Chapter 44: Participation (2)

Once upon a time,

the people of the righteous martial arts world said,

"Before the Demon Sect, there is always the Heavenly Demon. If we could only block his attack once, we could stop the Demon Sect's wave of attacks, but since this is impossible, the righteous martial arts world has no hope. The people of the righteous martial arts world must remember that the Heavenly Demon is invincible, and facing him head-on is suicide."

Unification of the martial arts world.

Baek Jung-hyuk led the Demon Sect from the front.

He was the first to clash swords with the enemy, and the followers of the Demon Sect went wild following the path Baek Jung-hyuk created.

People asked,

why.

Why did he take on the most dangerous role?

Then, as now, the reason was the same.

'The strongest person must lead from the front and completely crush the enemy's morale.'

Momentum is crucial in a fight.

Just as he had toppled a larger child in a dark cave and risen to an untouchable position, Baek Jung-hyuk knew how important it was to seize momentum.

The role of a strong person is not to wait in the rear.

If one possesses the power to face countless enemies without retreating, the only way to victory is to actively use that power.

Right now,

exactly like this.

Rip!

"Kaaaaah!"

A soldier's arm flew off under Roman's attack.

The screaming soldier tried to flee, but Roman quickly followed and beheaded him.

Splat.

Blood splattered.

Roman, drenched in the blood rain falling from the sky, leaped towards the soldiers forming a wall in front of him.

The formation, which seemed solid, crumbled in an instant.

Terrified, the soldiers, who had been pierced by Roman's sudden appearance like a bolt from the blue, thrust their spears at him.

However,

Clang!

Clank!

The attacks were ineffective.

Roman deflected all the attacks aimed at him, took a step forward, and beheaded them.

It was a massacre.

There was no other way to describe it.

Roman faced dozens of soldiers alone without a single step back, overwhelming them and systematically eliminating each one.

The soldiers who followed him were stunned by the sight.

When they were told that Roman would take the lead, they did not expect such a scene.

"Follow the lord!"

"Attack!"

Kevin.

He was the first to raise his voice, veins bulging.

As Kevin and Chris followed Roman and charged at the enemies, the other soldiers also swung their weapons with fierce eyes.

Thud!

"Grgh."

A soldier from Barco fell to his knees, spitting blood from the attack that pierced his throat.

Kevin, without hesitation, swung his sword at another opponent after killing one.

Chris was the same.

Knowing that any hesitation would cause Roman to get further ahead, he tried his best to keep up.

"Wh-what?"

"Stop that monster!"

Roman had opened the way.

The shield wall formed by the enemies had long lost its meaning and was now in chaos. Barco's soldiers, unable to charge, only shouted.

They also knew.

Anyone who charged at Roman first was a dead man, and they pushed their comrades, hoping someone would work a miracle.

But,

no miracle happened.

Roman cut down anyone who charged at him, and no one could even withstand a single blow.

Blood, blood, blood.

The surroundings turned a deep red.

As countless people died, their blood flowed like a river, and Roman advanced step by step, decapitating the enemies.

Then,

'Flare.'

The target of this mission.

The siege weapon was now right in front of him.

Roman's performance.

Overwhelmed by his presence, Berg, the leader of the Berg Mercenary Group, showed a bewildered expression.

"Wh-what is this?"

The opponent.

Roman Demetri.

While he had memorized the faces of all those involved in Barco's mission, he did not know that Roman Demetri was this strong.

Why he was here was not important.

The problem was that Roman's personal power was so overwhelming that he could decapitate dozens of soldiers, and if left unchecked, Barco and Lawrence's war could end in an unexpected outcome.

'That can't happen.'

This mission.

A large sum of money was at stake.

Given that the fate of the Berg Mercenary Group was on the line, Berg drew his sword and charged at Roman.

'I'll take care of it.'

Berg.

A kingdom-recognized A-rank mercenary.

Unlike B-rank, which can be achieved by handling simple tasks, A-rank requires special abilities such as the use of aura.

Berg was a 2-star aura swordsman. At the age of 40, he did not expect to reach a higher level, but 2-star aura was enough to bring down Roman.

Whoosh.

Rumble.

The aura flared up.

Mana exploded from his entire body, manifesting through his sword, and Berg swung it at Roman.

One strike, fatal.

He was confident of victory.

Even if the opponent was a 3-star aura swordsman, his fatal technique was not easily blocked.

However,

Clang!

It was blocked.

Roman deflected the attack as if it were nothing.

At the sight,

Berg's eyes widened.

'What a lunatic!'

His all-out attack should have shattered the opponent's sword and torn through flesh, but the resistance he felt from the sword made him feel like he was about to vomit.

It was a situation he did not expect.

As the warning bells rang in his head, Berg tried to take a step back, but Roman immediately followed up with an attack.

Clang!

Clank!

A combo attack.

It felt like his mind was about to fly away.

Roman's sword was now glowing with aura, and the relentless attacks from all sides cornered Berg.

Roman and Berg.

The size of their auras was different.

Logically, Berg's massive aura should have overwhelmed Roman, but every time their swords clashed, Berg's aura visibly diminished.

Berg finally realized.

According to rumors, the person in front of him, called an idiot by the Demetris, was someone he could not possibly match.

'This is too strong!'

It was too late to regret.

This mission.

He thought it would be easy.

But the variable of Roman, which even veteran mercenaries did not expect, produced a different outcome from the plan.

Rip!

A flashing sword.

A bloodline appeared on Berg's neck, and his body fell to its knees.

Thud.

Berg.

The A-rank mercenary lasted less than 10 seconds against Roman.

It was,

a fleeting moment.

Berg's death.

A significant achievement.

Roman brought down an A-rank mercenary in just 10 seconds, but to those who knew his true strength, it was not surprising.

'I am not the Heavenly Demon in this world.'

In the past,

there were no opponents who could exchange blows with the Heavenly Demon.

High-ranking martial artists of the righteous world fell one by one to Baek Jung-hyuk's strikes, and thus he achieved the unification of the martial arts world.

However,

this world was different.

Roman is weak.

He has rapidly developed to the point of overwhelming Berg, but it was not enough to quench his thirst.

Whoosh.

The aura flared up.

From the peak to the bottom.

In a situation where an ordinary person would feel despair, Roman was instead filled with a competitive spirit for a new challenge.

A new world.

New strong opponents.

If he could dominate everything with this body, it would be a truly amazing feat.

Roman advanced.

Even after killing Berg, he did not stop, and the viscount Barco, with a face that looked like he was about to faint, shouted.

"Kill him! Kill that guy!"

Berg's death.

It was unbelievable.

It was not just that one side died in a fight between Berg and Roman; Berg was killed in a one-sided manner even when he attempted a surprise attack.

Moreover,

Roman, who had decapitated countless soldiers before, did not even break a sweat in the fight with Berg.

A monster.

Overwhelming.

As Roman moved, a path opened, and if this continued, the siege weapon would be destroyed in no time.

It had to be stopped.

He shouted to stop it, but contrary to the viscount's intentions, his body moved further away from Roman.

"It's dangerous, my lord!"

"You must take cover!"

Barco's knights.

They took the viscount away.

Initially, they planned to combine their strength to subdue Roman, but after seeing Berg fall, they changed their minds.

The battle was still advantageous for Barco. By recalling the troops attacking the walls, they could gain a numerical advantage, so they did not want to risk their lives fighting Roman.

A path opened.

No one charged at Roman.

Roman steadily moved forward, and soon, Flare was in front of him.

'Flare.'

A magical creation that did not exist in the martial arts world.

The cost of the ammunition, which was worth dozens of gold, was not the only issue; the specially designed body itself was extremely valuable.

Thus, the target of this mission was the body.

If the body was destroyed, Barco would lose the means to attack Lawrence's walls from a distance.

'The Heavenly Demon's Technique.'

Whoosh.

He raised his mana.

The body of Flare was protected by magic.

Ordinary attacks could not destroy it, so the mana dormant in his dantian manifested through Roman's sword.

A blue aura.

It was the power of the Heavenly Demon.

'The First Form of the Heavenly Demon's Sword Technique.'

One attack