The Demonic Sea was an apt name for this body of water filled with demonic creatures. The creatures that swam in it were stronger than any of the monsters Yeon-woo had seen so far, even though he only skimmed it with Extrasensory Perception.

The deeper he went, the more horrific and gruesome monsters he encountered. They could easily swallow the ones on land, and their appearances were so strange that he wondered if they were truly lifeforms. He couldn’t muster up the courage to sink even deeper. His soul felt shaky just from the monsters’ energy. It was also dangerous because a few curious creatures noticed Yeon-woo’s senses and tried to make contact with him.

He couldn’t even dream of the types of creatures that lived in the depths of the sea. It didn’t seem like the creatures had any feelings of solidarity or camaraderie either. They were always wary of each other, looking for weaknesses and preparing to rip another creature’s neck off if given the chance. It was evident they were trying to grow their individual strength through predation.

They were monsters that exemplified survival of the fittest, and they had no choice but to grow strong. In fact, Yeon-woo felt the only thing the monsters had in common was their strength, which seemed to originate from chaos or emptiness. Their explosive strength was so disorderly that he feared even approaching it.

The creatures managed to maintain their appearances because of the corpse’s Divine Factors, but the power was so volatile that it might explode at any moment. ‘And that one is even more incredible than all those other unbelievable monsters. Is that why…it’s called the king?’

The monster the Vampiric Lord called Nessie was horrifying. How could a creature like that possibly exist? Its approach was more than enough to make him tremble. ‘Even my Channels are shaken.’ For the first time ever, Yeon-woo felt the communication with the gods and demons becoming weaker.

[Vimalacitra glares at Nessie with a stiff face.]

[Cernunnos warns you about the danger Nessie poses. He advises you to retreat along with his holy spirit.]

[The temporary ban has been released with Agares’ authorization.[

[A message from Agares has arrived.]

[Message: The chaos stuffed in that thing is on the verge of exploding. Looks like it was enlightened with holiness thanks to the chaos. Ha! How can such a creature exist? That’s neither a god nor a demon, neither order nor disorder. It’s just a monster, a creature with no sense of beauty despite its intelligence.]

[A message from Agares has arrived.]

[Message: Human, run! There’s nothing you can do. Even if beings like us approach it, it will only violently toss and tumble us around. It’s ridiculous. What are you doing, get out now!]

[All gods of death solemnly nod and advise you to follow Agares’ suggestion.]

[All demons of death express hostility towards Nessie. They do not hide their repugnance.]

[Many of the Channels are shaken due to Nessie’s holy power.]

[Static rises in the Channels.]

[Static rises in the Channels.]

[The Channels are unstable.]

…

[The gods connected to the Channels forcefully eliminate the static.]

[The demons connected to the Channels reset the frequency.]

[Many gods feel threatened by Nessie.]

[Many demons show repugnance to Nessie.]

The instability of the Channels meant this place was being influenced by the holy power Nessie emanated. Yeon-woo had already stepped foot in Nessie’s territory and couldn’t avoid it.

He could also feel that the gods and demons—who were usually at odds with each other—all shared a common emotion: revulsion.

There wasn’t a particular reason for it; it was more like a visceral reaction to a creature like Nessie, which was their antithesis. The gods and demons originated from an orderly energy while Nessie had been born from disorder and chaos. Their foundations were too different, and coexistence was impossible. This was possibly the greatest division between gods and demons bound to the Tower and otherworld gods.

‘But even the gods and demons of death?’ The gods and demons who had dominion over death followed the Black King, just as a superior otherworld god like the Crawling Chaos did. This was why Yeon-woo guessed that the Black King linked the gods and demons of death to the otherworld gods, since there had to be a reason they all worshipped him.

But as soon as they laid their eyes on Nessie, who was of the otherworld gods, the gods and demons of death expressed hostility. In fact, their hostility was even more intense than that of the other gods and demons. It was like they were mortal enemies.

‘Is it because they both think of themselves as the true followers of the Black King? Or did something occur in the past and divide them from each other?’ Whatever it was, it was hard to tell. Since the entities were testing Yeon-woo as the Black King’s successor, it didn’t seem like they’d give him an easy answer either. However, it didn’t matter because Yeon-woo was about to suggest retreating since it seemed impossible to cross the Demonic Sea.

“Why are you so surprised? If you’re like this after seeing only one of them, I guess you’ll pass out in front of the others.”

Yeon-woo’s face hardened as the Vampiric Lord chuckled in amusement. Her words were strangely frightening.

“Does that mean…there’s more of these monsters?”

“Of course. There are seven who are even more violent and ghastly.”

[Vimalacitra sits up with a stiff face.]

[Cerununnos presses his lips together. He urges his holy spirit to retreat once again.]

[Many gods show astonishment.]

[Many demons demand that the player ‘Erzsebet Bathory’ stop speaking nonsense.]

“I see those backroom lu bus locked up on that floor are still babbling.” The Vampiric Lord scoffed, pushing her message window to the side. Yeon-woo could see the angered gods and demons cause more of a disturbance, but the Vampiric Lord didn’t seem to care.

For a second, Yeon-woo wondered how the Vampiric Lord knew the term “lu bu”, which was slang used for people who were tough in front of their parents but weak in front of others. However, his face soon stiffened when she continued to speak. “Still, that guy seems to have a special interest in you.”

Yeon-woo was about to ask what she meant when Nessie’s eyes, which were bigger than a human, flashed through the fog as it cried out.

You.

Cannot. Go.

Thoughts poured out from the creature, and Yeon-woo’s expression turned grim as he sensed the creature’s intense will.

Suddenly, sky and land monsters that previously didn’t even dare approach the Demonic Sea began to swarm towards him. Kieeeek! Kuuak! Kuuak! Their eyes were red with madness as they moved according to Nessie’s command.

Yeon-woo clenched his fists as his back crawled. In front of him was the Demonic Sea, and behind him were dozens of strange monsters rushing towards him. If he counted the violent auras of the creatures even farther away, they seemed endless. ‘How far did Nessie’s summons reach?’ He’d never expected that Nessie would call these beings, which were on the level of divine beings.

They seemed eager to obey Nessie's commands, as if horrified that they might die if they disobeyed. Some creatures even looked unfocused, as though they had been hypnotized.

“Looks like it’ll be quite a hassle to find Laplace.” Even in this dangerous situation, the Vampiric Lord looked amused. It was clear that she’d been expecting this to happen.

“What should we do?” It was already too late for retreat. There was no point in asking why she hadn’t warned him about this. The most important thing right now was to find a way to get through the monsters and reach the island beyond Nessie where Laplace was.

“What else? Are you saying there’s another method here?” She snorted with laughter. Her fangs flashed between her lips, highlighting her cruel appearance. “There’s nothing but endless battle. There’s no choice but to fight and fight again, eating up those monsters to get out.”

The monsters of the Demonic Sea became stronger by preying on each other. The Vampiric Lord was implying that Yeon-woo might become powerful like Nessie through the same process.

‘The Vampiric Lord has already gone through this several times. Is this the reason why she’s so abnormally strong?’ He felt as if he’d seen one of her secrets. How many battles had the Lord of Vampires’ petite body endured? She had fallen from the position of the great king of a species to a miserable existence. The things she’d endured in order to make a comeback only left evil and madness behind in her.

‘But I don’t have time to do that.’ The Vampiric Lord had begun by vanquishing smaller monsters from the Demonic Sea, but Yeon-woo had to clash with powerful monsters right away. He didn’t have the luxury of time. Arthia was still unstable as a force in the Tower, and the Central Bureau would arrive as soon as they realized whom he was looking for and try to stop him. He didn’t have the time to fight with his full concentration.

‘The gods and demons connected to the Channels don’t want to get close to the monsters either.’

[All gods of death advise you not to partake in the endless battle.]

[All demons of death warn that there is no need to be swept up in such disorder.]

[Cernunnos agrees with their opinion.]

[Agares nods vehemently.]

[Thor tries to persuade you by saying this isn’t the only opportunity you’ll have to fight.]

…

[Vimalacitra smiles evilly and says it’ll be a good experience for you to fight with the creatures.]

[Vimalacitra hopes to see you participate in the endless battle.]

[The gods connected to the Channels glare at Vimalacitra.]

[The demons connected to the Channels object to his statement.]

[Vimalacitra wordlessly glowers at the gods and demons pressuring him.]

[The glaring gods and demons avoid Vimalacitra’s gaze.]

Only Vimalacitra supported Yeon-woo’s participation; the others seemed to be reluctant. Yeon-woo knew that it wasn’t because they were concerned for his safety. The gods and demons connected to him only wanted to use him as an Apostle or thought of him as a plaything to amuse themselves. His struggles usually brought them delight, and their responses now meant that there was something that a mortal like Yeon-woo didn’t know.

However, in this situation, the only thing he could do was fight. Even if he could retreat, he had no plans to do so. ‘Demonism.’

『Keekeekeek.』

‘I guess I can’t use its help here.’ There was no reason for the Demonism to help him while it waited for him to ripen. Yeon-woo frowned and glared at the Vampiric Lord for getting him into this predicament. “What is it you want?”

“As expected. It’s so nice that you understood so quickly.” She raised a corner of her mouth. “If you tell me where the count is, I’ll help you.”

‘So that’s it.’ Yeon-woo clucked his tongue. It was obvious she was implying she couldn’t be exploited so easily. Considering her pride, she was probably furious that she had been brought here. However, Yeon-woo hadn’t spoken a word about Count Ferenc’s whereabouts, knowing that the Vampiric Lord might betray him as soon as she had the information she wanted. He had Lana, but that didn’t mean he could unconditionally trust the Vampiric Lord. “Lana.” He decided to call Lana, who’d been quietly following them. She nodded heavily, reading his intentions through their connection.

“You…!” The Vampiric Lord stiffened, not realizing her daughter would side with Yeon-woo and not her.

「Sorry, Mom. Saving my disciple is more important to me.」

Just as the Vampiric Lord was about to respond, Yeon-woo sped up his thoughts.

[Time Difference]

His expanded mind linked to Laputa quickly began to calculate the information. As he predicted the movements of the Demonic Sea, Nessie’s location, the number of monsters, the monsters’ movements, and the things that would come after that, he spread his Sky Wings wide and activated all his powers.

[5th-step Dragon Body Awakening]

[All powers have been released.]

[Sky Wings]

Dragon scales appeared on his skin and the Philosopher’s Stone and Dragon Heart resonated together. Boom! He kicked off the ground over the Demonic Sea. Waves soared up dozens of meters high.The monsters waiting below the surface jumped out, and the creatures flying in the sky descended in hordes. ‘If I die, she loses a clue to the count’s whereabouts. She won’t want that.’ It was a game of chicken.

「The scaredy-cats can go ahead and die.」

‘You’re right, Shanon.’ For the first time, he was right. Yeon-woo smirked and shouted, “Explode.” Hundreds of clusters of sword energy began to form in his wake and explode. Rumble. The light and heat that the explosions released made the Demonic Sea quake.