Unease rippled through the ranks of the Demonic Cultists.
"…Cult Leader?"
"Could it be a fake… No, this energy is unmistakably the Cult Leader's Heavenly Demon Divine Art…"
"Was he alive all along? Did the Strategist lie to us?"
Why had they severed contact with the Demonic Cult's headquarters and followed the Strategist?
Wasn't it to avoid being manipulated by the enemy who murdered their Cult Leader, the Heavenly Demon, and usurped his position? To avenge their fallen leader and restore the cult to its former glory?
Now, the very foundation of their cause was shaking. Even those who had maintained composure amidst the sudden battle couldn't hide their confusion.
The unrest was limited to a part of the battlefield, but if left unchecked, it would soon spread throughout the entire group.
"No, that's not the Cult Leader."
The old man's quiet words drew everyone's attention.
Ya Yulhwan, the Heavenly Horse Immortal, stared intently at the Heavenly Demon with his reptilian, yellow eyes.
Then, with conviction, he spoke.
"…A jiangshi? My, my, how impressive. A jiangshi mimicking the Cult Leader's energy and pretending to be alive, even possessing a semblance of self. Heh heh heh."
He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. He had been momentarily fooled by the elaborate charade, but upon closer inspection, he noticed the discrepancies.
Like that Demon King, a fabricated life force masked the truth. An aura of death, something a living being could never possess, permeated from within.
"Calling a living person a jiangshi. It seems the Strategist has been under a lot of stress. Understandable, given the circumstances."
"Oh? So you claim to be the Heavenly Demon himself?"
"Isn't it obvious? Tsk, you've clearly gone senile."
"Hmm— Indeed, your memory seems flawed. You've gathered some information and are trying to impersonate the Cult Leader, but that won't work on us, who have served him for years."
"…"
He was right.
The initially confused Demonic Cultists now eyed the Heavenly Demon with narrowed eyes, their gazes sharp and scrutinizing, as if determined not to miss a single detail.
'…Damn, I thought it might work…'
Hans frowned at the change in their demeanor.
He had infused the Heavenly Demon jiangshi with memories extracted from the Heavenly Demon himself and various cultists, confident in his mimicry. But it wasn't enough to fool those closest to the former leader.
'Even I can't perfectly resurrect someone exactly as they were.'
Fundamentally, an undead is a being where human resentment has concentrated and transformed.
He could manipulate the physical body after awakening his divinity but replicating the soul and ego of someone who had reached the pinnacle of the Transcendent Realm and become an apostle of the Master of Heaven's Turn Society was impossible.
"Tsk, I thought I could take the easy route."
Hans clicked his tongue, observing the Demonic Cultists, their hostility rising. He had hoped to subdue them intact, but that seemed too ambitious.
The only option left was a display of overwhelming force.
Shing
As Hans willed it, the Heavenly Demon jiangshi drew the sword at its hip.
"It seems I have no choice. Guiding my deluded subordinates back from the abyss of demonic influence is also a Cult Leader's duty."
The jiangshi continued its performance.
'Well, their acknowledgement isn't that important anyway.'
The way Hans had taken control of the Demonic Cult proved that.
Did the cultists follow him because he was the Heavenly Demon?
No.
What he needed wasn't a flimsy justification.
'Only power. Overwhelming power that bends everything to my will. Nothing else matters.'
If they didn't acknowledge him willingly, he would force them to.
If he declared this jiangshi the Heavenly Demon, then it would be the Heavenly Demon, regardless of what anyone else thought.
He might suffer some losses in the process, but he had the power to enforce his will.
Woosh
Black energy surged from the Heavenly Demon jiangshi.
The energy signature of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the signature martial art of the Demonic Cult's leader. However, its nature was different from the internal energy wielded by the living Heavenly Demon.
Darker, more sinister, imbued with the aura of death, a destructive force.
And that wasn't all that bolstered its power.
「Heavenly Killing Star」, the unique skill that enhanced all combat-related actions at the cost of mental side effects.
This skill, activated through some unknown means, compensated for the inevitable decline in ability caused by the corrupted ego, pushing the body's potential to its limits and beyond.
Wreathed in black, flame-like energy, the Heavenly Demon jiangshi smirked, flicking its sword.
"My hounds, raised to fight external enemies, now bare their fangs at their master. I have no choice but to discipline them."
Boom
A fierce storm erupted, the blade-like energy tearing through the air, forcing those nearby to retreat hastily.
This phenomenon was caused simply by the release of energy.
The Demon Sword Master, the one-eyed old man who had been silently observing, stepped forward, his face grim.
"…Strategist, do you understand what that is? It defies my understanding. Even if the Cult Leader was on the verge of ascension, that's still a jiangshi… It's as if the Cult Leader has returned to life."
"Hah, I have no idea. What otherworldly sorcery is this? An army of the dead wielding their living power without any degradation. Hah! …If only I had such power…"
"Strategist?"
The Demon Sword Master frowned, questioning the unfinished sentence, but Ya Yulhwan remained silent, his gaze shifting between the Heavenly Demon jiangshi and Hans.
"Enough chatter. Our remaining conversation will take place—"
The Heavenly Demon jiangshi's low voice echoed, interrupting their exchange.
The sword, wreathed in flickering black energy like a burning flame, slowly rose towards the sky.
"—after you kneel before me."
The energy, surging dozens of meters high as if to pierce the heavens, slammed downwards.
KABOOM
The earth cracked and groaned as if struck by an earthquake.
This was the signal, the start of a full-blown war.
Rumble
One step.
The surrounding air pressure intensified, forcing those who resisted to their knees, heads bowed.
Slash
One sword strike.
Those who stood in its path were cleaved in two, along with the very space around them, blood spraying through the air.
Bang
One palm strike.
The one-eyed old man, barely managing to parry the blow, was sent flying backwards with a groan.
The Blood Demon Jiangshi and several other Heavenly Jiangshi rushed forward, but they could only barely hold their ground.
Their absence created gaps in the Demonic Cult's lines, allowing Hans's forces to push through repeatedly.
All of this was due to the arrival of the jiangshi impersonating the Heavenly Demon.
'This is bad.'
Ya Yulhwan frowned, shaking his head. The Heavenly Demon was undeniably a supreme master, the strongest in the world.
And now, he had returned without any decrease in power… No, perhaps his killing power was even greater. In a way, this situation was inevitable.
"Kuku— Still so relaxed? Lost in thought while facing me?"
This wasn't the time to be a spectator.
Death, in human form, stood right before him.
"Hahaha, not relaxed. Just contemplating how to overcome this situation. But… I can't seem to find a solution."
"I am merciful. And I appreciate talent that knows its place. Prostrate yourself now, and I might spare you."
"Oh! A tempting offer, but…"
Their conversation continued amidst the chaotic battlefield, a strangely calm exchange within the surrounding pandemonium.
But the situation wasn't as peaceful as it seemed.
Crackle Sizzle
Sparks flew at the edges of the space, resisting the encroaching aura of death.
But the barrier was visibly weakening, and it wouldn't hold much longer against the encroaching death.
"I don't think I can accept. It's in my nature to refuse to be beneath another."
Ya Yulhwan's yellow eyes gleamed strangely. It wasn't the look of someone accepting defeat.
"Oh? Yet you served the Heavenly Demon for so long?"
"Ah— That? Well, that was easy enough."
The energy within the old man began to stir, swelling as if breaking free from its restraints.
"That 'otherworldly deity,' with his protection, was the only one who could conceal my existence in this world. Being near him allowed me to easily accumulate karma. And more importantly…"
The old man no longer resembled the immortal he once was.
His energy continued to expand, far exceeding Hans's initial estimations.
"He was an emergency food supply, a high-quality meal waiting to be consumed. Such efforts are necessary to secure a superior meal, wouldn't you agree?"
A twisted madness, a blend of greed and hunger, flickered in his eyes as he grinned.
Hans's eyes narrowed. He had already dealt with the Heavenly Demon, the supposed final boss of Ganghwan-gye.
Or so he thought…
'The supposed mid-boss was actually the hidden boss all along?'
Hans's mind raced. The Master of Heaven's Turn Society who stole the Dragon Heart, and the Heavenly Demon, an Apostle from the Settlers, who sought to devour this world.
Their intentions were clear.
They planned to colonize this world and further enhance their divinity.
'…But to think someone was plotting against them from the very beginning…'
Ya Yulhwan, the Heavenly Horse Immortal, the enigmatic yokai who had orchestrated all of the Demonic Cult's activities for decades, supporting the Heavenly Demon's growth right by his side.
Just how grand was his scheme?
He had even helped the Heavenly Demon transcend his limits, seemingly unconcerned about the destruction of his own world.
"Of course, your preemptive strike disrupted my long-laid plans."
"Pfft— My apologies."
"And now you're here, interfering with my affairs… Do you expect me to just stand by and watch?"
"Hmm, so what's your point? You refuse to submit and will fight to the bitter end?"
"Hahaha, you could say that."
Ya Yulhwan replied calmly, his form beginning to distort and crumble. But he continued speaking.
"Now that things have come to this, I can't afford to hold back."
His body rapidly expanded, losing all semblance of human form.
It quickly grew to over a dozen meters, continuing to swell.
Crack
Hans stepped back slightly, observing the transformation with narrowed eyes.
'…My attacks aren't working.'
Following his usual habit of attacking during transformations, he unleashed a torrent of death magic. But a strange principle seemed to be at play, deflecting his attacks.
Perhaps some world law related to the Dragon God, the main deity of this world, was interfering.
[There's no need to hide your true form any longer.]
But it was only for a fleeting moment.
The transformation completed in the blink of an eye, the being now looking down from above.
A long, scaled body, bulging eyes, sharp teeth, and towering horns.
Just as Hans had suspected, it was a dragon.
However, what he hadn't anticipated was…
"…A hydra? No, a Six-Headed Dragon would be more accurate."
The writhing heads weren't just one.
Six heads, each a different color: red, blue, white, black, yellow—and a green head at the center.
Each head held a Dragon Orb in its maw.
'I was told dragons only have one Dragon Orb…'
As Hans frowned at the discrepancy with the information he had received from Horus, the fierce battle raging below came to an abrupt halt with the sudden appearance of the monstrous dragon.
[It seems things have taken an interesting turn. No, this is even better. I'll devour you and seize your otherworldly sorcery! With that power, I'll no longer need to hide!]
Roar
The Six-Headed Dragon roared, unleashing a violent storm that shook the very air.
The true hidden boss of Ganghwange had arrived.