90. The Dwarf Hunter
“You…… what the hell are you?”
I'd assumed he was small and nimble for quick movements, but up close, he was tiny.
Like a dwarf.
And that face—angular features typical of a dwarf, covered in a thick, bushy beard.
Eyes like gemstones embedded with rubies, teeth jagged like gears.
“You…… a dwarf?”
A dwarf.
Another one. Another damn dwarf.
And above all, not human.
A non-human awakener.
But how the hell could he speak human language?
Jeonghyeon hadn't learned the languages of Afraksas from the Demon King Shop yet.
He could converse with the beastkin because they were fluent in human tongues, and with the Rock Dwarves because he'd already picked up their dialect.
But this dwarf was neither a Rock Dwarf nor a Frost Dwarf.
“Grrrk…… @#$%@#%!$!”
Suddenly, it spat out some incomprehensible gibberish.
'Now that it's caught, it's switching to its native tongue, huh?'
“This fucker. Plays human with us, then pulls the 'my language only' card now?”
Jeonghyeon hoisted the thing up by the scruff.
“Hey! Arak! Arak!!”
The Rock Dwarves had vanished somewhere, hiding out.
“Shit! What the hell? Another dwarf? So they were having a goddamn race war among themselves?”
Nus, drained of mana and faded to a thinner form, floated over to Jeonghyeon.
“A race war? Something like that going on?”
“[email protected]#[email protected]$!%[email protected]@$!!”
The dwarf kept muttering nonsense, and Nus glanced at it before snickering.
“Says it has no info to share with the Demon King's minions?”
“What? You speak their language?”
“Hah, this prick. Ignoring me again? I'm an ethereal slime.”
“……”
“The great and mighty ethereal slime, personally implanted with a soul and taught by the all-knowing Malekith himself, master of every language in Afraksas……”
“Got it. Then interrogate this bastard for me.”
“Why? Can't we just kill it?”
Jeonghyeon was momentarily speechless at Nus's blunt, matter-of-fact tone.
“Sometimes you seem less like a slime and more like a berserk maniac. You sure you're a sapient being?”
“Fuck this. Mana battery, interpreter—now what?”
Nus weakly grabbed Jeonghyeon's collar with a thinned tendril.
“No, what the hell is this?”
This wasn't some third-rate skit.
Was it?
“I don't know! Ever wonder what it's like being a familiar? That instinctive urge to hand over mana without thinking—it's fucking disgusting!”
……
Jeonghyeon stared blankly at Nus.
The slime's face might as well have had “piss off” stamped across it.
It had burned through a ton of mana.
For mana beings, heavy mana use was tantamount to burning life force.
Jeonghyeon rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply.
“……Hah. Fine. Get in the inventory. I'll recharge you for sure.”
“……Yeah!”
Nus zipped straight into the inventory.
'This fucker just wanted a break.'
“Not true!”
Strong denial meant admission. Nus poked its head out, denying it so vehemently anyone would buy it, then slammed the inventory door shut.
Fair enough. He'd been using Nus like an extra limb lately.
Take a breather.
“[email protected][email protected]%[email protected][email protected]!!”
Still dangling from Jeonghyeon's grip, the dwarf—body half-broken—muttered on.
Jeonghyeon leaned in close, flashing a villainous grin.
“You think I can't understand a word you're saying right now?”
“……?”
“Big mistake.”
When dealing with a hostile captive, instill fear first—before any coddling.
'Demon King Shop. Linguistics.'
Linguistics: Eastern Afraksas – 5,000 Demon King Points
Linguistics: Western Afraksas – 5,000 Demon King Points
Linguistics: Southern Afraksas – 5,000 Demon King Points
Linguistics: Northern Afraksas – 5,000 Demon King Points
Current Points: 52,895
He'd earned 50,000 from the last quest, and points had piled up—now burning them here.
'Patience pays off.'
Jeonghyeon bought every linguistics pack.
20,000 points total.
Way pricier than bumping an Epic Weapon's limit by 3,000—but worth it now.
Just in case, he grabbed the comprehension boost buff for 500 points too.
All Afraksas Linguistics Packs Acquired
Comprehension Boost Buff Acquired
Current Points: 32,395
“Alright. Say it again.”
“Y-You…… don't fuck with me!”
“Think this is funny? A joke?”
“How……?!”
“How what? You're talking to me now.”
Jeonghyeon channeled mana into his brow.
His eyes flushed red.
“Those eyes……! I suspected, but……!”
Up close, the dwarf's eyes bulged in horror, finally convinced.
From a mere human body, the Demon King's power emanated.
“Horakti. Let's head to Elaha's Garden.”
And at a single word from this “mere” human, a Demon King manifested in the flesh.
The dwarf fainted dead away.
Too much for a lowly dwarf, servant of dragons.
***
“Guh……!”
The dwarf's eyes fluttered open to a cognitively dissonant sight: proud high elves alongside barbaric beastkin.
Dominated by Demon King Horakti, with a human lounging center-stage, legs crossed, smirking leisurely like their ruler.
“Uh……”
And his body felt restored—brimming with vitality. No doubt a special high elf potion.
One impossibility after another. Finally……
Thud.
He passed out again.
“What the? Why?”
Jeonghyeon had been pumped to crack the case, only for this.
He poked the fully healed dwarf.
“This bastard faking it?”
“Think from his perspective, Jeonghyeon-nim…… Centuries of enmity before him, clashing Demon King auras—and no Afraksan would stay unshaken.”
“Ah…… yeah?”
Jeonghyeon scratched his head sheepishly at Romanell's words.
“Got a surefire wake-up trick.”
He jabbed the dwarf's solar plexus.
Crack!!!
The near-lethal strike on his freshly saved body made the dwarf convulse up reflexively, howling.
“See? Up.”
Jeonghyeon grinned at Romanell, then grabbed the dwarf's jaw.
“Hey. No running now.”
Slowly infusing his eyes with Demon King power, he drawled.
“Before I rip you apart limb from limb and scatter you across Afraksas as fertilizer with Horakti's mana—talk.”
The dwarf trembled in terror.
That madness.
Eyes and smile screaming he'd do it.
“Told you—that guy's a real Demon King.”
“No shit. Words no human should say.”
“Familiars take after their masters. Probably the craziest bastard in Afraksas.”
“You peanut gallery—shut it.”
“Ahem.”
“Hmph!”
Jeonghyeon barked at the chattering Romanell and Horakti, then eyed the dwarf.
Your turn.
“I…… can't reveal anything.”
“Why?”
“I know nothing.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Truly. I just…… follow orders.”
“What orders?”
Jeonghyeon laced his voice with Shout imperceptibly.
He'd mastered Shout at its peak.
No yell needed—the mana seeping from his tone numbed the dwarf's limbs like pins and needles.
“K-Kill the Rock Dwarves. Until they spill the truth.”
“What truth?”
“I don't know. Really!”
“Well-trained, huh.”
“Wh-What……?”
Jeonghyeon gathered mana at his fingertips.
Hand Sword—flashy trick for swordmasters.
Without blinking, he severed one leg.
“Gaaahhh!!!”
“Shut up. You're not dying.”
Grabbing the hair, Jeonghyeon yanked the face close.
Before or after becoming Demon King, he wasn't righteous.
A warrior fighting for humanity.
No hero delusions.
He'd slaughter human enemies mercilessly, wield pain and fear.
People thought heroes saintly, but he was humanity's gladiator.
So handling petty schemers? Child's play.
“I'm not the gentleman you think. So answer quick.”
“Wh-What?!”
“Hah. Romanell.”
“Y-Yes?!”
“Reattach the leg.”
“R-Right.”
Romanell knit the stump with healing.
As anxiety peaked—fear of the next cut—Jeonghyeon fired a blade of mana, slicing the other leg.
“Gaaahhh!!”
“For your sake. Talk fast.”
His eyes now fully Demon King's Eye, glowing crimson.
“Or your suffering drags on.”
“I'll talk! I'll talk!”
“Should've from the start.”
Jeonghyeon pulled back, patting the shoulder.
Releasing mana, he smiled friendly—like nothing happened.
“Now. Spill.”
“We're minions of Ignirn!”
“Knew that.”
“And we weren't ordered to wipe out Rock Dwarves!”
“Huh? Then?”
“To eliminate Uldran's minions!”
“Same diff.”
Jeonghyeon casually aimed at the leg again.
“W-Wait! Separate order!……”
“What?”
“Retrieve the Rock Dwarves' treasure. With it, Ignirn's minions rule Afraksas.”
“What?”
Arak had mentioned them gunning for their treasure.
“Treasure……?”
“Yes! A treasure to slay Demon Kings. That's why target Rock Dwarves!”
Jeonghyeon pondered, chin in hand.
Treasure? Uldran hid something like that?
That weak dragon?
“Wait. Rock Dwarves?”
Romanell's voice from behind.
Deep in thought, Jeonghyeon nearly missed it—but the next words stopped him cold.
“Rock Dwarves serve Elkalabi, not Uldran, right?”
“El…… what? Never heard.”
First time for Jeonghyeon too.
“You don't know Elkalabi? An ancient dragon of Afraksas.”
“Afraksas's…… ancient dragon?”