Chapter 199

‘Apostle of Blood?’

Seeing that 『Blood Monarch』 reacted, she had to be a vampire.

A vampire user.

It would be troublesome to absorb her.

As Seonghyun was thinking that, a new message appeared before his eyes as if to reassure him.

[The conditions have been met, and the Almighty-rank skill, 『Blood Monarch』, grows.]

[A new effect for 『Blood Monarch』 appears.]

[You can use 『Blood Monarch』 to form a contract with 『Apostle of Blood』.]

A contract, not absorption.

He didn't know what this meant yet, so he couldn't rashly make a contract.

He was in the middle of a battle, too.

It seemed best to do it after the battle was over.

Besides, Embris was already in a state of considerable shock after realizing that Seonghyun was the Demon King.

Was that why?

Rafflesin, having escaped from the 『Grasp of the Abyss』, was about to strike Embris with its arm-like stem.

Belatedly, Embris realized the attack and tried to defend.

It was too late to dodge.

Snap!

As Seonghyun snapped his fingers, Destiny's manipulation activated, and a golden aura wrapped around his body.

Simultaneously with the golden aura that looked like a crest, a black sphere appeared above Rafflesin's head.

The black sphere, as if foretelling Rafflesin's ominous fate, swallowed the surrounding darkness.

This ominous fate soon became reality and poured down onto Rafflesin's flower-like head.

KWAAAAAAAANG---!!!

The wave, pouring out all things profane, was enough to melt Rafflesin's petals.

Rafflesin, covered in the profane things, cried out in pain.

“Kieeeeeek…!”

The arm-like stem of the pain-wracked Rafflesin lost its power and slowed, giving Embris, who had no way to dodge, an opening to evade the attack.

Kwagagagaga.

The belatedly weakened stem of Rafflesin swept the ground, carving a long furrow in it.

Even though it had lost power, a raid boss was still a raid boss.

If she had been hit directly by that, she would have had to endure considerable damage.

To be lost in thought and let her guard down in the middle of a battle.

It was an act that disqualified her as a party leader.

“Embris!”

“Are you okay?!”

“Let’s focus!”

Bolstered by her companions' cheers, Embris came to her senses.

She now knew that Seonghyun was the Demon King, but…

‘There will be time after the battle anyway.’

She had wanted to meet him directly, but to be precise, she just wanted to check for vampire weaknesses or if he was their natural enemy.

So far, she didn't feel any negative effects.

‘For now, let's focus on the battle at hand.’

As Embris corrected her posture, Seonghyun took a step back.

Originally, he had planned to use his power without holding back, but now…

‘I need to see what it is.’

Apostle of Blood.

It could be a class or a skill like Blood Monarch, but whatever it was, he needed to check it.

After that, Seonghyun decided not to step in unless it was a real emergency and waited quietly.

With Seonghyun stepping back and providing appropriate support, Embris's and Junu's parties were having a field day.

Whenever Rafflesin attacked, Seonghyun would appropriately use status ailments or skills that broke the flow of battle at just the right time.

Watching this, Embris didn't feel displeased, but rather unleashed her power to her heart's content.

She didn't know Seonghyun's intentions, but it seemed like he wanted to see her skills.

‘It'd be embarrassing if this is just a misunderstanding, but…’

‘I might as well show my full power.’

Having made up her mind, Embris unleashed all the power of the Apostle of Blood.

Sometimes she shot out beams of blood, and other times she summoned bat monsters to attack.

She freely displayed a variety of stylish combat techniques using blood.

Watching them, Seonghyun stroked his chin.

‘Definitely.’

And as she watched Seonghyun assisting Junu's and Embris's parties, Helena asked.

“What do you think?”

“Hmm?”

“She’s the Apostle of Blood, isn't she? That friend of yours?”

Helena, as expected.

‘So you knew.’

He had been so distracted that he hadn't said anything, but watching Helena speak as if she already knew, Seonghyun nodded.

It seemed she already knew why he wasn't actively participating in the battle.

“She certainly handles blood well. A bit of a shame, though.”

“Hmph? So are you going to make a contract?”

Seonghyun had already stepped back from the battle to check on the contract, so he could answer Helena's question.

“Mm, well, I have to ask first.”

And so, the battle continued.

Even after entering Phase 2, Embris's and Junu's parties were able to fight very comfortably thanks to Seonghyun.

Naturally, both parties were surprised.

It was Junu's party's first Hidden Raid Boss, but…

“Crazy, is this really a raid?”

“This is too easy.”

“I don't feel that suffocating pressure like I usually do at all!?”

“He's not just good at combat, his support skills are amazing too…”

“No, isn't it because he's good at combat that he's also good at supporting? He can read the flow.”

“Keuheu, as expected of the Demon King. I'm glad I became a fan.”

“He’s amazing.”

Everyone in Junu's party couldn't help but be amazed.

It was a battle that felt even easier than the easy raid bosses they usually hunted, even though it was clearly a Hidden Raid Boss.

The fact that they could breathe more easily than usual and even learn the flow of the battle was a bonus.

That's why they felt they were having an incredible experience because of Seonghyun.

And just like Junu's party, Embris's party also couldn't contain their shock.

“To think a Hidden Raid Boss could be this easy…”

“The Demon King is really different…”

“It wasn't for nothing that Embris said she wanted to see him.”

“I-I said I needed to meet him, not that I wanted to see him!”

Since Embris's party had experienced a Hidden Raid Boss before, their shock was bound to be even greater.

They knew all too well the strength of the Hidden Raid Boss they had hunted on their own.

They had even failed once when they challenged one before.

But the one they were fighting now felt even stronger than those Hidden Raid Bosses, yet it didn't feel strong at all.

That's how immense Seonghyun's role in mitigating the difficulty was.

And.

“There's no way we're getting 1st place in contribution for this.”

“No way…”

“With support skills that make the battle this easy…”

“No, just the damage he deals occasionally surpasses our own.”

On top of that, Seonghyun wasn't even letting his vassals, which could be called his main force, move at all.

That's why no word other than 'overwhelming' came to mind.

Even with that level of support, his damage was superior to theirs, and he wasn't even using his full power.

They knew there was always someone better, but to think the difference would be this great.

They couldn't even have imagined it.

Rather, with this much of a difference…

“I'm not even angry.”

“I know, right? I'm not even jealous.”

“Feeling inferior after seeing the Demon King just means you're not smart enough.”

“Exactly.”

Their competitive spirit had already long since vanished.

Still, was it because they had a history of competing with the Demon King during the large-scale event?

The shock wasn't that great.

Right now, it wasn't about competition or anything.

They were just hunting Rafflesin on the stage Seonghyun had set for them.

And so, as Rafflesin's final struggle was blocked by Seonghyun and it let out a sorrowful scream…

“Kie… e… e.”

Rafflesin's body collapsed, and the defeat message appeared.

1st place in contribution?

[The user with the highest contribution is the user 『Seonghyun』.]

Of course, it was Seonghyun.

They each received experience rewards based on their contribution and also received Rafflesin's special item.

Seonghyun also obtained one Unique-rank material item and two Unique-rank equipment items.

Even so, he didn't really feel like he needed them.

He was a bit more disappointed that he no longer leveled up even after defeating a Hidden Raid Boss, but he put that thought aside.

In any case, it was his first time raiding in a party.

“Everyone, good work.”

As Seonghyun said that, Junu's party and Embris's party nodded to each other.

‘Why are they doing that?’

As Seonghyun tilted his head for a moment, Embris and Junu approached and handed Seonghyun the best rewards they had received.

Both were Unique-rank items.

“???”

As Seonghyun looked bewildered, Junu stepped forward and spoke first.

“Honestly, if it wasn't for you, Seonghyun, we wouldn't have been able to defeat it so easily.”

“…That's right. Besides, you could have taken it all for yourself if you had wanted to.”

“Ah.”

They weren't wrong.

So Seonghyun nodded and accepted them.

“I'll accept them gratefully.”

“Oh, we're the ones who are grateful. Honestly, if it had just been our party, the Hidden Raid would have been tough. I don't think that's the case for the people here, though.”

Junu was also keenly aware of the skill gap between his party and Embris's.

He said that and continued with an awkward laugh.

“Then, we've taken some damage, so we'll head back first. We'll see you later.”

They had to return to the Moore Merchant Guild to complete the quest anyway.

As Junu's party quickly packed up and left, Embris's party also prepared to leave.

But then, Seonghyun stood in front of Embris as she was about to leave.

‘What's going on?’

Embris looked at Seonghyun with that expression.

Seonghyun looked at Embris and asked.

“Could we talk for a moment?”

“Y-Yes?”

In that moment, Embris's mind raced.

‘Did I make some kind of mistake?’

‘Could it be because of that mistake when I spaced out for a moment during the battle?’

‘Or was it because I acted like I knew him when I first asked if we had met?’

Whatever it was, it was a mistake.

As Embris was stammering, Seonghyun glanced at the companions behind her and spoke.

“Uhm, just in case, should we talk just the two of us?”

‘Just the two of us? What is really going on?’

At his words, Embris's companions smiled strangely, nodded, and stepped aside.

“Go for it, Embris!”

“We believe in you!”

“Go for it!”

“Wh-What are you talking about!!!”

Embris shouted, but her hands trembled, revealing just how nervous she was.

Rather than the strange feelings her companions mentioned, the fear that she had made a mistake was greater.

‘What do I do if he’s really angry?’

Just as that thought began to bloom, a strange message appeared in the air before Embris’s eyes.

[The master of all blood-kin, 『Blood Monarch』, wishes to make a contract with 『Apostle of Blood』.]

“??????”

Only then did she blink, her expression bewildered.

‘What is this?’

‘The master of all blood-kin?’

‘Blood Monarch?’

‘How did he know my class was Apostle of Blood?’

Her mind was a jumbled mess.

As Embris grew confused, Seonghyun cleared things up for her.

“It's one of the skills I have. As you can see, it's a skill with the title of ruler of the blood-kin, that is, vampires.”

“Ah??? S-So that's how you got 1st place in the event!?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Embris gulped, finally understanding the reason for his overwhelming numbers in the event.

If he was the master of the blood-kin, then that number made sense.

‘Then what is this contract?’

[If you accept the contract of the 『Blood Monarch』, a portion of all experience that the 『Apostle of Blood』 acquires from now on will be offered to the owner of 『Blood Monarch』.]

[Additionally, you must unconditionally respond to the summons of the 『Blood Monarch』.]

‘What is this unfair contract.’

It seemed like a contract she would never accept, but the message that followed made Embris’s eyes widen like saucers.

[Additionally, upon accepting the contract, the 『Apostle of Blood』 will receive power from the 『Blood Monarch』 and gain an additional 50 stats.]

[Also, upon contracting, the 『Apostle of Blood』's true power will awaken.]

[Finally, every time the 『Blood Monarch』 grows, the 『Apostle of Blood』 will also receive that effect and grow.]

Seeing the message, Embris’s eyes lit up with fierce determination.

Seonghyun wondered if she didn't like it, but…

“Do I just need to sign a contract?”

“Huh?”

Embris was burning with motivation.