Chapter 82
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Command
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"Kuhuhu... If only I can complete the Curse Soldiers..."
The owner of the dungeon "Garden of Curses," Aleph. He had been born deformed. Skin twisted hideously as if burned. A spine protruding sharply. And two legs of mismatched sizes.
His race was even the Balrogs, called an innate battle race. Among the Balrogs—who valued strength above all more than any other demons—Aleph, born with a body unfit for combat, was truly an object of scorn.
Having endured contempt from his own kind, the place where Aleph turned his gaze was toward the half-breeds, who were discriminated against simply for having human blood mixed in, despite not being deformed.
"...Filthy scum. Creatures born under a curse...!"
They say people find comfort by looking at those beneath them. Aleph, despised by his kin due to his innate deformity, took solace in the half-breeds who were similarly—or sometimes even more—despised than himself. And in turn, he began to scorn and despise them even more than others did.
One day, while living like that, Aleph chanced upon a magic tome containing basic curse magic knowledge. For him—who had been born deformed, constantly scorned by others, and harbored that hatred to pour onto them—curses that exploited karma were a perfect match.
Aleph mastered basic curse magic at an astonishing speed. Using it as a foundation, he endlessly collected knowledge of other curses from fellow demons or ruins, learning new ones.
During this time, just like always while scouring ancient myth-era ruins, something different from a ruin appeared before Aleph.
"D-Dungeon Core...?"
While searching the southern continent for ruins, a massive human operation to subjugate the demon realm began. One of the new dungeon cores that emerged to replace the collapsed dungeons appeared before him and chose him.
And as if the heavens themselves were aiding him, around the same time, he discovered a ruin containing myth-era knowledge. One that held information on a lost curse from the past, no less.
"Curse Soldiers...?"
Soldiers made through curses. The worst sorcery and curse, requiring hundreds of the same kin to be ground into one soldier. But the moment he encountered that curse's knowledge, Aleph was captivated by the Curse Soldiers.
He immediately welcomed unaffiliated demons who came drawn by rumors of the new dungeon. And to those rejoicing at becoming part of the dungeon, he applied the curse for the first time.
"This is it... this is it!!"
The power of the Curse Soldiers he created was beyond imagination. Combined with the immense power granted by the dungeon core and their abilities as Curse Soldiers, even the most ordinary weak demons could overwhelm average high demons.
Amazed by the Curse Soldiers' might, Aleph steadily increased their numbers. After the war with humans, demons scattered and lived apart, making them easy to find. And there were plenty willing to join a dungeon that accepted them, so securing demons to serve as vessels for Curse Soldiers wasn't difficult.
Then, one day, a group of half-breeds arrived at his dungeon.
"Great Dungeon Master... please accept us."
Discriminated against by both humans and demons, they had chosen his dungeon as a last resort. Hoping perhaps to meet a merciful Dungeon Master who might accept half-breeds like them, they gambled and headed to Aleph's dungeon—which at the time welcomed any demon race.
"Ptooey. You lowly, filthy scum...!!"
When a horde of half-breeds appeared before Aleph—who had lived venting his inferiority from his deformity onto them—he couldn't hold back his disgust and immediately cursed a young girl among them.
He had no intention of using her properly as a soldier. It was merely a choice to toy with and kill the half-breeds he hated most in the worst way.
"■...■■ what? Why us?"
"Wh-What are you doing?"
"M-My body...!"
"....Hoo?"
And the result was beyond imagination. Even though he had just applied the Curse Soldier curse, the half-breed fully accepted its power and was strong enough to massacre all the other half-breeds on the spot.
"Kuhuhu... yes. I've had a good idea."
Seeing the potential for half-demon demons to be superior vessels for Curse Soldiers beyond his expectations, Aleph made that half-breed girl his dungeon's minion. Then, as was well-known, he went around to other southern demons and claimed tribute of all the half-breeds in the south.
In the process, for fun or to vent anger, he personally killed half-breeds unfit as materials.
"Kill them. With your own hands."
"Ah.... ugh...."
"Puhahaha! Hunting your own kin with your own hands!"
And in one corner of his dungeon, he forced the cursed girl to move, making her slender hands kill other half-breeds. Sneering as if it were amusing.
Eliminating the half-breeds he hated while creating the ultimate Curse Soldiers... wasn't it perfect?
As the half-breeds died off, the ego of the half-breed girl serving as the vessel faded. Around the time she even forgot her own name and her emotions dulled, Aleph used a magic tome to forcibly inject magical knowledge into the void in her mind.
In hopes of creating the ultimate Curse Soldier capable of using magic.
And...
"...So you received that command, came here, and the moment my [Robot Vacuum Cleaner]... I mean, this object attached itself, your mind cleared and your forgotten memories returned?"
"Yes.... n-now that you've heard everything, get off me! I might kill you again anytime..."
"........."
I frowned as I recalled the past the captured half-demon girl had told me.
'...Shouldn't have listened.'
It all started because I got curious after hearing the half-breed say she didn't want to kill or die. The woman locked in the cell kept crying and trying to flee, so I deliberately approached close, showed her my black hair, and pressed her. She kept apologizing profusely to someone, saying she was sorry, and spilled her entire story.
"How dare... how dare they! Use a curse forbidden by that one...!"
And Erzsebet, who had heard it all beside me, was fuming with rage. That one?
"Who do you mean by 'that one'?"
"......I don't know, master. I just remember... that some exalted being forbade that curse."
"Hm."
Was there anyone that haughty Erzsebet would call 'that one'? Whatever, not important now.
"At least I got the dungeons' locations."
It left a dirty taste, but among the info the half-demon spilled, there was what I wanted. Dungeon merchants who handled all kinds of info wouldn't talk about other dungeons, so even though I'd been grinding my teeth since the bugs invaded before, I hadn't pinpointed their locations...
"M-Master... I-I got info from the other demons too."
Just in time, Lilith—with her dream manipulation and cheat-level charm—had extracted plenty from the other captives. No one could match her in interrogation.
The number of demons in the alliance, each dungeon's location, and even more detailed enemy abilities than what we'd heard from the elves...
"Hoo. These bastards..."
When the enemies invaded while Dry and Lil were out, my heart sank. But as they say, crisis turns to opportunity. Thanks to Dry and Lil's unexpected heroics, our ruins took zero damage, and we'd subdued all the foes. Now was the perfect chance to crush that dogshit alliance.
"They've lost a good chunk of forces and haven't reported back yet, so they won't expect us striking first."
Conversely, we'd gained a ton of their intel, putting us in a huge advantage. I'd been biding my time to hit back ever since the bugs came before, and now the best opportunity had fallen into our laps unexpectedly.
"Tch. Still, can't leave the place empty, and can't attack all three dungeons... Contact Cradle of the Forest for some elf support, then lead with the strongest, Erzsebet... No, maybe leave Erzsebet here to guard the ruins..."
"Master. What are you fretting over so much?"
"Can't just sit and take hits, so I'm planning a counterattack. Gotta select who stays to defend the dungeon and who goes to attack..."
"Is there any need to select?"
"What?"
Unable to miss this counterattack chance, I was picking assault teams and targets when Erzsebet spoke with a meaningful smile.
"Just leave it to me. I'm more than enough alone."
".....You alone?"
I stared at Erzsebet as if questioning her seriousness, and she nodded readily.
"...Erzsebet. Confidence is good, but right now be rational..."
"I'm plenty rational, master. Combining the prisoners' info and what we heard from the elves, we can gauge the enemy's rough forces. Sure, there might be surprises... but even accounting for every possibility, I say my power alone is sufficient."
So no need to form other teams—just send her alone, she declared proudly.
'I know Erzsebet's strong, but...'
Could she smash the alliance's full might solo? Hard to say. They didn't seem like pushovers...
"Master. I struggled against those so-called heroes due to their unpredictable abilities alone. Ordinary demons with just slightly superior powers are no match for me."
"Still..."
"No need to worry. All you need to do is one thing."
-Flutter!!
With that, Erzsebet drew out wings made of blood. The blood wings she always summoned when preparing for battle.
But something was different from usual. Not the single pair for light flight, but three pairs—far redder and larger than before. And the attire covering her slowly transformed.
Her thin garb, straddling nightwear and dress, gradually shifted into a beautiful form blending armor and gown. With scarlet eyes redder than ever, Erzsebet smiled and said,
"Just command me to annihilate your enemies."
"Erzsebet. You..."
"A leader commands their subordinate with trust. That is what one who leads must do."
Overwhelmed momentarily by Erzsebet's imposing presence—unlike her usual frail demeanor—she asked seductively,
"What shall I do, master?"