I spend the next few days lazing around, sleeping a lot, and waiting for the dragon hunt to begin.
I went to Gyras’ shop to collect my daggers, which turned out really nice.
Unfortunately… I had spent all my money on beanbags, remember?
I had gone all the way back to kill some monsters in Ophia caves, before bartering the parts with Gyras.
Eventually, I got my daggers back!
Check this out!
Damage: 3,500 Durability: 8,000 Resistance: 2,000 Specials: Upon impact, applies the ‘poisoned’ effect for ten minutes. Total amassed damage varies based on poison/blood concentrate.> Beautiful, if I do say so myself. Gyras’ touch-ups made it even better than the original Mantis scythes! I stumble around, before finding the meeting point. I see a group of Gold-badged adventurers bundled up there, and… I see a familiar face: Yache! I used to look up to this guy… I still do, but stat-wise? … It is the disciple who eventually becomes the master. Yache notices me and gives an exaggerated wave. “Rena! Long time no see! Nice cut!” Ah. I can’t tell him my hair got lopped off by the Mantis, can I? So my hair, the one that used to fall to my knees now only goes down halfway past my spine. Although the long hair kind of got in the way when I was fighting anyways. Only a week has passed in the real world, so it should really be ‘long time no see’ for me. I haven’t seen the guy in almost a month! “Hi there, Yache” One of the adventurers next to Yache gives him a light nudge, attracting his attention. The unknown adventurer murmurs something intangible and totally beyond earshot, but… [Appraisal] picks up on everything! EVERYTHING! <[Jude]: Yo Yache, isn’t that the beggar chick you pulled up last month?”> Yache’s eyes narrow, and he whispers back to Jude. <[Yache]: Picked up? Nah, not like that. But yeah, it’s her. [Jude]: How’d she get so strong? I mean, she looks like a Bronze. [Yache]: Potential, I tell ya man, potential. She’s chill too> It feels kind of weird knowing I’m the centre of a conversation, so I break up their chatter. “I can hear you two, you know?” Jude goes silent, before whispering something else to Yache. I can’t actually hear it, but good old [Appraisal] catches on again. <[Jude]: Why didn’t you tell me she had a hearing skill, man?> Instead of whispering, Yache speaks out loud. “If she can hear us, why bother whispering?” I flash a smug grin. Either Yache catches on fast, or Jude is a bit…slow. Jude ruffles his hair a bit, before walking towards me, extending out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, Rena. Name’s Jude” I shake his hand, giving a nod. Is this guy totally going to ignore what happened before? I might as well play along with his antics. “The guys over there are my siblings,” says Jude, motioning to the four other adventurers. They notice us, and wave back. A lean woman with blue hair – a major red flag – comes up to us. “Hi there Rena. Names Jade, the oldest sibling” Yeah… she isn’t emo. Is the blue hair normal? Jude, Jade and their siblings all have hair toned to some extent of blue. After that, I get a mouthful of introductions. The oldest of the five is Jade. She’s also the most competent adventurer, almost reaching Diamond-badge. Next, we have Jede, a fem looking guy. After Jede, there’s Jide. Yeah. That’s what I thought too. I mean, really? At this point, I might as well predict the other guy to be called Jode. And believe it or not, he really was called Jode. Okay, these guys’ parents officially suck. Jade, Jede, Jide, Jode and Jude? Really? How…uncreative can one get? Jade is a mage class. Jede; a support class that buffs teammates, Jide, another support class that heals teammates, Jode – the tank, and Jude the [Assassin]. I remembered the [Assassin] class, because if I could have a class, it would totally be [Assassin]. My [Dark Magic] and dagger technique totally match the description! Now, turns out Yache is a bit of a special case. He’s a [Summoner], which is a rare variant of [Monster Tamer]. A [Monster Tamer] can essentially form a ‘bond’ with a certain monster, making it obey you. For [Summoner], you don’t ‘bond’ with a monster. [Monster Tamer] only works on alive monsters. [Summoner], not so much. Allegedly, you need to kill a monster, before ‘binding’ its soul. Then, you can summon that soul in the form of the monster. The best thing about this is you can bind multiple monsters, whereas you can form a bond with only one monster. But you also don’t have to buy monster food – whatever that is (hopefully not human flesh). He’s planning on binding the dragon soul. None of us have any complaints though, since we can’t do anything about a spiritual soul, only with the physical body. The only reason he isn’t Diamond-badged already is because you can’t use the help of monsters in adventurer examinations – another reason why the [Monster Tamer] class isn’t very popular. “Well,” echoes Jide, “without further ado, why not head out now?” Dragon parts, here I come! Jude calls for a carriage, and soon, the seven of us get taken down an unpaved, rocky road. The ride is really bumpy, but I guess that should be expected in a medieval-ish world. Obviously, the most apparent difference is that none of the carriages have rubber tyres. Without the ability to reduce impact and absorb bumps, every step the mule, or whatever that thing is takes, the whole seat gets shaky. We ride for a bit, indulging in small talk. The guy who impresses me the most after all the chatter is: Jode! He somehow stays in conversations by saying nothing at all. If that isn’t a cool skill, then what is? Finally, the yap turns to something of my interest. The first one to speak up is Yache. “Oh right. Now that we’re talking ‘bout Charles and his promotion, whadda you think of Misaki? Stuck-up bitch in my opinion.” Jade cuts in, adding on her own opinions. “Oh my god, you couldn’t be righter! I hear she’s getting fired this week after she got found engaging in fraudulent activity.” Everyone nods in unison. I thought Misaki was pretty popular. How come everyone here’s a hater? “What fraudulent activity do you speak of?” I ask. It’s probably about the Supreme Kemoth thing, but I ask just to be sure. “You don’t know?” asks Jude, “Considering you’re the target of her abuse, I figured you would be the first to find out.” “Yeah, she planted that evolved Kemoth, didn’t she?” questions Jide. Jode just says nothing, but still somehow sneaks into the gossip. “Not only that,” condemns Jade, “But apparently she was using her [Succubus] skill to infatuate a bunch of men!” H-HUUUUUUUHHHHHHH?? So that’s what was going on? Now that I think about it, her simp army only consisted of Bronzes and Low Silvers. Maybe the infatuation only worked if they were weaker than she was? What an absolute scumbag! … What do you mean, I kill hobos? … Eventually, we arrive at the destination. The lady accepts the pay, before hurriedly heading back to Windport. I guess I would frantically run from a dragon too, if I were weak. But, unbeknownst to these guys, I’m the strongest member in the party, even if they think I’m the weakest. I’m not exactly smurfing, just avoiding suspicion. Well, where is this dragon guy anyway? Jude seems to take the words right out of my mouth, as he says something along the lines of ‘Yo where this lizard guy at?” Not really like that though. He seems to fear the dragon. I mean, fair enough, fair enough. To these guys, this dragon is big fish. For me? Not so much, but I won’t ruin the mood. We look around the dense undergrowth but find no dragon. Actually… “Why would a fire dragon live in a forest?” I inquire, lifting a finger and furrowing my brows. The J_de siblings all stop in their tracks and react like I sprayed the nectar of wisdom or something. “““““Riiiiiight…””””” Wait, huh? I heard five voices, but Jode doesn’t talk, meaning that… Yache is also dumb? But then again, If I were an adventurer… okay, I am, but if it weren’t for [Appraisal], I would also have absolute trust in the information given by the guild. For all I know, the Guild could be sprouting nonsense and doctrines! Whoever rules the information world rules the world! Ha...ha? Okay, that was a total flop. “So, where’s the dragon?” Jide asks, inquisitively. “I dunno man, where could’ve it gone?” replies Jude in a flat tone. “I think…” murmurs Yache as he sits on a rock, doing the classic thinker pose, “this dragon might’ve gone deeper into the forest. I mean, there’s an inactive volcano there,” he continues, pointing to a certain mark on the map. “Assessing the possibilities, I find Yache’s hypothetical statement as most presumable and logistical. Therefore, I advocate and suggest his reasoning as the plausible turn of events.” Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Huh? Where’d that nerdy voice come out of? I look around and see Jode’s mouth hanging loosely. So…it had to be him, right? After hearing his voice, I understand why Jode usually keeps quiet. That voice is at least two octaves higher than it should be! “So… onto Mount Vesuvie?” “Yeah, why not?” And like that, we make a beeline to this Mount Vesuvie. Sigh I hate hiking. ---------------------------------------- Charles’ lungs burned like fire. He gasped for more air, his throat strangling itself. He took a deep breath, inhaling the smouldering smoke before hacking it out in a coughing fit. Stumbling and staggering, the receptionist pulled himself out of the wrecked, devastated form of the collapsed Guild. Looking around, only blood and fear were present. H-how?! Not long ago, the Adventurer’s Guild was brimming with activity like usual. Not that he liked it that way. Yache, Jude, Rena and their companions had set off for a B-ranked dragon extermination quest. Charles gritted his teeth as he swept his gaze over his town. He wasn’t just angry – no, this was a deep, embedded loathing. He was aghast at the turn of events, his face scrunching up. Worst of all, the receptionist couldn’t do anything about it. He watched helplessly as everyone he knew was cut down by a formless nightmare. Whatever it killed, it became. That…monster… He turned around, limping his way through the anarchtic streets of Windport – then paused. A lone figure stood there, swimming through the ash and dust. There it was. The culprit behind this. The one who had laid ruin to the Guild, and possibly, the entire town. The receptionist's eyes bulged, growing wide in fear at the sight of… Guild Master Koya. No, it was that formless creature, morphing into whatever it killed. A true, walking calamity. They eyed each other for a while, none making a move, as if testing the waters. Then - it stuck a sword into Charles before he could even react. His eyes rolled back, as he coughed out impassable pools of blood. This was it. The end of his life. Really, it was a short, anticlimactic, and rather pathetic life. But, before he went… “F-f..uck…y-you.” * The man's body went limp, and Jinda kicked it away, the lifeless bag of flesh flopping onto the sidewalk. A cacophony of screams echoed through the streets. The hopeless voices sent a tingle down the [Demon Lord]’s spine. T-this was…ecstatic! It had been far too long since he heard the scream of women, the cry of children and the chaos shadowing death. To him, this ghastly orchestra was like a symphony from the gods. Every yelp –every tear – every sob. They all coalesced to form one body. One lyric. One song. And now, he was the one orchestrating the music. He was the one in power – and… he loved it. Capturing the Guild was easy. All he did was walk through, and kill an adventurer, before morphing into her body. The Guild Master couldn’t even look him in the eye. He was too weak. Compassion isn’t salvation. No, it was a sin. And now, Jinda had control over the Guild Master’s body and stats. He had to admit, the stats were a bountiful addition He could now peak at 5,000 – even stronger than the hapless Envy and the hopeless Wrath. Right now, he was the central power in Windport. The people were at his mercy. He ruled absolutely. This newfound power was so vivacious that Jinda had even bookmarked the Guild Master’s soul. He only had one more bookmark slot now, but he regretted nothing. You see, after killing an enemy, he had full access to that vessel for the next 24 hours. However, after that, the body would release the soul, expiring any further usage. But, once a soul was bookmarked, it would be bound to Jinda for eternity. He walked upon the remnants of the Guild, projecting his voice as far as he could. “CITIZENS OF WINDPORT, I AM YOUR NEW MASTER!! EITHER CONSCRIPT INTO THE ARMY OF LORD WRATH OR DIE BY MY HANDS!!” Many, after deciding a fretful escape was a hopeless cause, reluctantly bowed their heads and stayed. This is the problem with kind leaders. He thought to himself. Be nice, and they won't reciprocate. No, they’ll only grow greedier and greedier. The only path to true authority is through tyranny and fear. He forced the citizens to line up in two files, and to give him their IDs and a tiny bottle of blood each. He ignored the tearful look on their eyes, gleefully searching the crowd for women to take for himself. His eyes landed on a real sweetheart. “Hey baby, why don’t you come with me? He aggressively asked the woman, tightly squeezing her cheeks. The woman looked horrified, and muffled a scream with her hand. “N-No! You can’t just take my wife like that!” Jinda glared at the man scornfully. He kicked the man with enough force to pulverise him instantly. The man's brains blew out, and two ivory eyes rolled onto the ground, crying blood. It frustrated him. He was absolute. He was the one in power! Why should insects defy him? WHY?! “YOU DOG! LEARN YOUR PLACE!” He looked around, ears pricked up, listening to the irritating cry of a baby. Pushing past the crowd, he found a child, no older than 4 months crying his eyes out, bawling in such an… annoying tone “CHILD! I COMMAND YOU TO SHUT UP! The baby cried even louder. He held out a hand, ready to strike the impudent brat, when a firm hand stopped him in his tracks. Jinda turned around to see a man with a rough face, scarred deeply on one side. No – this wasn’t even a man. It wasn’t even human! “A…A mere DWARF insult ME, a future [DEMON LORD]?” The insect spat at him, switching to a fighting stance. “I, Gyras, would rather die than serve the likes of you” hissed the bug. Jinda felt an unfathomable rage engulf him. Who did the creature think he was? Opting for a punch, Jinda struck that thing with all his might, refusing to show any mercy. The bug blocked the shot – barely – but it still did. He coughed up blood, his bones cracked, but he still stood there, refusing to fall down/ Jinda brimmed in dissatisfaction. How dare an insect even think of defending its feeble life? He morphed into the Guild Master, and felt an immaculate power surge into his body. Many people gasped in shock, seeing this new appearance. ‘‘‘“““““““N-no… But how???”””””””’’” Jinda smirked in satisfaction, before punching the creature again. This time, it didn’t even block his punch. The bug lost all of its previous zest, and just stood there, looking solemn. “Ah, the weakness of compassion” he said to himself, fretfully washing such grimly, contaminated blood off his hands. He scoured the line again, before finding another woman to his taste. “Hay, baby girl. What's your name? Wanna join me?” he flirtingly said, fleeting a mischievous grin. The woman looked taken aback – repulsed, but reluctantly nodded to him. “Harwel. M-my name is…. Harwel.” “I’ll be seeing you soon, Harwel.” After finishing checking everything, he sent a Giffey – a bird typed monster similar to a homing pigeon – to the other [Demon Lords]. Soon, he could bathe in the light of glory. ---------------------------------------- So, as per Yache's idea, we found our dragon chilling around near the dormant volcano. Right now, we’re discussing how to deal with it. Well, I think we are, but the idea is just rush in, jump dragon, win. Jude goes first, sneaking into the shadows, waiting for the decisive moment to strike. But, of course, some dunce has to ruin our element of surprise. Namely, Jode. See? This is the problem with warrior types! They’re just too big of a meathead to understand strategy. Jude, sensing that our plan was foiled (although it really wasn’t one), jumps out of the foliage and uses his daggers to slice the dragons back. It rears up, roaring in pain before spewing a sea of flame. To be honest, a group of seven adventurers like us seems like overkill. Well, better safe than sorry, am I right? Everyone else charges in, wanting to have a go at the dragon. Ah, wait! If I don’t deal damage, I might not get any dragon loot, and [Absorption] won’t work! In a panic, I launch one of my [Mantis Daggers] at the dragon. What unfolds moments later is a surprise, well, …even to me. That single dagger - the one I half-heartedly threw - dances through the air, and majestically rips the dragon's head off, just like that. All eyes turn towards me. Oops. I guess I got too strong, too fast, and couldn’t restrain my newfound power. “Whadda heck?” mutters Jude under his breath. Even the humble Yache’s eyes slightly pop out. I nervously chuckle. “Rena? When did ya get so strong? You’ve got to be Diamond, minimum!” applauds Yache. See? This guy knows how to read the room! Clearly, my source of power is some sort of secret, so instead of applying suspicion, he's praising me to avoid social awkwardness! “…Right. Then, shouldn’t you bind the soul or whatever?” inquires Jade. “On it…” Yache does some stuff, before looking shocked, visibly taken aback. “W-what? The ain't no soul? No… more like the soul was taken!” Everyone looks confused at Yache’s statement. When a soul dies, it leaves the vessel and moves onto the spiritual world, only to be reborn again. However, there's a tiny window of opportunity to capture the soul while it's still transitioning between these two planes. And how could anyone possibly steal a soul? The only reason for that to happen is if the soul is bound to someone. So naturally, we would all be perplexed. Well, everyone but me… I can’t just sheepishly laugh and say Oops, my deadly sin skill [Absorption] must’ve stolen it first! That’s how I get stronger per kill! “Er, well, I guess we'll haul the corpse back to town?” suggests Jide. And so, we awkwardly walk back to Windport, coming home empty-handed and fruitless. Well, not really. We scavenged a lot from the dragon. Only Yache looks gloomy, because he missed out on a big-shot soul. Oopsies, sorry Yache! As we walk for a bit longer, I get a notification from Harwel via the message chat. Curious, I open it up, giving a quick read. <[Harwel]: S.O.S!!! Rena, Help! WINDPORT IN DANGER!!!! AN UNKNOWN [DEMON LORD] HAS ATTACKED!!!> I stop in my tracks. “Rena, you good?” questions Yache, putting a hand on my shoulder. If the entire town is in trouble, then… What happened? I can’t risk everyone here going back only to die. “G-guys, Trust me. Stay here, and do not return to Windport. Harwel gave me dire news. Don’t go. Move somewhere else. I think a [Demon Lord] attacked.” At first, they look confused, like I’m pulling their legs, but Yache notices a dead-serious tone in my voice, and convinces the group to trust me. They decide to camp here for a few days, before deciding on what to do next. I quickly warp into my dungeon, before warping out into Windport, and… the sight horrifies me… Everyone is chained up by the neck, a lone figure lording over them, screaming horrid commands. What happened in the past three hours? I give the mysterious figure a quick [Appraisal] Name: Jinda Zschu Level: 54 Rank: A Class (primary): Multi-wielder Class (secondary): Demon Lord Health: 3, 421 Damage: 3,102 Mana: 3,008 Speed: 2,305 Tittles: [Demon Lord], [Demon Lord], [Tyrant], [Fearbinger], [Heartless], [Monster Hunter], [Monster Slayer], [Monster Calamity], [Humanoid Hunter], [Humanoid Slayer] Skills: [Stockpile], [Obsession], [Contemporary], [Melee Lv10], [Dark Water Lv6]> ---------------------------------------- As Jinda surveyed the beauty of his tranquil authority, he noticed a hazel haired woman with her hair tied up in a ponytail slink behind the wake of his destruction. Impossible he thought. I have everyone lined up already. He rubbed his eyes in confusion. However, after the rub, the woman was nowhere to be seen. Huh, my lust must’ve created a figment of my imagination He turned back, surveying Wraths future troops, idly waiting for one of the other [Demon Lords] to arrive. He stifled a yawn, as he mentally played out scenes in his head. * The bastard almost saw me! Luckily, I managed to shadow warp out of his line of sight in time. My nerves are twitching just looking at the guy, but I have to keep my cool and assess the situation. Most notably, he has three skills that concern me. First of all, there's [Stockpile]. <[Stockpile] (passive): The user can, to some extent, withhold boosts given from other passive skills and draw upon that power later> It’s a bit confusing, but after a bunch more [Appraisal] searches, I think I understand what [Stockpile] does. So, for example, say [Reparation] passively heals me one HP per second. Well, [Stockpile] can lay that heal for a bit, and heal 1000 HP instantly. It caps at 2,000, but that’s still… very overpowered. I don’t even know why this pig looking guy has everyone tied up in chains, and I really couldn’t care less. All I know is that Harwel is in danger! He’s got this other deadly sin skill, which derives from the Lust line. <[Obsession] (active): Lets the user transform into anyone they have killed. Once transformed, the user temporarily gets that body's stats added to their own> This skill is pretty self explanatory. Sort of like my [Absorption], but not really? And finally, there's the other skill, [Contemporary], which seems like the biggest issue if I’m fighting him. <[Contemporary] (passive): Gain a power boost when fighting weaker enemies, but gain a power sap when fighting stronger enemies> My stats are totally lower than his, right? Which means, the stat disadvantage will only get larger and larger.. Here’s the other pressing matter: he’s a [Unique Demon], meaning the pig faced guy is totally from Earth, right? I don’t know, but probably. I’m sort of emotionally neutral right now. He’s got Harwel chained up, but he’s also a fellow Earthling. Argh! I don’t know how I should deal with this situation! Still a complete stranger though, and that means Harwel takes priority! I warp in with my dagger backhand, and slash at his blind spot. Jinda yelps in surprise, and turns to face me. “Y-you DARE OPPOSE ME???” Er. Talk about a short fuse. His face is as red as a tomato, and I think he’s trembling with rage? Yikes. That escalated quickly. Then, Jinda – my fellow Earthling transforms into Guild Master Koya. * Jinda glared at the woman in rage and disgust. His race boiled red, and he felt a nerve pop in sheer frustration. He couldn’t comprehend how so many lowly fools like the dwarf dare oppose his magnanimity. And this time, this…t-this bug had dared strike him. I will show this woman… the meaning of true despair He instantly transformed into his strongest form – a coalition with the Guild Master. Once again, his muscles began to bulge, and he shone with immeasurable power. The buffoon who dared attack him flinched back in shock; He impishly grinned once again. Even this foolish bug knew that his newfound power was indomitable. However, instead of the shocked look of despair he wished for, the poor creature seemed to… be teeming with a sudden burst of hatred. “Tch … You really did it, huh?” He sneered again. So was the weakness of compassion. It faltered your ego, ruined your mind, and made you nothing but an impulsive fly. “Listen girl,” he snarled in a low tone, “Only the strong can hate. The weak are allowed to cower in fear and nothing else! The weak cannot choose how they die.” He went straight for the impudent fly, punching it straight in the gut. The insect flew back, tumbling through a shattered building. He satisfactorily watched as the dust settled, expecting to find a limp body lying lifeless on the ground. The crowd stood there, shocked, and frozen in place. The girl known as Harwel seemed to be crying. Instantly his face soured, as he watched the bug staggeringly stand up. “KNOW YOUR PLACE BEFORE ME! YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO KNEEL, AND NOTHING ELSE!!!” He ran straight at the woman, a loud sonic boom following behind him. The wreckage around him blurred, as he travelled at magnifying speeds. Almost instantly, Jinda caught up with the insect, but suddenly, it disappeared before his eyes. He quickly turned backwards, and saw it constructing a spell. Lazily, he sidestepped, dodging the attack. He watched a black vortex shoot right past him, consuming the remnants of his destruction. It angered him. Only he was allowed to destroy. Him, and no one else. He leaped atop the thing, grabbing its neck by his hands, ready to snap the soft, fragile bone at a moment's notice. But, as soon as his grip tightened, the fly disappeared again. This bug… it’s so… IRRITATING! “COWARDICE! COME AND FACE ME, YOU INTRICTIVE INSECT!!” And, the little bug did come towards him. He gasped in pain as a sharp weapon – possibly a dagger – snuck its way into his back. He grabbed the dagger, trying to pull it away, when the embedded weapon suddenly exploded inside his body. He could feel his nerves, his muscles, and his skin all tearing away, screaming at the pain. His knees buckled, but he quickly used [Stockpile] to recover the damage. With the dagger still firmly embedded in his muscle, he quickly ripped it out, ready to beat the bug to a pulp, before it disappeared once again, vanishing without even a trace, as if erasing its presence. This thing was no longer a bug. No, this girl had made him feel pain. Made him feel humiliation. And he would reciprocate all those emotions hundredfold * I take a deep breath, forcing my nerves to calm down. I haven’t felt a rage like this in a long time. As soon as he transformed into Guild Master Koya, my vision turned red, and I instantly lost control of my body, my blood boiling in angst. [Obsession] can only work if the target is first killed, and since Jinda - no, since that pig transformed into Guild Master Koya, it can only mean one thing… Oh boy, was I mad. I was absolutely fuming with rage! But then, I noticed something else. Gyras was also gone. So was Charles. Piole. That Geoffrey and his buddy Kester. Everybody I knew from the Guild apart from Harwel was gone! [Appraisal] couldn’t pick anything up. It only fueled my flames of vengeance. I fought with all my power. I really did. Yet he casually evaded my strongest void bullet, and easily withstood an abyssal explosion. I have no mana now. Not a single drop left to spare. With Guild Master Koya, the pig exceeded 5,000 in every stat. And that gap was further formed with [Contemporary]. I probably can’t win this. But… I’ll fight till I die. I won’t let this pig – this heartless bastard get the better of me! Without mana, all I can manage is to run in, ignoring the pigs tepid curses. He notices me, and fires dark water bullets at me. I barely dodge them in time, as I feel the pellets graze my skin, sending a stinging pain to my brain. My mana recharges fast enough that I can shoot some of the dark water bullets away with my own dark bullets, but that leaves me no leeway to warp. I have to get close to that pig! Instead, the pig faced monster comes towards me, chanting some sort of death song. He goes for a right hook, but I parry it and - CRACK!! My arm literally splinters, the bone splitting off the humerus. 15% of my health falls, just like that. Damn it! Without a mana coating, I can’t do anything! He charges at me again. I try to vault away, but he latches on, gripping my neck tightly. I claw at his arm, trying to break free. “BUG!! DO NOT RESIST!!” Shit. I’m sorry Harwel. I’m sorry I can’t win… But I promise I’ll survive this, and come back stronger than ever… I swallow my guilt - the remorse I feel letting Harwel slip right through my fingers, and retreat into my dungeon. “Ahhh…. Haahhhhh…..” I feel my throat burn, and I fall into a coughing fit. My throat rattles, loose and sore as I wheeze, trying to catch my breath. … I have to think straight. A part – no, a large majority of me just wants to mindlessly jump back in there and rip the bastard to shreds, but my single thread of rationality is screaming for me not to. I feel my entire body shake in rage. I hate to accept this. I hate this anticlimactic end. I hate this. I really do. Right now, I’m too weak. Weak. Pathetic. But, I’ll have to get stronger. Stronger than ever. The strongest. I’ll become the worst [Demon Lord] the world has ever seen, and make that pig suffer a fool's death. The worst ever. And make Jinda Zschu - Make that pig pay. I’ll make him pay. Oh, yes I will. He’ll suffer a fate worse than death.