Chapter 224. Decisive Battle
[You have located the target ‘Uriel.’]
[They are currently 601m away.]
Gliding through the sky, black wings fluttering, Ryu Min checked the remaining distance.
‘I’m getting close.’
Because he had Tracking, finding angels wasn’t difficult.
Still, he hadn’t expected them to still be in the Forest of Magical Beasts even now—nearly an hour later.
‘Looks like they spent some time calling in reinforcements?’
He was curious.
How many reinforcements they’d called while he was away.
‘Please let it be more than ninety-nine.’
With a pounding heart, he activated his area search skill.
All across the Forest of Magical Beasts, countless red dots were spread out.
‘This… is more than I expected, isn’t it?’
Counting heads, it easily exceeded one hundred.
A number close to two hundred.
It wasn’t his imagination.
Once he entered within 100 meters, it became even clearer.
[There are 202 enemies within a 100m radius.]
[Due to Rune of One vs. Many effect, all stats increase by 100%.]
‘It’s definite. Excluding the two archangels, they called two hundred.’
They must have called as much support as possible to deal with him—which, if anything, was better.
‘With this many, even after using Demon’s Blessing, I might be able to fill another stack again.’
Holding back the smile trying to leak out, Ryu Min slowly descended to the ground.
In the forest, turned into a wasteland, Raguel and Uriel stared at him silently.
‘So they knew I was coming. That’s why they prepared a little surprise event like this.’
They’d hidden behind trees, trying to pull off an ambush, but with presence detection, there was no way Ryu Min wouldn’t know.
‘It’s way too obvious. I don’t even need to read their thoughts for this.’
While the archangels held his attention, they planned to use the two hundred soldiers to ambush him.
Without even realizing they’d already been found out.
‘Do they not even know I have presence detection?’
Fine by him.
They’d gathered far more sacrifices than he’d hoped for.
‘If they want a surprise, I should at least pretend to be surprised.’
Acting like he didn’t notice the gazes around him, Ryu Min approached the archangels.
“You two. You were still here?”
[Because some damned worm ripped our wings out.]
“If you don’t have wings, you can’t even walk? Pathetic.”
Raguel’s expression crumpled instantly.
Seeing him shake at such a trivial provocation made a laugh slip out.
‘Oh? He’s holding back his anger? Because of the plan?’
Raguel let out a sigh, then spoke as if to draw Ryu Min’s attention.
[Then why did you run? Earlier, you bolted without even looking back. Don’t tell me you were scared of us?]
“Scared? Of just two of you?”
[You weren’t able to use that black transformation, so you ran with your tail between your legs—wasn’t that it?]
“Ah, this?”
Ryu Min immediately used Reaperization.
[……!]
As if they hadn’t expected him to use it so soon, Uriel and Raguel’s eyes widened.
“What? Surprised? Because the cooldown is already back?”
[…….]
“Why do you think I came back after running? I came back because I’m confident.”
He took a step like he was about to start the fight, and Uriel shouted urgently.
[Strike!]
At that signal, the two hundred soldiers hidden in the forest revealed themselves all at once.
[Waaaaaaah!]
The Grade 5 combat angels, each gripping their weapons, rushed at the black-colored target.
The archangels didn’t just watch.
[I’ve been waiting for you to turn like that! Hee-hee-hee, I’ll kill you!]
Raguel revealed his vicious true self and charged along with his subordinates.
Uriel, true to his mage style, stayed behind and prepared spells to subdue Ryu Min.
Even in a situation where every angel was charging to kill him, Ryu Min remained relaxed.
‘Shall I show a bit of my skill?’
The moment he decided that, Ryu Min’s form vanished like a ghost.
[Huh?]
The angels, losing their target, wore blank, stunned faces.
Even the scroll of light Uriel had prepared coiled through empty air and vanished.
[W-where did that human go?!]
Both Raguel and Uriel looked around in panic.
Even to an archangel’s eyes, Ryu Min couldn’t be seen.
‘So even an archangel can’t pierce invisibility. Or is it because of the Rune of Stealth that erases even presence?’
Having gained useful information, Ryu Min moved like the wind.
CRACK—! SNAP—!
The sounds of something breaking and bodies collapsing rang out one after another.
Looking toward the source of the sound, angels were dead with their necks twisted.
[A-Archangel-nim! Look over he—gk!]
In an instant, Ryu Min turned his head and immediately grabbed another angel’s head.
CRACK! THUD—
[Angels slain: 21/100]
Already having killed over twenty, Ryu Min filled the number quickly.
[H-he’s here! The human is right here!]
One soldier shouted, but they didn’t need to be told.
Uriel and Raguel were staring at their subordinates collapsing with horrified faces.
‘C-crazy… what is that speed?’
‘It’s hard to even track with your eyes.’
Ryu Min’s movements were as fast as a beam of light.
Just when they thought they’d found him, he’d already snapped a neck and left the spot.
To the point only afterimages were visible.
The eyes of those watching didn’t get a moment’s rest.
[K-kill him! Kill that bastard!]
Even at Raguel’s command, the combat angels couldn’t bring themselves to move.
How were they supposed to kill an enemy they couldn’t even follow with their eyes?
No matter how they swung, they only sliced afterimages.
They simply couldn’t catch up to Ryu Min’s movements.
THUD— THUD— THUD—!
[Damn it…!]
As the casualties kept increasing, Raguel and Uriel grew anxious.
Before they knew it, the forest was filled with soldiers’ corpses—necks snapped and twisted.
[Block him! Block him, I said! All of you, rush him!]
Maybe because it was maddening to be utterly helpless—
Even the quiet Uriel shouted irritably, but there was no answer.
‘Damn it. Like this, even my spells….’
No matter how many minor tricks he had, there was no spell that could bind speed like that.
He’d dodge almost any spell.
‘There’s no choice. I have to burn this entire area to the ground.’
He had to stop it before the damage got worse.
With that thought, Uriel raised his dagger high into the sky and began chanting.
A brilliant light gathered at the dagger’s tip.
[U-Uriel-nim?]
Having grasped what the spell was, Raguel looked even more panicked than before.
[Are you truly going to use that spell? If you do it wrong, even our soldiers…!]
[We don’t have a choice! Can you stop that insane monster? Huh?]
Words failing him, Raguel clamped his lips shut.
Even to him, Black Scythe was a monster.
It was hard enough just to chase the black shape with his eyes.
He was showing a transcendent speed—so extreme it was impossible to say he was the same human as an hour ago.
And in that situation, he would stop him?
Raguel slowly shook his head.
‘Impossible.’
If even his superior, Uriel, was clicking his tongue in disbelief, there was no way Raguel could stop him.
[Even now, soldiers are dying. This is the only way.]
[But…!]
[Don’t speak to me anymore. You’re delaying the spell. Tsk.]
[I’m sorry.]
Clicking his tongue, Uriel continued chanting.
‘It’s already urgent—if I stall any longer, he’ll notice.’
But Uriel didn’t know.
That even while moving frantically, Ryu Min’s gaze had never let the archangels out of his sight.
That he had already realized what the spell was.
‘He intends to completely erase everything within a 100m radius—along with his own subordinates.’
Realizing he was preparing a massive area-wide technique, Ryu Min looked at the message.
[Angels slain: 100/100]
[You have met the conditions to use Demon’s Blessing.]
[You may use it by speaking the activation phrase ‘Demon’s Blessing’ whenever you wish.]
Perfect timing—he’d hit one hundred and met the condition.
[There are 102 enemies within a 100m radius.]
[Due to Rune of One vs. Many effect, all stats increase by 100%.]
And even the Rune of One vs. Many.
‘It’s time.’
The moment he confirmed he was in his best state—every stat he could possibly raise now raised—Ryu Min applied a buff to himself.
[You are under Demon’s Blessing.]
[Based on your current total stats (363,417), the following effects apply.]
[When slaying an angel, you gain gold equal to 1x the base value (363,417). Depending on the angel’s level, this can increase up to 1,000x (363,417,000).]
[When slaying an angel, you gain stat points equal to 0.01% (36) of the base value. Depending on the angel’s level, this can increase up to 10% (36,341).]
[When slaying an angel, reputation with the demon faction increases slightly.]
[The buff lasts until the end of the Round.]
His total stats were about 360,000.
Meaning an average of 90,000 per stat.
They were insane stats, but there was no time to marvel.
If he didn’t stop Uriel right now, the precious angels would be wiped out.
‘The distance is too far. Then….’
DOO-WOONG—
When he cast Night of Death, the entire area turned pitch-black.
The hundred Grade 5 angels and the two archangels were startled, but only for a moment.
[Hmph. You think you can cancel my spell with artificial darkness, but it’s useless. There is no darkness anywhere that can extinguish the light of Heaven.]
Just as Raguel said, the light gathered at the dagger was still shining.
As if the spell had finished, a faint smile formed on Uriel’s lips.
[It’s ready, Raguel. Brace yourself for the storm.]
Just as Uriel was about to lower the dagger to cast the storm of light and flame—[Heavenly Wrath]—
A flash flared inside the darkness.
Along with crimson-red eyes.
KU-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG—!
The Moonlight Slaughter Ryu Min fired erased thirty Grade 5 angels.
And one of Uriel’s arms as well.
[Ughhh….]
With his arm blown off, it was only natural that the spell he’d chanted so hard was canceled.
Uriel glared into the darkness where the flash had come from.
‘That worm had a skill this powerful….’
It was a mistake not to investigate the Reaper’s skills, thinking he’d be an easy opponent.
Maybe that was why—
Uriel and Raguel panicked at the fact that Ryu Min’s attack still wasn’t over.
KU-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG—!
[Angels slain: 67/100]
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG!
[Angels slain: 100/100]
[You have met the conditions to use Demon’s Blessing.]
[You may use it by speaking the activation phrase ‘Demon’s Blessing’ whenever you wish.]
In a little over six seconds, one hundred angels disappeared without a trace.
It was only natural—if the mighty waves of moonlight even grazed them, their bodies shattered and burned away.
[N-no way.]
Was it the shock of all his subordinates dying to three Moonlight Slaughters?
Raguel looked around the devastated forest with eyes that couldn’t believe it.
[W-where did they go? Don’t hide—come out, soldiers!]
But Raguel didn’t have the luxury to look for soldiers.
Because he still had two Moonlight Slaughters left to deal with.
A Moonlight Slaughter, deliberately fired to miss, sliced past Raguel’s leg.
[Kuuuaaagh!]
He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, screaming in pain—but it wasn’t over.
KU-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG—!
The next Moonlight Slaughter grazed him exquisitely and burned off one side of Raguel’s cheek.
[KihyaaAAAH! M-my face! My face!]
Ryu Min walked toward the howling Raguel.
“You’re disgusting—worse than a worm.”
With bone exposed, Raguel glared venomously and charged like a mad dog.
[You worm bastard—! Keok!]
Ryu Min’s scythe pierced Raguel’s heart like a bolt of lightning—then withdrew.
THUD—
Leaving the fallen archangel behind, Ryu Min walked toward Uriel.
Uriel panicked and chanted with his remaining arm.
THUD—!
A Prison of Divine Punishment dropped from the sky and bound Ryu Min mid-stride.
[Good! Caught—]
PA-KANG—!
With a single swing, the prison shattered into fragments.
Face hardening, Uriel calmly launched the next spell.
WHIRRIRIK—!
A scroll of light appeared in midair and constricted Ryu Min.
Before Uriel could even form a triumphant smile—
RIIIP—
Ryu Min tore it apart with raw strength.
Whether Uriel sent a storm of light, or hurled an Exploding Dagger and detonated it, Ryu Min didn’t suffer even a speck of injury.
No matter what he tried, he couldn’t slow the Reaper’s approaching steps.
Step—
Only when he was close enough to touch with an outstretched arm did Ryu Min stop walking.
[Y-you… now I understand. You were hiding your power.]
“Because I needed soldiers.”
[What? Then you mean you lured me into calling soldiers?]
“Well, yes. I didn’t think you’d call this many, though.”
Thanks to that, he’d filled another hundred and prepared the next blessing to use later.
“So, thanks for that.”
Was it because he sensed that, after saying that, Ryu Min would kill him?
Instead of begging for his life, Uriel ground his teeth and spoke.
[…If you kill me, you’ll regret it. The ones above me won’t let you off.]
“Isn’t that true even if I don’t kill you?”
[…….]
“If you want to live, be honest and ask me to spare you.”
[You have no intention of sparing me anyway.]
“You know me well.”
STAB—!
After he pierced the heart quickly and pulled back, Uriel’s body tilted.
It was a hollow death—so empty he didn’t even see when Ryu Min moved.