Chapter 232
“Hehe! Appa!”
“Kyuu~.”
Shiyeon and Kyung, giggling and snuggling into his arms. With the soft touch and warm embrace of the two kids, his face should have melted with affection, but, “Huh, what?”
Shimun, unable to seat the two kids properly, blinked with a face full of bewilderment.
The reason was simple.
『You have accomplished 30 kills.』
『The number of attackers allowed to enter has doubled.』
『You have accomplished 50 kills.』
『The number of attackers allowed to enter has doubled.』
『You have accomplished 80 kills…….』
Messages poured in as if they had been waiting for his return, and the sheer volume was overwhelming.
Moreover,
‘What? How did I get so many kills?’
It was surprising even to Shimun that he had already exceeded 80 kills. Doubling the entrance limit at every interval, 80 kills should mean there were now 16 doors available, wasn’t it?
‘I did spend quite some time with Belial…… but it wasn’t that long, was it?’
He hadn’t spent enough time to accomplish 80 kills.
‘Were there that many vampires entering?’
Puzzled, Shimun turned his gaze toward the battlefield, where the sounds of explosions and screams were emanating.
There,
Whoosh.
“Kiiaaah!”
“So, so hot!!”
The elegant and sophisticated figures were grotesquely charred,
Vampires screamed as they fell.
“Kyahahah! Look at them thrashing around!”
“Hey. Night’s noble, huh? Screaming like that is not very dignified!”
“Ohoho! Burned to a crisp like this, you can’t even be called a lady anymore, can you?”
Laughing and enjoying the slaughter and torture were the fallen angels.
‘Indeed, fallen angels. Even against vampires, they’re this overwhelming.’
Shimun nodded in satisfaction. Considering vampires were among the upper tiers in the arena, and the players here were fighting in the Diamond Rank advancement test.
The fallen angels he summoned were truly exceptional summons. Naturally, due to the special nature of the dungeon defense battle, “Khahah! I’m feeling so much stronger than usual!”
“Same here. I just took a blood magic spell head-on. Look! Only got a scratch.”
They were in a much stronger state than usual, but still, ‘They were soldiers of the past Seven Great Demonic Kings. No wonder they’re stronger than regular fallen angels.’
The ones he received as a gift from Belial were fundamentally different from ordinary fallen angels.
Moreover, ‘Certainly, Belial said that as my Devil Energy stat increases, those fallen angels would also grow stronger, right?’
How Belial managed to obtain the soldiers of the Seven Great Devil Kings was unknown. But he did say that these fallen angels’ level varied according to the summoner’s Devil Energy.
In other words, they were rare growth-type summons.
‘Judging by their rank alone, they would be similar to Shiyeon and Kyung.’
As this thought crossed his mind, ‘Wait. Then……’
Shimun’s gaze naturally slid downward.
“Hmm……”
“Kyuu. Kyuu.”
Shiyeon and Kyung, who were rubbing their mochi-like cheeks against his chest.
‘You mean these two made those 80 kills?’
It was an unbelievable thought. But the sheer number of kills in front of him and the fact that 16 gates had appeared seemed to prove it.
Shimun looked down blankly.
“Appa?”
“Kyuu?”
Shiyeon and Kyung tilted their heads in confusion. After maintaining a moment of silence, Shimun asked quietly, “Shiyeon, Kyung, did you two take care of the intruders while I was away?”
“Yeah…… They kept coming in, so we handled them.”
“Kyuu, Kyuuu.”
Shiyeon and Kyung hesitated briefly but then spoke cautiously. They looked like kids about to be scolded by their parents.
“No, Appa isn’t going to scold you.”
Shimun smiled gently and patted their heads.
“I was just surprised by the number of kills. I didn’t realize you two had such strength. But……”
Shimun’s voice trailed off as he continued to comfort the children. The reason was simple.
‘Which one of them made so many kills?’
Eighty kills were no small feat. It was unlikely that they had evenly split the kills. One of them must have displayed overwhelming combat skills.
‘Shiyeon can control golems and perform alchemy to some extent but……’
This was a battlefield for those advancing to Diamond Rank. So Shimun’s gaze shifted naturally from the fair-skinned Shiyeon to the one beside her.
‘It’s probably Kyung.’
His round eyes settled on Kyung.
‘Nullifying magic and all. Given that Kyung’s essence is that of a dragon, it makes sense.’
It was likely that there had been many mage class players, easily falling to Kyung’s nullification abilities.
“Ah!”
Shimun shook his head vigorously.
‘Does it matter who did what? In the end, my kids accomplished it.’
Though not born of his flesh due to gender limitations, they were created through alchemy. That fact did not change that they were his creations.
So, they were essentially his children.
‘If my kids excel, that’s good for me!’
What’s the use of such worries?
Whack!
Suddenly, Shimun tightly embraced the two children.
“Huh?”
“Kyuu?”
Shiyeon and Kyung, who had been extremely tense, were startled.
Shimun gently, “Aww! My adorable little ones! You did great! Thank you for working hard in my place!”
He hugged them tightly again. After blinking for a moment, the two children glanced at each other and then,
“Hehe! Appa!!”
“Kyuuu!”
They laughed happily and snuggled even closer into Shimun’s embrace. Meanwhile, “Kya-hahaha! Burn them!”
“Vampires taste best when they’re roasted!”
“Kyaaah!”
As vampires burned en masse on the battlefield, the three of them rolled around, hugging each other tightly. Not long after,
Thud thud thud!
The 16 doors created by the 80 kills opened in a row.
Following that, “With 80 kills, they must be exhausted!”
“Let’s take this place and immediately climb to the top!”
“Victory will be ours!”
Different races of players entered the dungeon en masse.
However, unlike their confident entrance, “Prioritize the dungeon core……”
“Hurry and move……”
Their words trailed off. The reason was simple.
Whoosh.
“Who are those bastards?”
“Hawk tuah! More of them?”
Like gangsters loitering in an alley, they saw a dozen fallen angels with menacing burning wings.
Especially, “We’ve become stronger, and I’m all fired up. More toys to play with?”
“Oh my~ but they all look hideous.”
“Indeed. They’re so ugly, I want to peel off their skin and burn them!”
Any race that knew even a little about the infamy of fallen angels would be terrified. As if to prove it,
“I-I’m just going to leave!”
One of the entrants, a humanoid race leader with a hyena’s head, the gnoll leader tried to turn around urgently but only managed to freeze in place.
Thud.
A pale hand had already gripped its shoulder. Was it because of the burning wings?
Sizzle.
Pungent smoke rose from the gnoll’s shoulder where the fallen angel’s hand touched, despite the excruciating pain of its burning shoulder.
The gnoll leader couldn’t scream. Rather, he wasn’t capable of screaming.
“While you can enter as you please……”
It was due to the whisper in its ear.
“Leaving is not.”
The whisper of the fallen angel.
*
In the broadcast studio of the global arena channel WTC.
There,
『This is truly incredible! The broadcast, which was suspended, has suddenly resumed, and now there’s a massacre happening!』
Caster Michael was passionately narrating the events. It wasn’t just Michael.
『Ten or so summoned beings have suddenly appeared and are sweeping away the participants?!』
『Flaming whips. No, black flame whips are decimating the players from the other dimensions!』
Even commentator Jonathan, who was usually composed, had cast off his usual demeanor and joined Michael in the intense commentary.
It was understandable.
『Each one is on par with the players. It’s hard to believe they are summoned beings!』
『There seems to be a reason why people are so terrified of fallen angels! This is truly astonishing?!』
There was the sudden interruption of the broadcast, and when it resumed, about ten fallen angels had appeared. Even though they were summoned beings, they exhibited power comparable to that of the players.
“Ugh!”
“No! Don’t retreat!”
“Khaha! I’m brimming with power!”
“It feels like the old days!”
Players were being swept away by the fallen angels one after another.
Their overwhelming might caused,
『Judging by the comments of the fallen angels, it seems there might be some special buff in effect!』
『That’s likely, but it’s not just the buff. Look at their skill in handling the black flames! They are on par with any fire-type player. Moreover, their basic combat abilities seem quite formidable!』
『Now that you mention it, from whips to projectiles, to explosions! And they are not lagging in close combat either!』
Michael and Jonathan, who were continuing the commentary, seemed astonished.
It wasn’t just the commentators.
– Wow…… Damn! They’re way better than my summoned creatures, lol.
– Seriously, I’m a Diamond summoner, but all my summons combined couldn’t beat one of those fallen angels.
– That’s because you’re not really a Diamond summoner.
– True. While the fallen angels are strong, a combined force of Diamond-ranked summons could take one down.
– The viewers watching Shimun’s debut battle were no different.
– But the fact is, they are crazy strong. They are on par with players.
– Right. This isn’t just any arena; it’s a Diamond Rank debut match.
– That’s because of the buff. Both Jonathan and the fallen angels mentioned it.
– Even with the buff, those summons are strong. Why are you so negative?
– Exactly, lol. This guy being irregular isn’t new.
– Hearing such intense criticism of the summons makes me think the other summoners are really upset.
– Haha, exactly. Looks like the summoners are having a fit of inferiority complex?
– The chat was filled with both positive and negative reactions about the fallen angels.
Meanwhile,
= Fallen angels…!
= Are they really summonable?
= No way. Even if a top-ranked player performed a summoning ritual, they would scoff and refuse.
= I agree. Aren’t they notorious even in the Demon Realm?
= But they’ve been summoned so seamlessly?
The chat from another dimension was quite different from Earth’s chat. They expressed disbelief and astonishment at the summoning of fallen angels.
Of course, the debut match wasn’t entirely one-sided.
“Everyone, gather together!”
“Hey! Let’s form an alliance for now!”
“This is not the time to fight amongst ourselves!”
Some quick-witted races banded together to form a united front against the fallen angels.
“Argh! My arm!”
“Ugh, how can I lose to these vermin……”
“Damn it! These bastards!”
The fallen angels rampaging through the dungeon sustained various injuries, and some were even reverse-summoned in severe cases, but that was it.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
5th Technique – Heavenly Demon Sphere (天魔玉).
Baaaang!
When Shimun’s area attacks, led by the Heavenly Demon Sphere, were added,
“Crazy! What kind of power is this!”
“Arghhh!”
“My leg……”
The united front of the allied races collapsed in an instant.
“As expected of the master!”
“Khaha! Follow the master!”
“You bastards! How dare you stab my arm?”
The faltering fallen angels regained their strength, and the battle turned back into a slaughterhouse.
『Ah! Just when the balance seemed to have been restored, the final boss has appeared! Kim Shimun was there!』
『The fallen angels were so overwhelming that we completely forgot about him!』
Soon,
『The last player has fallen!』
『No more players are entering through the 32 doors created by the 100 kills!』
『The first official debut match of Earth ends!』
The first debut match against another dimension conducted by Earth came to an end.
*
『Earth First! Debut Match Against Another Dimension?』
『Kim Shimun Crushed the Debut Match with Overwhelming Performance!』
『World Awakener’s Alliance, ‘Congratulations to the Hero Who Decorated a Page of Arena History’ Kim Shimun』
『Various Races and New Events, the Rising Importance of Non-Regular Broadcasting!』
『Players Who Refused Non-Regular Broadcasting, ‘Regretting It’ in Tears』
News and photos of Kim Shimun flooded various portals and news sites.
Then,
Bang!
A white object slammed into the screen showing those news articles. With no other light source aside from the screen, the room instantly darkened.
“Kim Shimun this, Kim Shimun that…… damn it! They’re desperate to mention him!”
A woman’s voice, filled with resentment, echoed through the dark room.
Then,
Thud.
The door burst open roughly.
“Tch.”
A man who entered clicked his tongue shortly.
Click.
He turned on the switch next to the door. The room brightened instantly.
But, “Ugh!”
Was it better when it was dark?
The Asian man who turned on the light sighed deeply and spoke.
“What’s that smell? Hey, clean up your room. This isn’t a mausoleum, you know.”
“Shut up.”
A woman’s irritated voice immediately shot back. Despite this, the man folded his arms.
“And why did you smash the TV? That TV is made from Arena materials.”
He nodded toward the pile of bones embedded in the center of the expensive Arena-made TV.
However, unlike before, “I said shut up!”
A black woman’s voice responded, this time adding a threat.
But did that bother him at all?
“Marlina, as I’ve been saying, this isn’t your lab. Please stop leaving corpses around. The stench of decay is spreading outside.”
The Asian man spoke without batting an eye, holding his nose as he looked at the scattered corpses and bone fragments in the room.
At that, “Damn it! I said shut up!”
Marlina’s sharp voice shot back.
This time, it didn’t end with words.
Swick!
The pile of bones embedded in the TV and the surrounding corpse pieces shot towards the man.
“Really.”
Yet, the man still folded his arms, shaking his head.
Then,
Creak.
The bones and corpse pieces that shot towards the Asian man twisted like empty cans, powerless to hurt him.
“Marlina, you seem to be under some kind of misconception……”
The Asian man trailed off, his demeanor was as calm as ever.
“Even though we are from the same class, our ranks are completely different, understand?”
The atmosphere in the room changed drastically.
Boom!
An intangible pressure filled the entire room.
“Ugh!”
Under that pressure, Marlina found herself on her knees, struggling to breathe. And above her head, “I am a core member of the organization, while you are merely the ‘younger sister’ of a core member. Can you now feel the difference that makes?”
A plain but sharp voice flowed in. Marlina, resisting the overwhelming pressure, barely managed to nod,
“Ugh……”
And nodded with difficulty.
“Good. Unlike others, you know your place well. That’s why you’re still alive.”
The man smiled in satisfaction.
Swoosh.
He retracted the intangible pressure.
“Gah!”
Marlina, crouched and struggling to breathe, like someone who had been deprived of oxygen for a long time. The man waited patiently until Marlina regained her breath.
Still struggling a bit, “You bastard… why are you here?”
Marlina, clutching her throat, glared at the man leaning against the door.
Seeming to enjoy her fierce spirit, “Why do you think? I came to chat with an old friend.”
The man shrugged. Despite her curses, he did not retaliate as he had earlier.
“Friend, my ass! Get lost if you’re going to spout nonsense!”
“So prickly.”
The man chuckled and gestured towards the door.
“Come out. Your brother, the so-called Death Lord Malik, personally summoned you.”
“My brother?”
Marlina tilted her head at his words. Then, “No way… the ritual preparations are already complete?”
She asked with eyes wide in surprise.
“Seems like it. It was done ahead of schedule thanks to some help.”
The man shrugged again and muttered.
“Anyway, they’re summoning all necromancers from the organization, including the Brotherhood of Death. So, you should go now. I’ve delivered the message.”
With those final words, the man left the room. But Marlina’s attention was no longer on him.
The reason was simple.
“That ritual… finally… So I’ll receive proper support from the Constellation…”
She well knew what ceremony her brother Malik, known as the Death Lord and a core member of Desperado, was preparing. And because of that, ‘Then Kim Shimun… that bastard…!’
She also knew what would be possible because of it. Standing up abruptly,
Smash!
She shattered the gaping TV with a massive bone fist until it was reduced to unrecognizable pieces.
“I’ll turn him into an undead while he’s still alive… and tear his soul to shreds!”
With a face full of venom, she left the room.
TL’s Corner:
Marlina is like a crazy ex-girlfriend. And Desperado is making a move.
