Dool’s mood couldn’t be more uncomfortable. I mean, after all, they were just insignificant humans, barely worth a single meal!
If such puny beings dared to enter his territory, they should be down on their knees, offering their pathetic bodies right away.
But instead, they were making a fuss, waving a few shiny weapons around like they actually stood a chance.
Among them, the most annoying was the red-haired girl over there.
The woman known as Hongryeon radiated a nauseating light that made Dool’s skin crawl as she encroached on his domain.
“Pathetic.”
With that thought, Dool slammed his massive paw down.
At the same time, the darkness emanating from him thickened. As the monsters under his command roared and pressed hard against the humans, Dool finally managed a satisfied smile.
But it was short-lived.
“HAH!!”
With a fierce roar, Hongryeon plunged her great sword into the ground. The powerful and ferocious force of her star-like powers sliced right through his darkness.
For a brief moment, the darkness faded and the sky was revealed.
He hurriedly summoned more darkness, but admitting that his territory had been breached by mere humans was a degrading blow to Dool’s pride.
And so, his eyes blazed with anger.
That woman.
That little brat.
That worthless thing.
The very beacon of hope for those trapped in darkness.
Shining a light of salvation while resisting him, how dare she!
Dool’s thick lips curled in a twisted grin.
Those who held hope were always a sight to behold.
Because nothing was more entertaining than watching that hope crumble into despair.
With a sinister chuckle, Dool fixed his gaze on Hongryeon.
At that moment, his forehead split open, revealing pitch-black eyes that gleamed with malice.
From those ominous eyes shot forth dark energy aimed at shattering hope.
Hongryeon swung her sword to fend it off, but the light from those cursed eyes couldn’t be halted by mere metal.
It was designed to provoke the despair lurking inside.
Dool laughed.
They fought valiantly, but as long as they were human, despair and frustration were inevitable.
So, if he could just stir it up…
“…What the hell?”
But she was different. The woman annihilating his monsters showed no signs of despair or frustration.
What shone within her was pure righteousness.
All he could see was the unwavering will of someone charging toward a single goal.
“This damn girl…!!”
She was exactly the type of human he despised most.
Someone with the will to reject despair outright.
Only those who look forward with hope shall proceed.
Such individuals were once called ‘heroes’ in the world.
When the one bearing the seed of that hero approached, Dool couldn’t contain his rising displeasure.
“How arrogant!!”
Dool was furious but didn’t lose his composure.
This place was already his territory.
In this realm, all the monsters facing humans were nothing more than food in Dool’s disguise.
Therefore, he began to gobble up the monsters that were either dying or being overwhelmed by humans.
-Grooooooaar!!
-Kaaahhhh!!!
The cries of the monsters echoed.
The despair of the monsters could be felt.
But that too was just a nutrient to elevate his power, so Dool munched on them with delight.
Gradually, the power surging from Dool’s body was intensifying.
And then…
A figure seated behind Dool moved.
“Seems tough for you.”
“Khuhuhuh… Go ahead.”
At Dool’s icy remark, the man nodded.
The one who released him from his seal and fed on humans alongside monsters to amplify his power.
Moreover, the one who even allowed him to feast on his subordinates.
Dool coldly smiled at the villain who had become human yet abandoned his humanity.
The moment Dool gave his permission, the man, Cheolhyeolmokje Mok Gwan-yeong, thrust the wooden sword hanging at his waist into the ground.
As the blood-red wooden sword pierced the earth, an ominous aura began to settle around.
Darkness, and ominousness.
The energy created by the fusion of the two empowered the wooden sword, and grotesque branches and stems began to sprout from it.
-Aha-ha-ha-ha!!
-Aha-ha-ha-ha!!
-Ugh-huh-huh!!
-Aaahhh!!
Mad laughter mixed with despair and screams emanated from the tree.
Gui-mok (Ghost Tree).
A ghostly tree that grows by feeding on death.
The wooden sword that was merely stuck in the ground transformed into a giant tree in an instant, beginning to bear fruit one by one.
What emerged from those fruits was a face. Faces displaying terror, despair, anger, sorrow, grief, and longing exploded from the ghost tree’s fruit.
“Ugh…!!”
The ghastliness of the Gui-mok combined with Dool’s malice began to shatter the resolve of the people.
Satisfied with this, Dool plucked a fruit from the Gui-mok and chomped into it.
Delicious.
Despair and pain seeped into his body, nourishing him further.
Dool glanced at the man standing expressionless and chuckled.
He laughed.
“Stay back.”
“Mm.”
As he nodded and stepped back, Dool opened his mouth toward the woman radiating starlight. At the same time, a giant fireball erupted.
If this hits, even that hope will crumble.
Even if I block it, it doesn’t matter. That flame will spread and burn the other humans, and the pain and death of my comrades will stir their resentment.
As Dool snickered and thought about his next move…
– Boom!
“……..”
Hongryeon, who had been fighting monsters for a while, swung her greatsword.
It was a light movement, not even charged with sword energy.
In a strike as if swatting a bug, the moment the flames touched her…
Surprisingly, the fireball shot by Dool vanished completely.
“What?”
Dool, staring blankly at it, tilted his head. What just happened? Why did my fire disappear in an instant?
Faced with an incomprehensible situation, he gritted his teeth and shot out another fireball.
But it was the same.
With just one strike, the flames vanished.
“Ugh…!!”
His pride was wounded. How could a mere human extinguish his flames?
Without even drawing a sword, how could they do that?
He couldn’t take it anymore.
Dool felt every hair on his body stand up, sensing something he couldn’t quite grasp.
So he devoured a few more fruits hanging from his ear.
He was thirsty.
He needed to capture that girl quickly.
So…
– Grrrrr!!
He would take matters into his own hands.
As Dool’s feet began to move, the monsters, who had been casually resisting from a distance, froze as Dool, now moving like a god, mocked them.
The trembling monsters began to turn to ash and were absorbed into the darkness.
“Dool is stepping up!!!”
Someone shouted. Just the sight of that vicious, evil monster moving instilled despair and defeat in the hearts of the people.
And.
The Sword Saint was aiming for that moment.
– Grrrr!!
The Sword Saint, who had only been watching the situation from the walls, moved as if being pulled into the darkness. Toward her, Dool opened his mouth with annoyance.
– KABOOM!!
A massive fireball was launched. It was far bigger and stronger than the one shot at Hongryeon earlier.
And that flame was extinguished by the Sword Saint’s strike.
“…What the!! What the heck!!”
Arrogant little girls! Arrogant little girls!
These mere snacks dared to resist ME, Dool?!
Eating habits of mere snacks like you dare to resist me, Dool?!
Anxiety intensifies and discomfort surges. Thus, Dool charged at Hongryeon, who joined forces with the Sword Saint.
If Dool thinks he’s at a disadvantage, he’ll absorb evil monsters. That way, he only has to deal with Dool alone, but one must not be careless.
Also, Dool’s flames shouldn’t be blocked by swords. Unless you coat your weapon with a special potion to extinguish them, striking it will split the flames and cause collateral damage. I know the recipe for that potion, so always keep it on hand to prepare for when you have to face Dool.
Dool is a proud and arrogant fellow, so he won’t shoot flames unless the opponent is quite strong. Nevertheless, let all the members of Hongseong prepare that potion, just in case.
As Yu Wol said, everything was flowing just like that. With a single sword strike that didn’t even contain internal energy, that mighty flame vanished like a candle.
The Sword Saint smirked.
The saying goes, “If you don’t know, you must get hit,” which implies that if you do know, counterattacks are possible.
Thus, she swung her sword toward the dozens of fireballs Dool shot out.
Seeing dozens of flames disappear rapidly, Dool became even angrier and charged forward hastily.
What to beware of during Dool’s attacks is the rushing attack. He charges forward with massive fangs, and there’s no stopping that steel-like body.
But there’s no need to worry. Dool’s charge targets only one person. If Dool is charging with fangs bared, the chosen target should distance themselves from their comrades. Just before the attack, rise into the air using Hongseong Divine Art’s Flying Spear technique, and allow the Sword Saint or Hongryeon to pull you back with their internal energy to evade additional attacks.
Hongryeon, the target of Dool’s assault, twirled in mid-air. As she was drawn toward the Sword Saint, Dool’s frustration boiled over for yet another failed attack.
Facing the powerful evil monster known as Sahyung, it wasn’t that difficult.
Everything was visible.
Everything about Sahyung was readable.
Every attack by Sahyung.
Thus, Hongryeon looked at Dool and smiled coldly.
Then, it was time for a counterattack.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
