Chapter 95
As the bloodstones clustered in the air seeped into Suho’s horn, the demons inside the arena watched in sheer horror.
“This is... impossible.”
“Only noble demons can create bloodstones...”
The guards couldn’t fathom what they were witnessing.
The ability to create bloodstones allowed demon nobility to pass their powers on to the next generation, thus preserving the strength of their bloodline. They were a symbol of power and privilege—the power to efficiently absorb and utilize a demon’s strength.
This was why many tried to replicate the powers of bloodstones, resulting in substances like mad blood poison and Stardust, but their efforts ultimately ended up being cheap imitations with difficult production processes or side effects. Therefore, the crowd was rightfully shocked to see the single-horned newcomer making real bloodstones.
“All our nobles perished in the Monarchs War.”
“Even the surviving Radiru Clan was said to have been destroyed!”
“Then what exactly is that creature?!”
As questions about his identity multiplied, Suho continued to hunt his opponents with great vigor.
He was utilizing Demon Slayer, which boosted all his stats by 40 percent against demons. His increased stats were also accompanied by Vulcan’s Horn, which had gained significant strength after consuming many demon souls. And as if that wasn’t enough, Esil’s ability to produce bloodstones enabled him to drain the power of his opponents. The combination of the three in unison produced a synergy beyond imagination.
“This is truly magnificent, Young Monarch! You are the ultimate nemesis of demons!” Beru exclaimed.
“Master! I am so proud to be your first knight!” Que fervently cheered from the shadows.
Suho knew that the help of his shadow soldiers would make him even more efficient, but he wasn’t focused on winning. His goal was to draw out the Tyrant King, so he needed to act as demon-like as possible to attract his attention.
[Intermediate Mad-Blooded Demon has been defeated.]
[Vulcan’s Horn devoured the demon’s soul.]
The battle was over, but nobody was paying attention to the outcome.
“Is he truly a noble?”
“Then what’s going to happen to us?”
The crowd remained dumbstruck—unable to do anything but watch Suho’s every move.
Amid the tense atmosphere, the announcer stepped forward. “The victory goes to Single Horn!”
“This is impossible...” a demon guard said.
“All the nobles are dead,” another added.
The demon guards were grinding their teeth. They were shocked as much as the others, but they knew they weren’t stupid enough not to recognize a demon noble being held right under their noses.
“Then what is he?”
“What’s going on here?”
They turned to the chief guard behind them, who was glaring at Suho with indifference.
“A rat like him couldn’t possibly be a demon noble.” If he were truly nobility, he wouldn’t have been captured so easily. Something is going on. I don’t know what it is but... “He needs to be eliminated.” The chief guard’s eyes flashed as he commanded, “Prepare the Minotaur!”
“Are you going to kill Single Horn?” a guard asked, shocked by the order.
“He might be a noble demon...”
“Who cares if another noble is dead? Just kill him!”
The guards were shocked by the chief guard’s statement. For ordinary demons, the thought of attacking a noble was unimaginable.
“We’re living in a new world! So what if Single Horn turns out to be a noble? Are we supposed to run out there and kneel before him?” The chief guard’s eyes burned with fierce determination. “We are now the Tyrant King’s subjects, and don’t you forget that! He’s just a prisoner to be executed! We are only doing what we’ve always done. He must be given stronger opponents, as per our rules. Prepare the monster immediately!”
“Y-yes, sir!” The guards hurriedly dashed out.
***
The announcer declared that the execution would be temporarily halted, so they could bring in a magic beast from the labor camp as Single Horn’s next opponent. The decision threw the arena into more confusion.
“This is insane! A Minotaur?”
“Have they ever released a magic beast this early before?”
“The demons running this are losing their minds! This demon might be nobility! How can they treat him like this?”
The enslaved demons usually cowered in front of their overbearing overseers, but the freedom afforded by the coliseum as spectators allowed them to jeer and curse their oppressors. They were more animated than ever due to the possibility of Single Horn being a true noble. The execution of a demon noble was unthinkable for them.
However, the uproar was precisely what the chief guard had desired. Letting the slaves vent like this prevents them from revolting. The Tyrant King is truly wise.
The demon guards were powerful, but they would be helpless if the enslaved demons decided to attack them all at once. The hierarchy in place would be flipped upside down in an instant. After all, lesser demons had always lived in a dog-eat-dog world. Moreover, the widespread use of mad blood poison of late meant it was common for weaker demons to suddenly turn berserk and overpower a stronger demon to gain strength.
That’s why these executions are necessary. The chief guard didn’t care if Single Horn was noble or not. The only that mattered to him was stirring up excitement for the crowd of enslaved demons. He also wanted them to feel fear. Having one of their own brutally executed would make them think twice about acting out, fearing they could meet the same fate.
If he’s strong, just send a stronger opponent! That’s all there is to it! Having witnessed Suho’s prowess, the chief guard deemed it appropriate to send in the Minotaur. “Single Horn has great agility. Then, sending in a beast with incredible endurance would ensure a longer contest.”
“You are brilliant, sir,” one of the guards said.
“But we’ll have to even the playing field to make it fun. Take Single Horn to the armory,” the chief guard ordered.
The demon guards flashed sinister smiles. While the Minotaur was being prepared, they took Suho to the armory.
“Choose any weapon you want,” a guard said.
Suho silently gazed at the array of weapons laid out before him. The armory was filled with all kinds of brutal weapons including swords, knives, hammers, and axes.
Of course, he could have simply pulled one of his own from his inventory if he wanted to. But it would be rude to refuse a gift. Suho started slowly browsing the weapons with a sly smile.
“Hey! What’s taking so long?” a guard said.
“Have you never seen such fine weapons before?” another asked.
They were showing their impatience for what they considered to be deliberate dawdling. However, they refrained from rushing him or forcibly handing him any random weapon.
“Okay, fine. It’s better to be careful than not.”
“You can choose more than one if you’re having trouble. You have to compensate for the single horn of yours.”
As Suho silently fiddled with the weapons, the demon guards continued to mock him from behind.
“This is so tedious. We’ll be outside. Come out when you’ve made your choice.”
Chuckling, the demon guards left the armory.
Left alone, Suho furrowed his brows. “These weapons are made from the same steel as the bars back in the prison.”
“That’s right. All these weapons are forged from hellsteel.” Esil was impressed by Suho’s keen eye. Most of the weapons in the armory were made from ores mined in the labor camps. “Not only is hellsteel durable, but it can also amplify mana, which is why it’s primarily used in weapon making.”
Suho chuckled. “But the weapons here seem pretty useless, don’t they?”
“I can’t find anything useful,” Beru muttered, grinding his teeth.
Due to a lack of proper maintenance, the weapons were dull and covered in rust.
“As long as it could be held and used, they don’t care about the quality,” Esil said.
Suho nodded. Their purpose was crystal clear.
“They want you to struggle as long as possible before dying.”
He could already imagine the audience laughing at a fighter frustrated by their blunt weapons as they fought in vain, being ridiculed like a jester.
Suho smirked as he continued to browse the weapons. “Still, at least these are free.”
They were practically scrap metal with minimal attack power, and there were so many weapons that it would take him the entire day to examine each one.
Then I’ll take everything here. “Gray, come out for a second.”
The small wolf pup emerged from Suho’s shadow, and he immediately scanned his surroundings with a menacing glare. Gray had recently leveled up quite a bit, and he seemed ready to pounce on the throat of any enemy.
“What are you waiting for? Pick up everything you see.”
Gray tilted his head, puzzled. His master was stuffing all the weapons into his inventory like a petty thief. But in actuality, Suho was selling them via the shop window right away, without storing them.
“This one is 130 gold? And this one is 100 gold? Well, every little bit adds up.”
Though puzzled at first, Gray quickly followed Suho’s lead, and the pup began snapping up weapons.
[Item: “Hellsteel Longsword” has been found. Would you like to acquire it?]
[Item: “Hellsteel Axe” has been found. Would you like to acquire it?]
“That’s right, good job. Accept all. Sell all.”
The pet system allowed him to acquire items through Gray remotely. Thanks to the extra help of Beru and Que, Suho successfully cleared out the armory.
“I made a good amount of gold this time.”
“W-wait a minute. What are you going to do if you get caught?” Esil said, bewildered by Suho’s recklessness.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Besides, if I don’t take them now, my opponents will use them against me, right?”
“I suppose.”
Suho couldn’t envision enjoying good relations with his fellow competitors, so he thought it was best to reduce any threats while he had the chance. Having perfectly handled everything, Suho finally stepped out of the armory.
“What, that’s all you’re going to take?” the guard asked, frowning.
“You spent all that time to get yourself a gauntlet and two swords?”
“Well, I guess I’ve lost the bet.”
“You know that you can’t back out now, right?”
The demon guards chuckled among themselves.
Unperturbed, Suho simply shrugged and strode confidently toward the arena.
“What’s the rush? Are you that eager to die?” a demon guard mocked.
Esil muttered, “Hey. Are you rushing because you’re afraid of getting caught?”
Suho walked out quickly without saying a word.
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