Chapter 97
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: I Got Captured Too
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The reason I'd suddenly taken on those bastards was simple. To avoid wasting time with overly cautious tracking. And to thin their numbers by even one.
'So far, successful—not romantic, though. Anyway, successful.'
So what now, and how?
Thud—.
Ow, fuck.
The demon prick had whipped around a sharp turn, slamming my head into a tree.
It didn't hurt, but it soured my mood.
'Just kill it?'
Rustle-rustle-rustle—.
A blurry red afterimage flickered behind me.
It was Ibu, tracking with an axe in his right hand and a sword in his left.
'Gotta hold back for Ibu's sake.'
He might be someone Ibu knew before turning into a demon, right?
I've grown a lot.
Entrusting my body to a vicious demon while keeping my mind in check—my hair-trigger temper has mellowed considerably.
And that's not all. I've even learned to pick up right where I left off after smacking my head.
'Kill, kill, kill some more, keep killing, wipe them all out. Find whatever treasure the devil stashed and head back.'
Plan reminder complete!
Even in broad daylight, the forest was dark.
Partly due to the thick canopy, but the shifting terrain played a big role too.
Twisted, corkscrew-like dry vines cropped up, and the ground grew studded with boulders.
Then the dirt and grass vanished entirely, giving way to solid rock.
'What the hell is this all of a sudden?'
And then it went pitch black.
I was in the dark, while Ibu was in the light.
I could see him, not following but hunkered behind a boulder.
Why does that gaze rip at my heart?
It's just blank, thoughtless eyes.
'I command thee—.'
Blue Eye
Darkness lifts. True forms revealed.
The darkness shifted to a watery blue hue, unveiling its secrets.
Fuck, another damn cave.
A sheer cliff where the mountain itself had split wide open.
The only signs of life were moss-like growths.
Tatata-tat-.
The demon's footsteps echoed off the cliffs on either side.
How long did we run like that?
The darkness finally broke into light.
I spotted Ibu resuming the pursuit.
Relief washed over me... followed by that heart-wrenching ache again.
Ibu, who'd been trailing at a distance, suddenly halted.
Spotted?
The demon showed no reaction.
Just kept running.
Ibu stared vacantly at the upper reaches of my destination.
What did he see up there, Ibu?
I craned my neck to check ahead.
Another cliff face.
If the first had been a wide fissure, this one tapered to a sharp point at the entrance but sealed over above.
Yeah, just like that cave back at the sanctuary.
Something dangled right at the peak of the narrow mouth. Ibu's eyes had to be locked on it.
Signboard? Waymarker?
A long, broad plank of wood scrawled with crooked red letters, like they'd been painted in blood.
Welcome to the Summoner's Gorge!
Well...
Looks like we'd found the right spot.
One question, though.
'Summoner? Or black sorcerer?'
Someone had called him a summoner.
Even amid all the talk of sorcerer this, black shaman that.
No matter how shit my memory is, I'd know that much.
'Who was it?'
Couldn't recall that part.
Whatever. Summoner, shaman—doesn't matter. Anyone who snatches up kids and adults alike to turn them into monsters deserves to die.
I glanced back, and the red silhouette whipped away.
Ibu would guide Roginin and Hama here.
Time to stay sharp.
No telling what tricks they'd pull.
They'd dragged Yuderg off alive, so they wouldn't damage the body.
'They'll shatter the mind instead.'
I was certain Fred and Requiya were unharmed too.
That certainty intensified as we plunged deeper into the cave.
'That's Fred and Yuderg's energy. Faint, but there.'
Another perk of my growth: sharper senses.
The passage wasn't narrow.
Wide enough for three wagons abreast, tall enough for a giraffe to stand upright. Never seen one in this world, but you get the idea.
The straight cavern ended at a crossroads.
The demon carrying me hung my sword on the wall.
Fred's and Requiya's blades were already there.
'Puppet on strings, and it's thorough about it.'
The demon veered left.
The direction leaking Fred and Yuderg's mana.
No clue what chit-chat passed—if any—between the puppeteer and the demon.
Maybe total silence.
But the puppeteer's intent was plain as day.
'Yeah, toss 'em in the same cell.'
The left path sloped downward.
Spiraling stone stairs. How far down did we go?
'Rusty iron stench.'
The oxidized reek nearly made me sneeze.
Kuuuuh—.
A few demons blocking the passage parted.
Kreeee—.
The rusty door swung open.
Kuerr—.
The demon entered the cell and flung me to the floor.
I twisted midair for a clean landing.
"Fred, Requiya, Yuderg. You guys okay?"
The chained trio, eyes narrowed, lit up.
"Boss? That you?"
"Yeah. Me."
"Boss! You come alone?"
"Nah, rode in with a demon."
I returned greetings from my cellblock seniors Fred and Requiya, letting the demon snap the restraints on without fuss.
Requiya teared up, voice thick with emotion.
"As expected of the boss! You came to save us!"
"Nah, I got captured too."
What the hell, man.
Why the pitiful stares?
The demon's control had lifted sometime after we descended underground.
I could tell from its newly natural movements, unlike the puppet strings.
Kuerrr—.
Clank—.
My raised hands came together, locked in the manacles.
'Demon from a perv background?'
So damn proficient at cuffing hands.
Or not.
How many folks had they snatched, locked up, and brainwashed like this?
No intellect left, yet the ingrained skill screamed manual-trained goons.
Vocational school style.
Hands secured, the demon rummaged at my feet for the shackles, glancing around.
I knew that frantic search for a missing item all too well.
"The thing you're hunting for? I got it."
The key was in my grip.
Snagged it slick when he tossed me down.
Kuuuuh—.
He registered my voice but not the words.
Just a quick glance, no lingering interest.
Clear as day from how he scanned walls and floor for the key.
"Grab another shackle, dumbass. Chains and cuffs everywhere. Tsk. Brainless fucks got zero flexibility. No adaptability. That's why you suck. Can't think for yourselves, decide, or act—so you prey on the weak."
Didn't understand a word, so no backlash to my torrent of insults. Ah, ruins the fun of needling it.
"Your folks see you now? 'Oh, our boy—we fed you, clothed you, raised you right—and you turned into a brainless bug monster. Keep hating the living and blaming the world forever.' Right?"
Pitiful fate for what was once human, sure—but that's sympathy for the soul, not the shell.
That's just a monster.
Monster.
Was human once. Not anymore.
Human. Monster. Human. Monster.
"Fuck. Bet this prick was bug-brained shit even as a human, huh? Bullying pals, beating 'em down, shaking 'em for cash..."
Temper surging out of nowhere...
"Argh! Fuck!"
Thwack—!
I lashed out with a side kick from flat on my back.
It staggered but shrugged it off, grabbing for my ankle to shackle it.
"Don't chain me up, you fuck! Don't! Huh? Not backing off? Fuck, I'm losing it for real!"
Another kick flew.
Thwack—! Boom—!
The demon toppled sideways and rolled.
Wasn't even a hard hit, but the pussy overreacted.
Grrruuuh—.
It rose, baring its teeth.
Those yellowed fangs stood out especially. The wall torch threw its ugly mug into stark relief.
Temper—what a motivator.
Once it ignites, it climbs endlessly.
Blood pressure up... up... up—.
Gonna drop from hypertension at this rate.
"Aw, shit! Pissing me off!"
Thwack—! Thwack!
Kept the kicks coming.
I'm a hot-blooded holy knight—once the fuse lights, I burn it to the end.
"Stupid fuck! Dog fuck! Why crawl back to life like that after getting nabbed! Huh? Had parents! Wife and kids maybe! Wanted fame bagging devils? Got cocky and caught? Couldn't just chill and live normal? Ever think of the family left behind? Saw you swinging that greatsword earlier! Greatsword hero snared by some wimpy devil—! Argh! Fuck! Dog fuck!"
One final powerhouse shove.
Pow—! Crash—!
It took the hip shot and flew, smashing hard into the cell bars before rebounding.
Hip joint popped out of socket—but black energy swirled in, reassembling it in seconds.
A warrior once, wielding a greatsword.
Now a black-magic-boosted demon.
Tough as nails.
Kwaaaaa—!
It sprang up and lunged.
Claw-hands slashed wildly.
"Don't fuck around, asshole."
Hands bound, I nullified every attack with just one foot.
"I'm a holy knight, punk. I'm fucking strong."
Its claws: long, pitch-black.
One rake and I'd probably die from the poison.
I'm a hygiene-conscious holy knight. Hate that shit.
Kwaaaak—!
Full rage now, it started swinging the shackle.
Tool use from a zombie? Not bad.
"Oh my, scary—."
Taunted while working feet and legs overtime.
Blocked, parried the flying chains over and over.
Clang—. Clang—.
Precise foot placement and angles.
Hit the arc's peak dead-on to blunt the force.
Crusty blood on the shackle was gross enough, but that bright red rust? No thanks.
Clang—. Clang—.
One hit from that and tetanus city.
Luke never vaccinated for it, obviously.
I'm a holy knight with top-tier medical perks. I know my shit.
Clang—. Clang—.
Vowed no claw poison death. Epic resolve against tetanus.
Solemn as fuck, I foot-fought on.
Rusty shackle incoming? Foot smacked it aside every time.
Playtime's over.
"Ha—sua—!"
The abyss sweep, signature move.
Idle left leg swept low like brushing the floor, snagging its ankle.
Demon body launched airborne, then crashed.
Kwoom—!
Before it hit ground, my right foot tracked its neck.
Thud—! Crunch—!
'I command thee—.'
Frost Infusion
Heel strike channels glacial energy. Target frozen solid.
Summoned the chill and flash-froze it solid.
Heel-delivered Ruler of Frost vibes.
Seen my footwork?
I'm a taekwondo-trained holy knight. Foot control's my jam.
"Lemme think..."
What next?
I calmly recalled the plan.
Poking the ice-block demon with my foot.
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