[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 122
The system translated the demon world language and displayed it as text.
[How dare a lowly human!]
At the same time, the horrifying being struck the ground with the staff.
Thud!
Black smoke seeped into the stone floor, and the ground below rumbled.
Krrrrrr!
Four-legged monsters with grotesque teeth and horns emerged.
The horrifying monsters sprouted from the ground, piercing through the stone floor.
Richmond, startled, hid behind Zeke.
"M-Master! M-monsters are appearing!"
Zeke pointed his sword and examined the horrifying being holding the staff.
Black smoke emanating from the staff was swirling around his body like clothing.
'I have to catch that guy first.'
Zeke activated the dragon skill Dragon Tooth Soldiers.
Swoosh!
Five Dragon Tooth Soldiers, armed with black armor, emerged from Zeke's shadow.
Chuck!
As soon as the Dragon Tooth Soldiers materialized, they took a defensive stance, aiming their spears.
Zeke gave them an order.
"Catch the monsters! Richmond, you provide cover from behind!"
As the Dragon Tooth Soldiers charged towards the monsters, Zeke used Gale force to dash towards the horrifying monster behind them.
"Haaaat!"
Zeke used the Mace of Light on the monster.
Crash!
The Mace of Light struck the monster, but the black energy emanating from the staff deflected the impact.
[Insolent fool!]
The monster pointed the staff towards Zeke.
Woooong!
Black energy poured out from the staff.
A black wave flew towards Zeke.
Sensing the ominous energy, Zeke used Shield of Light.
Crackle!
The black energy was blocked by the Shield of Light.
Zeke swung Bahamut, enveloped in an aura blade.
Clang!
The aura blade clashed with the black energy surrounding the monster's body.
It seemed that it wasn't easy to penetrate that energy with an ordinary aura blade.
Zeke used the Purification Blade skill he had just acquired.
Whoosh!
A golden aura imbued with the power of purification surged from his sword.
The horrifying monster swung its staff and created a barrier with black energy.
Zeke didn't stop and swung the Purification Blade towards the black barrier.
The black energy enveloping the monster dissipated and vanished as soon as it was hit by the Purification Blade.
Fizzle!
The monster, pushed back by Zeke's sword strike, rolled on the ground.
He gripped the staff and struck the ground again.
Rumble!
This time, an even more horrifying monster emerged.
Groan!
A giant undead with red bones crawled out from the stone floor and opened its mouth towards Zeke.
At the same time, black flames poured out from the undead's mouth.
Whoosh!
The stone floor where the flames touched melted and boiled.
Zeke held up Bahamut and blocked the black flames spewed by the undead.
Crash!
Bahamut, with its indestructible property, only glowed red from the undead's flames but wasn't destroyed.
Just then, a message popped up.
[Bahamut is absorbing the flames of the demon world.]
Zeke recalled Bahamut's newly unlocked inherent ability, 'Magic Absorption.'
'Can it absorb this too?'
While Zeke was surprised, another message popped up, as if Bahamut had absorbed all the flames the undead had spewed.
[You can now release the absorbed flames.]
Zeke pointed his sword at the undead and released the flames.
Blackish-red flames in the shape of a dragon erupted from Bahamut.
Kaaaaaaaa!
The Black Sword Bahamut, infused with dragon energy, devoured the flames spewed by the undead, growing in size.
Then, it engulfed the giant undead entirely and burned.
Keeek!
The undead, consumed by Bahamut's flames, writhed in agony and soon turned to ash and vanished.
Zeke couldn't help but admire Bahamut's new ability.
'Such power. It'll be incredible when it's fully unlocked.'
After glancing at Bahamut with satisfaction, he slowly approached the grotesque being holding the staff.
'System, can you translate my words into the demon world language?'
[Demon world language simultaneous interpretation activated.]
Zeke spoke to the grotesque being.
"What is your identity?"
The system translated his words, spoken in Common Tongue, into the demon world language.
The grotesque flinched in surprise and opened its mouth.
[You know the language of the demon world? Are you perhaps one who has offered their soul?]
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I've never offered my soul."
Confused by Zeke's words, the grotesque being spoke again.
[To maintain your sanity in the realm of power without being a subordinate... Unbelievable.]
"What are subordinates and power? Are you a black mage who learned forbidden techniques? Or an experimental subject sent by the Rom Empire?"
Zeke threw out words here and there to gauge his opponent.
However, the grotesque being didn't react to Zeke's words.
Zeke opened his mouth again.
"Were you sent by those Abyss bastards?"
In that moment, a subtle reaction appeared in the grotesque being's body.
Zeke noticed the reaction and realized that he was connected to Abyss.
'Those Abyss bastards. They're not just a simple group of black mages.'
Zeke opened his mouth again.
"Are you a demon?"
The grotesque being realized that Zeke was extracting information by observing his reactions.
[What a cunning bastard.]
He said irritably and then struck his chest with the staff.
Thud!
His body began to melt like liquid again.
Sizzle!
A terrible stench rose from the black liquid.
The liquid flowing from the grotesque being's body spread across the stone chamber, creating black smoke.
Rumble!
The entrance to the stone chamber closed, turning it into a completely sealed space.
The completely melted grotesque being said to Zeke,
[The power of the 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness' is infinite. It is utterly reckless for a lowly human to defy me, a subordinate of a great being. Writhe in pain and despair and die!]
Only the staff remained standing upright on the ground, as it was at the beginning, and the grotesque being completely disappeared, turning into liquid.
At the same time, black smoke filled the stone chamber.
Sizzle!
Zeke's flesh that came into contact with the black smoke burned as if melting.
Even his Healing Factor couldn't properly regenerate it.
'Damn it.'
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zeke ran towards the Dragon Tooth Soldiers and Richmond.
"Dragon Tooth Soldiers, dismiss! Richmond, you go back in too!"
The Dragon Tooth Soldiers and Richmond disappeared into Zeke's shadow.
He hurriedly tried to open a portal to escape.
But a warning message in red letters popped up.
[Portal use is not allowed in this area.]
"Damn it!"
The black smoke gradually filled the stone chamber and approached Zeke.
Zeke first equipped his Hercyon.
[Protecting the user from the malice imbued with the power of the Harbinger of Blood and Madness.]
The runes on the surface of the Hercyon glowed and floated.
In that state, Zeke equipped Agamemnon's Mask.
Then, he took a deep breath.
'Can I eliminate that with Grand Purification?'
Grand Purification was a wide-range skill that purified the malice that had long plagued the Agamemnon clan.
Zeke held Bahamut and concentrated.
And he linked the Grand Purification skill with the Area of Effect Buff.
Woooong!
Golden waves emanated from Zeke's body.
Tsssss!
The black smoke's movements slowed upon contact with the golden waves.
Zeke, confirming that the Grand Purification was effective against the black smoke, unleashed more power.
Woooong!
Vibrations surged from Zeke's body, and waves spread out like ripples.
Crackle!
The black smoke, colliding with the stronger waves, turned to ash and scattered.
Zeke concentrated and drew out more purification power.
"Haaaaaaaaaa!"
Suddenly, a giant golden ring formed around Zeke's body.
The golden ring gradually expanded, spreading out from Zeke's body.
It was similar to when he purified the entire Agamemnon territory.
Fizzle!
The golden ring Zeke unleashed collided with the black smoke, completely turning it to ash.
The golden ring didn't stop there and spread widely towards the Giant Mountains, beyond the cave where the Hydra had been.
A message window popped up before Zeke's eyes.
[Confirming the range of Grand Purification.]
[Purifying the malice that has consumed the earth.]
Swoosh!
Unbeknownst to Zeke, the corrupted earth and trees throughout the mountains, consumed by malice, were restored to their original forms upon contact with the golden waves.
At the same time, the Barbarian lands that the Hounds had tampered with also regained their original power.
The Barbarian tribes came out to witness the mystical sight of the mountain range bathed in golden light.
Even Big Foot, the chieftain, was momentarily mesmerized by the wondrous sight.
The golden waves, after restoring the destroyed Barbarian territory, gradually disappeared.
The golden waves emanating from Zeke's body also subsided.
"Huu."
After confirming that the black smoke had completely vanished, Zeke unequipped his Hercyon.
He approached the staff lying on the ground.
It was covered in cracks, likely affected by the Grand Purification.
"What the hell is this?"
Zeke examined the staff with Dragon Eye.
—???????? Information—
Description: A staff containing the power bestowed by the Harbinger of Blood and Madness upon their subordinate.
Inherent Abilities: Area Consumption, Enrage, monster Summoning
Special Note: Damaged by the Grand Purification, losing its original power and retaining only a portion of its strength.
"Harbinger of Blood and Madness?"
Zeke recalled the vanished grotesque being mentioning the power of the 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness.'
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn't seem like an ordinary black mage.
Zeke summoned Richmond again.
"Gasp! Master."
Richmond, the cowardly lich, looked at Zeke with a pale face and said,
"W-what happened?"
Zeke handed the staff to Richmond and said,
"Richmond, do you know what 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness' means?"
Richmond was startled at those words.
"Gasp, where did you hear that?"
"That staff contained the power of the 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness.'"
"What!?"
Richmond was so surprised that he dropped the staff.
Zeke shook his head as he looked at Richmond.
"How did you even become a lich?"
"W-well, you just have to perform the ritual..."
"Anyway, so you're saying you know what 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness' means?"
Richmond nodded and said,
"It refers to a demon."
"Demon? Demonfolk?"
Richmond shook his head.
"Demons and demonfolk are different. There are 666 demons in the demon world, and each demon has its own subordinates. Those commonly called demonfolk are the subordinates of demons."
Zeke was surprised at those words.
"So you're saying that guy earlier was a demonfolk?"
Richmond was even more surprised at Zeke's words.
"What? Demonfolk?"
"You said the subordinates of demons are demonfolk. That guy earlier said he was a subordinate of the 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness.'"
"Gasp!"
Richmond was even more surprised and scared than Zeke.
Wiping away his cold sweat, Richmond explained again.
"W-well... demons, let alone demonfolk, can't easily come to the physical world. That guy earlier, rather than being a demonfolk, was more like an avatar of a demonfolk."
"An avatar. So you're saying the real body is in the demon world?"
"T-theoretically, yes. But that's just what I learned. I've never actually seen a real demon or demonfolk, so it's hard to be sure."
"Don't black mages worship demons and demonfolk? Why wouldn't they know?"
"I heard such cults were prevalent before the Holy Empire era, but there are probably very few these days. Even when I was active, they were hard to find. Selling your soul to a demonfolk to learn forbidden techniques isn't a good deal."
Zeke nodded at Richmond's words.
As far as he knew, the black magic clans were problematic because of forbidden techniques like illegal chimera synthesis and human experimentation, but he had never heard of them causing trouble through cult-like activities like summoning demons or demonfolk.
Zeke asked Richmond,
"Then, is the 'Harbinger of Blood and Madness' also one of the 666 demons of the demon world?"
"Yes, I believe it's recorded as a considerably powerful demon."
"It's not a good sign that a subordinate, or whatever it was, of such a demon has appeared."
It seemed that the Hydra's sudden rampage was also due to the demonfolk's influence.
Just then, something crossed Zeke's mind.
'Could it be that the Empire's experiments are related to that demonfolk?'
Human experimentation using monster blood and chimera experiments mixing humans and monsters weren't things that would come from normal thinking.
Perhaps Abel and Siemens were also involved in this.
'Things are getting more and more suspicious.'
It was then.
"Uh oh!?"
A strong vibration emanated from the staff Richmond was holding.
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]