218
Demon of Despair
The passage leading to the Demon of Despair was longer than expected.
No, maybe it was just my impatience that made it feel longer.
I tried hard to control my rising excitement.
Excitement doesn’t help. I take deep breaths and desperately try to bring down my pent-up spirit.
My condition was not good. I had accumulated quite a few injuries from the battle with the twelve imperial knights.
‘Let’s calm down.’
The sweet and disgusting smell, now so strong that it was visible, was no easy task.
I couldn’t get excited and mess things up here.
I exhaled and sat down.
I could get there in a little while, but I had to recover first.
As I opened my right palm, a pitch-black sword came out with a sharp pain. It was now more like a claw than a sword. Only the blade remained without a handle.
I checked the condition and wiped it carefully with a cloth.
I thought back to when I first met him.
It was quite a hassle, but I somehow pulled it off.
Although it had been taken out so many times that the light had faded somewhat, it was still vivid.
***
“Do we have to go all the way to banning the desert guys?”
Udra grumbled in an irritated voice,
She was a dishonest woman who was the first to agree with the story that the children were missing, but then pretended to accept it out of necessity.
“Be careful, I don’t have a good feeling about this. The request came at a time when I had to ask for it, and the amount is much larger than usual.”
I whispered to Udra while glancing at the guy behind me. When I scratched the lower part of his head, Udra shook his head like a cat.
‘The captain’s side···.’
While calming Udra, I looked at the tree where I had left my mark. Since this was the advance party, they should be approaching from a little further away.
Because the area itself was so large, there was bound to be a lot of luggage.
If you take the wrong path while carrying your luggage, it will be difficult to return. Udra and I, along with that oddly named bearded orc, were leading the way.
I nodded after checking the magical tool that showed the direction of the main unit.
“Did you hear that? Wayne got screwed by Avery again.”
Udra, whose mood quickly improved, nodded and asked.
“I made 1 gold with that.”
I nodded to him. Wayne was constantly asking what was good about Private Avery.
Every time, he boasted that this time it would be real, but the result was that he would just call Gorgai and me over for wine.
‘Sure Wayne was ugly.’
Wayne had the look of a typical conman. He was the kind of face that you couldn’t give affection to even if you wanted to.
Of course, he had a dog-like personality… but when you actually got to know him, he was actually a pretty innocent man. He was just twisted because of his unfortunate family environment.
“So you’re closer to them than me?”
Udra’s eyes lowered for a moment. If she left it alone, she would be able to see Wayne suffer, so her temptation was tempted, but-.
“Woodra is the best.”
I shook my head hurriedly because I was sure I would be in trouble too.
“really?”
Udra laughed, crinkling the bridge of her nose.
Woodra often asked me, “Is she going to abandon me?” She was so attached to the lack of affection and everything, and despite her outstanding appearance, she felt anxious every day.
‘He really does have a shitty personality.’
“uh.”
I swallowed my feelings and laughed. Even getting bullied was charming.
“···thank god.”
Udra felt a little relieved at my answer. I smiled bitterly, brushed back my greasy hair, and looked around.
Although Udraga was naturally gifted in combat, he was somewhat weak in reconnaissance.
Normally, Wayne and I were supposed to be checking it out, but Woodra kept making a fuss, so we had no choice but to change it. You said you had a bad dream last night?
‘It’s a battlefield, so it’s even better if you sleep well.’
I muttered softly and wiped the sweat from my palms.
“It’s over there.”
At that moment, the bearded orc pointed to a particularly dark area and spoke.
“Yeah. But you’re not talking much today?”
I winked at Udra and moved towards the bearded orc.
“I have a stomachache, maybe because the meat I ate yesterday went bad.”
“Really? Oh, then chew on this.”
I took out the herbs I had prepared in advance and handed them to him. They were good for indigestion. I carried them with me because Udra often had diarrhea.
“That’s mine. If you eat it, I’ll kill you.”
Udra immediately drew his sword and spoke. The bearded orc looked startled and handed the herb back to him.
“I’m joking. Eat it. If you’re not feeling well, we’ll be in trouble too.”
I explained to Udra, “It’s work. It’s work,” and handed her the herbs again.
The bearded orc took a sip of the herb only after Udra had turned away.
“Be careful, it will taste bitter if you chew it too much.”
We were pretty close friends because we hung out together and drank beer together.
“Hmm. You really are a good guy.”
It was the story I heard most often. Just ordinary, perfectly normal behavior became here an aristocratic, old-fashioned, moral dignity.
Because everyone was only thinking about hitting the back of the head. Except for our mercenary corps, everyone else was at the level of beasts.
“We’re friends, right?”
I patted the bastard on the shoulder and smiled coolly. The bastard’s eyes widened.
Oops, smile.
I quickly wiped away my smile. My looks were so outstanding that I sometimes caused unnecessary misfortune.
“You dare laugh at my Aaron?”
Just like now-. I hurriedly caught Udra who was rushing at the bearded orc.
Because Udra was so clever, he quickly caught it, but Udra’s sword cut the guy’s beard in half.
The guy hurriedly stepped back with a pouty face.
‘The expression···.’
I patted Udra on the back and looked closely at his face. It didn’t feel good.
How much longer did we walk like that? When the sun was no longer visible-.
The bearded orc suddenly disappeared somewhere, saying he had to pee.
Since he hadn’t been back for quite some time, we were talking about his piss pot.
At that moment, someone came out from behind.
He was pale and skinny. At first glance, he seemed like an unattractive guy, but there was something about him that gave me a strange sense of unease.
He was also wearing a large cloth, and something was moving inside it as if it was rustling.
“Oh, this time you sent me something really tasty.”
The guy who found us nodded with a satisfied smile. His voice was so calm that I almost nodded along for a moment.
“Aaron-.”
Udra muttered softly as he stood in front of me. Udra’s muscles were bulging.
It was Udra who had better senses than me. If even Udra like me were to be on guard-.
“Hoo- Could it be that these two are a couple? This is really···.”
The corners of the guy’s mouth went up deeply. Sharp molars were visible in the corners of his mouth that looked torn. They were teeth closer to those of a monster than a human.
“It looks delicious.”
The guy muttered with a smirk in his voice. Then his cloth fluttered.
Then a low sound is heard and something shoots out-.
I swung my sword repeatedly as if it were my habit. Clang. A sharp shock came through my sword. Strength is one of my strengths, but my sword was pushed back.
‘Tentacles? Are they monsters?’
As I was thinking about its identity, the thing I had shot out started to wiggle and shoot again.
I squinted my eyes and swung my sword repeatedly. Thump thump, I struck so well that it looked like a stunt to anyone watching from the side.
“It was a devil.”
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the tentacle piercing my abdomen.
Even though I used a lot of force, there wasn’t even a scratch on the tentacles. It was definitely a demon.
It was a huge defeat. If it was a demon, it couldn’t be dealt with without an aura. In the mercenary corps, only the captain could handle an aura.
‘What kind of devil was there in the desert in the first place-.’
At that moment, Udra moved quickly. Her sword drew a gorgeous line and struck the tentacles repeatedly. Her swordsmanship was like a ghost.
“First, back-.”
He said as he pulled out the thing stuck in his abdomen. The excruciating pain shook his mind for a moment.
“How dare you… my Aaron!”
Udra, who had been holding me fiercely, jumped backwards while holding me. Even though he was carrying a fairly heavy person, his movements were very fast.
‘···Why don’t you chase after me?’
The thing was just sitting there, staring at us. Its tentacles were waving slightly, as if it was waving its hand, which was unsettling.
Udra, who had been running for a long time, carefully put me down. The woman who usually threw things like swords and jewels was very careful at this time.
Aaron-. Udra kept calling my name with an anxious face.
“It stung a little.”
I said with a bitter smile. However, it didn’t seem to have much effect, as Udra’s trembling grew even stronger.
‘Bearded orc cub.’
The strange demon that appeared after the guy disappeared. Like in a horror movie, the guy might have been hit first, but…
‘If that were the case, I would have screamed.’
In the first place, it was strange that an uncivilized desert bastard would leave his seat to pee. Anyway, those medieval bastards were always anxious to get their heads hit whenever they got the chance. Those fucking bastards-.
‘But why aren’t you chasing me?’
Even though Udra did a good job of striking, he couldn’t land any significant damage on the bastard because he didn’t have an aura.
On the other hand, he was very relaxed. Udra’s feet were fast, but since he was carrying me, it wasn’t as fast as the tentacles.
I thought I could hear the guy’s voice mumbling, “This looks delicious.”
I took out my magic tool from my bosom and checked the direction. I had to reunite with the captain as soon as possible.
‘The direction is correct.’
It was surprising that he was heading towards the captain even while running away. As expected, Udra had excellent senses.
“Aaron, don’t die. If you die, I’ll really kill you. No. If you leave me alone-.”
Udra whispered her love in her own way. I forced a smile, knowing that it was her way of expressing affection.
“First, let’s go to the captain.”
He said, forcing himself up. I’ve suffered quite a few injuries from rolling around in this shitty place. A pierced navel was all that was left······.
‘It was poison.’
I just fell down. It was soft thanks to Udra catching me, but-.
“No. Aaron! Please-.”
As I watched Udra grow more anxious, I began to understand what he meant when he said, ‘It looks delicious.’
‘That’s why these devil children···.’
I muttered softly. I could feel his gaze. No, I could actually hear his laughter. Udra looked at me with his teeth gritting, but he seemed to be holding back because of me.
‘But if you go to the captain…’
He was a captain from the Imperial Knights. If he was a captain who had overcome crises like a hero up until now, he would do something.
If I only met the captain, his carelessness would work like a cliché. With that thought in mind, I calmed Udra down and followed the magic tool.
‘We’re almost there now.’
I arrived at the luggage, but all I could see was a red trail of blood.
As the hopes were great, so was the despair.
“Ahh, this is so delicious. These guys are so sticky!”
I could hear the bastard’s sinister laughter from inside.
Yeah, that was his entertainment.
This time, Udra came to her senses first. When I opened my eyes, I was in Udra’s arms.
Udra kept hitting my cheek. Get up! I’m really going to kill you. Udra’s eyes looking at me were more desperate than ever.
At that moment, Udra pushed me.
Udra let out a scream that was tearing apart. The tentacle that had pierced Udra’s solid stomach twitched at me. As if greeting me.
I bit my lip hard at Udra’s screams filled with pain.
Although he pretended to be strong, Woodra hated being sick more than anyone else. It was a secret, so no one knew, but I knew,
That’s why I had no choice but to stab her in the face with my sword. Then, as if by magic, the erosion disappeared.
It sounded like he was whispering.
You killed her.
“My wish came true.”
Udra said with an awkward smile. It was Udra who whispered to me every night that she wanted to die.
However, the face looked more painful than when he was stung by a tentacle.
But she said that out of consideration, perhaps to avoid making me feel guilty.
Just as I knew her weakness, she also knew that I washed my hands for hours every night.
Another tentacle was shot out.
Udra swayed in front of me like a doll.
The guy’s muttering, “This looks delicious,” filled my head.
I somehow managed to escape, but the guy found me.
A half-cut Udra crawled towards me. This was a mockery of the bastard. I held her in my arms and made her sleep comfortably.
I thought it was fortunate that I was given this miserable role.
After a while, they all approached me with similar appearances to Udra.
Just like the day I drank heavily after successfully completing my first mission, I hugged them one by one.
After building up his collapsing spirit with revenge as a pedestal, he somehow managed to escape.
“Oh, this is really delicious.”
Leaving his cold-hearted mockery behind.
***
‘The tentacles were only slightly slower than the sword of the Imperial Knight. There were several wounds left on the captain’s body. It was clear that they attacked from all sides and confused the captain’s hands.’
I muttered the guy’s characteristics in my hazy memory.
The memory of that day made my body feel hot again and my head spin.
“It looks delicious.”
I continued to mutter what the guy was saying and relaxed.
I tried hard to suppress the excitement that kept rising.
No matter what I did, I had to prepare myself. After a while of doing that, I slowly moved forward.
Finally, we arrived at the dark pupil.
I laughed even more deeply at the sight of his pupils.
There was a forest in the pupil. I don’t know how this is possible, but it was the same forest as that day.
It was as if I had actually gone back to that day.
“thank you.”
After looking up and muttering with all my heart, I entered the forest.
The sound of insects, the dampness unique to the forest, even the smell of grass. It was exactly like that day.
The nightmare became even more intense with the addition of smell and sight. Things that had become somewhat dull now came to life again.
Before I knew it, I had arrived that day. I was holding the corpses of the mercenaries and still had the strength I had been crying out for.
I continued to follow the scent, chewing over the nightmare again and again. I followed it slowly, humming like the guy that day.
I saw broken trees. I followed their traces, singing louder and louder.
I moved slowly and patiently, as if I was waiting for food in a fancy restaurant.
How long did it take to walk like that?
I was finally able to face the guy.
He must have eaten something good during that time, because his complexion was much better. His upper body was covered in black spots like a skin disease, and tentacles were wriggling out of those spots.
It was a hideous sight, as if a thousand snakes had been woven together.
I laughed heartily at the sight of the guy looking even better than before.
If the guy had been tied up or restrained, I would have been upset.
Instead, Selena let the bastard grow even bigger.
So that I can eat more deliciously.
I laughed out loud, and the guy stared at me. His eyes were very red and unfocused.
Just like Hendrix, who was eaten by predation. However, he didn’t have the same level of presence as Hendrix.
I don’t know exactly what transcendence is yet, but it felt like the bastard had lost his reason due to deep erosion. It felt different from Hendrix.
‘Transcendence.’
I muttered softly. I don’t know the conditions for transcendence, but considering the sword masters and Hendrix I’ve encountered so far, he was definitely lacking.
However, it had a strong scent in another sense. I don’t know what the difference is between transcendence and erosion, but it looked very delicious.
It looked like it was roughly around the bottom.
How did you get it right, it was exactly the same level as me.
The bastard’s red eyes stared at me. The bastard’s tentacles trembled.
I let out a small laugh at the guy who didn’t seem to recognize me.
It didn’t matter whether the guy remembered or not. All I had to do was make him remember.
I looked at the guy with sunken eyes. The erosion had spread from his upper body to his thighs. Except for his face, the tentacles were densely packed and swayed as if the wind was blowing.
‘It’s been eaten by erosion.’
It seemed like the bastard’s consciousness had already been eaten. It didn’t matter.
I beat up the guy who had the tenant and Hendrix who was eaten by the predator and brought him back to his senses. This guy will be similar.
– Are you feeling a little more alert?
The tenant whispered. There was a deep desire in his voice.
The tenant’s question was ambiguous.
Seeing someone who has lost his reason due to erosion, I wonder if he is asking if he is aware of the erosion.
Or is it asking if you feel alert to the strength of the guy you can feel on your skin?
I didn’t think too deeply. I just focused all my attention on the thing right in front of me.
I took off my armor, starting from my breastplate and working my way down to my arms.
Khehehehe······.
The thing that saw me full of shells shook its tentacles even more. Now it seemed like it was tempting me too.
“It looks delicious.”
I took a potion from my pocket and tied it behind my back.
After that, he threw the armor he had taken off to one side and took a step forward.
The guy grimaced and bent down. Then tentacles shot out from all directions-.
The speed was quite fast. It was slightly slower than the imperial knight who had caused the aura. He set up a guard with the arm that caused the erosion and ran forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang! The tentacles kept hitting the arm, but they couldn’t get through. This one had the upper hand in terms of sturdiness. The compatibility was good.
The creature must have sensed him as it spread out more tentacles. As if it still had some intelligence, the tentacles turned sideways and aimed for the parts not covered by the shell.
I grabbed the nearest tentacle. The bastard’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t expected to be caught. I pulled hard, enjoying it.
Then the guy’s new form shook violently towards me. The guy who had been chewing his lip shook his shoulder. The tentacle in my hand lost its strength and was torn off.
‘Are you just left with instincts like a monster?’
He was a quicker thinker than I thought.
I brought the tentacles I pulled out to my mouth. I stared at them and stuffed them into my mouth one by one. The taste was disgusting and really fucking disgusting, but paradoxically, it tasted better than any delicacy.
The guy’s eyes narrowed and his tentacles fluttered as if they were floating. New tentacles shot out from the places where they had been pulled out. Black blood poured out like a fountain.
I looked at the bastard, put the tentacle in my mouth, and swallowed. Gulp-. My stomach was rumbling, but the corners of my mouth were turned up.
“It’s delicious.”
He muttered softly and took a step forward.
At that moment, the black spots on the guy grew larger. Now, they reached beyond his upper body and up to his thighs. The number of tentacles was twice as many as before.
It was so crowded around me that I felt like I was trapped in tentacles. No, I was actually trapped in tentacles. Wherever I looked, there were only tentacles.
I had to get down to his level.
‘Hand it over.’
– It’s what you wanted.
‘immediately.’
To put it bluntly, the tenant laughed loudly. Laughter filled his head.
The erosion spread beyond my arms to my entire upper body. My vision expanded and my mind became dizzy. My body felt somewhat distant, as if it wasn’t mine. However, I felt more powerful than before.
I could see each and every tentacle of the thing shooting out. It struck the ground with a powerful fist.
Kwaang-! With a loud noise, the impact spread widely throughout the surroundings. The tentacles tangled and burst out. I grabbed the tip and pulled.
“······!”
The thing let out a strange scream as it tore off the tentacle again. I stuffed the disjointed tentacle into my mouth. It tasted disgusting.
I chewed it thoroughly so as not to get an upset stomach. I was planning to eat a lot today, so digestion was important.
A pungent taste spread throughout, as if poison had been added. However, this body was strong. It was just a more pungent taste.
– Let me chew it for you.
When I looked down at the tenant’s muttering, I saw that the erosion had spread all the way to my chin.
I grabbed my chin without hesitation and bit it. My mind, which had been distant from the pain, returned.
‘Fuck you.’
The chin that had grown back was mine. The bushy beard was cleanly shaven.
I smiled with satisfaction.
– ···.
The tenant who clicked his tongue slightly backed away. Unlike before, he felt more forgiving.
I laughed and moved forward again. More tentacles shot out, but this time there were slightly fewer than before. When I looked closely, I saw that the thing had overlapped its tentacles and shot them.
It seemed like he had put a lot of thought into it, but-.
“It tastes like chewing.”
Rather, the texture improved. The refreshing taste made my mouth freeze, but I somehow managed to move it with strength.
He didn’t match up well with me. His tentacles had the advantage of range and speed, but they couldn’t penetrate my shell. How could someone who uses a secret weapon compete with a full-plate knight?
I stepped forward, trimming my fat belly. A small fear appeared in the guy’s eyes.
At that moment, the area of the guy’s erosion grew larger. Black spots covered his entire body, beyond his thighs. Then, new tentacles grew, thicker than before.
The tentacles slapped my carapace. It bounced in all directions as if it had been hit by an aura.
‘It got faster.’
I rather laughed. Yeah, it wouldn’t be fun if it ended easily.
What a dream come true.
I wish he had been more violent and more energetic.
So that this enjoyable time can last longer.
I could sense the tentacles in the eyes of the erosion. I could see their paths one by one. It was a strange sensation, but I was used to it now.
He spread his right hand and pulled out his claws. He used his sharp black claws to cut off the tentacles one by one. Of course, there were more tentacles that he couldn’t cut off and was hit by-.
It’s okay. Matt was confident.
I cut them off one by one and put them in my mouth, and continued to advance. Although I was struck by excruciating pain from all sides, I smiled instead.
No, I just laughed. It was truly fun.
It was unbearably delightful to see him back away in embarrassment, to know that he was afraid of me.
I struck it with my sword and then suddenly grabbed the tentacle and pulled it. Perhaps because I was focusing on the tentacle, the guy’s reaction was a bit slower this time.
The tentacles were quickly torn off, but the distance had slightly gotten closer.
So much so that you can see the guy’s slightly wrinkled eyes.
I looked at the guy and smiled brightly.
As the guy’s red eyes sparkled, my vision darkened.
‘Is it a mental series?’
Ahead came a stream of welcoming faces, each in their worst state, with their arms outstretched.
It was a vicious mental attack, befitting the demon of despair.
but-.
‘I’m getting sick of it now.’
He clicked his tongue and quickly dealt with them one by one.
Feelings that were already worn out no longer had any taste.
I went in the direction I remembered. Soon the darkness receded.
I saw a guy with his mouth wide open nearby.
“Nice to meet you.”
I grabbed the guy’s snout. The tentacles wriggling between them pounded my body, but I ignored them. I could endure it because the erosion had already completely covered my upper body.
The red pupils that were drawn right in front of me were huge. I raised the corners of my mouth as I looked at those pupils.
“Are you inside?”
The bastard’s pupils shook slightly.
I smiled brightly at him.
The guy’s red eyes looked like a very scary demon. Or maybe a very excited demon.
“I’ll get it out right away.”
I spoke as affectionately as possible.
Kihiyeeeeek! The one who had shouted trembled as if he was having a seizure.
The tentacles moved more roughly than before. The force applied to them was so great that the body kept shaking. The shoulder blades kept falling off, and the tentacles were stuck in the gaps.
Although I felt excruciating pain all over my body, it actually helped me stay sane.
I grabbed the bastard’s face with both hands and pulled. The bastard’s horrible tentacles came closer. The bastard’s thick tentacles kept hitting my face, annoying me.
I bit down on the tentacles I could get my hands on. The pieces of tentacles jumping around in my mouth were disgusting, but I swallowed them thinking they were live octopuses.
I cried so loudly that my stomach felt like it was going to burst, but I didn’t stop.
I originally ate a lot. I stared at the thing without blinking in excruciating pain, and kept tearing and swallowing it.
After vomiting because my stomach was full, I chewed on the tentacles again.
How much did you tear off?
When I couldn’t taste it anymore-.
“Ahhhh···.”
A soft voice was heard from below.
When I looked down, I saw a thing with its tentacles ripped off.
He seemed a bit older than before. He looked as if he was about to die.
The eyes of the man looking at me were filled with fear.
I looked at him, shook my stiff jaw for a moment, then opened my mouth.
“Yeah, it’s really delicious.”
Let’s be honest, the guy started the game.
When I saw his shaking eyes, I felt truly relieved because he seemed to remember me.
My condition was no different. The erosion that had passed the limit was continuously pulling down my consciousness, and my body, full of holes, was shaking violently. Maybe because of the overflowing salty taste, my mouth was also stiff.
It was the worst.
Then, I put in all my effort and took out the potion I had prepared.
He smiled brightly and poured it out to the guy.
