Chapter 121: Convergence (4)

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“……”

Besha wiped the blood from his lips.

As he slowly lifted his head, he saw Carl looking down at him with cold eyes.

‘Hmm.’

Besha tilted his head.

Where had someone like this come from?

He stood out distinctly from the usual figures of the underworld.

He had even thrown a wrench into their plan to infiltrate the Empire’s shadows and expand their influence.

‘Who would have thought he’d manage to recruit Dirsen.’

They had judged that Dirsen’s side would be easier to use.

But to eliminate Turgar’s faction entirely would have been too costly, so they had reluctantly made contact with Turgar, the second-in-command of Lahan.

However, Turgar threatened them, saying he’d rather die than make a pact with demons.

So they used demonic brainwashing to charm his mind and make him perceive them as loyal subordinates.

The outcome differed slightly from the original plan, but since the overall flow remained the same, they hadn’t paid it much mind.

That was, until Dirsen suddenly changed his stance and began moving aggressively.

‘It was a mistake to focus solely on external expansion without considering internal matters.’

How far could Dirsen possibly go?

Lahan’s core faction had already sided with Turgar.

Even if he had the bloodline of the boss, how could someone without charisma unite the underworld’s organizations?

Especially when Turgar had their backing.

Even the average underworld syndicate could be wiped out in a single night if the Demon Humans stepped in.

They had received power directly from demons and couldn’t be killed through ordinary means.

The fact that he was still alive and moving despite the fatal injury Carl had inflicted was proof of that.

Swish.

Besha, having instantly healed his wounds, straightened his disheveled appearance and rose to his feet.

His clothes were tattered and torn to rags, but he opened his mouth without losing his dignity.

“How curious. Are you truly not a contractor like us?”

Besha’s gaze shifted to Carl’s arm.

It was the wound he had pierced with his demonic energy just moments ago.

While it was healing, the speed was notably slow.

Even for a lower-grade Demon Human, it would be strange not to see visible regeneration by now.

‘So he really isn’t one of us?’

Besha looked at Carl with a fascinated expression.

The aura swirling around him resembled demonic energy too closely.

Had he made a contract with a derivative of a demon?

Either way, Besha was convinced there had to be some connection.

“Let me make a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“NOX had its reasons for recruiting Dirsen, didn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Carl nodded without hesitation.

It was all to devour the shadows of the Empire, starting with the Western Third Commercial District.

Besha raised his hand toward Carl.

“Let’s join forces. It doesn’t matter whether Dirsen or Turgar becomes the boss of Lahan. We don’t care about this Western Third Commercial District—we just need Lahan’s name. You can have the leadership of the organization, this whole district—everything.”

“You’ll give it all away? Then what is it that you want in return?”

“Our goal was never Lahan or this place to begin with. All we need is the name ‘Lahan.’ Once we achieve our purpose, we’ll leave this area immediately and move elsewhere.”

“Where do you plan to go?”

“Eastern Fourth District.”

“Eastern Fourth District, huh…”

Carl stroked the edge of his mask.

That was a region even he didn’t know much about.

Due to the underworld’s secretive nature, specific information about other districts rarely circulated to the surface.

That was why they were targeting Lahan, the dominant force in the Western Third Commercial District.

‘The provinces aren’t a problem—it’s all about the battle in the capital.’

In the provinces of the Empire, branches were actively being established and influence was spreading through various enterprises.

Such regions could be suppressed with NOX’s power alone, so they posed little issue.

But the capital was different.

If even breaching the outskirts proved this difficult, when would they ever manage to infiltrate it?

“……”

Carl absentmindedly fiddled with his mask as he sank into thought.

What were the Demon Humans so desperate to do that they needed to borrow the name of Lahan?

What connection did the Eastern Fourth District hold that made it worth such effort?

But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t find the answer, so he slowly raised his head.

“So that’s what this is about.”

“…You knew?”

“You seem to underestimate NOX’s intelligence network.”

Carl snorted, pretending to be relaxed.

Fortunately, the opponent had taken the bait he had thrown without much thought.

“Indeed. That is something important to us as well. It holds symbolic value, after all.”

Besha nodded with a serious expression as he replied.

“So we’ve been trying to find a way to make contact from different angles, but it’s been quite troublesome. To the point where we have to resort to such a tedious method.”

Carl narrowed his eyes.

‘A person? No, perhaps a specific object?’

It didn’t seem to be a concept or abstract entity.

In other words, the Demon Humans were trying to enter the Eastern Fourth District to obtain something that truly existed.

Most likely, it was something related to Demon Humans—or even to demons themselves.

“NOX’s goal is to expand its power in the shadows of Polfoardel. Ours is simply to enter the Eastern Fourth District. So let’s join hands.”

“Hmph.”

“If you want, I’ll even sign a mana oath. You know the binding power of those oaths, don’t you? There’ll be no fear of betrayal.”

Carl hesitated for a moment.

Seeing the conflict on his face, Besha sent a gaze tinged with a deep smile.

But in the next moment, Carl’s sword swept through the space between them like a flash of lightning.

Slice.

Besha’s head flew into the air.

Suspended midair, his wide-open eyes glared at Carl.

Carl looked at Besha’s severed head and gave a faint smile.

“If I can monopolize both this place and the Fourth District, there’s no reason to share.”

It was obvious he would be betrayed eventually.

He had no intention of hugging a ticking time bomb just for temporary convenience.

Ch-chk.

Just as Besha’s mouth began to open.

Carl swung his sword with brutal force, slicing Besha’s body apart.

As if he didn’t intend to leave even a trace behind, the body was split into dozens of pieces.

With his body in shreds, Besha twisted his face and screamed.

“…You bastard!”

Fwoosh!

A dark current surged from the ground and devoured Besha’s severed head and body.

A moment later, Besha returned to his original form and let out a voice drenched in fury.

“You have no courtesy or dignity! I maintained decorum because I sensed the energy of a kindred spirit, and yet—this is why one should never converse with ignorant humans!”

“Aren’t you human too?”

When Carl shrugged and retorted, Besha roared.

“I am a Demon Human! I am nothing like inferior humans!”

Carl chuckled at those words.

“So in the end, you still cling to your slave mentality. You’re dependent on others for your existence and find comfort in that? How pathetic.”

“Silence!”

“I wonder what makes you better than the dog chained in front of its kennel. At least that dog can break its leash on its own, but you…”

Carl let out a dry laugh and shook his head.

Fwoooosh!

At the same time, he unleashed the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to suppress Besha.

‘I’ve got a rough idea now.’

He had finished roughly gauging the enemy’s strength and level.

He was curious what exactly they were after in the Eastern Fourth District, but that could wait until after he took Lahan.

‘They say those who make contracts with demons offer their souls in exchange.’

In other words, they were nothing more than toys for the demons.

The fact that he brought up a contract must mean there was a loophole he could exploit.

Boom.

Not backing down, Besha released his demonic energy to confront Carl.

Whether it was from unsealing his suppressed power or something else, a dark red aura surged and engulfed the area.

His skin turned pitch-black, and small horns sprouted from his head.

To Carl, his appearance had become grotesque in more ways than one.

“You’re not even human anymore.”

“How long do you plan to keep that smug look on your face?”

Thud.

With that alien voice, Besha stomped the ground.

A speed incomparable to before.

Carl glanced around and then swung his sword toward the void.

Clang!

Two bursts of demonic energy collided, releasing a powerful shockwave.

The already unstable buildings of Lahan were completely devastated.

Those who hadn’t evacuated in time screamed as they were buried, but no one stepped forward to help.

Swish.

Besha, having been blown away by the clash with Carl, kicked off again and accelerated.

By moving rapidly and disturbing Carl’s vision, he intended to scatter his focus.

Whirr.

Carl lightly swung his sword to steady its edge and raised his head with a faint smile.

“How amusing.”

The demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, which had been surging, began to subside.

When the flickering shadow of flame finally receded into his sword—

Slide.

Carl’s body melted into the darkness.

In contrast to Besha’s extreme motion, everything around Carl was deathly still.

“Such petty tricks!”

Boom!

An explosion of demonic energy swept through the area.

If he had melted into darkness, then all he had to do was obliterate the darkness itself.

The already collapsed rubble was blasted apart, scattering debris in all directions.

……

Clinging to the wall of a building, Besha sharply scanned the surroundings.

No matter how well someone masked their presence, they couldn’t escape his Magic Eye.

‘I see it.’

The traces of movement the bastard had left.

Fragments of that pitch-black demonic energy had trailed off in every direction, all eventually converging back on him—

Thunk!

Besha’s eyes widened as a chilling sensation pierced through his chest.

He had chased the trace lingering in the air only to realize too late that Carl had slipped into his blind spot.

“What fascinating eyes you have.”

Carl whispered into Besha’s ear.

Just moments ago, Besha’s gaze had clearly tracked his movements by following the footprints left behind.

It seemed he had read the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art—was it that both Carl’s and Besha’s demonic energies resonated in some way?

“You… bastard!!!”

The fact that Besha was writhing in resistance even as the sword burned him with demonic fire from within was proof enough.

Clicking his tongue, Carl twisted the blade and withdrew the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

Crack—

“…?!”

Separate from the blazing heat that had seemed ready to consume everything, an icy chill suddenly enveloped Besha’s body.

Sensing something ominous, he tried to flee the spot even at a loss, but Carl’s sword surged first with Extreme Yin Energy.

Crrrack.

From the pierced area in his chest, everything began to freeze solid.

Even a Demon Human would be immobilized if frozen.

Of course, due to their absurd vitality, it wouldn’t kill them—but it would leave them utterly incapacitated.

“…Th-this…”

Besha’s jaw trembled violently.

His body couldn’t adapt to the unbearable cold that followed right after the hellish heat.

Fwoosh.

Carl poured the Extreme Yin Energy of the Bright Heaven Divine Art into Besha’s body.

Once he confirmed that Besha could no longer move, he let go of his sword.

“Well then.”

Tap.

Carl reached out, grabbed Besha’s head, and smiled.

“Let’s see just what kind of bastard is inside you.”

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