Chapter 124: The Demon King’s Legion Prepares a Reversal

“The world of the gods has come to an end!”

“The world of humanity reclaimed.”

Every day, the media was filled with such headlines.

Though the phrasing differed slightly, the core message was the same: the world had been returned to humans.

Through the Sword of Genesis, Asgard had collapsed.

The connection between gods and humans was severed, a fact revealed through the duel between Leon and me.

The human world of the past had arrived once more.

While some had truly followed Victory or Creation, most welcomed this change.

It was only natural.

Humans, as a species, could only feel truly satisfied when they stood at the pinnacle.

With the appearance of the gods, they had been forced to step down from their position as the masters of all creation.

However, they hadn’t dared to voice their dissatisfaction.

In a world ruled by gods, such thoughts were blasphemous.

People feared their hidden dissent would be noticed, as if everyone were constantly monitoring one another.

Thus, they feigned reverence and awe for the gods despite their underlying resentment.

But that was all over now.

The age of gods had met its end, and humanity was once again the master of the world.

Yet, not everything was finished.

[The remaining task: To exterminate the Demon Clan? Nations begin to accelerate their efforts.]

“Reviewing national merits for the subjugation of the Demon Clan. Proposing compensation plans for Awakeners actively participating in the hunt.”

***

The remnants of the Demon King’s Legion still lingered.

Humanity began pouring its full strength into wiping them out.

“Boom!”

Intense explosions erupted in various locations.

“Agh!”

“Gurgle!”

The lives of those caught in the blasts vanished in an instant.

Very few, however, felt any pity for that loss of life.

It couldn’t be helped, as the creatures dying were classified as demons—the very source of evil.

They were monsters that invaded the human world at will, harming people and living off their flesh.

The only ones who mourned their deaths were fellow members of the Demon Clan.

“Damn humans!”

The speaker wore clothes reminiscent of a tuxedo.

Though the outfit would normally look incredibly high-end, it was now scorched and riddled with holes.

“Drip”

Blood gushed incessantly from the wounds.

Ordinarily, black or blue fluids should have been pouring out, but his blood was red.

It was his blood, yet at the same time, it wasn’t.

This was because he was a vampire, a type of demon.

Vampires were a race that grew stronger by absorbing human blood.

Naturally, most of that red liquid had been extorted from humans rather than being his original essence.

But that didn’t mean the blood wasn’t precious.

Blood was the source of a vampire’s power.

Its rapid depletion meant his current condition was wretched.

“To think I would be beaten so miserably by these lowly humans…”

Until recently, it had been a world of demons.

Led by His Majesty the Demon King, the Legion Commanders had ruled the world.

Humans were nothing more than a single meal to them.

But suddenly, the situation had reversed.

Demons were being hunted by humans, suffering these brutal attacks.

Altein still couldn’t accept this reality.

As a high demon who had been granted a name, he was currently the temporary leader of the remaining forces.

“What about the reinforcements?” he asked one of his ‘family,’ a fellow member of the vampire clan beside him.

“…There are none.”

“What?!”

None?

Surely, just a moment ago…

“…Ah!”

In the next moment, he realized the truth.

There were reinforcements, but now there were not.

That meant—

“They encountered human forces on their way here and were annihilated…”

Altein couldn’t find any words to follow that somber statement.

The outcome was already clear.

The demons, the remnants of the Demon King’s Legion, were nothing more than prey being chased by humans.

Some humans were even cornering and hunting them for sport, much like they would hunt rabbits or deer.

‘All of this is because of that guy!’

Altein’s rage was directed toward one specific human: Kim Si-won.

He had killed the Demon King.

He had driven away the God of Darkness, the source of the Demon Clan, and even brought an end to the age of gods.

The ruin of the Demon Clan—all of it had happened because of that one human.

“Damn him! If I am ever given the chance, I will do whatever it takes to grind him up and drink him!”

“Creeeak!”

He clenched his jaw so hard his fangs nearly shattered.

But such determination and resolve were nothing more than bubbles in the face of the encroaching reality.

Human forces would arrive here soon, and he, along with the rest of the remnants, would be disposed of by those called Awakeners.

Altein closed his eyes against the miserable reality.

Soon, the humans arriving at this hideout would wipe out every demon here.

But a long time passed, and nothing happened.

“…What?”

Startled, he opened his eyes again.

He saw it: the silence dominating the world.

The explosions and roars that had filled the air moments ago had completely vanished.

Instead.

“Step— step—”

He spotted someone walking toward the hideout.

‘An enemy?’

At first, he watched with eyes full of vigilance, but then his eyes widened.

“Y-You are?!”

Though he looked slightly different, Altein could not fail to recognize him.

With blonde hair, a monocle, and the aura of a middle-aged gentleman, he was none other than…

“I greet the Legion Commander!”

Altein was a high demon.

But no matter how great his own prestige was, it could not compare to a Legion Commander, one of the six stars under the Demon King.

Furthermore, the man before him was Salmora, the Commander of the Plague Legion, known to be the most mysterious among the commanders.

Altein couldn’t help but show his deepest respect.

‘I see!’

He realized late why the world had grown so quiet.

If it was Commander Salmora, he could easily dispose of the humans gathered here without making a sound.

That was the extent of a Legion Commander’s power and authority.

“Those words…”

The man’s tightly closed lips opened.

“…Are they sincere?” He asked a question.

“I beg your pardon…?”

“That if given the chance, you would grind Kim Si-won into dust.”

Ah!

The Commander had heard his resolve, his deepest wish.

“Yes. I am sincere. If only given the chance, I would find Kim Si-won this instant and unleash all this resentment and hatred.”

“Even if it is a task that requires immense pain and patience?”

“My resolve remains unchanged.”

Salmora’s deep eyes, looking as though they contained an abyss, observed Altein for a long time.

“The first vampire. A noble bloodline. And that resolve. You certainly seem suitable as an experimental subject.”

Altein shuddered at Salmora’s words.

He didn’t know why.

That cold, mechanical gaze—as if he were looking at a laboratory specimen—was difficult to handle, even for a demon filled with malice.

“I will give you the chance you desire.”

“By chance, you mean…?”

“The power to handle Kim Si-won. No, I will help you reach a new domain that perhaps surpasses even that.”

“Me…?”

Altein was a noble known as a Progenitor Vampire.

In some circles, he was considered a great being, but his limits were clear.

Unlike humans, a demon’s capacity was determined the moment they were born.

No matter how much they struggled, it was impossible to reach a domain or level higher than their innate potential.

How could he possibly grant him more power?

“You will become a new species. Something that transcends humans, demons, gods, and all other races.”

“But why me…?”

It was a pure question.

Among the surviving demons, there were many with talent and capacity far exceeding Altein’s.

Why him?

How could someone as insignificant as him be chosen by a Legion Commander to become a new species?

“Hehe…” Salmora laughed at the question.

“I-I am sorry!”

Altein hurriedly bowed his head.

The Commander had given an order.

To question it instead of simply executing it was an act of extreme rudeness—the kind of rudeness that wouldn’t be strange if it cost him his life right then and there.

“It is because of this.”

“…What?”

“The will and thought to harbor doubt toward an order. It is rare for a demon to possess such a human-like quality.”

Because vampires often had to deal with human blood, they frequently lived among humans.

Altein had lived with humans for a long time and had been heavily influenced by them.

A curiosity that questioned everything, and even power that exploded through emotions.

Because of this, some other demons had often treated him as a mutant.

And that was apparently the reason.

“To become a new species, one needs characteristics from various races. And it seems your new ‘Trait’ is suitable for that.”

Salmora’s Thousand-Mile Eye saw everything in the world.

He processed information by watching every battle and war happening in real-time.

That was when Altein had caught his eye.

His behavior was strangely similar to a human’s.

Curious about this, the Commander had traveled here personally—after instantly annihilating all the humans in the vicinity.

His objective, of course, was the creation of a new species.

“To become a new species, one needs an indomitable spirit capable of enduring immense pain. And a mutant who can harbor endless ambition and emotional explosions, things demons rarely possess.”

Those were quite difficult conditions.

It was only natural, as the Demon Clan had long adapted to a world of the survival of the fittest.

Since they lived in a world where they had to obey the orders of more powerful, higher-ranking demons, it was impossible for them to possess human-like ambition or emotions.

But Altein was different.

He had spent a long time mimicking the appearance of humans.

Therefore, he was the only one who could be said to possess the characteristics of both humans and demons.

However, if there was one problem…

‘It’s the divine characteristics.’

Salmora could easily supplement that.

Through his experiments thus far, he had mastered the characteristics of the divine race and every step of their creation process.

This was why he had chosen Altein, who possessed the most difficult combination: the merged traits of humans and demons.

“However, I am curious.”

Altein dared to question the Commander once more.

It was a sin that would make his immediate execution unsurprising.

“Hehe!”

But Salmora laughed.

That was exactly what he truly wanted.

Thanks to that, even his slight lingering doubts vanished.

“Speak.”

“If I become a new species, if I become Commander Salmora’s test subject… can I truly obtain the power to surpass Kim Si-won?”

Was that what he was curious about?

Salmora wanted to truly applaud that incredible ambition.

“You will become the first of your kind, the most perfect species, with the potential and power to surpass Kim Si-won.”

“Then I will gladly do it!”

Altein prostrated himself on the ground in a display of submission.

It was the posture of a demon.

“I will successfully complete Commander Salmora’s experiment and surely, surely…”

Altein scanned his surroundings.

He saw his family, who had met cruel deaths at the hands of humans.

Hatred and rage flickered in his eyes as he looked at the vampire kin who shared his blood.

“Hehehe—” Salmora let out a sincere laugh at the sight of that human-like behavior.

-Swoosh.

Soon after, he and Altein vanished from the spot, as if they had never been there at all.