Chapter 395
< an unknown threat (1) >
Representatives of two factions of similar size gathered together.
A very symbolic meeting that could completely shake up the current situation in the demon world..
However, the atmosphere they gave off was so drastically different that it seemed awkward to be in the same place..
“nice to meet you! This is my first time seeing it in person like this. My name is Hela. Please take care of me?”
A beautiful woman who seemed to brighten the surroundings just by existing smiled friendly and greeted me..
The pair of long horns that extend above her head and the strange, strange eyes seem to have a unique charm in the strange air current that surrounds her..
She waved lightly and entered the room..
“Please sit down.”
On the other hand, the attitude of the person who was already seated was extremely calm..
No, it was more than just simple, it was radiating a dullness all over its body that seemed to make the world colorless just by being there..
The hem of a pitch-black robe that wrapped around its entire body hung down on the floor, and on its head was the skull of a goat with a pair of horns bent downward..
On the outside, it looks so gloomy that the immortal king goes away..
At that, an inexplicable competitive spirit began to creep up inside Hela..
‘The visual is just right. And if you look closely, that's not even a mask, right? It's just that my hair looked like that.!’
There are human-type demons and beast-type demons, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were undead-type demons..
In the first place, the existence of the undead itself had a very strong negative side, so they got along well with demons..
‘But no matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like they're just regular undead..’
Not only was he well-versed in the undead world, but it was no exaggeration to say that he was the best in the world. There was no way he could see it wrong..
Pieta, the Duke of Darkness, maintained an unusual condition in which only part of his body, including his head, was undead, while other parts functioned relatively well..
‘It's fascinating. The undead body and living tissue coexist in one entity..’
Something like that would have been possible because they were demons and not ordinary creatures..
Hela looked around at him, her eyes shining with intellectual curiosity..
It's been quite a while since she came to the demon world, but this was her first time encountering such a unique being..
“···I think it's rude to look at me like that at first meeting..”
Of course, such a gaze could not help but feel unpleasant to the person involved..
The Duke of Darkness couldn't stand her rude attitude and blurted out a word..
“Oh, sorry! It was so amazing that I couldn't control my curiosity..”
“I understand. Demi-Corpse is rare even in the demon world..”
“Thank you for your understanding. But that hair is really cool! Honestly it's really my thing.”
“···Thank you for that..”
“I'm not just saying this out of courtesy. In fact, if you feel like it, right now···.”
Stop.
Hella, who had been praising as much as she could, trailed off..
Didn't you almost feel like you wanted to rip that head out and hang it on the wall as a decoration?!
Even though she didn't pay attention to what others thought, she knew very well that those words were inappropriate in the current situation..
‘No, no, no. 'Cause I'm not here to fight.’
It's not time to fight yet.
After making a fuss like that, she grinned again and started talking casually..
“···Oh my! Look at my mind. This is Davidson. very cute?”
“Kakakat!”
As if in agreement, the three heads opened their mouths wide and exposed their vicious teeth..
A bright red flame still glimmers deep in my throat.
It must have been effective, as Pieta showed interest in Davidson without paying attention to Hella's vague comments..
“That's hellfire. Could it be a variant of Cerberus? No, I think it's closer to a chimera.···.”
For him, whose main focus was the magic series, unknown beings were a good topic that could satisfy his interest and desire for knowledge at the same time..
Moreover, isn't that creature a formidable monster even at first glance??
If it weren't for this situation, he would have done whatever it takes to use that creature as a test subject..
‘Of course, that's what I'm really interested in..’
Pieta's gaze, which had been observing Davidson with interest, turned to Hela, who was affectionately patting her pet monster's back next to her..
As expected, no matter how many times I checked, the result was the same..
‘It's definitely true. This is clearly the spirit of the devil. Moreover, even his appearance resembles the 14th generation.···.’
Like a law, the unique force of the Demon King, who was destined to reign over the members of the Demon World, pressured his spirit and body..
It was only a little uncomfortable for a duke-level man, but if you add his unique 'demonic nature' to it, it would literally be the worst mental attack for a devil lower than a marquis..
Not only will the fight that I tried my best to not succeed in the first place, but just by being in the same space like that, I will be influenced and move on to the other side without even realizing it..
No, it is more dangerous to remain without showing it even though you have already been possessed..
In fact, its mere existence was nothing short of a fraudulent ability to completely block the intervention of subordinates..
‘This also makes his followers stronger. It's extremely unfair. At that time, I managed to dispose of the 14th generation, but why did the successor appear again??’
His head was dizzy from all the thoughts that came to his mind without realizing it, but he suppressed them all in one place for now..
Because those aren't the important things right now..
“Well then, let’s get to the point. He wants Helheim to inherit the alliance agreement between Demoniac and Abnormal.?”
First of all, the priority was to solve the problems immediately faced..
Currently, the gap between Dark Nest and the other two factions has long widened to the point where direct competition is impossible..
Without close cooperation between them, they would have been eaten up by the overwhelming number one..
Therefore, reestablishing the relationship with the force whose captain had changed was a top priority in the current situation..
“I guess so, right? Otherwise, it will be too difficult to face the other side. I've worked my way up to this point, but I don't want it to fall apart any time soon..”
And that is also true from the perspective of Helheim, which is growing rapidly in power..
However, it was not possible to suddenly devour Demoniac like it did with Abnormal..
There was no way that the Duke of Darkness would be taken lightly as the advantage of surprise was completely gone, and there was no way that Dark Nest, which was looking for an opportunity, would just overlook the gap created by the confusion..
‘I tried it just in case, but the angle didn't come out at all. I even brought Davidson with me to attack when the opportunity arises..’
As there was a previous precedent with Duke Goeran, Pieta, Duke of Darkness, thoroughly planned this meeting..
To ensure your own safety regardless of the variables..
Touching him hastily in this situation was like shaking hands that would only bring good things to Dark Nest..
‘Well, it can't be helped. For now, all we have to do is strike a balance and look for opportunities..’
First of all, the intended goal of devouring Urban Normal was achieved, so the current situation was not that bad..
There was no way this dangerous structure would last long anyway..
“···As you may already know, the fatigue felt by soldiers on the battlefield is considerable due to the white monsters that are constantly being replenished from the Dark Nest. If you leave it like this, there is a very high chance that it will collapse from exhaustion before it can fight back..”
What was needed to avoid such an awkward situation was close cooperation between the two factions ranked second and third..
Unlike the two dukes, who had been in an ill-fated relationship for a long time, Hela was also a rock that had broken all existing relationships..
With such interests aligned, the story about cooperation between the two factions went very smoothly..
The discussion was concluded quickly because it did not contain very complicated content in the first place, and most of it was just a plan to refrain from fighting among themselves until the Dark Nest collapsed..
“···Let's just skip over the removal of those under Demoniac's command for now. Both our positions and situations have changed between then and now. But that's it. If you reach out here anymore···.”
“Hmmmm! Don't worry? I have lived with only faith and faith..”
There were a few stabs in the process, but in life, nothing becomes a problem until you get caught..
Hela shook Pieta's hand, thinking that she should once again warn those who had already been appeased to remain calm..
‘but···.’
‘If the opportunity comes anytime.’
Of course, it's just a facade.
They had no intention of maintaining this relationship for a long time..
‘In the long run, it is a bigger threat than Dark Nest. If you want to cut it in the bud before it gets out of hand, you should start preparing now..’
‘It's obvious what you're thinking. Because it's a skeleton, you can't see its expression..’
Pieta and Hella dreaming of different dreams.
“Kakakakat—!”
With a time bomb that doesn't know when to explode.
Sleeping with a temporary enemy has begun.
***
Tarak, a large city located in the northern part of the Tulk Kingdom.
Paaaat—
As the city grew, the number of visitors increased, and a sacred light emanated from the underground gate of the Temple of Tarak..
Three figures appeared one by one from beyond..
They immediately exchanged greetings with the church members and then went outside to see a city that had developed beyond recognition..
“It doesn't seem like much time has passed since the last time I came, but I've improved a lot since then..”
Isea Pristine, a petite girl archmage, looked around the city and expressed a soft exclamation..
This was the first time she had been here since she killed the huge white giant that attacked the city..
At that time, not only was the entire city in chaos, but many parts were damaged in the aftermath of the big fight. Looking at the splendid view of the city now, it was impossible to recall what it was like back then..
“Indeed, it is spectacular. I thought it was a pretty big city back then, but it has developed so much in just over a year. It would have been nice if the saint had come with us too..”
As if following in Isea's footsteps, high elf Lydia Granwood spoke with regret..
They had overcome all kinds of hardships together as the three women of the warrior's party and had become very close in private, so Lydia was somewhat disappointed that the saintess had recently devoted herself to other work..
“The saint has a lot of work to do in many ways. Well, isn't our coming here an extension of that??”
And after them.
With a soft voice, a man wearing a loose robe slowly stepped forward..
Brilliant silver hair peeking out from under the hood and golden eyes that sparkle beautifully as if they contain the sun..
It was Heinrich Saint Landgard, the saint of the Main Church, the largest religion in Outerica..
“We are not yet sure exactly what the unknown threat the saint sensed was. So, let’s not lose our minds and continue our investigation while being as nervous as possible..”
“That's a wise thing to say..”
“Okay, saint..”
“Oh, let’s leave out that title of saint for now. Just in case, it would be better to hide your identity if you can. There are probably not many people who hear the name Heinrich and immediately think of a saint, so please call me by that name from now on..”
The appearance of Saint Heinrich and the warrior party, who had already built a great reputation, could have become a big issue in the city in itself..
For a smooth investigation, it would be better to keep their identities hidden..
“If you're planning on hiding your identity, you should cover your face more properly, right? Heinrich, covering your face with a hood is of no use..”
“That's right. And even though the hair is like that, the eyes are so intense.···.”
“Ahaha... It's not like I can hide this on my own..”
Heinrich laughed awkwardly at his colleagues' comments..
The darkness of the hood was not of much help to him who, like a human lighthouse, glowed alone even in the dark..
Of course, the hair and eyes, which are imbued with God's miracle, could not be covered with dye or lenses..
“···Hmm, I guess it would be best to get some regular full body armor and wear it..”
“You have to wear everything, including the helmet..”
Heinrich sighed softly at Lydia's innocuous comment..
It might have been the 'Guardian of Glory', the most luxurious armor given by the main religious order, but there was no way it would have been comfortable to wear ordinary full-body armor..
Still, in Tarak, which is also a strategic point connected to the northern mountain range, there were quite a few people walking around wearing full body armor, so there certainly seemed to be no better way to hide their identity..
‘It would be a lot better than having your face wrapped in something suspiciously like cloth..’
Heinrich, who had been nodding his head in understanding, quenched his appetite..
Suddenly, I felt like I should do something like this..
Although I told my companions not to be nervous, I myself was not nervous at all..
That's right too.
Because he already had a good idea of what the ‘unknown threat’ the saint sensed was..
‘He must have sensed the moment Hela appeared in Outerica. I hid it so thoroughly that I hid it. As expected, it’s amazing..’
And that meant that now that Hela had left for the demon world, there was nothing left here..
As Hubert Company began investing in the entire city, the hired hybrid vampires were deployed throughout the city, and the security rate also increased extremely..
‘Well... I guess I'll just pretend I'm on vacation for a bit..’
I've been busy lately, participating in every local war against the Immortal Army, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend a few days like this..
At this point, it would be a good idea to inspect Tarak's progress instead of Hubert, who is just in the office..
“But Harley, there's no news about what he's doing these days.?”
“Since he is a mercenary king, wouldn't he have received a secret request from somewhere??”
So the warrior party slowly entered the city..
It is one of the Outerica strongholds tightly controlled by the Hubert Company, and a place where an unknown threat sensed by the saint lurks..
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