Chapter 52 – Chapter 12. The Demonic Realm.
After completing his basic skills training, Ma Hushu finally started combat training in earnest.
Since then, Jihyeok’s atmosphere has completely changed. When he was practicing the basics, he was gentle like a spring breeze, but now he is fierce and terrifying like a storm.
“It is very important to adjust the distance of the window. I will imprint it on you from now on.”
“Yes.”
“Now that you have some basic skills, it’s time to learn your skills.”
He wielded a crude wooden sword. A sharp force hit Mafushu’s body. Ah. Involuntarily, she took a step back. It was a truly terrifying energy.
“I’ll try attacking first. Won’t watch … Start.”
“Yes.”
Mafushu lowered her stance slightly, holding her pike with both hands and aiming at her Jihyeok. And he moved towards her. She stabbed her spear. But he lightly dodged it and crept into her arms. A wooden sword percussion struck her in the side. She moderated the intensity, but it was still quite intense.
“Ugh.”
It was pretty painful enough to make me groan.
“You just died.”
Ma Hushu’s resentment rose up. With the blood of a beastman, she had a great fighting spirit.
“I’ll do it again, again—!”
“Good.”
Jihyeok stepped back and then moved forward. Mafushu was more focused this time. Then he stabbed her pike faster in the direction he was moving. But this time he also avoided it and struck her with a wooden sword.
It really hurt to the point where tears came out. That’s how her fighting spirit flared up even more. Never lose!
“Again—!”
She cried out to do it again and again. She was beaten so badly that later she had bruises all over her body. He didn’t even hesitate to hit him in the face. So, a black bruise was drawn like a line on his cheek.
In the end, it wasn’t until after she was beaten so hard that she couldn’t say anything more. Her eyes were about to die of disintegration. But she didn’t want to be hit again.
“Are you angry?”
“… Yes.”
“Then be strong. If a warrior is weak, he dies. You just died countless times.”
“I’m going to be strong——–!!”
Mafushu shouted so loudly. Jihyeok smiled. Yes, you need to have this kind of momentum to grow.
“But you are still not enough to be called a true warrior.”
She trembled with her eyes wide open, as if she were really angry at the words. An honorable warrior was her essence. Denying it was the same as denying existence itself.
“But if you work hard, you can become a warrior that everyone looks up to. Everything has a process. Could someone like that become such a great warrior overnight? Wouldn’t it be?”
“… Yes.”
“So, try with all your might. Then you can definitely be that person. I guarantee you.”
“Yes, I will definitely try. I will definitely become a great warrior!”
Jihyeok nodded his head in satisfaction. First of all, the first button seemed to fit well.
“Okay, let’s start right then. I’ll teach you the technique. Learn it well and practice it constantly.”
Mafushu did not doubt and followed Jihyeok’s teachings well. Maybe that’s why he learned very quickly, even considering that he was a prisoner. At this rate, it seemed that an outstanding warrior could be born before they reached the capital again.
Teaching Ji-hyeok was also fun because this mixed-race prisoner obeys well and learns quickly. He seemed to understand why Azel was so obsessed with him. He gave a thrilling sense of accomplishment to perfecting an outstanding person.
“Okay, today’s training ends with this. … Are you going to practice more?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, try your best. Then I’ll be gone.”
Jihyeok patted Suin on the back. The heat that rose from her body passed to her palms.
He was on his way to the lodging building, when someone approached him on the way. He seemed to be an errand boy sent by the baron.
“The Lord is calling.”
“Okay? I get it. Go right away.”
Jihyeok did not stop at the dorm and immediately turned to the palace. He soon arrived at the baron’s office.
“Because you called…”
“Sit comfortably.”
Jihyeok sat down on the chair without hesitation. The maid quickly poured the tea and set her cup down. He swallowed the tea water.
“I have prepared everything you want. You can leave right now.”
“Ah, is that so? I just want to thank you for caring so much.”
“It is something I must do.”
Although he had never come out of the Devil’s Realm yet, the devil was still a being that could change suddenly. He was unable to use his hands, so he had no choice but to watch, but it was right to deal with it as soon as possible. So, whether it works or not, help is essential.
“Then I will leave tomorrow.”
“… Are you saying that quickly?”
The baron didn’t know that he would say he would leave tomorrow. However, Jihyeok did not give up.
“It won’t change anything if I stay here for a day or two more. It is better to go and deal with it as soon as possible.”
He seemed to take the fearsome devil too easily. The baron was a little worried about that.
“Devils are by no means so easygoing.”
“Don’t worry. He even killed himself.”
“I’m glad there’s no problem… , I hope nothing bad happens to you.”
Jihyeok smiled.
“That won’t happen.”
· · ·
The group left the city early in the morning.
Jihyeok silently gazed at the dawning fields in the rattling wagon.
Perhaps because of the thought that the real Demonic Land was right in front of their noses, the party kept their mouths shut and were each lost in their own thoughts.
It wasn’t long before the carriage arrived at a small village with a babbling stream. They rested there for a while and ate. Gide twitched his snout, probably feeling a bit relieved after the food went in.
“I want to get a good job, take a bath again.”
He said he liked the soft touch of her maid, and grinned with an ungainly expression.
Even during this break, Mafushu continued to hone his spearmanship. Yayel was also keen on the double casting that was almost impossible to catch. I thought I would have to do a little more, but it seemed that the wall was not easy to overcome.
This time, Kayak also joined the training frenzy, wielding a mace. Gorsch, as usual, sat upright, immersed in meditation. Only Gideon lay flat on the ground and enjoyed a leisurely rest.
After taking a quick glance at the party, Jihyeok headed towards the group of knights. When they saw Jihyeok coming, they got up from their seats.
“No, take it easy. I just came to look around. … Are there any problems?”
The knight leader leading the group nodded and replied.
“Yes, no problem.”
Jihyeok skimmed through the six articles. With the exception of the leader, who was a bit older, all the other five were young men. Still, they must be descendants of well-known families in the city.
“Good luck then. If you have any problems or suggestions, don’t hesitate to speak up.”
“All right.”
Jihyeok patted the knight’s arm and went back to his place.
The group rested a little longer and then set off again. The sun was still far from setting.
The carriage continued westward. The dirt road was so uneven that the wagon often rattled. Gide, who had been dozing off, woke up by banging his head against the wagon wall several times.
“Hey, Seaver. Drive a little softer…”
After taking two more breaks like that, a slash-and-burn village appeared. No one was there, probably because it had already been abandoned. It was a shabby hut, but it was still better than sleeping on the street, so they each chose a place to sleep and stayed overnight.
The next day, as soon as dawn broke, they quickly ate and moved west again. The road is now cut off. The carriage ran further on the dirt road overgrown with grass. However, there were so many stones that it was difficult to move. It’s a big deal if you do something wrong and break the shaft.
So Jihyeok decided to walk from there. The porters unloaded and the others walked westward with their bags behind.
The grass, which had grown up to my ankles, grew taller and taller, and later came to my waist. The guide in the lead moved ahead, cutting down the grass in front with a scythe. The place where the group stepped on was covered with tall grass.
“Be careful not to be bitten by a snake.”
Ji-hyeok said there might be snakes in the grass, so he told them not to leak. Yayel, who hated crawling, clung to Mahuche, rolling her anxious eyes around.
After crossing a low hill, they finally saw the forest of the demonic landscape. The grotesque forest of trees felt hideous just by looking at it. Even the knights, who were new to this place, looked very nervous.
“Cyber, that’s fucking creepy.”
Gide spat his phlegm on the floor and gave his first impression. A dreary energy overflowed as if a demon would come out at any moment.
Mahushu marveled at the densely forested forest. It was, of course, an amazing sight for her, who had lived her whole life only seeing the desert where her sand stretched out.
“Let’s go.”
The group started to walk slowly towards the Devil’s Landing again. They stopped before crossing a narrow ditch. The sun was slowly setting, so it was to stay here for the night.
They first cut the grass around them. Then, after turning on the bonfire, the dried meat was put on wooden skewers and grilled. The stench of the golden brown made my mouth water.
By the time we unpacked and prepared for camping, it was already getting dark. The demonic forest became more gloomy.
Jihyeok decided to set up a vigil just in case. He arranged for his party and knights to take turns taking turns with each other, one day at a time. First of all, today, the order of knights was decided.
The group filled their stomachs and lay down. Aigoo, Gide lay down while groaning in pain. There was only one rug on the bare floor, but everyone seemed to be comfortable lying down because of the long walk.
The stars twinkling in the clear night sky were so beautiful. Jihyeok looked at the stars for a while and then slowly closed his eyes.
Woo woo.
I heard the cry of an unknown animal from somewhere. It cried several times throughout the night.
… The dream seat was not good because it was very confusing.
· · ·
The group woke up early in the morning. The sky, which had been clear until yesterday, was overcast. Jihyeok looked up at the sky anxiously.
… Is it going to rain unluckily from the start?
Fortunately it didn’t rain. However, the dark clouds continued to block the sun without thinking about disappearing.
From the beginning of the demonic world, they had to light the torches. The forest was darker than outside because of the tall trees.
Jihyeok walked side by side with the guide. They had to go to a tombstone somewhere in the Devil’s Nest. He said so to the herbalist.
“Tombstone, Iyo… ?”
The herbalist, who served as a guide, had an expression of disapproval. Well, even the oldest herbalist won’t go that deep. It’s just a bit of a mess around here.
“It’s not a tombstone, but I saw something like wreckage.”
“Take me there.”
“Yes, I understand, sir.”
The herbalist walked fast. And the crowd followed him in two lines. The field grew farther and farther away. Mafushu glanced back with a slightly uneasy expression. Sensitive to her senses, she couldn’t shake this anxiety welling up in her chest. It was a warning her body gave off instinctively. Don’t enter this place…
Yayel was equally anxious. She was a different kind of anxiety than Mafushu. It was the emotion she felt from the impurities mixed with mana.
Margie-.
Having met a demon before, she knew that this slimy, eerie object was Magi. Of course, it was still at a very weak level, but it was still a very unpleasant energy. It feels like bugs are crawling all over your body.
“Sir, my ass is itching.”
Compared to the two of them, Gide, who was a bit insensitive, expressed this bad feeling that way. Gorsch and Kayak also seemed to sense that something was offended.
Occasionally, the knights gasped and touched the nape of their necks. It was because of the frightful life flowing through the air. She took such a heavy step with everyone’s anxiety in her heart.
Jihyeok, who was following closely behind the guide holding a torch, felt something like a gaze. His head was spinning somewhere in the pack.
There was nothing there. Jihyeok slowly turned his head forward again and quietly snapped his neck.
This bastard… , Did you already notice?
As expected of a fugitive, he was quick to notice.
The devil Ji-hyeok came to catch was a rather peculiar being.
A coward who fled to the continent after being defeated in a power struggle in the demon realm.
A demon who was once the lover of the Demon King.
For the sake of power, even an insignificant human being will spread his legs.
… And, he is still a crazy bitch who waits endlessly for the right time, thinking that he has a chance.
The demon of prostitutes, Shaiya.
They came to get that bitch.
