Chapter 424 - Demonic Sword Ingrium
"Kurgh!"
Moab's skull caved in after Oh Kang-Woo smashed his fist down on his head. Moab screamed in pain as he grabbed his head. The sticky fluid covering his skin splattered all over the place.
"Huff, huff," Kang-Woo panted heavily.
He was trembling all over after unleashing all the emotions he had been suppressing this entire time.
"Hyung-nim..." Kim Si-Hun walked up to the heavily panting Kang-Woo and stared at him with a complicated expression. "So you've been keeping it in all this time."
"... I'm sorry for fighting by myself, Si-Hun."
Only then did Kang-Woo realize that he had rampaged by himself, blinded by his fury. Si-Hun was probably holding back more emotions than him.
"Not at all." Si-Hun shook his head. He continued in dejection, "I know very well... that I won't be of help to you with my current strength."
He had become confident in his skills after mastering Formless Sword and grasping the principle of Mind's Sword.
'But...'
Getting blown away just from blocking the enemy's attack, which did not even have the enemy's full power behind it, made Si-Hun realize that his confidence had been conceit.
'It's... still not enough. Nowhere near enough. I have to get stronger. Only then will I...'
Si-Hun looked up and saw Kang-Woo. He was overlapping with the heroes brutally murdered by demons. Si-Hun clenched his fists.
'I won't let hyung die, at the very least. I'll protect him at any cost.'
Si-Hun embedded the pledge deep within his heart.
[Savior...] Elune approached Kang-Woo and sorrowfully wiped the tears flowing down Kang-Woo's cheeks. [I see that even a person as great as you... holds great sadness within your heart.]
Her eyes were filled with compassion, sympathy, and trust for Kang-Woo.
'Good,' Kang-Woo thought as the corners of his mouth slightly rose.
Not only had he neutralized Moab, but he had also earned Elune's trust. His earnings were massive despite this being an unexpected situation.
'What a fucking mess.'
Kang-Woo had never expected the Four Heavenly Kings to exist.
'Fucking hell. What should I do about the other three?'
Moab had referred to himself as the Fourth Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. In other words, there was a First, Second, and Third Heaven.
'Everyone is thinking Moab is the final Heavenly King.'
Lucifer remained, but since his appearance had already been revealed to the whole world, the appearance of a new Heavenly King would cause extreme confusion.
'Goddammit.'
Kang-Woo's mind was a mess. He sighed.
'Just focus on the task at hand.'
It was not the time to bother with the other Heavenly Kings that haven't even shown themselves yet. Restoring the World Tree and having Elune find the Demon God's corpse was of higher priority.
"U-Urghh," Han Seol-Ah groaned as she stared at Elune, anxiously biting her lip.
'Huh?'
Kang-Woo's expression froze. An uneasy feeling ran down his back. He looked down at himself and saw that Elune was embracing him as if consoling him.
'Darling, no!'
Kang-Woo's face turned pale as he imagined the worst-case scenario.
"Kang-Woo..." Seol-Ah walked toward him with dead eyes.
Just then, someone grabbed her shoulder.
"... Lilith?" Seol-Ah called.
"Shh." Lilith placed her index finger on her lips and winked.
Seol-Ah expressed reluctance for a moment and then nodded lifelessly.
'Nice!'
'Now...'
Moab smiled as he recalled his conversation with his master.
"What to do with the thorn once the World Tree has been corrupted?" Moab's master waved his hand in disinterest and continued, "You can have it."
"A-are you sure?"
"Yeah, yeah. You should replace that flimsy sword. It looks like it'd break from the slightest touch."
Moab's master cackled. Although he was acting like it was no big deal, Moab knew better than anyone how immense the power within the thorn was.
"Hissssss." Moab flicked his tongue and snickered. "Human, do you know what material the high elves use when they create holy swords?"
"... What?"
Kang-Woo frowned due to the unexpected question. Why was Moab asking a question like that all of a sudden?
"Hiss, Elune, I'm sure you know the answer."
[D-don't tell me you...] Elune stared at Moab with wide shaking eyes.
Moab continued as he cackled, "High elves use a branch of the World Tree when creating holy swords. A very, very small amount, at that." Moab curled his fingers to make a small circle and smiled. "In that case, what do you think the material would be for a demonic sword?"
[M-Moab! What are you trying to do?!] Elune hurriedly shouted.
Moab burst into crazed laughter. "Kehehe! I corrupted the World Tree, so how wasteful would it be to not use its branch?"
He extended his arm toward the World Tree pouring black light. The black thorn embedded in its root was slowly pulled out. It was exuding suffocating energy after absorbing as much of the impure energy of the corrupted World Tree as it could.
[N-no...]
Elune trembled in pallor. The black thorn had turned into a branch of the World Tree after absorbing the energy of the corrupted World Tree. Just imagining the power of a demonic sword created with a branch of the World Tree, one exuding far more energy than what regular branches contained no less, was terrifying in and of itself.
[S-savior! We have to stop Moab!]
"Understood." Kang-Woo nodded.
He had no idea what Moab was trying to do, but he at least knew that he shouldn't let Moab do as he wished.
"Stop, Moab!" shouted Kang-Woo as radiant splendor poured out of him.
"Hiss!" Moab spread out his arms. "It's too late! Come! Demonic sword of the World Tree, Ingrium!"
Rumble—!!
Immense energy poured out from the black thorn. The thorn containing the energy of the corrupted World Tree began to turn into a greatsword almost two meters long and floated in the air.
"The demonic sword will guide you all toward damnation— Huh?"
Demonic Sword Ingrium slowly flew in Kang-Woo's direction.
'Wait, huh?'
Fwoom.
'Don't come here.'
Fwoom.
'Don't fucking come this way, motherfucker.'
Fwoom.
'Please fuck off.'
Riiing.
[Demonic Sword Ingrium has recognized you as its master!]
[You have been chosen by Ingrium!]
[You have obtained the title 'Ruler of Demonic Swords'!]
'Fucking hell.'
Fwoom.
'What the fuck is this thing? Why is it coming to me?'
