Translator: Nadu

Editor: DearestKafka

An ancient devil, balrog.

There was no known source.

They existed from a certain moment and disappeared in another.

There were different theories but among them, the most plausible one was that the world had once been destroyed by the balrogs.

The balrogs were too strong and there wasn't anything in this world that could compete with them.

However, the balrogs had a very militant tendency. They couldn't resist their urge for destruction and they were great predators.

They even ate their kind when they were hungry.

In the end, the balrogs that survived after killing all living things in the Underworld, ate each other until they became extinct.

And the balrogs that survived until now were the ones who were placed asleep by using a very high magic skill.

Among them, strong balrogs even had the strength that was comparable to the demon G.o.ds.

They were uncontrollable and they even consumed magic that they normally went rampage before they self-destructed but…

It was certain that the things around the balrog became destroyed.

It became a land of the death that didn't even let a single plant survive.

“The source of life is its driving force.”

Thud!

Crrrras.h.!.+

It went wild. The giant monster was crus.h.i.+ng everything it touched. Whenever its paws touched, everything disappeared with a tremendous upheaval.

Bae Sungming watched the scene expressionlessly.

The monster that suddenly appeared was greedily coveting life around him.

Although they instantly had soldiers tried to stop it, the damage continued to grow.

“It is just him! Are we unable to stop just that one enemy?!”

Ogar yelled.

He was the vice chieftain of the fire tars and took the role of leading the fire tars.

That was right. It was only one opponent.

However, balrog didn't get tired.

It wasn't even using its energy to produce its strength.

'Absorption.'

He was absorbing the lives of those in its proximity, killing them and using their stamina as its own.

Although it wasn't certain, he was able to conclude taking his time and carefully observing.

'I don't think I can use Hydra and Beatrice.'

Hydra was a being that had reached its peak of life and Beatrice was a witch who used it as a source of her sacrifice to summon.

If they were summoned, a great catastrophe would occur.

Through the two types of strength, balrog will destroy the entire territory.

Sungmin had to seal two of his best moves.

“We will face him using just the specters and the undead.”

However, it was useless to the undead and the specters.

As Sungmin declared it, the dokkaebis and the elves backed off first.

“Do you want us to fall back as well?”

Ogar expressed his complaint.

But, Sungmin shook his head.

“balrog absorbs life and makes it into his own. If we fight any more, it is no different than giving balrog more strength.”

“Our comrades were killed. If we back off like this, we would have no face.”

Even though Ogar was open-minded, as long as he led the fire tars, he couldn't help but follow their rules.

That was what it meant to become the leader of the fire tars.

If he was to disregard the death of their comrades, Ogar could no longer lead them.

Sungmin explained further.

“If we remove its two horns, it would no longer absorb any more strength. When we do, I'll leave the rest to you.”

balrog was able to absorb life through how two long horns.

If they were to get rid of those two horns, they would be able to gain an overwhelming advantage.

“I understand.”

Ogar also knew that he couldn't be stubborn with this matter any further.

It was no other than Muyoung's war. He couldn't spoil things for him.

Afterwards, Ogar left with the fire tars.

There were about 40,000 specters. If they add up the number of undead, it would reach 50,000.

Sungmin started to 'command' them all.

“I need to check from the bottom.”

He had confirmed that balrog absorbed life and made it it's own.

Now he needed to find out how much strength it could exhibit without doing so.

Once he finds out about his baseline, it would be easier to fight it.

'Gather low frequencies and make them resonate.'

Sungmin gathered shade type specters.

The shades were existences that were made up of low frequencies. They were the source of terror and specters without any form.

There were about 2,000 of them. He gathered the shades and resonated with them at a high speed.

He created a magic circle in the air and infinitely rotated them and only pulled out low frequencies.

The process would be impossible for a normal magician. It required great knowledge and precise adjustments without any errors.

Soon, it resonated and the frequency that had now doubled due to resonation was shot towards balrog.

Low frequency was not magic. balrog was able to absorb even magic but Sungmin thought it wouldn't be able to absorb the raw strength.

A normal living being is received with this sort of an attack, it would create an extreme self-dissociation. It would hurt itself and even try to end its own life.

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

It was effective.

balrog let out a scream and began to b.u.mp into the surrounding rocks.

It hit its head onto the group and bit its arm.

However, the problem was it didn't leave much of a mark as it had such a strong skin.

'I need to make that skin softer.'

This also needed to be done without using magic.

“I need to use some beads.”

Sungmin spoke to the nine-tailed foxes.

The five nine-tailed foxes were strong specters who would only follow Muyoung.

After becoming a specter, they had become real and their strength was easily comparable to a dragon.

And the strength of the nine-tailed foxes was concentrated in the beads.

It was similar to the 'Life Vessel' liches used.

“The beads?”

“Where are you planning to use it?”

The nine-tailed foxes were wary. It was obvious for them to act this way. If their beads were to be destroyed, they were no different than a normal fox.

If there was Muyoung, they would have pa.s.sed it over without any hesitation but he was someone else.

However, they knew that Sungmin was someone who followed Muyoung for a very long time.

If someone else had requested it, they would have ripped their hearts out.

“I'm going to divide balrog's strength.”

The nine-tailed foxes looked at each other.

Spells or seduction didn't work on balrog.

Only the attack produced by Sungmin.

They pondered for a moment before handing over their beads. The beads were the size of a fist but glowed very brightly.

“You cannot use it thoughtlessly.”

“Don't worry.”

The beads floated around Sungmin.

It was a type of storage. The beads played the same role as a 'wall' that separated the interior and the exterior.

He amplified his power and confined balrog.

The reason why balrog was strong was that he could 'absorb'. Not just simply living being but he also could absorb the surrounding magic.

There was a reason why people said balrog had destroyed the world once.

But, if he could completely block the flow of the surrounding land using the five beads, balrog would weaken.

“Καλην?χτα.”

The five beads floated in the air and soon approached the balrog, then radiating light to each other.

Afterwards, the beads drew a pentagram and trapped balrog in the middle.

It was the power of a complete blockage.

'It would be hard to exert its original power without breaking through the five walls.'

In its current state while its consciousness was disrupted, would he be able to break through all five walls?

Sungmin then struck his staff onto the ground once.

“Fire range attacks from the North. As it is a place full of water energy, it would weaken the balrog's skin.”

The pentagram also appeared as five elements as well.

Among the five points, North was a place where the element of water was maximized.

If they were to attack there, it would produce an effect on the balrog.

And Sungmin's thoughts were valid.

As the specters with water energy started to pour long-ranged attack, cracks began to show on balrog's skin.

The walls of the pentagram only restricted the inside.

There was no limit to what could enter from the outside.

Gwaaaaaaaaah!

The screams grew louder.

It was an effective strategy devised by Sungmin.

After becoming an elder lich, Sungmin gained more knowledge. It meant he was able to naturally understand the use of things.

As someone didn't just become strong just because he learned a lot of strong skills.

Sungmin hit his staff down and teleported to the Northside of the pentagram. After gathering water energy of the surrounding and making it into a sword form, he drew a line.

Slas.h.!.+

One of balrog's horns was cut off.

Graaaaa! Graaaaak! Eraaaaah!

Thud! Thud! Thump!

balrog made a scene.

It tried to get out by smas.h.i.+ng its body onto the wall.

However, it was a useless act and it only made it use up its stamina continuously.

Afterwards, the balrog stopped moving. It fell to the ground and twitched its body.

'It died.'

Sungmin raised his hand for a moment.

He stopped his attack.

Then, even the raising and lowering of his chest stopped.

He died. At least as a living being, his life had disappeared.

But…

Sungmin then frowned.

“Get away!”

balrog's skin turned red. It boiled up and his whole body started to burn.

He was dead. But, he was revived.

He used up the last bit of his energy to regenerate.

No, it wasn't regeneration.

Self-explosion!

Graaaaaaaaah!

balrog got up again. As it stretched out his hand, a huge flame was created.

Crack! Craaack!

That alone broke the wall. It meant it was a power that could not withstand even the blocking force.

'I'm late.'

It was too late to avoid.

Sungmin created another wall.

A huge wall created by bones. The wall, full of all kinds of power of death and specters, was Sungmin's s.h.i.+eld which blocked even the breath of the dragon.

Blaaast!

Afterwards, the pentagram broke and intense flames spread everywhere.

The specters who were unable to avoid it evaporated and the range of where the flames touch were widening.

If they were to leave this be, it would even swallow up the territory.

'I didn't keep in mind that it could self-explode.'

He was completely taken back.

It was probably programmed in its biological system. For it to self-explore upon death.

The flames were strong. The wall created by Sungmin was slowly burning up.

If it continued like this…

“It seems like I'm not late!”

Suzy appeared without a care in the world.

And she appeared within the flames!

The flames that burned everything. No specter or a monster could stop those flames.

But, as if it was nothing, Suzy shrugged her shoulders and stretched out her hand.

Then the flames began to be sucked into Suzy's hand.

'That woman is?'

She was the woman who he saw a few hours ago.

When he saw her then, she didn't seem special at all. She had excellent physical ability but not much magical ability.

However, the magical ability he felt now…

“Everyone get behind me.”

Suzy spread both of her hands widely.

Then a huge wall of light was created and consumed the flames in a wide range scale.

Naturally, the specters and undead gathered behind Suzy.

It was strange. No matter how the situation was, there was no reason for the specters and the undead to naturally listen to her.

Unless it was Muyoung or Sungmin, it could never happen.

'How?'

Sungmin couldn't help but be shocked.

However, Sungmin knew of that power.

“Ahh! It's delicious. I can't believe that fire tastes so delicious.”

Suzy tapped her belly as she tilted her head.

The idea of eating flames was also strange.

But, she felt like it was possible. In her current position, she felt like it could only be done by her. She just naturally learned it.

Sungmin widened his eyes.

That appearance… that power.

That's definitely…

'Muyoung's.'

The master of flames!

Unless what he saw was wrong, this was definitely Muyoung's power.