Chapter 199: The End of the Seven Collapsing Sages

Chapter 199: The End of the Seven Collapsing Sages

The moment Luk stepped into the Demon King's Castle, several loud thuds echoed through the air, like the sound of doors closing.

Luk, who had been paying close attention, counted seven distinct sounds.

Everything inside the Demon King's Castle resembled an old-school retro game, with a maze of winding corridors, treasure chests, and hidden enemies lurking in the shadows.

Using his Future Sight to navigate, Luk walked straight to the correct location and saw the first closed door. Standing in front of it was the first obstacle in his path.

"To be honest, I'm probably the only one among the Seven Collapsing Sages who doesn't hate this peaceful life of a demon."

The pale-skinned, ordinary-looking demon stood in front of him with a look of disdain.

"Humans are always the same. They only understand compromise after they've experienced the gap in power."

He let out a long sigh, followed by a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Come on, let's fight, destroy, and slaughter!"

"I am one of the Seven Collapsing Sages, the Undying Bezer!"

"Feel free to try and break through my magic!"

Luk's eyes darkened as he looked at the Seven Collapsing Sage, who seemed to be following a script like an NPC in a game.

"Aren't you all going to come at me together?"

"I can defeat you on my own; there's no need for the others to intervene," Bezer replied with a natural and smooth tone.

"Besides, when the hero comes to the Demon King's Castle and all the Seven Collapsing Sages are present, of course, you have to go through each level one by one."

His words seemed so matter-of-fact that it made Luk realize something was off. Pieces of information in his mind began to connect.

Demons were immortal, long-lived, and powerful. They lacked emotions and physical needs, and they didn't require much living space. Yet, they instinctively killed humans and attacked cities.

The Seven Collapsing Sages had a history of leaving the Demon King's Castle to destroy villages and cities, but the Demon King himself had never been known to step outside the castle, as if his sole purpose was to wait for a hero to slay him.

In the Sword Village, there was a hero's sword that no one could pull out. Legend said that the one who could pull it would be the one to end the Demon King.

In the future, the Southern Hero would single-handedly kill three of the Seven Collapsing Sages and the All-Knowing Shurahart, claiming he was paving the way for the true hero.

An incomplete group of Seven Collapsing Sages and the Demon King couldn't stop the hero Semmel, who still managed to lead his team to victory over the Demon King without pulling out the hero's sword.

...

It all felt like a game.

A bead of sweat formed on Luk's forehead as he quickly stopped his wandering thoughts.

There was no need to delve into the truth of this world. His goal was simple: to keep Trela alive. Everything else was irrelevant!

A transparent barrier formed in the air, and Bezer, sensing Luk's distraction, immediately cast his barrier magic, trapping Luk without any resistance.

"Is that all you've got? You're even weaker than the last hero team."

Bezer's face showed a hint of disappointment.

"Solitaire was too careless, to be defeated by someone like you."

Luk lowered his gaze. "What else can you do besides your barrier magic?"

"Nothing. But the barrier magic is enough."

Bezer put away his disappointed expression and looked at Luk thoughtfully. "You're not afraid. Why?"

"Because you only know how to use barrier magic."

Luk let out a derisive laugh. "As a demon and one of the Seven Collapsing Sages, you can't even cast a proper spell besides your barrier magic."

"If I'm not mistaken, your behavior just now was a provocation, right?"

Bezer stared at him for a moment, then raised his hand, and the barrier expanded tenfold, leaving enough space for Luk to move around.

"Since you're so confident, I'll let you live a bit longer. I want to watch you suffocate from lack of oxygen, starve to death from lack of food, and beg me to let you go, kneeling at my feet and licking my toes."

Luk's lips curled into a cruel smile as he formed a complex spell in his hand. An unknown aura emitted a powerful wave, and the moment it touched the barrier, it melted away like ice.

Bezer's calm face finally showed a look of shock. "How... how is that possible?"

Boom!

A massive basic attack spell pierced through his body, instantly annihilating the Seven Collapsing Sage.

"There's nothing impossible about it. I've heard Chef Balor say that you're quite predictable when your magic is broken."

Luk replied nonchalantly. "After all, my teacher is Frelian."

Moreover, during his travels, he had seen Bezer's barrier magic many times through his Future Sight.

Luk stepped over the first door and navigated through a series of traps to the second door. Standing before him was a cute, pink-haired demon girl.

She looked like a finely crafted doll, holding a scale in her left hand. Two headless knights, each wielding a sword and an axe, stood behind her, protecting her.

"Submit, obey, and kneel!"

"I am one of the Seven Sages, the Guillotine Aula!"

"Become my puppet!"

Luk stomped his foot hard on the ground, and with the fine cracks spreading, he used the recoil to accelerate a second time. Swift as lightning, he aimed to shatter Aula's skull with his staff.

But someone was even faster. The headless knight wielding a sword moved with astonishing speed, blocking his attack as if by teleportation. The other knight swung his axe, forcing Luk to retreat.

Boom!

The heavy axe cracked the ground of the Demon King's Castle like a spider web, and from this alone, it was clear that their strength was formidable.

"I'm not a mindless fool like Baze or Solitaire. As a mage, of course, I have my own vanguard."

Aula waved her hand, and the two headless knights positioned themselves in front of her.

Luk examined the attire of the two headless knights. His photographic memory kicked in, and he recognized the clothing of the two men he had seen in the statue of the hero squad at the fountain in the Central Kingdom's capital.

Fis, the Sword Hero, and Baska, the Strongest Warrior, from over forty years ago.

"Did you kill the hero squad that came last time?"

Luk understood. No wonder the statues in their honor were so crudely made; the hero squad clearly didn't achieve the legendary success they were rumored to have.

His Future Sight only revealed the future, and at this stage, he was only concerned with Trella. He wasn't "omniscient" and couldn't know what had happened in the past.

"Because they were too weak."

Aula's sweet voice rang out. She sized up Luk for a moment and then smiled. "In comparison, you seem quite capable. You're also very handsome. I almost feel reluctant to cut off your head."

"Are you feeling lustful? Come to think of it, demons do have reproductive instincts."

Luk said with a hint of disgust, "I'm sorry, but I have no interest in an old and ugly demon like you."

Aula's beautiful eyebrows furrowed. "That's quite an insult to me as a woman. Although I'm not angry, you will certainly learn a painful lesson."

"Don't insult the term 'woman.' You're just a female beast without emotional instincts, driven by the urge to mate."

Aula's smile vanished, and she slowly raised the Scales of Domination.

"Since you say that, I'll preserve your consciousness and make you a plaything for countless low-ranking female demons. As an immortal, I'm also curious whether elves and demons can produce offspring."

"Domination Scales!"

The Scales of Domination compared the total magical power of both individuals. The loser would unconditionally obey the winner, though a strong-willed person could resist to some extent. This was Aula's ultimate control spell, an unstoppable killing move.

Their magical power materialized on the scales, and seeing that her own power exceeded Luk's, Aula confidently declared, "Kneel and become my plaything in this boring Demon King's Castle!"

Luk closed his eyes and unleashed his full magical power. A torrent of magic surged forth, and the sudden change shocked Aula, who stared wide-eyed.

"How is this possible? How can someone with your skills have such immense magical power?"

"Who said you can't train your body and your magic at the same time?"

"But you didn't show any signs of suppressing your magic."

"I did, but the fluctuations were small. I used close combat to confuse you at the start and then distracted you with my words. That's all."

Luk answered calmly, as if the disgust and insults he had spewed earlier had never happened.

Aula refused to accept the reality, shaking her head violently. Fear of death filled her, and she let out a mournful cry, her voice filled with defiance.

"Don't joke around. I'm a demon who has lived for over four hundred years!"

"So much for that. I'm just an elf who has lived for less than a hundred years."

Luk looked at Aula with indifference. By the time he was in his late twenties, he already had a third of Fyllian's magical power. Although his growth had slowed since then, his current magical power was approaching two-thirds of Fyllian's, far surpassing Aula, who had only lived to pass the time.

Being the master of the Domination spell, she might still be able to break free if given some time.

"Take your own life, Aula."

Aula shook her head, but she couldn't resist. Unconsciously, she took the ornate sword from the Sword Hero's hand and aimed it at her own neck.

"It's impossible, how could I... save me..."

Her pink hair was severed by the sword, and Aula struggled desperately, but to no avail. In her despair, she cut off her own head.

Luk didn't look back as he stepped over Aula's dissipating body and pushed open the next door.

The slaughter would not stop until he encountered the Seven Sage he was seeking!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end