Sungchul headed towards the top of the blue tower, and no one dared to cross his path. The battle of Elijah and the High Devil of the blue tower awaited him on the top floor. By the time he arrived, the conclusion had already been drawn. The High Devil with the head of a fly seemed to be unscathed while Elijah Breggas was tired and on the defensive. There was a black colored marble rolling by his feet.
“Regardless of your schemes, you cannot win at your level of strength.”
The High Devil who had been flying in the air landed in front of Elijah. He was close enough that Elijah could reach out and touch him, but Elijah could not respond. There wasn’t even enough strength left in his body to lift a finger.
‘Shit. Is it because I only managed to find a single marble? I should have listened to the bastard and gathered at least 3.’
The information regarding the marbles sealing the strength of the High Devils turned out to be true. It acted as a sponge for the oppressive amounts of Magic Power that sustained their bodies, but it wasn’t nearly enough with a single marble.
The twisted man had recommended Elijah to wait until he had gathered at least three marbles, but the news of the death of the High Devil Troupe had spread panic among the residents of the towers. Elijah felt like he was running out of time, and so he challenged the High Devil before he was ready. As a result, he was defeated. Elijah who was out of Mana and stamina couldn’t do anything but watch the Devil approach him.
It was at this moment that the massive doorway to the High Devil’s room burst open, and the atmosphere of the room changed instantly. The one who entered the room was none other than the Enemy of the World.
“…”
Sungchul looked around the surroundings with disinterest and walked over to their direction while Sophia and Bertelgia followed behind him. Sophia recognized Elijah and shouted,
“Brother!”
The High Devil who had been preparing to deliver the final blow unconsciously stepped back. He could feel a fearsome hostility and fighting spirit radiating from Sungchul’s body that he hadn’t felt before.
‘Could it be… Was he the one who killed the High Devil Troupe along with the other High Devils?’
If that was the case, it didn’t matter what happened to the pathetic human standing before him. The High Devil looked towards Sungchul and said,
“Why have you returned to this place?”
Sungchul did not answer. He took a step back and simply crossed his arms as he observed Elijah and the High Devil. It was an unspoken sign that signified that he had no intention to interfere.
The cunning High Devil understood Sungchul’s intent and turned his hideous fly head towards Elijah once again. It wasn’t possible to actually know whether the High Devil was smiling or not, but he was definitely laughing.
“Kekeke… Have you been cast aside?”
“….”
Elijah’s face grew twisted. He had nothing to say. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t him that was abandoned, but rather he who abandoned them.
The High Devil took another step closer. In between the fancy robes reminiscent of a judge’s gown, the mutilated hand of a corpse shot out. It held a large spoon in its hand.
“I’ll suck your brain while you’re alive!”
Elijah pulled out his blade and faced off against the High Devil, but the conclusion was quite obvious. He wouldn’t last much longer. Sophia who noticed Elijah fighting for his life let out a short scream and quickly approached Sungchul.
“I beg of you. Please save my brother.”
It was the first time when she had lowered her head to him.
“….”
However, Sungchul did not respond verbally or physically. Sophia grew panicked and began fidgeting with her arms. Fortunately, she managed to quickly take a deep breath and pleaded to Sungchul once again.
“I’ll do anything, if it will save my brother. Please. Please save him! You have the power to do so.”
“…It was his personal decision. I have no obligation to intervene.”
Sungchul spoke bluntly wasting no words.
A dark shadow passed by Sophia’s eyes. She could see with a glance that he wasn’t to be persuaded, and so she bit down on her lower lip and bowed her head once again. Her slim form was trembling slightly. She turned to face the High Devil as she drew her blade.
“… I have no excuse. I have shown you something shameful.”
“…”
“I am grateful for your help this far.”
Sophia turned again towards Sungchul and gave a polite nod before rushing towards the High Devil. Sungchul’s eye lit up with interest.
‘She was unexpectedly a good kid.’
If it had been anyone else, they might have shouted profanities towards him before leaving. It was human nature to resent a single moment of refusal regardless of the amount of generosity shown before. However, Sophia Breggas was better than most regarding this. This should be a natural etiquette, but there weren’t many good people in Other World.
“Hmm.”
Bertelgia began to circle around Sungchul’s back as though she had something to say.
“What is it?”
Sungchul asked without taking his eyes off of Sophia who was wielding Cryomancy against the High Devil.
“That woman. She doesn’t look so bad. She looks a lot more decent than that Elijah or whoever.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“Can’t you save her? You went out of your way to save that Sarasa or Sarada girl from before.”
“…”
“Is it because she’s not your type?”
“Stop blabbering nonsense before I tear you apart.”
“Hiii…”
Bertelgia was intimidated by Sungchul’s threat and backed away, shivering. Sunghcul turned back towards the battle when the annoying kid left his sight. Sophia was putting up a good fight, but it also seemed that she wouldn’t last much longer.
“Kekeke! Human trash! You’re skittering about without knowing your place!”
Terrifying swarms of giant flies flew out from his robe and enveloped Sophia.
“Ice Storm!”
She used a spell in an attempt to freeze the fly swarm, but there was no end to them as they kept on flying out of the High Devil’s robe. The flies managed to break through the spell and overwhelmed the siblings. Sophia’s sword danced gracefully while felling the flies, but Elijah was completely defenseless. She noticed Elijah’s crisis and ran towards his side, but unfortunately, the giant flies aiming towards her back managed to tackle her with their bodies.
“Ugh!”
Sophia let out a shout, but she soon regained her posture and managed to reach her brother’s side while repelling the swarm with magic. Fortunately, Elijah was still alive.
“Are you ok, brother?”
“…”
Elijah nodded weakly. The swarm of flies surrounded both of the siblings. Sophia looked at the countless flies circling them and instinctively knew that they had no chance of survival. Now that she was facing imminent death, she broke into a grin. She began reminiscing an unforgettable scene from her past.
“Do you remember? When we first met?”
She was a girl who lived with the pigs in the pigpen. A miracle came to visit this girl who had been looking after the livestock day after day without the possibility of a better future. Sophia could still remember the well-groomed boy standing in front of the pig pen with a shocked expression on his face.
“…”
Elijah didn’t respond. It was because the situation didn’t call for such leisurely conversation, but Sophia seemed to have a lot on her mind. She knew better than anyone that they would not have much more opportunities to have a conversation like this.
“There were swarms of flies around us then too, though none of them were this big!”
She began to laugh openly as though something was funny to her.
A few swarms of flies let loose a fierce attack. Sophia sliced through them with her blade leaving their halves on the floor, but there was still hundreds more flying around her.
“I’ll break through the front.”
Sophia spoke resolutely.
“When I do, run to the Enemy of the World, brother. Get on your knees before his feet and beg for your life.”
“Sophia…”
“That’s the only way for brother to survive.”
As soon as the words left her lips, Sophia poured the last ounce of her magic into a fierce magical assault to attack the swarm. The fearsome storm of frost roared as though it would freeze the entire room of the gigantic High Devil. Elijah ran out as the swarm of flies began to falter.
Sophia looked towards his retreating figure and allowed herself a quiet smile, but the swarm of flies quickly swallowed her up. Elijah clenched his eyes as he ran over to Sungchul with all of his strength.
“….”
Sungchul looked at Elijah groveling before his feet with indifference.
“Please. Please help.”
“Who are you asking for me to save?” retorted Sungchul callously.
Elijah looked at him as though he didn’t understand, so Sungchul pointed his finger towards Sophia where the battle was still fiercely raging on.
“There? Or here?”
“T-that is…”
Elijah had nowhere to look. His eyes shook as he continued to stare at the ground. Sungchul walked past him with disappointment hanging densely in his eyes. Bertelgia flew past him as well but allowed herself a single cold word.
“Garbage.”
Sungchul walked towards the High Devil who retreated in surprise when it sensed his approach.
“W-what is it? Are you trying to challenge me as well?!”
The High Devils emaciated hand moved, and the countless flies swarming around Sophia began to attack Sungchul. But, their enemy this time was not on the same level.
Fal Garaz struck the air.
Boom!
The hammer when swung with his godlike strength, resulted in air waves that destroyed everything within its vicinity. The thousands of windows in the room shattered simultaneously and the eardrums of the human maggots spectating the battle ruptured while the swarm of flies in the air popped into a bloody mass.
“….”
Sungchul continued to approach the High Devil who had nothing left in his arsenal.
“N-negotiation! Let’s negotiate!”
The High Devil spoke in a panic, but it was already too late. Fal Garaz rose again in the air and then it fell. Sungchul put the smashed body of the High Devil behind him as he turned around. Sophia was lying on the floor; her body was riddled with injuries large and small. He approached her to gauge her condition. She was still breathing, but not for much longer.
Sungchul looked over at Elijah hurrying over to the High Devil’s corpse to loot the item on the floor with disinterest.
“Look! Sophia! High Devil! I got the item that can make me into a High Devil! Finally… I finally have the strength to get my revenge on that person!”
He was hopping about while shouting like a madman. Sophia’s dull eyes looked at that excited figure and smiled weakly.
“…Let’s go.”
Sungchul started to walk away.
“Weren’t you going to save her?”
Bertelgia asked sadly while following behind him.
“Her death here might be the greatest ending she could hope for. Just so that she could be spared from the hell that would await her from this point on.”
Sungchul let out a shallow sigh as he left the room. Meaningless cheers of celebration echoed out from the empty room of the High Devil
–
It was a usual day of training. Sungchul sought out a rundown bar for a bit of peace and quiet when he heard news of a new powerful Devil appearing in the Demon Realm. He seemed to have appeared in the area under the jurisdiction of the Storm Battlefront. This Devil threatening the Dwarven fortifications was powerful, but it was gaining more notoriety for its unusual appearance.
The Devil was terrible to behold as it bled from its empty eye sockets formed after it ripped its own eyes out. But it carried a corpse of a beautiful woman tied to its back. They say that this Devil seemed to shout some nonsense occasionally as he assaulted the Dwarven walls which people have assumed was the name of the woman hanging behind him.
“…”
Sungchul did not speak regarding this matter. Instead, he bought a bottle of alcohol and returned home.
‘It’s almost over.’
Sungchul felt the strong alcohol rumbling in his stomach as he looked toward the skyline of the Demon Realm.
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Bullshit of a brother ….
Garbage of a brother …
That is NOT a brother.
It seems Sungchul really is the calamity that will destroy the world.
Oh my god… yeah… Another tipping point.
In the end, he still didn’t realize just why he could become a High Devil, and threw away the person who loved him unconditionally for power.
Scum of a brother.
Thank you for the chapter!
Is there any foreshadowing that I missed for the demon and the corpse? Or are those two people the ones the MC was with?
you have one guy who’s mad about the idea of becoming a high devil and looted the corpse of a high devil (remember he has the quest book, so he gets the drop that can turn him into a high devil as well), and his sister who died to protect him. now suddenly there’s a new devil roaming around with the corpse of a woman on his book… how could those 2 events possibly be connected?
An honest plea from me to you: use your head a bit more than just for eating and similiar life preserving measures.
I missed the paragraph that was after the transition, got confused, then posted. Then re-read because I was missing something. u_u
It’s the second thing. I don’t understand how you missed it.
Reading too many game element stories and chinese novels, so I tend to skip a lot and since it’s all one page, I lost place ;~;
Mind sharing some of them with me?
Knowing this douche and his father, them meeting and her being raised that terribly was probably setup too, so she’d imprint on him and repay his ‘favor’.
Ugh, this author is killing. Whats the point of building up her character so much, only for her to die so soon.
Try to read Akame ga Kill then. You won’t like it if that’s your thought. The MC isn’t a Good Guy, and not the Nonsense “I will save Everyone” type character, the Author stay true to himself for letting the MC made this decision.
Ah. That hateful manga that makes someone die after a decent character development. I still can’t get over the glasses girl regularly who wields a big scissor.
And Lubo. Damn Lubo’s death is the most hateful one.
Aaaaand I don’t recall typing ‘regularly’ there. I hate mobile WordPress >.>
And let’s not forget that the character we all want to die live… Like his loli annoying girlfriend…
What would have been the point of saving her? She’d live in misery because of her devotion to her so-called “brother”. Killing the devil so she could die with the knowledge that she helped fulfill her beloveds dream is kinder.
That’s the whole point. Killing a character you got to know allows you to feel for them and actually makes the scenario meaningful. Here It also allows you to be able to infer more about the mc, he’s seen stuff like this a lot and has maybe saved people in similar situations.
I know what you mean. I’m not happy with Sungchul’s (and, to an extent, the author’s) decision :/
But there’s a reason Sungchul did what he did (it’s just hard to see because he doesn’t explain himself out loud or in his head): Sophia is too loyal to Elijah, and Elijah is crazy. He won’t give up until he becomes a High Devil. Either he’ll get killed in the process or he’ll become a twisted High Devil. Sophia is in for some serious suffering in either case. Sungchul can’t just slaughter all of the High Devils and take their items either, because that would f*ck all of the maggot-folk, who are mostly people trying to escape getting caught by the curse. So he just let Elijah get what he wants and allowed Sophia to die without suffering through any of those outcomes. We naturally want a happy ending, but given the amount of death Sungchul has suffered through his judgement isn’t clouded by the good feelings he’ll get in the short-term because he can see what’s on the horizon.
Even so, I’m still unhappy with the outcome (1) the author could easily have made Elijah plead for his sister or come to his senses and (2) Elias’ transition from “nice guy” to “crazy bastard who’s rejoicing so much that he doesn’t even care about his sister lying there bleeding out” is a bit too sudden to swallow. Why would he stop caring so quickly? Even if he got the High Devil item he’d realistically rush over to make sure she’s OK given how their relationship has been portrayed so far.
I get the feeling the author didn’t want to keep involving them in the story OR just really liked the idea of a tragic outcome where there’s a mysterious High Devil on the battlefield carrying a woman’s corpse (which is cool tbh, but still, the lead-up wasn’t convincing enough imo). It was defo a good arc, though.
> Elias’ transition from “nice guy” to “crazy bastard who’s rejoicing so much that he doesn’t even care about his sister lying there bleeding out” is a bit too sudden to swallow. Why would he stop caring so quickly?
At no point does he do anything for the sake of his sister, sans eating her food for comedy value.
The entire venture into the demon realm from the start was an act of suicide. At any point prior to this, he could have ran off with his sister and gone into hiding. He cared more about his social status than his life or his sister’s life.
I also like the part the siblings switched places in my mind. In the start the dude was cool and the girl was ‘bad’ in my point of view; but when they got to the demon lands it was the brother whom was driven to complete the book and the sister was just following along. Then at the demon city it was Sophia who pulled back from the power shown by Sungchul and, Elijah began having dark thoughts about how to use that kind of power for ‘self’ benefits.
Agreed with IronDoge’s comment below.
There’s no such thing as an author easily changing the scenario suddenly. That would ruin it. An author can only setup the circumstances which leads to a logical conclusion.
Both sibings were embarked on a suicidal mission and MC repeatedly gave them the opportunity to turn back, citing that there are obvious other choices. They just refused to take it. Note that what’s logical to you, may not be logical them. No one has the right to decide.
The sister made her choice given her emotional dependence on her brother.
The brother made his choice given his thirst for vengeance.
Just like when a broken family has a wife and child either staying or leaving an abusive alcoholic husband. Whether it’s love that binds them to that person, pure delusion, or finally getting fed up is up to that person.
Side note: “Abuse” isn’t necessarily just physical. It can be emotional as well.
What’s important in this story is for the MC to CONTINUE giving choices to people, and not be totally jaded and refuse to offer ANY opportunity like he did at the beginning of this novel.
I think the author is starting to realize just what a callous prick he made the MC out to be at the beginning, and is changing that.
Why mc didnt save the girl? He was doing her a favor as he mentioned to bertelgia.
She was living for her brother while the brother was consumed by revenge. She would never abandon him thus suffer watching him becoming more hideous both on inside and outside. If her death was not enough to wake him up then nothing would.
It is sad but unless she abandoned her brother or he revenge whatever the cost, she wouldn’t survive.
Thanks for the chapter.
I’m guessing that line mean the War about to reach an Ending.
dam. I really like how the author build her character. Really feel sad for her :/ what a brother.
Alas when one lost something already is when one realize the value of the thing that has been lost.
I don’t think he ever came to realize as he was long ‘corrupted’ by his madness for vengeance.
Meatbun Delivery~
Thank you for the chapter ( ●w●)
Poor sophia..
He became a High Devil, only to realize the mistake that he made. And without a doubt, he feels so much pain that he carries her body with him. Did he scratch his eyes out because he thought he didn’t deserve to look at her? I don’t know… really, as a brother and a human he was no good. I also like how the author showed that sungchul is afterall not an emotionless murder machine. It’s been shown a few times already but this time it also show that he is willing to be benevolent to those who deserve it and is thoughtful about the others’ feelings as he concluded that letting her die was her happy ending at ‘that’ moment. Her actions were foolish til the end, but I quite liked her developement as a character. She was one of the few humans who were reasonable. Til the very end… there was no greed at all.
You can tell the main character has seen a lot in the other world. I’m sure he’s always looking out for people who have good characters and he’s always sad when they are killed. He’s seen a lot of ugliness. When you’re at the top, you can only observe those below. I’m sure we’ll see him do this a lot as well as helping those with a good nature out.
Ah. That hateful manga that makes someone die after a decent character development. I still can’t get over the glasses girl regularly who wields a big scissor.
And Lubo. Damn Lubo’s death is the most hateful one.
Thanks for the chapter! I wonder why he ripped his own eyes out and such.
Thanks for the chapther! R.I.P Sophia! Salve do Brasil!
Thanks for the chapter.
Predictable.
Fools will be fools.
Thank you for the chapter.
Thanks for the chapter, well that was a sad ending for the arc, got to handed to the author he really knows how to make us care for the character and hate then later. Elija ending was pitfull indeed, wondering why he is attacking the dwarves though??
He always hate the dwarves even as a human
miss a chapter
Damn, I at least thought she would join up with the M/C and leave her foolish half brother.
Sigh, all those chapters of building her up, just to get a shitty death for her trash brother.
I know the M/C is not the hero type, but it’d be nice to see that on rare occasions for some good men and women who are trying to survive in this world. Maybe some strong future sidekicks as well, regardless of if he needs the help
Its not always the person I hate and the person I like switch like that. I guess the surface pleasentries is never an indication to deep seated douchness.
What a dumb chapter.
Damn. The ruthless protagonist tag wasn’t for decoration
I thought that was a pretty fun arc to read and a pretty good ‘tragedy’.
Sung was a real worthless piece of shit in this arc.
I kinda hate forced plots, where the author tries so hard to make it look dramatic but ends up being cliche and forced, this chapter is probably the best example for it, he could’ve at least saved the girl instead of spouting nonsense about their choice and their consequences, specially when they are much younger, with no experience or whatsoever to rely upon.