Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Demon King Qlus, Descends! #2
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After searching for a good long while, I finally found a decent spot. Of course, even during the search, I was on edge the whole time, scared out of my mind. You never knew when some ferocious beast of a monster might leap out and end me.
This backwater corner of the Middle Realm felt way more dangerous than the Demon Realm—at least from what I could tell. Truth be told, I'd never set foot outside the Bellacru Duchy, so what did I know?
—Rustle.
—Rustle.
Anyway, I got right to work digging my pit shelter.
"Fuck."
But damn it, no shovel again! The only tool I had was this hand axe! I did pack a shovel, but it was stuck in my backpack—too big to carry in my inventory. Honestly, I'd never needed a shovel this badly in my life.
Digging with a hand axe was better than bare hands, at least.
But who the hell fights a war bare-handed? Everyone else has guns, and here I am waging war with a damn hand axe!
"Gahhh...!"
It was insanely exhausting!
But I had no choice. No other hideout in sight. I stripped off my coat, folded it into a pillow, and dug like my life depended on it—which it did.
—Scrape!
—Ssscrape!
"Hoo...!"
Even that was tough. I was all alone. No one to watch my back while I dug. Splitting my attention between digging and scanning for threats was pure hell.
So fucking anxious.
—Thud!
Dig, scan the surroundings. No way I'd get this done efficiently like this. Even focusing solely on digging would've taken forever, let alone with lookout duty on top.
—Flutter!
"Gyaah!"
A scream burst out of me!
"You fucking bird!"
The random flying critters popping out every now and then? I still couldn't get used to them! My heart felt like it was gonna explode...! Seriously! If only I had a minion or two right about now!
Here I was, the so-called Demon King, starting from scratch at spawn point with jack shit to my name.
It sucked so bad.
Anyway.
For several hours.
Trembling with anxiety, drenched in sweat, I kept digging.
"Done...!"
Finally, I succeeded in carving out a decent-sized pit!
"Good."
I could dig deeper, but the sun was setting. In this situation, darkness meant game over. The forest night swallowed all light.
Better to call it here and crawl inside, even if it's cramped. Suck it up for one night. I could expand it tomorrow.
—Whoosh!
No time to bask in the accomplishment. I leaped around gathering long branches and big leaves from nearby to fashion a roof for the pit.
"Complete."
Entry was via jump in theory, but that was impossible, so I just crawled in like normal.
—Squirm.
Felt like a damn snake... Once I squeezed my whole body into that tiny pit.
"...!"
A chill.
A shiver... raced through my entire body!
"Oh, ohhh...!"
Joy nearly exploded out of me—I shoved my fist in my mouth to stifle it! Tears of emotion welled up! Right now! Right now, I was inside my shelter! The relief was overwhelming!
This feeling... like crawling back into Mom's womb!
"This is it."
This right here was my Demon King castle, you bastards.
Everyone starts out like this. Look—I've built a proper castle already. Now it was just a matter of expanding from here. I could do this. I'd found water today and dug this pit, hadn't I?
Just do it.
I can make it happen.
I repeated that to myself nonstop, shoving down the rising anxiety. The thrill of success was short-lived. Soon the outside went pitch black, and the darkness brought even greater terror.
—...
Being a demon meant my night vision was better than a human's.
That was my only comfort.
"Anyway."
My body felt drained. I uncapped my canteen and chugged some water. Ahh... Now I had a water source. A shelter. Tomorrow at dawn, I'd gather firewood. Improve the pit too.
"Demon King my ass. Fucking hell, if I don't die tomorrow, that'll be a miracle."
I miss Kartiya.
No.
Not the time.
I lay down to sleep but immediately sat up. It was so cramped it was unbearable, but I found the least uncomfortable position. Not that... with all this tension and anxiety, I'd fall asleep anytime soon anyway.
"Guess I'll train my Demonic Power then."
I wanted to study black magic from the book, but it was too dark. So the only option was Demonic Power circulation in this meditation pose.
The more you use Demonic Power, the sharper your sense for it becomes. Moving and manipulating it inside your body is the same. That consumes it, then you recover—that's the basics of Demonic Power training.
Repeat enough, and your max capacity grows. Kartiya taught me that, and I'd already seen minor results.
"Hoo..."
I breathed slowly in and out, focusing inward. The pit entrance was well-covered with the lid... Still, I stayed ready to bolt at any moment. Keeping that in mind.
I circulated my Demonic Power.
—...
Demonic Power flowed through my body. I could feel it. And as it moved, the spent power seeped from my skin as faint black mist—barely a wisp.
—Hiss...
That mist filled the cramped pit with an eerie Demonic Power aura. It was so faint, but having it around strangely put me at ease. Was this what it meant to be a demon?
And so, my first day in the Middle Realm came to an end.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So damn sleepy."
I hadn't slept properly from all the anxiety.
Kept imagining some giant hand thrusting in to snap my neck.
And the unidentified roars echoing through the night gnawed at my sanity. There were definitely powerful monsters lurking in this forest—or jungle, whatever it was.
Because of them, I was too scared to live. Was this what movie claustrophobia felt like? The tears of a true Demon King.
"But why no bugs?"
Surprisingly, not a single insect all night. Forests mean bugs, bugs mean forests, right? Back in the military, training in the mountains meant swarms of them—especially mosquitoes.
But not a single bite.
No mosquitoes in the Middle Realm? I'd seen plenty of flying bugs while scouting, though? Weird as hell. Whatever, good news. No bites, all good.
"Maybe 'cause I'm a demon, they avoid me?"
If so, that'd be sweet.
Fuck, first time in my life being a demon felt like pure honey.
"Alright."
Time to start today's routine!
—Splash.
I used water from the canteen for a quick face wash, then grabbed the hand axe. Simple tasks today: reinforce the pit... and find food.
"Fuck."
Yesterday was water only.
So I was starving.
No food, no Demonic Power recovery. Had to eat something. Still had those fruits from yesterday, but couldn't rely on them yet.
"Hunt."
Time to hunt.
"Monsters."
Yesterday while moving, I'd spotted small monsters. Colorful birds with fancy feathers. Lizard pups the size of dogs. That sort.
Whatever, let's hunt something. Pit repairs could wait.
—Crunch, crunch.
Thinking that, I pressed forward.
—Thwack!
I didn't forget to mark trees with the hand axe as I went. The area was so dense, no way I'd memorize paths in a day or two. Had to leave signs.
—Thwack!
—Thwack!
No bullshit—if someone filmed me like this for a documentary, it'd move the whole world. I guarantee it 100%. Or start a vlog right now. Demon King's vlog. Upload to YouTube, and a million subs would be a joke.
—Rustle.
If I didn't think crap like that, I'd be too scared to move...!
I was hacking through vines, leaving marks, when it happened.
"...Kekek."
Cake? N-no!
—Whoosh!
A sudden noise—I dove into the underbrush and dropped low...! Sound from over there! Definitely a living creature!
Hunting target?!
Or was I the prey?
Life-or-death choice! The moment I'd dreaded! Today, fuck it, one of us dies!
"...!"
Gripped the hand axe tight, scanned surroundings. Read the terrain. Planned an escape route on the fly, ready to smash down if I saw an opening. Steeled my mind. Never done this before, but no choice! Had to!
Come on.
Come at me...!
—Thump... thump!
—Thump-thump-thump!
Scanning like that.
"Kek... kegekuk..."
The sound grew clearer.
I perked my ears.
"Kekuk... kuh..."
It sounded like.
Like it was on the verge of death.
Injured monster maybe?
The noise was faint. Small voice didn't mean small monster, but it seemed stationary, groaning alone.
"..."
—Gulp.
Saliva swallowed on reflex.
Check it out? Go see what it is?
Risking danger?
"...Gotta."
Same shit either way. Risk it here or not. Get hunted and die. Starve to death. Poison myself from hunger. All the same. I had nothing. Absolutely zilch. Playing it safe wouldn't change that. To grow, you gotta take risks and commit.
So I'd check.
—Swish.
Slowly.
Very slowly, I crept forward.
Toward the sound.
—Rustle.
Parting the bushes carefully to peer at the scene.
"Huh?"
I saw it.
"Keruk... keruk..."
A wounded little... wait, not a kid?! Fuck, not a kid! That thing crumpled there was some ugly, warty, green-skinned little non-human freak!
A pint-sized old geezer face on top!!!
Witch-like hooked nose!!!!!
"G-goblin!"
Nothing else came to mind!
It looked just like one!