Raon narrowed his eyes as he studied the eerie presence before him. ‘It feels distinctly different.’ While many demonized humans had grotesque appearances, the one before him exuded an overwhelming and ominous demonic energy unlike any other. ‘It’s demonic energy at the level of a Transcendent.’ If this demon revealed its full power, it might surpass even the Flame Demon General Orgoth. -But there’s something odd about it. Wrath briefly clicked his tongue. He narrowed his eyes further, noting it felt more demon had been born on this continent. Martha stepped up beside him, gripping her sword tightly. Raon shook his head, gently pushing Martha behind him. “That thing is dangerous.” Though the demon wasn’t emitting much energy outwardly, the power it was hiding was vast. At the very least, it was on par with Orgoth. Only Raon could handle it. The demon looked around at the Light Wind Palace swordsmen and Balkar’s mages before turning back to Raon. “What exactly are you?” Its sunken, black eyes narrowed in confusion. Raon stepped forward, lowering his chin. “The aura I sense from you… it’s not far off. Almost as if…” The demon trailed off, wriggling its blackened fingers. “If you’re trying to stall, I’m not interested.” Raon raised Heavenly Drive, pointing it at the demon’s neck. “We don’t have time. Move aside.” Though they were unexpectedly facing a powerful foe early on, Raon was confident that he could overcome any enemy in his current state. The demon appeared to weigh something in its mind before lowering its charcoal-colored arms. “By all rights, I should die here… but I think I’d like to observe a bit longer.” It stepped back, spreading large black wings. With a gust of wind, the demon wrapped itself in darkness and vanished. Burren’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “Did it run away from Raon?” Martha squinted as she looked him over. Runaan blinked slowly, still confused. “Maybe it had an urgent bathroom trip. Happens to me sometimes…” Dorian rubbed his hands together, oddly sympathetic. Raon narrowed his eyes, staring at the space where the demon had disappeared. ‘Was that demon aware of your presence?’ -There’s no way such a lowly being could recognize me. But it may have sensed this king’s resonance with the surrounding demonic energy. Wrath shook his head, admitting the demon was sharper than most. ‘If it sensed you, shouldn’t it have bowed?’ -Demons are not all the same. Unlike Balrog, who is obsessed with battle, demons have diverse thoughts and values. Some would bow, others would run, and others might attack outright. He waved a hand, likening demons to humans in their unpredictability. -That one didn’t seem to flee. It looked like it had something else in mind. Wrath surveyed the area quickly, urging caution. A moment later, the ground where the demon stood trembled, and a staircase leading to the next floor rose up. Raon exhaled faintly laced with demonic energy and approached the newly revealed door. “Even if it leads into a tiger’s jaws, there’s no turning back.” Karoon furrowed his brow as he looked at the golden-haired woman standing before him. She had snow-white wings and a golden crown atop her head—a textbook image of an angel from myths. ‘I can’t sense any demonic energy.’ Unlike other enemies they faced, this angel radiated a pure and sacred aura. Her gaze was so gentle, it felt more like standing inside a holy temple than on a battlefield. ‘But angels aren’t benevolent either.’ If Derus Robert could summon an Archangel, then angels were just another threat, no different than demons. Especially one appearing within the Black Tower. “You’ve been through much.” The angel smiled softly and opened her arms. “You can rest here. No more swords need to be raised.” She nodded toward them, inviting them to stay. Morel Kazan stepped forward, raising his staff. “My name is Peridot. I’ve come to release you from your destined path.” “Yes. If you continue climbing, you will all die.” Peridot lowered her arms, explaining she had come to prevent such a fate. Her warm smile oddly soothed the heart. Morel Kazan’s hands trembled around his staff, visibly shaken. “Palace Lord. Should we stop here?” “Yes. Perhaps it’s best to wait and let the Light Wind Palace Lord handle the rest.” Even the resolute swordsmen of the Central Martial Palace began lowering their weapons, captivated by her presence. “Did you say I would die?” Karoon approached Peridot, ignoring the throbbing ache behind his eyes. “Not just you, Lord Karoon.” Peridot joined her hands and gave a sorrowful smile. “Everyone here will meet their end on the top floor.” She shook her head, unwilling to witness that hellish sight. “I’m certainly afraid of death. I always have been.” Karoon nodded solemnly, loosening his grip. “But if my death serves Zieghart, I’ll gladly offer this life.” Clenching his jaw, he slashed toward her neck. With a sharp snap, Peridot’s head flew off, golden blood gushing from her slender throat. “If an angel blocks my path, I’ll slay the angel. If a god stands in my way, I’ll cut down the god. I’m moving forward, no matter what.” Karoon wiped her blood from his cheek and let out a deep breath. The Central Martial Palace swordsmen looked on in shock. At the moment of her death, a white current rose from Peridot’s body. Her severed head reattached, her wounds reversed as if time rewound. “You’re more ruthless than I imagined.” Peridot gave a serene smile. “But you will regret this decision.” With those final words, she faded into a beam of white light. As the angel vanished, a staircase to the next floor appeared. Karoon let out a low scoff. “That’s not in my vocabulary.” He climbed the stairs without hesitation. Raon clenched his fists upon arriving on the next floor. ‘I’ve grown stronger again.’ As he absorbed the demonic energy of the upper floor, his power had increased even more. He seemed better able to harness the tower’s energy than even the demonized humans. Wrath ground his teeth. -Why is it this guy always gets stronger wherever he goes! He pounded his chest in frustration. Raon dodged Wrath’s flailing hand. ‘What surprises me is how fine the Light Wind Palace swordsmen are.’ The demonic energy here was easily twice as thick as before. Yet, the swordsmen moved as if nothing had changed. ‘Others aren’t so lucky.’ The Iron Division and Balkar’s mages were already struggling to breathe. -Of course they’re fine. They’ve been with this king. -They haven’t spent as long with me as you, but they’ve been exposed to Wrath long enough to build resistance. He raised his chin proudly. -Some of them may even be able to tap into it. It made sense now. Their exposure to Wrath had granted them partial resistance. ‘Good. That means they can fight properly.’ Feeling reassured, Raon picked up the pace. Up ahead, a vast stone maze filled the space. Much bigger than the lower floors, surrounded by thick walls. “Hah! Is this even real?” Martha let out a dry laugh. “I heard the upper floors are like a whole different world. A maze isn’t surprising.” Runaan lightly tapped the wall. Trevin stepped up and struck the wall with full force. Not even a crack appeared. “They’re really trying to stall.” Raon chuckled, brushing a hand against the wall. “There’s a spell for this. I’ve finally got a reason to use it.” She began chanting. A red light spread from her staff, but quickly faded. “The demonic energy is interfering…” “Even freezing the floor would take forever.” Runaan lowered her hand. “Magic or aura, it’s no good.” Mark Gorton scratched his head. “Then we must go in manually.” “That would take too long.” “Then what do you propose?” Trevin narrowed his eyes. “There is a way. A brute-force one.” Raon raised Heavenly Drive and slashed. A blast of energy ripped through the walls. “You’re going to break through?” “Not even aura left a scratch!” “It’s not that difficult. I can see the exit. Follow me.” More swings. The walls crumbled like paper. “You’re unbelievable.” Burren shook his head. “Save your strength!” Martha tried to block him. “I haven’t used much. Just borrowed a bit of demonic energy.” Raon grinned. With one final swing, he smashed through to the exit. -It’s the first time I’ve seen someone bulldoze a maze. -He really had to be using demonic energy, huh? Just then, a man in gray armor stepped forward. “You must be tired. I am Kabur, the Floor Mas—” A red line split his nose. Then his entire body split in half. He collapsed into the maze, unable to finish his name. “Sorry. I don’t have time for small fry. I’m here for your Tower Master.” Raon shook blood from his blade and headed up. The others followed silently, their expressions frozen in awe. Only the soft sound of blood dripping echoed through the shattered maze.