Nergal, the Demon Tribe
As soon as I emerged from the thick cloud of dust, the chaotic scene of battle unfolded before me. This was a melee, a battlefield where close-combat classes thrived. The clashing of metal rang out from all directions, and sparks flew so fiercely they hurt the eyes.
At a glance, the battle seemed evenly matched.
The allied forces were trying to push forward with the momentum and numerical advantage they had maintained so far. However, unlike the open field we had just crossed, they weren’t breaking through easily. The Eastern users were responding with a stable and organized defense against the reckless charge of the allied forces.
The current stalemate was likely due to sheer numbers. Considering the bodies of allied soldiers I had seen earlier, it might not be unreasonable to favor the Eastern side.
But enough thinking.
I straightened my sword and focused on the enemies closing in. What had been mere dots in the distance were now growing larger as they approached. One of them spotted me and twisted his face in anger.
“Where have all the wanderers gone?”
Swish!
As I passed by, I sliced through his neck, sending his head flying. For a brief moment, a look of confusion crossed his face—he must have mistaken me for a vagrant.
Then it happened.
“Raaaargh!”
A monstrous roar shook the battlefield. I turned my head toward the sound and saw something strange.
The tightly packed formation of the Eastern forces was changing. At the center of this change stood a real ‘monster.’
It was about five meters tall, covered in scales, resembling a giant lizard, and rampaging fiercely.
With its long claws, it tore through the front lines, creating a massive breach in the formation. The enemy forces, led by the monstrous lizard, charged through the gap with reckless abandon.
The creature rampaged like a mad boar, heedless of its own injuries, and the Eastern formation was slowly being split in two.
The air was filled with the sounds of explosions and shouts. The sharp wind whipped my hair around.
In that moment, a sudden thought struck me, and I changed direction, sprinting with all my might.
“Where’s the priest? We need the priest!”
“Focus fire! Concentrate all fire on the monster!”
The distance to the monstrous lizard was about 40 meters. Near the creature, I spotted a familiar figure—a man clutching his abdomen, collapsed on the ground. It was unmistakably Seong Hyun-min.
Thwip, thwip, thwip!
“Raaaargh! Raaaargh!”
Arrows rained down from all sides, piercing the scales of the monstrous lizard. But arrows alone couldn’t stop it. Despite some damage, the creature roared even louder and stomped its feet.
Boom!
The ground shook as if a minor earthquake had struck. Nearby users lost their balance and fell, and the monstrous lizard swiftly reached out with its hand.
“Mommy!”
A young woman’s scream echoed through the air. She was snatched up and lifted high into the sky, only to be slammed back down to the earth in an instant.
Thud!
Crack!
The sound of something breaking completely, and a crimson fountain of blood erupted. The scene that followed was horrific. Her head shattered, and her crushed brain matter was scattered everywhere.
As the monstrous lizard’s eyes began searching for its next prey, I arrived.
‘Over here.’
I focused on the split in the formation beyond the monstrous lizard. Gripping ‘Victoria’s Glory’ with both hands, I raised it above my head. As I infused it with magic, I leaped into the air with all my strength.
Whoosh!
I soared upward. As I glanced down, the monstrous lizard came into clearer view. Reaching the peak of my jump, I pulled my sword back as its gleaming head scales came into sight. Then, I began my descent, swinging the sword down with all my might.
Slash!
The sword’s radiant arc traced a brilliant white line as it descended.
“Raaaargh!”
For a moment, a look of hesitation flickered in the monstrous lizard’s eyes. But it quickly made up its mind and tried to dodge.
I closed my eyes calmly. Indeed, lizard types were fast and agile. But ‘agility’ was not something to be discussed in front of me.
Flash!
I opened my eyes again. Activating my teleportation skill, I instantly closed the distance to the scaly head. ‘Victoria’s Glory,’ already in motion, cleaved cleanly through the creature’s skull.
Crunch!
The sensation of slicing through metal.
I descended as if in an elevator. As my gaze lowered, I saw the creature’s body split open, revealing its red insides.
When my feet finally touched the ground, the monstrous lizard’s body fell apart, neatly divided in two.
Thud, thud!
Splat!
A warm liquid rained down on me like a shower, soaking me completely.
I blinked a few times. A gust of wind blew, and the monstrous lizard’s body turned to ash, scattering in the breeze. The massive form was gone, leaving only the bisected human body behind.
‘A user fused with a beast… I’ve heard of this.’
“Stop! Don’t attack! He’s an ally!”
Suddenly, a voice called out. I looked up to see users surrounding me, weapons drawn. Just as I was about to feel a bit exasperated, a man staggered toward me. It was Seong Hyun-min.
“Mercenary Lord! Are you the Mercenary Lord?”
Before I could nod, a surprisingly gentle hand brushed my face. The red haze in my vision began to clear.
“Yes, it’s you. Phew. Truly amazing! You took down that troublesome monster in one blow…”
“Hyun-min, did Simon escape this way?”
“What?”
Seong Hyun-min looked puzzled for a moment, then spoke with a frustrated expression.
“Oh, Simon. If you mean the commander of the Western Continent… I’m afraid we lost him. I was keeping a close watch, but an unexpected variable…”
“Did Simon escape this way?”
I interrupted and asked again. Seong Hyun-min paused, then nodded slowly.
“I’m not certain it was Simon. But just before we captured one of the enemies, he transformed into that monster, and in the chaos, a user with a group of escorts slipped away.”
”…I see. Then.”
“If you’re planning to pursue, we can send reinforcements… Mercenary Lord!”
“That’s not necessary.”
The battle was still raging, and Seong Hyun-min was injured. I gently pushed him toward an approaching priest and started running down the path that had been split open but was now closing.
I confirmed the escape.
Once I got through this path, nothing would stand in the way of my pursuit.
Seong Hyun-min’s voice faded into the distance behind me.
Thud, thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud, thud!
A group of users was running through the forest. There were about a hundred of them, all covered in blood, their eyes sharp as they scanned their surroundings. But their pace wasn’t fast. The reason was the young man they were escorting in the center.
“Huff, huff! Wait, wait a moment!”
When the young man spoke, the others stopped in unison.
“Huff! I can’t run anymore. Let’s rest here for a bit.”
“Rest?”
One of the men questioned, and the young man, still panting, smiled.
“Ah, yes. There might be more friends breaking through. And we could use the time to recover our strength.”
The man nodded in understanding. After all, the mage class was notorious for lacking stamina, and if more allies were coming, it would boost their strength.
“Everyone, take it easy. The escape isn’t over yet. Haha.”
As the young man’s gentle voice reached them, one by one, they began to sit on the ground, catching their breath. Their faces were etched with worry and exhaustion.
Then, the man from earlier approached the young man.
“Simon, what do we do now?”
Indeed, the young man was Simon Grimes, who had narrowly escaped Seong Hyun-min’s carefully laid trap.
“Well, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this. Who would have thought they’d block our retreat in this chaos…”
Simon clicked his tongue, trailing off.
How did it come to this?
When they first broke out of the fortress, everything seemed fine. But then the tide of battle began to shift strangely, and when the reinforcements arrived, everything flipped in an instant. The allied forces had never imagined their retreat would be cut off through the very path they had come.
Despite managing to break through somehow, the losses were staggering. The allied forces, which initially numbered fifteen thousand, had dwindled to a mere hundred.
Of course, not all had perished; many had likely scattered, seeking their own paths to survival amidst the chaos. But how many would actually make it back to the Western Continent safely?
The Western Continent users seemed to share this grim outlook, their faces shadowed with doubt.
A heavy silence hung in the air. No one dared to speak.
“Well then, shall we get moving?”
A sudden, leisurely voice broke the silence. It was so calm, it almost seemed to reassure them that there was a hidden plan yet to be revealed.
“Can you run again?”
Buoyed by the voice, a man sprang to his feet, and Simon offered a faint smile.
“Ah, our awaited guest has arrived. Honestly, I’d like to rest a bit more, but it seems they’ll be here soon. Let’s see….”
Simon’s eyes turned a vivid red for a moment, his pupils narrowing as if focusing intently on something.
Crack!
“Ugh.”
But Simon quickly lowered his head, rubbing his eyes with a pained expression. His eyes soon returned to their normal color.
“An awaited guest? You mean our comrades…?”
“No, a monster.”
The man’s face twisted in confusion at Simon’s reply.
And then it happened.
Thud. Thud.
The sound of steady footsteps echoed through the quiet forest. Everyone tensed, their earlier relaxation replaced by heightened alertness.
“Stay alert!”
As the hundred survivors rose to their feet, a man with jet-black hair slowly emerged from the shadows. A low groan escaped the users’ lips as they recognized him.
The man was drenched in blood, not just smeared but soaked from head to toe, as if he had just emerged from a sea of blood.
His steps halted before the hundred, exuding an aura that was anything but friendly. The Western Continent users gripped their weapons tightly, waiting for the command to attack, when suddenly Simon stepped forward.
“Stand down.”
“Simon Grimes?”
“The man before you is a monster. You cannot face him. Charging in would be a senseless death.”
Under normal circumstances, such words would be dismissed as nonsense, but the man found himself nodding involuntarily.
The figure before them was terrifying, both in appearance and in the aura he exuded. It was like a mouse facing a cat.
“Then what should we do…?”
“What else? As the commander, it’s my duty to face him. It seems I’m his target anyway.”
“Simon? You’re not planning to face him alone, are you?”
“Of course not. I’ll need your help too. So….”
Simon paused, raising his left hand with a sly grin.
“Die for me.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
“Don’t worry. It won’t be a pointless death like a moth to a flame. It’ll be a death with a bit more value.”
The man questioned Simon’s sudden, cryptic words.
Vwoom!
Before he could finish, a dark crimson light began to emanate from Simon’s left hand, quickly enveloping the man and the surrounding users. The light coiled around their bodies, radiating a vivid hue.
“What? What’s happening?”
And then, the transformation began.
Vwoom! Vwoom!
It happened in an instant. The users’ bodies, wrapped in light, began to dissolve, melting away like water.
“Aaaah! Aaaah!”
The once-quiet forest was filled with screams. The melted flesh mixed with blood, absorbed by the crimson light, and the hundred users vanished without a trace.
In that moment, the dispersed light returned to Simon, forming a single entity. A book, made of blood and flesh, fell into his left hand.
Now, only two remained: Simon and the man.
“Wow. They didn’t go down quietly, did they? I didn’t expect them to resist.”
“……”
“Ha ha. You know, you’re really annoying. You ruin my plans, chase me relentlessly, and even take out my precious subordinates….”
“……”
The man remained silent, his gaze almost amused, as if he had just watched an entertaining circus act.
“What’s with that look?”
The man blinked once, and Simon instinctively flinched. Though no harm came, he felt an unsettling sensation, as if his very being was being laid bare.
The man was none other than Kim Su-hyun.
After escaping Seong Hyun-min’s encirclement, both Simon and Kim Su-hyun found themselves away from the battlefield. This situation favored Kim Su-hyun, as catching up to a mage class without interference was no challenge for him.
“Just as expected.”
Thud. Thud.
With a single utterance, the man resumed his approach.
Yet Simon’s demeanor remained calm. The exhaustion from earlier had vanished, replaced by a newfound confidence after absorbing the hundred users.
As Kim Su-hyun closed within ten meters, Simon’s eyes gleamed with a blood-red light.
Swish!
Without touching it, the summoned book began to flip its pages. Despite the ominous aura it exuded, Kim Su-hyun’s steps didn’t falter. Simon scoffed at his calm demeanor.
And then, the pages stopped turning.
Vwoom!
Around Simon, spheres the size of a grown man’s fist floated into the air. There were dozens of them, all a deep, blood-red hue.
“Blood Vulcan.”
As Simon’s lips parted, the spheres surged toward the man.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The spheres, like cannonballs, enveloped the man in an instant. Anticipating the impending explosion, Simon smiled coldly.
But the expected explosion never came.
Swish!
The spheres scattered into the air, dispersing like blood diluted in water.
“What?”
Simon’s eyebrows twitched.
Thud. Thud.
Kim Su-hyun continued his unscathed approach.
“Bl-Blood Lance!”
Simon shouted desperately. This time, thirty elongated blood-red spears formed and hurtled toward Kim Su-hyun.
Creak! Creak!
This time was different. Unlike the spheres that had dissipated, the spears surrounded him like a dense thicket, trembling as they tried to pierce through his magical resistance.
Crack! Crack!
A faint crack appeared at one point. Seeing Kim Su-hyun’s halted steps, Simon let out a twisted smile.
Then it happened.
“Hm.”
Kim Su-hyun exhaled lightly and swung the ‘Glory of Victoria’ in his right hand.
Once upward.
Slice!
Once to the right.
Slice!
Once to the left.
Slice!
With each swing, the spears were neatly severed, following the spheres into the air.
Kim Su-hyun resumed his walk as if nothing had happened, leaving Simon in shock. His trusted strategy had been thwarted by an incomprehensible force, and for the first time, emotion crept into his previously composed face.
“Th-This is impossible! No matter how high your magic resistance is! I sacrificed a hundred people!”
Unconsciously, Simon began to retreat. But Kim Su-hyun’s pace was faster.
“Phew. You’re quite the handful.”
Having reached Simon, Kim Su-hyun slowly extended his left hand, grasping the book floating in the air. Simon instinctively tried to hold onto it, but the book was effortlessly taken from him.
Kim Su-hyun examined the book with interest, his eyes blinking once more before his lips parted again.
“A secret class, huh? An unexpected find.”
As Kim Su-hyun tucked the book into his coat, Simon felt a sense of bewilderment. The man before him seemed to have never considered him a threat. The look in his eyes said, “You were never my opponent.” The thought sent a cold fury surging through Simon.
Just as he raised his left hand to summon the book again, Kim Su-hyun’s hand moved like lightning.
Crack!
Fwoosh, fwoosh!
“Aaaah!”
A sudden, crushing pain in his left hand made Simon scream.
“My hand! My hand!”
Before he knew it, Simon’s left hand was clasped in Kim Soo-hyun’s grip. When Soo-hyun finally let go, only empty air remained above Simon’s wrist. His left hand had been incinerated without a trace.
Soo-hyun’s hand, now free, moved to rest on Simon’s head. With a firm grip, he lifted, and Simon’s body rose into the air as if weightless.
Soo-hyun walked forward, stopping in front of a tree in the forest. Without hesitation, he pressed Simon against the trunk and drove a knife into his abdomen.
“Ugh! Cough!”
A mouthful of blood spilled from Simon’s lips as he weakened. Unfazed, Soo-hyun dusted off his hands and let out a thin sigh.
“I’ve confirmed it… but how do I extract it?”
“Cough, cough!”
“Can’t even communicate. Maybe I should’ve learned some English.”
“You… you…!”
Simon, barely clinging to consciousness, lifted his head. His eyes, devoid of any whites, glowed a demonic red.
Soo-hyun met his gaze with indifference.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Give me the book! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
“Those demon eyes always give me the creeps.”
With that, Soo-hyun extended his hands, thumbs poised and ready.
His thumbs plunged into Simon’s eyes.
“Aaaagh! Aaaaaaaaagh!”
Simon screamed in agony as his eyes were brutally crushed.
When Soo-hyun withdrew his fingers, a stream of blood followed. Tears mixed with blood flowed from the mangled sockets, and Simon’s head slumped forward.
“Killing him like this feels risky… Maybe I should dismantle him piece by piece?”
After a moment of contemplation, Soo-hyun grabbed Simon’s arms. Simon flinched, sensing the touch even without sight, and a dreadful intuition of what was to come.
“Don’t, don’t do it!”
Simon shook his head desperately. But Soo-hyun, with a grunt, pulled the arms apart with force.
Riiiiip!
“Aaagh, aaagh!”
The arms stretched, skin tearing, until—
Craaaack!
With a sickening sound, flesh and bone were ripped from the body.
“Aaaaaaaaagh!”
Simon’s screams echoed through the forest once more.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Phew. Managed to finish before 1 AM.
Please forgive the length. (__ )*