Chapter 210: Underground Dungeon (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 210: Underground Dungeon (5)
The storm of lightning, which had raged as if to sweep everything away, soon began to die down.
But in the storm’s wake, nothing remained.
Not a corpse, not a drop of blood, not even the undead.
Dozens of undead creatures had vanished without leaving so much as a pile of ash.
Only the sickening stench of burnt flesh lingered in the air.
‘As expected, I didn’t get any coins.’
Just as I’d thought, magical beasts summoned by someone else didn’t yield any coins.
Besides, even if I killed the same type of beast multiple times, the number of coins I received would gradually decrease, so I couldn't have earned much anyway.
“Oppa, are you okay?”
Worry and anxiety filled Noel’s eyes as she looked at me.
“It’s nothing…”
Cough.
I quickly covered my mouth.
Dark red blood stained my palm.
It was the price for recklessly using 5th Circle magic.
Thanks to the spell, I’d been able to wipe out the beasts in one shot, but because it was a lightning element, the internal injuries were more severe than they would have been with other elements.
‘…If I had learned the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art beforehand, the damage wouldn’t have been this bad.’
I had purchased the Crimson Cloud Thunder Art because it was a martial art that allowed one to handle lightning energy to its absolute limit.
I had calculated that if I could handle lightning energy more skillfully than I could now, I would be able to control the lightning element with much greater ease.
Of course, the Formless Vajra Art also dealt with lightning energy, but its essence was the harmony of all natural energy.
If I focused solely on lightning energy, that harmony would be broken, and reaching the next realm would only become more distant.
It was better to forge a new path with a different martial art.
“Oppa…”
“It’s not a serious injury, so you don’t have to worry.”
With my clean hand, I stroked Noel’s head.
As I thought, it was nice to have someone worry about you when you were hurt.
And it’s even better if she’s a beauty.
“H-Hyun-woo, what was that just now…?” Kim Yujun stammered, breathing heavily.
Behind him, Yang Suho’s jaw hung open.
Both of them were so pale they looked like they could collapse at any moment.
“First, drink this.”
“What is this…?”
“It’s Holy Water. Please share it with the others.”
It wasn’t that the party hadn’t prepared Holy Water, but we had left it at the base camp with our other supplies.
Fortunately, the effects of the Holy Water were immediate. The color returned to their faces noticeably.
While they passed the Holy Water to the others, I approached Lee Hayan, who was lying unconscious on the ground.
‘Her condition is serious.’
She was the most critically injured among us.
She had been exposed to the cursed death energy while almost completely defenseless.
If I hadn’t infused her with my energy, she would have been dead long ago. No, if she hadn’t been such a tough Minotaur, she might have died instantly before I could even help.
I poured some Holy Water into her mouth and infused her with my energy once more.
This should be enough for her to hold on until we get out of the gate.
“Yujun.”
I walked over to him where he sat slumped on the ground.
Even after drinking the Holy Water, his body was still struggling, his hands and feet trembling.
“I-I’m sorry. I’ll get up right…”
“That’s not it.”
I had been thinking about this for a while.
The best way to stop my story from getting out was to eliminate the witnesses.
There was no need to deal with the other unconscious party members, but the two men before me were a liability.
‘The best-case scenario would be to report that the party leader, Kim Yujun, overloaded his mana core and took the demon worshipper down with him, and that the supporter, Yang Suho, was killed by the undead during our escape.’
To be honest, I was still debating it.
“Hyun-woo…?”
But I decided against it.
I wasn’t a psychopathic serial killer.
“You two saw nothing.”
“…What?”
“You heard nothing. The demon worshipper was dealt with by me, Noel, and the two of you, working together. Do you understand?”
Silence followed.
Their hesitation lasted as long as the silence.
“…I understand.”
After a brief moment of deliberation, he gave me the answer I wanted. Yang Suho, who wasn't a fool either, nodded, beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
Of course, I didn’t think a mere verbal promise would be enough to keep my secret safe.
This was a transaction.
I save their lives, and in return, they keep my secret.
If, despite this, word of today’s events gets out, they will simply die.
They’ll watch their mouths if they value their own lives.
“Noel, can you protect the others?”
“Of course.”
Noel lifted her double-bladed axe with a confident expression. It was the weapon I had given her a long time ago.
In terms of performance alone, the hammer she originally used was far superior.
‘I gave it to her as a gift without really thinking about it back then.’
I never thought she’d still be carrying it.
A smile spread across my lips before I knew it.
I put the staff I’d brought as a disguise into my inventory and took out Gilenium.
[The demon-breaking energy stirs.]
A golden aura rose from the blade, meeting the blue Sword Qi and flaring intensely.
I had hoped that the spell I just cast had also taken care of the demon worshipper, but my instincts were sounding an alarm.
It wasn’t over yet.
“A m-mere magician!!”
As expected, the creature emerged from the rubble. His already wretched state had worsened.
He was dragging his body, which looked like it could rot away at any moment, and charging toward us.
“He looks just like a ghoul.”
I wouldn’t let my guard down.
I cast another layer of support magic over my body, which was already enhanced with mana and internal energy. My body screamed in protest, but I ignored it for now.
Clutching Gilenium, which shimmered with golden Sword Qi, I charged toward him.
Formless Vajra Art, Formless Electric Body.
Slice—
Severed in a single strike, the creature’s head flew through the air before landing on the ground and rolling away.
No fountain of blood gushed from the severed neck.
Only a foul, rotten liquid trickled out, releasing a horrid stench.
Even for a black mage, there was no way to survive decapitation. He was definitely dead.
But an indescribable sense of unease kept nagging at me.
‘…Something’s wrong.’
It was accompanied by a voice in my head, screaming at me not to let my guard down.
Crrrack.
Something strange happened.
The creature’s body, which should have been a cold corpse with its head gone, stood up on its own.
The bizarre spectacle didn’t end there.
Spurt!
“What is that…”
Something shot out from the creature’s neck.
I had thought that when dealing with a demon-worshipping black mage, nothing should come as a surprise.
‘…But I never expected a deer head to just pop out.’
The sight was so far beyond common sense that I was left speechless.
“Ahem, mm, ah… Ahh. Good. It’s coming out clearly.”
The deer’s mouth opened, and a human voice emerged.
It was a pleasant baritone, but an unidentifiable feeling of disgust washed over me.
“I wonder how long it’s been since I was last on the surface. Though I’m not fond of this cave.”
The creature smiled grotesquely.
Every time its laughter reached my ears, a chill ran down my spine.
The unique mana signature of the black mage, the demon worshipper, had completely vanished. In its place, a far more sinister and ominous magic emanated from the creature.
‘There’s no way a human could exude such magic.’
But it wasn’t a living creature, either.
An unknown being that defied all rules.
An utterly ominous monster that neither breathed nor truly lived.
“You there, human. I have a few questions for you.”
If my guess was correct, this was undoubtedly a ‘demon’.
*
A devil.
An unknown entity from another world.
All I knew about them was that the Church was hostile toward them, and that they had committed countless crimes by making contracts with demon worshippers.
“I have nothing to say to the likes of a demon.”
“Hmm, you’re overly aggressive. Are you perhaps with the Church?”
“As if.”
According to a book I borrowed from the research club, there were a total of 71 known demons.
This one was probably one of them.
Of course, specific information about demons was a top secret of the Church, so I knew nothing more, but one thing was certain: this was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
“That’s a relief. I find those Church folks rather unpleasant. So, which god do you believe in?”
“Why are you curious?”
“Well… would you believe me if I said it was personal curiosity?”
I stared at him without a word.
His face was unreadable.
“…I’m irreligious.”
I calculated that revealing this much would be fine.
“Khuhuhu, is that so.”
“Don’t laugh.”
“Why? Afraid you’ll grow fond of me?”
“…”
Silence fell.
The low-brow joke made me want to scowl.
Was this some kind of spell to make me lower my guard?
“It’s a joke. It seems humans these days have no sense of humor.”
“I don’t think we’re on terms to be sharing jokes.”
“Well, you’re not wrong about that.”
The creature kept smirking.
It was so disgusting that I felt an urge to punch it a few times.
“Anyway, I’m glad you’re irreligious. If you don’t mind, how about you try believing in me?”
“…What?”
What did that deer head just say?
“There’s no need to be so surprised or wary. This is a perfectly rational and attractive offer, born from genuine goodwill.”
The creature shrugged, as if trying to lighten the mood.
A demon, making an offer to a human?
It was an act so bizarre I couldn’t comprehend it with my common sense.
As if reading my thoughts, the creature tapped the corner of its eye and said, “I can share my contractor’s vision. I saw the beautiful magic you unleashed and the wondrous attack that sent my contractor’s head flying. It was magnificent lightning. Although it lacks absolute power, your talent is unparalleled. You should be proud. I, Purpur, the Count of Gehenna who rules over storms and lightning, guarantee it.”
“Purpur…?”
“Khuhuhu, are you surprised? You should feel honored. Those who know my true name are extremely rare…”
“That name is fucking weird.”
How could a person… no, a demon’s name be Purpur?
It’s not like he’s some slime.
“…Your slight impertinence seems to require some correction.”
I gave the creature spouting nonsense the middle finger.
“A stinking deer head is going to correct me?”
It might be a different story if it were a succubus, but this was something I couldn’t tolerate, not even as a joke.
The creature’s face twisted at once, apparently understanding the gesture.
Immediately after, I used Formless Step and rushed toward it.
The swiftest strike I could deliver—the same one that had beheaded the demon worshipper—drew a line of light, about to reach the creature’s neck.
Vwoom—
Space distorted, and the creature vanished from before my eyes.
I immediately expanded my senses to scan the area, but it was nowhere to be found.
“…I got a little heated there.”
The creature reappeared not far away, on top of a pile of rubble.
‘Teleportation?’
But I hadn’t felt any flow of mana.
As various hypotheses raced through my mind, the creature raised both its arms as if in surrender.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. I have no intention of being hostile toward you. So I’d appreciate it if you’d put away that killing intent.”
“I killed your contractor. That seems like reason enough for you to be hostile toward me.”
“Hm? Ah, was it because of that? Khuhuhu, you’re more of a coward than you look. No need to worry. The contract I had with him was merely one of lending power.”
Our eyes met for a long moment before I finally sheathed my sword.
Of course, I didn’t believe its words. I wasn’t stupid enough to take what a demon said at face value.
The time it took to deploy a barrier was approximately 0.23 seconds.
That was enough time to react to a surprise attack.
“…So, what is it you want?”
“Khuhuhu, try not to be too surprised when you hear this.”
The corners of the creature’s mouth stretched abnormally wide.
Its grotesque smile, dripping with blood, was utterly repulsive.
“Become my ‘Apostle’.”