The Player Hides His Past

Episode 573. It’s getting blurry (3)

…..

I witnessed it.

Lee Hoyeol, he used an adventurer’s [skill] that imitated the power of Gamigin, the Demon King of the Fourth Throne. I also witnessed the skill when I approached this curse a moment ago.

However, Barbatos could not contain his astonishment.

“How could you……. ”

Indeed.

At this moment, the El Dorado spread was not a skill that mimicked Paimon’s El Dorado. He would have had to defeat Paimon with his own hands to acquire the skill.

But Paimon died at the hands of Bael.

If that’s true.

The same power that Paimon had manifested, El Dorado.

It meant El Dorado itself.

‘How can he manifest its full power?’

El Dorado

Its effect was to materialize and pour out all of the manifestor’s wealth, which is why Barbatos was able to hold on to reason even in the face of unacceptable circumstances.

‘Paimon was the ruler of the western part of the Demon World.’

Why was he considered second in power only to Bael?

It was because as ruler of the West, Paimon possessed the power of El Dorado, which gave him infinite riches.

The terrible paintings that adorned his castle came to life, statues came to life and worshipped him, and the ground he stood upon became a realm that bowed to his every word.

‘You don’t have that kind of wealth and glory.’

House of Claudi.

They were a great house by any objective measure.

The Arcana continent trembled at their words.

Those glorious silver hairs were revered.

But.

‘It’s just a story about one world.’

Barbatos has seen countless worlds rise and fall as the Ten Thrones, and yes, in the worlds he has destroyed, there have been countless people of Claudi’s wealth or higher.

The meaning of the saying is simple.

“I am not afraid of what you bring out of your El Dorado.”

No matter how great House Claudi is.

It is, after all, the Arcana Continent.

You’re just a frog in a well.

“!”

But Barbatos’s expectations were crushed.

The power revealed,, golden incense.

The power of the Ten Thrones slowly beginning to rise from beyond.

“No way.”

Kugugugugung.

It’s this place.

The Seongseon Middle School, where the curse was manifested, was emitting a momentum that was shaking. Considering that the curse had rules that transcended even the laws of physics, this was impossible.

“How did you get from that cramped continent……?”

Claudi’s real identity peeked through the El Dorado.

I dared to recognize it even without the Objective Eye.

It transcends the western part of the Demon World, ruled by Paimon.

I couldn’t understand it even though I was looking at it.

It was inevitable.

‘The Demon World is a world that devours and digests other worlds ……!’

Every time a world was destroyed, it was a demon world that swallowed that world, digested it, and grew in size. If we were to count the number of worlds that the living demon world has ever swallowed.

Approximately.

The Demon World must be hundreds of times as vast as the Arcana continent.

The same goes for Paimon’s territory in the western part of the Demon World.

Even the Claudi family, which was viewed through the Objective Eye, did not control the entire Arcana Continent. Because Claudi didn’t want that in the first place.

But even if they had wanted to, and even if they did control the entire Arcana continent, it would still be a paltry fraction of Paimon’s territory.

‘ ……So I don’t understand it.’

Barbatos eventually denied it.

I see.

I must be looking at the wrong thing.

“Not only did you take away my Objective Eye, but you are trying to destroy me.”

Then he remembered his original purpose.

Anyway, I was prepared to die when I was oppressed by the power.

It was Barbatos who was ready to take advantage of even his own death.

‘Because I, who died and fell to hell, will kill you who are alive.’

Barbatos was the most rational of demons and the Ten Thrones.

He still had the ability to see the greater good.

So he spoke, unmoved by the glow of the El Dorado.

“Do you realize, Tenth Seat, Lee Hoyeol? All eyes in this world are upon us. Or more precisely, they are watching you, as you hunt down this Barbatos, the Demon King of the Eighth Throne, in cold blood!”

The aftermath of the Corruption.

Neither human nor demon.

He gazed at the ghosts of the past, reduced to lumps of flesh.

“Isn’t this a golden opportunity for you, to see through this Barbatos’s deception, to crush him to dust? No one will question you anymore, for there will be nothing but worship and praise for you, from this world and beyond, to the Arcana continent!”

Barbatos smirks.

“All that is required to attain that position of immortality is to shake off the ghosts of the past! All you have to do is burn them with me, for they are nothing but lumps of flesh to you, the noble one!”

At that, the lumps of flesh began to wriggle.

True to their nature, they flinched.

Fearlessly, they clung to Lee Hoyeol and began muttering.

“Kill. Kill. Kill me.”

Barbatos smirked.

“No one can blame you, for you were merely showing mercy to those who wished you dead, but if that doesn’t convince you, how about this?”

To Choi Changwoo’s face

“It’s not pity, Hoyeol, it’s the mercy of death.”

I said everything I could say.

Still, no answer came back.

Barbatos swallowed dry saliva inside.

Silence.

He had no idea what the man was hoping for, not at this moment, not in the slightest. It was inevitable. Barbatos was not able to manifest power, Objective Eye.

So I couldn’t recognize it.

Another manifestation of power after the El Dorado.

Since when.

Barbatos realized that the 《Objective Eye》 was looking down on him from the night sky.

At this moment, all of Barbatos’ inner thoughts were visible to Grandfell.

Seuseuseu.

So Grandfell didn’t bother to hide it. Now that the light was fading and he had closed his eyes, it didn’t matter how much of his true self was revealed to the world.

ttogag.

That single step completely disrupted Barbatos’s mind.

Not the skill that mimicked power, the [Heavenly Demon Reign].

The power itself, the 《Step of Destruction》.

The Fourth Throne Demon King.

”!!!”

The fragments of the world that Gamigin’s hooves had trampled on flowed into Barbatos’ mind. Barbatos shuddered in excruciating pain. Something was happening that was beyond the comprehension of even his Ten Thrones brain, which could comprehend the true truth.

“How, how, not one, but several powers…….”

Are you saying that a mere mortal can handle ……?

Blood regurgitated in Barbatos throat.

His legs shook precariously, then finally gave way.

“…..?”

Light shone through the windows of Seongseon Middle School. It wasn’t the moonlight, but the glow of his own power, the power of the Objective Eye, which had suddenly floated into the sky.

It was no longer his own power.

‘Objective Eye, do you mean to say that you pity your former master?’

Under the shining light inside the Objective Eye.

Faintly, he could feel his vision returning.

Because it’s really weak.

A twitch.

Not to reverse the situation.

Just like at the Magic Tower, there was no escaping this.

Barbatos was sure of it.

‘……You’re trying to show me.’

I couldn’t hold back my doubts and ended up doing this to myself.

You are showing your final mercy.

Then I will not go against your will.

seug.

Barbatos summoned the last of his strength and lifted his head.

Using the light of his Objective Eye, he gazed upon Lee Hoyeol.

Or rather, Grandfell, who was hiding nothing.

And then I realized.

“Aaaaaaa……!!! ”

I finally fathomed your meaning.

“I’ve wondered all along, Paimon, why a Ten Thrones of your stature would be bewitched by a mere mortal and die such a foolish death ……., but now I understand.”

You have witnessed this incomprehensible being before.

Objective Eye.

The power to grasp the essence of all things shines through Claudi’s power in the El Dorado. But it was beyond the power of the Objective Eye to comprehend.

Still, it could guess.

From the beginning of one world to the end of another.

A power that could not be reached no matter how many times that one flow was repeated.

Therefore, it is incomprehensible.

Grumbling.

A tear fell from the corner of Barbatos’s eye. They were not the tears of despair shed in the face of death. Because such personal feelings do not exist in the Ten Thrones.

“Oh, it was all pointless.”

Ten Thrones, Lee Hoyeol.

No, Grandfell, Lord of Claudi’s family.

You were the one who reached the ‘True Truth’ in the first place.

“This Barbatos has behaved in an indecent manner.”

Kugugugugugung……!

Three powers simultaneously manifested within the curse.

It may have caused my mental world to collapse early on.

Perhaps that’s why I’m seeing things and spouting nonsense.

Nevertheless, I have no regrets.

Sreuk.

Barbatos bows his head politely.

“I Barbatos, it has been an honor to meet you.”

That was Barbatos’ last words.

*

The curse that enveloped Seongseon Middle School disperses.

The message floats away, and the players begin to enter the school.

They see something writhing beyond the window.

“What are those disgusting monsters?”

Information pops up.

[Ghosts of the Past: Lv.5]

The ridiculous level and the disappearance of ordinary people everywhere gave me a clue. Abnormal status, Corruption, as expected. The kidnapped citizens must have been demonized by the Corruption.

sreum.

The first to raise his sword was Harkon, the Captain of the Lionheart Knights.

He was an Arcanian himself.

That meant he was not subject to the rules of this world.

Nam Taemin bit his chapped lip.

“…”

“Is that best, Master?”

“I will take full responsibility for this action.”

“Damn…….”

Corrupted humans were still humans.

Even if they were corrupted, killing an ordinary human who wasn’t even a player was a very, very difficult thing to do. Just look at the fact that those demons who were only level 5 were still alive.

‘Surely, the Commander-in-Chief is also hesitating.’

I thought to myself.

Creeping.

Senior Black Mage.

Matisse’s ring is beyond blackened.

It’s starting to crack once again.

An immeasurably vast amount of black magic.

“Senior Matisse!”

Matisse was shaken by the flowing Black Magic.

So violently that even the levitation spell could not hold.

Bellier barely caught Matisse who was about to fall.

He pushed aside his gratitude for her.

Matisse turned to Marcelo, the Tower Master.

“Not yet. It’s not over yet, Tower Master.“

Marcelo nodded.

“After all, there must be something left.”

I could guess.

Those lumps of flesh.

From an earlier point in time.

That the kidnappers had some sort of past connection to Hoyeol.

So Marcelo clenched his fists.

“I can only watch, my lord.”

I know nothing of your past.

But I will obey.

Whatever you decide.

*

Under all eyes.

Grandfell shifted his gaze.

To the flesh begging for him.

“It is time for disposal.”

He said coldly.