00936 A Poisoned Chalice, Part Two
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Bang!

Without warning, a deafening roar pierced Erwin’s eardrums.

He had thought it was all over, but blinking in stunned disbelief, he felt a sudden gust whip his bangs around. A thick, black liquid splattered against his peach-colored cheek.

“…Huh?”

Only then did Erwin barely register what was happening.

The tip of a spear, radiating a deadly aura, hovered just inches from his nose. Before his eyes, a demon lord was torn apart, shredded to pieces and scattered. The pitch-black spear that had pierced the demon’s chest trembled violently.

The demon lord under Satan’s command had instinctively sensed his master’s danger and, in a split second, intercepted Kim Suhyun’s surprise attack.

The sudden strike and its terrifying speed were astonishing.

But no one could have predicted what came next.

Who would have thought a single thrust—just one stab—would be fatal? Especially the demons, who knew exactly what a demon lord was, were left in utter disbelief after witnessing it firsthand.

Moments later, the spear, which had been thrust straight ahead, was pulled back, and Kim Suhyun’s knees buckled.

“…!”

His eyes flared with a sharp light as his hair whipped wildly in the wind.

Almost simultaneously, the enemy forces surged forward, and Kim Suhyun charged headlong into them.

At the moment they collided, a terrifying energy accompanied a horizontal slash of his swordless blade. Clear flames flickered and roared like a flamethrower, mercilessly engulfing the front lines. Dozens of demons were instantly consumed by the blaze, reduced to ashes.

But the brief gap was immediately filled by fresh waves of demons. Already surrounded on all sides, the sheer number of enemies pressing in was beyond counting.

“Annoying!”

Kim Suhyun roared in fury, swinging his Surama spear wildly. Every time the blade struck, heads exploded with sickening pops, spraying blood and brains.

Yet, as soon as one group fell, another swarmed in, encircling him once more. Demons surrounded him from all directions—front, back, left, right—and even mid-level demons occupied the skies above. They formed an unbreakable iron wall.

Facing such overwhelming force, anyone might have faltered. But the demons charged relentlessly, as if death were no obstacle. Their nature as creations meant that protecting their creator took precedence over fear of the enemy.

Meanwhile, Erwin, forced to retreat by the demons’ reckless assault, struggled to calm his racing heart. Though he had put some distance between himself and the chaos, the enemy still raged as if wielding a blade inches from his face. His nose still stung from the spear’s earlier near strike.

But one thing was now certain.

In a situation where all it would take was a single word to call in reinforcements, Kim Suhyun had only two choices: surrender and negotiate, or fight to the bitter end. And he had chosen the latter. Had he possessed the Zero Code, he likely wouldn’t have acted this way.

That meant only one thing.

“He’s passed the point of no return.”

With that conclusion, Erwin raised his hand. The archers from the Southern Continent, the quietly observing elves, and all the surrounding forces began to fall back and take their positions. Now that it was clear there was no Zero Code, there was no reason to hesitate.

As Erwin lowered his hand, the first sound to ring out was the twang of bowstrings. Hundreds of arrows soared toward the iron cage of demons. Despite the demons still tightly encircling Kim Suhyun, Erwin gave the order without hesitation. It was essentially a suicide attack.

But that wasn’t all. Aside from a few hastily raised shields, the mages unleashed their spells one after another, and the spirits released various energies. Eldora’s sword energy, summoned with all her might, combined with the powers of the Great Demon and Thanatos.

All these attacks converged at once, drawn toward Kim Suhyun’s position, intertwining in a deadly storm.

Flash!

The finale was an explosion.

Kraaaash! Kraaaash!

A towering pillar of fire erupted from where Kim Suhyun and the demons stood.

In an instant, everyone’s vision turned blinding white, their ears rang deafeningly, and the sky was bathed in brilliant light. Or rather, their senses were numbed. The scorching heat was so intense it felt as if their flesh was melting away.

“Ugh!”

Even Erwin groaned. Though he had retreated as far as possible, the blast shook his entire body.

Peeking through the haze, he saw a massive mushroom-shaped cloud rising high into the sky.

The blast’s epicenter reeked of acrid smoke, and a huge crater yawned beneath it. No sign of life remained. It had vanished without a trace.

‘Is it over?’

The brief relief was fleeting. Without hesitation, Erwin turned his back. Since the ultimate goal was the Zero Code, he needed to hurry to the warp gate.

But then, a murmur rose from all around.

Curious, Erwin glanced back—and his eyes nearly betrayed him.

“No way…”

They say “Don’t say ‘no way’—it’ll get you killed.”

Through the slowly clearing smoke, a shadow swayed and danced into view.

Wooooosh!

The swordless blade, which had been drowned out by the roar, now distorted the surrounding air with its presence. Erwin’s breath caught.

“The Sword of Annihilation?”

One of the Chaos King’s powers, Annihilation was said to erase all things. Using it defensively was something Erwin hadn’t anticipated.

Then, Victoria’s Glory, which had been embedded in the air, emitted a pale smoke and fell to the ground. At the same time, the bracelet wrapped around Kim Suhyun’s wrist cracked and dropped.

The shirt of hope beneath his armor shone brighter than ever, and the red cloak, saturated with magic, was torn to tatters, fluttering in the wind.

It seemed he had even used the Transcendent Shift, as the dark figure stood slightly away from the blast’s center.

Yes. Kim Suhyun had survived.

Though blood streamed down his face, soaking his body, and his legs trembled as if he might collapse at any moment, he had used every means at his disposal to stay alive.

His feet slid across the ground as he landed. Suddenly, blood spurted from his nose and mouth, but he didn’t bother wiping his bloodied face. Instead, he drew a deep breath. Kim Suhyun was definitely alive.

“Unbelievable…! How did he endure that?”

Satan’s voice had reverted to its original tone, no longer Erwin’s calm demeanor. That was proof of how shaken he was.

“…”

But Kim Suhyun said nothing. He barely managed to stand, breathing heavily, then spat blood once more.

Though utterly baffled, Erwin calmly raised his hand again. He didn’t think the Southern Continent’s five or six thousand troops would let a mere two hundred slip through, but there was always the chance of an unexpected variable. If the Zero Code was lost, all their efforts would be for nothing.

Then—

“You…”

Suddenly, Kim Suhyun spoke.

“Really…”

His voice was barely a whisper, almost a lament, but beneath it burned a fury so intense it was impossible to ignore. Each word sent chills down the spine.

Sensing something strange, Erwin lowered his hand as if drawn by an unseen force.

But no attack followed. No one had expected him to survive, so all stood frozen, watching.

“Me.”

At that moment—

“You persist in interfering to the very end.”

Kim Suhyun lifted his bloodied face, twisted with rage.

His wide-open eyes blazed with a purer flame than ever before. Like a flood breaking through a dam, the murderous aura bursting from him began to devour everything around.

Before anyone could react—

Flare!

Kim Suhyun’s entire body was instantly engulfed in explosive flames.

1. Name: Kim Suhyun (5th Year)

2. Class: Sovereign of the Sword (Arousal Secret, Master)

3. Nation: Free Mercenary

4. Clan: Mercenary (Clan Rank: S Zero)

5. True Name / Nationality: 1. The Summit 2. Master of the Sword 3. Demonic Nature • Republic of Korea

6. Gender: Male (29)

7. Height / Weight: 181.5 cm / 75.5 kg

8. Alignment: Moderation • Chaos

[Strength 105 (+8)] [Endurance 95 (+2)] [Agility 101] [Vitality 101 (+2)] [Magic 96] [Luck 90 (+2)]

(Remaining stat points: 0)

1. Bears the Flame Heart. (Currently in 3rd Awakening)

2. Engraved with the Ancient Priestess’s Seal on his heart. (Greatly stabilizes and improves magic circuit efficiency)

3. No impurities remain in his body. (Magic flow speed doubled)

4. Under the effect of ‘Lord, Command!’ granting constant S Zero rank charisma.

5. Currently using Dragon Transformation. (Greatly increases physical defense and magic resistance; enables flight)

6. Activated unidentified ability ‘Flamefire (炎火).’

At last, he unleashed his final bastion: Flame of Purification.

Up until now, Kim Suhyun had only used this ability twice. Its duration was short, and it was the strongest—and most dangerous—power, one that risked his very life.

But one thing was certain.

In this very moment, Kim Suhyun could stand toe-to-toe with Gehenna, the strongest being in the Whole Plane. Even if only for five minutes.

The first to react was Thanatos.

“W-what… what is this…?”

An indescribable, terrifying pressure crashed down—not just weighing on his entire body, but squeezing it mercilessly. Even Thanatos couldn’t begin to gauge the magnitude of this force.

No matter how much power everyone here combined, it was an overwhelming, unimaginable energy that none could match.

Suddenly, without warning, everyone felt their bodies grow unbearably heavy.

Thanatos tilted his head back and looked up, his face draining of all color.

Above, an immense sphere of magical energy gathered, visible to the naked eye. Moments later, its surface was engulfed in roaring flames, blazing fiercely.

“That’s…! How could you possibly—!”

Thanatos stumbled backward, his feet tangling and sending him sprawling. His face was pale to the point of sickness, and his wide eyes were filled with pure terror.

How could he forget? This was the very power that had crushed him utterly during the gods’ war thousands of years ago.

Then, in the next instant—

“Ruuuunnnnnnn!”

Despite being the god of death, Thanatos’s terrified scream echoed wildly through the area.

—————————= Author’s Note =—————————

Episode 2… finally wrapping up in the next chapter… o<-<

At last, we’re moving on to Episode 1. ㅜ.ㅠ