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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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The suited man’s body rapidly swelled, his clothes ripping apart.
“Ugh…”
Hee-sun groaned while gagging and she wasn’t the only one. I felt nauseous too.
Because it wasn’t just his clothes that were bursting.
His skin tore as he began his inhuman transformation.
Peeling away the human skin revealed a grotesque reddish-brown hue.
His pupils inverted and his eyes became demonic.
Black fingernails sprouted from his hands, and horns emerged from his head.
Even the arm Merhere had severed regenerated as he erupted in a gleeful, crazed laugh.
“Khahahaha!!! Jagan-nim’s grace!!! Thank you!!!”
He was the very image of a demon. It seemed like he had been empowered by a demon named Jagan.
‘This bastard is a demon’s minion… but what’s the relationship between demons and evil gods? Aren’t demons the evil gods’ subordinates?’
Angels felt like minions or agents of the good gods. So shouldn’t demons be the same for evil gods?
Maybe I could subdue him without a fight.
“Hey!! You! Do you know anything about the evil gods?”
“Khahahaha!!! No!!!”
It seemed like normal conversation was no longer possible after he transformed into a demon.
I wanted to ask him about demons, but for some reason, Indikron and Kashnax were still disconnected from me. I couldn’t feel their presence at all.
I could faintly sense Bothamili’s presence, but it was so weak that it was hard to detect.
Just as I was starting to worry that my connection with them might be permanently severed…
[Ca… Ca… Can… Can you hear me?]
Indikron spoke to me. Finally, I felt her gaze.
“Yes! I can hear you!”
[My… Where did you crawl off to? To be disconnected for so long… I was so worried I thought you’d disappeared! No, wait… This energy… Hmm… Forgotten… Ah… I see.]
Indikron fell silent, as if sensing something. I tried to speak to her again, but she told me not to disturb her as she needed to concentrate.
[Haa… I’m hungry…]
Then, just like Indikron, I felt Kashnax’s gaze again after a long absence.
[Huh? Sniff. Sniff… A familiar smell. A familiar scent. A nostalgic stench… Mmm… Who was it? You. Who did you meet…?]
“Uh… I, in the Void…”
[Mmm… I understand. Stop. Further explanation is dangerous.]
She too fell silent. I wanted to ask about the demon bastard, but the two evil gods didn’t seem very interested in him.
Meanwhile, the man had fully transformed into a demon. My harem members attempted several ranged attacks, but a red barrier seemed to grant him invincibility during the transformation, deflecting all their attacks.
He nimbly dodged my Abyssal Maw and Summon Tentacles, as if the barrier couldn’t block those.
While I briefly debated whether to capture him alive or kill him, his transformation was completed.
“Khahahaha!!! This power!!! This strength!!! Amazing…!”
Having transformed, the demon roared as if he no longer cared about mere zombies.
Instantly, the aggro of the surrounding zombies focused on us, and zombies that had survived the previous night by avoiding Kishiria crawled out from everywhere.
“Lee Eun-ji! Don’t get too close to him! That red aura he’s emitting is dangerous!”
Merhere’s sharp cry made Eun-ji, who had somehow gotten close enough to try and decapitate the demon, quickly retreat.
When did she even get there? I hadn’t even sensed her. Eun-ji was increasingly exhibiting the traits of an assassin.
“We need to use ranged attacks, Holy Light, or something else. If a normal human comes into contact with that crimson aura, the affected area will burn and melt.”
Unholy Touch only rotted the flesh it directly touched, but this guy was scattering that kind of aura all around him.
“Damn. That’s completely insane.”
“It doesn’t really affect me. I’ll wear him down. Master, finish him off with a ranged attack.”
“Can’t I just grab him and kill him?”
“My blood boils at the sight of a demon after so long. I want to properly stretch my limbs…”
I nodded at Merhere’s subtle request.
I would definitely win if I used Abyssal Maw or Summon Tentacles strategically, given the overwhelming difference in our Magic stat.
However, there seemed to be a strange rivalry between the angel and the demon as Merhere wanted to fight him.
“Alright. But if it gets dangerous, I’ll intervene immediately.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Merhere swung her sickle widely as she approached the demon. Just then, the suited demon mocked us with a sneer.
“Khahahaha!! How long are you going to just chatter! Come on! You trash!!”
“Such… a foul cur…”
Suddenly, veins bulged on Merhere’s forehead, and she darted forward.
“Don’t… bark! You worthless scum!!”
Merhere and the suited demon clashed furiously, giving no one else a chance to interfere.
Merhere swung her sickle as if she was a fish in water.
She mostly avoided the red aura, and even when she was touched by it, she didn’t burn or melt.
However, judging by her wincing, it must have been quite painful.
“Hiya!!”
Merhere aimed for the demon’s neck with her sickle whenever she saw an opening, but each time, the suited demon emitted a strange aura that let him block and evade the attacks.
Above all, the level difference between them was significant. Merhere hadn’t even reached level 10 yet.
If she were around level 12, she would have sliced him up right away… Such a pity.
Moreover, she was neither an angel nor anything else right now. It was probably too much for her to handle alone. I started channeling my Magic, worried that she might get hurt if this continued.
“Oppa! We’ll take care of the zombies! Don’t worry!”
“Oh, okay!”
Eun-ji, who had failed to get close to the demon, and the rest of the harem members ran off to push back and kill the approaching zombies.
The Ha brothers and the other slaves, who had come down with us, also went to assist them, killing the zombies that tried to approach us.
I was looking for an opening to rip off one of the demon’s limbs with Abyssal Maw.
‘But Han Ah-reum… Why has she been standing still?’
While everyone else was busy moving, Han Ah-reum stood motionless, as if she was possessed. She stared intently at the battle between the demon and Merhere.
“Hey! Ah-reum! What are you doing just standing there?”
Sensing something amiss, I approached her and spoke. Just then, Ah-reum crumbled while groaning in pain.
“Ugh…!”
Dropping her hammer, she clutched her head.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?! Hey! Snap out of it!”
“My… My chest… It keeps pounding… I can’t take it anymore…”
“What? Ah, you’re a Demon Slayer, right?”
It seemed like some class trait of hers had activated upon encountering a real demon. This was an unusual situation.
Like Kang Ha-young, who had become dazed due to her class trait, it seemed like Ah-reum was about to show us something as well.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Ugh…”
Ah-reum coughed up a little blood, then raised her head. Her eyes were stained black.
“Haa… Haa… Haa… Kill…”
Picking up her hammer again, she darted between Merhere and the suited demon, who were engaged in fierce battle, before I could stop her.
Bang!!!
The hammer narrowly missed the demon, smashing into the asphalt and lodging itself firmly. Ah-reum snarled ferociously, like a mad dog, with a demonic expression on her face.
Then, without a shred of fear, she lunged at the demon, diving right through the crimson aura that burned and melted flesh.
“Wh-What the hell is this crazy bitch?!”
The suited demon recoiled in shock at the sight of Ah-reum unaffected by the red aura.
The demon seemed flustered as Ah-reum, following Merhere, had neutralized his seemingly invincible ability. Merhere was also taken aback. Ah-reum’s frenzy made it difficult for her to swing her sickle.
“Hey! Master!! Why is this woman, no, why is Han Ah-reum acting like this?!”
“Maybe because she’s a Demon Slayer?!”
“What? What does that…?”
“She seems to go crazy whenever she sees a demon! Let them fight! We’ll intervene if it gets dangerous!”
I was a bit curious. What kind of battle would she show? But she couldn’t die or get hurt, so Merhere and I decided to watch their fight.
“Alright, I understand!”
Although she seemed perplexed, Merhere stepped back without complaint, yielding the prey to Ah-reum. She probably wanted to fight herself, but she gave Ah-reum the chance.
“Die… Die!!! Die!!!”
Consumed by madness, Ah-reum fought with all her might while oblivious to her surroundings, her focus solely on killing the demon.
She had always been somewhat listless and apathetic except when we were intimate, but upon facing this demon, she displayed an aggressive side that she had never shown before.
And a Han Ah-reum who was giving her all was incredible.
Without a thought for the consequences, she moved like a berserker, driven solely by the desire to kill the enemy.
Moreover, her perfectly timed partial black armor defense and parries were exquisite.
She had discarded reason in exchange for extreme combat senses.
‘Furthermore, even though the demon’s crimson aura is touching her… she’s not taking any damage. Amazing…’
On the contrary, she seemed to be absorbing the aura and growing stronger.
‘That crimson aura is unrefined magic… Ah-reum is absorbing it and becoming stronger… A true natural enemy to demon-type classes.’
She was a hard counter specifically against demons. If this continued, the suited demon would be mercilessly killed by Ah-reum, who seemed more demonic than the demon itself right now.
“Kuaack!!! Die!!!! Die!!”
“This crazy bitch!!!”
Kwajak!!!
Ah-reum casually blocked the suited demon’s attack with her black armor while closing in and striking the demon’s head with her hammer.
Now, she was even pulling and absorbing the demon’s crimson aura as if she was devouring it.
“Kraaaa!!!!”
But something seemed to be wrong.
Ah-reum, who was mindlessly devouring the magic, screamed.
“Hey!!! Oh no! Merhere!! Intervene!!”
Even before I gave the order, Merhere had already swung her sickle wide, pushing the demon away from Ah-reum. I also used Abyssal Maw to keep the demon at bay. But Ah-reum’s condition was more important, so I quickly rushed to her side.
“Kuuuuu…”
“Hey! What’s wrong! Uh…?!”
Crack…!
Suddenly, a horn sprouted from Ah-reum’s forehead.
It was a horn that curled inward like a goat’s horn. Having absorbed too much of the demon’s magic, she had become a half-demon.
“Kaa… Kaaaaaaa…!!!!!”
“Hey!! Han Ah-reum!! You crazy! Calm down!!”
The moment the horn appeared, she completely lost it. The last vestiges of her reason vanished. She blatantly ignored my command to calm down and stop, and began to rampage even more ferociously, like a wild beast. She couldn’t control the vast amount of magic herself. She had lost control.
“Hey!!! Stop!!!”
My second command was also ignored.
However, perhaps due to the backlash, Ah-reum’s body trembled, creating an opening for the demon.
The demon, having instantly pushed Merhere aside, seemed to perceive Ah-reum as the greatest threat and lunged to kill her. Just before she could block him with her distorted scales, the demon’s fist connected.
Bang!!!
“Kah…!”
Ah-reum was sent flying backward by the suited demon’s attack.
Merhere quickly intervened, interrupting the demon’s follow-up attack.
I caught Ah-reum with my tentacles as she was being thrown back.
‘Damn… It was my mistake to give her orders… I should have just let them fight…’
If I tried to restrain her further, it might endanger Ah-reum.
Since she had already lost her mind, it would be better to let her kill him. If she kept trying to fight while ignoring my commands to stop, she might die.
“I cancel the previous order. Rampage as you please!”
Simultaneously with my command, Ah-reum, who had been writhing in pain in my arms, jumped up and tilted her head while smiling at me as if in gratitude.
As if she had been waiting for that very command.
Rumble…!
The hammer in Ah-reum’s hand turned black with magic, and the air around her grew heavy, as if gravity had intensified.
As Ah-reum charged in, Merhere immediately distanced herself from the demon again. Then, she spun her sickle like a propeller, shredding the zombies that tried to interfere in their fight, making it easier for Ah-reum to rampage.
“You, you… What… This. I’ve never heard of such a being… Jagan-nim!!! What is this?! Jagan-nim!!!! Where have you gone?! Uaaah!!!”
The suited man, who was being beaten mercilessly by Ah-reum, cried out to the heavens.
But there was no answer. He soon fell silent, and the black-stained hammer flew towards the suited man’s head as he stood there dumbfounded.
Bang!!!
“Kraaah!!! Damn it!!”
Staggering from the heavy impact, the suited demon fell to one knee. I seized the opportunity and tore off his leg with Abyssal Maw. At that moment, Ah-reum grabbed the demon’s horns and smashed his face repeatedly with her hammer, shattering his jaw.
The jaw was ripped off by the hammer blows.
With his jaw gone, his tongue lolled down to his chest.
There was no way to enslave this guy now.
“Kiaaa!!! Uaaah!!!”
The demon thrashed and struggled to escape Ah-reum’s grasp.
But his struggles were futile. No matter how much strength he exerted and how much power he unleashed, Ah-reum remained unyielding, smashing him relentlessly while smiling as if that was her only joy in life.
I didn’t intervene in their fight any further. Ah-reum’s victory was already certain.
“Kuhahahak…!!!!”
After thoroughly pummeling the suited demon, Ah-reum threw her hammer aside and grabbed both of the demon’s horns. She slowly exerted force, then ripped them off.
Fwoosh!!!
The suited demon vomited purple mucus from his gaping mouth and collapsed face-first onto the ground.
“Gurk… Kurgh…”
I had initially intended to enslave him, but… he was about to die.
If he was going to die anyway, it was better for me to offer him as a sacrifice quickly.
I ran past Ah-reum, who was now kneeling and gasping for breath after having recovered from her frenzy, and reached the dying suited demon.
Then, I quickly plunged a dagger into his neck.
Thud…!
As his breath ceased, the suited man’s demonic transformation receded, and he reverted to his normal human form.
“I offer you this!”
I hurriedly shouted, intending to give him to Kashnax.
Then…
[Ugh… This rotten thing… I won’t eat it.]
Though it was rejected.
“What did you say?”
[Get that away from me. It’s spoiled.]
She was openly disgusted.
I thought Kashnax ate everything indiscriminately… Was I wrong?
To be rejected outright… What in the world? I couldn’t help but be bewildered by her unexpected reaction.
“Um, what do you mean by rotten?”
[It’s an already corrupted soul. Ugh… That’s… nasty. Nasty… Get rid of it quickly.]
She shook her head in disgust.
Then, as if retreating hastily, her presence faded.
If I pressed the matter further, her favorability would drop.
“Um, then what about Indikron-nim…?”
[Haa… My child. Listen carefully. That soul, in our situation… is like, to put it in your terms, an egg infested by a parasite. Extremely unpleasant and disgusting. The current situation is… yes, to put it from your human perspective, it’s like a cute cat bringing in a sewer rat from outside. And giving it to its owner. How does that sound? Do you want to receive it?]
“Ah, no. Ah…”
Ah… A cat catching a rat or bird and giving it to its owner as a gift… It’s admirable, but you really don’t want to accept it…
Moreover, an egg infested by a parasite… I wouldn’t want something like that either.
I seemed to have done something terrible to the gods…
‘But a parasite and an egg… If the parasite is the demon, and the egg is the suited man… then the suited man was a minion who made a contract with a demon.’
Pondering Indikron’s explanation, I asked what I was curious about.
“Um… Aren’t demons like subordinates of the evil gods?”
That’s what I had thought. But it seemed that wasn’t the case.
[Not at all. We create our own slave races. Kishiria, who’s like a daughter to me, is one example. Demons are merely bastards born from the distortions of fate. They are not our kin or subordinates. They’re just creatures that leech off our domain.]
“Ahhh…”
[Oh, and you can’t enslave these demonic minions. Just kill them without hesitation if you see them.]
It seemed like their relationship was different from what I had imagined. No wonder they weren’t interested. Whether these demons lived or died didn’t matter to them, so they were essentially useless creatures.
“Botham—”
[Don’t. Mention. My name. You’ll get hurt.]
“Ah, yes.”
[And I can’t eat anything. Sorry.]
I tried asking just in case, but as expected, I was refused.
“Ah-reum, are you alright?”
“Mmm… Sorry… I… I couldn’t control myself…”
I lifted Ah-reum into my arms as she stood up, struggling to even walk properly.
“Hmm… Let’s go inside!”
“Yes!”
We quickly dealt with the remaining zombies on the street and hurried back inside the supermarket, sealing the entrance once more.
“I was thinking of going slave hunting, but it would be dangerous to go out defenseless like this.”
“He definitely mentioned the Central Association, right?”
Eun-ji nodded in agreement while recalling what the suited man had shouted.
He had invited us to join the Central Association, a massive all-encompassing survivor group formed by a union of alumni associations, veteran associations, and church groups.
“And if someone who is going around recruiting is that strong… then their main base might be quite large and powerful, right?”
Everyone agreed with Hee-sun’s opinion. She still seemed creeped out by the demon’s appearance as she rubbed her arms.
Indeed, the sight of him tearing apart his human skin and transforming into a demon was quite grotesque and horrifying.
“Then what should we do? Stay holed up here? If he doesn’t return, they’ll definitely send others to look for him.”
Merhere’s words were also valid. If they were sane, they would have planned their patrol routes in advance, and if one of their members didn’t return, they would search along those routes.
“Master, that special zombie he was controlling earlier…”
“Yeah, that’s a War Boy.”
“I have a bad feeling about that. They’ll definitely notice right away when that zombie dies.”
“Haa… You’re right… Damn. They might come swarming at us like a pack of dogs soon.”
I could also sense immediately when the Abyssal Roach died and was desummoned.
“It seems like there’s never a day of peace…”
That was probably to be expected in the apocalypse.
We decided to postpone going out for slave hunting for the time being.
Instead, we cleaned up the inside of the supermarket, and I summoned the Abyssal Roach to scout the vicinity. I instructed it to signal me immediately if it found anything.
The sun set, and evening arrived. There were still no signs of anything unusual.
“But… what about this?”
Before dinner, during a brief lull, I took out the red orb from my bag and asked the gods about it. The orb I received from Bothamili… The one that supposedly warps fate. I had kept it all this time without using it, intending to ask the evil gods about it.
[Hmm… I think it’s okay to eat it. I sense a considerable amount of causality in it… It’s something obtained through his complete erasure from existence…]
Indikron encouraged me to try it.
[Gulp… It looks delicious… But… I can’t eat it…]
Kashnax sounded like she wanted to eat it herself.
“Well then…”
I popped the orb into my mouth.
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T/N – I’m curious to see what he’ll gain from the orb. Also, never a dull moment for the MC with his absurd luck. Now he needs to raid a base run by demon worshippers.
If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.
