyes widened with amazement.

Who would have thought that absorbing Baramuth would let Sloth acquire his ability in its entirety?

It was different from Stealth.

When he had absorbed a lesser manifestation, he could only partially acquire the transcendent’s ability. But Baramuth was different.

Annihilation was fully absorbed.

And that wasn’t all.

Sloth, which had previously been of Epic rank, had now leapt to Unique rank.

---

[Seven Deadly Sins]

- Type: Sloth

- Level: ?? (Grows by absorbing stats)

- Rank: Unique

[Detailed Stats]

- Strength: 168

- Agility: 165

- Vitality: 164

- Defense: 167

- Wisdom: 165

- Magic: 166

- Mental Strength: 164

---

At Unique rank, all of Sloth’s stats had surpassed 160.

Absorbing just one Baramuth had increased it this much.

“This is excellent.”

Then there was the Mystery Box.

A reward modified due to possessing one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The “Sin” in its name indicated it must be related to the Seven Deadly Sins.

However, it wasn’t the right moment to open the reward.

“The hidden episode comes first.”

The key to the hidden episode lay ahead, with the sentries.

“Th-thank you!”

The sentries who had previously identified him as an intruder now approached, bowing respectfully.

Above their heads, question marks blinked.

This meant he could now continue the episode.

“That episode is the key to completing the hidden episode.”