Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Demons Unleash Poison in the Dwarf Principality! (1)
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Dwarf Principality.
Unlike human kingdoms, it was a true land of gold, brimming with countless resources and advanced technology. Naturally, the demons had set their sights on it—it was inevitable.
Especially after getting thoroughly screwed over by the Barrekan Holy Kingdom, they couldn't just sit back and watch the continent's rabble pull their tricks. So, they decided to invade the Dwarf Principality.
But bulldozing through with sheer force would cost too much. Right now, demons above the rank of True Blood couldn't even move properly inside the Barrekan Holy Kingdom's barrier.
So instead, they opted to release poison.
The poison would spread slowly, rotting the Dwarf Principality from the inside out until it self-destructed. Slowly, but surely, they would corrupt it completely.
Of course, some inside the principality had sensed something suspicious. But most were dealt with easily enough. All except one: Biral Emerald.
The moment they tried to take him out, he cleverly fled the country. And now, he'd brought the Royal Knights here with him. It had thrown them off at first.
But it didn't matter.
Ambassador Biral knew nothing. Naturally, the Royal Knights wouldn't know anything either. Or so they'd thought—until they heard the captain's words firsthand.
"Demons, huh."
That single, confident remark was enough to sow chaos. How the hell did he know? Ambassador Biral had never mentioned them. How had he figured out they were demons in that one instant?
At that moment, the captain's eyes landed on me. I panicked and hurriedly averted my gaze. I didn't know why, but the Royal Knights' captain had definitely figured something out.
Kill him now.
I reached that conclusion quickly. If I was going to do it, now was the time—while they were worn out from the grueling journey and not in peak condition. And finally, the thick cloak of night shrouded the principality's lights.
I headed straight for the captain's quarters. The other knights weren't a problem. I'd handle the most dangerous one—the captain—personally. Maybe he was overconfident, because he was deep in sleep.
Was this a trap to lure me in?
The thought crossed my mind for a split second. But I quickly shook my head, dismissing it. If it was, they would've struck the moment I entered the room. He hadn't.
Which meant he was off guard right now.
Small mercies. With the demons in such a dire situation, invading the Dwarf Principality couldn't afford to fail. With that resolve, I crept closer.
I got so close I could feel his breath, but the captain remained asleep, eyes shut. Slowly, I raised my dagger. Still, he didn't stir.
Without hesitation, I plunged the dagger down. You got careless at the end there, Royal Knights' captain. But something felt off. There was no feedback from the blade.
"What the..."
No blood sprayed. The dagger had merely stabbed the innocent bed. Some kind of fur floated in the air. Stunned by the sudden turn, I froze—right then.
"What are you?"
A cold blade pressed against my throat. The captain, who I'd thought was asleep, had not only woken up but circled behind me in that brief moment. Realizing it, cold sweat broke out for the first time.
As expected of the Royal Knights' captain.
Unreal skills.
A lot of shocking stories had been exchanged, but in the end, we decided to rest for the day and start the investigation tomorrow. The knights were too exhausted to begin right away.
For our safety, the Jewel of the Stars assigned special escorts. Especially for me—Rain Emerald would guard me personally. As his personal guard, she should be trustworthy enough.
In fact, Ambassador Biral had openly stated that while he didn't trust others, he trusted Rain Emerald. She was probably his closest confidant. Anyway, we took some rest.
And at the same time, I figured we'd get a peaceful night's sleep. Deep down, I assumed they wouldn't show their true colors on the very first day. No way they'd make a move right away, right?
But it actually happened.
"Never assume" is spot on.
I hadn't noticed anything off. I was just tired, so I washed up and hit the hay. But nightmares woke me, and right there in front of me was a dagger.
At first, I wasn't even startled. I thought it was a dream. But it wasn't. While I slept, Time Stop had activated and saved my life.
"Holy shit, you scared me."
If I'd jolted up in panic, I'd have impaled myself on that dagger and gotten seriously hurt. Slowly and carefully, I shifted away from it and sat up. How long had Time Stop been active?
About five minutes had passed. Knowing even roughly how long the stopped time had lasted was a huge help for me.
I swiftly drew my sword and sliced at its neck. I'd planned to kill it outright at first. But I changed my mind. My blade hadn't sunk deep into its neck.
It felt far tougher than a Comfrachico.
At least a rank above—meaning Blood Tide level at minimum.
I frowned. Normally, the barrier prevented demons from operating here. At best, low-grade ones could manage.
But lately, a few Blood Tide-grade demons had started appearing. Proof that the Barrekan Holy Kingdom's barrier was weakening. That was a problem too, but focus on the matter at hand.
I released Time Stop. Any longer, and the cooldown would screw me over. The moment I did, I saw it panic.
"What are you?"
Now, all that was left was buying time until the cooldown reset. Against a Blood Tide demon, I couldn't hold out without Time Acceleration. But that was my trump card.
Save it for the absolute last moment. Honestly, not using it would be ideal. But to buy that Time Stop cooldown, I started talking.
It slowly rose and turned its head. The instant I saw its face, I was stunned. It was someone I recognized. Blue hair.
A girl-like appearance with matching blue eyes. Rain Emerald—the one who'd tried to assassinate me with the dagger. Why? Wasn't she Ambassador Biral's closest aide?
"I targeted you when the long journey dulled your senses. Looks like I've walked into the trap instead."
"......"
"You seem to have a lot of questions for me. I can answer a few."
"You're Ambassador Biral's closest confidant. Why the betrayal?"
Luckily, my intimidation worked. My poker face, honed through training, finally paid off. If I'd shown panic, it would've doubted my strength.
And struck immediately after. Even so, it wasn't moving now because it was wary of me. That's why it was answering—to buy time.
I knew that, but it was welcome right now. I needed that Time Stop cooldown too. So, let's drag this out. Rain smirked at my words and replied.
"Continentals really are fools."
"What?"
"Do I still look like Rain to you?"
"...?!"
"AKA MPP3 TK1 MPP4 TK2 DARRRRR......"
It let out some bizarre noise. Like something inhuman trying to speak. That voice sent chills down my spine. I gritted my teeth. Maintain the poker face.
Rain's form began melting like mud. Soon, it lost its shape entirely. In its place was something grotesque. Definitely not human.
It crawled on the floor, wrapped in thin threads around its body. No face visible. But though no eyes, countless mouths covered its form, writhing.
"PL3 UT1 DDAD EMEL MPP4 DARRRRR......"
The problem was the unintelligible sounds pouring from those mouths. Listening to it felt like my sanity was fraying. It was that horrific.
Then, it moved. It lashed out with a tentacle. I leaped back. The tentacle smashed the floor in an instant. Thanks to that, I fell through.
My stance crumbled, but it fled in a hurry, so I barely survived. Clicking my tongue, I got back up. Whatever, first things first—rendezvous with the knights.
Because that thing was terrifying.
What the hell is that monster?