Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Star That Pierces Truth (4)
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The demon sat quietly in the darkness.
Dressed in a black robe, a pair of horns protruded from beneath the hood pulled low over his head. In his hand, he clutched a staff topped with a real human head that let out intermittent groans of agony, as if it hadn't died even in that wretched state.
"Grheee, grhek……."
- …….
Demons were cunning creatures with sharp instincts.
And this one was especially so.
Not long ago, the demons under the alliance command had been swept up in a frenzy of madness. They'd rampaged through places they would normally avoid, even devouring the entire city of Soltana whole to claim it as their stronghold.
And they had good reason. After all, a high demon had descended for the first time in ages—one who wasn't some run-of-the-mill high demon, but Pebilatus, a living legend from the depths of hell, the demon of life and decay.
There was no demon in hell stronger than Pebilatus. Yet no demon commanded the same legendary prestige. The descent of a high demon who'd clawed his way up from the lowliest vermin to just below hell's pinnacle, coupled with his order to turn the eastern continent into a demonic wasteland—it was more than enough to set every demon's blood boiling.
But amid the chaos, this demon never lost his cool.
Humans weren't fools. They might buckle under normal assaults, but cross a line, and they'd pull out some absurd countermeasure. That had held true even three hundred years ago, when the great demon above all evils descended into the demonic realm. This demon knew it bone-deep because he'd experienced death firsthand back then.
So even as he mingled with the frenzied horde, he'd deliberately avoided receiving Pebilatus's blessing. Instead, he'd steadily gathered pain and despair while scouting escape routes. All to bolt the instant that "absurd countermeasure" reached Soltana.
About two months passed like that.
And sure enough, the demon's prediction hit the mark.
Or more precisely…… he'd mistaken it for hitting a bit too early.
When he spotted the Magic Tower elders and battle mages entering Soltana, he assumed the countermeasure had arrived and fled immediately. In the end, Pebilatus fell, and the rampage ended—so the demon could only conclude his judgment had been spot-on.
Throughout the rampage, he'd harvested a tidy sum of pain and despair. He was just one step from promotion. Wandering aimlessly, he stumbled upon a village called Quirn, sealed it off, and used the agony and despair harvested there to finally reach the realm of "greater demon" he'd so desperately craved.
There had been no lack of interlopers. No sooner had he ascended than a mage showed up to hunt him, treating him like some delectable trophy.
'Worth the wait. Two horns at last. Now if I just kill you and drag you back to the Magic Tower…….'
So the demon ripped the mage's head off—spine and all—and fashioned it into a staff.
"Grhe, heee……."
- Shut your trap, you vermin. Quiet down before I rip out your tongue.
"……."
A greater demon was a perfected being. Even a high mage versed in demon hunting was no match for him now.
The demon realized he'd grown far stronger than before. He also learned that a mage's despair was worth far more than a common human's. He'd planned to leave right after ascending, but sticking around to turn every mage who came calling into living staffs didn't sound half bad.
Then, out of nowhere, he sensed an unexpected anomaly.
- Ngh……?!
The barrier he'd so carefully erected around Quirn shattered in an instant.
Woooong—!
Like a shot, he drew a detection ritual circle and activated a scouting spell. And there, he beheld a face that wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
- No, that guy's……!?
The berserker who'd stuck by that shaman who sealed him in a spirit realm and starved him to death three hundred years ago……
……or someone who looked eerily like him—an unidentified barbarian.
- …….
No human could live three hundred years. Not without a god's blessing, a pact with a demon, or elven blood…… Probably some distant descendant or the like.
Still, his honed demonic instincts and wits screamed at him to avoid combat with that thing at all costs and run.
Yet…… there were countervailing emotions as well.
Demons fresh with new horns were prone to surging battle lust. Having just crushed a high mage with ease, fleeing in terror from some mere barbarian wasn't an option a newly minted greater demon could stomach.
He agonized for ages, clutching the mage's head in his claw-like grip.
"Grhehehek, grhehehek……."
- …….
At last, the demon issued orders to his minions.
- Lure the barbarian who shattered the barrier here. Make absolutely sure he doesn't turn elsewhere…….
- Kigik, kiiik…….
- Kueeeek!
The minions' eerie cries echoed through the darkness in response to their master's command.
The demon narrowed his cluster of eyes plastered across his face and flashed a meaningful smile.
*
Trapped inside the barrier, the village chief had no intel on the demon's lair or position.
No big deal. The fiends occasionally popped up like signposts to guide the way. And to Kadim, the demon's magic itself blazed like a beacon lighting his path.
This hunt included Duncan too. Not because Kadim thought leaving him alone was risky. He'd simply realized opportunities to give the merchant real combat experience were growing scarce.
"Hand me the bag and draw your dagger. The magic isn't too thick, but keep your breaths shallow regardless. If it gets too dense, I'll order a retreat—just follow till then."
"Hoo…… Y-yes, sir……."
Of course, once the journey ended, chances of running into demons or fiends would be slim…… But neither Kadim nor Duncan brought it up. Both prepared resolutely, as if the road—and the days of hunting demons—would stretch on forever.
The trail of magic led into a cave with a gaping black maw.
Duncan flinched, shoulders trembling. It reminded him of the goblin cave where he'd first met a demon. He'd gained plenty of experience and strength since, but the ingrained terror wouldn't fade easily.
Kadim, by contrast, advanced with the same detachment then as now. Spurred by the sight, Duncan shook off his fear and followed into the cave.
The passage stretched deep and long. Luminous stones dotted the ceiling, keeping the interior from total darkness. It let even Duncan—half-blind compared to Kadim—peer ahead easily. No need for torches meant they could move stealthily. Bonus.
The tension from binding his ribs loosened a touch. Breathing shallow as advised, Duncan ventured,
"Lucky break, sir. I was worried we'd need fire in the dark…… But this light's perfect—we might slip right past the fiends and straight to the demon unseen."
"Doubt it. Some monsters see fine without light, including kinds invisible to human eyes."
"Eh? Monsters like that exist?"
"Yeah. Take this one, for instance."
Kwajik—!
- Jjiik!
A small glob of blood exploded in Kadim's fist. It looked like he'd crushed empty air.
"Hup!"
But Duncan's prior warning let him guess: the barbarian had spotted and pulverized an unseen fiend.
Kadim casually wiped the gore from his hand onto his clothes. Then he drew his hellfire daggers in both hands and growled.
Hwarak—!
"'Pixies.' Annoying little flies. You can't see 'em anyway, so don't bother trying. But once the flames spread, even they'll lose sight of us—so draw your hellfire dagger and swing like me."
"Y-yes?! B-but how do I swing when I don't know where they are?"
"Don't worry. There's easily a……."
Hwararak, hwararak—!
"……hundred or so buzzing around. You'll hit something anywhere you swing."
- Kiiik! Kiiik!
- Kkigik!
A swarm of invisible flyers met a blaze of crimson flames.
As shock lit the merchant's face, the remaining pixies charged the pair en masse.
- Giiik! Giiiik!
- Gigik, gigigi!
- Kkigigik!
Twisted shrieks filled the air as Kadim reversed his grip on the daggers. Shorter reach, but punching motions let him slash faster and spread fire quicker. His blade-strokes wove a gale of flames through the dark.
"Hup, hah, hup!"
Hwarak—!
Duncan fumbled out his hellfire dagger and swung wildly. His rhythm faltered from ragged breaths, but he still managed to kindle faint flames around him. Even as pixie claws raked scratches across his skin, he flailed on without pause.
Mid-frenzy, a question arose about Kadim's words. If flames blind them to us, then why……?
He learned soon enough, the hard way.
- Kiiik!! Kiiiiik!
- Kiiiiik! Kkigik!
"……Huh?"
Once the fire fully caught among the pixies, they stopped charging the pair. Instead, they shrieked and tore into each other like mad.
Watching, Kadim sheathed his daggers and waved lazily.
"Time to move. Stow your dagger and crouch low to avoid the smoke."
"Cough, cough! W-what's going on, sir? Why aren't they attacking us but killing each other……?"
"Those flies sense prey by heat. Douse 'em in fire like that, and they can't even recognize their own spawn. By the time we circle back, they'll have wiped each other out."
With that simple explanation, Kadim pressed on. Duncan gazed at his back with eyes tinged in respect and awe.
More fiends, spell-traps, and barriers blocked the cave ahead. Kadim dismantled them one by one, dispensing advice to Duncan along the way.
- Kueeek!
"Shadow lizard. You saw 'em on the Golden Highway. Their senses sharpen in the dark, so sneak up silent and kill."
Guuuuung…….
"Demon traps usually falter against holy relics or artifacts. Stab the ritual circle with hellfire dagger to break most. But some trigger on destruction, so dodging's safer."
Kwa—ang!
"Spell barriers shatter under enough brute force. If you're ever trapped like those villagers, just rip through with moderate strength."
"……."
Not all advice proved practical, but it was priceless intel money couldn't buy. Wisdom handed down from a warrior who'd personally slain thousands of demons…… Duncan absorbed every word like a greenhorn hunter under a seasoned master's tutelage.
Trailing the signpost-like traps and fiends nonstop, they soon reached the cave's depths.
Magic hung thick here. Kadim considered sending Duncan back up. But though exhaustion glazed the merchant's eyes, he showed no signs of demonic possession.
"You good, Duncan? Can you hold?"
"Y-yeah! Hoo, just a bit dizzy…… But I'll manage, sir!"
Kadim arched a brow.
No bluff—he seemed genuinely fine. Maybe sharing his blood earlier had boosted Duncan's magic resistance too…….
"……Then I'll go thrash the demon. Hide behind that rock. Bag's yours again. If it gets too woozy, head up on your own."
"Yes, sir! Got it! Be careful out there!"
Kadim grabbed his weapons and advanced alone.
A barrier sealed the lair's entrance. This one screamed careful craftsmanship—dense magic giving it a sticky sheen. Even a decent holy knight would've struggled to breach it.
Of course, it was no match for Kadim.
Bbanjjak—!
――――――――― Kwarung, kwagwagwagwang—!!!
Lightning crashed down with thunderous force, shattering the barrier like glass. Kadim strode indifferently through the wreckage into the chamber.
Darkness blanketed the room. His hollow gaze pierced the magic-choked gloom, scanning the space. Ceiling height and width were comfortably spacious…… No visible contraptions or traps. Beneath a large boulder to the right, he spotted one of his targets.
The corpse of a high mage in red robes.
"……."
But only the body remained—head and spine nowhere in sight.
Kadim's brow furrowed faintly.
Nor was it just the mage's head missing. The demon himself was absent too—no trace. He'd first assumed an ambush from hiding, but no. Not a hair's breadth of killing intent, and even the pervasive magic was fading bit by bit.
Rare, but not unheard of. In his first playthrough, he'd seen such behavior from truly cold-blooded, instinctual demons. Spotting a crudely scrawled ritual circle in the corner turned suspicion to certainty.
"Tch, damn it……."
Kadim clicked his tongue. It was obvious now.
This enigmatic greater demon…… had fled its lair in terror.