Chapter 2037 – 2037. Savior Of The Academy
“Comrades. We must protect the seed of the great demon. Are you prepared to give your lives for the demon?”
The woman, known as the prophet, asked the demon worshippers. The demon worshippers nodded as if it were obvious.
“It’s only natural to give our lives for the great demon.”
“In the coming end times, our souls will be protected by the demon’s power.”
“I will gladly offer my body and soul for the great demon!”
The demon worshippers said.
I couldn’t understand their way of thinking. One thing was certain, they were completely brainwashed by the prophet.
‘Considering that most demon worshippers or fiends worship and make contracts with demons for their own desires, these guys are nuts.’
The surprising thing was that they weren’t brainwashed through any special abilities.
The prophet glared at me sharply, then turned and headed somewhere. The demon worshippers followed her. I moved, carrying the groaning hostage.
The place we arrived at was an altar. A place where the stench of blood was so strong it was rotting.
“Originally, to summon a demon, you must offer the right sacrifice at the right time. Offering sacrifices haphazardly is not good.”
The prophet started talking in front of the altar. She was talking to me, not the other demon worshippers. It seemed like she was asking for more time to prepare.
“Seven minutes was good.”
I wrapped my hand around the hostage’s neck. The neck was thin and fragile. It would break with just a little force.
Come to think of it, this kid’s name was Minwoo too.
The same name as my son.
Looking at him like this, he didn’t look like my son… not at all. Honestly, I didn’t feel anything. If Choi Minwoo died, I’d feel bad and a little sad. If someone killed him, I’d be willing to take revenge. But the sadness probably wouldn’t last two days, and the revenge would end blandly.
The prophet gritted her teeth.
“…Comrades. The demons will not forget your service. When the final end comes, you will be protected by the demons and ultimately saved!”
“For true salvation!”
The prophet spouted like a cult leader. The demon worshippers agreed without question.
“We will now begin the ritual for the great demon.”
The demon worshippers, who had at least D-rank hero strength, moved solemnly. As if they had already decided the order of sacrifices, they went up to the altar one by one.
They bowed their heads and, without any last words, stabbed their chests with special daggers.
『The Demon Hunter (S) wants to stop the evil ritual.』
I want this evil ritual to continue.
[Ugh. Sometimes, humans are incomprehensible.]
I agree with Machina’s words.
‘But there’s no need to understand them.’
Thud.
Another demon worshipper sacrificed their life on the altar. I could feel the demon’s power from the altar. The prophet was constantly muttering something next to the altar. It must be some kind of incantation for the demons.
‘I should suppress the Demon Hunter trait since it could affect the demon summoning. Machina, what about the heroes?’
[They’re gathering in Nampo City. I don’t know when they’ll arrive. It depends on the heroes’ abilities, right?]
‘It probably won’t take long. For either side.’
The prophet and the demon worshippers.
The prophet doesn’t believe the nonsense she spouted. The reason she worships demons is solely for her son, who has an incurable disease. The prophet is looking for a demon with the power to cure her incurable disease.
In the original story, she eventually finds that demon. The problem is that the demon is very picky. That demon wanted a sacrifice with special powers. The target is one of the playable characters. So, the prophet and the demon worshippers attack the academy.
‘Those guys who don’t even hesitate to commit suicide terrorism.’
Those guys were now going up to the altar themselves and offering their lives to the demon.
『Karma: Goodness increases by 1.』
Every time one of the demon worshippers died, my karma randomly increased.
‘It’s increasing this easily?’
My karma only went up after dozens of gangsters died, but now it’s going up every time 3-4 demon worshippers die.
‘The karma system is a bit weird. My karma didn’t drop when I killed those kids all at once earlier.’
Karma is ruthlessly reflected in my actions. If an innocent child dies, karma should drop. That’s right.
‘That those kids weren’t innocent, or that killing them wasn’t wrong.’
After much thought, I came to the latter conclusion. Those kids were sacrifices suffering at the hands of demons. For those kids, death itself could be salvation.
『Karma: Goodness increases by 1.』
While I was thinking about this and that, another demon worshipper died.
『Karma: Goodness increases by 1.』
『Karma: Goodness increases by 1.』
『Karma: Goodness increases by 1.』
Suddenly, my karma started to increase every time a demon worshipper died.
‘What is this? It wasn’t supposed to increase by one every 3-4 people. It’s increasing this easily?’
What could be the reason?
‘…Is it because they’re higher in rank than the ones who died before? No, there must be a more fundamental reason.’
After thinking, I came to the conclusion that it was related to the original story. In other words, the academy. But this world isn’t the original game. What does it have to do with the academy?
Screeeeeeeech.
An unpleasant sound echoed from the altar.
『The Demon Hunter (S) has detected the presence of a demon.』
The Demon Hunter (S) started acting up again as if it was having a seizure. I suppressed the Demon Hunter (S)’s power again. It wasn’t time yet. I had to act after all the demon worshippers were dead.
‘I wonder what kind of demon it is.’
『The Demon Hunter (S) discerns the demon.』
『Taniel. Demon Baron. Affiliated with the 2nd Legion.』
『Taniel’s power is the Mist of Deception. You cannot find the truth in the mist.』
‘A baron-class. It’s more than I expected.’
I expected a knight-class to appear. That was because they hadn’t properly prepared for the demon summoning and had rushed it.
At the same time, I was relieved. If a count-class or higher had appeared, it would have been a headache. I wasn’t prepared in many ways to face a count-class.
The demon’s power began to stir and form on the altar. It seemed to need some time to be fully summoned.
The prophet shouted at me.
“As promised, I summoned the demon! Hand over my son!”
There were about seven demon worshippers left around her.
“Offer the remaining seven to the demon too. Then I’ll let him go.”
“You, you impudent one…!!”
“Who are you calling… It’s so absurd that you’re saying that, it’s laughable.”
I held out the hostage, gripping his neck.
The prophet was filled with rage and shed tears of blood, but she couldn’t dare to act.
‘Is she really shedding tears of blood?’
That was a bit surprising.
“Prophet! We are ready to offer our bodies to the demon!”
“For the seed of the great demon!”
“Ah… demon. Please accept this wretched body.”
The demon worshippers fearlessly plunged daggers into their own chests.
『Karma: Goodness increases by 2.』
『Karma: Goodness increases by 1.』
『Karma: Goodness increases by 2.』
Karma increased, and another presence was felt from the altar. Another demon was about to appear.
『The Demon Hunter (S) discerns the demon.』
『Purtham. Demon Knight. Affiliated with the 7th Legion.』
『Purtham’s power. Curse of Discipline. Discipline must be obeyed.』
‘7th Legion? I thought I was screwed for trying to reduce the number of demon worshippers, but if it’s the 7th Legion, it’s manageable.’
The 7th Legion was the easiest for me to handle right now. I relaxed.
All the demon worshippers were dead, and only the prophet remained.
“Hmm.”
Next to the prophet, who was shedding tears of blood, the demon baron Taniel appeared. He was a demon with a pair of black wings on his back, a human body, and a dog’s head.
“An interesting situation. Was it you who summoned me? Not only me, but you even summoned a tin can from the 7th Legion… You’re greedy.”
Thud!
The prophet knelt down in front of the demon. Without hesitation, she bowed her head and kissed the demon’s foot.
“Oh, boil of corruption, guide of black wings, mist of the 2nd Legion. Please save my son. I beg you.”
“The one caught in that guy’s grasp? He’s cursed by the heavens. You’ve forcibly kept alive someone who should already be dead with our power. Haha. There is nothing more destructive and terrifying than love. Today, I truly understand his words.”
“…I only beg.”
“I don’t have the power to save your son. But I do have the power to kill that guy who caught your son.”
“Then please kill him!”
“Very well.”
I threw the hostage towards the black-winged demon. Now that the demon was summoned, the hostage was no longer needed. The demon slashed with his hand and killed the child flying towards him, cutting him in half.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah! Minwoo! Minwoo! Minwoo!”
The prophet wailed, clutching her son’s body that had been cut in half.
“How noisy.”
The demon kicked the prophet’s head. The prophet’s head burst like a watermelon. It was the end of the woman who had believed in and praised the demon like a god.
『Karma: Goodness increases by 5.』
‘Oh. My karma increased by 5 even though I didn’t kill her directly… I see how much of a bitch the prophet was.’
My karma increased. But my physical stats didn’t improve.
[Are all demons like that?]
‘99% of them are like that.’
I released the power of the suppressed Demon Hunter (S).
『The Demon Hunter (S) desires the death of the demon.』
『All stats temporarily increase.』
『Attack power against demons temporarily increases.』
“I can feel a disgusting power. Demon Hunter. Yes. The power of daring to hunt us without knowing your place. Some of my kind seem to fear that power, calling it a natural enemy… but it’s just human power in the end. Why should we fear it?”
Mist spread from Taniel’s body. The thick mist instantly obscured my vision and dulled my senses.
[Ugh… I’m dizzy….]
Due to the influence of the mist, the HUD that was displayed in my vision went haywire.
‘It’s even affecting the spirit’s mind.’
