Chapter 37 Demon Lord’s Castle 4
"We're fighting. There's two more gateways after this, what are you planning to do if you give the crystals over to it here?"
"…Goddamnit. You don't know about that."
Taejin clenched his teeth at Hansoo's words.
'Is he out of his mind?'
Just say you don't want to if you didn't want to give the Crystals.
Who in their right state of mind would try to fight that monster.
But he couldn't assert his position strongly because he felt like that was the correct choice.
"Didn't you grind your blade fervently. Then you should at least try swinging it against the strong."
"…Fuck."
Hansoo, who had finished his wards, started to untie the weapons from his body slowly.
Taejin grinded his teeth at this sight.
'Goddamit… Is it really doable?'
He didn't know about other things but one thing was clear.
That Hansoo's fighting ability was simply monstrous.
And when such a person had told him to try and have a bout with it, he weirdly thought that it might be doable.
And he had said he even had psychic powers.
'I'm the crazy one.'
He was actually getting tempted by a point with no basis to back it up.
Taejin clenched his teeth as he flinched at his weirdly tempted mind.
'No. I need to be careful of guys like him.'
When somebody, who was rather good with the sword in the beginning, ambushed him and his friends, they easily suppressed him.
Though he was strong, there were still five including him and his friends.
He had let him go alive because he thought that the speed in which one got stronger couldn't catch up the speed of five.
Since he thought that was the right choice at that time.
The greatest misconception was thinking that he would come back alone next time as well.
But he did not come back alone.
He had brought others behind him.
His friends had all died and he barely survived and escaped.
And when he awakened his trait and gained more power, he killed them all and then vowed.
That it was not ok for him to let people who were as dangerous as him alive.
Hansoo wasn't the problem.
Even if he was perfectly normal, it'll be dangerous if he were to go into a dangerous household.
Especially in a household where it is composed of a Lord's Symbol which was hard to disobey.
One could tell Guktae was dangerous with just a simple glance.
That was why he had allied with him but this decision was something he laid down because he felt that fighting against him was doable.
He didn't like that guy but he didn't mind holding hands with a dangerous and strong guy in order to defend his followers.
But if someone like Hansoo goes under Guktae and heeds his command then it will become uncontrollable.
He had to do his best to supervise the dangers for the people who receive his mark with trust.
While Taejin was pledging to himself within his mind, Hansoo rose from his seat.
'I'll finally get to use this thing properly.'
<Judgement of Dekrados which reached hundreds of meters>
The gatekeeper was one of the greatest reasons why he had bought this in the first place.
He couldn't control and lead everyone like Eres.
But he could do the thing which he was the best at.
'I'm fighting in the very front.'
And the others didn't have the leeway to choose.
"Let's go. Only people of the special forces level and people whose long-ranged skills reach 250m in range follow. It seems like some of you could do it in combination to your psychic powers. And the healers should be stationed 500m behind."
The Commander's Aura drained the health of the people nearby.
They'll just become baggage if they don't have magic resistance.
"…"
"What are you doing. Not coming with me? If you aren't coming then I'm going to drag that thing over here."
"This crazy bastard…"
Everyone was frightened at the sight of Hansoo who seemed like he was about to pounce on it alone.
Hansoo chuckled as he saw these guys.
"Follow the commands properly. You need to at least work for your meals."
'…'
Hansoo then charged forward ruthlessly, swung the scythe around and then slammed it down onto the head of the giant gatekeeper.
Boooom!
Kuaaaaaangg!
The gatekeeper, which had its head smacked, roared loudly as it glared at Hansoo while the fairy muttered quietly.
"Eyyy. What is this. They're fighting. Killjoy."
Everyone realized the answer from the from the unsatisfied voice of the fairy.
"Goddamnit… Run!"
"Receive as many buffs as possible! People who have Aron's Arrow shoot it from over here!"
And then everyone, as well as the special forces, started running towards Hansoo's back.
.........…
'As I thought… this guy was created with the gatekeeper of the 7th floor of the abyss as the basis'
It was a version which was so weak that it couldn't be compared to the original but the physical structure of it and the skills it used seemed the same.
'Then I can read it.'
Kadudududk
Kuaaaaaa!
The gatekeeper shook his body crazily in order to break apart the chains which were entwining its body.
Of course it was impossible for Hansoo to suppress the strength of the giant wolf by himself.
Since their size and mass were different from the start.
It was a different issue from strength.
But Hansoo was flying between the body and the joints of the gatekeeper as he tied the chain around it.
So that when it tried to swing its body, its whole body would be squeezed.
So that when it tried to run forward, its front and back legs would get tangled up.
Kududududk
The Judgement of Dekrados was constantly draining the mana of the Gatekeeper as it activated its <Suppression>.
'… It's barely holding on.'
The gatekeeper wasn't average as he expected, the chains straightened as if they were about to snap.
Hansoo limited its movements by loosening and entwining the chains.
He wanted to tie it up into a ball but then it might really snap.
Hansoo loosened and tightened the chains at different times as he tied it up as much as he could without snapping the chains.
Its movements weren't suppressed completely because the chains didn't tie it up completely but its movements were still dulled.
"Dodge the front leg!"
The special forces, who were scattering the bones apart below, scattered in all directions while shouting.
Boom!
Charuruk
As Hansoo loosened up the chains, the beast, which was twisting its body in annoyance, swung the now-free front leg. But this was all as Hansoo planned.
He had loosened up the area which was the easiest to dodge on purpose.
Kirik. Kiririk.
Hansoo was changing the direction of the beast even in such a situation by loosening and tightening the chains.
Kuuuuaaang!
The gatekeeper got even angrier because it felt like it became a marionette but Hansoo didn't care as he continued to twist around its movements as he pulled on the chains.
'Well. I can't move it how I want but…'
It took all of his power to control the chains.
Since a gatekeeper of this level was no joke.
But such a thing like swinging a sword could be done by others.
Kudududk. Kududk.
"Hurry and smash its ankles first!"
"Since the bones come back to connect with each other, shove some things into the location where you smashed apart!"
As Hansoo heard the endless voices from the clansmen of Taejin, he nodded his head.
'They're doing pretty good.'
The Demons use a variety of skills.
And because the special forces had gained a vast amount of experience, they didn't get flustered at the magical sight of the bones combining back and were neutralizing the ankles first.
Grrrrrrr
And at that moment, a weird shockwave could be felt from the gatekeeper's mouth.
And at the same time, the blue eyes in its eyes started to burn up.
'That's a little bit difficult'
If that thing were to burst out then at least half of them would become a mess.
<Hellfire>
A power that was granted to the doorkeepers in order to incinerate the intruders.
Charururk
Hansoo grabbed onto the handle of the scythe while flying about on the chains.
Kururururu
The scythe in Hansoo's hands started to drain his mana aggressively as it activated the skill, <Judgement>.
And Hansoo swung it like so and smashed it onto the lower jaw of the gatekeeper.
Boom!
Kwadududk
His neck bones were so thick that the attack, which he poured all his power into, just bounced off its cranium but still made it to face the front from it's original position of being ready.
But Hansoo didn't expect this attack to send its head flying.
His goal was the blue marble that could see seen between the bones he had smashed apart.
'Ignition Stone'
The hellfire could only be let out once the mana from deep inside its body reached up the cranium and met the ignition stone with a violent reaction.
An information was obtained after Keldian and Hansoo realized that this thing was the gatekeeper on the road to obtaining the Demonic Jade Crystal and had personally killed one and dissected it.
Basically, as long as you ripped off the Ignition Stone then the hellfire wouldn't get completed.
Hansoo roughly shoved his hands between the regenerating bones and pulled out the bead.
Chiiiik
An extreme temperature which even made sounds of burning Hansoo's flesh which was protected by his magic resistance.
Hansoo threw the Ignition stone down and then continued to suppress it with the chains with his burnt hand.
One of Taejin's clansman, who was looking at him, asked through the message.
<He seems like he's having trouble. It feels like it'll work if we attack now. Shall we try attacking him right now?>
The clan member was making a bitter expression as well.
Since the thought of such a guy joining Guktae's Clan and holding his blades at them was feeling extremely dangerous.
But Hansoo was using all his power to suppress the wolf and was having a hard time.
A situation where there's a chance if they attacked.
But Taejin shook his head.
<No. Focus on killing the gatekeeper.>
<Yes.>
The clan member was rather confused at the changed attitude of Taejin but didn't talk back as he charged onto the giant gatekeeper again.
And soon the giant wolf started to get disassembled one part at a time from the long range skills and the Special forces who flew into it like a swarm of bees.
.........…
"It was pretty doable right? Here. Take the runes."
Hansoo chuckled at the Lords as he started to distribute the runes according to the amount of contribution from each Lord.
Taejin stared at this Hansoo for a while and then spoke out.
"Why do you roam around alone? It doesn't seem like it'll be hard for you to make a clan without psychic powers."
That much strength and a weird psychic power.
And a weird aura that radiated from his whole body.
It wasn't that you needed psychic powers like theirs in order to become a leader.
If he's that strong then he could probably create a much larger clan than theirs.
No, even if Hansoo was to continue maintaining the Semi-Basement union and had used his hands a few more times then they would probably be rolling around beneath him.
Hansoo chucked at those words.
When will he raise them and when will he use them.
He needed to run but if he were to take them with him then his back will bend.
And if he wanted to maintain this amount of people at all times in the place he was going to be at from now on, he'd be simply too busy just to fill the holes.
Since they'll die off in hundreds.
"Everyone has their personal issues. You probably have them too."
"…"
Taejin stared at Hansoo for a while and then looked at Guktae in the distance.
'This Bastard… set up a trap.'
He wasn't somebody who would stay beneath that Guktae.
Taejin threw out a word after looking at Hansoo for a while.
"Be careful of that Guktae."
He couldn't tell more than that.
Since if he were to say that Guktae was aiming for him and created a dispute, everyone would be in danger.
Since even if Hansoo wanted to do something to Guktae, the other Clan Lords wouldn't just stand idle.
The Lords hated Hansoo and at the same time, felt pressured by him.
They weren't clashing into each other because they agreed of his usefulness, but once he starts acting on Guktae, they will react extremely sensitively.
'But my mind would only be at ease if I at least tell him about this.'
Hansoo smirked at those words and Taejin glared at Guktae while returning to his clansmen.
Guktae clicked his tongue while looking at that Taejin.
'Tsk. So this is how it rolls out.'
He had been found out but it didn't matter.
Since when was the relationship between them good.
And even if he knew, he couldn't do anything about it.
How would a guy who valued his clansmen so much fight recklessly.
'You need to know when to throw things.'
Hansoo was the same.
But one thing was clear.
'It's better to leave him alone for a while.'
He needed time to practice and it was better to not touch him if he could hunt the gatekeepers like that.
Since they could save crystals then.
Guktae, who had judged that it was best to leave him alone temporarily, moved back in between his clansmen.
............…
Kudududk
Guktae mumbled quietly as he saw the final Gatekeeper being eliminated.
'…It's finally here.'
A giant castle could be seen over the carcass of the final gatekeeper.
The <Demon Lord's Castle> which was only seen in the distance.
A ginormous crystal could be seen in the corner of the Demon Lord's Castle.
'Let's see. About 1000 people left.'
Guktae looked at his wrist.
8 miniature crystals.
It wasn't a large amount because the 12 clan Lords had to share but he could still obtain a pretty good artifact with it.
A <Wilderness Lord's Cape> which could be used once a day to allow the user to summon 12 protectors he choses as well as raising the speed of regeneration and movement near the user and the <Thorn Wood Casket> which surrounds the body of the person whom the user touches with thorns could increase the battle powers of the clan by a lot.
But Guktae shook his head.
'Twelve is too many as I expected. And he is dangerous too. It's time for things to end soon.'
It was really the final gateway and the final chance.
"Since we're injured we're resting here first before moving out!"
"We're going into the Demon Lord's Castle after healing as much as possible!"
Guktae started to send a message towards somewhere as he heard the shouts of the Clan Lords.