Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Devil Worshipper
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[Please... give me something to eat...]
At the demon's pitiful begging, Woojin stared at him for a moment before tossing a hunk of hardened bread from his inventory.
Crunch— crunch—.
The demon groped along the floor, snatched up the bread, and devoured it voraciously, as if he hadn't eaten in days.
"How long have you been trapped here?"
[I have no idea what you're talking about... I've been here since I came into existence.]
'...From the beginning?'
Woojin's expression hardened at the demon's reply.
"Don't try to fool me. Why would a demon be on the continent? Someone must have brought you here."
Instead of answering, the demon held out his hand toward Woojin.
Woojin clicked his tongue and tossed over all the remaining bread and meat.
[I... was born in this place.]
The demon shoved the food into his mouth.
[But you're the first one to ask questions like that. Who are you? Come to think of it... your voice is new to me, too.]
Now that Woojin looked closer, the chained demon seemed blind, swiveling his head around in search of him.
"...You were really born here from the start?"
[From the moment I became aware, I was here. So... probably.]
"How much time do you remember?"
Woojin's voice trembled as he asked.
It was a sign of his tension.
[Well... it has to be over 200 years, at least.]
Grip—.
At the response, Woojin unconsciously let out a low groan and clenched his fist.
Things were unfolding differently from what he'd imagined.
'200 years...? That means this demon was already here before Zion Müllenga was even born...'
As the demon said, perhaps it had truly been confined in this basement from the very beginning.
"Carlan."
"Yes?"
"What's the history of the Müllenga family?"
"Hmm... The Kingdom of Bolton was founded about 500 years ago, and the Müllenga family has existed since the time of its founding."
Woojin shot Carlan a slight glare at his answer.
'Whether it was born here or captured by someone, the key point is that it came after the Müllenga family was established.'
Things had gotten complicated.
Either way, the fact that a demon was imprisoned in the Müllenga family's basement meant...
'It wasn't Zion Müllenga hiding a demon.'
And if that was the case, it wasn't just Zion Müllenga's problem—it implicated the entire family.
'The Müllenga family was hiding a demon.'
Perhaps the whole family was tied to black magic.
"What have you been doing here?"
[Nothing at all.]
"...What?"
Having devoured the remaining food in an instant, the demon curled up like a child and lay on the floor.
[...I just sleep.]
"Master, look at this. I can sense mana coming from the hoses embedded in the demon's body."
Luen pointed to the thick liquid oozing from the dozens of hoses.
"It's... being drained of mana."
It was just as Woojin had suspected.
The demon had been living in this basement for centuries, unable to escape, having its mana extracted.
For whom?
'The Müllenga family, obviously.'
But that wasn't the end of the problem.
'The Müllenga family is a knightly house. Knights don't use mana or auras, except for a few outliers.'
So what had they done with the mana extracted from the demon over the past 200-plus years?
Chill—.
In that moment, Woojin's body shuddered.
The faceless monster.
The monster that had survived even until the world's end.
Perhaps that monster wasn't solely Zion Müllenga's creation.
"Somehow... it feels like I've gotten tangled in something huge."
The Müllenga family was an old, prestigious house in the Kingdom of Bolton.
They commanded over five knightly orders under their banner alone.
One wrong move, and he could make enemies of the entire family.
'The Kingdom of Bolton is the strongest among the five great kingdoms.'
Rushing things could backfire, tarnishing his name instead.
If a wanted order went out, it might even make setting foot on the central continent impossible.
Should he pursue the truth?
Should he risk his life?
It was a choice harder than any quest.
"Was it Zion Müllenga who tended to you?"
The demon shook his head at Woojin's question.
[I don't know who that is. The one who fed me never spoke.]
"I see."
Grip—.
Woojin slowly raised his sword.
"Then I'll check myself."
Clang——!!
He sliced through the chains around the demon's neck with his blade.
"Sniff out the scent or whatever."
Then Woojin grabbed the demon's head, yanked it back, and growled sharply.
"Fail, and you die."
"Hurry it up!!"
"Stop shoving! Can't you see everyone's waiting?"
"Everyone, please calm down and wait your turn!! Authorized raid parties with kingdom permits can enter immediately without waiting!!"
The entrance to the temporary portal to Torn Bach was swarming with people.
"Whoa... there are so many people."
The Red Tower mages, selected and sent there, were stunned by the crowds upon arriving at the portal station.
"Temporary portals aren't well-managed... so they can only transport a limited number at a time."
"Wish the Red Tower had its own portal."
Kim Chan adjusted his robe as he spoke.
"Can't be helped. Portals are an alchemist business."
"So annoyingly realistic. Not every city has one... traveling's such a hassle."
"It's not realism; this is reality, too."
"Still, it's way better now. Back in the early days, there weren't even portals, so getting to hunting grounds was a nightmare."
"With this crowd... can we even make it there today?"
Kern, the mid-level mage leading the support team, scoffed at the remark.
"Make it where? We're just killing time here until the event ends, then heading back."
"...Pardon?"
"You saw the news from Game Station, right? Even the knight orders from the five kingdoms got wiped out. Going now would just burn EXP."
"But..."
Kim Chan hesitated at Kern's words.
"Then why are all these people clamoring to go to Torn Bach?"
"Look closely. See what they're wearing."
Now that he noticed, unlike their geared-up group, the portal crowd was in basic clothes.
"They ditch their gear to go."
"Why?"
"To pick up drop items, duh. Think about it—top raid parties and knight orders wiped out? Fields full of loot."
"Ah..."
Kim Chan realized just how varied the ways people eyed the battlefield could be.
"The seniors approved it. Red Tower waits here till event ends due to portal users. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"There are level 50 hunting grounds nearby, so hunt there instead of slacking."
"Senior, can I go to Torn Bach personally?"
"What, you wanna loot some too?"
"Heh."
One of the mages scratched his head while listening to Kern.
"Go if you want. But ditch the robe. And if solo trouble happens, you're on your own."
"Got it!"
"Dismissed."
Kern waved lazily, annoyed, and headed to an inn.
"Uncle! Hurry! Hurry!!"
"Yeah, yeah, coming. Hold on... let me through!!"
That's when it happened.
Amid the dispersing mages, a familiar voice reached the hesitating Kim Chan.
A dwarf pushing through the crowd.
"...Gareth?"
Kim Chan stared at him.
"Charge!!"
Rooooar———!!!
Roaaar——!!!
[Grrr...!!]
The knights hurled harpoons at the fallen black dragon.
Whoosh...
The knights yanked with all their might on the harpoons tangled in its wings and tail.
[You bastards... what have you done!!]
Bensina cried out in agony, but the knights seemed deaf to his voice.
"Attack!!!"
Stab—!! Thrust—!!!
Crack—!!
The knights' spears and swords pierced Bensina's hide.
[Kraaaagh...!!!]
He thrashed in pain, but the more he did, the deeper the harpoons dug.
'We can win this.'
Watching the black dragon falter, the knights' battle spirit burned hotter.
"Die...!!"
"Die...!!"
[Can't use magic... what did you do?]
Bensina snarled at Zion.
"No idea what you're on about. Losing now, so making excuses? Even dragons are just beasts."
[Shut up...!!]
Whoosh...!!
Bensina bared his fangs at Zion but couldn't budge, pinned by the floor-anchored harpoons.
"Everyone, stop."
Boom———!!!
That's when it happened.
"...?!"
"Watch out!"
Knights rushed to block the sword flying at Zion.
"...Who are you!!!"
Duran shouted, and Woojin emerged through the mist.
"The situation's changed."
Thud—!!
Woojin tossed something before them.
[This is...]
The moment they saw it, not just Bensina but everyone there recoiled in shock.
"A-a demon...?!"
"Why is that abomination here...!!"
'From the knights' reactions, they don't know about it.'
[Grrk... grrk...]
The bound demon writhed, as if even the dim, mist-filtered sunlight offended it.
[Kek...!!]
Woojin dragged the legless demon straight to Zion.
"Is this the one who fed you?"
"W-what are you talking about! What are you idiots doing!! Kill that demon now!!!"
Zion yelled desperately.
But in that instant, Woojin shoved the demon's head into Zion's chest.
"...Gah!!"
Zion, high-level but physically weak, couldn't dodge and fell flat on his ass.
"Lord Zion!!!!"
"You bastard...!! How dare you...!!!"
As the knights charged at Woojin,
[This scent...! This sweet mana wood aroma... Yes, it's him!!]
The demon thrashed and shouted.
"W-what...!!"
Zion panicked and shoved the demon from his chest.
"Found it in the Müllenga family basement."
"...!!"
The knights blocking Woojin froze at his words.
"What should I call you?"
He bent down toward the fallen Zion.
"No mana, so not a black mage... How about this?"
Woojin ground his teeth and spat at Zion.
"You devil-worshipping bastard."