---

Chapter 292: The Weight of a Waterlogged Head

My head felt heavy, like a waterlogged piece of paper. It was the kind of heaviness you have after sleeping for almost ten hours without a care, and Baek In-hwa frowned.

‘What happened…?’

I remembered Choi Yeon-woo leaping up towards the disc in the sky. Unable to keep up with the unique jumping ability of Eunkyung-gong, Baek In-hwa could only watch that scene unfold.

Knowing that Yeon-woo was not someone who moved thoughtlessly, Baek In-hwa comforted herself with that thought.

As she processed the snakes, a flash of light erupted…and then she staggered. She couldn’t recall anything. However, something remained elusive in her memory. The woody scent lingering at the tip of her nose, the unfamiliar aroma of tea…

Though she couldn’t cross the wall, the strong sense of self characteristic of martial artists who had reached their realm faintly remembered something.

Kim Yoo-min and Darius were in the same state. They had clearly been fighting, and during that clash, they lost consciousness.

If that was the case, they should have been either collapsed or in the same fighting posture, yet when they regained awareness, the two were oddly in different stances.

But just as she pondered this, an overwhelming number of snakes were pouring down from the sky. It was as if thick, black oil was raining instead of water.

Looking around, many people were rising from the ground with bewildered expressions.

And the epicenter of this crisis was clearly to the east of Hoiyeon City. Countless Demon King’s Snakes were cascading down, particularly numerous towards the east of Hoiyeon City.

Simultaneously, the three of them extended their senses widely. To the east, and up towards the disc floating in the sky. There was nothing that should be there, yet there were things that shouldn’t be absent.

The gaze of the trio converged on a single point. They quickly grasped the situation.

“Baek In-hwa, you go!”

“Sounds about right.”

It was a strategic decision. While Kim Yoo-min excelled in one-on-one combat, dealing with the Demon King’s Snakes simultaneously was a challenging task.

No matter how much she attempted to make them explode from within using her middle-tier techniques, the incredibly regenerative Demon King’s Snakes would swiftly recover.

Darius was suited to contend with the Demon King’s Snakes. Even without Kim Yoo-min, his webs could effectively entangle the Demon King’s Snakes.

However, the web-based fighting style could interfere with allies’ movements, making it unsuitable for battle, especially against the Demon King.

Baek In-hwa was more than capable of handling both personal and grand-scale battles.

Although the ice platform created using the Ice Storm technique could pose some hindrance, to martial artists who had reached a certain realm, particularly Yeon-woo, who had long fought alongside Baek In-hwa, it would be an environment they were fairly accustomed to.

Someone had to hold back the southern forces. Being aware of the situation and their own strengths, the two decided that they would hold the south while Baek In-hwa would join the east.

Baek In-hwa nodded at their words. Without hesitation, she lunged toward the east, and in her eyes danced a fire that was hard to express.

*

“?”

A fist-sized chunk of ice soared towards Yeon-woo’s head. What was that? A misfire? Or had some fragments splattered? As Yeon-woo quickly leaned back to avoid it, Baek In-hwa yelled out.

“Why are you dodging!!”

“Of course I’m dodging, what do you mean!?”

It was an intentional fragging that she had never believed would happen. Stunned by the absurdity, Baek In-hwa clicked her tongue and pointed at Yeon-woo.

“You! Just wait until this is over!”

Having already acted like sisters with Nea, it felt like Baek In-hwa had also begun to resemble her in more ways than one.

She was clearly worried, but her anxiety manifested in rather aggressive behavior; it was a tendency that could also be seen in Claire.

Regardless of that concern, Yeon-woo found a moment to breathe. Manipulating time was an action that bore an immense physical burden.

It required incredible focus, and the backlash was severe. Hadn’t she nearly fainted right after tearing through time itself?

Continuing the battle in that state and slicing through time once more, even while in her Resolved state, maneuvering felt heavy.

Naturally, Shar must be experiencing this pain as well. As Yeon-woo speculated, she plopped down and spoke to Shar.

‘Shar, are you okay?’

[I’m okay, really…!]

‘You can take a bit of a break, so take your time to catch your breath. Sorry for making it tough on you. But just hang in there a little longer.’

[Of course!! I can do this as long as I need to!]

With Shar’s spirited response putting a smile on Yeon-woo’s face, she redirected her gaze ahead.

Boom!!

A massive glacier crashed down, followed by a pillar of fire shooting up. The pitch-black sword path etched in the air cleaved through the fire pillar, slicing into the body of the Demon King.

Blood sprayed out, and the sound of flesh boiling echoed through the air. The skin was torn as it met ice.

Clumsily intervening between the two Aura Masters while filling the gaps, Baek In-hwa’s efforts were deserving of praise.

Just by ignoring the command to stay out of the fight, her presence aided the two combatants; it was only natural.

At this moment, Baek In-hwa continued to grow. The way she utilized her body and the manner in which she controlled her energy improved with every passing second.

Like Newton realizing gravity by observing falling apples, she was comprehensively grasping the profound truths of martial arts.

The reputation of being one of the few geniuses in the long history of the Ice Palace was not unfounded.

However, none of it mattered.

Even with two stars expected to change the course of the world, the slight markings on the body of the Demon King were nothing but superficial wounds, nothing more.

“Hahaha, impressive!!”

What ridiculous resilience!

The Flame King’s mighty technique, the True Fist of the Fire King, was in no way inferior to the Flames of Samiryun-ju Dooko-hyun.

Even the fiery heat that could incinerate the Heavenly Demon merely produced slight burns on the Demon King, something the pride of the Flame King could not accept.

Yet this situation was decidedly abnormal.

Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the attacks from the two Aura Masters were being ‘suppressed’ to the level of Yeon-woo’s attacks, which were only that of a mid-tier Aura Expert.

‘Is this the might of the Demon King?’

Yuri, who recognized the existence of heroes thanks to Noel, murmured that in her heart.

Just as only the Hero could fully vanquish the Demon King of Alkeon and its minions, so too did the Demon Kings of the Earth seem to be nearly impossible to injure for those who weren’t heroes. This was the ‘principle of the world’ etched in reality.

‘At least the Demon Lords of the continent would be harmed by cuts and burns.’

At this rate, anyone other than heroes attempting to confront a Demon King would devolve into a mere time-wasting existence.

“Get lost…!!”

With the Demon King’s shout, a shockwave burst forth. Hyuk Mu-ryeon activated his technique to fend it off, while Baek In-hwa barely escaped using the Snowfall technique.

As Yuri parried the Demon King’s attack with her blade, she shot a glance at Yeon-woo. The child who had gained the mark of a hero among her disciples.

The thought of that child facing such monsters in the future filled her with only sighs.

‘Although I trust her, why do I feel so uneasy…!!’

Noel felt worried like a parent leaving their child on the edge of a river, yet for Yeon-woo, the concern was somewhat different.

It was more akin to a fear that she might unintentionally do something wrong.

Whether Yeon-woo was aware of it or not, she calmly observed Yuri’s demeanor. Physical strength is like national power. Knowing when to rest is essential. But on the other hand, she also paid heed to gathering information.

Especially now, as she stood in Resolved state, maximizing her awareness…there were countless things she could not verify otherwise. Among these, the most crucial was the principle of the world surrounding the Demon King.

[Only those who are not heroes cannot inflict wounds upon this body, understood.]

Apparently, interpreting the language the world had etched around the Demon King’s body was impossible for Yeon-woo, so Shar took upon the task of translation.

‘So, there’s a rule that makes it hard to inflict wounds unless you’re a hero? Then what about those two who are managing to inflict such wounds?’

Well, it was only natural that a star’s name would not be won at a gambling table. Smiling awkwardly at the significant wounds that had increased on the Demon King’s body, she pondered.

If only she could swing her sword with that kind of power…

No, that was just a distraction. Dreaming of something unattainable would only be an idle fancy. Thus, Yeon-woo patiently waited for Shar and Tae-oh.

[Dad, I’ve evacuated everyone!]

‘Ah, you’re back, Tae-oh. Good work. Since everyone is resting now, make sure to take a break too.’

[Got it! I’ll take a rest!]

[Hmm, the next line is….]

Listening to Tae-oh’s hearty reply and Shar’s deepening voice as she translated the language, Yeon-woo exhaled softly.

*

“An anomaly has occurred.”

Outside of Hoiyeon City, within the tent emblazoned with the emblem of the Hunter Guild, a burly man spoke. His name was Danjae-woo, the bear beastman heading the Hunter Guild branch in the southern city of Hayan.

Naturally, it wasn’t just Yeon-woo who affected those inside by tearing through the gaps of time.

In fact, it could have even a more significant impact on those who had to merely watch the intertwined gaps of time from afar.

At Danjae-woo’s words, numerous hunters leaned in with sparkling eyes.

Hunters had their pride too. While seven monsters known as Demon Kings had appeared, they hadn’t sat idle while the Demon King wreaked havoc.

Many had lost their lives at the hands of the Demon King. Even with the sudden appearance of the Demon King, the hunters did not back down. They had a history of striving to save even one life.

Among those, the ‘Frozen Wednesday’ incident that encapsulated Hoiyeon City was a huge shock for the hunters; a disaster that froze an entire region was unlike any other.

Though many perished due to the Demon King’s actions, the incident of time freezing on that Wednesday stood out in magnitude.

“Gentlemen, surely you have not forgotten that day’s humiliation?”

Many people vented their resentment towards them. They were asked why they hadn’t been able to prevent it. Willingly, they shouldered the burden of someone else’s mistakes.

“Raise your blades, sharpened by anger. The Demon King is inside there. A hero who has staved off the second Frozen Wednesday is battling the Demon King.”

Danjae-woo’s gaze blazed with fervor.

No matter what anyone says, he was also one of the hunters who lived through that era. A man who physically remembered a history filled with humiliation.

“Those who are not ready to lay down their lives can stay. But those foolish enough to be prepared, follow me.”

With that, Danjae-woo threw open the tent and grabbed a cloak hanging on the wall. The man donned the mantle adorned with many medals that had allowed him to rise to the position of branch leader and looked up at the clear blue sky.

“Look, isn’t it the most perfect weather for dying in the world!!”

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

---