Chapter 123 – Path of the Demon King (Class Advancement)
[Free Skill Points +2]
[Strength +1]
[Constitution +1]
[Upper Moon One defeated. Gained 1,500 EXP.]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up.]
[Ultimate Quest unlocked: Path of the Demon King.]
The flood of system notifications made Aoki pause. His gaze instinctively landed on the experience reward first.
"Fifteen hundred experience points from Kokushibo… As expected. Killing him really pushed me to the next level."
The exhausting battles of the past days hadn't been in vain.
Aside from the experience, he had gained an additional free skill point—something just as valuable.
"Two attribute points and two free skill points. Upper Moon One really was generous."
Aoki casually gave Kokushibo a thumbs-up.
He distributed the two free attribute points into Strength and Agility, pushing all four of his stats past the 25-point mark. Strength stood at the highest, reaching 26.
With the bonus from Devouring Demons, it was as if every attribute had increased by another point altogether—an enormous boost.
But that wasn't what truly mattered.
Aoki shifted his focus to the skill panel.
He already had two unused skill points. The level-up granted one more, and devouring Kokushibo added another two.
Five free skill points in total.
Just enough.
Without hesitation, he invested them all.
Transparent World – Level II.
A cool sensation washed over his mind before fading away.
In that instant, Transparent World became almost instinctive—something he could activate and deactivate freely, with barely any energy cost.
Name: Aoki
Strength: 26
Constitution: 25
Intelligence: 25
Agility: 25
Occupations: Hunter, White Walker, Martial Artist
Class: Otherworldly Demon
Quality: ★★
Level: Lv.20
Skills:
Demon Blood VI
Space Travel II
Transparent World II
Devouring Demons II
Quest: Path of the Demon King (Ultimate Quest)
Staring at the system panel, Aoki felt a wave of emotion rise within him.
He had finally reached the maximum level.
It was November—exactly one year since he had obtained the Otherworldly Demon class.
Back then, his total attributes barely added up to double digits. Now, every single stat exceeded 25, surpassing even his original combined values.
Yet something didn't sit right.
If he was already at the level cap, with overflowing experience and fully upgraded skills…
why was there still a quest?
Curious, Aoki opened the quest log.
Path of the Demon King.
He had wondered about this before.
First came The End of the Lower Moons, then The End of the Upper Moons. Logically speaking, the next step should have been something like The End of the Demon King or The End of the Demon Ancestor.
But nothing had happened.
The system had remained silent, forcing him to shelve the question.
Unexpectedly, even after reaching the maximum level, the final quest had finally appeared.
And it was different.
An ultimate quest—both in name and presence.
"I wonder if the reward really deserves the word 'ultimate.'"
As if answering his thoughts, a blue screen unfolded before him.
Ultimate Quest: Path of the Demon King
Born from the Demon King. Ending with the Demon King.
He who devours the Demon King shall become the Demon King.
Mission Requirement:
Devour Muzan Kibutsuji
Mission Rewards:
1. Class evolution: Otherworldly Demon (★★) → King of Otherworldly Demons (★★☆)
2. Choose one skill for Extreme Enhancement
3. Obtain a new skill
Aoki's mind went blank.
Holy shit…
This reward was absurdly powerful.
A half-star evolution wasn't just symbolic—it increased the level cap by five and granted extra attribute points every two levels.
The remaining rewards were just as terrifying.
Extreme enhancement.
A brand-new skill.
He had long realized that skills boosted combat power far more than raw attributes ever could.
This quest truly lived up to its name.
Path of the Demon King surpassed every quest before it, becoming the most valuable one yet.
The final boss still had some dignity, it seemed.
Then another thought struck him.
What if he had killed Muzan before reaching the level cap?
This quest would have never appeared.
Perhaps it could even be considered a hidden ultimate quest.
Aoki exhaled slowly, relieved.
Leveling to the maximum before confronting Muzan had been the right decision after all.
---
Across the battlefield, Muzan Kibutsuji surveyed his surroundings.
The demons he had forcibly created with his blood were no match for the Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps. Their annihilation was only a matter of time.
But it no longer mattered.
Once he obtained the Blue Spider Lily, he would conquer sunlight and achieve true immortality. These expendable demons served no purpose anymore.
Impatience burned within him.
He had no interest in dragging this out.
If the traitors escaped, so be it.
If they didn't—
Kill them all.
Muzan's gaze suddenly darkened.
That rat in front of him…
It had actually let its guard down.
Even that monster from long ago would never have dared such arrogance.
"A rat is still a rat," Muzan sneered. "If it doesn't know respect, it deserves to die."
Killing intent exploded outward.
Dozens of flesh whips tore through the air, their shrill screeching filling the battlefield.
Crack!
The whips slammed down, carving deep scars into the ground.
Aoki's figure appeared beside the Blue Spider Lily.
"Trying a sneak attack?" he said calmly. "Too bad—it won't work on me."
Though most of his focus had been on the system panel, Transparent World never deactivated. Every movement Muzan made was crystal clear to him.
Muzan sneered. "Still scurrying around like a rat?"
Aoki's eyes turned ice-cold.
"Since you can't wait anymore," he said, voice dripping with killing intent,
"let's begin."
Then, slowly—
"I've been waiting for this day too.
Waiting for the moment I tear your head off."
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(End of Chapter)