Hatred.

Azul despised Dantalion.

As Muyoung had never met Dantalion, he wasn't able to recognize the scent as Murdudun could.

“What is your relations.h.i.+p with Dantalion?”

And so, he couldn't help but ask. Although he was planning to disregard other subjects and focus on the trade, if the subject was Dantalion, it was a different story. The incarnation of lies and truth. People said you would lose your soul the moment you were deceived by him.

If Azul was a.s.sociated with Dantalion, he might need to reconsider the trade itself.

Azul let out a sigh.

“I don't think it would be meaningful to hide it anymore. Yes, I was his va.s.sal.”

A va.s.sal. In other words, he was Dantalion's demon king.

Muyoung raised his eyebrows slightly.

He thought Dantalion was alone. But, there was a demon king who followed him?

“Don't look at me with those eyes. I left because I was sick and tired of Dantalion's lies.”

“Can demon kings leave their demon G.o.d?”

“In the first place, the demon kings are attracted by the power of the demon G.o.ds. It is natural to leave if the power they were once fascinated by no longer exists. You know, right?”

Azul thought Muyoung was a demon king like him.

Although, this wasn't completely wrong.

Muyoung was following a path close to a demon king's, and his tendency was also very close to theirs.

On that note…

'The demon king and the demon G.o.d's relations.h.i.+p.'

This was the first time he thought about their point of view. The demon kings were in some ways closer to mercenaries, or freelancers.

Then, what did the demon kings receive from the demon G.o.ds to work under them?

It was a topic worth thinking about. However, there was something more urgent to focus on.

“Where is Dantalion?”

The first demon G.o.d he wanted to kill was Dantalion.

Muyoung turned Azul to face him and spoke directly.

“I don't know. No one in the world could divine his location.”

Did he mean Dantalion was like the wind?

Muyoung didn't ask any further.

Azul, who was Dantalion's va.s.sal in the past. Could he really trust his words and his credibility to pa.s.s by the Sky Lord, or did he now need to find another way?

“So, what do you want to do? If you can't trust me, I don't mind if you want to go back. Of course, don't think you'll be getting back your payment.”

“I'll go.”

Muyoung had decided.

Either way, an enormous amount would need to be sacrificed to force his way in.

This snake was that sort of existence.

It had no ego and no feeling, it just consumed infinitely and multiplied.

There would have been only one order given to the Sky Lord. 'To eat up everything it sees'. That was why it was able to stop even Diablo's army.

“Then, let's wait until evening. At night, he has a 'blind spot'.”

Azul crossed his arms.

Muyoung looked at the Sky Lord in the distance.

'It feels like I'm seeing the pinnacle of artificial life.'

Muyoung didn't know who created it. But, the power he felt from it was on another level. If he could dissect the monster, Muyoung's knowledge would also drastically increase.

It could help in making his undead even stronger.

“I found two women who were coming this way. What should we do?”

Bae Sungmin, who had left for a while, had returned, wearing a jet-black cloak.

After becoming an elder lich, Sungmin's awareness has also increased. Muyoung had noticed a very faint presence, but it seemed like Sungmin noticed it too.

After hearing that it was two women, he had some idea as to who they were.

“Capture them alive and bring them to me.”

“Yes.”

Swish.

Sungmin's body disappeared without a trace.

Muyoung looked into the mountains with curiosity.

'A duel between an elder lich and a high elf…'

He was slightly interested in the result.

***

Ain was the highest ranked high elf.

She was powerful and holy, on another level compared to most dragon types, and that difference in level was enough to make her comparable to ancient dragons.

As she was someone who followed the path of the moon, she knew how to hide her body better than others.

“What are these monsters? I don't understand.”

“Pa?”

Ain and Snow looked at the march of specters.

Ain was originally a member of a tribe who lived in the hometown of Shandalton, the Dragon of Light. Of course, due to Shandalton's influence, she was close to 'light'.

Although she followed Muyoung for the revival and safety of her tribe, Muyoung had disappeared for nearly a month, only to return with all kinds of monsters.

'What is he trying to do by taking all these monsters to the Demon G.o.d's Territory?'

The h.e.l.l of the current world… Muyoung's actions were enough to raise doubts about him. That was why she couldn't easily follow him. This was the reason why she hid.

“Paaa…”

Snow reached her hand out. And, Ain stopped her.

“You can't. Such a pure person like yourself could become influenced by evil if you are not careful. Until we determine his intentions, you need to stay with me.”

Ain read Snow's powers that were hidden beneath the surface. Ain knew that, depending on how Snow grew up, she could become an overwhelming existence.

However, if Muyoung was truly 'evil'?

Snow would be influenced by him and walk the path of world destruction.

She couldn't let that happen. If the world was destroyed, the revival of her tribe would also become pointless.

However, that didn't mean she could leave him be.

She needed to find out about his true intentions. So, while concealing their presense, she was following him.

By using the high elf's authority, Shadow of Moon.

Swis.h.!.+

Ain raised her eyes. Right before her eyes, the darkness swirled and formed a sphere.

The lich who suddenly joined Muyoung. He was someone who Ain and Snow saw for the first time.

Claaaang!

The staff the lich held rang.

'We've been caught.'

Ain quickly reacted. She instantly placed a barrier on Snow and wielded a dagger. In a flash, the dagger s.h.i.+ned as if permeated by the spirit of the moon.

Thud!

A sound like a death rattle.

Pshh!

Black flames rose.

One, two, three…

Holes were created on the ground and the number of flames increased exponentially.

Swarara!

Ain touched her earrings once. Then, Ain's appearance changed into a huge white eagle.

Whenever she flapped her wings, an intense wind blew and fought against the flames.

Then the lich placed his staff into the ground.

A few meters in area was colored with darkness and within it, black hands appeared and tried to grab Ain.

Ain couldn't avoid all of the black hands which were a few thousand in number.

Kyaaack!

Ain opened her mouth wide. And soon, numerous particles of light heated up and exploded.

Although the black hands that were approaching her had disappeared, she couldn't remove them all.

Ain who was caught by the ankle was slowly pulled down to the ground.

“Hmm.”

The lich held his staff and twirled it in the air. Then, some kind of gate seemed to be opening up.

With a 'thud' sound, a huge black door was created in the air.

Afterwards, the door opened up, and black bats were released.

Scrreek! Screeeck!

The numbers were too large to be counted.

No matter how many she got rid of, more appeared and reached Ain.

They bit her wings and plucked out her feathers.

However, Ain was the highest ranked high elf. She couldn't be beaten with just black bats.

Thud!

The lich, Sungmin opened another door.

“Amazing. It has been a while since I had to use two doors to fight against an opponent.”

Swaaang!

As the door opened up, sluggish shadow monsters showed themselves. After seeing them, Ain was terrified.

'Shadow prisoners!'

How could a mere lich summon such monsters from thin air?!

The shadow prisoners had an iron ball and chains shackled to their hands and feet. However, they were able to freely increase the length of the chains.

A few hundred shadow prisoners appeared and threw their iron ball and chains towards Ain, as if they were fis.h.i.+ng.

Their power and speed could not be ignored.

It was especially hard for Ain to avoid the ball and chains, as well asthe bats.

Kyaaaaack!

After blocking numerous times, her body was wrapped up in the ball and chains in the end.

Thud!

After she turned back to her original form, she collapsed to the ground.

Sungmin turned his head slightly and lowered his head after looking at Snow, who was s.h.i.+vering.

“My master wishes to see you.”

***

Muyoung looked at Snow and Ain who were tied up.

“Pa! Pa!”

With her hands bound, Snow approached Muyoung and rubbed her face on his leg.

On the other hand, Ain's expression was very dark.

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You have destroyed things with these monsters and you are with… a demon king as well.”

She was talking about Azul.

Muyoung shrugged his shoulders.

“I have no intention to persuade you. If you want to leave, leave.”

It was a bit of a waste to give up Ain's fighting power, but if she wasn't going to help, he had no need for her strength.

“I cannot even guess what your intentions are.”

“I'm planning to go to the Demon G.o.d's Territory. It isn't a great place for a high elf to go.”

She felt like a door was slammed close in front of her.

However, Ain bit her lips.

“I'm… going to follow Snow.”

“Snow?”

“She cannot be allowed to be influenced by you.”

Ain knew how great Snow's hidden potential was.

In terms of simply potential, she was comparable to Muyoung.

But, if her powers were to be influenced by him, it would become a very large power of evil.

She needed to stop that from happening.

Muyoung also read Ain's will that was conveyed through her eyes.

Using the expression that Snow could be influenced. It meant that she had that much sense of vigilance.

Snow was a saintess in the past, and was now an unknown existence. However, if one thing was certain, it was that she would surely add strength to fight against the demon kings and demon G.o.ds.

And to fight against them, she couldn't be influenced by him. This was something Muyoung also agreed with.

“Do what you want.”

Muyoung looked in another direction. The sky was slowly sinking into darkness.

The time has come.

***

The blind spot Azul showed.

In other words, the place the Sky Lord couldn't sense. Azul entered the territory.

“Every 14 days, the Sky Lord sheds. Although it is an ignorant b.a.s.t.a.r.d that even eats up its own skin. Thanks to this, there is a blind spot like this once every 14 days.”

As it used its strength to shed, there were areas that it was unable to pay attention to.

“It isn't an adult yet?”

When Muyoung asked, Azul nodded.

“It continues to grow. It is scary because it adapts to all attacks and evolves.”

Then, it seemed to be created to evolve and withstand Diablo's attacks.

Azur pierced a hole into the sh.e.l.l the Sky Lord shed.

“We need to move before it eats up all of its sh.e.l.ls. I'm not sure if we can do it in time though…”

Azul looked at Muyoung's army. There were too many monsters accompanying Muyoung.

“From now on, don't even let out a sound.”

With a warning, he quickly moved. He pierced a hole and went out the other side.

Muyoung and Muyoung's army moved a bit faster as well.

Peeeeeep!

That moment.

A whistling sound could be heard from somewhere.

“d.a.m.n it!”

Azul frowned.

Rrrrrrrrr!

The ground shook. The Sky Lord started to move.

Fortunately, the target wasn't Muyoung, but something that had started to attack the Sky Lord.

Bang! Pow!

The bomb burst, and the world seemed to be engulfed in flames.

“Attack!”

From afar, a voice like this was heard.

Knights on horses led dozens of different species to attack the Sky Lord. However, they were unable to damage the Sky Lord at all.

However, rather than the Sky Lord, Muyoung was more focused on the one who was carrying out the attack on the Sky Lord.

'Baltan.'

The Guardian of his Territory, Baltan!

The one Muyoung revived as an undead.

Muyoung had ordered him to guard his territory in the Demon G.o.d's Territory.

But, why was Baltan at this place attacking the Sky Lord?