The Ten Thrones
Ruler of the Demon World. An inscrutable entity, unbiased by personal emotions, irresistible to us, a natural disaster, an object we dare not even look at properly.
That was the way the Shadow of the Demon World looked at the Ten Thrones.
The Demon World was a world where dozens or hundreds of worlds had been swallowed up and digested into one, which meant that the beings of the swallowed worlds were struggling in their own way in the shadows, out of the reach of the demonic gaze.
âYou have somehow survived another day.â
âGlory to Seorn.â
âMy Father. Watch over me tonight.â
So that each person does not forget his or her roots.
It was the moment when they ended the day according to their custom.
Like a wind chime, life in the demon world began to fluctuate.
It was a subtle sound that alerted them.
Gugugugung.
Although the vibrations were felt simultaneously in different places, no one was too quick to open their mouths. Quick thinking was the only thing that had kept them alive in the damned demon world so far.
âDemons?â
âWhat, did they see the light of the torches and follow us?â
âEverybody, silence, weapons up.â
It was a time when everyone was determined to protect their own shadow.
Once again, a chill ran through my body.
No, not just creeping, but crawling.
Kugugugung.
âEveryone, everyone, run!!!â
The living world, the demon world, was in turmoil.
As I ran outside, the earth was rising and cracking. Ashen clouds were gathering in the sky, spraying flames, and horrific screams came from all directions.
Horrible demonic screams.
âWhat the hell is going on?â
I said to myself for the first time in a long time.
It was enough to make me forget the discipline Iâd so desperately clung to in order to survive.
The scene was bizarre.
Who were the demons?
Masters of the demon world.
Those demons were on their knees trembling in fear.
Their reactions were mixed.
âI donât know, but isnât this a chance, a chance to get them allâ¦â¦!!!â
âIt must be a cunning trap.â
âWhy donât we say a prayer first and then decide?â
But no one was able to put their words into action.
Not just the demons, but everyone in the demon world.
They realized the gravity of the situation.
âThis is a trap? How could the demon plan a trap like this for us, who are not even worthy of the title, much less a bug? Most of all, canât you all feel it? The negative emotions that are bubbling up, ready to explode at any momentâ¦â¦!ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
To have survived this long in the demon world means that you have considerable knowledge of demons. Those without knowledge of demons have died early on.
Itâs just that demons derive their power from negative emotions.
ââ¦â¦I know.
I feel it.â
It meant everyone knew.
âWhich is why I canât accept this situation anymore.â
He paused for another reason.
âWhy are the demons, who should be rejoicing in the overflow of negative emotions, trembling so much? Itâs so overwhelming, itâs enough to shake the world. Could it beâ¦â¦?â
âIf it is, have you noticed something?â
âWait, I had a horrible imagination.â
Horrible imagination.
He, too, had knowledge of demons.
It was a possibility.
In a sea of stares.
The pensive middle-aged man spoke up.
His voice was rough and trembling.
âAs you know, there are only so many negative emotions, and demons will stab each other for it.â
âYes, but thatâs meaningless in the demon world, isnât it?â
âBecause all negative emotions are directed toward the Ten Thrones!â
All negative emotions in the Demon World are directed toward the Ten Thrones. The demons that roam the Demon World, all serve the Ten Thrones and have only been given a small portion of their power.
âYou are right.â
Everyone knew the obvious.
There was no way the middle-aged man didnât know.
Only, he had taken a step backward.
He was just looking further away.
âThere are negative emotions floating around that should not be turned around.â
ââ¦â¦!!!â
Suddenly, everyone noticed the discomfort.
Negative emotions were âfloatingâ around.
Without being absorbed by any of the Ten Thrones.
That could only mean one thing.
âMaybe the owner of this negative emotion is a Ten Thrones.â
Rulers of the Demon World.
The Ten Thrones.
Proof that they are trembling with fear.
That was why the middle-aged man was trembling violently.
âThe Ten Thrones are out of the ordinary. They can destroy the world with a single hand. Keeping us alive is just a game to themâ¦â¦. They are literally beyond our comprehension.â
The middle-aged man finished hastily.
âA being that makes even the Ten Thrones tremble with fearâ¦â¦?â
Because just imagining it is driving me crazy.
*
Near Behemothâs Maw.
[The Arcana Continent is stained with strange malice.]
[The stats of all demon monsters increase significantly.]
[All demon monsters bloom to their potential.]
âYou fucking assholes.â
Nam Taemin and other players grinded their teeth at the world message.
Bael, this is why he let us alive.
Are you telling me to just struggle desperately?
Nam Taemin looked at Baek Yiseol.
âAre you okay?â
âYeah. Iâm fine, just a little dizzy, butâ¦â¦.â
âMe too.â
Bai Yisoel and Hakuna had regained consciousness, but they didnât look very well, and thatâs to be expected. I still donât know exactly why.
âIâm sure Bael saw you two and backed off.â
Assuming that he had been hit by Baelâs mental attack, his current headache might have been a cheap deal. Nam Taemin explained the situation to the Arcanians who could not see the message.
âItâs not malice, itâs strange malice.â
The Iron Castle.
The dwarves, including Chainwalker and Wallswale, were stunned by the news. It seemed as if the Arcana continent was bound to be plunged into chaos once again.
Gunner, the Dwarvesâ best pilot, spoke up.
âEven if the Arcana Continent has been quiet for a while, not all demons have gone to hell. From up here, we can see a clear view of the Arcana Continent.â
cheolkeog.
The biggest proof of all to back up the claim was that the Quernberg Machine Towers were still hunting demons. Gunner frowned to himself.
âWhere do we even begin to fix this?â
Wallswaleâs opinion was not far off.
âThe situation doesnât look good, Chainwalker. More than anything, thereâs some strange malice at stake. I canât get the words the Commander-in-Chief once said to me out of my head.â
âWhat do you mean?â
As for the realm of the bizarre.
Dwarves heâd never had the chance or reason to meet.
Wallswale had not heard a single word of Hoyeolâs words.
Legacy of Eunaxus, [Commanderâs Gloves â Wisdom of the Elder Dragons].
âThe commander-in-chief once said, as he examined the gloves.â
-âYou have anomaly dexterity, Wallswale.â
-âWhat do you mean, anomalyâ¦â¦?â
-âReality and the Arcana Continent. There is no one in either world who can match your dexterity. Perhaps it wonât be long before I see you in a social hall.â
Chainwalker arched an eyebrow.
âA social hall?â
âThatâs not whatâs important right now.â
âHuh. Well, I guess thatâs true.â
The key is the weight of the word âanomalyâ.
It was clear that it was referring to an irreplaceable level.
Chainwalker and Wallswale.
The two dwarves exchanged glances.
âWell.â
One muttered something about who would speak first.
âAre you suggesting that this is irreplaceable malice?â
Then it happened.
Kugugugugung.
â?!â
The ground began to shake.
âDescend immediately!â
The earth was already shaking as the vibrations reached the Iron Castle in midair. The Holy War Alliance troops clinging to the plummeting Iron Castle.
Itâs times like this that the lower levels are frustrating.
Barely holding onto his brotherâs hand.
Nam Cheolmin breathes heavily.
âSince Iâm on board, everyone else must be on board, right?â
Taemin nodded.
âUh, hyung. Everyoneâs on board.â
âHuh, Iâm glad.â
âItâs something weirder than that.â
The Behemothâs Maw, the link between the Demon World and the Arcana Continent, has been destroyed.
However, the message that it was destroyed was meaningless.
An uncontrollable energy was stirring beneath the earth.
Nam Taeminâs beast senses warned him.
âThis could explode at any moment.â
âListen, Taemin.â
âIâm listening, bro.â
âActually, Iâve been suspecting something from earlierâ¦â¦.â
âWhat? Really? Why didnât you tell me?!â
After all, my brother is the only one.
Nam Taeminâs face immediately turned red.
But Nam Cheolmin slapped him on the back of the head.
âThatâs because Iâve been feeling dizzy since earlier.â
âDizzy? Are you okay? Isnât it because you just ran in a hurry?â
âHey, Iâm not some kind of sick personâ¦â
He might have been a little out of breath from running so fast, but it wasnât enough to make him feel dizzy. He looked around to make sure he wasnât being overheard.
âI think itâs the after-effects.â
âAftereffects? Bro, where does it hurt?!â
âNo, itâs not that, itâs the aftereffects of the [possession].â
Possession.
â!â
At that word, the question mark floating in Nam Taeminâs head seemed to turn into an exclamation point. Yes, it was. At this moment, the three people who were complaining of dizziness had something in common: they were suffering from a status abnormality called [possession].
Nam Cheolmin pushed up his glasses.
ââ¦.â
âPerhaps what youâre thinking is correct, Taemin, and the reason I didnât faint is because the demon that possessed me was a lowly demon imp. In comparison, Yiseol and King Hakuna areâ¦â¦.â
âKing Hakuna was possessed by the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed.â
âYeah, and Yiseol was possessed by a demon twice.â
Was it because of that experience?
Nam Cheolmin could see it in his eyes.
The strange malice that flooded the Arcana continent.
Nam Cheolmin spoke up.
âI think you need to come to your senses, Taemin.â
âOf course, I do.â
âThen letâs go, and let Yiseol and King Hakuna know about this.â
The two left the Iron Castle.
They hurried toward the central control room.
Suddenly, the brothers were frozen in place.
âWhatâs going onâ¦â¦?â
To everyoneâs horror.
Never once did she appear disheveled.
The alter ego of the commander-in-chief.
âCommander-in-Chief â¦â¦. No.â
Hiel was in tears.
âWhat happened to Hoyeol, Hiel-nimâ¦â¦!!â
*
Damn it.
My head is dizzy and I feel like Iâm going to die.
I clenched my teeth.
âWhat is it all of a sudden?â
A headache like this is unlike anything Lee Hoyeol has ever experienced in his lifeâ¦â¦? If he relaxed his clenched teeth for even a moment, he felt like he would faint and collapse.
âWhy didnât the blessing of the World Tree come to mind?â
I was so nostalgic for the [Blessing of the First World Tree] that had made me roll over and over again, but my vision remained unchanged despite my longing. I could guess the reason.
âDamn, I can understand why [Blessing of the First World Tree] is not responding.â
Ttogak.
Whatâs with this headache?
It seemed to come only to me, Lee Hoyeol.
Grandfellâs moving body is proof of that.
Itâs not like Iâm going to die, it really feels like my head is going to explode.
If this were a normal situation.
Grandfell, I would leave everything to you and close my eyes.
But I canât, can I?
If I close my eyes like this.
If I black out.
When I wake up again.
Grandfell, you wonât be with me.
Therefore.
I gritted my teeth.
I forced myself.
I forced my eyes open.
So I didnât notice.
What message came to me.
[A status abnormality, âpossessionâ occurs.]