IBDAW 7

Chapter 7

 The Divine Assembly (3)

“You insolent thing… I don’t know what you’re relying on to act so cocky.”

“Sorry, but Freya is scheduled to become my wife. As the man who will become her husband, shouldn’t I shoo away the annoying flies that hover around her?”

“What…?!”

Kwoong!

As Loki exploded with magic power, Chaos was startled.

Of course, he maintained a poker face on the outside and didn’t show it.

‘So this is a highest-tier Demon God… the power said to be the second strongest on the Demon Continent.’

He really was a monster.

A monster incomparable to Freya.

“Hey… both sides, please prepare for battle! The battle will begin in 30 seconds!”

Chaos took out the ‘Door’ from within his clothes.

“Heh, so what you’re relying on is merely a magic tool?”

“My title is ‘Demon God of Summoning.’ I possess summoning-type skills.”

So what did that mean?

As Loki furrowed his brow, Chaos injected magic power into the Door.

A massive gate formed in the air.

Loki and the other Demon Gods wore expressions of surprise.

“You… you bastard…”

Loki became wary of Chaos for the first time.

High-density energy made of black demonic energy.

Just what was that?

“Think of it as a kind of inventory.”

“Inventory…?”

Did that mean a system for storing items in games?

“Come.”

At Chaos’s single word, something revealed itself from within the black aurora.

Clack, clack.

“Wha… what…”

Dragons emerging from the gate.

They were Skull Dragons bearing the energy of death.

Loki’s body flinched.

It wasn’t just one.

Multiple Skull Dragons revealed themselves from within the massive gate.

Sis, the host, also stared at the sight, entranced.

By the time 30 seconds had passed, 300 Skull Dragons filled the interior of the barrier and opened their jaws.

Chaos spread both arms and smiled broadly.

“Begin the Twilight!”

Sis was startled by Chaos’s shout and looked around.

Should she… proceed with the Twilight?

Could Loki win against 200–300 Skull Dragons?

‘Ha… Lord Hades…!’

At Sis’s eyes seeking help, Hades quietly nodded.

It meant to proceed with the Twilight for now.

“U… ugh… I… I will now begin the tenth Twilight!”

Sis announced the start of the Twilight with her eyes tightly shut.

At that moment, the Skull Dragons simultaneously breathed their breath toward Loki.

Fwoooosh-!

“U… uwaaaaah!”

Loki hurriedly spread a barrier and blocked the breath.

Kwaaang-! Clang!

The 8th-circle barrier was destroyed in an instant.

The Skull Dragons’ breath pursued Loki as he fled here and there.

Chaos, the summoner, hid behind the Skull Dragons.

“Dark Magic – Prominence!”

A massive pitch-black fireball began to swallow the Skull Dragons.

Kwaaang-!

Loki, having brought down about 20 Skull Dragons in an instant.

Certainly, when they were clustered together, the damage increased.

Even if he wanted to use a wider space, the barrier’s diameter was only 1km…

The Skull Dragons rushed toward Loki in a swarm.

“What…!”

At the sight of the Skull Dragons that defied death, Loki had no choice but to be flustered.

Just what were they trying to do?

At the sight of Skull Dragons rushing from all sides, Loki gritted his teeth.

“Huuaaah!”

With successive dark magic attacks, the number of Skull Dragons began to decrease little by little.

Kwaang!

“Krk…!”

As Loki, having allowed an attack, staggered, breath poured down in succession.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!

Hades and his subordinates, maintaining the barrier, gritted their teeth.

“Krk…!”

“Wh-what is this…!”

Hades couldn’t believe the sight before his eyes.

That thing… was the same kind of Demon God as them?

Wasn’t it a monster like the Dragon God Kazin!

‘Freya is…’

Her face was utterly calm.

As if she already knew.

‘So… that’s why she rejected Loki and clung to that one.’

Chzzzz!

As cracks formed in the barrier, Hades poured out magic power and restored it.

If the barrier were destroyed, the Skull Dragons’ breath would spread in all directions and might turn the surroundings into ruins.

The Demon Gods of Hades’s faction, who had been blankly watching the Twilight, hurriedly approached Hades’s side.

“W-we need to restore the barrier! Pour out your magic power!”

Multiple Demon Gods clung and began maintaining the barrier.

At that moment,

“Kuaaaaaah!”

Loki, swallowed by the breath, screamed and glared at Chaos.

‘Kill him! I’ll kill him!’

His vanished left arm and right leg.

Melted skin and blackened hair.

Loki broke through the breath and threw his body toward Chaos.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Loki, wrapping his right hand in demonic energy, reached toward Chaos.

Just a little… just a little more and he could tear out that bastard’s throat!

The moment Loki’s eyes flashed.

Kwaang!

Breath struck down from above and hit Loki’s back.

“Kuhuk…!”

The Skull Dragons that saw this opened their jaws.

Chzzk.

“Fire.”

With Chaos’s command, a baptism of breath poured down on Loki.

Tukwaaaaaang-!

Loki, without even letting out a single sound, became a small lump of flesh and fell onto the barrier.

Tuung.

Sis, the host, and all the Demon Gods blankly stared inside the barrier.

Chaos let out a small sigh.

He really was strong after all.

The number of Skull Dragons destroyed in the Twilight amounted to a whopping 90.

Most were the result of team kills, but the Skull Dragons destroyed by Loki’s magic amounted to a whopping 40.

Also, the number of damaged Skull Dragons was considerable.

The intact Skull Dragons numbered about 160.

Ding!

[You have defeated an allied player.]

Ding!

[You have acquired a skill possessed by the player ‘Loki.’]

Ding!

[You have acquired 1 SP.]

Ding!

[Your level has increased.]

Ding!

[Your level has increased.]

Ding!

[Your level has increased.]

The number of skills acquired from Loki was about 6.

Surely, the number of lowest-tier to lower-tier Demon Gods that Loki had dealt with would exceed 10.

Nevertheless, the number of skills not matching was probably because there were overlapping skills.

Most Demon Gods reportedly receive dark magic and swordsmanship as skills…

“Revere him! The newly summoned highest-tier Demon God of the Demon Continent! Send your reverence to Lord Chaos, who will defeat the Heavenly Gods!”

At Freya’s resounding voice, the Demon Gods flinched.

Soon, some Demon Gods bowed their heads toward Chaos along with Freya.

Most were Demon Gods who harbored malice toward Loki.

Hades looked at Freya’s group and bit his lip.

Loki was one of the Demon Continent’s greatest forces.

His death could certainly be called a disaster.

However, it was impossible to pour anger toward Chaos.

-Grrrr…

Because 200 Skull Dragons were flashing their eyes.

Chaos, hearing Freya’s voice, smiled slightly and looked at Hades.

“As Loki said, an accident has occurred.”

“Krk…”

“I’ll take care of my own place.”

Hades clenched his fist and trembled at the shoulders.

What a humiliation, to be treated this way by a newly summoned Demon God!

Just as Chaos turned to leave.

Hades’s fingers twitched.

Should he kill him now?

“L-Lord Hades.”

At his subordinate’s call, Hades looked at the Skull Dragons.

They had their jaws open, ready to fire breath at any moment.

‘Damn it!’

Chaos, riding on a Skull Dragon’s back, headed toward Freya.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“These ones are…”

Freya looked at the Demon Gods kneeling on one knee and smiled slightly.

“They are Demon Gods who wish to belong to Lord Chaos’s faction. Please… lead us.”

The number, including Freya, was 24.

Most were those who had belonged to Loki’s faction and were angered by Loki’s evil deeds.

With Loki’s death, the faction had collapsed…

If they had to bow to a highest-tier Demon God, wouldn’t it make sense to follow Chaos, who had defeated Loki by an overwhelming margin?

Moreover, Chaos had Freya’s support.

Swipe.

Chaos looked at the Demon Gods and quietly nodded.

‘That reminds me…’

Chaos turned his head and looked at Loki’s corpse.

He hadn’t killed Loki with his own hands, but it was certainly he who killed Loki.

Loki’s corpse, fallen on the barrier, was utterly grotesque.

Certainly, it was his first time killing someone, but… he felt no emotion at all.

‘Did becoming a Demon God allow me to suppress my emotions?’

He would resolve this question step by step.

“The next Twilight is…”

“I think the Twilight will probably be halted.”

“Hmm?”

“It seems Cheok Jun-gyeong and Izanami’s Twilight was scheduled, but… with Loki dead, it would be difficult to continue the Twilight. The Divine Assembly will probably have to be concluded as well.”

Was it because he wanted to see Cheok Jun-gyeong’s abilities?

Chaos showed slight regret.

The Divine Assembly proceeds for a week.

If one attended only the first day, it was fine to leave the seat empty otherwise.

Chaos led Freya’s group out of the arena and headed for Hades’s divine palace.

The Demon Gods watching the sight began to have their hearts pound.

Some with excitement, some with fear, some with reverence.

Just as the Demon Gods, each unable to contain their emotions, were overwhelmed, Hades confirmed Loki’s corpse.

It was a lump of flesh difficult to even call a corpse.

“…Foolish thing.”

If he had just surrendered, he could have preserved his life.

Was pride more important than life?

Hades let out a sigh and shook his head.

‘I should have hurried to stop the match.’

Of course, he had been busy maintaining the barrier, but even so, if he had hurried to stop the match, Loki could have preserved his life.

“Phew…”

While Hades recovered Loki’s corpse, the other Demon Gods couldn’t escape their shock.

Loki, who had been mentioned as one of the Demon Continent’s absolute beings, was dead.

And by a Demon God summoned just a month ago.

“Just what in the world is happening…”

“More importantly, what happens to Loki’s faction?”

“Among Loki’s subordinates, there must have been Demon King-class demons comparable to upper-tier gods. Do they all lose their abilities? Then, the Loki Empire…”

“…They’ll be attacked by surrounding nations. Or they might seek survival by worshiping Chaos.”

The Demon Gods began to watch the situation.

‘Chaos possesses abilities comparable to the Dragon God. Of course, I don’t know if he can transform into a dragon like the Dragon God…’

‘Even Lord Hades would find it difficult against 200–300 Skull Dragons.’

‘The highest-tier Demon Gods excluding Chaos cannot help multiple Demon Gods simultaneously. If one wants help, following Chaos would be the best…’

Demon Gods of mid-tier and below began to regret.

If they had knelt following Freya, they might have received the protection of Skull Dragons.

Even 4–5 Skull Dragons would be a great help in blocking the Heavenly Gods.

‘Damn it.’

‘Should I follow behind Chaos even now?’

Due to the surrounding gazes, the Demon Gods couldn’t easily move.

If they moved carelessly, they might be marked by upper-tier to highest-tier Demon Gods.

It was also uncertain whether Chaos would accept them.

‘F-first, let’s watch the situation.’