117. Village Resident Recruitment #5
Elris's chat caught my eye. The crow-like monster that had appeared before us. Elris called it the Blazing Demon King.
I also knew about the Blazing Demon King. I hadn't remembered it until Elris mentioned it, but hearing the epithet brought up information buried deep in my memories.
Blazing Demon King. An S-grade monster, species name Sand Raven. Naturally, I'd never seen one in person. It was a creature whose detailed info and illustration were in the monster compendium.
I must not have recalled it immediately because I'd only seen the picture.
Anyway. Unlike other monsters, Sand Raven didn't require deep caution. Its info was detailed in the compendium.
According to the records, Sand Raven, unlike Curse Devil Gentleman, left no death curse or tricky variables upon dying.
Of course. That didn't mean I planned to step up myself. My role was Helper Trait. Not a frontline position.
Unless I was seething with hatred I couldn't contain, or my body itched for a fight, or circumstances forced me, I intended to watch all battles from the rear.
"Azeras. Want to take that one? You haven't fought lately, so loosen up a bit."
"Understood."
"Tame it for a village resident, so don't kill it."
"Of course. I'll subdue it appropriately."
"Oh, and from what I know, it's a monster with no variables, so no special precautions needed... but maybe this individual has its own tricks, so don't get too cocky."
"Worry not. I always approach battle seriously. No room for carelessness."
I didn't know why Azeras was suddenly speaking fluently. Just this morning, her intelligence seemed boosted out of nowhere. Maybe Melody Fox's buff. Or from knitting to build focus. The exact cause was unknown.
Anyway. Azeras stepped forward to face Sand Raven, lightly loosening her new mechanical arm.
Sand Raven stared blankly at her, shaking its head wildly. [Kaaak?Kaaak?]
Not sizing up the opponent—just meaningless behavior.
Azeras and Sand Raven faced off. Sand Raven moved first.
[Kaaak!] Flap!
Sand Raven cried out and spread its massive wings. It beat them hard, trying to lift its bulky body into the sky, whipping up the surrounding sand fiercely.
[Kaaak, kaaaak!]
Slowly, its body lifted off the ground. Wings beat even harder to overcome the weight.
It seemed about to take flight. Then...
[Kaaak...!]
Soon after, its movements grew unstable, wingbeats faltering badly.
[Kaaaaak!!!]
The unbalanced bulk succumbed to gravity, crashing to the ground in an instant.
Thud-!
Dull impact. Sand sprayed up. Sand Raven lay helplessly, perhaps embarrassed.
Azeras looked down coldly. Sand Raven shuddered, then roughly pushed up using the ground.
And. [Kaaak, kaaaak!!!] Grimacing fiercely. It roared at Azeras in front, furious.
Seemed a bit dim-witted.
"Quiet. Don't bark."
Azeras elegantly extended her hand. Two fingers lightly touched Sand Raven's abdomen.
"Heavenly Martial Path Basic Form, Divine Spirit Rebuke."
With that light contact.
Bam-!
Sand Raven shot back like cannon-fired, soaring through the air to crash far away.
The sand dust cleared slowly.
[Kaaaak......]
Sand Raven groaned in pain, slowly rising.
"Not knocked out. Guess I held back too much."
[...Kaaak, kaaaak!!!]
Despite sensing the gap, Sand Raven showed no fear. Spirited? Or just stupid?
[Kaaaaak!]
It spread wings again. Sand around surged up, changing color.
Corrupted by ominous darkness, the grains turned black.
"I know."
Black sand that absorbs life. Touch it, and you're mummified instantly—read that in the compendium.
Of course, useless against us.
Besides, Sand Raven had no chance to use it.
"Knock out nicely."
[...Kaaak?]
It was already flanked by Azeras.
Once more. Azeras's fingers touched.
Boom-!
This time, launched sky-high.
Aerial Sand Raven screamed, then [Kaaaak!!! I'm flying! I'm finally flying!!!]
Crash!
Crashed and knocked out.
For some reason, unconscious Sand Raven looked blissful.
"Weird guy..."
[Sruung.]
Muttering as I approached with Black Magma Slime, I paused.
The black sand it made. Still floating, not dissipated.
"It's out cold, why's this lingering?"
Black sand wouldn't affect me much. Sand Raven was B-grade now; my body A-grade level.
Still, touching it felt off.
"I'll remove it."
As I frowned, Azeras trotted up.
"Step back. Dangerous."
[Sruung...]
She extended both arms. Dark matter leaked from them, instantly sucking in the corrupting darkness.
Dark Matter. Absorbs any darkness regardless of type.
Amplifies stored darkness endlessly, destroying friend or foe alike.
Insane destructive power, so I told her to restrain its use.
Too dangerous to handle casually.
Of course, fine here.
"Thanks. But Azeras, remember I said handle that power carefully?"
"I know. Used just a tiny bit."
"Good. One slip, and it could endanger us—or you. No real combat until perfect control."
"Noted."
[Sruung...]
I thanked Azeras, then with Kinogine Arachne and Puppet Master, approached the fainted Sand Raven.
Bound it tight with incapacitation thread, applied mind control.
Worked even unconscious. Taming too.
"No. I said I'd do it today. Kentaurides, rest up—no drawing."
Taming Sand Raven finished quickly. Loaded the still-out guy on Giant Caterpillar, continued scouting while working on the compendium in spare moments.
◈ Ability: Black Sand