William looked toward the allied forces. Of all his company, only Randiman and his three bodyguards remained standing. He knew the black mist was absorbing the air, yet he felt fine.
"Is this one of Exoferite's uses?" William exhaled slowly.
He understood there was no time to waste. With a slash of his sword through the air, part of the black mist dissipated. The allied forces could breathe again.
“You’ve grown bold, haven’t you!” Sukmo Lawu growled.
He turned toward the core behind him.
A pattern formed beneath his feet: a circle inscribed with a star and eye, glowing a deep maroon red.
“It’s time we end this!” Sukmo Lawu snarled.
William slashed his sword through the air.
Invisible energy shot toward Sukmo Lawu.
It struck his back.
Sukmo Lawu raged, but he kept his composure.
“This is your end,” Sukmo Lawu smirked cruelly, locking eyes with William.
“I won’t let you!” William slashed again.
"Lan karmo lan rupo lan rogo lan roso kan asmo dadi rupo nyoto tak gawekno asmo, asmomu Rogo Geni dadio nyoto," chanted Sukmo Lawu.
Sudirja froze in fear. He had seen it through the lens of time vector. The demon about to be born wasn’t an ordinary one—it would match the demon they were currently fighting. And that wasn’t even its final form. Once its metamorphosis was complete, its true form would possess power equivalent to one-nineteenth of the strongest demon king—Demon King Semar, the sealed ruler of the Demon Kingdom Jagrapati.
“William,” Sudirja called out.
When William turned, Sudirja's eyes locked onto his, thumping heart pounding like war drums.
“In our original world, demons like that undergo metamorphosis,” Sudirja warned.
“What about it?” asked William.
“Its larval stage is already equal to the demon we’re fighting now,” he cautioned.
“You should know,” Sukmo Lawu spoke with venom in his voice, “we demons can only die once the place of our birth—our life’s core—is healed. Only then can we be slain.”
For humans, revealing a weakness was a grave mistake. But not for a demon like Sukmo Lawu. It changed nothing—unless the origin core was repaired, and it never had been. The environmental destruction from his birth remained to this day.
Now William understood why his previous attacks never killed Sukmo Lawu, only weakened him temporarily. He also grasped Sukmo Lawu’s true intention behind revealing that weakness—it wasn’t kindness, but a taunt. Still, he wondered: could he kill the newborn demon before it fully developed? Before it matured beyond its larval stage?
Sukmo Lawu read the thoughts on William’s face.
“Thinking of killing my child while it's still weak, are you? Just so you know—it won’t work,” he sneered.
And he was right. Even if William tried, it would fail. The magical disaster that created the area might have calmed, but its surroundings could still generate magic. That was something William didn’t yet understand.
Behind Sukmo Lawu, the core liquefied. From it emerged a small creature, toddler-sized, with the head of a wolf, horns like a goat, and a glowing red-hot body like fire.
“I’m here, ready for your command, Father,” the figure bowed before Sukmo Lawu.
Sukmo Lawu was thrilled—his evolution into a demon king was complete. Suddenly, black flames flared beside him, forming a terrifying figure: two pairs of glowing red spider-like eyes, four clawed arms, fanged wolf-like jaws, three horns like a goat’s, and legs shaped like an eagle’s talons.
“Him again!” came a voice from behind William.
It was Arga, his tone seething with frustration. The one who had vanished had returned—but this time, stronger.
“Well, Jack,” Sukmo Lawu smiled at the figure.
“Don’t tell me...” Sudirja stammered.
“Yup, that’s right,” Jack replied.
“I didn’t expect you’d become a demon king too,” Sukmo Lawu grinned wickedly.
“So? Want to be king of the Danopati Kingdom as well?” he offered.
“No. I’ll rule the place where I emerged,” Jack replied, rejecting the offer.
“Looks like we’ve found a demon that’s easier to kill,” William pointed his sword toward Jack.
“Wow. You’re calling me a demon? You’re the real demon here,” Jack sneered.
“What do you mean?” asked William.
“You’re the reason we were sent here—and you won’t even admit it,” Jack smirked.
“Is this about ‘Beyond of Astrall’ and the ‘Quantum Phase Tube’?” William asked.
“Do you really need to ask?” Jack scoffed. “Well, what’s done is done. Crying won’t change the past.”
“I’m a victim too—”
“Oh, I knew you’d say that,” Jack cut him off.
“William,” came another voice—it was Dion.
“Yes?” William turned.
“You once wished for those who came here not as humans to be spared, didn’t you?” Dion asked.
“That’s true,” William nodded.
“Then that wish doesn’t apply to him,” Dion said firmly.
“The cause of a tragedy doesn’t deserve mercy from its victims,” Jack laughed coldly. “Don’t joke with me.”
“Then I’ll kill you, Jack,” William threatened.
“Ha! If you can,” Jack grinned with contempt.
“William,” Dion called again.
“What now?” he asked.
“It’s impossible to kill Jack—even if he hasn’t evolved into a demon king yet,” Dion warned.
“Why’s that?” William asked.
“Players—more precisely, Shadow Existers who become demons—don’t just appear like regular Shadow Existers who stay human. They also undergo a birth process like other demons. The only difference is, they don’t need to be granted Manna or names to be born,” Dion explained.
“You mean, they’re formed from anomalies?” William asked.
“Yes,” Dion confirmed.
“Then what environmental damage led to Jack’s birth?” William asked.
“Jack appeared eight years before you, born from water pollution—poison in an island’s river,” Dion revealed.
Now William understood. Demonic Shadow Existers—the players—manifest differently than humans. Their birth was tied to damage, and that damage was their heart. The only way to kill a demon was to purify the place of their birth location—and then destroy them.
Still, William wanted to try.
Even if he couldn’t kill Jack, he at least wanted to discover one thing: the full power of the sword he carried.
He wanted to know the true potential of Exoferite metal.
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