BRDM 213

chapter 213

Kaaak!
Krak!

Most of the Anju were either completely charred or had their limbs torn off, collapsing in heaps on the ground.

Below them,
Pajik! Pajijijik!!

Lee Hyun stood, releasing brain energy and electricity in a chaotic surge.

He said nothing.

He only cast a cold golden gaze at the monsters who dared to harm his teammates.

“Seon…!”

Kim Min-jung tried to call out to Lee Hyun but quickly sealed her lips.

“…….”

For some reason, Lee Hyun’s eyes looked ferocious.

And then, Kim Min-jung noticed that a deep azure lightning flashed in his left eye.

“Uma-sal! Senior also obtained Uma-sal! That means…!”

—Somewhere nearby, the owner of the Uma-sal is watching us!

Kim Min-jung instinctively straightened her back at that realization.

Perhaps, a Demon Lord even more formidable than U.C.O.—no, far beyond it—has been observing them all along,
even summoning monsters like these to test them.

“The appearance of U.C.O. was no coincidence! Even the monster breaks in the ruins… all of it was orchestrated by the owner of the Uma-sal!”

Naturally, another thought followed.

—Then, did the owner of the Uma-sal recognize me?

“…….”

Thump! Thump-thump!

Kim Min-jung forced her racing heart down for some inexplicable reason.

Clack!!

Lee Hyun wrapped the Yeoui Chain around his left hand and connected it to the base of the Douksin Molar.

A method of wielding a weapon entirely different from what he had shown before.

But,
Flash!!

The Thunder-Eye Purity burned more brilliantly than ever in his left eye…

“Good thing I wasn’t late.”

[‘Sacred Artifact: Thunder-Eye Purity’ is burning brilliantly.]
[The Thunder-Eye Purity traces the patterns drawn in the world. The Fire-Eye Golden Chain searches the origin point along the flow.]
[Searching.]
……
[Search complete.]

“If I were any later, it would have been a serious problem.”

[A familiar temperament is staring at you from beyond the origin point.]
[The demonic aura of the Uma King is abundant everywhere.]

“The Uma King has properly recognized me. Not just me—Kim Min-jung, and even Son Goku’s group approaching the Sata King.”

The Palmyra ruins before Lee Hyun’s eyes had become a black swamp,
just like the one he had seen in the subconscious world of the Kyoma King,
full of the Uma King’s demonic aura.

In fact, this place was essentially,

[Warning! You are currently inside the sanctum of the Uma King.]
[The Uma King is showing deep interest in you. He currently has a poor relationship with the Seven Stars.]
[Proceed with caution.]

It was nothing short of the Uma King’s sanctum.

Nothing done here could escape the Uma King’s attention. Even the heightened senses of the Yoma alerted him to danger.

Presumably, the monsters he’d unleashed, including the Anju, were to provoke him and his comrades.

“If I can’t avoid it…”

Flash!!

Flames roared from both of Lee Hyun’s eyes.

“I’ll take them head-on instead.”

After all, when he meets the Uma King, he has plenty of questions he wants answered.

Moreover, outside the ruins, Peng Jinghao’s SAMA Society was always waiting for an opportunity to enter.

There was no time to waste.

Everything was clear in his mind.

What remained was one thing:

Extermination.

Lee Hyun slammed his foot onto the ground.

Swaaaak—

Becoming a whirlwind, he charged toward the Anju group.

At that moment,

‘Team Leader Jang!’

A line of telepathic communication pierced his ear.

Simultaneously, someone caught up beside him.

It was Team Leader Kang Yoon-soo, wearing a black mask with a smiling expression.

A figure worthy of the nickname “Black Mask.”

His fighting spirit was formidable.

‘Team Leader Kang, focus on helping Michael repel the monsters and protect the injured. I’ll handle as many monsters as I can.’
‘Are you sure that’s okay?’

Lee Hyun silently raised the Douksin Molar.

A trickle of blood.

Team Leader Kang let out a small laugh.

‘Of course… I was worrying for no reason. Then I’ll leave it to you.’

Wham!

Kang Yoon-soo vaulted through the air and returned to his allies with light, almost weightless movements.

It seemed true what had been rumored: before becoming a hunter, he had been a human intangible cultural asset of a traveling troupe.

“Then…!”

After confirming that Z Team, X Team, and Astra were all operating reliably,

Bwooouuung!!

Lee Hyun hurled the Molar in his right hand with tremendous force.

The massive, heavy weapon, infused with thunder energy, flew like a tidal wave engulfing the Anju.

Kurururung—

[The roar of Douksin erupts!]

Kaaak!
Kyaaak!!

In an instant, over ten Anju were shredded and scattered, soaked in blood.

Some tried to resist, but the overwhelming destructive power of the Molar devoured every one that collided with it.

Most Anju scattered in all directions,
whirl!

But a gift awaited them.

The four front teeth of the Douksin.

Flash!
Kwarrrung!!

[Lightning strikes relentlessly!]

A relentless rain of lightning melted half of them into nothing.

The air reeked of burnt flesh.

Kaaak—

[The Anju swarm designates you as their enemy!]

Yet they did not flee in fear. Instead, they massed together and stabbed at Lee Hyun with their tridents.

Perfectly welcome for him.

He pulled the Yeoui Chain in his left hand firmly.

The Molar, returning from a distance, cut through the monsters from behind, while its handle smoothly returned to Lee Hyun’s grip.

Flash!
Kwarrrung!!

[The spirit of Douksin rages uncontrollably!]

The axe blade of the Molar unleashed a fierce flame, obliterating the remaining Anju heads.

Nothing could stop Lee Hyun’s bold movements.

Stepping on scattered Yeoui Chains and flying clouds, he moved freely in the air,
swinging the destructive axe with such force, no one could withstand it.

Thud!!

In the end, only shredded corpses remained in his wake.

Kwaaahhh!

[A boss monster appears!]

Other monsters tried to target Lee Hyun, but

‘Minions of the Uma King?’

Bang!!

Lee Hyun smirked coldly, planting his feet firmly.

Every diagonal swing of the Molar created massive gusts of wind.

[Stacks of Frenzy Strike accumulate.]
[Lightning continues to strike!]

Kukukung!!
Kwakwakwak—

If speed lagged, he used Kibysis and the fangs to crush any remaining enemies.

Minions of the Uma King? Delegates? What difference does it make.

‘Once their heads are destroyed, they all end up the same anyway!!’

[The master of the sanctum watches you with fascination.]
[The master of the sanctum shows deep interest in your bolder-than-expected actions.]

The Uma King’s gaze became increasingly obvious.

As a result, after clearing all the monsters,

Thud!

With acrid smoke, Lee Hyun lightly landed on a platform.

Below, the Bell Temple was visible.

And…

Goooo—

Even the maelstrom of demonic energy emanating from it.

‘So this is where the Uma King resides…’

[Fire-Eye Golden Chain and Thunder-Eye Purity reveal the hidden aspects of the Bell Temple!]

The view inverted, exposing the various [Gates] hidden within the Bell Temple,
and how they connected to different dungeons.

The Bell Temple contained dozens of myths and legends,
not ordinary ones, but those of supreme deities like Bel, Baal, and Marduk.

The Fire-Eye Golden Chain and Thunder-Eye Purity passed through these myths, ultimately pinpointing one location.

Thump!!

Suddenly, his eyes burned as if on fire.

[The Uma-sal reacts, causing the magic circuits to overheat.]
[Successfully located the dungeon hidden within.]

At that moment, someone met his gaze.

[The master of the sanctum fixes you with a piercing smile.]
[The master awaits your arrival to his location.]

‘No. The Uma King isn’t alone. The laboratory imprisoning the Sata King is here too.’

Lee Hyun clenched his teeth, staring directly at the Uma King’s gaze.

Observing the dungeon where the Uma King was stationed,
all the mysteries in his mind fell into place.

[Successfully uncovered the secrets surrounding the Sata King.]

‘The Palmyra ruins weren’t without an owner all this time. It only appeared so. The original owner was… Peng Jinghao. There was a laboratory here.’

How he deceived countless players in the Near Eastern Front to establish a lab here remained unclear.

Perhaps Peng Jinghao’s demonic claws were meticulous enough, or maybe someone else helped.

What mattered was that, just like studying the Boongma King or the Woo-yung King,
there had been a secret lab here researching and sealing the Sata King.

‘Then the Uma King discovered this place, unleashed his demonic aura, destroyed the lab, and extracted the Sata King.’

Or rather, after infecting the Sata King with his demonic aura, he released him into this world.

‘That explains why the SAMA Society suddenly appeared in the Near Eastern Front and keeps patrolling the Palmyra ruins. They wouldn’t want their precious research stolen.’

So Peng Jinghao and the SAMA Society had to recover the Sata King.

Still, some questions remained.

“But why didn’t the Uma King take the Sata King to Gehenna, instead leaving him here…? What’s his goal?”

Lee Hyun suppressed the question and moved toward the Bell Temple.

That would become clear once he met the Uma King directly.

Creak!!

He smashed the orb on the central altar of the Bell Temple with his axe, the demonic energy surging.

[The sealed sacred artifact of demonic energy has been destroyed.]
[Monster summoning is halted.]

Monsters attempting to emerge from the sacred flame turned to dust…

Scanning the temple for any other clues he might have missed,

‘What’s that?’

His eyes gleamed as he discovered something.