Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

[Translator - Vanilla]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]

Chapter 29

***

"Something's strange. He looks different from the one I remember..."

Shuharn's puzzled expression suddenly lit up with gleaming eyes.

Ching

Just like during our first meeting, he used the [Measure] skill.

Then he curled his lips into an unpleasant smirk.

“Is that you?”

His tone was light as if he was speaking to prey rather than a person.

Shuharn's eyes once again filled with greed.

I was shaking when I saw the guy who had killed dozens of demons with just one release of his aura, but I didn't show it and said.

“You know very well that my heart is not important right now… right?”

He glanced around briefly before nodding.

"Well, it seems that way... but still. Couldn't I kill you first before dealing with everything else?"

"The Tower Head has cast a spell calling Baal."

"...What?"

The silver-haired man's previously composed eyes widened.

Fortunately, unlike Aldeon's elders, he seemed well aware of Baal's existence.

I added a brief explanation.

"If we don't close that rift, he might cross over into the human realm."

"Why would the Tower head do such an insane thing...!"

"We don't have time to argue. This is urgent."

After a moment's consideration, Shuharn asked me with a determined look.

"What do you need me to do?"

The persuasion had worked.

"Just kill any demons coming through the rift. Meanwhile, I'll look for a way to close that shit up."

"...Understood."

Shuharn nodded and took off without further questions. He too clearly understood how critical the situation was.

I continued speaking to Barundel while listening to the rustling sound of a neck being cut with one ear.

"Barundel, you must have many questions, but as you can see, there's no time to explain."

"...I understand what you mean. I just need to beat down these demons, right?"

"Yes, that's right, but... can you handle it?"

Fighting demons isn't something you can do with combat skills alone.

You need sufficient knowledge and experience with demons for safe combat.

However, Barundel swung his hammer with an expression that suggested none of that mattered.

Woong-

The air pressure was too intimidating to be just a wrist movement.

Barundel spoke confidently.

"Remember when you asked if I'd done mercenary work before?"

"Yes, you said you did something similar long ago..."

"Actually, I was a hunter."

"What? A hunter...?"

"A demon hunter, I mean."

Only then did I notice the equipment Barundel was wearing.

A hammer with spikes like a meat tenderizer, dwarf-made black armor that seemed impervious to most claws and fangs, and antidotes attached to his waist...

All equipment used for hunting demons.

"Huh."

To think Barundel had a past where he was a demon hunter.

Even though I thought we'd talked quite a bit, this was something I never imagined.

'...Come to think of it, it suits him rather well?'

Either way, this was good news for once.

Demon hunters are known for their exceptional ability to counter demons and are capable of fighting a hundred at once.

They weren't called hunters for nothing.

Besides, Barundel was strong enough to have defeated my previous weak self up ten times.

"Well then... I'll leave it to you."

"Of course."

Woong, woong... Pawt!

Barundel's figure disappeared while spinning his hammer.

WIth an impressive speed.

Even with my Awakening active, I would have missed his movements if I wasn't focusing.

Soon, the demons' horrible screams began to echo.

Kieeeeek!

"...Good."

With Shuharn and Barundel unexpectedly joining the battle, we'd bought some time.

Now all that remained was for me to break the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation's formula and close the rift.

'...The final outcome depends on me.'

I immediately retreated to find the most secluded spot possible and knelt on one knee.

Then I silently reached for the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation.

Until that moment, my insides were still filled with anxiety.

'Can I do this?'

Breaking a magical formula? Honestly, I had no idea how to do such a thing.

In the game, formula breaking just happened automatically with a "Success!" message once conditions were met.

But the game had become a reality, and now I had to perform every step myself.

Moreover, this wasn't just any ordinary formula to break.

This was the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation created by the Tower Head himself to manifest Baal.

So of course I lacked the confidence.

But,

The moment I touched the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation, all such scattered thoughts and anxieties were completely erased.

Whaaak-!

Along with a feeling of being pulled somewhere.

-Magic Learning speed increased by 300%.

-Magical computation ability is maximized

My mind awakened.

As my cognition expanded, the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation's formula entered it.

My intense will to break the formula transformed into keen analytical observation.

'Good.'

I can do this.

I scrutinized every detail of the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation, filled with countless rune characters and complex geometric patterns.

1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes... 10 minutes.

It took just 10 minutes.

The process of understanding the formula's principles and finding the method to break it by working backwards.

No, furthermore, the process of channeling mana to make minute adjustments and break the formula's underlying equations.

Kagagang!

The Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation's equation broke.

Now I could properly exert 'physical force' on the rift.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

'...Perhaps.'

What was merely called a 'trait' in the game might not just be an effect created by simple data.

Maybe it's just an easy way to show the potential contained within a person.

Perhaps everyone in this world can show limitless possibilities beyond the data woven into their traits...

But like all my previous questions, this wasn't something I could answer.

I refocused my scattered thoughts back to one point.

Currently, the materials needed for the breaking were engraved in my mind as if hammered in.

The first thing I needed to prepare was...

'First... mana.'

The amount of mana I have now is by no means small, but it is not enough to do what I am planning to do now.

I made that decision in an instant and looked around.

Very soon I spotted it. A method or rather a tool to supplement my lacking mana.

Teoeop!

I quickly grabbed an artifact that had been rolling on the ground and returned to my position.

[Dried Spring Water] a cube-shaped artifact reminiscent of cracked earth.

An artifact with effects not dramatic enough to be used in battle yet.

It only lasts 5 minutes and is merely of rare grade.

However, this artifact's performance varied drastically depending on the person who uses it.

For instance, like this.

Pak!

The [Dried Spring Water] I slammed to the ground crumbled into sand.

And the mana particles mixed in that sand seeped into my palm.

Seueueu!

Simultaneously feeling the surge of pumped mana.

This was a one-time artifact that can only be used by characters below level 10, and its effect was simple.

Increases maximum mana based on the highest rank of the trait the user possesses.

The increase multiplies exponentially with each higher rank of traits and in the case of Mythic tier traits...

'Triple.'

The maximum mana capacity increases threefold.

At this moment, I had acquired mana reserves that wouldn't lose to the elders.

'Though this mana will disappear in 5 minutes...'

There was no time.

I moved to the next step without hesitation.

This time I needed demon body parts, 10 pieces to be exact.

That wasn't a problem. Demon corpses were scattered everywhere.

Thuk!

I tossed various severed body parts - hands, feet, heads - onto the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation.

Dirty purple blood flowed from the severed body parts and soaked the floor.

I took out the [Holy Staff] and infused my mana into the blood.

Bubble! bubble!

The blood began to boil in response.

The mixture of mana and demonic energy soon seeped into the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation.

Hwak!

The formation emitted the same red light it had when opening the rift.

"What are you doing...!"

Dercion finally noticed what I was attempting.

He hastily shot light magic at me, but my lips had already finished moving.

All my tripled mana drained at once.

[Gatekeeper of Space, answer my call-]

Bbeok!

"Kuhek!"

As I chanted the spell, Dercion's light beam struck my body, sending me tumbling back several times with intense pain.

Yet even then, I couldn't help but smile.

"...Pointless effort. Too late to stop it now."

"...You really."

I turned his own words back at him while shifting my gaze.

Deudeuk, deudeukdeuk!

The demon body parts placed on the Six Heavenly Kings hexagram formation were chaotically merging together.

This was the method I'd devised in 10 minutes to close the rift.

Using demon bodies to manifest the phantom of the 'Gate Keeper.'

Gatekeeper has barely formed the shape of a bizarre creature after being mixed up here and there.

Grwooooo!

Kung! Kung! Kung! Kung!

It rose with a roar and immediately charged at the rift with an enraged expression.

Its massive frame could devour even Uncle Thompson who was the largest person I'd ever seen.

Naturally, the ground shook with each step of such a behemoth.

"What is that...?"

"St-stop it! Stop that thing!"

At Dercion's command, the elders rushed in casting spells, but it was meaningless.

The Gatekeeper - neither dead nor alive.

No attack would work until it completed its mission.

Kwang! Kwakang! Kwang!

Grwooo-oo!

Like an 'invincible' NPC, the Gatekeeper deflected all magic and demons and reached the rift instantly.

Simultaneously, the [Sword of the Dead] appeared in its right hand.

A sword that only it could wield and was capable of distorting space.

Woong-!

It raised the [Sword of the Dead] high.

Its blazing eyes were filled only with the desperate desire to destroy the rift.

That desire transformed into a heavy sword strike.

Hwuuuk-!

"Nooooo-!!"

Just as the Gatekeeper's sword was about to strike the rift amidst Dercion's screams.

Ttuk.

The Gatekeeper suddenly froze.

My mind filled with questions as I watched the scene.

'...What's wrong? Did I summon it incorrectly?'

No.

I had sufficient mana for the summoning, and using mostly mid-rank demon body parts meant the physical composition should have been fine.

This rift was an anomaly both in the demon realm and heaven. In other words, it is chaos that shouldn't exist.

The Gatekeeper had proper cause to act.

'Then Dercion?'

I looked his way wondering if he'd done something while I wasn't looking, but his expression was as surprised as mine.

He clearly hadn't done anything.

Then what?

Why had the Gatekeeper stopped moving?

The answer became clear without much thought.

Not just to me, but to everyone.

Gooooo-!

"...!"

Everyone's gaze turned to the rift along with the waterfall-like surge of numbing demonic energy.

The inside of the crack that revealed the scenery of the demon world was for some reason dyed pitch black.

The screams that followed came immediately after.

"Kyaaaa-!"

No one here could react.

Not me, not Roan, not Shuharn, not Barundel, not the Aldeon elders.

Not even Dercion Pygma himself, the very source of this situation.

He was engulfed in a sinister demonic energy and was dragged into the darkness of the abyss without even being able to resist.

"-Aah..."

His fading screams quickly became inaudible.

No one could comprehend the situation, all frozen like broken machinery.

That's when it happened.

Grwoo...

As the Gatekeeper dissipated into powder as if facing an irresistible force.

Blink.

From the rift filled with abyssal darkness, an eyeball larger than anything I had ever seen appeared. It was like the heavens itself opened its eyes.

It blinked once more.

"Kuhek."

My breath caught, my heart sank.

Though I didn't know why, that gaze was definitely fixed on me.

'...Fuck.'

What the hell did I do?

The system window that had made me want to reach for a shotgun in the game appeared overlapped before my eyes.

[You have gained the attention of Baal, Supreme Commander of the Demon Army.]

[Singularity occurred!]

[All Demon army Commanders have imprinted your existence.]

[Warning! Character's sanity may collapse!]

That's when I realized.

Unintentionally, I had been swept up-

[Evacuate immediately!]

Into an immense destiny I couldn't resist.

***

[Translator - Vanilla]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]