“”......?!”” 

The eight heads of Dantalion that were cut off had startled expressions. The 16 eyes that fell to the ground observed the situation from different directions. The Overgeared God, the hatchling, the great magician, the incarnation of the seven malignant saints, the archangel, the master of Keen Insight, the Demon Slayer, etc. Those who were qualified to rule an era, or the world, were rushing toward him like hungry and irrational beasts seeing prey. 

‘This... It is contrary to my expectations.’

Dantalion was smart. Based on the Overgeared God’s messengers, he inferred the purpose of the Overgeared God. Beriache’s revenge, the subjugation of the evil dragon, the war against Asgard... 

Like the gods in the Genesis mythology, the Overgeared God was a person who carried many burdens on his shoulders. It was to fulfill the wishes of the messengers and make them fully subordinate to him. 

‘The Overgeared God is in a position where he must fight against hell. It is normal to covet my knowledge.’ 

So what was this situation? The Overgeared God seemed to be lacking common sense. It was very abnormal. The eight heads that fell to the hot floor where lava flowed opened their mouths at the same time. “”Overgeared God. Do you really need to kill me? Why cut off my heads? Wouldn’t it benefit you to cooperate with me rather than fight me?”” 

Grid wondered, “On what basis?” 

“”Is it really necessary for me to explain? My knowledge and strength will be a great help to you.”” 

“Not really.” 

“”Do you distrust me because I’m a great demon? I will become your messenger. Then can you trust me?”” 

“Not so much.” It was like talking to a dead body but Grid wasn’t flustered. He knew from the beginning that a great demon wouldn’t die just because his head was cut off. The Fire Dragon Sword was placed on Dantalion’s body and flames appeared.

The eight heads sighed as they watched their body being engulfed in flames. “’Stupid. Indeed... Just because you are a god doesn’t mean you are intelligent. There are some indigenous people who can only howl like pigs.”” 

‘This guy talks too much.’ 

Grid blatantly heard he wasn’t smart and the agitated Grid used the five fusion sword dance. He destroyed Dantalion’s heart and tore through all his viscera. 

The shockwave fired from Nefelina’s mouth and Braham’s magic crushed Dantalion’s flesh and bones. Zikfrector’s runes prevented Dantalion’s recovery and Sariel and Mercedes cut off Dantalion’s limbs. Yura fired from the sky from the large bean tree planted by Piaro and her bullets successively penetrated and destroyed the eight heads on the ground. It was to block the regeneration of the heads. Dantalion was thoroughly isolated. No demons, demonkin or demonic creatures helped him. They stayed inside the black crystal castle and simply watched as their master was dying. 

‘Is there a concept of loyalty in hell?’ 

Most of them were forced to be loyal due to contracts so this was why more vigilance was needed. The great demon and their subordinates were bound together by a common destiny. If Dantalion died, the demons and demonkin who had a contract with Dantalion would die with him or their souls would degenerate. It meant that they shouldn’t just be watching. 

‘It is strange.’ 

Grid’s group felt a sense of strangeness but this wasn’t a reason to stop attacking. The offensive continued and Dantalion desperately resisted. He replaced his lost vision with magic power, read and defended against attacks, and formed dozens of magic circles around his body to fight back. 

Unlike Grid and Braham, who could use Magic Contemplation, and Nefelina, who was protected by her species’ absolute defense even if it was incomplete, the rest of the magicians were injured little by little. However, the rate at which Dantalion died was much faster. 

Dantalion started with his head cut off from a surprise attack and he consumed too much magic power. He couldn’t hold on and lost all his health. A huge contribution was Yura’s sniper shots where she didn’t have to worry about being counterattacked. 

It happened the moment when Dantalion’s body started to disperse into ashes. 

[Time is regressing due to Dantalion’s power.] 

“......?!” 

Grid and Yura were shocked to see the system message. Grid’s messengers grasped the situation a step later and clicked their tongue. The ash was being returned to Dantalion’s body. His cut off limbs were restored and the big and small wounds healed. The eight heads that were destroyed and disappeared from Yura’s sniper fire reappeared. They flew back to his throat. 

It was like watching a video being played in reverse. Soon, the fully recovered Dantalion stepped back. It wasn’t until he returned to the location where he first appeared that Grid’s party noticed it. Their location was also moved to the place where they had been standing a few minutes ago. 

‘Is it back tracking?’ 

Should he try his weapon? The passage of time normalized as Grid was seriously considering it. 

“”For me, the future is history.”” 

Some people called it ‘Dantalion’s Book’ while Dantalion himself called it the ‘Book of the Future.’ The book that Dantalion carried showed the future in exchange for some type of sacrifice. It wasn’t omnipotent because it couldn’t specify the scope of the future but there was one fraudulent function. It was the ability to make the present turn into the possibility of ‘what will happen in the future.’ He easily turned back time. 

Of course, there were restrictions on this. It was impossible to choose when to turn back time. Even Dantalion considered it a great fortune that he could return to the point when the body was fine. If he was unlucky, the time regression might’ve gone to the point where his heads were cut off and the meaning of backtracking would’ve disappeared. 

‘Besides, it costs a lot.’ 

Dantalion felt great pain. Among his eight heads, the heads of the young man and woman turned black and soon scattered as ash. In doing so, he permanently lost a significant amount of knowledge. Tsk. Dantalion clicked his tongue and quickly turned around. He intended to flee back to his castle. Just then, a silver sword light flew toward Dantalion’s neck.

“What the hell is ‘the future is history’?” Grid came close and asked in an irritated voice.

Dantalion smacked his lips. ‘It is Shunpo.’ 

This was the greatness of a god who rose through the process of transcendence. 

‘This person isn’t an ordinary god. The moment he overcomes all the trials, his ranking will rise to the king of the gods.’ 

Dantalion once again activated the Book of the Future. The surprised Grid pulled out the Blessed Weapon Enhancement Stones. It wasn’t an ancient enhancement scroll but an enhancement stone. 

[You have enhanced the +4 Blade Born from Enlightenment and Strong Desires.] 

[The enhancement has failed and the enhancement value has decreased.] 

Time went back once again. 

‘This!’ 

Dantalion had four heads left and his expression distorted. It was a situation where he had left his castle and it was just before his neck was cut. He could see Grid standing 10 meters away. Why was Grid’s expression even more distorted than his? 

Dantalion shouted, “”Think about the benefits of having me as a messenger!”” 

“Don’t talk to me because I’m in a bad mood now.” 

Grid sighed as he checked his weapon. Fortunately, it was restored to +4 by the time backtracking but he didn’t feel good. 

‘It failed too naturally... By the way, it is clear that Dantalion’s time regression ability is definitely great.’ 

It wasn’t backtracking his own time but the time of the world itself. Grid was certain that all the players currently connected were experiencing the time regression. 

‘The reason why he didn’t use this ability in the human world is because the penalty is too big.’ 

The act of raiding the human world was a type of game for great demons. None of them would be foolish enough to suffer damages while enjoying a game. In that sense, the great demons who came to play and had their souls destroyed after meeting Ruby were idiots.

‘Two heads are the price in exchange for turning time back once... He can’t lose all his heads so there is only one chance left for him in the future. Shunpo.’ 

Once again, Grid held the Falling Moon Sword. It was because time had gone back to before Grid swung the Falling Moon Sword. That’s right. The time regression didn’t apply only to Dantalion. Countless conditions were needed for the time regression to be advantageous to Dantalion alone and this was obviously an area of luck. 

“”Shit!”” Dantalion lost his composure. He wanted to use Teleport to return to the castle but he felt Braham’s gaze and pulled out his sword. Braham’s ability to control and counter magic in real time was the fundamental reason for Dantalion’s weakening. 

“......!” Grid’s eyes widened as he was about to wield the Falling Moon Sword. It was due to what he felt from Dantalion who was holding the sword. Dantalion’s upper body leaned back and there was a sound like iron being scratched. Some things unknowingly surfaced in Grid’s mind. He was reminded of the information that Dantalion used the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship when attacking the human world. The form of the swordsmanship that Biban used swept through his mind. He remembered the moments when he fought with Kraugel, sometimes as an enemy and sometimes as an ally. 

Grid’s body moved reflexively. He forcefully twisted his muscles, put away the Falling Moon Sword and activated White Tiger’s Posture. Simultaneously, Dantalion’s sword appeared like lightning and cut at Grid’s upper body. It was a sword technique that must win in a battle of sword against sword. It was the Sword Saint’s absurd move that unconditionally avoided the opponent’s sword while hitting the opponent with his own sword. This blow collided with Grid’s armor, causing sparks. 

[You have suffered 43,508 damage.] 

[The effect of Doran’s Ring has been activated.] 

This was truly a great demon. Dantalion couldn’t destroy the armor made of Greed and Grid’s use of the White Tiger’s Posture greatly increased his defense, but he still dealt so much damage. Dantalion didn’t miss this chance. He continuously used the Matchless Heart Technique that was the symbol of the Sword Saint and suppressed Grid. 

Grid wanted him to be deeply absorbed in the situation so he waited for when Dantalion got a bit deeper. It was just that Dantalion’s mental strength was higher than he imagined. He suppressed his killing intent toward Grid who drove him this far and maintained the right ‘line.’ He moved forward and retreated, restraining himself from going too far when attacking Grid. 

Meanwhile, Braham and Zikfrector’s magic and Yura’s sniping covered Grid. However, Dantalion was implementing super sensitivity as well. He evaded the pouring bullets with minimal movements and deflected Nefelina’s shockwave with Sword Curtain. Still, he couldn’t completely absorb the impact and was shaken. 

‘Now!’ Grid removed the White Tiger’s Posture and hit back. Then blood gushed from Grid’s neck. Dantalion avoided Grid’s sword and fought back by aiming for the small gap between his armor and his helmet. 

‘This bastard is really the Sword Saint.’ 

The frowning Grid was tense. He knew that the next attack would come but Dantalion’s self-control was beyond imagination. He ignored the chance to cause serious damage to Grid and retreated to broaden his vision. It was as expected. The shield flying from behind Grid was captured in Dantalion’s vision. Mercedes’ shield that was blocked by Dantalion’s sword rose in the air and collided with the God Hands. 

“......”

“......”

It was something that no one could deny. At this moment, Dantalion was reenacting and was almost identical to the Sword Saint. 

“”You... It would’ve been better to accept my suggestion. Regret today’s misjudgment for the rest of your life.”” Did he judge that it was over? Dantalion placed the sword in his scabbard and lowered his upper body deeply. It was obvious to anyone that it was a posture for drawing the sword. 

“Your Majesty!!” Piaro felt Grid’s crisis and ran over while shouting. Braham and Zikfrector wrapped defense magic around Grid. Nefelina gathered her Breath. The agitated Sariel showed signs of going berserk and Yura awas forced to prepare Hell Regulation. Only two people were different. Grid, who was the target of the attack and Mercedes who followed him weren’t worried about Grid’s safety. The thing they had in common was that they had experienced the Matchless Heart Technique. It was also directly through Biban, the founder of the Matchless Heart Technique. 

The sword was pulled out of the sheath. The sharp sword light that seemed to cut at Grid’s neck was stopped and sword energy released. Dantalion’s body started to fly backwards at a tremendous speed, and he reached the gate of the castle in an instant. He used the sword energy to escape. 

Dantalion was making a pleased smile only for his eyes to widen. It was because Grid was approaching right in front of him. He pursued as if he had expected Dantalion to run away. ‘How?’ 

Dantalion’s neck was cut again. 

Grid put away the Falling Moon Sword after the strike and combined the Fire Dragon Sword and Enlightenment Sword. “You are too weak to be my messenger.” 

Hopefully, either Leraje or Marie Rose would become his messenger. Grid wasn’t obsessed with Dantalion. Knowledge? The knowledge of Braham, Sticks, Nefelina and Zikfrector was enough. They couldn’t see the future but they were intellectuals who explored the truth in their respective fields. In the first place, the future was a concept that could change at any time. For Grid, it was better to seize Dantalion’s power than to use Dantalion as a subordinate. He was convinced that he and the messengers could use the power much better. 

“”Persistent guy!””

Dantalion burst out angrily and once again backtracked time. Thousands of demonkin and demonic creatures poured out of his castle. The result was naturally terrible. The timing of Dantalion’s time regression was for after they came out of the castle. The number of demonkin and demonic creatures was meaningless. The level 400 monsters were destroyed by the messengers’ wide-area magic. In particular, Sariel’s activity was very dazzling. Sariel, who was about to go berserk due to Grid’s crisis, stabilized her mind and released her power. 

Dantalion sat down with only two heads remaining and murmured to himself. “”Luck... If luck had come...”” 

“They are pathetic last words.” Grid ridiculed. If he was in Dantalion’s position then he would’ve poured out curses like a waterfall. 

[Dantalion’s Knowledge Essence has been acquired.] 

[The 25th great demon ‘Dantalion’ has been defeated.] 

[Dantalion’s Knowledge Essence x4 have been acquired.] 

[Dantalion’s Damaged Book has been acquired.] 

[Dantalion’s Sword has been acquired.] 

[Dantalion’s Staff has been acquired.] 

[Your level has risen by 3.]