Minor Demon Realm (4)
Anyone who's ever played an RPG will understand this.
'If you see sothing suspicious while you're playing a ga, you just have to poke it.'
If it looks breakable, you hit it just in case,
If it looks accessible, you definitely try to go,
And you always press whatever catches your eye.
Isn't that the way of RPG gars?
Of course, the odds of actually getting or triggering sothing are low,
But you can't resist the occasional joy of finding a hidden piece.
One such item I found that way was the "Goblet of Blood Iron".
The issue is: where on this ugly demonkin statue is it hidden?
Unlike a ga, where you can claim it with a single click, this is reality.
"Boss. I'll take a look over there."
Plerine, seemingly uninterested in the grotesque statue, headed toward the three-branched corridor.
In contrast, Ralph couldn't bring himself to leave, perhaps feeling a kinship with the statue's ugliness.
He stared at the inscription on the statue's pedestal and muttered.
"Revere the seventh generation of the 'Mor-ozen', descendants of the Demon God. Hm."
That's right.
The na of this ugly demonkin statue was Mor-ozen.
Until you knew how to approach it, this bastard used to ss you up bad.
'I caught on quickly to things like "descendant of the Demon God" and "seventh generation".'
It's been a while since I said this, but
I'm clueless about in-ga lore aside from character stats.
"But by the way, Ian, what's that? Doesn't it look suspicious?"
Ralph pointed at the neck of the Mor-ozen statue.
'A necklace?'
A stone necklace, contrasting with the yellowish statue, was hanging there.
It had a creepy pattern that really suited the demonkin.
"Could that perhaps... be an artifact?"
Just as Ralph said, occasionally you could get artifacts in the minor Demon Realm—
"Sorry, but I'm pretty sure that's a regular ornant."
A living Belkhazium wiki (minus the lore), that's .
There's definitely no artifact or item like that in my database.
In other words, it's just junk.
'But did that necklace always hang on this statue?'
Ralph was right; that stone necklace did seem out of place.
"Still! What if it's a precious gem or sothing? Why not just take it?"
"I don't know. What if we get cursed for ssing with it?"
"Ugh. True, that."
Ralph pursed his lips in disappointnt and walked toward the three-way corridor.
'Great! Now's my chance!'
I hated the idea of splitting expensive loot with Ralph.
I quickly started feeling and knocking all over the statue.
Click.
I heard sothing activate, and a drawer popped out of the statue's pedestal.
I couldn't help but smile.
Inside was exactly the item I'd expected.
Yeah. Just as I thought, but—
'It's a lot bigger than I imagined.'
The Goblet of Blood Iron wasn't just so digital model—it was as big as an actual beer pitcher.
'Well. Actually, that just makes it even better.'
I stuffed the goblet into my backpack while keeping an eye on Ralph.
He was too busy watching the corridor.
Creak.
I pushed the drawer back in.
Dreaming of the perfect cri, I casually walked over to Ralph and Plerine and asked,
"Find anything interesting, guys?"
"Mm. Looks like this is the way."
Plerine pointed to the far right of the corridor,
and I couldn't help but be surprised inside.
'How did she know?'
To et Imprel, the boss here, the rightmost path is the quickest.
You can reach the boss room via the left or center branches too,
But they're trapped and way out of the way.
"What makes you think that?"
Ralph asked Plerine before I could.
"The scent and sounds are strongest from this tunnel."
At her words, Ralph sniffed the air.
"Is it a blind mage's intuition? But putting that aside, why are you talking down to ?"
"... Sir. So, are you not going to take this path, sir?"
A flustered Ralph couldn't say a word.
I jumped in to change the subject.
"Ralph, you agree with Plerine, right? We've picked a route—let's go."
"......"
"......"
Fortunately, the two silently followed after .
The atmosphere couldn't have been more awkward.
Step, step.
We walked down the corridor that stretched on and on.
It grew narrower and darker the deeper we went.
Instead of Plerine's magic, Ralph lit a torch he'd brought.
But surprisingly, there were no monsters to be seen.
'Instead, there are bloodstains here and there.'
Traces of a major scuffle dotted the path.
Step, step.
With nothing but our footsteps echoing—
"Hey there..."
Soone else's voice ca to us.
Ralph was the first to react, flinching.
"Who's the—Cough! Cough cough!"
Ralph imdiately sprang forward, pounding down the corridor. Ta-da-da-dat!
We sprinted after him,
And ended up witnessing exactly what I'd expected.
'Damn.'
A blood-soaked soldier was slumped against the wall.
Ralph shouted loudly at the sight.
"Hey! Snap out of it!"
The wounded man had one hand on his abdon,
But it was nowhere near enough to stem the flow of blood.
There was a pool of blood under his hips.
'He's done for.'
The soldier's pupils had already lost focus.
He probably couldn't see us anymore.
"You bastard!"
But Ralph didn't give up.
He slapped the man's cheeks and shook his face with a serious expression.
Slap, slap!
"Wake up, damn it!!"
Maybe Ralph's roar got through.
A bit of focus returned to the empty pupils.
"S...quad leader? Are you the squad leader? Hack!"
"Yes, Alec! It's ! Jaw Ralph!"
That mont, a chill ran down my spine.
Alec—soone I knew.
'The day I first upgraded and sold pumpkin soup.'
The three people Jeros had dragged in by force:
Squad leader Ralph and team mber 1, Ruth,
And the team mber 2 who stood beside them was Alec.
But what was Alec, a guard, doing here?
Well, it made no difference.
Alec was dood either way.
"Ian!!"
Ralph's shout snapped back to my senses.
The look in his eyes as he stared at was desperate.
Honestly, I felt myself shrinking under his gaze.
"We have to go back to the village."
What?
"We have to save him. Please. I'm begging you."
In that mont,
Two versions of myself began to clash inside.
The dieval Ian and the modern Han Chul Lee.
*
My mind felt like it was breaking.
Everything was tangled up.
I had to resolve this quickly.
'What was I even thinking?'
Alec had lost a huge amount of blood.
His injuries were critical.
He was as good as dead.
That's why I'd initially decided to leave him and move on.
After all, I ca to the Demon Realm to beco stronger.
But—
'Is this really right?'
Even if a person's life is flickering out,
If they're not dead yet, shouldn't you at least try to save them?
'God, I feel disgusting.'
I was starting to feel sick at the thought of who I almost was a mont ago.
Had I really beco a full dieval man?
Or was I just mistaking this place for a video ga?
The old
Would have imdiately tried to save a dying person.
That's why I saved Naba, and Plerine too.
That's who I was.
And yet—
'For a second, I almost thought less of a person's life than Ralph, a literal dieval guy.'
I can't let that happen.
Get a grip, Han Chul Lee.
'I can't beco a monster.'
I made my decision.
Even if Alec ended up dying, I was going to do my best to save him for now.
The mont I made up my mind—
"Hack! Cough, hack, gag, uaargh!"
Alec coughed up a fistful of black blood.
Probably from staying so long in the minor Demon Realm with no anti-demonic power resistance.
"Cough! Ah, haah... Feels kind of good, actually."
Soon Alec's eyes regained full focus.
No one here failed to recognize this as the light before death.
"Ralph, squad leader."
"Y-yeah, Alec! Are you a bit more clear-headed now?"
"Leader, please, cough! Stop talking nonsense. Ha... Go back to the village my ass, all this way..."
There were no other soldiers or company commanders around us.
He seed to understand exactly why Ralph was there.
"J-just stop! Stop talking! Save your strength. I'll get you out, so hang in there, all right?"
"Still talking crap right to the end, leader. Hack! Hack!"
A faint smile appeared on Alec's lips.
"Thanks for everything, leader. Heh... Live long..."
Slip.
The hand that had been resting on Alec's stomach slid down.
*
A short but painfully long mont of silence passed.
Ralph was the first to move.
He drew a knife and cut off Alec's left ear. Slice.
"What's with the ear?"
Plerine asked,
And Ralph showed her the back of Alec's ear, replying,
"Is that answer enough?"
The na 'Alec' was tattooed there.
"Not like I can really show this to a blind woman, huh."
Ralph muttered with self-mockery,
But Plerine seed to understand.
"So that's how you keep track of dead comrades. I didn't know. Hm. Sorry."
Honestly, I hadn't known that either.
It seed the ear served the sa purpose as a dog tag.
'Do I have to do that, too?'
I found myself feeling my own earlobe for no reason.
"... Let's go."
Ralph tore his eyes from Alec with a face determined to suppress his grief.
"I'll take the lead. Ralph, you're in the back."
Plerine, still using her weird half-respectful tone, went ahead.
Step. Step.
Plerine skillfully navigated the maze-like passage in the right direction,
But the atmosphere between us was even more strained than before.
Eventually, I broke the silence and asked Ralph,
"Did you know Alec was in the Demon Realm?"
"... No. I didn't. Never thought the unlucky guy who fell into the Demon Realm on watch duty would be a forr subordinate of mine."
After the spirit stone quarry attack, so guards were reassigned due to a shortage of security forces.
Alec had been one of them.
"If I'd only known sooner... I could've moved faster and saved him."
Ralph ground his teeth.
"It wasn't your fault, Ralph."
"Save the halfhearted comfort."
There was deep regret and frustration on his face for not being able to save his subordinate.
'He's a good guy.'
Looking back,
I was glad I'd recruited Ralph as a [Regular Custor].
"Honestly, I think soone like you should be a company commander soday, Ralph."
"... Pfft. It only ans sothing if we all get out alive. Save the speeches for when we're back ho."
Yeah. Just like Alec's last words.
None of it matters unless you survive.
And right on cue,
Monsters appeared to crank up the tension that had been fading.
Clack clack. Dadadadak clack.
Little skeleton monsters, waist-high to an adult, were headed our way.
The clacking of bones grew louder.
Ralph took his stance as he saw the "Skels".
"All those bones we saw earlier were their remains, huh."
He was right.
And now, it was finally my and Ralph's ti to shine—not Plerine's.
'Because Skels, for low-ranking monsters, have crazy-high magic resistance but almost no physical resistance.'
Sure, a mage like Plerine could handle them with enough effort, but that'd be a waste.
She needed to save her strength for the boss room.
"Plerine, you take a break."
Plerine folded her arms in silent agreent to my request,
And instead lit up the area with a fire spell.
"Let's get so payback, Ralph."
"Heh. My pleasure."
With a single swipe of Ralph's blade, shards of bone flew everywhere.
Crack! Crunch!
* * *
Outside the minor Demon Realm, swept through by Ian's party.
The moonlit snowfield was bright red,
And the ground, mixed with snow, blood, and monster flesh, squelched unpleasantly.
At least that's how it felt to the person currently walking there.
Squish. Squish.
Their footsteps approached the minor Demon Realm and stopped.
"Hm. Did they co this way?"
Standing at the border of the minor Demon Realm in front of Outpost 13, as heard from ssenger pigeons.
There were clear traces that three people had entered already.
Three sets of footprints.
'What should I do?'
They hesitated.
Should they follow orders,
Or make a decision on their own?
The woman fidgeted with the rabbit ears on her head,
And, as if making up her mind, reached out toward the minor Demon Realm.
Srrrk.
As always,
She chose to trust her instincts over commands or judgnt.
Ziiing.
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