I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 172

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172. God

“What is all this! You left for a week to collect all this?”

“Yes. The stones are in the center of the garden, so please ask them to take it.”

When Jong Ho opened the door to my room in order to find his cellphone, he faced a huge mess.

After all, enough King’s Marbles were present to cover the furniture and bed, and nearly all of the floor.

I had forgotten how many monsters I had killed.

All I did was to use the Demon King’s Authority to find the Unknown Dungeon and turn them into barren wastelands over and over again.

Due to that, I was nearing level 900 as an Awakened, and the magical energy I had lost from opening the dimensional gates had been completely replenished.

Other than the stones and marbles, plenty of artifacts and jewels dropped, but I didn’t even give them a glance.

I wasn’t aiming to level up either.

Due to the massive amount of monsters I had slain, it had risen naturally during the process as a byproduct.

While the other Awakened would exercise caution when putting their status points in after a level up, I wasn’t interested.

They were numbers on status window that merely covered my field of view. These stats were meaningless to me.

It was a hindering annoyance, so I just put them in randomly between stamina and strength stats.

After all, further growth as an Awakened didn’t matter anymore.

“Whew! Just what is that…. Did you turn the demonic realm on its head? Just how many did you kill?”

“Not sure. There were a lot of Unknown Dungeons all over the place, so I ended up spending an entire week on hunting.”

“You’re insane. Absolutely insane.”

Jong Ho opened the window to look out at the garden.

When his eyes met with the glittering stones, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

That was to be expected. After all, the pile of stones gathered far surpassed anything Jong Ho and So-Hyeon had obtained during their time as an Awakened.

Due to the sack made from condensed mana becoming bigger than the Gate, we had to make the bag stretch horizontally and change its shape in order to have it fit through.

This was enough for the few nations that survived the outbreak of monsters to use for a month and then some.

Due to the sheer amount of stones present, the large plot of land I had obtained from spending a massive amount of money appeared small.

“Let’s skip discussing about the stones. Just where are you planning to use all these marbles, farming so many to do so?”

“I just felt like it. I felt like it was a waste to just bring the bloodstones back.”

“I guess, since these are rare items you can’t get on Earth. But what about the artifacts? A lot of them should’ve dropped. Where did you put all of that?”

“I left them all behind.”

“What? If they dropped from the Unknown Dungeon, aren’t they worth a lot?”

“That would’ve been the case a couple months ago, but now, humankind has no need for them.”

“……”

“These tools would be dangerous to have around here.”

“Hm…. An Earth without monsters. It’s the same as the Awakened losing their purpose.”

“Yes. When everything turns peaceful, you know that people’s minds start wandering off, right?

A war could start for land or natural resources, or even bloodstones, especially with the current situation.”

“That’s true.”

“We won’t fight with guns and swords like the past, right? Each nation will use their Awakened as weapons in this war. Human weapons will become a thing.”

“……”

“Bringing the artifacts from the Unknown Dungeon to earn some money, which will release them on this world, is the equivalent of putting wings on these weapons.”

“What you’re saying makes sense. So you left behind all the artifacts and jewels?”

“Yes. Right now, all these items should be in the pockets of Puppet Goblins, such as Karin.”

“Kel kel. Shiny things are good.”

“Well, since these items are useless as you said, now I don’t feel like leaving them behind is a waste.”

“Yes. The marbles will also be stored after some organizing.”

“Then why did you follow the commander?”

I was going to hide the fact that I had been summoned to the celestial plane from everyone.

After all, the moment that I enter the tunnel of space and time, time stopped.

This freeze in time included both the human realm and the demonic realm. All time would stop in the realms that I was a part of.

This fight was going to be mine to bear alone, so why would I worry everyone else with something that they could not be involved in.

I spoke while fidgeting with a marble in my hand.

“Ah. That’s because of the issues caused by the lack of bloodstones. The intake is still the same as before, but the supply has been cut to zero.”

“Right.”

“That’s why I urgently headed for the demonic realm. Before the situation became dire.”

“If that’s the case, why didn’t you say something before going!”

“I was told that it was that urgent. Also, I told mother beforehand.”

“What about me? Your sister-in-law? Karin? Did you consider that we’d be worried for you?”

“You weren’t honestly worried about me though. At least hyung and Karin, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“I’m sorry, sister-in-law. Due to the urgency, I wasn’t able to tell you before leaving.”

“No worries, young master. All that matters is that you’ve come back safely.”

“Whew. Then I’ll be going back to my room to rest. I’m not really hungry, so you don’t need to wake me up for a meal.”

“Right. Since you’re tired son, go get some well deserved rest.”

“Go rest.”

“Kel kel. Min-Cheol! Am I allowed to jump up and down on the bed?”

“You can.”

“Keh eh! I knew that Min-Cheol was different from the other humans!”

Karin, now with his human form, stared at one person in particular with his eyes squinting.

The person in question was So-Hyeon.

“Can I really do it? Kel kel.”

“Sure, you can do it. If you want to die.”

“Kehel…. I want to go back to the demonic realm…. Everyone here is scary.”

“Pfft. Why are you not using the bed in your room and insisting that you do that on mine? Either way, I’ll see you at supper.”

Enclosing the King’s Marbles with mana, I lifted them all up in one go.

The promised grace period that I had agreed with god had passed.

I had prepared the best I could for the coming battle, and now waited for this god’s call.

I felt some resentment towards the god who had chosen me to bear all this weight, even though there were many others humans to choose from.

From the radical faction to the Demon King. However, as exposed before, it was true that I had looked forward to this a little bit.

I wanted to continue rising to a higher place.

Instead of a state where I’d be still, I wanted to live a life where I could continue moving forward and pushing my limits.

I had at least thousands of marbles.

Defeat? Would I even consider that word after seeing this?

With the power of the Piece of Time and Space and King’s Marbles combined, other than the peerless god Karupedan, I would be able to defeat anyone.

It was obvious that I would exclude Karupedan.

After all, just a sentence or action from Karupedan would become a universal law and rule.

To put it simply, this god could seal my mana and magical energy without blinking an eye.

Considering that, their goal of dying was something I should be thankful for.

“I wonder when they’ll call me…. I hope that they call me quickly, so my family won’t notice.”

“Hehe!”

“Oh shit! You surprised me!”

“Sorry if I did. Are you ready?”

“Is it okay for you to just go to the human realm like this?”

“Kehehehehe. I couldn’t bear to wait because of how excited I am.”

“I’m ready. The moment I head to the celestial plane, all time stops, right?”

“Yep! If you want that, then we’ll do that.”

“……”

“Do you want me to stop it? Should I just removed time itself?”

“I don’t need you to be so overly considerate. Just stop time during my leave.”

-snap.

“Hehe. This good?”

It was just like how a god would act.

Almost as if proving that they were an omnipotent existence, they casually stopped time.

After that, they spoke excitedly to have me hurry.

It was almost as if they wanted to die and be obliterated as soon as possible.

Peerless strength. And to live for an eternity. It made me rethink if these were a blessing or a curse.

Even if the one behind the choice was willing, it could still become a curse, and even they weren’t willing, it could become a blessing.

For this god right now, it was the worst case scenario of a curse they never asked for.

“Then I can go, right?”

“…….”

-snap.

****

“Where are you, god?”

“…….”

“Just what is this darkness……”

It seemed that I had arrived at the celestial plan at that god’s power.

However, this place looked far different from what I had seen a week ago.

It was pitch black without a single ray of light.

To brighten up the area around me, I casted Lightning Spray and condensed it in my hand.

However, the situation did not go as planned.

I could sense the mana of the Lighting Spray spell in my hand.

This meant that the skill had been casted without any problems.

However, I could not see the overwhelming bright light the spell produced at all.

I tried using different skills, but the results were the same.

For a moment, I had thought that I was in a dream.

However, what that god had told me before came to mind.

After that, I quietly muttered to myself.

“Hai Yanta…..”

It was then that I was sure of it.

The place that this god had tossed me in was where the God of Darkness, Hai Yanta, resided.

I was sure after seeing that I wasn’t able to emit any light, having it stolen from me.

It seemed that the peerless god Karupedan was in quite a hurry.

I assumed it so after seeing that they had tossed me into this place without any explanations.

“They really want to die, don’t they.”

I was in quite the disadvantage.

It wouldn’t be strange to be attacked from anywhere, and I wouldn’t be able to see it coming.

I had more than plenty of marbles, to the point of spilling. I swallowed one King’s Marbles.

After that, as using a magnifying glass, I casted Eye of Insight.

Perhaps due to the effects of the marble, Eye of Insight not only showed the weaknesses of my enemy, but also outlined the forms of those in hiding.

Not far away from here, I could see someone.

Messy hair. Also seeing their bent back and shoulders, I could tell that this being was an old man like Karupedan said.

Due to how he was perfectly blending in with the darkness, it would be incredibly difficult without my Eye of Insight to see him.

I dashed at him.

“Hm?”

“Hai Yanta?”

“Aren’t you a human being?”

“…….”

Noticing how Hai Yanta was genuinely surprised, it seemed that he had no idea I had arrived here.

That and noticing his form of an old man, it made me question if he had any combat capabilities.

It was also true that I didn’t know if it was okay to just kill him.

I wondered if it was okay to believe in the peerless god’s words to kill one of the gods in charge of a part of all the dimensions.

Unlike before my arrival here, which was filled with determination, now I was filled with uncertainty.

Hai Yanta spoke with dignity and a great amount of effort.

“How can a human walk around in the celestial plane…. It’s the work of Karupedan, right?”

“…….”

“Sending just an insignificant human? Kuhuhhuh. The weakest lifeforms that should’ve been wiped out from the start.”

“…..”

“I want to hear the reason. What is your business here? Why have you come to visit the God of Darkness.”

“Karupedan wants death. That’s why that god had chosen me. However, to do so, I have to take powers of gods such as yourself.”

“Kuhuhu. They still haven’t given up on that dream? How pitiful…..”

“But looking at your appearance, it made me question that, you know? Is it really okay to kill you after all.”

“No matter what, you won’t be able to kill me. You’re aware of the difference between gods and humans, right?”

“…….”

“However, I shall help you become sure of your uncertain goal.”

“What do you mean…..”

“I guess Karupedan didn’t tell you. Kuhuhhuh.”

“…….”

Hai Yanta was basically asking to be killed.

If he didn’t speak up, he might have lived a bit longer.

That’s why I felt thankful to him.

He had given me the motive to kill him without feeling any guilt.


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 171

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171. Reentering the Unknown Dungeon

“Kuwuhhh!”

“Kuuhung!”

“Have you two been well?”

The first to greet me when I arrived in the demonic realm were my summoned creatures.

Each let out a deafening howl and looked at me.

As if having sensed my magical energy signature, Belkoseu hurriedly ran towards me.

His expression was filled with shock.

“Ah…. What reason brings you here…..”

“Ah, sorry, Belkoseu. I didn’t make the promise to do something like this.”

“Even in human time, a day hasn’t even passed yet! But why…..”

“Hey, I said I’m sorry. Forgive me this time. I really won’t be even near the demonic realm after this. But what is all that over there?”

“I shall trust you again once more. But are you asking what that is? It’s the stones I’ll be sending to Earth.”

“You think I’m really asking that because I’m not aware? What I’m asking is, how did you manage to gather so much in such a short time, or as you put it, less than a day in human time.”

“Kuhuhu. I’ve informed you already. I’m pretty much the Demon King.”

Belkoseu’s competence surprised me.

He had carried out my task perfectly as instructed by piling a mound of bloodstones near the Gate.

Similar to a mound of sand you’d see at a construction site, the amount of stones were insane.

Thinking about it, I realized that he would’ve used his Authority to do so.

After all, he had lured monsters with high ranking such as the Lich King before.

Out of the Authorities he possessed, it was likely that one of them would allow him to control monsters weaker than him.

“Did you use an Authority to do this? Is it an ability that allows you to bring monsters to you?”

“Yes, that is correct, Mighty Human. As you are aware, I have obtained a considerable amount of offensive capabilities by hunting with you, Demon King.”

“That’s right. Originally, the plan was to have you face Jamon and Ladin. That’s why I helped you grow stronger.”

“By using the newfound strength and my Authority, what task would be easier than this.”

“As expected. I have quite the eye when it comes to monsters.”

“You honor me. But for what reason have you returned to the demonic realm?”

“Ah. It’s because I have business with the Unknown Dungeon.”

“Huh? The Unknown Dungeon….. What is that…..”

“Ah, you monsters don’t call it that, right? Well, a week will do. So don’t worry about it and just keep doing what you were doing before. I won’t be bothering you.”

“I understand.”

“Wait. You should follow me.”

“Huh?”

“If you come and work through some hardship for a couple of days, you’ll get enough stones to play for awhile. Let’s go together.”

“Ah….. I understand.”

“Hey, you three! Let’s also go together. You’ve done it before, right? Treasure hunting.”

“Kuwuhhh!”

Leaving behind only King Suwoo at the Gate, Belkoseu and the 3 Devil Avatars followed me to the search for the Unknown Dungeon.

Since the Avatars could be shrunk down in size, I put them in my pocket, and since Belkoseu could move quite quickly, movement wasn’t an issue.

Karin had said that the location I’m searching for, which was the starting point of all monsters, was impossible to arrive at, no matter the method.

Technically, I could arrive at this place by sacrificing dozens of lives in the dungeons within portals that were now gone to open a gateway to the Unknown Dungeon.

However, that method was not only difficult, but nearly impossible.

However, when I became the Demon King, I learned that Karin was wrong.

I didn’t know if the other Demon Kings before me knew how to do so.

The one thing I was sure of was that I, who was able to use all of the powers of a Demon King, knew how to do so.

Since I had hunted by traveling through all of the demonic realm, I had been pretty much everywhere here.

Despite the massive size of the demonic realm, I could use Warp to travel it far easier than I could Earth.

“It’s not far from here. You can read my magical energy signature, right?”

“It’s doable.”

“Right. Since you can’t go through the Warp, you need to run here.”

“Kuhu……”

“Hurry up. See you then.”

“Yes, yes…..”

****

The edge of the demonic realm.

There was a deep cave that I could not see the end of.

This edge was where the entrance of the Unknown Dungeon was.

Without a single moment of hesitation, I ran towards the edge.

-CRASH!

“Damn. I still have difficulty controlling my strength.”

As soon as I kicked off the ground, I arrived at the edge.

To be honest, because I wasn’t experienced with my newfound strength, I had landed with a massive crash.

It was a massive crash, but the entrance to the Unknown Dungeon didn’t budge, let alone even splinter.

Did I need to yell open sesame or something?

However, there was a much easier way to do so.

I just had to forcefully open the entrance using my strength.

However, I had to refrain from using any of my human’s strength, and instead had to rely completely on my magical energy.

“Since I’ve not done this before, I’m not sure if it’ll work…..”

-CRACK!

“Whew…. It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be.”

Almost as if I had temporarily become part of the demonic race, my entire body was covered in magical energy.

After that, I posed as if I was tearing apart the very air.

Only after I did so did light come from what I had thought was the end of the tunnel.

Below me, I could see countless monsters waiting.

It was as if I was looking down at the Unknown Dungeon from an aerial vantage point.

“Was the one who dropped the King’s Marbles named Allos? Well, it won’t matter if I just kill em all.”

Throwing my body in, I went into the dungeon.

Since the floor was muddy like a swamp, falling from that height made me sink all the way down to my knees.

“Ah….. How uncomfortable. I had forgotten this.”

Before beginning the hunt, I returned the Avatars in my pocket back to their original size.

I didn’t need to move myself.

It was enough with just these summoned creatures alone to turn this entire place into a wasteland.

However, as you know, artifacts only dropped if the monsters lost their lives by a human.

If these Avatars, which are categorized as monsters, roamed around the dungeon, the marbles wouldn’t drop no matter how hard they tried.

To each of the Avatars that were roaring, I took out one of the King’s Marbles that was stored in my armor and showed it to them.

“Remember the treasure hunt we did before?”

“Kuuhuh!”

“Right. What you searched for last time were jewels, but now you’ll be searching for these. Understood?”

“Kururu! Kwuhul!”

“Right. The two of you find the marbles, and blue, you take care of the jewels and stones. Everyone, to your places.”

“Mighty Human!”

“You’ve arrived pretty quick. Come down.”

“Understood.”

-glop.

“Ugh…..”

“Ah, I forgot to tell you about that. Either way, I’ll be leading the charge and taking them down. You just need to follow me and pick up the bloodstones. Easy, right?”

“Yes. But how will I be able to pick up all the stones that these monsters drop…..”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Mana flowed out from my hand and inflated like a balloon.

It didn’t take long for me to make a giant mana bag.

Originally, it was meant to be a shield made from mana, but right now, it was just a sack.

Since I could increase or decrease the size as I willed, this bag should be able to store as much as I needed.

It felt as though I had obtained Karin’s dimension pocket.

“You can just put them all here.”

“Yes. Then please relax as you rest elsewhere while I take care of this.”

“It sounds like to me that you to want help? Let’s begin.”

“Yes, Mighty Human!”

****

“Jong Ho, where did the young master go?”

“Dunno….. After coming back to Earth and leaving with the commander, I’ve not seen him either.”

“Aren’t you worried at all? It’s been a week, you know?”

“What? Worry? So-Hyeon, you should worry about those that need worrying. You chose the wrong person to do so. If you have the time to do that, you should worry about your future husband.”

“Mother must be worried….”

“Hoho. Look how kindhearted my daughter-in-law is.”

“See? Even mother isn’t worried at all.”

“The day that he left, he visited me early before dawn.”

“The young master?”

“Yes. It hasn’t been that long since he came back, but he told me that he needed to leave again for a bit once more.”

“Didn’t he say where he was going?”

“I didn’t even ask. He’ll be back soon. I can tell from just the look in his eyes. It won’t be long till you also understand what I mean by that.”

“It’s so strange…. Karin.”

“Kel! You called, Ms. So-Hyeon?”

The look that Karin gave So-Hyeon was that of fear.

On his first day on Earth, due to him blabbering at her without much thought, Karin had to go through a great amount of humiliation.

After all, what followed his blabbering were swearing and threats at which he had never heard or seen before in his hundreds of years of being alive.

He even thought that he would really die.

Without exaggeration, in Karin’s eyes, So-Hyeon was the equivalent of Jamon.

Hearing Karin’s disciplined response, Se-Hyeon spoke.

“You said that you are a monster, right?”

“Yes! That is correct!”

“And the young master is a Demon King, right?”

“That’s correct! Keruruk!”

“Where is the young master? Find him now.”

“Kehel…. Right now, it is difficult.”

“Whew… Be thankful that you’re here with mother right now. Tsk!”

“Keruk! After my body was changed to that of a human, it’s very troublesome for me to use that Authority.”

“Hey hey, So-Hyeon, you’re going to scare the kid to death. Please stop asking him.”

“I did nothing of the sort. I’m just worried about the young master is all.”

“Don’t worry and wait just a bit longer. I’m sure that he’ll open the door to his room at any given moment while yawning, as if nothing was wrong.”

“Even so…..”

-click.

“Haahm. Sleep well, everyone?”

“Mother, please forgive just how disrespectfully I’ll be acting right now. It seems that my little brother can’t be a gentleman.”

“Hoho. Son, had a good trip?”

“Yes, I’m back. But what’s going on that’s got you all excited from the morning?”

“Young master, are you okay?”

“Yes. As you can see…. Karin, why is your expression like that?”

“Keruu…. Min-Cheol…. I think I should go back to the demonic realm. Keruk. It’s too scary here.”

“Pfft. Min-Cheol, he’s just kidding so pretend you didn’t hear him. Either way, where were you fighting all this time before coming back here?”

“I had some business to take care of in the demonic realm….”

“Ugh!”

“My baby…. Did you….”

“Ah…. No, mother. It’s because I suddenly smelled something foul.”

“Darling, why are you suddenly…. Ugh! Hey, you! Kim Min-Cheol, wash yourself right now, you hear? Were you rolling in a field of manure for a week? Whew. Karin, let’s open the window.”

“Kehel! I smell the scent of corpses on Min-Cheol’s body! Hurry and wash yourself!”

“Why all the ruckus. I don’t smell… Ugh!”

The horrendous smell had been so imprinted on my body for the past week that no matter how much I washed myself, it wouldn’t come off.

After bathing sever times, I returned to Jong Ho and spoke.

“Hyung-nim, can you call for either the commander or Ho Jin hyung-nim?”

“Why?”

“It’s because I brought some bloodstones when I visited the demonic realm.”

“Why are you troubling yourself with all that when you can have Belkoseu do it instead.”

“Using cars to collect all of it will be a struggle, so please hurry.”

“Right. Honey, where is my phone?”

“It should be in the young master’s room? You said that you’ll be charging it and left it there.”

“Right.”

-click.

“Holy shit! What…. What is all… What is all this!”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 170

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170. Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

With Barub, we walked towards the shabby door that lead into the celestial plane.

I didn’t really welcome the idea of arriving there.

The reason why that god had created the pure white Gate was probably to summon me back to the celestial plane.

Even after I arrived, there wouldn’t be any changes to the Gate.

Nothing would come out and start causing a ruckus either.

Of course, this was assuming that the negotiation with this god would go well.

Since I was aware of this, I continued talking with Barub while taking a leisurely walk.

“Do you remember telling me that we’ll meet again?”

“Yes.”

“What did you mean by it when you said that?”

“I didn’t mean anything specifically by it. I’ve served that god for a long time. I know what they’re thinking to at least some degree. That is all.”

“So you knew that they’d call me, the one who had passed the test and carried an unprecedented strength, back to their side?”

“That is correct.”

“So why does this god do this to us humans?”

“Didn’t I say this before. I am merely but a guide for time and space.”

“Of course you did. So you don’t want to get involved?”

“That’s right. My duty is to carry out tasks that are related only to time and space of all dimensions, nothing more.”

“Of course. I’m sure that you’ve been doing this work as long as that god has been doing their work, right?”

“Correct.”

“When was that?”

“……”

“You’re not letting me know of something as minor as this?”

“I do not know.”

“Are you conducting a hearing? You don’t remember?”

“It is the truth, human.”

“Hm? What did you mean by that?”

“It is the same for all the gods in the celestial plane. No one remembers anything before coming to the celestial plane. From the beginning, I was a guide, and they were the gods.”

“It almost sounds like there is someone above the gods?”

“Pfft. Humans have been given the right and freedom to think as they please…..”

“……”

It is as Barub had said.

It seemed that even gods had risen to their stations by someone else.

That was the only way for me to make sense of this right now at least.

After all, these beings had forgotten all memories of who they were, what they did, and what they wanted to be.

It was almost as if they were pieces moved across a board of chess by some unseen hand.

However, I couldn’t help but find something odd in Barub’s laughter.

It was a short but strong laughter, seeming to come out unintentionally.

It was just a guess, but I felt as though that laughter meant a lot more than what I was catching on.

“My guidance ends here, human. Then…..”

“See you again, Barub.”

“……”

I wanted to obtain more information through Barub, but making a promise for the future, I stopped.

After all, I wasn’t sure if Barub knew more, and the situation could turn badly if I had continued to push it.

Engaging in a fruitless conversation, I had arrived at the entrance without knowing.

This meant that I had to see the face of the evil god with the face of an angel.

“It hasn’t even been that long since I’ve left, but calling me back already…. Well, at least this place looks beautiful. It’s almost unfitting.”

I briefly admired the scenery.

As expected, I heard that same voice.

It was that god again.

“Hehe. You came?”

“Was there any other options? It’s not like I can ignore the summons of a god. What’s your deal? And what’s up with the Gate created on Earth?”

“Hehe. It’s nothing much. Hm…. I guess a proof of my affection on how I’m especially interested in Earth?”

“I’m not sure why and what your reasoning is, but I’d like it if you stopped. Just what do you want?”

“What I want….. Dunno? I guess when you passed the test, I became a lot more interested in the mundane daily life.”

“……”

“Is all this pointless murder amusing to you? Do you not understand that human life isn’t so light as for you to use like a consumable and toss them aside?”

“Eh….. Why are you being angry at me! Still, couldn’t help it.”

“What a selfish and narrow minded god.”

“Isn’t this something you also wanted?”

“What…. Huh?”

“Didn’t you ask to be summoned by me!”

“That…. That’s…..”

With a question from this god, my head became blank.

It was because I couldn’t deny his question.

The thought that pass briefly through my mind had happened right after defeating the Demon King Jamon.

My life was now without purpose, nothing different from being dead, and was surrounded by futility and emptiness.

There was a part of me that may have wanted this.

How pathetic of me.

You could argue that I could just live the life of a normal human being in peace, as I had been before.

I could live that way, but would I be able to find fun in that life?

Humans are animals that seek new thrills.

It was obvious that I would need greater simulation.

That was why it was true that I had looked forward to the summons of this god a little bit.

However, this was just my personal greed.

I couldn’t obtain satisfaction for myself by sacrificing countless lives.

I agreed to listen to what this god wanted from me.

Also, I was curious as to why this god wanted to spectate humans continue facing against dangers.

In this negotiation, I was definitely the one at a disadvantage.

It was obvious, since the one I’m making a deal with was a peerless god.

Steeling my nerves, I asked.

“Stop beating around the bush. What do I need to do?”

“Hahaha. How amusing. I even like your personality.”

“……”

“I’ve been curious for a long time.”

“What?”

“If a god dies…. what happens. Will someone else appear to take my place? Or will my position be vacant forever?”

“As a peerless existence, you should be easily able to sate the thirst for that curiosity though? There’s no way that you’re weaker than the other gods?”

“Pfft. For some reason, that’s not possible for me, you know? Hehe. I can’t cause any harm towards them. That’s why I need you…..”

“As expected, you’re insane. That’s what you want? To kill your fellow gods?”

“Why are you being like this. You killed your fellow humans without blinking an eye.”

“That’s…..”

“Is it because they’ve sinned? Is it because they’ve killed countless humans? Pfft. But what authority did you have to judge them? Are you a god or something? You won’t be able to give any answers to my question.”

“…..”

“Look at this. All humans are the same, you know? They’re generous to themselves, but treat others as they please. It’s amusing, isn’t it?”

Look at this damned god preaching at me.

I was upset and angered, but there wasn’t anything false in what this god had said.

I was ashamed, but I had to accept what was the truth.

“I’ll acknowledge that.”

“Pfft. The first target is the Hai Yanta.”

“Hai Yanta? Who is that?”

“He’s here. A gloomy old man who likes to hide. He’s in charge of darkness itself. With the God of Light, Lai Yanta, they rule over all the light and darkness of all dimensions. Since they don’t get along, the chances of the other interfering with you should be next to nil.”

“So I just have to defeat him?”

“Yep! That’s right!”

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“What?”

“The reason why you want me to defeat a god. And also the reason why you want the other gods dead.”

“Idiot! I told you. I just want to see what happens to a god when they die…”

“No. I want to hear the real reason.”

“Oh! I’ll cancel that insult.”

“Why? Why are you making me kill the gods?”

“Listen well so you don’t forget later, okay?”

The god kept their bright expression.

They kept a childlike smile that no one could hate, even though what they said next didn’t fit that expression in the slightest.

“Each time you kill the gods, you should be able to obtain their abilities. And if you keep adding up the gains, you should be able to eventually arrive at a point where you have more power than me, right? Wow! Even thinking about it makes me excited.”

“…..”

“And if that happens…. Once you obtain a power beyond me, the peerless existence, I want you to kill me.”

“Huh?”

“Idiot! I told you to listen well.”

“No. I heard it clearly.”

“Hehe. Then it’s fine, okay?”

“…….”

“Why is there no answer? Was my explanation too difficult?”

“Nope.”

Was it just because of my emotions? Despite how bright their expression was, I felt pity.

Just how long has this god remained on the seat of a peerless existence.

Also, this being must’ve felt the emptiness that I’m feeling right now, but thousands of times greater all this time.

I could somewhat understand their hatred for humans, and also the intense desire to find new amusement.

The god spoke.

“What is that sullen look for? If you don’t do as I say, I could make the dimension you reside in disappear!”

“Okay.”

“Hm? You’re telling me to destroy it?”

“No. I’ll do as you say. But you know, do you really think that I can face off against a god? Don’t you have you to give me some advantage?”

“Nope.”

“……”

“I don’t like seeing a movie when I already know the ending. Hehe. And that won’t be fun for you too.”

“So I have to defeat them with the abilities I have?”

“Yep! That’s right. No one can know the conclusion. You could die, or you could kill all the other gods and defeat me, the peerless one.”

“All of my abilities. Alright, let’s do that.”

“Oho? I didn’t expect you to agree so easily! Are you sure that you’ll be okay without any help?”

“As I already said, yes. But what happens if I fail?”

“Pfft! Why do you ask such a question with an obvious answer. It’s oblivion with you.”

“I thought so, but you’ve confirmed it. I don’t have to start right away, do I?”

“Of course! I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, so it won’t be a problem if I wait a little longer. When would be a good time?”

“Pus doesn’t become flesh with time, so it’ll be best to squeeze it out as soon as possible. One week should be plenty.”

“Hehe! I like it. I like it a lot! Alright, I shall call for you in a week’s time. Don’t worry about all that difficult walking to reach here. I’ll bring you here myself.”

“Sure. Then I’ll be going.”

****

I returned home.

I just had taken dominance over the demonic realm, but now had to prepare a fight with the gods.

Just like last time, this fight was going to be my burden alone.

After all, Jong Ho and Karin would not be able to participate in this fight at all.

After returning home, the god’s words kept ringing in my head.

They had asked me to kill them. All sorts of thoughts filled my head.

However, I had to first put out the fire.

Since I had mastery over mana and magical energy, I did not need anymore skills.

And I didn’t need additional artifacts to increase my physical stats either.

The reason why I needed this week laid elsewhere.

Currently right now, there weren’t many who could face me due to my King’s Marbles.

I had offensive capabilities that would allow any attack to land on anyone.

And it would be an attack that uses 100% of my mana and magical energy.

If I was able to obtain more King’s Marbles to cover my defensive capabilities, I should be able to win this fight easily.

Despite much time having passed since I parted ways with the commander and headed for the celestial plane, the day wasn’t over yet.

After all, time would’ve stopped the moment I met with Barub.

Entering the room quietly, I opened a portal to demonic realm.

“Hopefully I don’t get reported by the worker union. I did promise that I wouldn’t set foot in the demonic realm ever again.”

With the path opened, I headed to the demonic realm where Belkoseu was probably working hard.


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 169

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169. No Vacation

From seeing the expression of the commander who took the phone call, I could tell that something bad had happened.

If the call was some regular office call, he would’ve left the scene to take it, but it seems that this situation was far beyond that.

Only after a while did he realize that everyone noticed and tried to move to a more discreet location, but I gave him a knowing look.

The look I gave have signaled that we all knew it was serious, and I wanted him to let me know of it as soon as possible.

It didn’t take long for Yoon Jong-sun to hang up the call and look towards me with a serious expression.

Unlike before, he spoke with a much lower tone.

“Min-Cheol lad, could we speak in private for a bit?”

“Understood.”

“Then, let’s go out to enjoy the breeze for a bit.”

“……”

After briefly trying to gauge the mood of my mother in the kitchen with a glance, I followed the commander to the garden.

I was positive that I had gotten rid of all the portals on Earth with the Authority of the Demon King.

This meant that we would no longer be harmed by the monsters.

Then what could this be?

Is Earth some kind of popular local restaurant now, with another dimension trying to invade once more?

This wasn’t some movie or drama, so that was unlikely.

Hiding my worry, I followed commander.

“Hm…. I’m not sure where to start.”

“What has happened? I thought all the portals are gone?”

“That’s right. All the portals are gone. With that, all the dungeons disappeared with them.”

“Is it because of the bloodstones? That’s……”

“That’s not the case.”

“……”

“Remember the Gate that you used to head to the demonic realm.”

“Yes.”

“I have received a call informing me that another Gate of the same size has appeared.”

“Huh? Is that true?”

“I’m not sure of it as well. I just received the call after all. I’m going to use Warp to head there right now. Will you come with me?”

“I will do so.”

I had used Warp to head to the Gate when I was in the demonic realm.

Warp had a 12 hour cooldown.

However, that didn’t matter at all right now.

Due to being able to use mana freely as I willed, I could ignore the cooldown easily.

To be precise, I was technically able to use all skills with disregard for the cooldowns since I’ve become Awakened.

However, only now did I start doing so, since I didn’t know how to use mana properly before.

I headed for Yangpyeong with the commander at the same time.

****

“Karupedan. Just what are you thinking, resorting to this?”

“Hehe! What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you tortured them enough? The humans have obtained peace once more through their own strength. However, you’re…..”

“Hey, Gera. I don’t think this is something that you should be involving yourself with?”

“……”

“Just because we’re both gods…. You dare try to lecture me?”

“That… That is…..”

“Arrogance. Do you understand?”

“……”

“Pfft! Look at your expression. Were you surprised? Don’t hate me too much for this. After all, it gets interesting for you only if I continue killing life, right? This tampering is beneficial for you too!”

“I don’t want such pointless deaths!”

“Huh? That shouldn’t be the case, you know? To think that the God of Death Gera dislikes death. Ha!”

“All the gods of the celestial plane do not approve of your meddling. I’m sure you’re already aware of it though? Now please stop this.”

“So what? What are you going to do about it? Are you planning to kick me out or something?”

“……”

“Try bringing them here. Those who disagree with what I’m doing, that is. Hm? I’m curious as to if they’ll be able to say that while looking straight into my eyes.”

“This isn’t something I’m saying as a fellow god, but as from the same bloodline. Please stop your anger on those innocent lives. Please.”

“I think you’re misunderstanding something here….. Gera, even if I didn’t intervene, they hate and kill each other. Despite all sharing the status of creations, the strong are worshiped, while the weak are abused. Am I wrong? That means that they want a greater war and more blood to spill.”

“That’s just one of the many ways they live. This isn’t something that you should be meddling in!”

“I thought so too at the start. I felt that their deaths were in vain, and wanted to stop them. But as time passed, I became more confident that I was wrong. Now stop. Because of that, my mood is ruined….. Get the fuck out of here. Disappear from my sight, Gera.”

“……”

The celestial plane that Min-Cheol had arrived with the guidance of Barub.

There, a god with the appearance of a young girl existed.

It was a peerless god that most humans thought of as the definition of a god.

It was true.

While many that had thought that the idea of god was made up by humans and didn’t exist, god really did so, and was very similar to what we idealized in terms of ability and strength.

A peerless existence that created monsters, and controlled both life and death.

However, this peerless god wasn’t the only existence.

Many gods existed, each with their own traits, and the one that Min-Cheol had met, displaying unrivaled power, was Karupedan.

It was a god with a peerless power, able to control all life and death, and had complete dominance over all dimensions and worlds.

Looking at Greek myths, one could be led to believe that these gods had once briefly remained in the realm of the humans.

Gera, the one who pointed out the brutality of the peerless god, and Karupedan were siblings.

Since gods did not have genders, there wasn’t really a way to express their relationship other than as from the same bloodline.

After all, concepts such as older sister or older brother that addressed genders were made up by humans.

Gera was the head of anything related to death.

All life, once they die, their souls returned back to Gera.

Afterwards, with the help of the God of Life Milgrass, the souls would obtain new life.

It was also up to Milgrass to decide what dimension this new life would go to.

The peerless god Karupedan didn’t care much about the humans, despite the fact that humans were the ones that Karupedan poured the most amount of effort into creating.

This was the equivalent of making a pretty sandcastle, then destroying the entire thing in one blow similar to how a child throws a tantrum.

Karupedan was a peerless existence from the start, with no idea on how they had risen to the status of a god.

Their memories started only after they had risen to the seat of godhood, and it was the same for the other gods.

Just like that, the humans were suffering from Karupedan, with the reason being something that only Karupedan themself knew.

“The first one to pass my test was a human? Pfft! Everything’s gone crazy. I’m making them suffer without reason? No. A part of the memory that remains with me is howling in anger at the humans without rest.”

****

“That’s……”

“I had hoped that this wasn’t the case. Sadly, it was true.”

The area around the Gate that led into the demonic realm had been completely sealed off.

Not only was it to prevent entry by humans, but it was a measure against possible appearance of monsters.

The Gate was covered by a dome of nanomaterials, and a joint force of both the military and the Awakened association kept it all under lockdown.

The moment that the two of them had spoken, dozens of the guards ran up to Min-Cheol and the commander at the same time.

After all, the Warp had just appeared in the middle of the restricted area in plain view.

“Halt! Who are you two?”

“The Association is working hard, Commander.”

“Hoho. It is I, the commander.”

“Turn around facing the wall, and keep your hands up!”

“……”

“……”

The military and Awakened Association forces moved busily to confirm our identities.

There was no way that they did not know the face of the commander.

However, they were moving just as the manual they were instructed to follow to the letter.

The commander might have been annoyed, but he followed their orders without resistance.

Finishing the checks, one of the Awakened spoke.

“Commander, I apologize. But who is the other person…..”

“No need to worry about him. He’s my acquaintance.”

“Yes. Please forgive our discourtesy.”

“No worries. Rather, knowing that you all are doing your jobs properly puts my mind at ease. Enough of that though. Is that it?”

“Yes, that’s correct. A short while after the expedition force to the demonic realm returned, it suddenly appeared.”

“Hm…”

“Unlike the Gate from before, we did not sense any movement at all. Right now, the Gate is still, only letting out a bright light.”

“I understand. I shall go speak with the acquaintance that has come with me about this, so please go back as you were.”

“Yes, Commander!”

“What do you think of this?”

The previous Gate was connected to the demonic realm.

Facing that Gate, another Gate of the same size had formed.

It was a Gate that glowed brightly, almost as if many LED lights had been turned on.

However, there wasn’t any reports of anything pouring out of the Gate.

Menacingly glowing, it merely existed without doing anything.

However, Min-Cheol could tell in an instant just who had made this.

“What is your motive, god….”

“Hm? Did you say something?”

“No. I think it’s just my luck to be overloaded with additional work like this.”

“…..”

“That is probably a Gate that leads into another dimension. I’m glad that there are no signs of movement at least.”

“What should we do? I plan to organize an expedition group and investigate the Gate.”

“No! That’s pointless.”

“You….. Your expression shows that you know something. Aright.”

“I understand the situation clearly as of now. It’ll be brief, but I’ll be returning home to rest for a bit.”

“G…. Go head…. I’m just worried that the appearance of this Gate is a sign signaling another disaster upon us…..”

“Then…..”

****

[Cannot move to the selected dimension.]

[Cannot move to the selected dimension.]

“Even the Demon King’s Authority is nothing before the power of a god?”

After returning home, I tried teleporting to the celestial plane.

However, that was impossible.

Despite being the king of the demonic realm, it seemed that it was impossible to use that power to affect the peerless existence’s realm.

“If it’s the tunnel of time and space…. It might be possible there.”

In a split second, I felt as though my body was being sucked in.

Looking around me, it seemed that I had arrived without issue.

I had entered the tunnel of time and space that I could’ve only entered by swallowing the Piece of Time and Space before.

I could see a blinding light coming closer from far away.

“Barub…….”

Arriving, Barub spoke with a formless appearance as before.

“To be able to come and go as you please to the tunnel of time and space. It seems that you’ve grown quite a lot, human child.”

“I’m still discontent that I’m not able to get to the celestial plane right away, but instead have to take a detour here first.”

“For what reason have you come here once more?”

“I wish to see that god once more. Also, I wanted to know what you meant when you said that we’ll be meeting again.”

“I shall guide you to that god.”

“You knew already, didn’t you?”

“…..”

“Personally, I think I’ve finished quite the difficult task. But if that god’s reward for me is something like this….. Even as a god, they have no excuses they can say. No. Even if they had ten mouths, the only thing they can say is an apology. Isn’t that so?”

“I am just a guide of time and space…..”

“Right. Or not. Either way, let’s get going for now, so I can go meet the cruel seven year old god.”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 166

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166. Mana, Magical Energy, and the Piece of Space and Time

Separating from Min-Cheol, Jong Ho and Karin, as well as Belkoseu, were settled far away from the Demon King and Ladin’s residence.

Only Min-Cheol received guidance from Karin, which he then moved to the final battle with the Demon King.

Right now, everyone else would only serve as a hindrance.

It would be painful for them to hear that, but it was the truth.

Thankfully, the three he had left behind knew this very well.

They knew that if they partook in the battle, they would only serve as a hindrance to Min-Cheol.

There was the possibility that they’d be captured and held as hostages, ruining the whole thing.

Belkoseu used his Authority to hide the magical energy signatures of the three securely.

Unless those pursuing them had the search capabilities on par with the Chimera, they would never be able to find them.

I did not know with Belkoseu, but the faces of Karin and Jong Ho were as per usual, without a trace of worry in their expressions.

That was because they believed in what Min-Cheol had accomplished had so far and the speedy growth that allowed him to obtain great power.

Their thought process was of sound decision making.

After all, with the current strength Min-Cheol possessed, there was no way that he would lose to the Demon King.

Using Mass Stealth Jutsu and laying flat on the ground, Jong Ho spoke to Karin.

“Karin. If either the Demon King’s or Ladin’s magical energy signature disappears, you need to let me know immediately, okay?”

“Keruru. Do not worry. I won’t allow my thoughts to drift off even for a minute, staying focused the entire time.”

“I’m sure that Sir Min-Cheol will defeat them both and come back. I’m positive! Steak…. I mean. He will become the Demon King, so that is a given.”

“Keruk! It has begun! Ladin’s magical signature is on the map.”

“Ladin isn’t anything worth worrying about…..”

“Kehel?”

“Why!”

“Dis.. Disappeared.”

“What? Did he hide his magical energy signature and flee once more in that short amount of time?”

“No….. He has been completely obliterated. Ladin’s magical energy does not exist in the demonic realm anymore. All of it has been absorbed by Min-Cheol. Keh heh el……”

“Not even a minute has passed! Are you positive?”

“Kehrururu….. Kelkel! Jong Ho, Min-Cheol is strong. He’s so strong that we can enjoy observing him with a peace of mind. Kel kel.”

“Still, don’t let your guard down and stay observant!”

“Kel kel. I understand.”

****

Growing massive in size in an instant, Ladin charged.

He was the size of an apartment.

The mace in his hand was far greater in size.

I could tell that it wasn’t made from bloodstones.

Rather, it was a weapon made of compressed magical energy.

I threw in a King’s Marble in my mouth.

I was sure that Ladin dealt far more damage than I could I respond with recovery skills like Status Negation.

I needed to stay focused on the fight like I was in during the 3 tests from god I passed.

My offensive capabilities grew at an impossible rate, but my defensive capabilities stayed the same.

Despite using all sorts of skills wildy without restraint, I needed to pay attention to the King’s Marble’s immortal effect that only lasted a minute.

“Kuwuhhhhh!”

A deep voice that seemed to split apart the air was followed by the swing of the mace.

The speed at which it came down was insanely fast.

Even with how much I stronger I’ve gotten physically, it would’ve taken everything I had to avoid it, I guess?

As Ladin’s attack started, I swallowed one of the King’s Marbles.

Giving off a visual effect of my body burning black into what seemed like a lump of charcoal, the one minute countdown began.

“Is this simple attack all you’ve got?”

“Kuuhhhhh!”

I did not even consider avoiding Ladin’s attack.

There was no need for me to even flinch at the falling mace.

Of course, it was a powerful attack.

When his attack reached me, a sound similar to a smithy hammering an anvil filled the air around us.

If I had allowed this attack to hit me while I didn’t have the effect of the marble…..

I would’ve had to hear my bones and organs scream out in agony for awhile.

“Kuwahhh!”

I could not find any hints of rationale in his eyes.

He appeared as though he had sold his soul to the devil.

As he grew bigger, the horn on his head seemed rather small in comparison.

His body seemed to be covered in obsidian, which looked impossible to penetrate.

His appearance seemed similar to the radical faction Dark Lady’s ability.

However, I had obtained a power that allowed my attacks to have a 100% success rate and ignored all resistances.

On top of that, my attacks would be twice as strong right now.

In order to save up as many King’s Marbles as possible, I used my strongest attacks.

As anyone knowing me would be familiar with, 9 fiery orbs of death appeared in the air.

I didn’t even need to use my Mana Shield.

After all, no attacks would affect me at this time.

That was why I used even the 3rd spell slot granted to me by the Dual Casting passive to cast Meteor.

This was a fight where I would only focus on attacking.

I was positive that they didn’t realize that my Meteor Call became stronger beyond comparison to what it was before.

Due to it being my main skill that I’ve been using for so long, I could tell just from looking at it.

Darkish black flames covered the orb after the skill’s Transcendence.

Now, if that wasn’t enough before, magical energy and condensed mana was added, letting out a mysterious light as it searched for its target to obliterate.

Even I was surprised that I could even use an attack like this.

It looked as though a planet of purple and bluish hue only found in space had been compressed and now floated in the air.

Without missing a beat, I landed the Meteor directly at him.

“KUWECKKKK!”

“Holy shit…..”

It was definitely me who had made the command.

The one who to command it to land ruthlessly on him was definitely me.

However, even I, who had sent it down on my will, couldn’t keep up with the Meteor’s movement.

In a blink of an eye, almost as teleporting, I only realized that the attack landed after I saw the flames sticking to his body.

Now, even I found myself frightening.

Being at a loss of words at this spectacle didn’t last long.

Only then did a heavy gust of wind from the explosion blow outward in all directions.

The shockwave was so powerful that the castle that was in the field was destroyed without a trace, like paper before the wind.

The soundwave followed.

It was such a loud noise, making it hard for me to believe that this was my attack.

‘To think that it’d be this strong….’ I couldn’t help but mutter to myself.

Naturally, I looked towards Ladin.

“Ku… Kueh…..”

“…….”

His situation was quite gruesome.

Almost as if a building had been under shelling, there were holes all over his body.

Recover? That was impossible.

Not a drop of blood spilled from the holes in his body.

The flames did not subside yet.

The intense angry flames continued to eat away at Ladin’s body.

A body that I had thought to be impervious was melting away as if boiling metal had been poured down on styrofoam.

“45 seconds left.”

“What…. What! Ladin, what are you doing! Your horn!”

“Ah, that’s right. Berdan also had broken his horn to try to change the situation, right?”

“Ku… KUWUUUHHHH!”

A shocked Demon King yelled at Ladin and commanded him.

All the demon tribe leaders had horns on their foreheads.

Previously, Berdan had broken his horn when his life was in danger, obtaining a massive amount of power.

He was trying to flip the tables in a last ditch attempt with that injured body?

Don’t even try!

“Kwuhhhh!”

“Don’t bark.”

He was laboring to move his arm that been tattered like a rag towards his face.

Without a will of his own, he must be moving on reflex at the command of his Demon King.

“Breaking your horn? Isn’t that something that you can do if only the stronger one in the fight allows it?”

I poured cold water on the flickering flame that was Ladin’s life.

I wondered if the saying that a lightning strike comes down during a clear sky was made to be used here.

Guess the lightning wasn’t enough, as hail with shards of ice large enough to be classified as something beyond a hail poured down.

I had cast In Storm and Blizzard at the same time.

Both these skills absorbed lots of mana and magical energy and boasted high amounts of damage.

In Storm poured down lightning in a certain range.

Far outgrowing its previous destructive capabilities, the lightning bolts that struck the ground dug out parts of the ground, with the remaining power still being enough to cause an explosion and scatter outwards.

It was the same with Blizzard.

They dug into Ladin’s body, dealing initial damage, then exploded inside of him, causing massive internal damage that was hard to even imagine.

The range and the destructive force. Both could not be even compared to the previous state.

It was enough to make me wonder, ‘Could I use these two skills back on Earth?’

The answer to the question I asked myself was an easy ‘No!’ Unless it was a dire situation, I would have to make sure to never do so until I’ve gained a greater control over my magical energy and mana.

With the monsters and the Gate gone from Earth, I needed to make sure that I wasn’t a new disaster to come.

Just like that, Ladin’s body froze over and was shattered into pieces, with his innards being burnt to ash.

After that, I could see that his magical energy was being absorbed by me.

Ladin had been obliterated into nothingness, followed by his magical energy rising up into the air like smoke, halting as if trying to find the owner, and then being absorbed into my body.

It was a strange feeling that I haven’t felt before.

Was it because Ladin had a vast amount of magical energies?

“Whew….. This is quite amazing, isn’t it?”

I could feel it for sure.

The increase in magical energy. Not only that, I could sense that the power I was exuding had risen up to a new level.

I had now defeated 3 of the four demonic leaders.

However, I was surprised once more due to the fact that I hadn’t risen to the title of the Demonic King with this.

This meant that Jamon was carrying at least 50% of the demonic realm’s magical energy.

Jamon’s body was soft looking, as if he was a pottery that had been shaped.

Despite having expressed a great amount of hatred towards me before, his face remained calm then, but now there was clear surprise on his face.

That was because I had far surpassed what he had thought and previously experienced as my strength.

Even Ladin, who was the last remaining demonic tribe leader, had fallen so pathetically.

Now he was the only one left in the demonic realm.

Staring him down, I spoke.

“30 seconds left.”

“What? Why are you this powerful….. This incomprehensible power….. And within a couple days!”

I had defeated Ladin in only 30 seconds.

With 3 King’s Marbles in each side of my mouth, I spoke with an inaccurate annunciation.

“I guess it’ll end in about 30 seconds? Eh. Since you’re a Demon King and all, I’ll eat one more for you.”

“I am the Demon King! All life in the demonic realm bow before me….. Not only that, but I am the strongest lifeform in the demonic realm!”

“So 1 minute and 30 seconds. Don’t ask for more. I’m not sure when, but I’ll have to leave some for my descendants so they won’t get bored, you know?”

“You’re just a weak pathetic human! As I said, I won’t let you die so easily! I’ll let you live in the most agonizing pain you could imagine! Kuaaaa!”

“Pfft. Sure, come at me.”


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I Never Run Out of Mana Chapter 167

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167. The Demon King’s End

“……”

“Kuhaha! What are you doing! How foolish of you to stand there blankly.”

Jamon attacked in a very smart way.

He attacked by moving incredibly fast.

I wasn’t able to read his movements.

That was because the Demon King was moving at a speed which my eyes could not keep up with, even as an Awakened.

I didn’t even know what kind of attacks he was performing.

However, since I was receiving no damage, it was true that I wasn’t minding it at all.

“Kuhat. Go ahead and swallow more! No matter how much you have left, I shall make you use them all up!”

“I think I already told you that they’ll be for my descendants to play with?” 1

“If you can endure this without swallowing them all, go ahead. If you can catch me, go ahead and do so! That is, if you’re able to catch up to my speed….. What!”

-crack!

“Ugh! There’s no way that a hex like this can affect me! Kuahh!”

“I wasn’t able to see you. But it seems that I didn’t need to see you to catch you, so stop taunting me and just die already.”

The Demon King’s movements that split apart the air and moved at incredible speeds had been halted.

The ability that stopped his movements completely was Bind.

It was only an A ranking support skill, which caused a stone golem’s hand to rise up from the ground and grab a hold of the opponents feet.

It was one of the skills that I hadn’t used even once since I’ve obtained it.

That was because if the opponent had any decent resistance stats, it would be incredibly difficult to bind them down.

However, the Bind that I just cast ignored all resistances.

Not only that, but the skill that used to target a single opponent had turned into a massive area of effect skill instead.

With just one cast, a countless amount of hands had popped out on the ground around me.

It didn’t matter that I didn’t know where the Demon King was.

I just poured in a bit of the infinite mana I had, along with a little bit of magical energy.

It wasn’t a perfect dish made by a skilled cook, but a college student’s meal that he made by just throwing in as much seasoning as he pleased.

Jamon, with his feet bound and unable to move, continued to struggle.

However, it was a pointless effort.

It was because the Bind’s hand tightened its grasp further and further, enough to leave marks on his smooth body.

I walked towards him.

I could smash a Meteor on him, but if I did so, the Bind would come undone.

If he gets free and begins to flee?

A hide and seek where the it has been swapped would continue for awhile.

When it comes to escaping, he would be better suited than I would be.

“Ugh! You little!”

“Just thinking about all the canned food we had to eat all this time…. Whew.”

“Will you keep struggling till the end?”

“Kuwah!”

Meeting the sword slashes while bound, the Demon King did not hesitate for a second before breaking his own horn.

It was probably because he saw Ladin perish without being able to do anything.

Rather than that, he would unleash his last resort without hesitation.

The moment that he broke his horn, a massive amount of magical energy flowed out.

After I was able to use magical energy, I was able to see the flow of it clearly.

Almost as if a pipe burst open, an insane amount of magical energy flowed out and covered Jamon’s body.

Even after seeing this spectacle, I did not react much.

I just calmly swallowed another King’s Marble instead.

Despite how much magical energy he let out, my attacks would still connect, and even if he counter attacked, none of it would work against me.

With him near me, I used the Formless Sword Aura that was empowered with newfound strength.

Wild Beast, which only activated if a vast amount of cuts were made, activated instantly as soon as I cast the skill.

A darkish red smoke rose from my body, and I could sense a power I could not contain fill every part of my body.

A calm smile appeared on my face.

This would finally set me free from the tiresome life in the demonic realm after all.

At the same time that I started my attack, the Demon King that had exuded all of his magical energy began to burn viciously.

“I am not one who will be defeated by the likes of a human!”

“Bullshit. See ya, Demon King!”

The sword aura that was akin to a hurricane had finished its due course penetrating Jamon’s body.

Until the immortality buff had 10 seconds left on it, the merciless attack continued.

My body that had been moving busily as if dancing stopped, and I looked at the Demon King.

He did not stir in the slightest. No part of his body was without injury.

I moved one of my fingers and moved it towards his forehead.

Then.

The mana that I focused on the tip of my finger suddenly exploded, fracturing his body with a very small cut.

This wasn’t a skill that I had obtained.

I had merely controlled my magical energy to cause a powerful explosion.

Almost as if blowing off dust, the Demon King’s body that had been ripped apart due to the Formless Sword Aura scattered into the air.

Just as with Ladin, I absorbed the Demon King’s magical energy.

Thus, the Demon King Jamon lost his life, completely disappearing from existence.

With this, everything ended.

The main reason of coming over, the Demon King Jamon, had been defeated, and I had absorbed over 90% of the magical energy in the demonic realm.

The only one with enough magical energy to be classified at the level of a demon tribe leader was Belkoseu.

No matter how much capacity for magical energy a monster had, they wouldn’t be able to surpass my level, and with this, we would no longer be harmed by monsters.

However, something felt off.

I was able to return to the home that I so desperately wanted to, and would be able to meet mother again.

The realm that I was in, Earth, was completely safe, and would no longer suffer chaos from the monsters.

It was a situation where I should be feeling elated from a massive feeling of accomplishment and relief, celebrating with happiness as if I could fly away at any given moment.

However, the reality wasn’t so.

Instead of happiness, there was a hollow emptiness instead.

Would there be a time where I would need to use my incredible power that I possessed?

What was the goal that I should be looking towards next?

What should I be doing next?

I wasn’t able to come up with clear answers to any of the questions I had raised.

Right now, I was…. I was just a wanderer without a goal and an outlaw with reins over him.

****

It didn’t take long for Jong Ho, Karin, and Belkoseu to arrive.

Jong Ho teased me with a bright expression.

“Demon King! We must head to Earth and destroy humankind!”

“Pfft. What are you on about. I should leave you here and go. Anyways, I guess it really is over?”

“Of course. Everything is as it should be now. You finished what we didn’t know would end. You did well.”

“But…… For some reason, it feels hollow and a letdown.”

“I guess so. For this, we had charged in with everything on the line, but now it has ended. I can at least somewhat understand what you’re saying.”

“For adults….. Is this emotion something that you feel often?”

“It’s different for everyone. There are those who’d never feel this feeling their entire lives, while others feel this way every single day.”

“I think I can understand it in my head….. But I still can’t get a clear picture. I’m not sure what to do.”

While I was at a loss on what to do with this new feeling that I’ve never felt before, Jong Ho came to me and patted my back.

In all our time together, this was a moment when he seemed the most mature, and I felt a desire to rely on him.

All the emotions that I held back came flooding out like a dam breaking.

Karin danced with enjoyment, unaware of how I was feeling.

He continued to do so, humming a bizarre song I could not understand.

“Kerukeru. Kel Kel. Keruuut. Keruutuut!”

“Are you happy?”

“Kerut!”

“You worked hard, Karin.”

“Kel kel. I didn’t do anything. It was you who went through a lot, Min-Cheol.”

“Whew…. That’s true. So, what will you do from now on?”

“Keru?”

“Will you stay here? Or do you want to come with us to Earth?”

“Keruru. I guess it’s a habit of yours to ask questions that you know the answers to?”

“Heh. Right, I get it.”

“Kel. Hurry up and try using the Demon King’s Authority!”

“Right. To get back home, I’ll first have to open the dimensional door leading back to Earth, right?”

“So we’re finally going. I was dying to see her again.”

“Tell me the truth. Is it mother? Or is it your girl?”

“Huh? Uh…. It’s everyone, of course. I’m saying that I want to see the place where everyone is.”

“That’s why they say that you shouldn’t raise a child that’s not your own…..”

“Pfft. Either way, I’m happy.”

“But how do I use this Authority?”

“I shall teach you, Demon King.”

“Ah….. Belkoseu. Addressing me respectfully is good, but please don’t call me Demon King. It’s rather uncomfortable…..”

“Ahem. I understand. D….. Mighty Human.”

“So how do I use this Authority?”

Belkoseu was also someone from the demonic race with quite the large capacity for magical energy.

He had many Authorities, and learned to use them more efficiently than anyone else after using them for countless years.

Sadly, due to them not being Authorities that allowed him to grow quickly, he wasn’t able to rise to the title of demonic tribe leader.

As instructed by Belkoseu, I closed my eyes.

After that, I thought of the Authority I wanted to use in my mind.

He informed me that not even those who had risen to the title of Demon King knew just how many Authorities they could use.

It wasn’t as if there was some detailed instruction manual or someone instructed you on it.

Firstly, we started our travels to another dimension.

It did cost a lot of magical energy, but it didn’t matter to me.

It was the equivalent of taking a shovel’s worth of sand from the desert.

Focusing on Earth, the place I wanted to return to, I used my Authority.

As I did so, a small Gate formed in front of me.

“This is amazing, you know?”

“It’s a dimensional door that only allows one lifeform to travel.”

“Hm. Then I shall be going. Hyung-nim, it’s been fun.”

“Hey, you! Are you telling me to live as a lonely old man?”

“Pfft. Hurry up and go through. It should be connected to home.”

“Right. Whew…..”

Jong Ho let out a long sigh and looked around.

He too was probably feeling a mix of emotions as well.

It was to be expected, since he was not selected, but rather convinced by me to risk his life fighting in the demonic realm.

“See you at home.”

“Yes.”

“Now, next is Karin.”

“Kel kel! Quickly! Send me quick!”

“But for you to go there with your current appearance is…..”

“Kehel….. I guess it’s too much for a monster such as myself to live on Earth?”

His disappointed look stung my heart.

“Hm…. You’ll become the most famous goblin in both the demonic realm and Earth. But instead of doing that, why not let the guide goblin Barun take the position and live a normal life instead?”

“Kehel?”

Finishing my words, I changed Karin’s ugly appearance into a human’s.

How did I know that this would be possible?

I would have to give credit to the Piece of Time and Space.

One of the effects said that I would be able to use all of the power that I possessed.

After creating the dimensional door with the help of Belkoseu, I was able to use all of the Authorities that a Demon King possessed, which was never done before by anyone.

After learning the first step, I was able to master the whole thing and make it my own.

“Ket! Min…. Min-Cheol. My body!”

“Go ahead. Make sure to explain to hyung-nim clearly, okay?”

“Kerururu! Finally, I feel like I’ve become an actual part of the family. I understand. Hurry up and follow!”

“Gotcha.”

“Now, I should get going as well……”


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