NOVEL WEB Ch. 149
Chapter 149: Demons (5)
“Kyaaaah!”
“A, aaaaah!”
“It’s not an event! It’s not…”
“Get out of the way! I need to leave! Move!”
“Guards! Where are the guards!”
In an instant, the ballroom turned into chaos. People screamed, ran, and stumbled in panic.
Few remained calm.
This was a gathering of Crove Kingdom’s most influential figures.
It should have been heavily guarded, but ironically, the assumption that no one would dare cause trouble in such a prestigious place was widespread.
Not just the partying guests but even the guards shared this mindset, their faces flushed from drink as they scrambled to find their charges.
Meanwhile, the falling snowflakes continued transforming into bizarre snowman-skeleton hybrids.
Clack—
Clack, clack!
Swish—!
Crunch!
“Aaaaah!”
With an eerie laugh, a greatsword sliced through the air. More a blunt club than a blade, it shattered a noble’s waist. The man bled profusely, writhing in agony, as foul excretions leaked from his groin.
Normally, this would have been a mortifying scandal, but no one here cared. Such scenes were unfolding everywhere in the ballroom.
Clack—clack!
Drag…
Slash-slash-slash-slash-slash!
“Aaah! Aa, aaaaah!”
Snowman rogues dragged a lovely noblewoman and brutally hacked her apart.
Heehee.
Hee, heehee!
Stab-stab-stab-stab-stab!
“Aaaaah! Someone, save me…”
Chop!
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
Snowman torturers pinned a drunken man to a chair, tormenting him with various tools.
Other gruesome, horrific scenes unfolded everywhere.
It was as if hell had descended upon the mortal world.
“What… is this?”
Sheratiya muttered, her expression vacant.
Her eyes were dazed, as if in a dream.
It was only natural.
She’d been swept up in the ballroom’s ambiance, her vision blurred from drink.
What she saw were swirling snowflakes, splattering blood, human screams, and the creatures’ laughter.
All utterly unreal.
“Ah…”
Thud.
Unable to accept reality, Sheratiya fainted on the spot.
Seeing this, Maria, with a look of relief, called her subordinates.
“Berion! Michelle!”
“Yes, Boss!”
“Yes, Boss!”
“You, take Lady Viyan and evacuate her quickly. You, clear a path. Once her safety’s secured, call in all our people outside. Tell them an incident’s occurred inside. Arm up, stay sharp, no need for more explanation!”
“Yes, understood!”
“Yes, understood!”
With disciplined, military-like movements, the mafia members saluted and vanished.
It was only natural. Many here were tied to them through direct or indirect business. Even without that, saving people now would boost their standing later. Maria made such calculations as she swiftly drew her sword.
Wooong—!
Her rank was Godok 30, the lowest.
But that was only in the village. As a Graduate, she was among the strongest in the ballroom. When she unleashed a complete pale-gray Aura Sword, relieved cries erupted from the crowd.
“There!”
“Miss Maria! Over here, here! Protect us!”
“Those crazy snowman bastards!”
“On my way!”
Thud!
Maria launched forward with a powerful step.
Several snowmen blocked her charge. Drenched in blood and filth, these dark creatures exuded a grotesque aura. They attacked with precision, as if trained in martial arts.
She didn’t care.
Infusing her sword with stronger aura, Maria unleashed a horizontal slash with a shout.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
A terrifying force, as if cleaving the world in two!
Six snowman soldiers were bisected in one stroke.
Yet they still wriggled tenaciously, but knights, finally moving, began chopping them into pieces. Some nobles, terrified, stomped on the creatures’ remains.
Crunch! Crunch!
“Die! Die, you vermin!”
“Damn it! If only Lord Juberroa Schmitz were here!”
Maria, the mafia boss, fought brilliantly.
Knights, a beat late, did their duty.
Mafia members from outside began joining.
Despite their combined efforts, the situation didn’t resolve easily.
It was inevitable. The magician, Craig, cackled maniacally at the ballroom’s center.
Each wave of his staff brought more snowflakes, all turning into snowman soldiers emitting eerie laughs.
He was the key.
Stopping him was the only way to end this chaos.
The problem was the dozens of snowman soldiers forming a barricade around Craig.
‘…He seems like a formidable opponent.’
Maria frowned.
In the outside world, she was among the strong, but she couldn’t defeat everyone. Juberroa Schmitz, the First-Class Demon Inquisitor, was far stronger, and Crove Kingdom was full of others who surpassed her. This Craig likely was one.
Fortunately, they had one such overwhelming powerhouse on their side.
“Harang!”
After cutting down three snowmen, Maria called out to the black-haired youth.
Once her most feared enemy.
Now, the most reliable ally, Godok Rank 1.
Finally, he moved.
With Sheratiya Viyan out of the way, no one could stop Harang.
“Hm!”
He summoned all his strength. Amplified by Delkaro’s Aura Cultivation Method, his aura flooded his sword like a torrent. A lesser swordsman would have lost control, scattering it into the air, but Harang didn’t. He harnessed that immense power, forging it into a complete aura.
Wooong—!
The pale-gray Aura Sword emerged.
It was too massive to call a sword.
A beam of light soaring as if to touch the ballroom’s high ceiling!
Gripping it with both hands, Harang shouted to Maria.
“Maria! The people!”
“Got it!”
Clear the people from the attack path.
Understanding instantly, Maria swiftly knocked aside several nobles. There was no time for polite escorting—a brilliant choice.
A moment later, and they’d have been pulverized by Harang’s aura.
That’s how it was.
The aura strike Harang unleashed boasted such devastating power.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
A primary explosion.
Followed by a shockwave.
It was like a volcano erupting.
Most couldn’t look directly at Harang’s attack. Protecting themselves from the light, heat, and sharp stone fragments was overwhelming. Even knights and mafia members struggled.
Only Maria clearly saw the result of his single strike.
Magician Craig and dozens of snowman soldiers—obliterated in one blow.
That was the miraculous outcome Harang achieved alone.
“…You’ve gotten stronger.”
With a briefly hollow expression, she muttered bitterly.
It was unbelievable.
No, she didn’t want to believe it.
As she’d said, she hadn’t been idle. Since escaping that damned village and meeting precious people, she’d swung her sword every day, heedless of others’ rest or sleep.
But compared to Harang’s growth, her progress was like an ant’s crawl.
Realizing this again, Maria cursed under her breath.
“Damn it.”
She felt awful.
She was annoyed at herself for being crushed by inferiority and showing ugly jealousy.
And annoyed at her situation, unable to express that frustration freely.
Before the dust settled, she had to perfectly manage her expression and face Harang.
Falling out with such a powerhouse was unthinkable.
She knew better than anyone that she couldn’t protect her organization with her strength alone.
‘So, I have to smile.’
Like she did before Crove’s elites.
Like she did for Juberroa Schmitz.
In front of Harang, she had to smile brightly, innocently, as if untouched by jealousy.
…That’s what she was thinking when—
Whoosh—!
Something sharp pierced through the unsettled dust.
Terrifying speed. Though a Graduate, Maria couldn’t even think of blocking the black, sinister object. In that instant, her horrific life flashed before her eyes.
Boom!
“…Ah!”
“Snap out of it.”
But Maria’s life didn’t end there.
Harang, who’d reached her in time, deflected the dark energy.
It wasn’t easy.
He looked at his sword hand.
‘Considerable power.’
His finger joints ached with a pain he hadn’t felt even when sparring with most Graduates.
Harang looked ahead.
The dust was clearing.
The scene should have been melted snowmen and Craig’s corpse fragments, but a grotesque sight awaited instead.
A dark ritual.
As if drawn by gravity, corpses had been pulled to the ballroom’s center, their blood forming a reverse pentagram black magic circle. At its heart sat a throne made of chopped flesh, upon which a faceless black figure rested.
He stood.
That alone caused half the survivors to faint on the spot. The other half groaned, as if under mental assault, struggling against the darkness. Maria, too, grimaced, fighting to resist.
Only Harang remained unaffected.
He recalled the past. He’d faced a similar situation before.
‘An ancient dungeon!’
The demon-like being he’d met there exuded a similar aura.
Harang’s mouth opened naturally.
“A demon?”
“No.”
The black figure answered.
“I am Greg Pellegrino. Commonly known as the Red Magician.”