A chilling sound like gas leaking from a pipe could be heard. Jet-black armor fully covered it, and blue-black flames flickered between the gaps. “T-That thing is here!” The once-chaotic cargo ship, as noisy as a bustling market, fell into a deathly silence. The Black Star Society members who met those eerie glowing blue eyes through the helmet froze like frogs caught in a snake’s gaze. Their lips trembled as they muttered, “It’s here,” over and over again like broken machines. The Living Armor was the Grim Reaper personally sent by the Serpent to punish those who dared defy her will. A Black Star Society member locked eyes with the Living Armor. His legs began trembling like brittle twigs in the wind. They had fled to Korea to escape the Serpent, only to be met with this monster. At first, they scoffed that the infamous Serpent had sent just one monster after them, but that laughter didn’t last long. That single reaper in black armor had overpowered and slaughtered hundreds of them, leaving them completely helpless. Each time the spear covered in blue-black flames swept through the air, the Bufos lost their lives. “P-Please, spare me. I-I don’t want to die.” Even Juan stepped forward to fight the unexpectedly powerful Living Armor, but he barely lasted before fleeing too. Not even the Black Star Society’s fifth-ranked executor could stand against this monster. The Bufos had no choice but to hide from the Grim Reaper sent by the Serpent. They had hijacked a massive cargo ship for refuge and debated whether to flee Korea until it discovered their hiding place. A Black Star Society member, his face drained of color, screamed and turned to run. The moment his foot moved, the Living Armor’s eyes flickered. The fiery spear instantly pierced through the man’s chest. The rest of the members didn’t even see the spear move. They saw nothing more than a flicker of blue light. As if someone had flipped a light switch off and on, one of them suddenly lay dead in the room. “Run! Run for your life!” Terror spread like poison. Just as the panicked Black Star Society members tried to scatter like frightened moles exposed to the cold, a strong impact rocked the massive cargo ship. “Where do you think you’re going without my permission?!” Juan, who had left the cockpit and shouted to set sail immediately, glared at his fleeing subordinates. His once-bronzed skin twisted and bulged grotesquely. His leg muscles also swelled unnaturally as black mana enveloped him. With a swift jump, Juan charged forward and grabbed one of his subordinates by the throat, lifting him up high. “Anyone who runs, I will personally execute them!” With a sickening sound, Juan tore the man in two. The sheer brutality of seeing a man torn in half made the others tremble violently in place. The Living Armor’s eerie presence and merciless killing terrified them. However, Juan’s years of tyranny and brainwashing also petrified them. “Fight!” Juan shouted with bulging veins on his neck. He didn’t know how someone had mimicked his voice earlier, but they had to fight now after failing to depart. It’s too late to run. They only escaped before because of the maze-like alleyways. Here, in the open docks, they had nowhere to run. “The only way we leave this place alive is if we kill that thing!” Juan flung the mangled corpse high into the air, making sure his men saw the blood and entrails spilling out. One by one, his subordinates turned back around and activated their Stigmas, drawing upon their mana. Their skins shriveled unnaturally, and their leg muscles swelled up like living creatures. “Go, my warriors! Stop cowering before a mere serpent!” Juan raised his hand high, and his feverish voice echoed throughout the ship. “I am the Heavenly Demon! I am the one who will become the master of the stars!” They had been brainwashed after hearing those words so many times. Juan’s long and relentless brainwashing efforts seemed to have paid off. The terrified Black Star Society members, who had tried to flee earlier, let out battle cries and charged toward the Living Armor. The Stigma of Bufo granted them physical enhancement. It especially amplified their leg strength. This straightforward ability proved effective in any situation precisely because of its simplicity. After all, no power was more absolute than sheer physical strength. A Stigma that could summon lightning or create blizzards? None of that mattered. No matter how special an ability was, it was useless without a powerful physique to back it up. Juan spread his arms wide and shouted as if giving a speech, “Fight! Kill! Never forget that the Stigma of Bufo is the greatest and most powerful Stigma of all!” Fueled by Juan’s words, the Black Star Society members roared in unison and charged forward. However, no problem could be solved merely by determination and passion in this world. The Living Armor swung its spear and mercilessly tore apart the charging members. The Living Armor swiftly cut down a Black Star Society member, who had jumped forward, from groin to crown in one motion. Then, it caught a blade coming in from the side with one hand and twisted it. The blade failed to pierce its armor and bent easily. The Living Armor yanked the bent blade, grabbing the Black Star Society member by the throat with a crushing grip. Its helmet split open, revealing white teeth and a blood-stained tongue. It bit down, devouring half the man’s head before turning away in search of the next prey. Another Awakener clung to the Living Armor’s arm. The Living Armor prepared to crush the man’s head. “Die! Just die, you motherfucking monster!” The Bufos swarmed in from all directions, latching onto the Living Armor. They dug their fingers into the gaps of its armor, desperately trying to pry it apart. For the Living Armor, whose body was made up of the armor, their attempts were no different from someone trying to tear off its flesh and muscle. The Living Armor twisted and turned, trying to shake them off like bothersome insects. For a moment, its movements became restricted. In that brief moment, Juan seized the opportunity and explosively launched himself forward. He had sacrificed his subordinates to gain this single moment. Black mana covered his grotesquely swollen leg muscles. Juan’s kick landed on the Living Armor like a meteor, sending shockwaves across the cargo ship. Its armor caved in from the sheer impact. “Hahahaha! That’s what you get for challenging the Heavenly Demon!” Juan laughed triumphantly and unleashed another flurry of devastating kicks. Empowered by the Stigma of Bufo, his leg struck the Living Armor like a relentless artillery barrage. Juan’s storm of attacks forced back the Living Armor. “You really are the minion of that stupid bitch who can’t even recognise her own master!” Juan sneered, his shoulders shaking in exhilaration. Juan Sukhothai was a man born of Thai royalty, adored and worshipped throughout his life. This remained the same even after the gate leading to the Demonic District opened. He didn’t receive the Stigma of the twelve Zodiacs or the North Star, but with the blessing of the Black Stars, he became an executor within the Black Star Society. I, Juan Sukhothai, am the Heavenly Demon! For a long time, Juan harbored a burning ambition to devour the entire Black Star Society. That was when he heard about the Heavenly Demon. An absolute being who created the Black Star Society and someone whom the Black Stars bowed before. Rumors spread like wildfire, but no one in the organization truly knew who the Heavenly Demon was. The only undeniable fact was that the Serpent worshiped the Heavenly Demon with an almost fanatical devotion. The Heavenly Demon is probably nothing more than an illusion created by the Serpent. If he really was real, it didn’t make sense that he hadn’t revealed himself in nearly a decade. Therefore, after thinking about it for a long time, Juan concluded that this so-called Heavenly Demon didn’t exist. In other words, there was an empty throne without an owner. And the only man worthy to claim that throne is I, Juan Sukhothai. From that moment on, Juan began calling himself the Heavenly Demon for two reasons. One, to rule over the Black Star Society and— “Hehehe. I’ll make that arrogant bitch realize who her true master is.” Thıs content belongs to 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽 The Serpens Queen had platinum hair like molten gold, emerald eyes, and a delicate frame that looked as if it would break at a touch. She exuded a dangerously sensual aura. Juan would never forget the day he first saw her. Even as someone born into royalty who had experienced countless women, he had never encountered someone as mesmerizing as her. She was like a poisoned apple. A woman who was both beautiful and dangerous. I can have her if I become the Heavenly Demon. He could make the Serpent his own. That was the second reason Juan called himself the Heavenly Demon. “Hahaha! Go tell your master! I, Juan, am the true Heavenly—!” Before Juan could finish his declaration, the blue-black flames burning between the jet-black armor violently flared. The flames engulfed Juan’s subordinates, who had been clinging to its body. The Bufos writhed and screamed in agony. The Living Armor, now completely engulfed in the eerie blue flames, fixed its gaze on Juan. Juan staggered back with a startled expression. An ominous thought struck him the moment his eyes met the gleaming, dark blue pupils behind the helmet. Something was wrong. Juan desperately kicked off the ground. Just as he launched himself back, the blue flames surrounding the Living Armor gathered onto the tip of its spear. The flames around the spear took shape, forming a ghostly warhorse. The Living Armor mounted the ghostly warhorse and charged toward Juan. The warhorse defied gravity and galloped through the air. As it closed in on Juan with incredible speed, it raised its forelegs and struck down with terrifying force. Juan’s chest caved in as blood gushed out. The Living Armor raised its spear and drove it straight through Juan’s skull. Just like that, the Black Star Society’s fifth-ranked executor had died. Juan Sukhothai's ambition of becoming the Heavenly Demon ended in vain. “Shhhk, shhhk, shhhkk.” The Living Armor breathed heavily as if exhausted and staggered forward. Perhaps due to the strain of summoning the ghostly warhorse, the fierce blue flames around its body had noticeably weakened. The ghostly warhorse disappeared back into the spear. As if to replenish its depleted mana, the Living Armor turned toward the surrounding corpses. It approached a nearby body, shattered its ribcage, and ripped out the heart. Opening its mouth wide, it devoured the heart whole. The power of the stars condensed within the heart. It didn’t feel a single trace of mana even after swallowing the heart completely. Clearly confused, it cocked its head and tore out Juan’s heart to eat. Again, it felt nothing. Like a hollow fruit, the corpses didn’t contain a sliver of mana. A chilling voice seeped out from within the Living Armor’s helmet. “Shhhk... why is there no... shhhk, mana?” Its pupils darted around in confusion, scanning the surroundings. The Living Armor instinctively gripped its spear and quickly turned. A young man on top of the stacked containers looked down at it. He had slightly droopy eyes and curly hair. Despite his gentle appearance, he exuded a dangerous aura. “I had a good meal thanks to you!” Kwon Oh-Jin patted his stomach and laughed. The black clouds that had spread out like a fog seeped back into him.