Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Golden Highway (3)
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Golden Highway, near the defensive line of the Eighth Gate.
The battle with the demons had ended. A Catastrophe Corps soldier gazed around in a daze.
Chopped limbs littered the ground like chunks of meat. Crushed flesh and shattered skulls spilled from dented helmets, while pierced iron armor had torn open entrails. Not a single corpse remained intact in limb or torso. In this brutal roadside slaughterhouse, it seemed the only living soul was himself.
No, there was one more. Someone still clinging to life, crawling out from between the piles of bodies.
"Hey... cough... are the rest all dead...? Did just we survive...?"
It was a familiar face. A kindly senior soldier who sometimes shared snacks during guard duty. The soldier's lips curled into a relieved smile at the sight of his comrade's survival.
But that smile soon froze cold.
The senior soldier's body ended at the waist.
Trailing behind his crawl was a slimy trail of intestines. Sensing something off, the senior glanced back and his eyes bulged wide.
"What... what's this... what the hell is this...?"
"......"
"Uh... uhh... can I live? I can live, right? I have to live... no one to take care of me if not... have to... go see Mother... please save me...!"
"......"
He collapsed before finishing his words. The Catastrophe Corps soldier's eyes reddened, his body trembling as he doubled over and vomited violently onto the ground.
The nightmare had come to life in a way he never imagined. No matter how much he clawed his head or heaved his guts, he couldn't wake from it.
And the culprit behind all this carnage was just one.
The Catastrophe Corps soldier gripped his spear shaft and hauled himself up. Eyes bloodshot, he strode forward. Amid the mutilated corpses, he spotted an alien form. Tentacles tipped with blades and flails, a split-open skull with dangling eyeballs, and a single jagged horn sprouting from the temple.
Fueled by rage, the soldier stabbed wildly at the demon's corpse.
"Aaaargh! Urgh, uwaaaargh!! Uwaaaargh!!"
Pok, pok, pok, crunch, crunch—!
No matter how much he stabbed the already-dead demon, his thirty comrades wouldn't rise from their meaty chunks. Yet the soldier didn't stop. Even when his spear shaft snapped against tough hide, he clutched the blade like a dagger and hammered away relentlessly.
What halted his blood-soaked frenzy defied common sense—a mystical intervention.
A clear soprano voice that clashed with the horrific scene. A chill swept in, freezing the soldier's hand solid before he could move it.
Crackle—
"Well done slaying the demon, soldier. But enough pointless butchery. That corpse will serve us better intact."
The soldier lowered his frozen hand and turned. A soft-featured man in a blue robe stood there, flanked by a row of sky-blue-robed figures.
"......Mages? From the Magic Tower?"
"Indeed, the Tower Lord herself dispatched us as reinforcements."
"Wh-where were you? Why come only now...? If just a little earlier... not everyone would have died like this...!"
"We're no omnipotent gods. We can't instantly know where demons are rampaging, can we? This is as fast as we could arrive after hearing. No need for complaints."
"......Lies."
"Hm?"
The mage's elegantly arched brow twitched. The soldier spat out the pent-up fury clotting his chest like scabs.
"Don't lie, you bastards!! We requested aid five days ago after hearing they'd hit the next gate!! You hid nearby, waiting for the demons to kill us all before popping out! Why, why pretend you just heard?! Everyone else is already dead, so why now, you fucking—!"
The mage's brow shot up sharply. But he soon flashed a genial smile and lightly clapped for the soldier shedding bloody, filth-streaked tears.
"My word, what a sharp and clever soldier. A brilliant mind that commands admiration. Most would just think we were delayed by duties."
"Urk, ugh, hngh, you filthy bastards...!"
"But a man as perceptive as you should know saying that means death."
"Hngh...? Uh, ugh?"
Denser cold poured from the mage's hand than before. It froze blood and tears solid, hardened the eyeballs in an instant, then sealed mouth and nose, encasing the soldier's entire face in an icy mask.
Crack—!
The mage kicked the frozen face hard. The nose bridge caved in, the surface crumpling and shattering. Crimson ice flowers bloomed from the collapsed soldier's visage.
He shook red flesh-ice from his boots and turned to his subordinates.
"Load the demon corpse into the crates. Mind the damaged parts don't fall off."
The sky-blue-robed mages bustled to obey. The scouting mage who had been using concealment spells revealed himself and fawned before the ice mage.
"As expected of Lord Gayardo. We've secured a corpse without a scratch."
"What did I tell you, Dronovan? No need for us to exert ourselves. The Catastrophe Corps can handle mid-tier demons with thirty men. We just wait for the fight to end and claim the unclaimed bodies."
The mages conversed casually, as if the hacked-up corpses were invisible. The concealment mage flattered him profusely before voicing unease.
"B-but Lord Gayardo, should we head straight to the next gate? Scouts from the village beyond haven't returned—could it be a high-tier demon...?"
"No worries. If it's high-tier, lure it to the Ninth Gate. They won't let the city fall; Galentana or the Catastrophe Society will handle it."
"Ah, perfect! And once the battle settles..."
"We swoop in first for the corpse. Snag a real high-tier one, and who's next for 'Conqueror' in evaluations is obvious."
Dronovan endlessly praised his senior's wisdom. The Invoker-rank mage Gayardo smiled softly and looked up.
"Enough chatter—let's move to the next line. Someone else might claim the bodies."
Their eyes saw no blood-sea around them. Only the vast sky ahead and the gleaming Golden Highway.
Kadim and Duncan passed the defensive line with astonishing ease.
Guards snapped to alert at the sight of unexpected travelers, but one glance at the Catastrophe Society-stamped pass had them stepping aside.
"Our apologies. Didn't realize you had Catastrophe Society clearance. Demons and beasts may appear from this sector—please take care."
The guard even politely apologized for the inspection. Duncan couldn't hide his awkwardness. Until now, every stop meant hassle and hassle; a single paper solved it all. Kadim, meanwhile, seemed utterly indifferent, as if an axe could've handled it anyway.
Heading from the Third Gate's line to the Fourth. No major changes yet. The road was smoothly paved for comfort, the landscaping still serene and peaceful. The demon outbreak felt like distant rumor from another land.
But mid-stride, Kadim caught the scent.
A tepid southern high wind carried a murky taint and foul fishy reek.
A trace so faint no beast could detect it. Yet the barbarian's senses, honed slaughtering countless demons and monsters, missed nothing. The long-missed stench of demonic qi was almost welcoming. His every cell buzzed with savage hostility.
"Demons nearby."
"Pardon?"
"Follow."
With that, Kadim vaulted the fence and dashed off. Duncan froze as if the path had collapsed, then scrambled after.
"M-my lord! My lord! Where to?!"
"My lord! My lord!"
"My lord... huff, huff...!"
Less man than beast, the barbarian's sprint outpaced the merchant's legs. Their gap widened to hundreds of meters in moments, then kilometers as time passed.
No matter how hard Duncan ran, it never closed. Yet he couldn't quit. Losing Kadim here spelled disaster. No pass meant no advancing past lines or gates alone through demon-infested roads.
"Huff, haaah, urgh, huff, haa...!"
Drool strung from his mouth. His heart hammered like bursting from his chest. Lungs burned as if tearing. Vision blurred, dull vertigo ringing his skull. Duncan squeezed his eyes shut, chanting his promised reward like a mantra.
'Vast treasures, vast treasures, riches to last lifetimes...'
How long did that desperate chase last?
Trailing the barbarian into the woods, following deep footprints, Duncan finally saw.
- Agrrrl...
Sliced, slashed, chopped black reptilian beasts. A demon corpse with its head split, tongue lolling as gore dripped. And the barbarian drinking its blood.
The hunt was over.
"Heh-hek, kehk, kek! Guwek, huaak, hek...!"
"......"
Duncan crumpled to the mossy ground, sweat and tears streaming as he retched. Kadim, by contrast, looked faintly disappointed yet utterly calm. Outwardly, it seemed Kadim had just watched while Duncan battled fiercely.
Kadim filled a small vial and capped it. As Duncan caught his breath, he spoke.
"Low-tier pureblood demon. The most common, weakest blood effect. Pity for a rare hunt."
"Huff, huff... So all nearby demons and beasts are cleared, my lord?"
"No, left one. Follow."
Duncan caught the odd phrasing. Not "one left," but "left one"? Spared on purpose when he could've killed?
He soon understood why.
"See that one in the rock crevice? The shadow lizard that devoured all its own eggs and curled up asleep."
"Y-yes... I see it, but...!"
"Borrow this dagger. This time, you cut its throat."
"Yeek... mmph!!"
A rough hand clamped Duncan's mouth before the scream escaped. Kadim loomed over him sternly from the shadows.
"Didn't you ask me to teach you to fight? This is part of that training. You didn't expect mastery without a drop of blood on your hands, did you?"
"......"
"Cast aside mercy and pity. It's a beast lost to demonic influence anyway. And kill your presence. Draw from the sheath only right before the kill—the flame startles."
"......"
"Succeed, and I'll entrust you with that dagger from now on."
Duncan's eyes lit up.
No ordinary dagger—this was forged from an Arch Paladin's holy sword and armor. He'd been curious from Ironhammer's tales; now one was his? Eyes couldn't help but sparkle.
Moreover, first real task from Kadim since Molden Keep. A rare chance to prove his worth. Duncan's craving for the barbarian's approval towered like a mountain.
Resolve gleamed in Duncan's eyes. Duty eased his tension. He'd steeled for facing monsters and demons someday. Just sooner than expected. Chanting his reward again, he crept forward stealthily.
'Vast treasures, riches to last lifetimes...'
And he failed.
One step away, a hair's breadth from contact—detected.
- Kueeek!
Shadow lizard baring fangs, snarling viciously. Duncan tumbled backward without drawing.
"Uwak! Uwaaaargh!"
Kadim swiftly hurled another dagger.
Whoosh, thuk—!
- Kweeeeeek!
Flames piercing the temple snuffed its life instantly. Writhing in agony atop eggshells, the shadow lizard charred to crisp coal.
Kadim mechanically retrieved both daggers. He glanced at Duncan, gaze meaningful yet ambiguous.
"Stick to guiding for now."
"......"
Duncan hung his head in dejection.
Some time before Duncan hung his head in dejection.
Kadim had tracked the demonic qi to the woods. He'd left Duncan behind, trusting he'd catch up eventually.
"......"
He sensed demons and beasts inside. But brush and trees blocked sight. He stepped silently, minimizing presence for the hunt. Stealthily, to avoid detection.
Futile.
- Kuek, kueeek!
- Kueeeek!
Black reptiles charging with glowing red eyes. Kadim clicked his tongue.
'Damn, shadow lizards of all things.'
Shadow lizards detected even tiny presences in shade with extreme sensitivity. No matter how well Kadim hid, his build had limits. In the game, ambushes and assassinations rarely worked on them.
But they weren't hard to handle.
Slashslashslash—!
- Kweeeek!
- Kweeeek!
He whirled blades like a fan, shredding the incoming lizards. Hurled his axe to rip distant ones. Before any fled, he pressed in and easily felled the low-tier demon puppeteering them.
Mosquito vibrated contentedly after gulping demon blood. Kadim stayed vigilant, moving on.
'Might be more beasts nearby—better scout.'
A bit farther, he spotted it. A lone shadow lizard that had cracked and slurped all its eggs, now sleeping snug in a rock crevice.
- Grrr, grrr...
Still dozens of meters off. But Kadim's instinct warned: one more step, and it'd wake.
Axe or dagger throw would kill it easy. But curiosity stirred.
How close could the merchant creep undetected?
'Ten paces would show real talent.'
He pondered, stroking his chin, then deliberately spared it and returned to the slaughter site.