Chapter 260
Chapter 260
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 260
Chapter Title: Recapture (2)
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The endless screams that had gone on for so long suddenly cut off. Cherrybell's breath had finally been snuffed out.
Demian claimed Cherrybell's soul. After destroying it, he absorbed her memories.
'As expected, there's a restriction.'
Just like the disciple he'd killed before, Cherrybell had one placed on her as well.
It meant the Weapon Master was pouring his heart and soul into crafting that demon sword.
'That demon sword is worth it.'
Even Demian couldn't help but be wary of it. The reason he was rushing to breach the dwarven fortress so quickly was to stop that sword from being completed.
Suddenly, he sensed presences behind him. Kilo and the dwarves were staring at Demian in disbelief.
A black mage had just taken down a knight—a master-class one, no less—in a single blow. It was enough to shock anyone.
"What are you standing around for? Go grab the materials."
Demian said curtly. Only then did the dwarves snap out of it.
"Ah, got it. Leave the rest to us."
The dwarves hurried toward the warehouse.
Demian plopped down on a nearby rock. He ordered a skeleton to fetch the demon sword Cherrybell had been using.
"Let's see here..."
Demian examined the two daggers closely.
"Demon swords crafted by a count-rank demon. They seem to have the power to devour and absorb anything they touch."
They lacked intelligence but were infused with potent demonic authority.
Impressive, but not something Demian would take an interest in.
"Dominico."
Demian called out. A black knight stepped out from the shadows.
—My liege, you summoned me?
"Destroy it."
Dominico swung his greatsword without hesitation. The aurablade sliced the demon sword into several pieces.
—Kieeeek!
—Geeeeek!
As the sword shattered, demonic essence poured out. Demian absorbed it all.
Then, the fourth rune began to glow. Demian peered into it.
"The Authority of Lust."
With the Authority of Lust, he could make any creature obey him blindly.
Insects, beasts, monsters—even humans.
In simple terms, it was the power to brainwash anything.
"Not the most straightforward authority to awaken."
The Authority of Lust was a tricky one.
It could easily brainwash animals and monsters with low intelligence, but it struggled against highly intelligent beings like humans.
Still, it was undeniably terrifying.
In his previous life, Demian had used it on high-ranking nobles captured as prisoners on Dorgo's orders, sowing discord among humans to disband their armies.
While Demian awakened the authority, the dwarves finished their task.
"Victor! We got all the goods!"
"Nothing in sight?"
Demian eyed the dwarves curiously.
They'd raided such a massive warehouse, yet they carried nothing.
"We stashed it all in there."
Kilo pointed to a few dwarves shouldering large leather bundles.
"It's a bundle made with our ancestors' wisdom. Looks small, but the inside is huge."
"An artifact with space-expansion magic?"
"Hmph, don't compare it to that junk! This is a creation of our ancestors' mysteries!"
Kilo grumbled in annoyance.
"Well, since we've got everything, time to move on. Next up is retaking the emergency forge, right?"
Demian stood and said. But Kilo grabbed him.
"Hold on! There's something I need to say first!"
Demian scowled. His displeasure manifested as killing intent.
As the intent radiated from Demian, Kilo and the dwarves recoiled in terror.
"Wh-why are you mad again!"
"You aren't planning to spout nonsense about not cooperating now that you have the materials, are you?"
"What do you take us for!"
Kilo exploded. Demian immediately withdrew his intent.
"Is that so? Sorry about that."
"You think a sorry fixes it!"
"And if it doesn't?"
Demian unleashed his intent again. Kilo clamped his mouth shut.
"Then why'd you call me?"
"...To say thanks."
"I don't think I've done anything worthy of thanks."
"You saved our kin."
Kilo looked away. There, the dwarves who'd nearly become sacrifices for the demon sword were gathered.
"...Truly, thank you."
Dwarves were infamous for their stubbornness. The ones from Kilo's Splinterhammer City were especially so.
Yet one of those Splinterhammer City dwarves was thanking Demian.
Demian felt a strange emotion stir within him.
"You're saying unnecessary things."
"What? We dwarves bowed our heads for once, and..."
"More importantly, tell me the location. Where's the next facility?"
"Guiding you to the forge is easy. But..."
Kilo trailed off.
"You still don't trust my skills?"
"Of course not! I know you're ridiculously strong! But the emergency forge is packed with security devices we made!"
Demian asked with intrigued expression.
"Security devices?"
"Yeah, the forge is full of Splinterhammer dwarf tech! If outsiders get in, our secrets could leak!"
"Tell me more details."
Kilo explained the emergency forge in full.
The more he heard, the deeper Demian's contemplation grew. It was practically a small fortress.
'Not easy to breach, for sure.'
As Demian pondered ways to take the forge in his mind,
"...Ugh, uuuugh..."
One of Cherrybell's subordinates, sprawled on the ground, let out a groan.
He'd survived despite thorns sprouting all over his body. It spoke to the knight's formidable vitality.
—My liege, I'll finish them off cleanly.
Dominico raised his greatsword. At that moment, something flashed in Demian's mind.
"Wait, stop."
Dominico lowered his sword immediately. Demian examined Cherrybell's subordinates.
Most were dead, but a few were still alive. Seeing them clarified his plan.
"We'll use these guys as keys."
* * *
"Bored to death."
Akiyo muttered while gazing at the evening sunset.
Triang, standing watch beside him, clicked his tongue.
"You're free to be bored, but don't slack off like last time. You'll get chewed out by Salvador again."
Akiyo ignored Triang's nagging.
"Salvador's too much. Who'd attack a castle in a place this remote? Why station us here?"
The spot they guarded was deep in the Hercmurk Mountains, hard to find under normal circumstances.
And unbelievably, it was built on a massive scale for such an out-of-the-way location.
Above all, constructed with dwarven mysteries, it brimmed with bizarre security measures.
Take this rampart, for example. Unauthorized climbers burst into flames on contact—no magic involved.
Even the Weapon Master's forces would struggle to breach it without an inside traitor.
"That's how important it is. I hear it's loaded with dwarf tech."
"I get that. But who'd come all the way here to steal it?"
"Don't let your guard down. Word is the dwarves formed a resistance."
"So what if those punks made a resistance. Ugh, so bored."
"If you're that bored, play with those."
Triang pointed to spears lined along the rampart. Something was bound to the shafts.
Small stature. Muscular build. Beards covering their faces.
Dwarves.
They weren't in normal condition. Their bodies were covered in wounds, ragged like shredded cloth.
"Interrogated those too much. Got sick of 'em."
Akiyo shook his head.
Originally, these dwarves had guarded the fortress.
Captured when it fell, they'd served as toys to relieve boredom under the guise of "interrogation" for a while.
"And they're too broken now. See?"
Akiyo drew his sword and stabbed a dwarf's thigh. But it didn't even twitch.
"Tortured 'em to death pretty much. Probably croak for real tomorrow?"
Akiyo smacked his lips in regret. Then, something entered his view.
Three men approaching the rampart.
"Hey, Akiyo! Standing watch properly?"
One of them greeted Akiyo familiarly. Recognizing the face, Akiyo lit up and shouted.
"Valentin! Franco! What brings you guys from under Cherrybell here?"
"Came to see your ugly mug."
Akiyo's grin wouldn't fade.
Valentin and Franco were his cohorts. They'd joined the Weapon Master's service at the same time to learn swordsmanship.
"But who's the guy in the back?"
Behind Valentin and Franco was a man cloaked in a robe. His suspicious appearance put Akiyo on edge.
"This? No idea."
"What?"
"Some weirdo wandering on the way, so we grabbed him."
"Then we gotta interrogate him right away."
How long had it been since the last one?
A cruel smile crept onto Akiyo's lips.
The guy Valentin brought looked healthy. Plenty of fun ahead.
"Fine, then open the gate! How long you gonna keep us waiting!"
"Impatient as ever. Hang on!"
Akiyo operated the device on the rampart. The gate began rising upward.
"Triang, let's go down."
Akiyo descended to the gate with Triang.
He saw Valentin and the others walking in.
"You two must've had it rough under Cherrybell? Your ugly faces look even worse..."
Valentin and Franco drew their longswords. They thrust them into Akiyo and Triang's stomachs.
The two collapsed without a chance to scream. Valentin and Franco bowed to the robed man.
"Victor, sir. Handled."
The robed man.
Demian Haksen tossed off the robe. He said to Valentin and Franco,
"Good work. Kill yourselves."
"Ahh... To receive another command from you...!"
"We obey at once!"
Valentin and Franco slit their own throats. Even in death, ecstasy filled their faces.
That was the terror of the Authority of Lust.
It wasn't mere brainwashing. It made them obey any order with joy.
"Y-you...!"
Then, Akiyo on the ground yelled at Demian.
"What did you do to those two!"
"Gave their heads a little pat."
Akiyo's face twisted.
"Y-you beast worse than an animal! Using such a horrific method!"
Demian approached Akiyo. He kicked him in the gut.
"Khek!"
The already pierced stomach was ruined further. Akiyo vomited blood in agony.
"Worse than a beast? Naturally. I'm here to kill scum worse than beasts. Why pretend to be human?"
Demian turned away. The man was dying anyway. No need for more attention.
Demian walked inside. The forge interior still held many dark knights.
"Come out, all of you."
Demian's shadow rippled. Undead burst from within.
"Don't leave a single one alive."
The undead scattered with roars.
It looked almost like cheers of triumph.