Darkness Keeper (6)
Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is pleased by your prayer!
You have received 500 Coins as sponsorship.
The Absolute Good constellations are pleased by your prayer!
You have received 500 Coins as sponsorship.
“Oh! Sponsorship!”
“I don’t think sponsorship is what matters right now, Jinwoo-ssi.”
I was delighted that the Absolute Good constellations were tossing me coins just for saying Amen once in prayer. Kim Dokja slipped quietly over to my side, out of the Darkness Keeper’s line of sight, and spoke to me.
“Huh? That thing’s top priority target is Dokja-ssi anyway, so I should be fine.”
“You little shit…?”
Veins stood out on Kim Dokja’s neck at my words. She glared at me with a murderous look and muttered a low curse under her breath.
While the two of us were talking, the Darkness Keeper—still clutching the tentacle Kim Dokja had torn off and sniffling—slowly straightened its posture.
“Kaliduuu!!”
Whoosh!
The Darkness Keeper locked eyes full of pure hatred and rage on Kim Dokja and roared. The tentacles sprouting from its back writhed and surged, then slammed down toward her in the blink of an eye.
“Kh…!”
Kim Dokja reflexively raised her spear and barely managed to block the descending tentacle. Watching the Darkness Keeper obsessively focus every attack on her alone, I quickly backed away.
“Dokja-ssi…!”
Yoo Sangah, who had been looking after Han Myungoh nearby, called Kim Dokja’s name in a worried voice as she watched her take the hits.
“Kalidu—!”
The Darkness Keeper glared at the woman who had blocked its strike and drove the rest of its back tentacles forward, pressing her hard.
“Khuh…!”
Kim Dokja was doing everything she could to fend them off, but the shape of the Ground Rat Spear was already starting to warp under the assault.
Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh! Crack! Crunch!
Ugly sounds began to come from the Ground Rat Spear under the Darkness Keeper’s rapid strikes. After only a few consecutive hits, creaking noises and visible cracks spread across the weapon.
Purchasing ‘Skill Book: Rapid Fire’ from the Dokkaebi Bag.
1,000 Coins have been consumed.
Purchasing ‘Skill Book: Agile Footwork’ from the Dokkaebi Bag.
1,000 Coins have been consumed.
“Ha… my precious blood-like coins… Skill Book use.”
Using ‘Skill Book: Rapid Fire’.
Skill, Rapid Fire Lv.1 has been acquired.
Using ‘Skill Book: Agile Footwork’.
Skill, Agile Footwork Lv.1 has been acquired.
While Kim Dokja bought a little time against the Darkness Keeper, I finished preparing to hunt it by purchasing skills from the Dokkaebi Bag.
“Enchant.”
Exclusive skill ‘Enchant’ has activated!
The attributes currently available for Exclusive skill ‘Enchant’ are four: Flame, Frost, Holy, and Darkness.
“Holy Enchant on the Glock 19. And activate Rapid Fire and Agile Footwork.”
Temporary Holy attribute has been granted to the Glock 19.
Exclusive skill ‘Rapid Fire’ has activated!
Exclusive skill ‘Agile Footwork’ has activated!
Preparations complete for hunting the demon species in front of me, I lowered my stance, aimed the muzzle at the Darkness Keeper’s tentacles, and waited for the perfect timing.
Crack!
“Kihit!”
The Ground Rat Spear in Kim Dokja’s hands finally shattered under the Darkness Keeper’s attack. The creature sneered at the now-weaponless, empty-handed Kim Dokja.
Now…!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Gyaaaaaaah!!”
Sizzle!
Three Holy-enchanted bullets punched into the Darkness Keeper’s tentacles. The smell of burning meat and the crackling sound of tentacles roasting filled the air, and soon the tentacles withered, shriveled, and dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
The Darkness Keeper howled in even greater agony than when Kim Dokja had torn its tentacles off.
“With this, you’ve been castrated again. What a pitiful bastard… going through something most people never experience even once, twice in a row.”
Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ praises you, saying you did well!
Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ tells you to completely castrate that damn demon species in front of you!
Apparently the Demon-like Judge of Fire liked the sight of the Darkness Keeper getting castrated again by a Holy attribute attack, because she sent a message telling me to finish the job completely. What a terrifying Constellation.
“You sure helped out fast, Jinwoo-ssi?”
“I still helped at a good timing, didn’t I? Cut me some slack for that, Dokja-ssi.”
I answered her with a shameless grin. Kim Dokja’s face crumpled, and she shot me a sharp glare. Then she let out a long sigh and shouted into the empty air.
“Dokkaebi! You’re watching, right?!”
【U-Uuut. Y-You knew?】
At Kim Dokja’s voice, a Dokkaebi appeared from the darkness in a burst of bright light. It seemed quite surprised that she had noticed it was hiding.
“There should be a package that arrived for me around now. Hand it over quickly.”
【Heheh, th-that’s not my jurisdiction. Th-That’s Bihyung’s job.】
The Dokkaebi snickered at her words and tried to dodge by saying it was Bihyung’s responsibility, clearly unwilling to give her the package. Kim Dokja’s eyes sharpened as she protested.
“You’re the one filling in for Bihyung right now. Can’t you see the Constellations fretting?”
Constellation, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ is pressuring Dokkaebi ‘Biryu’!
Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ is threatening Dokkaebi ‘Biryu’!
As if answering Kim Dokja, the Constellations flooded the air with messages pressuring Dokkaebi Biryu. Biryu gulped at the messages appearing right in front of its face.
【F-Fine. But j-just this once. I’m only doing it because it looks fun!】
The Dokkaebi muttered something into the air, and Broken Faith appeared in Kim Dokja’s right hand.
“Kit.”
Still writhing from its latest castration, the Darkness Keeper forced itself upright through the pain. When it turned its head and saw the item in Kim Dokja’s hand, it let out a mocking laugh.
【Kikikik, y-you think you can fight with that? Th-That’s broken, and y-you can’t even use it without a really special skill.】
Dokkaebi Biryu also snickered from the air at the sight of Kim Dokja holding a half-broken, rusty old blade.
“You’re the one who just got castrated, so what are you laughing at? You’re the most pitiful one here right now…”
“……………”
I threw a jab at the Darkness Keeper that was looking down and sneering at Kim Dokja. The smile vanished from its face, and it glared at me as if it wanted me dead.
“What? What are you staring at? Want me to castrate the remaining six tentacles too? The Archangel said she wants you completely castrated. Should I do it? Free of charge if you want.”
“Guuuuuu…….”
The moment I mentioned that the Archangel wanted its complete castration, the Darkness Keeper trembled in fear. The sight was almost pitiful.
“Could you… shut up a little, Jinwoo-ssi. I need to concentrate…”
Kim Dokja lightly scolded the noisy Park Jinwoo beside her, then slowly took a deep breath and focused her mind.
Huuuuum.
As Kim Dokja closed both eyes and concentrated, Broken Faith began to tremble violently. Seeing that, Biryu cried out in shock.
【Uuut? C-Could it be?! H-How?!】
A blue-white ether slowly began to coil around the surface of the broken blade in Kim Dokja’s grip.
Incarnation ‘Kim Dokja’ activates exclusive skill ‘White Pure Demonic Energy’!
‘Broken Faith’ reacts to Incarnation ‘Kim Dokja’’s magic power!
‘Blade of Faith’ has activated!
“Huu… Jinwoo-ssi, could I ask you to cover me?”
“Of course. Just look forward and run.”
“Then I’ll trust you and go!”
Kim Dokja raised the Broken Faith now blazing with Blade of Faith, glanced back at me standing behind her, and asked for cover.
I smiled and nodded readily. Seeing my nod, Kim Dokja charged at full speed toward the flustered Darkness Keeper.
“Gyaaaaaaah!!!”
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Sensing a threat to its life from the Kim Dokja who had activated Blade of Faith, the Darkness Keeper screamed in a trembling voice and launched every last tentacle at her.
Huuuuum!
Kim Dokja calmly watched the countless tentacles flying to kill her and swung her sword. The tentacles that touched the blade were cleanly severed.
“Kiaaaaaah!!”
‘Darkness Keeper’ begs the Demon King it serves to grant it power!
As its tentacles were sliced away so easily, the Darkness Keeper let out a horrific scream, pulled the remaining tentacles back, and stretched both hands toward the empty air. The same black haze I had seen earlier began to form around it again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Gwaaaaaah! Kaliduuu!!”
Sensing something was wrong, I fired at the Darkness Keeper’s eyes. Two bullets missed in my haste, but luckily the last one punched cleanly into its eye. The creature screamed and clapped both hands over the eye that now had a bullet lodged in it.
“Huu… I don’t know what it was trying to do, but I stopped it for now?”
As the Darkness Keeper’s stance collapsed, the black haze swirling around its body thankfully vanished.
“Well done, Jinwoo-ssi!”
“……! Kuaaaaaah!”
Kim Dokja swung Broken Faith at the Darkness Keeper, which now had a huge opening from the bullet in its eye. The creature finally noticed her right in front of its nose and tried to move its tentacles with a great scream, but Kim Dokja’s attack was faster.
Slash!
“Kar. Mien. Dero.”
“H-How… all my attacks…?”
Its body deeply cut by Kim Dokja, the Darkness Keeper collapsed to the floor, staring at her with a trembling voice and muttering something. Yoo Sangah, who seemed to have understood its words from behind, translated for us.
“Just… read a lot of books normally.”
“That’s bullshit, Dokja-ssi…. Who the hell beats a demon species just by reading some books?”
“Ahem…! I-Is that so?”
When I shot back with an incredulous look at Kim Dokja’s casual answer, she turned her head away with an awkward expression.