Feel me. See me, covet me, swallow me, and make me yours.

The will of the dark orb was amplified over and over again. The yangbans and demons on the field were instantly fascinated. They forgot the past and present, losing themselves as they started to obsess over the future proposed by the bead. They were convinced that their future after swallowing the bead would be great. It was based on the enormous energy contained in the bead.

‘I will be sure to take first place in the next trials with that power.’

‘There will be no need for the worship of humans. That thing. The moment I get my hands on it, I will become a god.’

‘I will return to hell and wear a crown.’

‘I will get revenge. I will surely get revenge...’

Baal’s fragment of power was like a furnace. It captured the desires and resentment of all living things around it.

In the surge of heat, reason and knowledge were killed. Both the yangbans and demons howled like beasts. They didn’t realize that their hands extending toward the bead were digging through the brains of their colleagues. They didn’t feel that their eyeballs looking at the bead were being pulled out by the colleagues’ hands.

Everything was insignificant in front of the bead. They only desired the bead without recognizing anything other than the bead.

Kurarararara!

Bones and flesh melted from the flames being fired by the dragon in the sky. However, no one cared about her. On the ground that had turned into a sea of fire, the demons and yangbans seemed to be dancing. It seemed like a bizarre hell.

“They are crazy.” Old Sword Demon sighed. The spirit of the world was broken. He couldn’t figure out what to do first in this frightening and confusing situation.

Kyaaaak!

Agnus’ skeleton soldiers were plunging into the flames. Agnus, who was watching those being killed in vain, spoke to him, “Three seconds after the flames are formed, the damage coefficient will sharply decrease. Remember the sequence of flames and move.”

Step.

Agnus threw himself into the roaring barrier of fire. It seemed right that he would turn to ashes, but he crossed it unharmed. Old Sword Demon chased after him while clicking his tongue.

‘What am I doing with this guy?’

He didn’t like the situation.

The flames that spread like waves and formed a labyrinth, the heat of the crazy people that was as hot as flames, the back of the dragon standing tall like a mountain, Agnus calmly watching the sight, and the destruction that seemed unavoidable...

There was only despair. Old Sword Demon was frustrated, but he moved forward. He attacked the flames in the way that Agnus suggested and gave a helping hand to the people trapped in the labyrinth. Before he knew it, his body was covered with burns. He repeatedly burned his body to rescue the people threatened by flames that hadn’t yet weakened.

“Laugh if you want to laugh. I won’t blink even if you mock me!” Old Sword Demon made eye contact with Agnus and roared.

He was enduring the burning pain from his hands that stretched out to a boy. The isolated boy couldn’t hold his hand and was becoming ashes when Agnus approached the boy’s side.

“Stay still.”

He didn’t take off the boy’s robe with fireballs stuck to it. Rather, he embraced it and grabbed the boy, pulling the boy out carefully so that the boy wasn’t alarmed.

“Thank you...!”

The tearful boy relied on Agnus. It was because he didn’t know that Agnus was a murderer who couldn’t wash away his sins even if he saved a million more people in the future. The boy didn’t see Agnus’ ugly body hidden in the burning robe.

“...Disgusting guy,” Old Sword Demon frowned and criticized Agnus. It wasn’t until he lost his strength that he took up the pretense of good will. It was so ridiculous that Old Sword Demon scoffed.

“It is no use thinking about saving yourself until you regain your strength. Your past will never be washed away no matter what tricks you try in the future. Everyone will just remember your misdeeds and hate you forever.”

“Where are your parents?”

Agnus didn’t confront Old Sword Demon’s criticisms that were close to a curse. He only questioned the boy and the boy answered with difficulty.

“They passed away a few years ago...”

“I might’ve been the one who killed them.”

“......?”

Agnus took his eyes off the boy who didn’t understand him and made eye contact with Old Sword Demon.

“I don’t think I can erase my past. I don’t intend to ask anyone for forgiveness, nor do I intend to be a good person.”

It was closer to a grumble than a pledge.

“I’m simply going to live as I please, while doing the things I want to do.”

They were grumpy words that had no sense of responsibility and induced a feeling of disgust. Old Sword Demon was finding this attitude disgusting when he suddenly had a thought. He didn’t feel disgusted when Agnus saved the child just now. It meant that Old Sword Demon wouldn’t have liked it no matter what Agnus said.

Yes, it was an irreparable relationship. Consuming his emotions in relation to Agnus was a luxury in itself.

Just ignore it. For now, it was right to focus on the situation.

‘He is trash rolling around on the side of the road. A dog’s poop. There is no need to pay attention to him...’

Old Sword Demon’s focus was incredible after he regained his mind. He quickly rescued people from the labyrinth of flames and drew the attention of the dragon as she gradually approached the bead. He utilized an assassin’s trap installation skills and the effects of the traps were endless depending on their form. At first glance, he seemed like an all-rounder.

‘It is a skill that has been practiced for more than a year or two.’

The poor condition of the dragon also played a major role. The blood that was mixed in every time she breathed out fire indicated her internal injuries.

‘This fire isn’t a Breath.’

Most people mistook a dragon’s Breath for elemental magic. It was because a Breath had attributes. In fact, a Breath was more like a pure mass of magic power. The overlaid attributes were an additional factor and it specialized in causing abnormal statuses. The actual damage was true damage proportional to the amount of magic power. It meant that all types of resistances and tolerances were useless.

If the dragon called Ifrit had overused Breath, the yangbans on the field might’ve been wiped out. However, she was currently unable to shoot a Breath and was just breathing out. Even that was accompanied by blood.

Agnus was certain.

‘Her judgment is blurred... the odds are good enough.’

Agnus’ purpose wasn’t to kill the dragon. It was impossible in the first place. It was common sense that players couldn’t threaten dragons. It was the result of the information and knowledge that Agnus had accumulated so far. Agnus made destroying the fragment of Baal’s power his top priority. That was the best he could do now.

Kurarararara!

The fragment of Baal’s power was basically bonds of demonic energy. It was why the yangbans couldn’t easily narrow the distance and the secret behind Old Sword Demon’s traps utilizing artifacts with black magic attracting the dragon’s attention. The yangbans and dragon were blinded by the power fragment and had become very simple. It was possible to buy time by distracting them using energy similar to the power fragment.

Meanwhile, Agnus was a necromancer. The undead he summoned basically had evil influences and demonic energy. It was possible to confuse them with amplified demonic energy if he used Corpse Explosion. The skeleton soldiers exploded everywhere and blinded the yangbans and dragon. They forgot the location of the bead they were chasing a while ago and wandered in a completely different direction.

However, the demons were different. They had good compatibility with demonic energy. They were already close to the bead from the beginning and weren’t easily deceived.

“Um...!” Old Sword Demon showed nervousness. He feared that the fragment of power would fall into the hands of a demon and attempted to break through the flames.

Agnus stopped him. “You can ignore them.”

The reason was quickly known.

Kyaaaack!

The fragment of power rejected the demons. It swallowed those who came near it in reverse and increased its energy. The demons disappeared in vain.

“Baal wants a fun toy,” black magic power started to flutter around Agnus as he spoke in a cynical manner. It was the aftermath of taking out one of the few powers remaining in his rune. He emitted demonic energy and became the target of the dragon and yangbans.

“It is now. Go and smash the fragment.”

“......!”

Old Sword Demon belatedly noticed. The flames that filled his vision were fading. The shortest path to the power fragment was opened. Most of the breaths that the dragon belatedly fired were surrounding Agnus. It was a situation created by Agnus using Corpse Explosion.

Kurarararara!

“Give it to me! It is mine!”

The dragon’s breath and the yangbans flooded toward Agnus. Old Sword Demon noticed this was his last chance and rushed forward. He felt the end of Agnus behind him as he stabbed with all his strength toward the power fragment.

A powerful shockwave occurred. Old Sword Demon’s sword penetrated the bead little by little, slowly but steadily. Nevertheless, it was lacking. At some point, it was blocked by a wall. A blow containing all his power was blocked by the bead, which contained only a small fragment of Baal’s power.

“Kuoock...!” Old Sword Demon gritted his teeth as his body trembled. He squeezed out all his strength to push the sword even a little bit further into the bead. However, it was useless.

“...Ah.”

I messed it up. I failed because I am lacking. This city will be destroyed.

A voice entered the ears of the frustrated Old Sword Demon, “I ruined it because I couldn’t hold on.”

It was Agnus’ voice. It was a fragmented voice. They were the last words Agnus would leave before his death. He seemed to be comforting Old Sword Demon. He seemed to be apologizing for not buying enough time. It was hard to believe.

Old Sword Demon laughed at the absurdity while Agnus’ vision turned gray.

‘I wanted to deal a blow...’

To the one who abandoned me.

I wanted to give you a taste of regret.

Yet in the end, I couldn’t do anything.

I just reinforced the fact that I am worthless.

‘I have... I really don’t have any value...’

Agnus had dreamed of a fresh start just a few dozen minutes ago. His eyes, which were heated up for the first time since the death of his former lover, once again lost their light and cooled down. His mental strength couldn’t be intact. It hurt too much to keep his heart firm and his mind straight. It was a sandcastle. It was destined to be scattered in a fleeting manner.

Then at this moment, his fate changed.

“No, you didn’t ruin it. I honestly don’t know what is going on, but thank you for holding on. Really,” a voice came from above his head.

Agnus felt that the voice that spoke while breathing roughly was different from usual. It wasn’t uncomfortable or unpleasant. Envy, jealousy, and a sense of inferiority didn’t rise. Rather, the feeling of frustration in his chest was pierced in a refreshing manner. His cold heart started to run hot again. Emotions swelled.

“...It is like this.”

[You have died.]

It happened the moment his gray vision finally turned dark…

A smile spread on Agnus’ face as he was covered with the blood spilled by the dragon. It was a smile that showed happiness because he regained the longing he had forgotten for a long time.

“No, what...?”

Old Sword Demon was speechless. This recent disaster occurred due to an accident. It happened when he accidentally killed Agnus, who was hiding on the East Continent. It was basically impossible for someone to foresee the situation in advance and run over to help.

Yet Grid did it. He appeared on the scene at the moment of desperate crisis like he had been waiting. At this point, it was a development like a manhwa or novel. The situation seemed miraculous to Old Sword Demon, who didn’t know about the Tower of Wisdom, Betty, the Pioneer, and so on.

On the other hand, it was inevitable for Grid. He knew it was a must-happen event. He bore the responsibility that should be resolved.

“Please protect the fragment,” Grid cut the dragon’s long neck and spoke while standing with his back to Old Sword Demon.

He analyzed the situation based on the scene and observed hope.

Today, I am ready to kill a dragon.

A stormy fire engulfed the hellish landscape.