Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Asmodeus's Intervention
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Let's think about this calmly.
Just when did things go wrong?
‘...Everything was fine until before we caught the Demon Turtle.’
Yeah, it must have started then.
Right after we caught the Demon Turtle.
But.
‘Could the Demon Turtle really have caused all this...?’
As far as I knew, the Demon Turtle had no mental or illusion-based abilities.
It was purely a monster that dealt physical damage with its powerful jaws.
‘Then... maybe over the past 100 years...?’
Had the Demon Turtle evolved or something?
...Who knows.
Honestly, that seemed unlikely.
Even if 100 years was a long time, from an evolutionary standpoint, it was far too short.
On top of that, a physical-type monster turning into one that inflicts mental debuffs?
‘Ridiculous.’
There had to be something else.
Something else that drove my party members insane.
And the hint to it...
‘Is probably right there.’
I looked toward the Demon Turtle's lair where my companions had entered.
If the problem was in there, it made sense why only the survivor lady and I were fine.
We'd never set foot inside.
Everything fit perfectly.
The problem was, even knowing that, I had no way to do anything about it.
I sure as hell couldn't go in there myself.
‘What if I end up going crazy too?’
That would be the end.
No turning back.
‘Tch, there has to be some way...’
That's when it hit me.
-...Do you know what this is? Demons! Demons!
-Say it again. Who's dying? Who's weak?
-...Where the hell are you going, abandoning us now, you bastard?
Barundel, presumed to have lost his family while working as a demon hunter.
Thompson, who said it took forever to become a mage due to his lack of talent.
And Kayla, who had traumatic memories of being abandoned.
It felt like the moments their anger exploded all strangely overlapped with their personal deficiencies.
And if that thought was right...
‘...No way.’
It wasn't the turtle.
There was only one being capable of something like this.
‘...Asmodeus?’
The Legion Commander of Desire, Asmodeus.
She had to be involved in this somehow.
Thump! Thump! Thump...!
My heart raced as if backing up my theory.
Only then did I grasp the severity of the situation.
‘...No time.’
Asmodeus's abilities could be divided into two main categories.
One was the power to forcibly manifest a target's desires.
The other was to amplify a target's deficiencies.
And most importantly, both abilities gradually eroded their victims.
Those exposed to Asmodeus's powers became unable to escape their deficiencies or desires as time passed, and the end result for those who reached that point was...
‘...Something I've seen before.’
They became madmen who pursued only their own goals, no matter the means.
Like Dershion, the lord of Aldeon's Magic Tower.
That was the terrifying nature of Asmodeus's abilities.
“Miss, just what are you dissatisfied with?”
“What do you mean, dissatisfied? You really don't know?”
“Bickering on a battlefield like this... Are you deliberately trying to act pathetic?”
“What? Dwarf, you're the one picking fights!”
The members raised their voices, eyes bloodshot.
“Hoo...”
I watched them for a moment, then gently closed my eyes.
And then.
‘I need to resolve this as quickly as possible.’
Starting with Asmodeus's characteristics, her personality, weaknesses, countermeasures...
I began recalling everything I knew about her.
There had to be a way to fix this.
Soon enough.
‘Got it!’
One method came to mind.
Rustle!
I immediately spread out the map and checked our current location.
Then I confirmed the nearest dungeon from here.
We'd been heading toward dungeons as our destinations from the start.
Fortunately, there was one not far away, and with this...
‘I can block Asmodeus's erosion.’
It was enough to shift the situation.
***
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A rhythm completely different from usual.
Thompson placed a hand on his chest and thought.
‘Why is my body... acting like this?’
It wasn't just his heart.
His breathing, his muscles, his impulsive words and actions.
Even inside, rage boiled up like a thousand ants crawling.
Nothing was under his control.
‘What the...’
How did it come to this?
As he scanned his surroundings for answers, his eyes met Barundel's.
“What are you looking at?”
The dwarf scowled with clear displeasure, and just seeing that made Thompson's anger surge again.
Only then did Thompson realize why he'd been pissed off.
‘...Yeah, that look. He's looking down on me right now.’
Being belittled was something Thompson hated most.
And for good reason—he'd been despised plenty since childhood.
His birth, his bloodline, his talent...
Just for lacking money and power, he'd faced endless discrimination.
Of course, Thompson hadn't taken it lying down.
To avoid being looked down on, he'd put in bloody effort.
He'd steadily built up his scrawny body with daily training, never backed down from fights when provoked, and even changed his personality to avoid being underestimated.
And once he gained strength... he'd even learned magic for status and honor.
The result was this.
A massive frame that stood tall even next to a barbarian.
Combat skills that could subdue most assassins with one hand.
A 3-circle mage who'd mastered an elemental affinity.
Now, no one could treat Thompson lightly.
Yeah, he'd climbed all the way here...
‘...And you dare look down on me?’
Thompson ground his teeth, glaring at the dwarf.
He didn't know how strong the little guy was, but he couldn't just take this treatment.
‘Fine, let's throw down, you shortstack!’
As Thompson clenched his fist with that thought.
“Mister, you serious?”
Someone walking ahead whipped around.
It was Yoo Han, the man Thompson had sworn to protect with his life.
“...Ah.”
Only upon hearing his voice did Thompson realize how close he'd come to screwing up.
Fighting among allies over a little spat?
How pathetic could he be?
‘...Almost went off the rails there. As expected of the top guy—straightening me out like this.’
Just as a surge of respect welled up.
“Nah, no way. You'd just get your nose broken.”
“What...?”
Yoo Han let out a smirk with unexpected words.
“You're seriously out of line.”
His eyes screamed, ‘You think you can take him?’
Undeniably condescending.
“Top guy... are you looking down on me right now?”
“Looking down? I was just stating facts.”
“Facts?”
“Yeah, facts. Even if you fought Barundel, mister... what could you do? Looks to me like you'd just get wrecked.”
Thompson felt deep betrayal.
He'd never dreamed Yoo Han would say something like that, think of him that way.
“...You really think that, top guy?”
“Guess you see it differently, mister?”
“Of course. I'm not the type to just take beatings wherever I go.”
“Yeah?”
Yoo Han tilted his head and pointed behind him.
“Then show me. Don't just talk.”
Behind him loomed a single ruin-like building...
“It's a dungeon. Can't fight out here. You planning to draw every demon around?”
Dungeon. That other-dimensional space.
‘Perfect, inside there I can fight without holding back.’
Thompson nodded at the thought.
“Barundel okay with it?”
“Of course. Wonder if it'll loosen me up.”
The duel was on.
Thompson vowed.
This time, he'd show them exactly who he was.
***
I let out a sigh of relief watching Thompson and Barundel glare at each other like they wanted to kill.
‘Phew... those two are sorted, at least.’
Guiding them into the dungeon without breaking the party had been the trickiest part, but timely provocation and stoking their competitive spirits had worked without a hitch.
Now, only Kayla remained.
I turned to her and asked casually, as if all was normal.
“Kayla, you're coming in too, right?”
“That place? Why the hell would I?”
“Just watching would be fun.”
“Fun my ass. Don't care if those two kill each other.”
But as expected.
She was at peak sensitivity right now and wouldn't budge easily.
No problem, though.
I'd prepared for this.
“Yeah?”
I shrugged like it was no big deal.
“Oh, right. You prefer being ‘alone,’ don't you? I didn't think of that.”
“What?”
Emphasizing ‘alone,’ Kayla furrowed her brow in displeasure.
Her face screamed she'd hurl a fireball at the back of my head if I looked away even for a second.
But I pressed on, poking her sore spot again.
“Guess people live how they live.”
“...What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, excluding the folks in robes up front, you've been alone your whole life. How could you suddenly hang with us?”
“...”
“Guess I had unrealistic expectations.”
I could dig deeper, but she had trauma about abandonment.
This should be enough.
I stopped there and called to Thompson.
“Mister, let's head in.”
“About time. Thought my neck would snap waiting.”
Crack, crack.
Stretching here and there, Thompson and Barundel strode ahead.
‘Please, no unexpected variables...’
I prayed silently and stepped forward.
The survivor lady and I stopped at the entrance of the ruin-like building.
Beyond, pitch darkness swallowed everything—no light penetrated, visibility zero.
‘Wonder what kind of dungeon it is?’
The thought crossed my mind, but honestly, any dungeon would do.
As long as it was a dungeon.
Step, step.
Thompson entered the darkness first.
Whoosh.
Just one step in, and his figure vanished.
Good, it was a dungeon.
Next, Barundel twirled his axe and went in, and I followed right behind.
Tzzzzz!
The same alien energy from the maze dungeon wrapped around me.
Suddenly, my vision cleared, and I scanned the surroundings.
First thing I saw.
“Uh, um...”
Thompson, lost in blank thought as if realizing something.
And.
“Yoo Han... what in the blazes is going on?”
Barundel, eyes wide in confusion.
Fortunately.
The madness in their eyes from before was gone.
“...Huh?”
I turned at the gasp from behind.
Kayla sat slumped on the ground, eyes wide, strength drained.
“Feeling better now?”
“...”
Kayla nodded sheepishly.
The moment all party members returned to their senses.