Chapter 1145 — Book 2: Chapter 342: What is your target, your end goal? (6)
12 min read ·
Choi Han and the Devil of Flames.
Aurora bit her lips after seeing the two of them fighting at the central plaza.
"We need to hurry!”
She started to rush her steps.
Chhhhhhh-
Her movements were light as she went down the cliff.
The nearby wind was helping her go down the cliff as if it was flat land.
“That guy, the Devil of Flames, is extremely tricky to handle!”
Aurora scowled at the young black Dragon's question.
“…The Devil of Flames, also known as the Young Noble of the Curtains.”
These were the names given to the guy in front of Choi Han.
Baaaaang! Bang, bang!
Explosions happened all around the village, destroying the buildings. As the villagers screeched and shouted for their lives…
The Demon King's soldiers that created this sight… They were all ruthless and showed no hesitation in their movements.
They destroyed and killed everything other than the living villagers.
"The Demon King's Army has a significant number of troops. There are many battalions within it.”
Shhhhhhh-
Aurora could not even feel the wind brushing past her cheeks as she focused only on the village.
"There are Eight Special Regiments within it.” (TL: Author uses Army but it sounds weird to have Eight Special Armies within the Demon King's Army so Regiments it is.)
The Eight Regiments were known as the Demon King's daggers.
“The Devil of Flames, Viscount Deshuran, is in charge of the Sixth Regiment.”
Viscount Deshuran.
“He is not a knight, swordsman, or a mage.”
However, he was still in charge of one of the Eight Regiments.
Viscount Deshuran, the man in front of Choi Han…
He looked like a true noble who did not seem to fit into this cruel environment.
‘Yeah. One of the nicknames he has is that of a young noble.’
He always carried a book and his movements and actions were full of elegance.
“…As for us, we call him the crazy dog.”
The crazy dog of the Demon King.
The man who can do anything.
“Survival of the fittest. The Demon World, especially the Demon King’s Army, respects the strong.”
Raon suddenly thought of the Demon Cult from the Central Plains.
“Deshuran was accepted in such a place.”
His blind loyalty toward the current Demon King.
Furthermore- his power-
“He is an Illusionist.”
He was someone who showed dreadful illusions to all who opposed the Demon King.
“However, he does not just show them illusions. He is not showing them fake things.”
His illusion arts-
“The real thing. He is someone who makes real things happen.”
He did not have a single drop of blood on his hands.
This young noble turned everything gruesome without getting a single drop of blood on his fingertips or clothes.
“Ah.”
Aurora scowled and she gasped.
Chhhhhh-
Viscount Deshuran's book floated up and opened.
And-
Tap!
The moment the book closed…
Boom!
The ground shook so much that they could feel it despite their distance and a formidable amount of grey mana shot up from Deshuran.
That grey mana then charged toward Choi Han.
The moment that mana touches him-
“Illusion-”
No.
“A terrible nightmare will turn into reality!”
Choi Han. ‘It will affect him.
We need to stop that!’
Aurora started to move even faster.
Oooooo-
She was subconsciously releasing a grey aura from feeling so anxious.
It could not be helped.
Cale Henituse.
Choi Han, who came with him… She could not let this person get hurt or die here.
Count Ruiphe and the disappeared members of the Demonic race…
She might be able to find some clues as to how to save them and change the current Demon World from this Cale Henituse.
She could not destroy this chance.
In her opinion, she absolutely could not allow an important helper, someone who was going to be her ally, to get hurt.
‘I'll save him.’
Cale Henituse had told her to follow behind them and hide her identity, but…
The leader of the Sixth Regiment, the Devil of Flames…
Aurora decided that she would have to be okay with the enemies figuring out her identity in order to fight against this man.
‘I'll even deal with the chances of our headquarters being discovered.
Saving this guy comes first.’
No matter how strong Choi Han may be…
Deshuran would not be an easy opponent.
‘This is the Demon World.’
In a place where the mana of the Demon World existed, as a human swordmaster, it should be difficult for him to face a member of the Demonic race.
Furthermore, although Choi Han looked strong, there should be no way for him to defeat someone like Viscount Deshuran, who has lived for almost three hundred years.
Their years of experience were too different.
‘It will be difficult for Choi Han to handle Deshuran.
So I will step up.
Yeah. Who cares about my headquarters when we saw all these villagers getting captured?’
Aurora firmed her resolve.
“Definitely-”
As she mumbled in a low voice…
“Umm, Aurora-nim-”
It was Cale.
‘Yeah. I'm sure this person is even more worried about Choi Han than I am.’
Aurora calmed herself and looked toward Cale.
She then made eye contact with him.
Cale then continued to speak.
“Please put the mask on properly.”
“…….”
“You can see your hair in the back.”
Cale gently added on as Aurora silently stood there.
“Aren’t you the most famous one here, Aurora-nim? It would be best to hide everything properly.”
‘Huh?
Is he not worried about Choi Han at all?’
Choi Han.
Wasn’t he Cale Henituse's knight?
Cotton had reported about Choi Han to her.
< Cale Henituse has numerous subordinates, but I believe that Choi Han is the only one with a true liege and knight relationship with Cale Henituse. >
Choi Han and Cale Henituse.
She was told that the two of their relationship was as firm as Raon and Cale’s relationship.
‘Choi Han is a swordsman.
Illusionists were the worst possible enemies for such a person.’
Aurora subconsciously asked.
“Is this okay?”
Cale slowly asked back…
“Is what okay?”
Aurora saw it at that moment.
She saw Cale's gentle smile slowly start to twist up.
An unexplainable coldness wrapped around her once she noticed it.
< When I last checked, Choi Han was at the level of a sword master. However, he looked ready to reach the Grand Sword Master level at any moment. >
Cotton's report.
< However, I have not been able to confirm how much stronger Choi Han has gotten. I have no idea as to how he has grown at all. >
Cotton’s memories of Choi Han were from their battle against the White Star.
As a result, Aurora also thought Choi Han was only around that level.
Cale smiled and asked.
“So that grey mana is an illusion?
Pfft.”
Cale could not hide his chuckle.
"Do you think that it will be able to reach Choi Han?”
It was at that moment.
“!”
Aurora flinched and urgently turned her head.
Baaaaaaaaaaang—!
She saw something black shoot up with a loud explosion.
It was a Dragon.
It looked different from the Dragons she knew, but this thing definitely resembled a Dragon.
It was coming from Choi Han’s sword, no, from his body.
* * *
The moment the smoke-like thick grey mana shot toward Choi Han…
“I'll just have to look through your mind to figure out who you are.”
‘Who is he?’
As Viscount Deshuran tried to extend his illusion toward the man who did not answer his question…
The moment he made up his mind to punish this human who dared to point his sword at him…
Baaaaaaaaaaang—!
A black Dragon shot up into the air.
Choi Han had black hair and black eyes.
He was looking not at Viscount Deshuran but in the distance.
He could see his friends coming over wearing black outfits.
– Choi Han! She said illusions!
He heard Raon's voice.
– He supposedly turns dreadful nightmares into reality!
Shhhhhhh-
He got chills on the back of his hands.
His body was sending a warning after facing an instinctual malice.
The grey mana…
The grey spider-web-like smoke came toward him.
It felt as if this grey mana would enter his body if he took a breath.
‘This grey mana shows an illusion and that illusion is a dreadful nightmare-
Is that nightmare going to make me feel real pain once my mind believes that the nightmare is real?
Is that what they mean by turning the nightmare into reality?’
Choi Han had no interest in whether his assessment was correct.
Tap.
He just charged forward.
He ran toward the grey mana.
“…….”
One of Viscount Deshuran's eyebrows rose up.
“Ha.”
He let out a sneer-like scoff.
He seemed to find this ridiculous.
The Demon King's knights had gathered around his grey mana.
But nobody could step into the area where Choi Han and Viscount Deshuran were standing.
They did not want to face that dreadful nightmare.
Chhhhhh-
Deshuran waved his hand and his book opened again.
Ominous text poured out of the book and started to float into the air.
“For a human, you have quite the strong aura, but… That is useless as the nightmare will still reside by your side.”
The grey mana touched Choi Han’s body that was covered in black aura.
“Fuck!”
Aurora scowled as she entered the village.
Shhhhhhh-
The grey mana almost instantly swallowed up Choi Han and the black yong.
Viscount Deshuran closed his book again as he spoke.
– Domain Proclamation.
His voice sounded odd.
It felt as if his voice was echoing inside a lake.
– The Garden of Nightmares.
It sounded dull but also as if he was whispering right by your ears.
“We're too la-!”
Aurora felt her legs go weak.
This Domain Proclamation…
Followed by The Garden of Nightmares. Choi Han would now face a nightmare.
The power that made Viscount Deshuran a nightmare-like existence toward the numerous enemies of his beloved Demon King…
Regardless of how strong someone was, they would be in pain once they entered this domain.
The strategy to fight against Deshuran was to not enter this domain and attack from a distance. Another way was to ambush him and aim for an opening.
However, Choi Han did not do any of that.
He looked helpless as he entered the domain….
‘He walked in on his own accord-’
Aurora flinched in the middle of her thought.
‘Yeah.
Choi Han had walked in on his own accord.
‘Why?’
Aurora suddenly thought of Cale's cold smile.
“!”
It was at that moment.
Screeeech—
An odd rumbling could be felt coming from the Garden of Nightmares.
“Ugh!”
Deshuran let out a groan.
Chhhhhhh–
His book opened in the air again.
The pages flipped without any rest.
“Ah-”
The moment Aurora gasped…
Baaaaaang-
The same sound from earlier echoed out and the half circle that was covered in grey mana, making them unable to see anything, was ripped apart.
The black yong ripped through the grey to reveal itself.
Aurora heard Raon happily talking to himself.
“Aura isn't all that Choi Han has!”
Cale smiled and leisurely headed toward the center of the village.
– As expected. That punk’s aura domain is amazing.
He heard the Dominating Aura's voice.
The Blood Cult they faced in the Central Plains…
Choi Han had developed this power while fighting against the Blood Demon.
That power was extremely minor compared to his violent black aura.
It was hard to see it when it was swept up by his black aura.
– As expected, there’s no instability at all.
Choi Han’s aura domain had firmly pushed forward even against the Blood Demon’s immense aura.
That aura domain allowed Choi Han to no longer kneel against the pressures released by strong individuals.
Would Choi Han’s aura domain, which managed to resist against the power of the leader of one of the Hunter households, fall under the mere illusion of the leader of the Sixth Regiment?
No matter how strong this guy was, his foundation was in illusions.
Despite being small, Choi Han's power was one that did not shake or falter and persisted through. With such an aura domain surrounding Choi Han, nightmares?
– Nightmares my ass. How can another aura infiltrate a guy surrounded by that aura domain?
The Dominating Aura mumbled in disbelief.
– Choi Han. His aura domain is as stubborn and headstrong as himself.
Choi Han and Cale were different.
Cale’s aura and Choi Han’s aura domain were also very different at their foundation.
Someone who walked forward without faltering despite the situation.
No.
This was the path created by the person who protected himself and his name, Choi Han, despite living what felt like an endless number of years and surviving through all sorts of situations that made him falter.
How could something like that be shaken by mere nightmares?
"Also-”
Cale mumbled in a low voice.
“This situation-”
This situation was probably already bringing up nightmares for Choi Han.
But Cale could not say that part out loud.
Cale was different from Choi Han.
But he was probably the person who knew the most about the life that Choi Han had experienced.
He knew that seeing this village like this, which would remind Choi Han about the moment Harris Village was destroyed, would already feel like a nightmare.
But to create more nightmares in such a situation?
What nonsense.
Cale watched as the grey mana split and scattered.
Chhhhhhh–
The pages of the book were flipping frantically as if it didn't know what to do.
“How-?!”
Viscount Deshuran scowled.
He may be the head of the Sixth Regiment, but this match up with Choi Han was not a good one for him.
Maybe the results would be hard to determine if he tried to fight with strength rather than illusions.
Baaaaaang-
Cale watched as Choi Han quickly approached Deshuran through the gap in the ripped grey mana.
He could see Choi Han’s aura domain slowly revealing itself inside the violent black aura.
Despite being thin and faint, this extremely sturdy aura domain wrapped all around Choi Han's body to stop the grey mana.
‘Hmm?
Cale made eye contact with Choi Han at that moment.
As Cale felt an unexplainable sense of leeriness, Choi Han had already looked away from Cale and moved right in front of Viscount Deshuran.
“……!”
As Viscount Deshuran's elegant look disappeared and his eyes opened wide…
Choi Han opened his mouth.
“Who am I?”
He let out a chuckle.
This village that reminded him of Harris Village…
To think that the day would come where he would say something like this while looking at a miserable sight like this…
But Choi Han was still rational.
He clearly saw the outfit Cale and the others were wearing.
He opened his mouth again.
“We. Are. Arm.”
His voice was quite loud.
It allowed Cale to clearly hear him as well.
Cale subconsciously stopped walking.
– Human, human! Choi Han is showing his extremely terrible acting skills again!
Raon could not hide his shock.
Cale felt the same way.
—
Translator's Comments
Poor Choi Han lost his acting chops because he hasn't had a chance to practice in a while.
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