The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 98

Chapter 98
## Chapter 98: Reina Sordain’s Resolve

The Sordain lineage stood as a pinnacle of nobility within the Demon Realm, a house of undisputed prestige.

In a realm where might dictated status above all else, their ability to maintain high-ranking positions across countless generations proved their power and lineage were nothing short of legendary.

Reina Sordain was the true successor of this illustrious bloodline.

While her motives for entering the desolate dimension of Aren remained a mystery, it was only expected that a legion of demons from her household would follow her.

In terms of pure survival and adaptation, Jason had perhaps fared the best in Aren, but when measuring the concentration of elite, high-ranking demons, no force could match the one Reina had brought with her.

To put it plainly, among the various Demon Kings currently in Aren, Reina Sordain commanded the most powerful military force.

While future events might shift the balance of power, this was the undisputed reality of the present.

The human world, however, remained entirely in the dark.

Because Reina Sordain had maintained such a long period of silence, humanity had grown arrogant, mistakenly interpreting her lack of aggression as a sign of frailty.

In truth, she was merely following the traditional, methodical path of conquest.

“Explain the situation to me, starting from the very beginning.”

“…As you wish. It began when we encountered Gillian Aint here.”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Rewinding to the day Hillun Kagil and Gillian Aint first crossed paths.

“A pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m grateful you stepped up to lend a hand!”

Gillian Aint was the archetype of a northern warrior. He greeted Hillun Kagil by pulling him into a crushing embrace with his massive, hulking frame.

“Ah, was that too forward?”

“Not at all. Please, speak to me as an equal.”

“If you say so, I will!”

The skin visible between his heavy furs was a landscape of dense muscle and jagged scars—a vivid record of a lifetime spent in battle.

“I was honestly disappointed when Princess Jessica declined the call. But when the word came that you would be the one coming, Hillun—well, my spirits surged!”

Gillian Aint’s manner of speaking was unrefined, yet he possessed a refreshing lack of guile. His grey eyes shone with an almost boyish enthusiasm.

“I want to understand your specific objectives,” Hillun stated.

“Right! Allies need to be on the same page, after all.”

“Chief, this isn’t the right place for such a conversation,” his vice captain interrupted.

“Ah, right. My apologies. Overstepped again.”

Chuckling sheepishly at the correction, Gillian led the members of Red Hawk to an inn where his group had secured an entire private wing.

“The road must have been grueling. Get some rest and wash off the dust of the journey.”

After his soldiers were settled, Gillian sat down for a private council with Hillun Kagil and Granada.

“I intend to transform the Tower of Extreme Cold into our private hunting territory.”

The ambition sounded delusional at first, as if born from a fever dream.

‘Subjugating a Demon King?’

The power of a Demon King was immense.

It didn’t matter how many heroes gathered.

It didn’t matter if humanity held the tactical upper hand.

That fundamental reality was unshakable.

‘Then again, it’s not as if they’ve been left alone because they are invincible…’

Calling it a truce wasn’t exactly right, but it wasn’t far off either.

In Hillun Kagil’s estimation, the Demon Kings were viewed as a functional necessity.

‘The Hero Guild has no desire to see the Demon Kings truly eradicated.’

As long as Demon Kings existed, the world required heroes—and that requirement was the foundation of their current authority.

To the various kingdoms, the Demon Kings were a persistent nuisance that was too costly to remove.

Hillun suspected that if the great powers—Jespain, Akan, and the Hildean Kingdom—truly committed their full military might, they could likely topple a tower or two.

But what would be the cost? Those nations would be left hollowed out and vulnerable after such a total war.

In his mind, that was the primary reason the towers remained standing—and why the profession of ‘hero’ continued to flourish.

Though it was a cynical personal theory, even considering other geopolitical factors, the idea of turning a Demon King’s lair into a controlled farming zone seemed like madness.

“Do you truly believe that is possible?” Hillun asked.

“That is exactly what we are going to find out.”

“You are talking about a Demon King.”

“And we are heroes. If it were just me and White Eagle, I’d say no chance. But ten tribes have unified for this, and now we have you and Red Hawk on our side.”

“But if the Demon King and the high-ranking demons intervene directly…”

“Demon Kings never descend from the peak of their towers. You know the rules as well as I do.”

“……”

Hillun Kagil found he had no immediate rebuttal.

That was the established pattern—at least, it had been until he encountered Berge.

“Why the grim expression?”

“…It’s nothing.”

‘Berge is the anomaly. Other Demon Kings don’t leave their sanctuaries unless they are out to abduct a royal.’

Therefore, the risk seemed manageable.

“Besides, once a tower is conquered even once, its power wanes. It takes a long time to recover its full strength.”

The exact mechanics were unclear, but this was a piece of tower lore known to every experienced hero.

“Turning it into a hunting ground doesn’t have to be complicated. We simply push through the floors we can dominate, repeatedly.”

By constantly bleeding the tower’s resources, the Demon King would eventually be too weakened to act, even if it wanted to.

“Of course, the Demon King won’t just watch it happen.”

The towers were reactive. If the master of the tower realized Gillian Aint’s plan too late, they would surely retaliate.

“That’s why I need you—to neutralize those unexpected factors. On my own, I might get stuck on the lower levels, but together, we can lay claim to the higher floors.”

“……”

Hillun contemplated the proposal.

He found himself increasingly seduced by the potential glory.

‘What if we actually succeed?’

The plan wasn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility. It relied on the Demon King remaining stationary, and so far, only Berge had broken that mold.

Berge was the exception, not the standard.

‘Even if things go sideways…’

He had Gillian Aint. He had himself.

Between White Eagle, Red Hawk, and over a thousand northern warriors.

‘If we pull this off…’

He would have a Demon King under his heel. The reputation of the heroes who achieved such a feat—his own reputation—would reach unprecedented heights.

Farming tower creatures with ease meant he would grow stronger much faster than his peers—a massive advantage.

And eventually…

‘If we eventually slay the Demon King of Extreme Cold…?’

The Slayer of Three Demon Kings.

Hillun Kagil would become a living legend, a figure without a rival.

The temptation was overwhelming.

However, there was one point that needed clarification.

“I heard a rumor that an entire tribe was wiped out by a monster stampede. Was that the work of the Demon King?”

“Most likely.”

“Then doesn’t that disprove the idea that the Demon King ‘does nothing’?”

“That’s exactly why your presence is vital. There’s a limit to what the Demon King can orchestrate from the shadows. With you there, we can push them to the edge and eliminate every variable.”

“…I see.”

Hillun suppressed a troubled sound, but his mind was already racing toward the finish line.

‘I am the great hero who brought down two Demon Kings.’

Even if he’d had help from a Demon King, even if it was a group effort, the public wouldn’t care.

The power he gained was real, and he was growing stronger every day. That was what mattered.

Berge’s cryptic warnings lingered in his mind, but he felt his own strength was enough to handle minor setbacks.

“…You are certain this can be done?”

“Beyond a doubt. I am a child of these snowfields. I have lived and bled here as a hero. No one understands these frozen lands or the Demon King of Extreme Cold better than I do.”

“…Very well. I’m in.”

Hillun Kagil extended his hand in agreement.

“A wise decision.”

The two heroes gripped hands, sealing their pact.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Up until that point, everything seemed to be progressing perfectly.”

“Every plan looks flawless until it meets reality.”

“True. In any case, the northern clans were burning with rage. They believed their brothers had been slaughtered by the Demon King of Extreme Cold. Fifteen hundred warriors assembled, joined by White Eagle, Red Hawk, and a crowd of lesser heroes hoping to ride the coattails of Gillian Aint and Hillun Kagil.”

“That is essentially a small army of heroes.”

“Individually mediocre, but as a unit, quite formidable.”

While they might not match the elite party currently targeting the Beast Tower, they were on par with the group Hillun Kagil had led against the Inferno Tower.

‘The issue is…’

Reina Sordain was in a different league than Berge when it came to influence and raw power.

Her years in Aren had been spent building a fortress of strength.

“So, what happened next?”

He already knew how the story ended, but he wanted the nuances of the defeat.

“After completing our preparations, we marched on the Tower of Extreme Cold.”

“The snowfields were strangely empty of monsters that day. We should have seen that as a warning, but we took it as a sign that they were afraid of our numbers.”

It was easy to get swept up in the momentum. With two legendary heroes and a massive force, overconfidence was inevitable.

“It took two weeks to reach our destination. We saw the tower through a brutal blizzard that made every step a struggle.”

Progress was slow. The White Eagle and the barbarians were accustomed to the cold, but the members of Red Hawk were clearly suffering.

“We arrived at the base of the tower and held one final meeting. Gillian Aint gave a speech to rally the men.”

He spoke of a historic turning point, the day the northern tribes would claim their destiny.

The warriors responded with a deafening roar of defiance.

And in that precise moment.

“As if the tower itself was answering us, the great gates swung open.”

Granada shivered at the memory.

“The ones leading the charge were ancient demons. Formidable elders who proved that age only hones a demon’s killing edge.”

“Small but lethal?”

“Please, be serious.”

“The upper demons.”

He could easily picture them: the council of elders that served as Reina’s inner circle.

“A massive wave of demons followed them.”

“And behind the demons came an endless tide of demonic beasts.”

‘She deployed the tower’s entire standing army.’

Another error in human logic. Once outside the tower, there was no rule saying the master had to send out the weak fodder first.

“We were paralyzed by shock.”

Gillian Aint’s entire strategy was built on a single assumption.

He expected weak creatures on the ground floor, with strength increasing as they climbed.

The sight of high-level demons and beasts charging out immediately was a nightmare he hadn’t prepared for.

Clashing with such a concentrated force all at once—even without facing the Demon King directly—made victory look impossible.

“Sensing the disaster, Gillian Aint commanded a full retreat. However…”

“However?”

“Thousands of monsters that had been lurking beneath the snow suddenly rose up. They had us completely surrounded, cutting off any hope of escape.”

“Thousands of monsters…?”

Demons and beasts were one thing. Monsters were another entirely.

Unlike the demonic beasts brought from the Demon Realm, monsters were local to this world—the devolved descendants of ancient creatures that had long ago adapted to Aren.

While demons commanded an instinctive authority over beasts, controlling monsters required the complex magic of taming and familiars.

‘Reina Sordain…’

Those thousands of monsters hadn’t appeared by chance. She had systematically conquered the surrounding territory.

While she appeared to be doing nothing, she had actually been turning the entire snowfield into her personal hunting grounds.

She was a perfectionist of the orthodox method.

Berge wondered for a moment whether he should admire her meticulous preparation or pity her for how, in his previous life, White Eagle’s schemes had still managed to corner her. He dismissed the thought.

‘She is formidable in this timeline.’

She had simply been waiting for the right moment to strike.

“And then?”

“Hillun Kagil and I managed to punch a hole in the encirclement. But the sheer volume of monsters eventually forced us to separate.”

“Is he dead?”

“I doubt it.”

Berge found himself agreeing with Granada’s assessment.

‘Hillun Kagil isn’t that easy to kill.’

A man who had survived the fall of two Demon Kings wouldn’t be taken down so simply—if he were that weak, he never would have become a hero in the first place.

‘The real concern is the current state of the north.’

Charging in blindly would mean facing both the monster hordes and the remnants of the imperial forces.

‘Should I reach out to Reina?’

Demon Kings usually couldn’t communicate without the infrastructure of their towers, but she had provided him with a direct communication orb.

‘Asking her directly is the only way to be sure…’

Besides, she likely held him in high regard now. He was more than just an ally; he was the one who helped her dismantle White Eagle’s plot before it could begin.

Suddenly.

Woooong—

Berge gave a slight start.

The communication orb.

The very device Reina Sordain had given him began to vibrate before he could reach for it.

“Go and summon a spirit outside the door,” he ordered.

“As you wish.”

Ernyan and Granada stepped out of the room. Ernyan immediately called forth a spirit to stand guard and monitor the hallway.

“Won’t a spirit draw unwanted attention? Lady Ernyan’s presence must remain a secret.”

The influx of heroes to the north was expected given the chaos. The fortress cities were crawling with warriors preparing to head into the wastes.

To speak with Reina, Berge had to assume his Demon King form; in a place packed with heroes, there was a risk that someone might detect his demonic signature through his disguise.

The presence of the spirit would act as a veil.

“You are here as an elf. That provides cover.”

“Understood. I will hide my face if anyone approaches.”

“Good.”

Now alone, Berge channeled his demonic energy into the orb.

“What is the reason for this call?”

Reina’s image materialized in the air.

『Your information was accurate.』

“You’re getting straight to the point.”

『Because of your warning, I was aware of White Eagle’s intentions and could prepare accordingly.』

『I owe you my gratitude.』

“It was nothing. I heard White Eagle and Red Hawk joined forces against you. It seems you were the victor.”

『It was your doing. I will find a way to settle this debt in the future.』

“I only gave you a heads-up.”

『That heads-up altered my entire strategy. It changed the execution and the final result.』

“Are they all dead?”

『No. Those humans the world calls stars… even my upper demons couldn’t secure a quick victory against them.』

『They sustained heavy losses, but they managed to pierce the line and flee.』

“I see. So, what is your next move?”

『I intend to make an example of them.』

“An example?”

『I maintained my silence to avoid unnecessary friction with the Empire, but they have struck first. Everything has changed.』

『I must demonstrate to humanity that plotting against me is a fatal error.』

『I will show them that my restraint was never born of fear.』

“The Empire will retaliate.”

『You’ve grown soft since your first arrival. The old you would have suggested simply raking the humans over the coals.』

“I never suggested such a thing.”

『I just assumed the man who rejected tradition would be more aggressive.』

Reina allowed a small, cold smile to touch her lips.

『Do not worry. It may seem like many humans perished, but I haven’t gone that far yet.』

She was furious, yet her tactical mind was already steps ahead.

『The survivors are likely crawling back to the Empire by now. Their humiliation is a punishment in itself.』

“So you’re letting them go?”

『For now. I cannot dismantle Jespain yet, so I will exercise patience.』

However.

Reina’s gaze became sharp and predatory.

『But there is one exception.』

“Only one?”

『A message is most effective when it is delivered through a specific representative.』

『Someone powerful.』

『Someone famous.』

『Someone who embodies the hope of the human race.』

『A star, as they say.』

“Gillian Aint? Or is it Hillun Kagil?”

Berge felt a cold sweat break out, silently hoping she would name the barbarian.

But his luck had run out.

『Hillun Kagil.』

The legacy of the Founding Demon Emperor had failed him once again.

『That arrogant human who claims to have slain two Demon Kings has no place left in this world.』

『This is the perfect opportunity to end him.』

God damn it.

Beneath the table, Berge’s hand clenched so tightly that his nails pierced his palm, and blood began to trickle between his fingers.