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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Demon Eater
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"You mean you won't talk even if it kills you? That implies someone directly involved with you guys is behind this. Let's see, Blood Rose... Yeah, you're Arthur Pelian's lackeys, right?"
"W-What are you talking about?"
"You're a subordinate organization of that bastard Arthur Pelian's Royal Guild. Blood Rose, that's you. So this means either Arthur ordered it, or someone else did it under his tacit approval. And you just confirmed that for me."
"That's ridiculous speculation!"
The greatsword user shouted in panic at Geon-woo's words.
But it only served to strengthen Geon-woo's conviction.
"What's ridiculous about it? If it wasn't that kind of situation, there'd be no reason to keep a secret at the cost of your guild and its members. From your perspective, Onbiroad is just a game—nothing worth going that far for."
"That kind of nonsense..."
"Enough. That's my judgment. So you can go now!"
Slash!
"Urk, y-you..."
Thud!
Geon-woo didn't waste time and simply severed the greatsword user's throat.
There was no dramatic scene of the head rolling across the ground.
The greatsword user merely collapsed, blood spurting from the deep gash.
Onbiroad avatars had human-like body structures and vulnerabilities.
Unless they had special abilities, a vital hit meant inevitable death.
"Take this and stack it with the rest!"
Geon-woo handed the greatsword user's body off to a nearby jiangshi.
Then, using his spiritual power, he leveled the ground into a flat platform, sat down cross-legged, summoned Sunryeong to stand guard, and entered meditation.
It was to review the recent battle.
The core of that review was, naturally, checking the changes in himself and the jiangshi now.
While Geon-woo meditated, Ilryeong directed the jiangshi to gather the loot.
Soon after, the equipment and items from seven Blood Rose executives and around ninety regular guild members formed a small hill in front of Geon-woo.
Ilryeong ordered the jiangshi to guard the spoils, then returned to Geon-woo's shoulder to wait for him to awaken.
* * *
In the nest of Dark Phoenix, used only by upper-tier demon hunters among Veloca City's users.
A PK bloodbath had broken out there.
Blood Rose, a major guild based in Veloca City, had attacked a nine-member small hunting party.
The Blood Rose force was a mid-tier raid group.
A hundred regular guild members and multiple executives targeting just nine people.
Yet the battle result was a complete defeat for Blood Rose, utterly contrary to expectations.
Their opponents had zero casualties, while Blood Rose suffered total executive wipeout and only a handful of regular survivors.
On top of that, all gear and items from the dead were looted.
It was natural for Veloca users' attention to focus on that nine-member hunting party, but no one knew their identity.
However, soon after, as the slain Blood Rose members logged back in, info about them leaked out.
[It's Kang Geon-woo of the 1st Expedition Team and his mercenary squad, Dark Phoenix.]
[Ark Capsule's father, Kang Geon-woo, has shaken off the soulstone destruction aftermath and returned to Onbiroad.]
[Anonymous tip claims this attack was instigated by fellow 1st Expedition member Arthur Pelian...]
[Royal Guild's Arthur Pelian claims no interest in Dark Phoenix and no involvement in this incident...]
[Dark Phoenix's eight members excluding Kang Geon-woo—are they Onbiroad residents?]
[Kang Geon-woo's Onbiroad return—will it shake up the top rankers' standings?]
[Dark Phoenix vanished after looting; where are they now?]
* * *
Around that time, in a corner of Onbiroad's demon-occupied territory.
A nearly 4-meter-tall muscular demon sat on a throne.
Before him, on the grand hall floor, a slender demon prostrated itself.
"The seal of Helparis has returned! Reclaim it at any cost."
"Yes, understood."
"Go now! Find the seal and bring it back!"
"Yes, Young Lord!"
At its master's command, the demon replied and vanished into thin air while still bowed.
The giant demon left alone clenched one fist, yearning for the departed seal to return to his hand.
But Geon-woo had no inkling that any demon in Onbiroad was taking interest in his appearance.
What impact that might have on his future actions remained unknown.
* * *
The world of Onbiroad was vast.
Even excluding demon-seized lands, humanity's territory dwarfed Earth's.
In such a vast world, without advanced science, how did Onbiroad's humans communicate, form alliances, and maintain them?
The answer was simple.
Teleportation magic circles linking major cities and long-range communication magic.
Especially the magic enabling teleportation.
Without it, humanity couldn't have united to resist demon invasions organizedly.
The cost to use magic circles was absurdly high, but if conditions allowed, one could travel anywhere in Onbiroad swiftly—a huge boon.
That's how Onbiroad humanity endured the demon onslaught.
Moreover, teleportation magic had an unexpected advantage: moving non-living objects cost far less than people or creatures.
Thus, despite long-range comm magic, letters and documents thrived for info exchange.
Long-range comm magic was exorbitantly expensive too.
Still, info spread in Onbiroad was remarkably fast and vibrant.
"By now, word about us has probably spread across all of Onbiroad."
Geon-woo chuckled, recalling the inter-city exchange via teleportation magic.
No need to check directly—the Blood Rose clash was surely known continent-wide.
Talk of Dark Phoenix and himself must have circulated too.
"Arthur Pelian and the 1st Expedition Team are probably dragged into rumors, getting chewed up left and right. Heh."
Geon-woo snickered at the thought.
= Even seven years ago, teleportation magic circles were incredibly useful. Now, with more users, even players must be using them.
In the short time, Ilryeong had absorbed enough basics from Geon-woo's updates on Onbiroad's changes to hold simple conversations.
"Yeah. There are way more capable users now."
Geon-woo nodded.
Soulstones portable to Earth enabled cash shops, spawning wallet warriors in Onbiroad.
Those wallet warriors often used teleportation magic circles.
= But, my lord.
"What?"
= Is Count Kolon still here?
Ilryeong shifted topics with a slightly worried look.
The forest the group had entered wasn't far from Dark Phoenix's nest, but Ark Capsule users avoided it.
This field was garrisoned by Onbiroad natives' army against demons.
User fields were expanding gradually, but most demon frontlines remained native territory.
Users only seriously engaged demons from the 2nd Expedition—mere seven years ago.
Excluding the pre-user boom era, meaningful user aid lasted just four to five years.
Naturally, native forces still outpowered users.
Geon-woo's party was now in such a native army garrison.
To find Kolon, a past connection Ilryeong mentioned.
"Where would Lord Kolon go? This is practically his territory's frontier. No spare time to abandon it for riskier fronts."
= Still, with his stubbornness, maybe he pushed deeper?
"Didn't I tell you before? Rumors say even Dark Phoenix's nest should be abandoned now."
= Ah, right, I remember.
"So Kolon can't venture further in. This area's already protruding far compared to other fronts."
= Hearing that, Kolon holding here must be a stretch too. You're right, my lord.
"But natives are still defending it, so high chance it's Kolon."
= Indeed. But if she sees you... Oh, looks like someone's come to greet us.
Mid-sentence, Ilryeong glared from Geon-woo's shoulder in one direction.
Behind them, Gungryeong nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring taut.
Creak!
The fully drawn arrow pointed toward the thicket Ilryeong eyed.
"Who's there? Come out!"
Geon-woo bellowed that way.
Yet he was alert, not overly tense or worried.
Ilryeong sensed the same.
They knew watchers hid nearby but bore no hostility.
Rustle, rustle!
After Geon-woo's shout, footsteps emerged from the woods—five soldiers appeared.
They bore emblems of a roaring bear head in a triangular frame on their chests.
Shortswords at hips, bows and crossbows in hand—classic ranger troops.
"This is Bears Territory's operational zone. Users are restricted unless on special business. Were you unaware?"
The apparent squad leader halted a dozen paces away, interrogating Geon-woo's group.
"You talking to me? Don't you know who I am?"
But Geon-woo adjusted his armor's aura to retract the helmet visor, then snapped back at the leader.
"What? You? Why should I know you? You're not about to claim you're Demon Eaters or something, are you?"
The leader scoffed in reply.
He clearly didn't believe Geon-woo's group were Demon Eaters.
"Thinking of Demon Eaters but acting like that... Refreshing in its own way."
Geon-woo chuckled amusedly at the leader's demeanor.
"You mocking Bears Territory soldiers? How dare you?"
Clang!
The leader drew his sword in fury; the other four followed suit, blades aimed at Geon-woo's group.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I didn't know we were forgotten that much—my bad, I'll let it slide generously. But don't cross the line. We really are Demon Eaters."
Geon-woo raised both hands placatingly toward the soldiers.
Then he reached into the pouch at his waist and pulled something out.