Chapter 308 - Qualifications of a Demon
‘Damn it, damn it, damn it!’
Plunictos swallowed a series of curses.
He couldn't openly curse because the person in front of him wouldn't allow it.
‘When did he appear? How did he find me?’
Knowing that he had raised players from other dimensions, he knew that a tracking skill existed.
He also knew how it worked.
‘Even if they know my name, they’ve never seen this face, right?’
The face he showed at the Demon King’s Castle was different from the one he had now.
That’s why he was sure Black Scythe would have a hard time finding him.
It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
‘But in the end, they found me…’
His feeling of bewilderment soon calmed.
It wasn’t from seeing Vassago’s body cooling next to him.
It was because he had accepted his fate.
He knew escaping from Black Scythe was almost impossible.
“Don’t be afraid. I just want to talk.”
Hearing the word "talk," Plunictos snorted.
[Hmpf, don’t take me for a fool. Who doesn’t know you’ve come to avenge your comrades?]
“It’s not working, huh? As expected of the ruler of the Underworld, you’re perceptive. Are you going to surrender without a fight?”
As he approached with a smile, Plunictos became nervous.
[Wait, wait. You said you wanted to talk, right?]
“Aren’t we talking now?”
[But, acting as if you’re going to kill me…]
‘I’ve already learned everything I need.’
Plunictos, not knowing that Ryu Min had already read his mind and obtained the information he wanted, spoke with a confused face.
[You want information, right? I’ll give it to you!]
“With a condition, right? I’d bet you’ll ask me to let you live in exchange for information about Artaros.”
[Exactly! So…]
“There’s no need.”
At the unexpected response, Plunictos was momentarily speechless.
“If I needed information, do you think I’d be trying to kill you now?”
[If you don’t listen, you’ll regret it.]
“The one who’ll regret it is you.”
Although he remained silent, Plunictos was quick to catch on.
Perhaps because it really looked like he was going to kill him, he pulled out the Hell Branch.
[I have no other choice. I’ll take you to the Underworld with me… Ugh!]
Before he could move his whip, Ryu Min’s scythe pierced Plunictos’ heart and returned.
“No more words, just die.”
‘I’m curious to see what reward I’ll get.’
He knew very well that he wouldn’t receive rewards for killing demons.
Even after having killed all the high-ranking demons in this dimension with the Rune of Speed of Light, he hadn’t received a single experience point.
Still, Ryu Min couldn’t help but have expectations.
‘Since he’s a Demon Archduke, something should come from this.’
However, he received no reward.
The Demon Archduke was an intruder who shouldn’t be in this place.
Ryu Min’s expression quickly hardened.
‘What a disappointment. Turned out to be worse than a monster.’
At least monsters gave gold and experience, but the Demon Archduke gave nothing.
‘Maybe it’s expected? After all, they’re like angels.’
Angels don’t usually give rewards when killed.
Great rewards come only by the devil’s blessing. Without it, you don’t get a shred of experience.
“Well, what a poor devil.”
Although he was disappointed, Ryu Min had overlooked a crucial fact.
The Demon Archduke was undoubtedly an entity with divine influence.
Just when it seemed premature to be disappointed, a message appeared.
[It has been confirmed that you are the first player to kill an entity with divinity.]
[You have obtained the title ‘God Slayer.’]
[As a reward for killing a divine entity, you have received ‘Refined Ether.’]
Ryu Min’s eyes widened upon seeing the message.
‘A title and refined ether?’
Although Plunictos was a demon, he had inherited divine power.
That’s why it was recognized that he had killed a divine entity.
Ryu Min, calming his surprise, checked the title with a smile.
[Title – God Slayer]
Condition for obtaining: Be the first to kill an entity with divinity.
Effect: All stats double when facing entities with divinity.
Now his stats would double when facing gods.
And they would also double when facing holy entities.
‘That means when I face Artaros, my stats will quadruple, right?’
Now he had the confidence that he wouldn’t flinch when facing Artaros.
He could overpower him with his stats.
‘Besides, I’ve obtained refined ether, which is a material for eternal equipment. With this, if I just make one weapon, I’ll be able to complete my eternal gear.’
However, he didn’t expect to be able to make it with just one.
As always, weapons required two ethers.
He was satisfied knowing he only needed one more to make the weapon, but that wasn’t the only reward.
<Soul Binding Mission>
Killing Gods
Current number of divine entities killed (1/4)
Upon completion ▶ ?????
[The Soul Gauntlet has absorbed the soul of the killed divine entity.]
[The soul of ‘Plunictos’ has been stored in the gauntlet.]
[The power of the soul of ‘Plunictos’ is being extracted.]
[……Extraction successful!]
[You have learned a new temporary skill ‘Qualification of a Demon.’]
[Temporary Skill – Qualification of a Demon]
Effect: By reciting an incantation for 10 seconds, you can teleport to the Demon King’s Castle in the Underworld from anywhere. You can take others with you when teleporting and also return. Additionally, you can easily discern the desires and evil intentions of others. While possessing this skill, you will be treated as a noble in the Underworld.
‘Wow, I’ve obtained such a skill.’
Thanks to the Soul Gauntlet, an eternal equipment, he had obtained an unexpected skill.
‘The Underworld… is that the place I saw in Round 18?’
Although he wanted to go immediately, he focused on the next message.
[You can now talk with the soul stored in the gauntlet.]
[Communication with the soul can be blocked or modified at will, and you can eliminate the soul if you wish.]
‘Can I talk with the Demon Archduke?’
Although the body had disintegrated, it seemed they could extract his soul.
-Is this how you talk? Plunictos?
-Is that voice…? Black Scythe?
Ryu Min smiled knowing that Plunictos remembered his voice.
-Does this really work?
-Black Scythe! What happened? Where am I?
-Where do you think you are?
-I’m trapped in a damn place full of light. It looks like a prison of light.
-Really? I can’t see it, so I don’t know.
-You trapped me here! What have you done to me?
Ryu Min shrugged.
-I don’t know. I just stabbed you and this is what happened.
-Let me out quickly! Get me out of here! Quick!
-Ah, you’re really noisy.
Tired of the conversation, Ryu Min decided to stop talking.
As soon as he had this thought, absolute silence enveloped him.
It was like he had taken the earphones off.
‘So I can really block the voice just by wishing it?’
Ryu Min smiled and decided to resume the conversation.
-Plunictos?
-…Let me out! Quickly!
-What?
-I’ve been asking you to let me out for a while!
-I didn’t hear it because I blocked the conversation.
-What? When?
-Since you started complaining.
Plunictos let out an ironic laugh realizing he had been shouting at a wall.
-Hmph! When I get out of here, I’ll kill you.
-And how do you plan to get out?
-…I’ll find a way.
-Do you really want to get out that badly?
-Of course! This bright place is what I hate the most.
Of course, being a demon, light wouldn’t be something he was used to.
-I have a way to get you out, but I don’t know if you’ll like it.
-What way?
-It’s called soul extinction. If I want, I can eliminate you… do you want me to do it?
-What?
Ryu Min didn’t miss the tremor in Plunictos’ voice.
-Didn’t you hear me? I can destroy your soul.
-…
Plunictos suddenly went silent.
Ryu Min, realizing, smiled.
If he could see his face, he would surely be with a terrified expression.
-Why so quiet? Even a Demon Archduke fears extinction?
-It’s… it’s natural to be afraid. Soul extinction is a process that breaks down the soul at the molecular level. It’s like being filleted from head to toe with a very sharp knife.
-How do you know so much?
-Ehm… because I’ve extinguished other souls before…
-Wow, how wicked you are.
Ryu Min threw an insult, but Plunictos didn’t respond.
He was probably scared by the threat of dissolution.
‘It seems even the Demon Archduke fears a painful death.’
Ryu Min, with a playful laugh, decided to keep teasing.
-A scum like you deserves to be destroyed.
-Wait! Don’t dissolve me!
-What’s good about a noisy and rude demon? It’s better to eliminate you.
"No, no. Please don't."
Plunictos's tone quickly changed to a more submissive one.
"I'll change my way of speaking. I won't be loud. Please don't dissolve me, Black Scythe..."
"What use do I have for you if you're not useful? I should eliminate you right now..."
"I'll give you information! Anything you want to know!"
"The information I need, I already have."
"Do you know that Artaros hasn't come to this world?"
"Yes, he said he was accumulating power and sent you in his place."
"..."
Plunictos's silence confirmed the truth.
Ryu Min had obtained that information by reading his thoughts before killing him.
"I know you only brought the 10 main demons and targeted old Nogei under the orders of a god named Moros."
"How... how do you know...?"
"I can't tell you, it's a professional secret. The important thing is that having you doesn't benefit me at all. That's why I must dissolve you. Understand?"
The word "dissolve" prompted an immediate reaction.
"I-I'll be silent! If you want me to stay still like dead, I will! Just let me live! It won't cause you any trouble, right?"
"It won't bring me any benefit either."
"No, no. Surely you'll need me at some point. You never know what the future holds, right?"
Though Plunictos's desperation was pathetic, Ryu Min had to admit he was right.
He needed Plunictos.
"I need this guy so I can use the temporal skill 'Demon Qualification.'"
If he dissolved Plunictos, the skill would disappear.
The skill existed only because Plunictos was stored in the gauntlet.
"That's why it's called a temporal skill."
Moreover, as long as the soul couldn't escape on its own, there was no harm in keeping it.
If he really didn't need it, he could always dissolve it later.
Ryu Min spoke as if showing mercy.
"Well, if you beg so desperately, I'll postpone it for a while."
"Thank you, thank you."
"But keep in mind, if you even slightly annoy me, I'll make you feel the pain of being sliced immediately."
"Of course, of course."
Plunictos's voice quickly changed to a submissive and servile tone, which made Ryu Min laugh.
"If that light space is so unbearable, let me know at any time. I'll dissolve you immediately."
"No, no. Now that I think about it, this warm place has its charm. Ha, ha, ha..."
Ryu Min stopped listening to Plunictos's awkward laughter and ended the conversation.
"I should test the skill. Since I've resolved this crisis."
He decided to use the skill to explore a bit.
"Demon Qualification."
[The skill is activating.]
[If you perform another action, the spell will be canceled.]
After waiting 10 seconds...
Swoosh-
Ryu Min's body disappeared without a trace.