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Chapter 503 - The Subordinate Isn’t The One Who Protects The King

“...”

Kang-Woo looked down at the white ash falling like snowflakes. Seoul was empty as if it had become a ghost town because the residents had evacuated to Aernor thanks to the guidance of the Church of Splendor and Guardians. Kang-Woo sighed deeply as he looked down at the deserted streets.

“Fucking hell... I must look pathetic right now.”

Kang-Woo brushed off the white ash on his hands and stood up.

“Are you finished?” someone asked.

Kang-Woo turned around to see Lilith smiling at him.

“... Did you see?”

“Hoho, yes. You used to do this from time to time back in the Ninth Hell.”

“Ngh.”

Kang-Woo scratched his head and averted his gaze from her. Lilith approached him with a faint smile.

“Don’t take it to heart too much, my king.” She carefully embraced Kang-Woo’s arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Doomguard... went with a smile.”

“...” Kang-Woo remained silent, his mind in jumbles.

“Hoho,” Lilith giggled and lightly caressed Kang-Woo’s cheek. “You’re... the same as always.”

She had seen the melancholy Kang-Woo every time he lost his subordinates in the war.

“Shaddup,” Kang-Woo said bluntly and shook Lilith away.

Lilith giggled again with his mouth covered.

“That aside, did you manage to secure some of Behemoth’s horn powder?”

“I had the muscle pig secure some. There didn’t seem to be much of it left, according to him.”

“Really?” said Kang-Woo as he stretched out his hand.

Lilith handed him a pouch filled with black powder.

‘A powder that grants the power of Deicide, huh?’

It was bound to be a pain in the ass. Kang-Woo knew that Bael’s army would be a force to be reckoned with, but he never expected them to use such an overpowered performance-enhancing drug.

“... We should strengthen our defense line.”

Fwoosh.

Kang-Woo set the pouch on fire. The Flames of Voracity devoured the black powder without a trace. He looked down at the powder, which had reduced to ash, and clicked his tongue.

‘Should I have tried using it for something else?’

The thought lingered for a moment, but Kang-Woo then shook his head.

‘It’s too dangerous.’

It granted immense power to anyone who ingested the powder, but it was useless to him at the very least.

‘And it’s not like I can let anyone take this.’

Burning it to ash for peace of mind was a much better choice.

Kang-Woo brushed the ash off of his hands and asked, “What about the angels?”

“They’re standing by in the Hall of Protection after getting the details from Layla.”

“I should visit them too.”

“You should. They should have a lot of questions about Doomguard.”

“... I’m sure they would.” Kang-Woo nodded with a sorrowful expression. Angels had been the ones on Doonguard’s tail initially. “Lilith, focus on the magic circle that will form the defense line. I’ll deal with Michael.”

Michael did not know that Lilith was a demon yet. Although Kang-Woo could now make it so that it was nearly impossible for anyone to figure out that his demon retainers were demons, it was better not to let Lilith and Michael keep making contact.

“As you command.” Lilith bowed courteously.

Kang-Woo walked past her and climbed down the apartment roof.

“... Hm?” He tilted his head after seeing a familiar face as he went down the stairs. “Balrog?”

“... Yes.”

“What’s wrong? You hate being in your human form.”

“I have no choice if I want to come here,” mentioned Balrog as he slightly looked up at the roof of the hallway.

His head and shoulders would destroy the roof if he were in his true form.

“Then you should’ve just gotten some rest at home. Is it urgent?”

“...” Balrog stared at Kang-Woo in silence.

Kang-Woo’s eyes narrowed.

‘I’ve seen that expression before.’

Balrog’s eyes were similar to when he was staring at Kim Si-Hun before heading to the Frozen Temple.

“Oh,” Kang-Woo expressed.

He frowned as he stared at Balrog; he more or less knew what those eyes meant.

“... My king,” Balrog got on one knee and lowered his head. “Please make—”

“If you’re going to ask me to make you my incarnation, the answer is no.”

“...” Balrog’s eyes shook. He bit his lip after Kang-Woo had hit the mark. “Why...?”

Kang-Woo answered without a shadow of a doubt, “Because you’re more than capable of awakening Deific Essence on your own.”

Balrog’s expression turned gloomy. “There is not much time remaining.”

There was less than a month until the final battle; no one knew whether or not Balrog would be able to awaken Deific Essence at that time.

“I know.” Kang-Woo nodded. “You might not be able to by then— no, you never might, even. However, I won’t erase that possibility by making you my incarnation.”

“...”

“The moment you acquire Deific Essence without any breakthroughs by becoming my incarnation, your growth will stop there. You will stay stagnant for the rest of your life.”

“Even so, I need Deific Essence,” Balrog said as he clenched his fists aggressively.

Kang-Woo could feel Balrog’s suppressed vortex of emotions in his voice.

Balrog lowered his head in shame and remarked, “To protect you... I need that power.”

He recalled his battle against Arakyle— the memory of getting one-sidedly beaten by a traitor who dared to betray his king. The loss had been entirely dependent on Deific Essence; there was nothing one could do against an opponent who could not even be attacked.

‘To protect my king... No, even just to become a meat shield so that I can block at least one attack that might endanger my king... I need Deific Essence.’

He was in desperate need of it.

“...” Kang-Woo remained silent.

Considering Balrog’s personality, Kang-Woo could tell how much Balrog thought about asking him for this. He had abandoned all possibility of growth and begged for power with his head shamefully lowered. It was unacceptable for someone like Balrog, but he had done so despite that... for Kang-Woo.

“Balrog.” Kang-Woo smiled faintly and let Balrog know of an undeniable fact that would not change no matter how desperately he desired it. “You can’t protect me even if you become my incarnation.”

“...” Balrog’s expression froze.

“Yes, you’ll easily acquire Deific Essence, if you become my incarnation. But did you forget what happened to Arakyle?”

“...”

“Let’s just say that you become as strong as Arakyle after acquiring Deific Essence..” Kang-Woo continued, coldly, Do you seriously think that you can protect me with that power?”

“...” Balrog remained silent.

He had witnessed his king’s battle against Arakyle— no, it could not even be considered a battle. Arakyle and the Despair Corps were helpless against the Demon King’s power. Would Balrog be able to keep his king safe just by becoming as strong as Arakyle?

“That’s...” Balrog slurred.

He knew better than anyone that it was not even worth thinking about. The power he held was beyond pathetic to even think about protecting his king.

“There’s a limit to how much power an incarnation can have.”

An incarnation could only be shared power from the entity who allowed their incarnation to borrow their Deific Essence.

“Are you sure you want to have that poison which squanders your endless possibilities?”

“...”

Balrog’s shoulders subtly trembled as he clenched his fists. Kang-Woo’s words felt like blades gouging out his heart. Kang-Woo smirked as he stared at Balrog lowering his head gloomily.

“I thought your brain was also made of muscle, but I guess not,” he remarked as he patted Balrog’s shoulder teasingly.

“... My king.”

“Just do as you’ve always done, man. Since when have you been the worrying type?”

“...”

“Well, I know you can’t help but feel that way when you look at Si-Hun.”

Si-Hun had awakened Deific Essence on his own. The power that resulted from that fact was of another level compared to the one acquired from becoming an incarnation. The difference was so massive that if Kang-Woo had to choose someone to whom he would entrust his back during his battle against Bael, he would choose Si-Hun without hesitation.

‘I’m sure... it’s hard to accept for Balrog.’

Balrog was undoubtedly the one who had been by Kang-Woo’s side the longest; it was about a thousand years. Although Kang-Woo considered Doomguard and Lilith to be his precious subordinates, Balrog held a special place in his heart.

‘We’ve known each other for so long.’

It was not just a matter of time; when they met, Kang-Woo was a weakling who had only just come down from the Eighth Hell to the Ninth Hell, and Balrog had been reduced to a lifeless loser after losing his former master. A bond formed from sharing hardships had no place not being special.

‘And I’m sure Balrog feels the same way.’

Balrog’s excessive loyalty did not stem from just his personality; it was because they had overcome their wretched past selves together that Balrog was so loyal to Kang-Woo. It was then that Kim Si-Hun, someone stronger and more talented than him, appeared to swear loyalty to Kang-Woo.

‘He probably thinks his place by my side is vanishing.’

Considering what Balrog was like, he would be suppressing those emotions deep down in his heart.

“Sigh, you stupid muscle pig.” Kang-Woo lightly conked Balrog’s lowered head. “Stop filming a goddamn melodrama by yourselves, for fuck’s sake. I’m getting scared from the thought that you two might fight over me with your swords.”

“Pardon? I don’t use a sword...”

“No, I’m not talking about that sword. You know... the one down...” Kang-Woo aggressively frowned the more he continued. He yelled, “I feel like a fucking dickhead just imagining it!! No, I’m not referring to an actual dick when I say that... Fuck! You’re making me feel even weirder!”

Kang-Woo twisted as he pulled on his hair. Balrog looked up at him in confusion.

“Ahem,” Kang-Woo coughed and patted Balrog’s shoulder. “Anyway, you don’t need to bother so much with protecting me.”

“But...”

“In the first place,” Kang-Woo turned away from Balrog and continued, “The subordinate isn’t the one who protects the king.” He then turned only his head to Balrog and mentioned, “The king is the one who protects his subordinates.”

“...!”

Balrog’s eyes widened. Kang-Woo smiled and walked away.

“Whatever the case, I’m more than happy as long as you do whatever’s in your power.”

“... My king,” Balrog muttered as he watched Kang-Woo getting further away. “...”

A heavy silence fell in the hallway.

“The king is the one who protects his subordinates, huh?” Balrog recited Kang-Woo’s words. “But, my king...”

His voice was filled with sorrow. He subtly trembled and bit his lip, black blood flowing from the puncture wound. Balrog fell to his knees on the spot.

“You have protected me far too many times...”

A sense of powerlessness weighed Balrog down and burned him alive. He took something out from his pocket— it was a pouch the size of a human fist.

“...”

Balrog opened the pouch and saw a fistful of black powder inside.

“...”

Balrog closed his eyes, closed the pouch, and put it back into his pocket.