The Book Eating Magician

“Heavenly demon?”

If he took the literal interpretation, it was a ‘demon of heaven.’ It didn’t seem to refer to a specific species, but it was a very unusual name for demons who were usually associated with hell. Yet a demon from the sky was the symbol of the greatest authority on the East Continent?

From the standpoint of the West Continent, it might be the same as a ‘demon king.’

As Theodore got that thought, Gluttony spoke in a heavy voice, -Demon king... It might be a bit different from User’s guess, but it has been called that in other dimensions. The demon emperor, the first demon king of heaven, only king existing in heaven, and Māra-pāpīyas are some aliases?

“...What?” Theodore’s froze at the unexpected words.

-Only king existing in heaven, master of the sky, the ruler of the demon world. It is true that it is an unclear existence in User’s mind.

“No, what nonsense are you saying?” Theodore’s patience finally broke.

Māra-pāpīyas was an existence that could crush this material world with one finger! Such a being hadn’t existed in the world at the height of the Age of Mythology.

No, it was almost impossible for it to exist. Just like a bowl couldn’t contain a larger volume than its size, Māra-pāpīyas was a monster that this small-scale material world couldn’t afford. This was also true of the seventh stage of the Seven Sins. Calling Māra-pāpīyas to this material world meant the destruction of this dimension.

“It is ridiculous enough to leave rationality and irrationality behind! Isn’t the purpose of existence the primary goal of you grimoires? Even if it is a dead end, what is the meaning of shattering this material world itself?”

-You misunderstand.

“What?”

-My description hasn’t ended yet, User. I tried to explain the concept of ‘heavenly demon’, but I never said that the heavenly demon is the same as Māra-pāpīyas.

Theodore escaped from the hell of despair, closed his mouth, and listened to the following explanation.

-I’ll explain it in a manner easy to understand. ‘Heavenly Demon’ is the name of the project, not the name of a specific entity. Lust started this project when she thought she exhausted all possibilities of this dimension and concentrated all resources on the birth of one creature.

“Not the ultimate creature?”

-The goal itself is the ultimate creature. However, the problem is the probability of success. The heavenly demon will be born from the failure of the ‘ultimate creature.’

The failure of the ultimate creature was the heavenly demon.

Theodore’s complexion was currently slightly better than before, but it was still pale. He didn’t have to fight a fearful threat like Māra-pāpīyas, but the threat was more than he had imagined. It was a monster that could be reborn as a great god in other dimensions! He didn’t know how much resources Lust had collected, but it would be a threat to the entire material world.

“Wait, then that means Lust knows that failing will create the heavenly demon?”

-That’s right, Gluttony replied without any hesitation. -It is because data can be obtained even from failures. Lust will give up this dimension to the heavenly demon project, analyze the ‘defects’ of the created heavenly demon, and send it onto the main body. The large-scale mutation of the East Continent is just a process of materials supply to complete the heavenly demon.

“Dammit! That is the only reason for killing billions?”

-Common sense and ethics are meaningless concepts for grimoires.

An eerie sound emerged from Theodore’s tightly clenched teeth. He suppressed his boiling rage and admitted that his way of thinking was too normal. A grimoire could sacrifice the population of the entire continent for one experiment, just like finding a herb root in the back mountains. High intelligence and logic were just a small breakwater in front of the madness that was the ‘purpose of existence.’

“...We must stop the birth of the heavenly demon itself.”

-That’s correct.

There was nothing more foolish than waiting for the enemy to prepare. Every time Theodore breathed, he gained strength inside his body. The presence of the 9th circle meant communication with the world. Even if he didn’t have maximum magic power, he could recover perfectly in an hour. He learned a few tricks with the Heavenly Sword and found ways to apply it to ultimate magic. If Theodore could fully control the two artifacts that he was still unfamiliar with, he would be half a notch stronger than he was now.

“Gluttony.”

If he knew himself and the enemy, then he could fight and win 100 times. So, to prepare for any unforeseen events, Theodore consulted Gluttony.

“Teach me about the common strengths and characteristics of the heavenly demon.”

-Okay. The heavenly demon has a body ability close to the limit of the genetic factors that make up its body. It also possesses an absorption capacity resulting from incomplete spiritual scars, as well as transcendent power. This means it can eat a soul without a physical substance just by touching it and also eat any creatures killed by its hand...

Theodore’s blue eyes stared at the wind that started to swirl while he listened to Gluttony.

It was because he felt that an unbelievable wind was blowing.

* * *

Wohhhhhh!

At Hyungkang Castle, a castle approximately 300 kilometers to the northwest of the Baekun Mountains, there was a fierce battle going on.

It was because the monsters swarming the mountain smelled the people still living and flocked for three days, regardless of whether it is night or not. The variants piled up beneath the walls were half the height of the castle. It was natural that things would become more difficult.

If it wasn’t for one man, Hyungkang Castle would’ve already become a feast of the dead. A middle-aged man rushed in the lead, raising the morale of the soldiers with a loud voice, “If you are alive, swing your swords! Don’t give our families to these monsters! I will join you along with the rest of Hyungkang Castle!”

Chwaaaaak!

The aura blade, which was called the energy sword in the East Continent, sliced through the necks of the monsters. The charge of the soldiers was reminiscent of the armed forces from olden times.

‘Not yet, not yet. We can buy two days if we hold on.’

Unlike his energetic behavior, Wichung was watching the scene with sober eyes. He was a superhuman who was beyond the limits of humanity, a swordsman who reached the level of a master… Wichung hadn’t been able to close his eyes for three days, and his body was as heavy as a wet cotton pad.

He felt the sense of responsibility and pride of being a warrior. Now, there were only two pillars remaining to support him.

-Castle Lord, please take a few steps back.

As soon as he followed the instruction, a blue lightning bolt fell from the sky and struck. Wichung kicked the body of a monster, which had been turned into charcoal, and glanced over. He couldn’t afford to perform a sound transmission. If it wasn’t for timely assistance, he would’ve fallen a few hours ago. Thus, this battlefield was on the edge of a cliff.

‘...No, it would’ve been over a long time ago if it wasn’t for these women.’

After breaking a leopard variant in two, Wichung squinted at those who were supporting the front lines from a distance—two foreign magicians who resembled fire and ice. It had been absurd when the two beauties first arrived as reinforcements, but that had only lasted a few seconds. The silver-haired woman with the cool atmosphere couldn’t promise victory or defeat, but the woman with blazing hair was overwhelming.

They called themselves the Blue Tower Master and Red Tower Master, and they were the last bastion of this castle.

Kwaaaaaaah-!

Fire pillars appeared. One, two, three... Eight pillars tangled together, burning the monsters in the area into a handful of ash. It was a destructive power that bought a bit of time to breathe on the battlefield. Of course, Veronica was the caster of the spell.

“Shit!”

However, the gap from killing the thousands of monsters was filled in seconds. Where did so many cockroach-like monsters come from? Veronica had a huge amount of magic power, but even she was becoming tired little by little. If she fought efficiently, the loss of troops would be too great. If she used a lot of magic spells, she would lose strength.

‘Sylvia… She’s still okay. It looks like she gained some experience from the northern war. Blundell trained a reliable talent.’

The monsters rushed in Sylvia’s direction once again.

Veronica punched out before drawing a deep breath, intentionally reducing as much power consumed as possible. It was the dragon’s breath that hadn’t been seen in the East Continent for thousands of years.

―――――――――――――!!

The incandescent glow that emerged from Veronica’s lips ripped through all the monsters within a distance of one hundred meters in an instant. The force was less due to not using as much strength, but it wasn’t a level that the variants could endure.

100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters…

As the variants near the castle ceased to exist, cheers calling for her rang out all over the castle.

“Goddess! Goddess!”

“The Goddess of Fire has done it!”

“Don’t turn your eyes away, you idiots! Move quickly so that the goddess can rest!”

Was it thanks to experiencing life and death together? Veronica laughed a little and took a few steps back. The fullness of her magic power had been reduced significantly after using Dragon Breath. If it was this much, the castle could cope. However, if the number of variants kept on increasing, it would be a tough battle by noon tomorrow.

[You are good, Woman.]

A verbal message.

Kaaang!

A fist moved through the air. Sparks flew as Veronica’s fist collided with the enemy. The shock waves that flowed from the midway point cut at the wall, pushing the passing wind away. It was a collision of two forces that was closer to a bomb than a conflict of powers.

Veronica realized that the enemy wasn’t pushed back and interest filled her golden eyes. “...I have to say it. Aren’t you good, white cat?”

A monster in the form of a white tiger let out a low roar. [Know who you are speaking to, exotic woman! It is enough that I have to come and pay a visit directly when I carry the blood of a sacred creature. I will deal a terrible punishment onto you 100 times!]

“‘I’? It is strange. These days, cats also use the royal ‘I’?”

[―This bitch!]

Kuhuhuhung! It felt as if the air in the area had become heavier by several times.

Fear—it was a mind and body dominance that can be used by the top species like a dragon. Veronica was inwardly amazed at the Fear, while she was smiling outwardly. There was no species in the world that could apply Fear to dragons.

“Why, kitty? Nyang nyang, do you want to play with this sister?”

[Maybe you won’t stop flapping your tongue until your breath is cut off!] Finally, as it stood on two legs, the monster who awakened the power of the sacred creature, the White Tiger, unveiled its identity. [I, King Hodae, will kill you! Regret your fearless tongue before the great king!]

“King? King? Are you the leader of these crooks?” Unlike King Hodae’s intentions, Veronica just giggled. “Okay. It is good to know that I just have to kill you.”

Veronica formed two fists as flames started to emerge all over her body. “Bring it on kitty. I will give you a present.”

[―Kuwooong!]

The literal dragon and tiger fight began.