I Woke Up as the Villain

Chapter 240

No one knew better than Noah himself just how powerful the accumulated mana within that black missile was.

'It would probably take me at least 10 minutes of concentration to create something like that.'?

Noah, known as the 'Infinite Bombardment' and recognized as the most powerful Projection skill type player among the Hexagram Masters, found the mass of mana before him to be truly daunting. He had no immediate way to deflect it.

'I need to lessen the power...'?

Noah's gaze fell upon a man and a woman who seemed lost amidst the sudden combat situation. The pair looked unsure when to barge in.

The man and woman were powerful in their own right, ranked within the top 30 among the Demon King Worshipers, but they were no match for Rachel, who once belonged to the Twelve Dark Kings, or for Bernard who had appeared alongside her. They couldn't even keep up with the pace of the fight and simply stood there, clearly indicating their struggle to comprehend the situation.

'It can't be helped.'?

Noah, who had already launched all of his mana weapons toward the falling missile, quickly moved behind the man and woman standing idly. He commented, "You'll have to die instead."

Their eyes widened. Before they could respond, Noah grabbed them by their collars and threw them into the air. Then, he made and fired dozens of mana weapons at Rachel and Bernard, who were both charging toward him.

He looked up at the sky.

Boom!?

The man and women had both desperately poured out their mana, but the missile swallowed them. It exploded, causing a blast wave to sweep across the area.

Naturally pushed back by the blast, Noah gained some distance, and Rachel and Bernard followed him.

With an angry expression on his face, Bernard once again unleashed his Buffalo Dash. "You vicious bastard!"

"Ha...!"

Noah snorted and managed to evade the attack by soaring high into the sky. Rachel's ax chased him, slicing through the air, but it was to no use either. The speed and height at which he had ascended into the sky were of an entirely different magnitude from before. Seemingly without end, Noah soared beyond the clouds where his existence could barely be guessed from an ordinary human's field of vision. Then, a blue light flickered in his eyes.

'Two on the ground.'?

Rachel and Bernard momentarily seemed to lose track of Noah's movements. Then, Noah observed them as they looked around the sky above.

'So it’s that woman.'?

A cold smile formed on Noah's lips when he spotted Helen on a hill approximately two kilometers away. She was quickly setting up a barrier of Homunculus to conceal herself.

'So you dare to embarrass, eh?'?

In addition to the unlimited levitation with virtually no mana consumption, the expanded field of view, known as the Thousand Mile Eye, and the ability to summon mana weapons based on massive mana, were the foundation of Noah’s nickname, 'Infinite Bombardment.'

'The number of mana weapons I can pour out in 10 minutes is precisely one million.'?

Dodging a downpour of mana weapons, akin to a rain shower, would definitely not be an easy task.

"Die and become a magnificent sacrifice for the Demon King."

The sky resounded with a deafening noise as an abundance of mana weapons, infused with a brilliant blue light, were summoned before swiftly descending to the ground.

Normally, mana, not being a physical substance, wouldn't be affected by acceleration. However, Noah, as a Hexagram Master, could also make the form of mana somewhat physical, thus enabling it to exert a form of physical force.

The result was incredible. A lone mana weapon descended from the lofty sky, culminating in a substantial explosion that engulfed the surroundings in fierce flames. Naturally, the range of their evasion further diminished. Bernard and Rachel, scanning for Noah on the ground, appeared confused and unsure about what steps to take next.

“Haha! How audacious of the three of you, daring to challenge me without an ounce of fear.”

Noah, still enraged, turned his attention to Helen, who was on the hill.

'She's disappeared.'?

Noah once again smiled as his blue eyes shone while searching for Helen, who had hidden herself in the meantime. He commented loudly, “What’s the point of joining them when they’re running away in terror?

Helen sprinted toward the site of the bombing, where Rachel and Bernard were located. From Noah's point of view, the situation was leaning in his favor. Indeed, he held no concern whatsoever regarding the approach the three of them would take to engage him in battle.

'There's no way they could reach me here when I’m this high up...'?

All he needed to do, as always, was ruthlessly trample his enemies from the comfort of the high sky.

'Perfect.'?

Noah silently reveled in his imminent victory when an unexpected turn of events unfolded. It was Helen who instigated the first transformation among the trio. With a peculiar violet stone in hand, she hurled it forward and a rampart instantaneously materialized in mid-air.

'A barrier? Ah, I see. That woman, she's the Miraculous Alchemist.'?

Noah's eyes narrowed as he recognized Helen's true identity. He muttered to himself, "How impressive that she managed to thwart my bombardment with just that."

However, he snorted inwardly, fully aware that the variables necessary for his victory would not arise. Indeed, what they were doing was simply delaying his victory.

Just as Noah was lost in thought, the second change unfolded before his very eyes. Beyond the crumbled wall, another massive object appeared.

'That is...'?

It was a peculiar structure, bearing a resemblance to what could be described as a missile launch pad. Positioned in front of it stood a rocket-like structure that wasn’t very big.

'Are they going to launch that?'?

Indeed, if they used such a method, they could reach the sky.

Boom-!?

In fact, a rocket was fired into the sky at high speed. Despite this, Noah was still able to smile.

'It would have been a bit scary if it was as close as before, but...'?

Wasn't it only natural for the rocket to succumb to destruction when subjected to bombardment? After all, it was being launched from such a distance.

Baaaang-!

The rocket scattered with an explosion even before approaching Noah.

"Idiots." Noah sneered, readying himself to unleash yet another merciless bombardment upon the ground.

Suddenly, the lid of the rocket swung open to reveal Bernard, who utilized the rocket's mana as a springboard to propel himself into the sky.

"Ahhhhh-! Take this, Ascending Buffalo Rush of Justice!"

With a strange cry and his fist extended, a wave of red energy spread wide from Bernard's fingertips. Then, not one but dozens of buffalo charged into the sky.

"What the...!"

In fact, this unforeseen variable caught Noah off guard. Startled by the sight of a man bursting forth from the rocket and charging with tremendous mana power, Noah swiftly attempted to divide his bombardment once again.

Whooo-!?

Another rocket soared high into the sky from the opposite side. It was identical in appearance to the previous one.

'So there's not just one... but two...'?

Then, it was quite clear who would be inside that one.

'Rachel!'?

Dividing his bombardment into three parts would be the solution, but there was a problem. The force of Bernard's Buffalo Rush, the advanced version of Buffalo Dash, was far too dangerous to disregard. Having never encountered such a perilous situation before, the self-proclaimed flawless Noah felt a chill creeping up his spine.

'If this doesn't go well... I might be in trouble…’

No, he was already in trouble.

Rachel, soaring into the sky, opened the lid of the rocket that had reached just in front of Noah, who had poured all of his mana weapons to block the imminent Buffalo Rush. She raised her ax high, her red eyes shining.

"Checkmate."

"...Gah-!"

Four axes whistled through the air, striking Noah in four different places—his shoulders, abdomen, and left thigh. They would have probably ripped apart his heart or blasted his head into pieces, but he was able able to avoid a fatal blow thanks to his quick reaction.

However, that wasn't the end of it. His mana weapons all vanished, and he started to fall to the ground. Just as his consciousness was blurring from the pain, the herd of ascending red buffaloes charged right into Noah.

Crash-!

Noah's spine broke. He stared up with wide eyes. Amidst the excruciating pain that made his head dizzy, he had a single thought.

'I'm going to die.'

Indeed, the conclusion had been reached. Astonishingly, the Hexagram Master, known as one of the strongest in the world, had been defeated. However, his options were not exhausted yet. He tightly clasped the black stone he held in his hand, a stone infused with the power of gluttony.

"Eat... me..."

And with that power, he summoned a new calamity upon the earth. With that command, black tentacles flowed out from the black stone and started ripping Noah into pieces, eating him alive.

'This is my end... not bad.'?

Noah, convinced that his demise befitted the noble image of a devout Demon King Worshiper, embraced his death amidst the pain.

***

Thanks to Helen's aid, Bernard and Rachel ascended into the sky. With further assistance, they were equipped with parachutes on their backs, allowing them to safely descend and land on the ground once again. No one was injured, and they had knocked down the Hexagram Master.

Their first goal was to gain power within three years, which proved to be enough to hunt the Demon King. They had achieved their first goal, but the three of them couldn't be completely happy. The black stone, which fell to the ground along with Noah, started to expand and morph into a huge, grotesque, black egg.

"That..."

Anyone could see that it was far from ordinary. To be more precise, it was ominous. The three of them, their faces tense, immediately attacked with all their remaining strength.

However, apart from causing minor cracks on the egg's surface, there was no significant change. Would delivering a final, fatal blow bring about a different outcome? The thought crossed their minds, but the reality was that they were in a hopeless situation.

"I don't have enough mana left to perform another Buffalo Rush," said Bernard.

"My prepared Homunculus has reached its end, too," Helen added.

"...And it seems my ultimate skill won't work on that thing," said Rachel.

The three looked at one another with furrowed brows.

"We might have to retreat..."

Bernard, looking hesitant, didn't even get to finish his sentence.

Crack-!?

The sound of the egg, which had rooted itself to the ground, breaking echoed through the air. The trio’s gaze naturally turned toward the inside of the egg.

Krrrrr-!

From within, accompanied by a low growl reminiscent of a beast, a being the size of an ordinary man slowly walked out. Its distinguishing features were the horns symbolizing a demon protruding from its head and the sharp, porcupine-like spikes jutting out from its back. And its face was eerily similar to the deceased Noah.

In the brief silence, the same thought occurred to all three of them, 'The Demon King.'?An unpleasant aura, similar to what they felt when they had first encountered Acedia, surrounded them.

If they fled, leaving this being alone, immense damage would be caused in the surrounding area. More people than they could imagine might die. The situation had changed from before the egg had hatched.

"We always seem to face one mountain after another, don't we?" Helen remarked, a hollow laugh escaping her lips.

Bernard nodded in agreement.

Rachel tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face. She asked, "You're not seriously thinking of fighting that thing in our current condition, are you?"

"And if we don't fight..."

Helen's irritated question was interrupted.

[Do you believe you can get away?]

A voice echoed in their minds. The problem was that the voice sounded uncomfortably familiar.

"Noah?"

Bernard, who vividly recalled the Hexagram Master he had slain, widened his eyes in utter disbelief.

[Yes. My name is Noah. Thanks to you, I remember now. Ah, yes. This must be what the Godfather meant, the process of becoming one with the Demon King. This is the union as a complete devotee.]

"What are you talking about? Combining the Demon King and a human?" Helen asked, confusion evident on her face.

Noah, with a somewhat relaxed expression, sauntered forward.

[Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. This is the power and authority of the Demon King!]

In response to Noah’s chilling presence, the three of them instinctively began to gather their mana. However, their expressions froze in a state of unease.

"The mana is..." Helen began to speak.

Glancing over at Helen along with Bernard, Rachel asked, “You too, Grandma?”

"So it wasn't just me who couldn't gather mana?" Bernard asked.

In fact, it wasn't just the three of them. To be precise, all the surrounding mana had disappeared.

[Didn't I tell you? This is the power of the Demon King! I, Noah, no... The great power of Avaritia, the Demon King of Greed!]

For an ordinary player, the disappearance of mana meant becoming no different from an ordinary person. Of course, the situation was somewhat different for the three of them.

Thanks to Yu-Seong's guidance, they had engaged in relentless physical training and had honed their bodies to surpass the capabilities of an average person. However, the problem was that their movements couldn't match those of the demon race, especially the Demon King.

[With this power, even Godfather would kneel before me. Yes, this is what it means to become a real Demon King. To tread upon this world and become its absolute ruler. Mwahahaha!]

At the mad laughter of the being that had once been Noah, now Avaritia, the earth and the sky greatly trembled. Simultaneously, he lunged forward, grabbing Helen's throat in one swift move.

"Guh-!"

Watching Helen, whose appearance was gradually aging as her mana disappeared, Avaritia's lips curled into a wicked smile.

[Old woman. You were the most bothersome of all. You should die first. How? Let's start by ripping out that cunning and dog-like tongue of yours. Second, your eyes; next, your arms, oh, but you mustn't die…]

Hearing Noah's gruesome intentions, Bernard and Rachel lunged forward but were flung away. The two were unable to block even a casual swipe of his whip-like leg.

"Cough-!"

"Damn it...!"

Looking at the two who fell powerless, Avaritia wore a satisfied smile as he gazed at the sky.

[Ah, perfection. My existence is…]

As he chuckled coldly and tore Helen's lips apart with his fingers, Avaritia’s face was suddenly, violently contorted on the right side.

[Huh?]

Confusion was his first response to the shockingly fast strike, which was followed quickly by pain.

[Arghh-!]

With a resounding scream, Avaritia spun through the air several times before crashing onto the ground. His view of the sky was now obscured. Standing above him, firmly planting his foot on Avaritia's face, was a man with black hair who had appeared out of nowhere.

It was Yu-Seong, with his face contorted in anger.