<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 32>
A few minutes later.
Thud.
A masked man collapsed to the ground.
A calm, even peaceful expression. He willingly gave up the information, so as promised, I ended it without causing him pain.
Still.
“Abduction, m*rder, human trafficking…”
As the pieces of information came together, my expression grew serious.
“Wow, we’re really stepping in it, aren’t we?”
In fact, the exclusive focus on psychostones was somewhat expected.
The ruthlessness in my methods also stems from this reason.
While dark magic and psychostones may generally complement each other, requiring such large quantities points to one thing only:
Human experimentation.
So, these bastards are definitely messing with humans.
However.
“If this is the part I anticipated…”
These bastards are far worse than I expected, almost mocking my predictions.
There are different types of dark magic and different tiers of villains.
Human experimentation?
It’s worse than subhuman. It’s enough to deem these bastards as bugs that need extermination.
And yet, there’s a deeper abyss beneath the pit of evil.
These aren’t just subhuman actions; they are trash that has abandoned humanity, dealing with the forbidden.
The final stage of human synthesis: homunculus.
It’s the realm of “creation.”
Conclusion.
These pieces of trash are creating humans.
Tens, hundreds, thousands…innumerable humans captured to become devouring weapons.
“Hmph.”
I sighed.
Whether in the empire or here, there are always these kinds of hopeless individuals. This makes me sick of villains all over again.
I’ve said it before, but it’s because of bastards like these that dark magic is associated with villains.
Dirt sticks out more visibly on something that’s supposed to be clean.
No matter how much you improve the image, it doesn’t matter if you make a huge mess, does it? All dark sorcerers end up looking like bastards.
That’s why I dislike these people.
Due to the shared label of dark magic, these trash ruin the achievements I’ve worked hard for.
Honestly, I just want to k*ll them all.
In the imperial days, I took the lead more than anyone in wiping out such filth.
“Hmph, if I feel like this, how must that young one feel towards me? Tch.”
The young one here refers to Han Jun-woo.
A pitiable young friend who lost his entire family due to villains.
The murderous rage I sensed in his eyes when we parted a while ago was genuine. It indicates impending trouble.
That’s why I assigned Mary to keep an eye on him.
However,
“I’ve changed my mind.”
Originally, I aimed not only to punish the villains but also gain battle experience against humans while helping Jun-woo release the boiling hatred in his heart.
But seeing this level of opposition…
“I have to annihilate them entirely.”
Uproot the root and seal the source.
I need to eradicate it completely.
Han Jun-woo will never forget.
That night, piercing through pitch-black darkness, coarse droplets of bl**d rained like hail.
The apocalyptic scene that unfolded in the Dancer family estate.
“We will hold them off. Run!”
“It’s no use. We will all fall. At least save Jun-woo…”
“You must live. Revenge for us…”
“I leave our house to you, Jun-woo.”
“I’m sorry, my beloved child.”
Laughing uncles.
Doting aunts like mothers.
Gruff but warm-hearted grandparents.
And beloved parents.
He lost them all.
An unidentified villain group wiped out all prestigious families centered around Busan, including the Dancer family, in the Busan Disaster.
This night of the Busan Disaster, Jun-woo himself was the sole survivor.
Swords danced and severed heads. Severed heads rolled on the floor while bloodstorms raged.
The dizzying scent of bl**d reached his nose.
Not that it mattered now. His task at hand is simply to…
Cut down the enemy before him.
Jun-woo tilted his head to avoid the charging spear by a hair’s breath.
Seizing the spear with both hands, he launched himself into the air.
Like a gymnast spinning off a bar, Jun-woo gracefully ascended and immediately hurled a dagger.
“Gwah?!”
Flash of light.
Hollow heart.
As the masked figure fell, Jun-woo coolly glanced at him before turning his attention back to the front.
Dodging through a barrage of magic, he accurately targeted the enemy.
‘There’s only two left.’
Zzz-
Swords concealed in bandages on both of his wrists deployed instantly.
The flowing swords, akin to whips, swayed momentarily.
His gaze shifted.
‘Let’s dance.’
Zzzz-
Through the downpour of magic, Jun-woo danced.
Cutting, breaking, thrusting, and demolishing.
The dazzling movements of his swords shattered colorful magics from all sides – front, back, sides, above – surpassing 360 degrees.
As if there were no corners, Jun-woo perfectly defended against all the magic.
“What the…”
“Th-This…”
Does this even make sense?
Their chance came at the expense of their comrades.
But to have it so futilely blocked?!
The two masked figures, realizing their magic was collapsing in real time, froze momentarily.
And that moment,
What is brief for someone is an eternity for Jun-woo.
“Hmph…”
Breathing in to expand his senses.
Focusing his mind on the music emitted by the fluttering sword blades, he calmed the swirling emotions.
In that instant, Jun-woo’s vision was filled with light.
The sword cut through the night.
If it could cut through a day,
Would a mayfly survive to see the next?
The dance of the mayfly.
Jun-woo vanished from sight.
As the masked figures, shooting magic, were startled and tried to locate him, their vision was engulfed in darkness.
As if closing their eyes, they were surrounded by complete darkness.
Their vision was blocked.
Thinking this way, a masked figure tried to run but…
Puff!!
His step plunged into an abyss.
The sensation of falling into a thousand-foot abyss as “Aaah!!” the masked figure shrieked.
But shouting loudly, he couldn’t hear anything.
What was happening?
Despite flailing, not long afterward, his body lost balance and fell.
That was the end.
The masked figure perished in the “Dance of the Mayfly”-created prison of senses without realizing when d*ath had come.
Thud! Thud!
Jun-woo swung his greatsword. The corpse became more and more mangled.
Seeing this, Merhem ran over.
“Stop! Stop!”
“…”
“Jun-woo, stop it!”
It seemed he wouldn’t listen to reason.
At a loss, Merhem impulsively hugged him.
“Please stop, Jun-woo. He’s already dead. Why make the bl**d spatter?”
“…”
Merhem knew about the Busan Disaster. The incident where the noble families of Busan, tied by bloodlines, were entirely wiped out by the villain alliance.
She already knew that back then the Dancer family and Jun-woo’s family were mercilessly slaughtered by villains.
It was a given that he would be furious. If you saw your family d*e before your eyes, wouldn’t you be? Especially when Jun-woo was merely 12, too young to have his sense of self fully developed.
He must hate this world, these villains, to the core.
Still,
“This behavior is meaningless. No matter how angry you are, don’t ruin yourself.”
“…”
“Jun-woo has always been rational. I like that side of Jun-woo. I like the Jun-woo who simply says ‘I Agree’ no matter what happens. So, don’t harm yourself, alright?”
“…”
Jun-woo didn’t answer but silently let tears fall.
Merhem patted her friend’s back for a while.
After a storm passed,
The two quickly composed themselves and left.
“Ki-hyuk said he’s working on the other side. We just need to cause confusion to help him operate smoothly. Are you listening, Jun-woo?”
“I’m listening.”
“And don’t get too worked up. Didn’t you say anything? Don’t you realize how dangerous it was just now? The technique you used at the end…”
“The Dance of the Mayfly.”
“Yes, the Dance of the Mayfly. You almost broke the blocking spell in the process. Even if you’re going to lose control, do it in moderation! Promise me you won’t lose control like that again.”
“I promise. I lost control earlier.”
“Hmph, you always break your promises. Last time, it was either you d*e or I live.”
“I understand.”
While talking, the two quickly navigated through the forest.
Merhem maintained the blocking spell with herself as the center, while Jun-woo spread his senses to detect any enemies.
The teamwork formed through countless gate runs shone brightly.
“Found it.”
No further words were necessary. With Jun-woo leading the charge, Merhem naturally followed behind.
Their strides synchronized. Even their right and left footsteps were perfectly aligned.
The two quickly reached the target location.
What awaited them there was a grotesque sight too horrible to endure.
“!!”
The ground was an unnatural deep red, with towering trees standing out prominently.
Branches reaching for the sky bore fruit.
No, the so-called fruits were human heads.
Heads spitting out bl**d.
Gushing like a tap twisting open, staining the land red.
“This ground being red is…”
“Gag!”
The Carnivorous Tree.
The beast grown by consuming humans waved its branches towards them.
*
“Really messing around with beasts too?”
A low-tier beast, the Carnivorous Tree, using full humans as tributes.
Despite its immobility due to being rooted in place, it compensates with formidable attack power, anti-magic resistance, and regenerative abilities.
The tree itself grows stronger over time by continuously absorbing life energy from its surroundings.
The reasons it wasn’t commonly used were evident from sight alone.
The strings of human heads as fruit. The countless human hands and feet plastered onto its trunk. Truly unappealing, indeed.
Not to mention the exorbitant number of offerings required.
Probably mid-tier level?
One of these trees would likely require a minimum of 50 humans as living sacrifices.
This is why even demon summoners from the old empire avoided it.
And yet, I encounter such on Earth.
“Nothing surprising.”
A chuckle escapes me.
I have to admit,
I believed Earth had people with above-average morality and intellect. Considering the mandatory moral education in the curriculum, I assumed at least some basic decency would exist.
But looking at this…
“Guess it doesn’t matter whether in the empire or here, bastards are still bastards.”
Snap my finger.
The surrounding space ripples, revealing the skeleton army.
The skeletal army, clad in shining white bones equipped with axes and shields, takes formation.
Their hollow eye sockets flare with a blue flame, activating the etched magic runes.
The skeletons impatiently urge me forward.
“Let’s go.”
The skeletons sprint forward, with me naturally at the forefront.
Our target, the Carnivorous Tree.
Sensing its impending doom, the Carnivorous Tree reveals its hidden roots.
So much nutrition has bloated those roots that they pound against the ground, causing tremors akin to an earthquake across the area.
Not that I’d fear a mere low-tier beast.
“You should feel honored. This is my first time using it.”
A technique Minji-nee taught me just a few days ago.
“Breathe evenly.”
“Relax your body.”
“Trust your sword.”
Gripping the greatsword tightly, I awaken the latent “Sword Master” within me.
“Geomho-ryu…”
The Geomho-ryu Sword Art.
Moonlight Cutter.
I drew the greatsword horizontally, reaching my waist.
A crescent-shaped blast resembling moonlight slices through everything – the forest, trees, roots, even the trunk of the Carnivorous Tree.
Crack, crack, BOOM!!
Half of the trunk severed, the Carnivorous Tree writhes in agony.
Tsk, still not refined enough.
Despite its tremendous destructive power, it’s frustratingly imprecise. I intended to cleanly sever the trunk in one go.
Practice has its consequences.
I should reflect on that.
Bracing my greatsword against the descending root of the Carnivorous Tree, I cut it cleanly.
On the other side, skeleton forces are handling the other root.
Though the skeletons crumbling like cookies under the root’s impact before it pounds the ground, more skeletons swarm up the root like ants, biting into it.
Ant-like infestation in progress.
It’s over.
Given the Carnivorous Tree’s immobility when it’s roots leave the ground, the battle is effectively over at this point.
As expected, moments later.
AAAARGH!!
The Carnivorous Tree emits its final d*ath scream before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
THUMP!!
The battle ended.
…
..
Hold on.
“One more important task remains.”
The Carnivorous Tree, absorbing life energy from the surrounding area.
While turning the grounds it roots into barren land, it also stores a tremendous amount of life energy within itself.
In other words,
“Prime protein, indeed.”
The space ripples as soon thereafter, Baromet appears on the right, and Asura on the left.
“Eat.”
Crunch, crunch.
A black mist greedily devours the fallen Carnivorous Tree.
A severed head rolls down from the branches and stops by my feet.
Hollow eyes stare up at me.
An eye devoid of any life energy or even soul.
Yet, I can see what this person desperately wishes for.
Revenge.
“I promise. I’ll make their d*ath more agonizing than yours.”
The fading eyes of the head smile as it disappears.
