EPISODE 77

First, I cleaned up Pam's corpse. Though it was merely a matter of carrying her body and burying it in the nearby ground, it was better than leaving her as she was. It was all we could do under the circumstances.

"I'll ask the theology instructor for a formal funeral later," I said. "As an official priest of the Sun Church, she should know the proper etiquette and procedures."

Evan's eyes darkened. "And the one who did this to Pam... I'll make them pay."

I admired his determination. An unshakable goal could serve as a solid anchor, keeping someone from being swept away in difficult times. However, Evan's current state seemed precarious, and I worried this goal would impact him negatively.

I chose not to comment and simply followed him back to the cabin.

"That cabin," I began, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" Evan replied.

"I think it was originally intended as a shelter set up by an instructor. Pam must have stumbled upon it while wandering alone through the forest, needing a place to rest."

"I see."

When we returned, Charles and Mir had tidied up the cabin as best they could, though the bloodstains remained.

"So what do we do now?" Charles asked.

Mir responded matter-of-factly, "Weren't you looking for a place to sleep?"

"Are we seriously going to sleep here?" Charles asked, aghast.

"I didn't say that," Mir replied. "But it's not like we have many options. If there's no better place, we'll have to make do."

Her practicality surprised me. She was right. Despite the bloodstains and the lingering metallic scent, the cabin was still a far better shelter than sleeping outside or in the trees.

"What do you think?" Charles turned to me, as if accepting me as the leader now.

I considered for a moment before answering, "I think we should postpone sleeping for now."

"Then what should we do?"

"Search the area."

My words made the others blink in surprise.

"We're not looking for monsters," I clarified. "We're searching for other teams. We need to find out if they've encountered anything similar to what we've seen."

Charles, quick-witted as ever, nodded in understanding. "To gather information, right? There's a chance other teams might have faced the same situation."

"Exactly. And there's also the possibility of running into the instructors," I replied.

Of course, I could be wrong. It was possible that a monster had killed Pam, and this entire effort could prove futile.

Isn't that better? Even if we suffer for no reason, it will be better to conclude with, "I was mistaken," than to leave any stone unturned.

"How about we search for a few hours? If we don't find anything, we'll return and take turns resting. Sound good?" I suggested.

The group nodded in agreement without objection.

I stood up. "Let's get started right away. Before the night gets any darker."

***

The Butterfly Forest was dark during the day, but at night, the darkness deepened. The butterflies that once illuminated the surroundings had vanished, leaving the area pitch black. Strange noises occasionally pierced the silence, and the cold bit into me, threatening to freeze me to the core.

"If I'd known this, I would've brought a lamp," Charles muttered, her voice laced with regret.

She was always frugal with her points, so hearing her say that spoke volumes.

"Are we even going the right way?" Mir asked.

"If you're so worried, why don't you take the lead?" I shot back.

After using the Eyes of Fire, my night vision had improved significantly, leaving me no choice but to take the lead. The other three followed closely, their eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Do you see anything?" Charles asked.

"Not yet."

Despite the oppressive atmosphere, the forest itself was unnervingly quiet—eerily so. No animals, no insects, not even the rustle of wind. The only sound was the crunch of our footsteps.

In such silence, even the most talkative person would fall silent. We continued through the forest with only the bare minimum of conversation.

About ten minutes later, I noticed something strange—an anomaly in the forest.

I raised a hand, signaling the group to stop.

"What is it?" Evan asked.

"About fifty meters ahead," I said.

"Impressive... You can see that far in this darkness?" Mir remarked.

I didn't have time to respond to Mir's praise. Perhaps they sensed that my expression had hardened because their faces grew serious.

"What are you seeing?" Charles asked.

Would they believe me if I told them? It didn't matter. Whether they believed it or not, they had to be ready.

"Do you have any experience fighting demons?" I asked.

"Wait, what?"

The truth was that running away wasn't an option. The demon's blood-red eyes had already locked onto me before I even spotted it.

The moment it spread its wings, I shouted, "Formation!"

A deafening roar tore through the forest, so loud it felt like my eardrums would burst. My whole body trembled against my will.

Damn it! Why is there a demon in the Badnikers' territory?

***

The demon was a grotesque amalgamation of a black panther's fur, a goat's horns, bat wings, and a serpent's tail. Its eyes burned like molten lava, and a sinister black aura radiated from its body. Although I had never seen a demon before, it matched every description I'd ever read.

Instead of attacking immediately, it spread its massive wings and soared into the sky. The sound of snapping branches filled the air as it ascended, soon hovering high above us, silhouetted against the moon.

"D-demon..." Mir's voice trembled.

It was understandable. Few people had ever seen demons. They were the creations of demon kings, beings whose very existence was akin to a plague. Even monsters paled in comparison to these abominations.

"It is ridiculous... D-demon... W-we are going to die here," Mir stammered.

I turned and slapped her across the face, silencing her pathetic whimpering. "Stop spouting nonsense! Do you really want to die here? Have you forgotten our promise?"

"Promise...?"

"We said we'd stage a delightful rebellion."

"Ah..." My words seemed to bring some light back into her eyes.

Good. I don't have time to comfort her more than that.

The demon let out another roar and dove toward us.

"Scatter!" I shoved the others aside and channeled my internal energy to brace against the demon's descent.

"Ugh!" The impact felt like being hit by a siege weapon.

My vision blurred, and my stomach lurched, but even through the pain, I didn't let go. The cold, unyielding object in my hands was one of the demon's horns. I remembered hearing that its power was concentrated there.

Should I break it?

A cracking sound echoed.

Were those my ribs? Okay, no way I'm winning a contest of strength.

I let go immediately and tried to push the demon off, but it was like shoving a mountain. Its bulk was easily the weight of four or five bulls.

Should I channel in more internal energy?

"Luan—!" Mir's shout echoed just as the demon's body was yanked backward.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Mir was tugging on the demon's serpent-like tail like she was in a tug-of-war.

Thanks to her distraction, the other two snapped out of their daze and joined the fight, attacking with their weapons. Small wounds appeared on the demon's body, but none were critical.

"Use your blessings!" I shouted.

Blessings were the natural counter to a demon's power.

At my command, the others came to their senses and activated their blessings.

Charles used the same move she'd used to escape the swamp, appearing behind the demon. The mace in her hands had turned red.

Evan's swordsmanship grew sharper, though his appearance remained unchanged.

As for Mir, I couldn't tell if she'd used her blessing or not.

Regardless, their efforts bought me some time. I needed to make the most of it.

Rather than joining the fray immediately, I focused on preparing my strongest attack. If I didn't kill the demon in one strike, things would turn dire.

I considered the first half of the White Sun Eclipse, but nothing about it suited the current situation. I'd just come into contact with the demon and had felt firsthand the thickness of its hide and the dense muscle beneath. A casual strike wouldn't be enough to kill it. Thus, I continued circulating my internal energy, searching for a technique.

During this training camp, I'd sparred often with the Hunting Master. The countless techniques I'd devised in those sessions flashed through my mind.

The most powerful, the most lethal... a technique that uses the hardest part of the human body.

Crackle!

My knees burned with energy. As the demon roared and spread its wings, I kicked off the ground and launched myself into the air.

At that moment, the demon turned its head toward me, jaws gaping wide. A sulfurous stench wafted from its throat, and something writhed deep within.

Flames?

"Luan! Dodge!"

Immediately afterward, an inferno engulfed my vision, searing heat washing over me.

"L-Luan has been killed!" Mir shouted.

"Stay calm! Maintain formation!" Evan barked.

"This damn monster!" Charles cursed.

"Shut up," I muttered, ignoring the group's commotion as I grabbed the demon's horns.

For the first time, the demon made a grotesque noise.

Was it surprised? Even a demon could be caught off guard.

From its perspective, it must have been shocking to see two hands emerge from the flames and seize its horns.

I laughed.

The demon's flames were far hotter than any ordinary fire. I was likely burned all over, but there was no time to check.

It opened its mouth again, flames gathering in its throat. I wasn't about to let it unleash another blast, so I raised my knee and slammed it into the demon's jaw, forcing its mouth shut.

The impact shattered its teeth, sending fragments tumbling to the ground. Of course, this was far from enough.

"Cover me!"

The others snapped out of their stupor and resumed their attacks.

Surprisingly, Mir proved the most effective. She swung her sledgehammer with impressive force, leaving dents in the demon's body with each strike. Its deafening screams were a welcome bonus.

The demon thrashed wildly. I swayed from side to side as I clung to its horns. It was so massive that holding onto both was like trying to embrace a giant tree.

I gathered energy in my forehead and slammed it into the demon's skull.

"Ugh..." My head spun.

Strangely, it felt like I'd taken more damage than the demon. Still, the demon staggered, losing its balance for a moment.

Finally, the demon gave up on shaking me off and reached for me with its claws.

Meanwhile, the group's attacks rained down on its body. Yet, for now, it seemed more focused on ridding itself of me—the most immediate nuisance.

Seizing the opportunity, I stepped onto the demon's nose and climbed onto its back. Its neck was too thick to strangle, unlike Osel, whom I'd killed in the past. Nevertheless, I had to finish this.

With me on its back, the others had to hold back their attacks.

I raised my elbow and brought it down with all my strength.

The impact felt right. I was certain the blow had landed perfectly.

The demon's arms flailed before it collapsed. It let out a muffled noise, struggling briefly before going still.

Charles stared at me in amazement, panting. "Just now... what was that?"

"I don't know," I replied.

I hadn't named the technique yet.

Brushing the blood from my forehead, I added, "We need to get out of here. Now."

"Why? Didn't you take it down?" Mir asked.

"I did, but this is a Beast, the lowest grade of demons," I explained. "That is why—"

Charles exclaimed with a stiff face, "The lowest-grade demons... travel in packs!"

No further explanation was needed.

At that moment, mournful howls echoed from all directions.