Cucking The Demon King
Chapter 78: You’re not human

Chapter 78: You’re not human

For the first time in a long while, Liam felt quite lost.

Liam stood still within the darkness, his muscles tensed.

His mind raced, trying to come up with a strategy.

But how was he supposed to attack an enemy he couldn’t see?

The only choice he had was to wait for his opponent to attack, and try to hey their location.

But then, he didn’t feel too confident in that idea.

After all, he didn’t really have a good grasp on his opponent strength, so a plan like that could easily backfire on him.

But then, there weren’t much available options for him in this scenario.

Suddenly, his instincts tingles, and the hairs on his skin stood up.

A familiar, gut-wrenching feeling surged through him, and his eyes widened slightly.

Liam reacted instantly.

His body moved on its own, and he bent his head to the side—

—Shhhk!

A short slash flew past his throat, cutting through the air just centimeters from his skin.

Though he couldn’t see the attack, he felt it.

The cold fingers of death curled around his neck, whispering into his ear.

Warning him.

He had just been a hair’s breadth away from dying.

A sharp chill ran down his spine.

Sweat dripped down his back.

Liam swallowed, letting out a wry chuckle.

Then—

The slash vanished, swallowed whole by the all-consuming darkness.

Everything returned to how it was before.

Almost as if...

Nothing had even happened.

Liam’s fingers twitched.

This wasn’t just some ordinary fog—

It was something far worse.

And his enemy?

They were in complete control of this battlefield.

’Tch... how annoying.’ He thought.

His eyes narrowed.

Liam lifted his hand, his energy surging within his palm—

FWOOSH!

A massive fireball flared into existence, burning a bright orange, illuminating his immediate surroundings.

Without hesitation, he hurled it toward the direction the slash had come from.

BOOM!

The fireball exploded, sending sparks scattering.

However, the moment the flames touched the darkness, they vanished.

Snuffed out.

Like a matchstick being dropped into an ocean of ink.

Liam’s face darkened.

’Even with fire, I still can’t see anything...’

His frustration grew.

He had expected at least a flicker of light to remain.

But the darkness devoured everything.

His frown deepened.

’Like I expected... the enemy has a good read on my position.’

Liam clenched his fists.

Not only was he unable to see, but his senses were being toyed with.

His situation was truly terrible.

Then—

A voice echoed in his mind.

[Why don’t you try using your darkness skills? Or your demonic abilities?]

Liam’s brows furrowed.

Lilith.

’Darkness skills?’

Liam felt confused.

’How would that help?’

The only darkness skill he had was Tendrils of Darkness, and he doubted that would he useful in this situation.

If he couldn’t even see his opponent, how was he supposed to hit them?

And his demonic skills?

What exactly was she talking about?

Liam shook his head.

’It won’t work...’ He thought, clenching his jaw.

Lilith sighed in his mind.

[You’re being naive, Liam.]

His brows twitched.

’Naive?’

[If I wasn’t sure of it before, I am now. Your opponent or surely a demon, or someone with the power of darkness.]

’So... an heretic.’ Liam mumbled inwardly.

Lilith’s voice turned sharper, more serious.

[If you want to win a fight like this, you need to think outside the box.]

Liam’s lips pressed into a thin line.

’Outside... the box?’

[Most demons aren’t just bloodthirsty monsters. They love tormenting their prey.]

Lilith’s tone darkened.

[They take pleasure in the despair of their victims.]

Liam remained silent, absorbing her words.

Then—

His instincts screamed again.

His body jerked to the side.

—Shhhk!

Another slash flew past him.

Again.

The same attack.

The same method.

And just like before—

The darkness swallowed it whole.

Liam’s patience wore thin.

A voice laughed from within the shadows.

"Hahaha... you’re quite strong—"

A short pause followed, the tension in the air thickening.

Then, in a mocking tone—

"For a human."

Liam’s face twisted into a deep frown.

His teeth gritted.

This bastard—

It was playing with him.

Toying with him.

And the worst part?

He couldn’t do anything.

Liam took a slow breath, steadying himself.

’Calm down. I need to focus.’

Then, he exhaled sharply and spoke.

’How exactly do I clear this dark fog... you need to hurry up with whatever you have in mind.’

A small smirk tugged at his lips.

’But then, I guess dying after hearing your sweet voice wouldn’t be too bad.’

Silence.

Then—

Lilith’s voice rang out in his mind, her tone suddenly frantic.

[Don’t say stupid things like that!]

Liam blinked.

Her reaction caught him off guard.

She sounded... panicked.

Liam chuckled, despite himself.

A strange warmth filled his chest.

’She actually cares, huh?’

Lilith’s voice returned, her tone more controlled.

[Listen carefully, Liam. Use your Demonic Authority.]

Liam’s smile faded.

His eyes narrowed.

’Demonic Authority...?’

His strongest skill.

The one that granted him control over lesser beings.

’How would that help here?’

Lilith’s voice pressed on.

[This is merely a gamble. But your authority should be higher than your opponent’s, and it should help you in clearing this smoke.]

Liam’s eyes widened slightly.

’...Seriously?’

The idea seemed far-fetched.

But...

There was no harm in trying.

And right now, he had no other options.

Liam took a deep breath.

His energy surged, and he made sure to channel as much as he could into demonic authority.

Then—

—BOOM!

A gust of wind exploded outward from his body.

A violent shockwave swept across the room, stirring the stagnant air.

Then—

A sharp, piercing scream rang through the darkness.

"WHAT?!"

Liam’s lips curled into a grin.

Panic.

The voice was panicking.

And then—

The darkness began to vanish.

The thick fog that had blinded him all this time disintegrated into thin wisps, fading like smoke caught in the wind.

And finally—

He could clearly see his surroundings, without any fog obstructing his vision.

Liam blinked, his brows furrowing.

Something was... off.

The place he was standing in... it looked completely different from before.

He slowly scanned his surroundings, his gaze flickering around the now eerily silent tavern.

The building structure was still the same—

The wooden walls, the stone flooring, and even the cracks in the ceiling were exactly as he remembered.

But—

Everything else was gone.

The tables, the chairs—

The people.

They had all vanished.

’What the hell...?’ He thought, brows knitting into a frown.

Liam’s eyes narrowed.

He took a step forward, his boots clicking softly against the floor.

The space felt... bigger.

Much bigger than he had initially thought.

He tilted his head slightly, his fingers twitching.

’This place is even larger than I thought.’

Had the darkness distorted his perception?

Or was this place never a normal tavern to begin with?

That meant, everything he had seen from the moment he entered the tavern, were all illusions.

The woman at the counter, the men laughing and drinking... none of them were real.

’But then, they looked so real.’ Liam thought.

He felt embarrassed that he was under an illusion for so long, and he didn’t even realise.

Before he could dwell on it further—

A sudden voice rang out.

"You... w-what are you?!"

Liam’s head snapped toward the direction of the voice.

His gaze locked onto a woman standing a short distance away.

A woman with long black hair, draped in a dark coat.

A pointed black hat sat atop her head, casting a shadow over her face.

Her black eyes, filled with horror, trembled as she stared at him.

She stumbled backward, falling onto the ground with a small yelp.

Then—

She lifted a trembling hand, pointing directly at him.

"W-What are you...?" she asked again, her body visibly shivering.

Liam’s brows furrowed further.

Something about her reaction...

She wasn’t just afraid.

She was terrified.

Her entire body shook as she struggled to even form words.

Then—

She slowly grasped her head, her fingers digging into her scalp.

Her breath came out in shaky gasps, and her hand trembled as she held her hat in place.

Her mind raced.

Something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

Then—

Her thoughts snapped back to the moment Liam had launched his fireball earlier.

She replayed the memory in her head.

The way the flames had formed...

The way they had moved...

Her pupils dilated.

Her breath hitched.

It was subtle, but now that she was truly focusing on it—

She realized something terrifying.

She hadn’t felt anything.

There was no mana.

No energy.

Nothing.

That attack...

That power...

It wasn’t magic.

Her teeth clattered against each other, and a shudder ran down her spine.

She looked up at Liam again, her gaze filled with pure disbelief.

Then, with a voice barely above a whisper—

She spoke.

"You... you’re... not human."

Her shaky finger remained pointed at him, her body frozen in fear.

Liam simply chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

He had actually expected her to attack him the moment he broke through her illusions, but instead, she seemed rather terrified of him.