Chapter 244: Jealousy (15)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 244: Jealousy (15)
Of course, it wasn’t as if Ban Gi-san truly expected the demons to overcome the holy water just by eating his vegetables.
He was a madman, but he wasn’t devoid of common sense.
Naturally, he harbored a tiny sliver of hope—something like, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could overcome it through the power of the vegetables I raised?’—but it wasn’t his primary intention.
The reason he continued to act this way was simple.
Even if the demons were weakened by holy water, demonic energy was still lethal to humans. The other heroes present were in potential danger.
He had judged that the best course of action was to draw as much aggro as possible on the front lines. Simultaneously, he calculated that by bewildering the enemy with such bizarre behavior, he could facilitate a series of one-sided surprise attacks.
And, of course, he simply found it amusing to watch the demons scream and try to flee.
It was a win-win situation.
“Eat my branches…!!!!”
It might sound insane, but this method was actually quite effective.
Even when he was committing “vegetable terror” and making his escape, people tended to subtly clear a path for him because no one wanted to be the one to catch him.
As he was enjoying his exciting “Veggie Time,” Ban Gi-san’s expression suddenly hardened in response to a warning from his Talent.
A Named.
An entity that seemed to be on an entirely different level from the other demons had appeared, looking as though the holy water didn’t affect it at all.
“…Are you the one among these lot who’s the pickiest eater?”
“What are you babbling about, human?”
“No, you don’t have to say it. I can tell just by looking at you. You haven’t eaten a single vegetable in your life, have you?”
“…Can you not see my form?”
The man, covered in scales, was clearly some kind of merman. He meant that he lived in the sea rather than on land, so he didn’t care for vegetables, but Ban Gi-san interpreted this differently.
“Yes, looking at your cracked and pale skin, you seem to be suffering from a severe nutritional imbalance. But do not worry. If you eat the vegetables I give you, you too will…”
“…Is he insane? Surely you lot weren’t struggling against someone like this, even if you were hit by holy water?”
The demons of Jealousy wanted to scream that this man was far more insane than he looked, but they never got the chance.
“What’s all this fuss about vegetables anyway? They’re nothing but trashy weeds eaten by weaklings who can’t get meat on land.”
“…What?”
“I said they are garbage feed for those at the bottom of the food chain.”
For the record, this was a common perception in the Demon Realm, which was far more barren than the human world.
To begin with, unless they were high-ranking demonic beings, eating wasn’t a necessity for demons. Most only consumed things to replenish their energy in lieu of a contract.
Even then, it was inefficient, so only those who enjoyed the taste bothered with it.
High-quality fruits and vegetables were the exclusive domain of nobles and Demon Kings. The things ordinary demons encountered that could be called “vegetables” were perceived as food for losers who lacked the strength or will to obtain the meat of demonic beasts or humans.
However.
“Take it back.”
“…What?”
Those were words that should never, ever be uttered in front of Ban Gi-san.
“I said, take it back. That insult you spat at vegetables.”
“…And if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll have no choice but to teach you the magnificence of vegetables.”
“What a ridiculous human.”
“Vegetables are the crops with the highest potential to solve hunger and poverty. Plant one, and you can continuously obtain many more in the future.”
“…What?”
“If you split a potato and plant it, it still takes root. A single apple tree bears countless fruits, and the bounty of those fruits becomes food for birds and beasts, circulating back into nature.”
At this point, the demon concluded that this man was simply a moron.
His comrades must have been defeated by such an idiot only because they were nameless nobodies.
“Then new trees grow, and even more fruit is born. Fruits, vegetables, and the nature that makes them possible are beautiful!!!!”
The demon should have just left it at that conclusion, but he felt a petty urge to provoke Ban Gi-san further.
“In their original natural state, vegetables and fruits don’t bear that much fruit to begin with.”
“…Eh?”
“The produce you speak of is the result of humans selectively breeding and researching for their own benefit, increasing sugar content over generations. And you humans put up fences and traps to keep animals away from the vegetables you grow, so how can you call that ‘nature’?”
“I also maintain separate fields specifically for animals to eat freely…!!!!”
“Which means you still separate them from what humans eat, don’t you?”
“Gasp…!”
At this point, not only the demon but also the heroes watching thought, ‘Is that really something to be so shocked about?’ But for Ban Gi-san, that single verbal blade was the only injury he had sustained today.
“Have I… been walking the wrong path?”
Well, the demon was more than happy if this nuisance dropped out of the fight over a simple argument. He raised his spear without much thought, but then—
— No, you haven’t.
An unexpected voice suddenly drifted from somewhere.
— That’s right. We are always grateful, you know?
— Thank you for raising us with such care. Thank you for eating us deliciously.
“You—you guys…!”
Amazingly, the source of the voices was the very vegetables he had so lovingly cultivated.
— Don’t be swayed by the words of someone like him…!
— You have a dream, don’t you…! The grand dream of solving world hunger with us…!
“Y-yes…! That’s right. I cannot fall in such a place!”
The demon watched as a tomato cheered him on and a cucumber supported him. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but unfortunately, the sight before him didn’t change one bit.
In truth.
Ban Gi-san didn’t realize it himself because he usually used abilities that bordered on cheats, but he was also one of those who had received a portion of the power from the Nest of the Spirits.
That power, which had been dormant, had finally begun to awaken in this moment of “crisis.”
So, was his newly awakened ability the power to talk to vegetables?
No.
The things cheering him on looked like vegetables, but they were merely being used as mediums. Their true identity was something far more formidable.
“The games are over, demon. I have a reason why I absolutely cannot lose.”
The demon felt like he was going crazy.
He wanted to dismiss it as pure nonsense, but he could feel the madman’s presence growing massive in real-time.
What was this? What the hell was happening?
The lineage was a bit different, but why was he sensing the aura of a god from this guy?
— Now, we’ll lend you our strength…! Let’s go!
“Yes! Let’s go…!”
His bronze muscles began to ripple and turn a brilliant gold.
“This power is the strength given by Mother Earth, and the precious strength lent to me by my crops. Can you feel it!? The power of wheat, waving like a golden sea!?”
— Oh my, how did he know I gave it to him?
“Pardon?”
— A-ah, no. I was just talking to myself! It’s the power of vegetables, definitely!
“Hmm…? At any rate, it is the power of the bond between me and my crops…!!!!!”
Seeing the wall of muscle approaching, the demon tried to flee.
Regardless of how powerful it actually was, he felt it would be too humiliating to be defeated by that.
However.
“Huh?”
— It’s no use trying to run.
His legs wouldn’t leave the ground, as if the earth itself was holding him captive.
Staring at the approaching golden muscles, the demon had one final thought in that fleeting moment.
Fuck.
Watching the demon slowly begin to dissipate under the one-sided beating, Ban Gi-san let out a roar.
“Thank you, vegetables…! I was able to win because of you!!!!”
— Mm, as expected, even if he’s a bit dim, a man’s got to have that kind of charm.
And the entity that had lent Ban Gi-san her strength smiled, feeling that her effort in acting out the role of a vegetable had been well worth it.
* * *
“Good, everything’s going smoothly.”
I took a quick look at my smartphone and saw messages informing me that almost all the demons, except for the ones in this area, had been cleared out.
[I dedicate this victory to the greatness of vegetables.]
[Tae-ho is dragging things out, so it might take a little longer.]
[So-hyun, you aren’t hurt anywhere, are you? I’m fine, so don’t worry.]
It goes without saying, but the messages were from Ban Gi-san, Kalia, and Cathy Noona, in that order.
Meanwhile, things were still chaotic on my end. Even though only common demons were crawling out rather than Named ones, there were so many that the holy water was starting to be tainted by demonic energy.
Then again, since Ga-eul and I were the targets, they probably only deployed the minimum necessary forces elsewhere to divide our strength.
“Wow, they really just keep coming.”
Having seemingly mastered the knack for slaying demons, Ha-ni approached while wiping away sweat, having accurately pierced their cores.
Since Ha-ni was still fighting with ordinary swordsmanship, her stamina consumption must be higher.
I recall her saying her father asked her not to use their Secret Sword Technique if possible, as it was dangerous due to certain circumstances.
“Yeah, the Named ones should be showing up soon.”
While I preferred more demonic energy to help bring Ga-eul back, I couldn’t ignore the kids’ fatigue.
Even if we had the upper hand initially thanks to the holy water, everyone was bound to be exhausted after such a long battle.
“That makes forty, Lilac. It seems I’ve won this time.”
“Hmm, really? I’m at forty-five, so what now?”
“…Ha, there are still plenty left, so it starts from now.”
“Oh, you’re quite skilled at moving the goalposts!”
Then again, looking at Cheon Yu-hak skewering demons like kebabs and Lilac mercilessly slaughtering them with his Holy and Demonic Swords, maybe they weren’t that tired…?
“I’ve tied them down at points 1, 7, 16, and 24.”
“Got it. Hold them for just three seconds.”
Ju Ri-ra lured the demons into traps with impressive coordination, and Lee Yu-na immediately incinerated them with divine spells fueled by holy water.
Of course, the demons weren’t stupid and tried to rush the backline to take hostages.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
But standing in their way was Aisha in her armor.
“No! Does it even make sense for me to be here!? I was supposed to evacuate with the others!?”
And the Hero Woo Jae-hee—no, the Tanker Woo Jae-hee—blocked the demons’ path.
With the ground perfectly sealed off like this, winged demons occasionally took to the air to attack from above, but a guillotine even more terrifying than the one on the ground awaited them there.
“The juniors are doing quite well.”
A white-haired woman who had arrived with a smile, saying she wanted to help even though she wasn’t called.
“Right? We should do our best too.”
And a woman with pale pink hair, holding a sword and radiating a powerful scent of plum blossoms.
Following the movements of Baek Seol, who threw silver knives imbued with divine power, a sword dance filled with plum blossoms began.
After the knives accurately shredded the demons’ wings, the intense plum blossoms blooming at the end of the sword dance became blades that swallowed the falling demons whole.
The ultimate technique of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, which possessed a Taoist flair.
Plum Blossom Fragrance for Ten Thousand Miles.
Even the demons being hacked to pieces by the Sword Qi had their eyes fixed on the plum blossoms until their heads were severed, seemingly intoxicated by the beauty and fragrance of the blooming flowers.
…It doesn’t look like anyone is tired at all.
Now then, what will you do?
Leviathan.
You must be itching to move yourself by now. Bring out the real elite forces you’ve been hiding.
Otherwise, even after you appear, our reliable comrades will just get in your way.
If you want me, shouldn’t you clear the obstacles first? Hmm?
And as if she were a person of her word, the moment that thought crossed my mind, a powerful presence—entirely different from anything so far—began to emanate from the magic circle.
Judging by the feeling, something that wasn’t a mere small fry was finally about to emerge.
Of course, we didn’t just let a demon with such a presence pass through the entrance.
Those who had the leeway launched a surprise attack on the emerging figure, but unlike the demons before, this one successfully blocked our attacks with precise defensive movements and used the recoil to evade.
What emerged were “demons” clad in armor, who looked more like Dragon-kin than fish-men or mermen.
Finally, some decent opponents had arrived.