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Chapter 220: The Third Trial (8)
Before the 'real traitor Balrogs' left the mercenary group.
"We need to deceive the Demon Lords. To do that, two things are essential. Many traitors will emerge. And the reason for the betrayal must be real."
—I understand the latter. But the former... wouldn't having many traitors be a disadvantage for us?
Vice Captain Kalrung asked, tilting his head.
Each Balrog was strong.
The elites gathered in the mercenary group were even more so.
The Demon Lords were about to attack.
Every bit of strength was precious... .
"That's why there should be as many traitors as possible. The Demon Lords will move more easily if we're weakened. And, would the credibility of information delivered by one or two betraying Balrogs be the same as that delivered by dozens?"
If, as Kim Minwoo said, a significant number of traitors emerged?
The burden on the Demon Lords would be greatly reduced. Vulcan's mercenary group was as famous as Vulcan himself. They would be eager to move immediately.
—I understand. So, we need to properly deceive those cunning bastards... is there a way?
"Ah, this is a recovery potion. It's a marvel of civilization."
—Aha. I've heard rumors. Humans rely on these, right?
"You know quite a bit?"
—Didn't I say I've been to the middle world? Anyway, drink it.
He handed Vulcan a highest-rank recovery potion.
A potion worth hundreds of millions of won each.
The amount was excessively small compared to Vulcan's size, so he took out about ten bottles and handed them over.
The Balrog shattered the glass bottles with his teeth and absorbed the contents along with the glass.
It was a very crude way of consuming it.
The thing to check was simple.
Whether or not the potion worked on the demon Balrog.
There were scratches all over Vulcan's body from the earlier sparring, and they were quickly healing.
Vulcan's eyes sparkled.
The potion that humans used.
He had inwardly dismissed it as something befitting a weak race, but the effect was quite significant.
"Ten bottles for this much... then with about a hundred bottles..."
Kim Minwoo muttered to himself, as if calculating something. Soon, his eyes sparkled.
"Have you ever heard of the term 'bitter medicine'?"
The leader of the great Balrogs.
I even consumed the Demon God's Stone.
—Why should we do that?
"So that real traitors will come out in droves. A big wound on your chest should do the trick. Then, say you were seriously injured in a fight with me."
—Damn it, you want me to say I lost to a mere human!
"Not that you lost, but that you were injured."
—Isn't that the same thing!
"If you don't like it, wait until all the Lords gather and offer your neck."
He glared at Kalrung, the brains of the mercenary group.
—What do you think? Should we really follow this tiny guy's words?
Flustered, Kalrung closed his eyes tightly.
—Honor and pride... they only have meaning if you're alive, right?
Operation Bitter Medicine.
That's why it was carried out.
The mercenary group, gathered at Vulcan's call, couldn't help but widen their eyes.
The horrific wound on Vulcan's chest.
It was a serious injury, deep enough to see bone.
Even with the high natural healing ability of demons, it would take a considerable amount of time to recover.
The tiny human who entered his dwelling cave.
Although Vulcan, the mercenary captain, had won, it was surprising news that he had been injured in a fight with that human.
—Brothers. The Great Demon Lords will all be here soon.
The next news, delivered with a grave face, was truly shocking!
A term referring to the seven most powerful figures among the 72 Lords.
'The Great Demon Lords are coming?'
'And the captain is seriously injured?'
This was the worst situation since the founding of the mercenary group.
Vulcan's words, urging them to fight back with a growl, lacked the usual overflowing power.
His spirit was like that of a withered old man.
Nearly half of the nearly two hundred Balrogs had deserted the mercenary group. Only about a hundred remained.
It was a tremendous loss.
Less than half a day later, Kalrung urgently reported.
—The Demon Lords are on their way!
The three Demon Lords gathered in Marbas' territory.
They were setting out.
At those words, Vulcan's face was a complex mix of laughter and tears.
—Damn it. At least the plan worked.
"Why, because the sacrifice was too great?"
—Yes. I wonder if this is really the right path, human. Our Balrog numbers are already small... .
"You said nearly a hundred Balrogs ran away in one night?"
—Yes. Exactly. Half of them. Because of your plan, our mercenary group was halved overnight.
"That's how well the plan worked."
How good must the situation have seemed for the Demon Lords to hastily set out in less than half a day?
There was no room for them to doubt.
The number of traitors was almost equivalent to the dissolution of the mercenary group.
While other Demon Lords tried to persuade them with dignity, saying things like, "Don't do anything foolish," or "Let's wait until everyone is gathered and move together," Baal was different.
—If you do anything foolish, I'll kill you!
It was a chilling threat, enough to make even the hot-tempered Marbas shudder. Yet, they ignored it and moved.
So, they had to get the stone!
If they had the Demon God's Stone, they wouldn't have to yield to such threats.
'If I possess the stone...'
A mere Balrog had gained the power to challenge the Great Demon Lords by embedding the stone in his heart.
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What if a Great Demon Lord obtained the stone?
The potential was unimaginable.
Frankly, if they could hide for a year or two after obtaining the stone and build up their power, they wouldn't fear Baal at all!
—Keuhung! Let's go, quickly!
Marbas' eyes were already clouded with greed. Even Amon and Paimon, who were slightly more cautious, were no different.
That's why they moved, leaving many issues behind.
For example, the ownership of the stone. They had verbally agreed that the Demon Lord who killed Vulcan would get it.
But would it really end so neatly when they actually got the stone?
In other words, they were all similar in rank.
Perhaps that's why their eyes were so fierce.
The mid-rank demons, the Felhounds, ran ahead of the army.
They pressed their noses close to the ground.
Scouts whose sense of smell was superior to anything else.
They howled, and the army, having confirmed there was no danger, moved quickly. Soon, a giant cliff came into view.
There were caves that seemed to be the habitat of Balrogs, and Balrogs flying between them, looking at them.
—Hoot hoot. There's Vulcan!
—Keuhung! He really stayed!
—This is going to be easy.
The three Demon Lords smiled triumphantly. They saw a Balrog much larger than the others. It was a face they couldn't forget.
The owner of the Demon God's Stone!
Paimon stepped forward.
—Vulcan, you bastard! Do you know your crimes?
—Humph! What crimes have I committed?
—The crime of not acknowledging the authority of us Demon Lords and engaging in provocative speech and actions! Also, the crime of abusing and oppressing other demons!
Paimon passionately listed the crimes. It was a kind of justification. Even though demons were violent, they still needed a reason for battle.
—Just be honest! You're greedy for the Demon God's Stone!
—You bastard! We're just following the cause of righteousness!
Paimon declared confidently.
That's when it happened.
A human suddenly flew up and landed next to Vulcan.
"Bullshit, righteousness! If you kill him, who gets the Demon God's Stone?"
Paimon was instantly speechless.
As if that could be decided overnight.
—Hoot hoot! You there… human!
—Is there any reason you chose the path of death? If you take the right side now, I'll spare your life!
Of course, he had no intention of sparing him.
It was just a way to eliminate a variable, as he had heard from Paimon that he was quite skilled. Capturing Vulcan was the most important thing.
That's when it happened.
"You know what? No one can beat a lucky guy."
—...Hoot hoot. What nonsense is that?
[Dice of Fate retrieved!]
['Greatest Adversity' experienced!]
[Luck bonus greatly increased!]
It was one of the secret weapons he had been saving.
'But if you just keep saving it, it becomes useless.'
There were three Demon Lords.
Item buffs were also a part of skill.
It was time to see how powerful the dice he bought for 60 trillion won was.
The dice floating above his hand rolled on its own.
[Fate has been decided!]
[The Goddess of Luck smiles upon you!]
The earth shook, and the ground suddenly split in half.
The army of 100,000 fell into the chasm caused by the earthquake.
The same was true for the Demon Lords.
Before they could even escape.
The split ground closed up instantly.
Swallowing the entire demon army.
Vulcan's jaw dropped at the sight.
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