Like Ink Stained Upon the Soul
The moment the tendril wrapped around his wrist, Rune’s darkness surged forth and seized the demonic energy in return.
It was a masterful counter.
Thanks to that, the demonic energy that had tried to burrow into Rune’s wrist was instead ensnared by the darkness.
The two opposing forces tangled like a tug-of-war.
‘Well, well.’
Rune let out a soft chuckle.
Even though he had defended himself, the demonic energy kept looking for any opening to pierce into him.
It would strike fiercely one moment, then teasingly stroke his nerves the next.
If Rune hadn’t been so skilled at handling power, he would have been infected instantly.
‘If I were an ordinary hatchling, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.’
Pop!
Rune activated his Dragon Skin to endure the pressure and yanked his wrist back.
Seeing this, flames erupted in Perdikion’s hand.
“How dare you touch my little brother, you bastard!”
His eyes flashed with murderous intent.
Flames rose from the hands of the young heir to the fire dragon clan.
Whoosh!
A hand wreathed in pure flame grabbed the strand of demonic energy connected to Rune.
Just as he tried to ignite the other hand and strike the pillar from which the demonic energy sprouted—
Slash!
“!”
The demonic energy coiled around Perdikion’s hand and stopped him cold.
Perdikion bared his teeth and intensified the flames even more.
‘This is getting dangerous.’
Perdikion was still a hatchling of the fire clan who hadn’t even completed his First Name yet. A direct clash with demonic energy would be harmful.
Yet his face twisted with savage fury as he snarled.
“You think I would ever submit to the likes of a demon?!”
Fwoooosh!
He began burning the demonic energy with the full power of his fire authority.
As fierce sparks flew, Rune thought to himself.
‘Forget the demonic energy—at this rate the World Tree is going to burn.’
Considering he was still a hatchling, Perdikion’s flames were remarkably powerful.
The problem was that they were so strong they threatened to incinerate the World Tree itself.
But if Rune told him to pull back now, Perdikion might get hurt by the demonic energy.
‘I knew the demon would reach out eventually… but I have no choice.’
Having made his decision, Rune grabbed Perdikion’s hand and wrapped the area in darkness.
“! My vision—?!”
Before the startled Perdikion could say another word, dozens of demonic tendrils coiled around them both.
When he forced his tightly shut eyes open, they were inside what looked like a rotting, mold-covered wooden cavern.
Turning around, he saw the elven capital far below, veiled beyond a layer of cloud-like mist.
Beyond that stretched plains, small villages, and rivers.
Whoooosh—
A wild, unrestrained wind carrying the scent of desert sand swept past.
“This place… it must be inside the World Tree,” Perdikion muttered.
Rune nodded in agreement.
Perdikion quickly scanned their surroundings and spoke again.
“Damn it. There’s a barrier set up around us.”
“Can you break through it?”
In response to Rune’s question, Perdikion created a ball of fire and hurled it.
Thud!
The flame struck an invisible wall and fizzled out.
Rune, who had also tried using teleportation magic, spoke up.
“Teleportation magic doesn’t work either.”
Having sensed the demonic energy, Rune realized Christina’s return stone would be difficult to use as well.
That was when they felt a presence.
Both of them turned their gazes inward at the same time.
“Rune, be careful.”
“Yeah.”
A sword radiating unmistakably evil demonic energy.
And gripping it was a single thick, brutally torn-off monster arm.
More precisely, the arm holding the sword was floating in midair.
At the horrifying sight, Perdikion frowned deeply.
He summoned flames in his hand, ready to attack at any moment.
At that instant, a vibrating hum echoed, followed by words.
A translucent figure gradually materialized from the demon’s severed arm.
It was an elderly elf with long ears and a crown, his eyes closed.
Rune immediately recognized the face from the portrait he had seen in the castle—it was the Elf King.
Of course, it couldn’t possibly be the real Elf King. Rune answered calmly.
“Those are bold words coming from a kidnapper who lures children with a false appearance.”
Both Rune and Perdikion instinctively knew this was the High Demon of Lust and Indulgence—Lepanon.
He flashed a spine-chilling smile.
For a brief moment, an ominous aura so thick it made both Rune and Perdikion flinch swept over them.
A moment later, Lepanon—wearing the Elf King’s face—muttered no, no, not yet and suppressed his sinister killing intent.
‘So that’s a demon.’
The first time facing a demon so vividly, the sheer malevolence was overwhelming.
It was malice mixed with the most dreadful poison and wickedness imaginable.
Like the most heinous sin, neither fully alive nor dead, clumped into a single mass.
‘It’s even more horrifying than what I read in Christina’s transmitted knowledge.’
Seeing it in person filled him with nothing but disgust.
“Brother.”
“?”
Rune quickly tossed a lemon candy to Perdikion.
Catching it reflexively, Perdikion gave him a puzzled look.
“It’s a candy infused with Christina’s power of light.”
“Thanks, Rune.”
Perdikion, who had been about to charge forward and grab the demon by the throat, popped the candy into his mouth.
Rune also tossed a milk-flavored candy into his own mouth. Seeing this, Lepanon let out a low, creepy chuckle.
Perdikion, who had momentarily lost his words, barely held back his rage and spat out.
“If you have business with us, say it quickly and get lost. Or just send us away right now.”
Unlike moments before, Perdikion didn’t rush in. Instead, he kept his guard up and glared at the demon.
Rune spoke up.
“That form… you devoured the Elf King, didn’t you?”
“Hoo.”
In that instant, the Elf King’s figure flickered with a second set of eyes.
A chill ran down both Rune’s and Perdikion’s spines.
Crimson pupils with black sclera brimming with ominous power.
Lepanon, now fully revealing the demon’s malevolent eyes through the Elf King’s face, stared at Rune.
Lepanon licked his lips.
Recalling something, Lepanon hummed slowly.
His voice, enough to make one’s hair stand on end, echoed through the wooden cavern.
A sinister laugh shook the wooden cavern.
“You didn’t just take his soul, did you?”
At Rune’s words, Lepanon asked back.
Rune voiced what he had already guessed.
“The Seal of the Forest.”
Lepanon let out another impressed hum, as if acknowledging Rune’s insight, and fixed his gaze on him.
Perdikion immediately showed open hostility.
“Get those filthy eyes off him. It’s disgusting.”
But in response, Lepanon only spread his ominous demonic energy further.
His crimson pupils turned toward Perdikion, and his head twisted at an unnatural angle.
Lepanon licked his lips while staring at Perdikion.
“That damn demon bastard…!”
Seeing his brother’s temper finally explode, Rune inwardly shook his head.
‘What are you doing falling for his provocation?’
Even though he had made him eat Christina’s candy, their compatibility was simply too poor.
The longer this dragged on, the worse it would get. Sensing that, Rune gathered darkness into his hand.
“You stopped trying to draw blood from the arm to corrupt it. Why? I doubt one Elf King was enough to satisfy you.”
Far from being displeased that his intention had been seen through, Lepanon’s second set of eyes gleamed with interest.
Grin.
With a sickening smile, Lepanon raised a leaf at his fingertips.
Soon, a portion of verdant power was revealed.
The pulsating resonance of growth appeared—the green Seal of the Forest.
It looked horribly out of place, yet at the same time, perfectly fitting.
In response, Perdikion roared.
“Lies! There’s no way a demon could wield a dragon’s authority!”
Instead of answering, Lepanon lifted his head with a torn smile.
“Brother, that guy ate the Elf King’s soul.”
At Rune’s words, the wooden cavern writhed as if in praise.
His ominous premonition had been correct.
Crack.
Crunch. Creak!
From the cavern, countless tree roots and branches sprouted and aimed at Rune and Perdikion.
No—more accurately, they circled them teasingly, stabbing sharply as if toying with them.
‘He’s playing with us.’
It was like poking at a bird trapped in a cage, enjoying its reactions.
The moment their strength gave out, those eyes said they would discard them without mercy.
Rune swallowed a sigh.
‘Of all the wicked beings, we had to run into one you absolutely cannot fight recklessly.’
If they could kill him, they should do it immediately. But rushing in driven by bloodlust was exactly what Lepanon wanted.
Rune took a deep breath to steady himself.
‘The more we talk, the more we’ll get caught in his rhythm. First, I need to figure out what he desires.’
After he had eaten the mandragora and fallen ill, the Green Dragon Lize had given him the power of the forest along with medicinal herbs.
Since then, having used it to heal himself without fully digesting it, the power of the forest still lingered inside Rune’s body.
Using that power, he examined the World Tree.
‘!’
And the moment he felt the World Tree’s agony, he gasped.
Startled, Perdikion quickly checked on him.
“Rune! Are you okay?”
When his one and only little brother suddenly turned pale, flames sparked in Perdikion’s eyes.
His gaze locked onto Lepanon.
“What the hell did you do to my brother?!”
Before Perdikion, now wrapped in blazing magical flames, could completely lose control—
Rune hurriedly grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
“…No. I’m fine, brother.”
At that, Lepanon spoke with clear disappointment.
The hand holding the demonic sword drew a lazy X in the air as if bored.
But at Rune’s next words, its movement froze completely.
“You can’t properly use either the World Tree or the Seal of the Forest, can you?”
For the first time, surprise appeared on the demon’s face.
One corner of his mouth twisted slightly, as if he had discovered something enjoyable.
With no intention of hiding it, Rune answered.
“I read a little of the World Tree’s memories.”
What flashed in Lepanon’s eyes was faint ecstasy.
It was the gaze of a predator who had finally found prey he truly wanted to indulge in after a long time.
His blood-red crimson eyes curved like a crescent moon.
If not for the ominous undertone and power, the tone might have sounded almost affectionate.
In stark contrast, a sinister aura filled the space.
Instinctively sensing danger, Perdikion summoned his sword.
He stepped one pace ahead of Rune and assumed a drawing stance, ready to cut the demon down in a single strike if necessary.
‘This is dangerous.’
Feeling the killing intent, cold sweat formed on Rune’s forehead as well.
He wasn’t even in his true form, and yet after taking damage from Christina, he was still this powerful.
Rune was beginning to truly understand just how dangerous a high-ranking demon could be.
His mouth went completely dry.
Part of it was from directly feeling the World Tree’s pain, and part of it was from the demon’s repulsive killing intent and oppressive presence.
Yet Rune smiled leisurely.
“I owed the forest clan a debt some time ago. They gave me a bit of their power then.”
The demon’s eyes twitched.
His body trembled with satisfaction and aesthetic pleasure.
As if looking at the most lovable thing in the world.
Or as if he had discovered a rare ornament, his eyes flickered with an ominous, ecstatic gleam.
Lepanon fixed a sticky gaze on Rune.
Like ink stained upon the soul.