Aesthetics (2)
[Aesthetics: Lower]
Its effect was profoundly heterogeneous. To sum it up in one line:
Adds an aesthetic sense to all things.
The unlocking of the stat. When the information seeped into my mind...
...I thought, What the hell is this bullshit?
But seeing is believing. Only after confirming the effect of aesthetics could I correct that impure thought.
It adds an aesthetic sense to all things. No effect could suit me better.
It's definitely different from other stats.
Strength, agility, magic power, and so on. Each ability had its limits. For example, strength couldn't directly influence the power of magic.
That was why I deemed aesthetics so heterogeneous.
Magic, swordsmanship, even black magic...
Aesthetics truly affected everything.
What did that mean?
For someone like me, who had to scrape together everything available and unavailable alike... no effect could be more fitting...!
Rrrumble─
I drew up my magic power.
Magic infused with aesthetic sense. Its target: the approaching demon army.
Let's check them one by one.
The start was familiar.
Krunch─!
Stone pillars, once more. But the pillars enhanced with aesthetic sense were different from before.
The way they erupted from the ground was like...
"...Sir, what is that?"
Even Harcon Kingsguard feigned surprise. I could understand his reaction. Even I, the caster, was slightly taken aback.
"...Halt!!"
Blocking the demon army's path were soldiers.
Yes, the ones we'd just been tending to. Frost's soldiers.
I had manifested them as statues.
...Whoa.
Hold on a second.
How complex was the interference process involved? I knew from experience.
Even just twisting the shape of a silver dagger to boost lethality consumed a non-negligible amount of magic.
But this...
...This isn't just a slight twist.
From ordinary stone to statues. It was on the level of creating forms from scratch.
And I'd manifested over a hundred such statues.
Even with my grown magic power and natural enemy active, I'd have depleted my mana.
Of course, that was in the past.
I checked my mana consumption.
Not bad.
It was more than a plain pillar, sure. But compared to the caliber of the manifested magic... this was practically free.
All thanks to aesthetics.
Aesthetic sense. It simplified the impossibly complex interference process.
In simple terms...
Like a shortcut, macro, or copy-paste mastery. More hassle than not using it, obviously. But one button press yielded output tens of times greater.
But that truth was mine alone to know.
The demon army halting was only natural.
"Those are definitely the ones we slaughtered...?"
"Did he resurrect them?"
"No way a human could do that!"
Even the watching Shadow Mercenary crew.
"Old man, take a proper breath. Why so shocked? It's just some stone sculptures popping up."
"...Rackid. I envy your ignorance."
"What, you bastard?! Who's ignorant, you prick?!"
They'd looked at me like a madman when I declared I'd recover the corpses. Now, even that gaze felt subtly changed.
Especially Kichi. That was straight-up a monster-staring look.
But.
"Behold clearly, wretched demons."
I had no intention of explaining. Nor the leisure for it.
I continued in a cold voice.
"Even death cannot shatter human pride."
I'd said that much while tending the corpses.
-I shall inherit your pride.
Yes, I was too busy upholding my words...!
With the demon army shaken now.
I didn't hesitate.
Whiiiish─!
The soldier statues hurled the weapons they held toward the demon army.
As extensions of the sculptures, their forms were exquisitely detailed. Infused with my magic power besides.
Their destructive power was overwhelming.
BOOM BOOM BOOM─!
Precisely. Targeting only the demon army.
"Gaaahhh!! Fuck!!"
"How are the dead fighting back...!"
"Filthy human tricks!"
As expected of their levels.
[Demon Army Centurion: Lv.420]
The recovered one bellowed to his allies.
"Don't fall for it! It's just an illusion!"
Just an illusion, he says. I added one word.
"Indeed, my expectations were far too grand."
"...What?"
"A dullard demon could never grasp pride."
The real show starts now.
I seriously drew up my magic.
As I said, aesthetics affected everything.
I need to see what synergy it has with elemental magic.
For that, I needed light orbs. I manifested light.
No need for massive size.
Precision over raw power.
The battlefield was a tangled cityscape. I had to distinguish friend from foe.
Reduce size, increase numbers.
With aesthetics, the interference wouldn't guzzle mana.
And, not that it mattered much, but...
Float─
"...Pretty."
"Radiant!"
"Old man. What's with that magic that tickles just looking at it?"
Like snowflakes sparkling in sunlight. The mana orbs infused with aesthetic sense were stunningly beautiful.
Naturally, beauty wasn't all they offered.
Manifestation. Like falling snow.
The orbs flying toward the demon army began transforming into elemental magic.
With aesthetic sense added to each element, the flames burned nobly, the water surged serene, and even the thunderous bolts felt like divine judgment—sublime.
What to call that sight? I couldn't put it into words.
Not that it mattered.
No matter the spectacle, it was just demon hunting.
I said calmly.
"Make way."
Of course, my inner thoughts weren't so composed.
It was all because of the messages popping up since earlier.
──────
Current Contribution: 23,100p
──────
The pouring experience and contribution points. Shamelessly, I thought...
...I could aim for first place in contributions?
*
In Frost, no sunlight entered Miya's house anymore.
Miya stared at the curtained window.
How many days had it been? Since her father had earnestly warned her and stepped out.
-Miya. Never open the door, no matter what.
Miya wasn't as young as her little brother Mark. So she knew. Demons had invaded Frost, and Father had left to fight them.
And.
-Mark. Listen to Sis until I come back.
That Father would never return.
Miya didn't think herself pitiful. She knew this trial wasn't hers alone.
But it was strange. Ever since hearing other villages had fallen to demons.
It was something she'd considered. Yet tears kept welling up.
"...Sniff."
But Miya didn't cry. No, she couldn't in front of Mark.
...Mark?
Miya stretched her arm desperately, groping around.
But no matter how far, she couldn't touch Mark's round head.
Where'd he go? Did he go upstairs?
That was when a sliver of light pierced the darkness.
"!"
Mark had pulled back the curtain.
Miya startled violently. The demons might see!
She whispered sharply at him.
"Mark...! Close the curtain!"
Sunlight fell on Mark's face. For some reason, his lips curved upward.
Mark said brightly.
"Sis, it's snowing!"
...Snow?
It hadn't snowed in Frost for a while. Father had said so. Because a hellgate opened in Frost Forest, warming the ground—no more snow.
He'd definitely said that...
Shake shake─
Mark's seeing things.
You idiot!
Miya rushed to Mark. The dark house, bumps and bruises hurt, but she held back tears.
And quickly closed the curtain...
"...Huh?"
She tried, but like Mark said, snow was really falling.
Float─
Miya stared blankly out the window, then flinched.
...Not snow?
Even snowflakes weren't that big. She'd never seen ones like this even when snow piled to the roof.
And they sparkled too much.
"...Pretty."
For the first time, looking at snow, she felt that.
Miya snapped out of her daze at Mark's words.
"Sis, let's go out and have a snowball fight!"
Dad said Mark was still too young for that. But.
"...You idiot!"
Miya was certain. Mark was definitely an idiot.
Miya came to her senses. Snow or not didn't matter.
Quick!
Before the demons saw, close the curtain...!
In that moment, she naturally saw the street outside.
"...Sis? You're going alone, that's not fair!"
Mark was too short to see, but Miya could.
"...Did they come to save us?"
The knights fighting demons.
Tears nearly burst from Miya. But beside the knights was a strangely dressed man.
"...?"
His attire was unlike anything she'd seen.
Yet a memory flashed: Father's words.
-It was around your age, Miya. There were adventurers from another world...
-Father too, everyone got lots of help from them.
Miya intuited.
An adventurer.
That man was the adventurer Father mentioned.
But Father's warning surfaced too.
-Miya. Never trust anyone rashly, no matter who.
...Right, Dad said demons deceive people well.
Miya bit her lower lip. Yeah, maybe a trick.
But something was off.
"...No."
No matter how she thought, that wasn't demon work.
The man and knights were recovering bodies. Some faces Miya knew.
"Uncle Hanson..."
The guard who'd greeted her days ago.
The adventurer closing Uncle's eyes. That sight moved Miya's heart.
"I... I wanna see too. Sis!"
To whining Mark, Miya said.
"...Mark. Let's have a snowball fight."
"...Really?!"
"Really. Promise."
Miya gripped Mark's hand tightly.
*
I felt it anew.
The Shadow Mercenary.
Their prowess.
With Kichi at the lead, they had a hierarchy. But it paled against their might—even the rear, Rackid.
Look at him now.
"Come at me in droves, you vermin!"
Demon soldiers scattered like autumn leaves with every swing of Rackid's flail.
Massacring Lv.400+ monsters like that.
More shocking that it's not sword aura.
No signature glow from Rackid. Pure strength overwhelming demons.
My guts felt like they'd leaped out.
...I dragged these Shadow Mercenaries to Frost, half-forcing them after my power trip.
Good thing, though—their strength aside, they were favorable toward me.
"We're giving our all too. You're watching, right?"
"I watch. You still have margin, it seems."
"...M-margin?! Ugh. We'll try harder!"
"?"
Just praise for skill. What's with that reaction?
Anyway, monster-gaze aside, Kichi gave her all.
"If it's alright..."
Not just Kichi—the elder called Alkari approached politely too. Even shoving a potion at me.
"Potion-making is my specialty."
But would noble Grandfell rely on some stranger's potion?
I replied naturally.
"I appreciate the goodwill, but I'm fine."
"Ooh...! I've unwittingly doubted you, milord. Forgive this wretched old man's concern."
"?"
What's this reaction now?
Seemed like communication misunderstandings. Not the time to fix it.
My magic. Lion Heart Knights and Shadow Mercenaries' joint assault.
Thanks to that, the demon army suffered near-annihilation and finally retreated.
No need to pursue. We'd meet again en route to demon king subjugation.
And we had work now.
Harcon shouted.
"Recover the bodies!"
Corpses littered the path nonstop.
As I closed a guard's eyes, Harcon said.
"Sir. I firmly believed there were survivors."
Tremble─
"Yet...!"
Harcon's shoulder shook with rage. One thing was certain.
Whoever it was, Demon Legion Commander—you're in deep shit.
Then.
"...!"
The quest window blinked. Giving me words for Harcon.
"Don't blame yourself, Harcon."
"...?"
Subjugate the Demon King
📍 The King of Demons.
Their demonic hands begin to reach out.
Final demon hunter. Topple the throne of evil.
⊳ Train your weakened body. (Repeat)
⊳ Investigate Northern City Frost. (Success)
⊳ Rescue survivors. (In Progress)
⊳ Thwart the Demon King summoning ritual. (In Progress)
I said calmly.
"It seems your belief was not misplaced."
That instant.
Whoosh─!
The curtain flew open.
"S-survivors...!"
But too soon for joy.
Demon king subjugation was only now truly beginning.