Chapter 31 |
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[Translator – Peptobismol]
[Proofreader – Zain]
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The demon, flung tens of meters, crashed into three pillars before slamming into the ground.
The shock wasn’t absorbed by the tower; instead, it swayed in all directions. Stone shards rained down from the ceiling like morning dew in spring. Where the demon landed, dust billowed from the floor like mist.
Devourer walked slowly towards the mist.
The pace didn’t seem hurried, with narrow strides indicating no rush. The hesitant steps didn’t veer far from Devourer’s usual demeanor, except for the firmly shut mouth, devoid of words or any apparent thought.
The complexion was dark. No, the absence of expressions made it appear erratic and dark.
As if proving that point, Devourer’s expression was so devoid of emotion it was chilling. It seemed to have no thoughts at all, almost as if masked, making it difficult to decipher the hidden intentions.
Devourer, who approached the demon, slowly reached out his arm.
As Devourer reached out slowly, suddenly dozens of stakes shot up, piercing through its arm. The demon roared. Despite almost half its body bursting out, it had already regenerated to its original form.
Unperturbed, Devourer grabbed the demon.
Lifting up it briefly, Devourer struck it down forcefully onto the floor.
Crash! The area struck by the impact sank. Devourer lifted the demon again, striking the same spot. Unable to withstand the two impacts, the floor gave way below. Holding onto the demon, Devourer dragged it several meters.
And once again, Devourer struck the demon.
As if flicking off moisture from his hand, Devourer lightly shook it off. Yet, the floor had several gaping holes. After a while of pounding, just as signs of the collapsing floor became evident through the numerous holes, Devourer lifted the demon to check its condition.
Despite most of its body bursting and oozing brownish mucus onto the ground, the demon’s body continued to regenerate.
Endlessly.
With a slightly furrowed brow, Devourer, this time, exerted considerable force, hurling the demon downwards. The surrounding floor made a series of sinking sounds. Six consecutive clattering noises. Given that it was thrown through the holes precisely, it likely slammed down to the first floor.
Once the tremors from the tower ceased, Devourer dusted off his hands. Silent, he stood for a few seconds before turning around. Only then did Devourer slowly step towards Renee. Walked. And then,
Above the gaping hole behind, a crimson light surged.
He halted his steps. Devourer furrowed his brow, scratching the back of his head. The expression was pleading. Disgusting, it seemed to say.
From the hole where the demon was thrown, the demon rose again. This time in a winged form. It had reduced in size from before, but the intensity of ominous aura had doubled. A huge mana flow surged in front of the demon.
It was magic. And not the standardized kind used by humans.
The unrefined, unpleasant mana condensed into a shape akin to the advanced magic [Black Elimination], yet the intensity seemed incomparable.
Devourer could somewhat perceive what the demon was thinking. The demon’s magic didn’t account for the aftermath. That’s why it’s called ‘raw magic’. If that unprocessed black sphere made of scraped energy from the tower were to be expelled, the entire area would become a wasteland. It was an established fact.
“Oh, I see.”
Devourer turned back to look at the sphere.
“You, the source of your power, was the tower’s mana.”
Having realized—there was no need to wait.
Devourer opened his mouth.
This, too, was instantaneous.
From Devourer’s face, a gaping, grotesque black mouth burst forth, revealing thousands of teeth towards the demon and its magic. Engulfing the demon, its magic, and a quarter of the tower.
Thus, the gaping maw devoured the things it touched without a sound.
The collapsed space within the gaping tower now filled with cold air. There was nothing, only the echo of wind hitting the walls.
Devourer turned back and walked towards Renee.
“Renee.”
That’s how the first breath was finally let out.
* * *
Amidst the crumbling tower, only the two of them remained motionless.
Renee had buried her head between her knees in a crouching position. The warmth felt against her back was not false. Devourer, whom she longed to see so much, was sitting right behind, leaning against her.
“I had so much to say when we finally met.”
Devourer spoke.
“But now that we’re here, my mind’s a blank canvas.”
He continued.
“If only I had written it down before we met.”
“….”
“Oh, right. I suddenly remembered something. On my way up here earlier, I encountered a green-haired human. I saw him and killed him, but… there shouldn’t be any issues or repercussions, right?”
Speaking nothing but unadulterated truths, Devourer continued to express himself. There was a slight tremor in his voice, but Renee couldn’t hear it.
“….Haa.”
Once again, silence settled.
From the crumbling ceiling, bits of stone fell sporadically. A small fragment tapped Devourer’s shoulder. It felt almost as if urging for a proper conversation. Devourer flinched.
“Renee.”
“…I’m listening, Mr Devourer.”
This time, there was a somewhat solemn tone. A low voice lingered in the air. Finally, from Renee’s parched throat, a dry voice emerged.
“I’m sorry for what happened a few days ago.”
“…Renee is no longer qualified to see Mr Devourer.”
“The Ancient Core needs a Gatekeeper named Renee, and I need you, Renee.”
“Renee is not confident that she can live up to those expectations.”
Once again, silence passed between them.
“…Mr Devourer.”
“I’m listening.”
“Mr Devourer, do you resent Renee?”
“I don’t.”
“Mr Devourer, do you dislike Renee?”
“I don’t dislike you.”
“Renee is…”
The words trailed off. Merely clasping her hands tightly, her body trembled. This time, a ceiling fragment that had fallen from above grazed Renee’s wrist, causing droplets of blood.
“Renee is scared.”
Scared of being abandoned, scared of being hated.
Giving love alone and expecting alone. Enduring and enduring alone, unable to endure it anymore, causing harm to everyone, and then being afraid again. Scared of being abandoned, scared of being hated.
“Let’s go back, Renee.”
And Devourer extended a hand.
Devourer was always like that.
The ceiling reverberated loudly. It was a sign that the tower would soon collapse. Devourer slowly stood up from his position. He rummaged for something.
The familiar sound of metal clanging on the ground, the sound of tearing, Renee also lifted her lowered head.
“This was something you left behind. And…”
Though not visible, within the hesitation,
Devourer slowly began to speak.
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[Translator – Peptobismol]
[Proofreader – Zain]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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“Hey, Boss, you’re here already? I’ve been waiting so long for you. What? Are you serious? Did you come here dancing madly from Hastin? What on earth did you do to make the ground tremble like this?”
“Patrick, there’s always an exception in a monster’s life.”
“Boss, do you remember the one who said, ‘Patrick, let’s not mess with Hastin’? The one who was strict, solemn, and serious?”
“The weather’s nice.”
“Oh, come on, seriously.”
Patrick covered his temples with both hands as the headache hit him. He recalled the snippet Devourer mentioned a few days ago, “If things go wrong, I’ll tear everything down and come back.” Was that possibly a foreshadowing? Considering Devourer either lives without much thought or is a cunning planner, it seemed like the former with a three-digit probability.
‘Well, aside from that.’
Patrick refrained from speaking further. The atmosphere wasn’t very conducive to flipping the dungeon upside down. Devourer had left the house just a day ago and had already returned. He answered questions in a playful manner, but there wasn’t much strength in his voice.
‘The mysterious earthquake that occurred in Hastin was undoubtedly caused by the Boss unlocking the Polymorph.’
Something significant must have happened in that short time.
“Boss, did you have nothing to do with it?”
“Nothing… well, Patrick, did something happen to you?”
“Oh, me?… Nothing happened.”
“That’s good. Actually, nothing happened to me either.”
“Really…? Um, Boss, how’s your conscience? Should I mention that the person who went to find Renee is saying that nothing unusual happened?”
He said it this way, but it probably wasn’t entirely true. Patrick’s intuition said so, and it was most likely a rhetorical question. Patrick rolled his eyes, wiping down Tannabella.
Firstly, he was most concerned about the unknown creature Devourer had brought earlier. It seemed substantial judging by how they carried it.
“Why did you bring that?”
“It’s a bit of a long story.”
Unsatisfied with the answer, Patrick got up to inspect it. Up close, it seemed to be a demon—not an ordinary one. It seemed more like a demon lord, with horns and fangs—a being that could be considered close to a demon king, soaked in various hues, and young. This might mean it was so influential that it couldn’t even hold an inauguration ceremony as a ruler—hmm, thought Patrick, noticing numerous traces of injuries.
“Wait, Boss, did you… kidnapping?”
“Would I do something troublesome like that…”
“Listening to you, it seems so.”
—Once again, making it all sound acceptable.
As a gesture of astonishment, Patrick tapped his skull. Thud! A clear sound echoed.
‘Okay, enough with the jokes.’
“So, Boss. Why did you use healing magic on this demon?”
That’s the crux. Traces of healing magic lingered on the demon lord.
Not just ordinary healing magic, but traces of eerie healing. The demon’s body was filled with mana that wasn’t its own but someone else’s. It was evident that a colossal amount of mana, not the demon’s inherent mana, had been forcibly infused.
And there aren’t many who can forcibly inject such an enormous amount of mana at once.
“Boss, did you use healing magic on this demon?”
It’s not about reproach, just pure curiosity.
Devourer had been repeatedly advised not to use magic. Devourer naturally knew the reason.
Mana is dynamic and reflux in Devourer’s body.
Supplementing the body with mana aids in healing and regeneration. This is the basic principle of healing magic. If turbulent, surging mana is forcibly injected, it could cause the body to explode. It’s a gamble. It could either become a ‘Cure’ or a ‘Catastrophe,’ no one can guarantee.
Devourer probably knew these facts as well.
“Even if I left it alone, it would have died. It was urgent.”
“…Fine, understood. Just don’t do this again, Boss. Using it as an alternative to destruction against enemies is fine, but not this.”
Let’s not delve too deep into it. Patrick, thinking so, soon acquiesced. Ultimately, it was a success. They succeeded remarkably using that dynamic mana. It’s truly impressive in moments like these.
“Well, whatever you’ve brought back with a whim, let’s discuss it later.”
Saying so, Patrick ended the conversation. It wouldn’t be polite to decide the disposal of the one who collapsed in front of them without consciousness. Besides, deciding now doesn’t mean immediate action. Patrick’s choice was silence. It wasn’t just silence but a silence meant to extract something—
“Patrick.”
As expected, Devourer, who had been tossing and turning, subtly initiated the conversation.
“I met Renee in the human village.”
“You did meet her, after all.”
So, what happened? They don’t ask the same question. If it ended well, they would have come back together. But currently, Renee isn’t present at the Core.
There’s no reprimanding here. They don’t inquire about the circumstances. Devourer—Boss doesn’t think, not because they lack thoughts, but because the current situation is the result brought back by the Boss, and Patrick merely respects that.
“Is she hurt?”
“She seemed exhausted.”
After a sigh, Devourer added.
“Patrick, perhaps we’ve been constraining Renee’s life.”
“If it were, you could simply say so without being so poetic.”
“Annoying.”
“That’s incredibly constraining.”
“Stop it…”
Nevertheless, the denial in the end felt somewhat suspiciously sympathetic.
“Now, you have to wear a maid’s outfit and manage the dungeon…”
“Are you planning to hire two Gatekeepers?”
Saying so gave Patrick shivered. If he had skin, he’d have goosebumps. He mentally visualized himself in a maid’s outfit, stirred by a mix of guilt and horror.
“…So, what are your plans now?”
“What else can I do?”
Even though Renee is gone, it doesn’t mean the Core will collapse. Frankly, the Core will return even without Renee. It has to return. Humans should not set foot at the Core’s end.
“Until all ‘116 Black Tentacles’ regenerate, guard the three forks and the entrance to Route 4. Once they’ve all healed, break down two paths to create one.”
“Are you not going to fill Renee’s place?”
“Keep it empty. We don’t know when she’ll return.”
“…If the Boss says so.”
It was strategically the worst move, but when the dungeon’s boss commands, one must act.
It was silent. The Core without Renee was strangely silent. Even though Renee wasn’t usually talkative, it was odd how her absence made it so chilly. But still, the core continued to function.
Even during the hundreds of years without Renee, the core continued to function perfectly. Though it might have been exhausting and melancholic for a long time, eventually, it would be forgotten. Devourer isn’t a creature that lives for just a few decades and then dies.
The colossal figure, the owner of the dungeon, rolled a few times and then settled into a position. Patrick also got up silently from his place. Leaving Devourer in this state was the best course of action.
There might not be any more conversation. Patrick walked towards the three forks.
And then, Patrick’s footsteps halted.
“Boss.”
“…”
“Boss?”
“Keep talking.”
“They’ve arrived.”
“Who?”
“Who else?”
The silhouette slowly approaching in the darkness—
“The one Boss has been waiting for the most.”
Wearing the usual attire, with the same voice and expression—no, with a slightly happier expression, traces of unshed tears, and a slightly more hesitant gait.
“Mr Devourer, have you had your meal?”
She repeated the usual question.
“If you haven’t, shall I prepare it now?”
Renee Rello smiled.
Only then did Patrick face Devourer directly. Then he looked at Renee. He turned his head again to look at Devourer.
—To offer that. Is she in her right mind? Or is she in her right mind enough to offer…
“Was that sincere.”
He muttered faintly.
—
“Renee, your right eye. It’s completely damaged.”
“If I could see properly, would I have been able to distinguish the truth?”
“That statement you made back then. If I’m still holding onto that feeling.”
“Anytime you want.”
“Next time, bring a real love stone.”
Lying beside the sharp fangs was a black eyeball.
It’s vividly visible now. The flow of mana, the stars in the sky, and even Devourer’s figure, all appear much clearer than they did before.
A smile formed on the maid with the same right eye as an ancient monster.
“It’s really with Mr Devourer, indeed.”
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[Translator – Peptobismol]
[Proofreader – Zain]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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