Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Chapter 133 : White Death Ardan (1)

White Death Ardan (1)

In the past, Soo-ah would often lose reason during battle.

Because of her magic power fission phenomenon, her instincts would often override her reason.

Her body moved exactly as her magic power whispered.

But such things disappeared once, with Jung-woo's help, she learned to control the magic power fission phenomenon.

Lower abdomen, then right below the solar plexus. Finally, the head.

Even though Soo-ah grew even more closely linked with her magic power due to the three mana halls, she no longer went on berserk rampages as she had in the past.

At least, until now.

'What the hell is going on?'

Norman, the leader of Blood Dagger, was extremely perplexed by the situation.

Not even when the sudden terrorist attack broke out and crimson air covered the surroundings had he been this shaken.

He had fought S-rank awakeners several times, even killed a few, but this "Lee Soo-ah" in front of him felt different.

Kwa-kwang!! Kwa-kwakwaang!!

Lee Soo-ah did not draw her sword.

As Blood Dagger's members swung weapons at her, she narrowly evaded and with a kick or a fist, slammed their heads into the ground.

Kuwoong!!

The wall shattered, and people bounced off and collapsed as if it were a lie.

Blue flames soared.

The flames, which melted the ground and scorched the air, made it difficult for the members of Blood Dagger to easily rush at Soo-ah.

'Her magic power is burning.'

The blue flames spread over the ground, using the magic present in the area as fuel to expand in all directions.

'What is this...'

It wasn't just the surroundings.

Even their own magic power within the area scorched by the flames began to burn away.

Norman could feel the heat rise in his own mana hall as evidence.

It was an absurd situation.

To intervene in another's mana hall and burn their magic power...

'Phenomenon of magic power fission?'

A condition where using magic power would cause your body to burn.

Norman was able to resist by activating his mana hall further, but at the cost of a slight hindrance to his use of magic power.

It was a minor handicap, except when facing an S-rank awakener—then it was fatal.

"Graaaah!!"

Unlike Norman, Kang Gi-hun's eyes turned blood-red as he charged at Soo-ah.

His magic power was being burned by Soo-ah's blue flames, and thus, the speed at which he was engulfed by demonic energy hastened even more.

"Damn it!"

Norman couldn't help but think he'd accepted the wrong request.

He'd taken this on, tempted by intel that said a Dragonbone would appear.

But he had never dreamed that Lee Soo-ah, who'd only just become an S-rank awakener, would possess such power.

Was she really someone who hadn't even been S-rank for a year?

He wanted to shout that this was nonsense.

"What are you doing! Hurry up and kill this bitch!!"

Even in this situation, Kang Gi-hun desperately swung his sword.

It felt as if even the inside of his head was being scorched by the blue flames.

Crack!!

"Talk."

Soo-ah's hand shot out like lightning and clasped Kang Gi-hun's throat.

"Where is the manager?"

Normally, Soo-ah's pupils would have gleamed a soft brown, but at this moment, they burned a fierce blue.

"Was it you? Was it really you?"

With his mind swept away by demonic energy, Kang Gi-hun snapped to his senses at that fierce killing intent.

What am I doing? He belatedly regretted his strange behavior, but it was too late.

If Soo-ah exerted just a little force, she could break his neck with ease.

"Ke... keh! I—I didn't do anything!! It was the demon! The demon did it!!"

"... Demon?"

Was there a demon present even at this event?

Soo-ah felt her overheated mind cool sharply.

She didn't know how a demon might have snuck into the Relic Fiesta, but if Jung-woo was truly in danger, then the demon was more likely the culprit than Kang Gi-hun in front of her.

Even so, she had no desire to forgive Kang Gi-hun.

She couldn't shake the sight of him smiling when he thought Jung-woo was dead.

I can't forgive him.

Never.

As her eyes gleamed blue while staring at Kang Gi-hun, a blue spark leapt onto his chest.

Startled, Kang Gi-hun opened his eyes wide at this phenomenon, which was altogether different from just having his magic power burned away.

'What is this?'

The blue spark continued to leap on his chest, different from the blue flames Soo-ah had used so far.

It was as if something was about to blossom, to open.

I'm going to die.

That thought flashed through Kang Gi-hun's mind for a moment.

Kwaaang!!

A thunderous noise shook the entire Relic Fiesta venue.

It was an entirely different sensation from the minor explosions that had occurred until now.

A shock that felt as if the space itself quaked, and magic power vibrated.

As someone sensitive to magic power, Soo-ah felt it even more acutely.

The magic powers that had resonated in sync with her emotions until just now were now howling.

"A beloved of mana, I see something amusing as soon as I arrive."

"...!!"

It was an unfamiliar voice.

She felt the presence of someone behind her who hadn't been there until moments ago.

'W-when did they get here?'

Norman, the leader of Blood Dagger, trembled as he looked at the man walking out slowly beside him.

He hadn't sensed a thing.

He had absolutely no idea when, where, or how long this man had been beside him.

Did he appear with the shock that just shook the entire Relic Fiesta?

If so, who on earth was this man?

Was he even human?

A flood of questions swirled in Norman's mind.

Ash-gray hair, pitch black eyes. An unusually handsome man.

"I am Ardan, Count of the Demon Realm."

One of the highest-ranking demons at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm.

There were three dukes, six marquises, and eleven counts at the top.

"Pleased to meet you, humans."

20th in the hierarchy of the Demon Realm.

Ardan of White Death.

He was the one who adorned the end of the highest rank of demon nobility.

***

【Following the terrorist attack at Relic Fiesta, the Hunter Association has hurriedly dispatched Hunters, but a crimson barrier surrounding the venue is making entry difficult.】

【President Han Jun-hwan has urgently formed a task force and ordered a response...】

The news poured out stories about the current Relic Fiesta.

Relic Fiesta was a globally recognized event, and since the disturbance was happening in Korea, those in high positions were eager to contain the situation quickly.

"Personally, I feel like they're being too merciless in discarding them."

Watching the news, Jin Su-hyuk spoke to the man leaning against the wall.

Damian Hertha, the Demon King's son.

That was his name.

"It's worth it."

"While it's good for me that the annoying ones are disappearing, I doubt it's the same for you,"

Jin Su-hyuk had lured the demons through Zevilo, but only with Damian's help.

In other words, Jin Su-hyuk and Damian had coordinated their words from the start.

"No matter how demonic, everyone fears death, so nobody would have attempted this willingly."

"So you sent them even knowing they'd die?"

"They would have only caused more discord if left alive anyway."

Jin Su-hyuk didn't deny Damian's words.

Most of the demons leading this incident were against cooperating with humans.

The plan had failed, most of those leading demons had been wiped out, so it would be harder for them to raise their voices now.

"Still, I don't get it—having to confirm something with such extreme measures."

While it was convenient for Jin Su-hyuk to see troublesome trash disappear, that was only his viewpoint.

For Damian, the demon leader, this was a considerable loss in strength.

Not just low and lowest-rank demons, but even intermediate-rank ones had been consumed in this incident.

"We need to confirm he's keeping our property safe."

By 'he', Damian clearly meant Park Jung-woo.

The returnee who had triumphed over the demons in war.

That was all Jin Su-hyuk currently knew about him, but Damian's reaction implied there was more.

Kuuuuung!!

Suddenly, a tremor like an earthquake was felt from afar.

The quake that began at Relic Fiesta had reached even this place.

"It's started."

The gate to the Demon Realm had been completed.

Unless someone used the "key" to close the gate or refrained from opening it, the magic array would not stop until it had drained all life in the area.

Of course, a powerful enough blow to annihilate the whole area could also break the magic array, but Damian knew Jung-woo wouldn't take such a route.

'Now, hurry up and close the gate.'

Letting the gate open was never part of the plan.

As Damian saw it, only Park Jung-woo could use the key.

Would he be mad enough to open a gate that might let a top-rank demon through?

There was no way he would do something that could only benefit the demons.

So just close the gate already.

Damian waited, thinking that would be all the confirmation needed.

"...?"

But then, the gate opened.

This meant the guy had opened the Demon Realm's gate, summoning a top-rank demon to this world.

Even Damian hadn't expected this outcome.

***

Finding the "key" wasn't that difficult.

It had been hidden somewhere in the venue from the start, and its powerful demonic energy and packed-in life force made its presence obvious.

Anyone who missed it would practically be a fool.

By chance, the location where the magic array was being activated was also underground, so there was no need to wander.

"Park... Jung-woo. Even if you have stolen the key, it isn't something you can use...!"

The demon, writhing after being beaten down by me moments ago, shouted in a voice full of mockery.

I had spared him because I wanted to ask a few things, but hearing his attitude made me think it was a mistake.

'He doesn't seem to know anything.'

I'd thought that since he was an intermediate-rank demon, maybe he'd know something, but I was wrong.

If he did know something, he wouldn't have said those things to me.

It was clear he had only "basic" information about me.

"Kuhuhuh! Though I was too inexperienced to handle the key, it doesn't matter. You won't be able to destroy it either. If you try, the magic array will explode, a rift will occur, and swallow you all up. That would be delightful. No, I'd prefer it that way!!"

Judging by how he kept jabbering, he must still have some life left.

The demon who exploded and died just now seemed to know something, but this guy clearly didn't.

'So this is the Dragonbone, huh?'

I ignored the demon who kept yammering and looked at the key in my hand.

Dragonbone, a key made from literal dragon bones, looked unusually remarkable even at first glance.

Despite being called a key, I expected something small, but it was about the size of the staff Shin Ah-yeon carried around.

Its properties had been partially altered by the strong demonic energy, but it was undeniably a precious material, never to be found again in this world.

I slowly inserted it into the floor.

Oooooom!!

The very center of the Relic Fiesta venue.

The central point of the underground magic array.

This was exactly where the "keyhole" for opening the gate was located.

"H-h-how...?"

The demon who'd been mocking me looked on, flustered, as I used the key to interact with the magic array.

He clearly didn't think I could make use of the key.

"S-stop! Don't tell me you're going to close the gate!!"

The demon cried out urgently, but couldn't bear to attack me.

With both arms and legs broken, he could barely even move.

Now, if I closed the gate, the incident would end.

Damian would probably assume that's what I'd do.

'... But that really doesn't sit well with me.'

The moment I used the key, Damian's objective was already achieved.

His real aim wasn't summoning demons but confirming whether I satisfied the "conditions" for using the key.

'It's a waste of a Dragonbone anyway.'

If I forcibly closed the gate, the key would be destroyed.

If I opened it, all the life force in the key would be lost, but the key itself would remain.

'With all this demonic energy, but too little gathered life force, even if I'm lucky, I'd only be able to summon a lower-level top-rank demon, nothing more.'

That much would still give Soo-ah and Alencia enough to handle.

Even if they couldn't win, buying time until I surfaced should be possible.

'Alright.'

I made my decision quickly.

If I could get the Dragonbone and deal with a top-rank demon, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

And, above all, this would be far beyond what Damian had expected.

He could never have imagined that I'd summon a top-rank demon into this world.

That alone made it worth opening the gate.

Tsk!

I twisted the Dragonbone embedded in the ground to the right.

Along with that, my heart pulsed violently, spewing out intense demonic energy, and soon, tremendous power seeped into the key.

Ggrrk, ggegegegegegek!!

The space tore open, and from underground to the surface, pitch-black light smashed through everything in its path and soared into the sky.

Just like that...

Kuuuuung!!!

With a booming roar that shook the very space—

──the gate to the Demon Realm had opened.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

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