Public Release: March 8th, 2019 - 5:00 pm EST
The back-half of the mountains felt quiet and solemn. The sun was still further south of me.
The trees were massive here, just as I remembered them. Some had smooth barks and looked like baobabs while others had gray grooves etched into their sides and resembled maples.
The structure and design of it all eluded me. I didn’t know enough about the ecosystems of trees to make a judgement, but it did look silly.
A large rock formation jutted out ahead of me, and I didn’t have memories of it being there so I made to move around it. Along the left side of the rocks I found several of the large trees bent over, folded like the body of a longbow, where they formed something akin to a garden arbor. Vines were strewn across the tops and connected to a few of the tree branches where they looped down and formed nooses.
They were a hunter’s traps.
I stopped and looked around, but I didn’t see any signs of human habitation nearby. The path I was on was one from the World Dragon’s memory, meaning only dragons used it.
Who would be brave enough to set snare traps for a fucking dragon? Let alone who would think such a thing could work, even?
…
Well, now that I thought about it, whoever did this was probably pretty tough. To bend the massive trees down and to put a rock formation in the initial path meant they needed to be tough.
Since we were near both the Calico Labyrinth Dungeon and The Pass, Sal’s [Map] wasn’t working well.
I had killed a lot of boss-level monsters from both locales, after all…
[Solution: Whoever did this is probably over level 300. That means there are only about 5 or 6 possible candidates on this world. Considering the location we’re in, that means there are only about 2 that make sense.]
Who are the two, though? That was the million dollar question…
[Solution: The first would be the Demon King from the Northern Continent. The other would be an Elven Queen from the country south of Barbory, the country of Verdedad.]
…
Wasn’t I a Demon Princess or some bullshit?
[Solution: Yes.]
So wouldn’t meeting royalty from the Demon Continent be bad?
[Solution: Yes.]
So it would be better if we were about to run into the elf…
[Solution: No.]
…
[Solution: The Elf Queen, Ria’lorenai Von Sayleaf, is a terrible person whom you should not go near.]
RED sounded almost bitter. I titled my head to the side and, as soon as I did, an arrow flew past where my head had been. I could tell from the design of the arrowhead that it was only meant to stun or knock me out, not kill, but the fact that I had one fired at me at all kind of irked me.
[Solution: Just ignore her and leave. We have a mission to finish.]
RED was right, of course, but part of me wanted to see why he was so against me meeting the Elf Queen.
[Solution: You will regret it. Don’t you remember the other elves you’ve met so far…]
Immediately I realized why RED was trying to get me to avoid it. The Elves of this world weren’t the dainty kind. I don’t know why I had forgotten that.
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“Fuck no,” I said aloud as I started running. I didn’t want to meet another bodybuilder elf. From the way RED seemed so wary of her, this Elf Queen probably looked the buffest and manliest of them all.
[Solution: Data not found.]
“Hey wait, come back!” someone yelled behind me. The voice sounded like Sylvester Stallone's, of all things. I half expected to hear the name 'Adrienne' get called out.
Meet a female elf with a voice like that?
Not. Happening.
I refused. I also refused to ever visit this kingdom of elves. I could just imagine their cities all just being giant gyms where protein powder flowed like water and everyone ate nothing but chicken and steak for meals.
[Solution: Data not found.]
You’re kidding, right?
[Solution: …]
-
Due to my speed and level difference, I never did manage to see the Elf Queen as I rushed down the mountainside. Though I did hear a loud roar off in the distance. I wondered why she wanted to knock me out in the first place…
[Solution: Data not found.]
I don’t believe you.
-
The mountainside rolled down until it reached a flat forest that stretched off a ways. It resembled a valley as the forest itself seemed to be formed in a small conical depression of sorts, almost like it was growing from a meteorite crater.
A thick, blue, fuzzy moss grew along the forest floor and up the sides of the trees, mostly on the north-facing sides. It looked to be moving and wriggling like a bug, which was the reason I didn’t even go near it. I jumped off the higher branches of the trees and avoided the ground through this place.
[Solution: Ocean Moss is considered a delicacy in Barbory.]
I almost slipped on a branch. I looked down at the moss again and could feel my stomach churning in a bad way. People ate that?
When I reached the end of the blue moss woods, I found a long stretch of rolling hills and roads that weaved through them. The grass grew tall and verdant. A few trees dotted the landscape, with most having smooth bark like a baobab. Their treetops were a different color, though, with the leaves being orange and red in color.
I followed the first road I found under RED’s directions. We had 17 targets in Barbory, and I didn’t want to waste too much time thinking about it. I pulled one of the flasks of wine I purchased in the city around Fort Clyfton. I downed it as I moved.
-
A small town appeared on the horizon. A river cut through it down the center where a large metal bridge stretched across, wide enough for two or three carriages to cross at a time. The main street was lined with businesses.
[Solution: The backroom, upstairs over the leather-works.]
I didn’t waste time. I moved at a speed that none of the residents could see. [Mana Sense] flared to life and I could feel the aura of a single man in the room.
[Solution: That is priest Laury Adet, a man who runs a slavery ring and…]
Blah blah blah.
RED listed out the man’s many terrible deeds and, eventually, tied in said crimes to the man's knowledge of my existence. It seemed the priest was trying to collect demon slaves in particular, hoping to use them as hostages to bring the ‘Strong demon from Gransus’ to the negotiation table for the benefit of Barbory in the future.
It was such a shame that, with RED’s [Map], we could find the hostage slaves and rescue them without a care.
I didn’t bother to come face to face with the man. With [Mana Sense] and RED’s skill active, I knew there was no one else in the upper floor of the building. I felt bad for the people that would have to clean up the mess, but I activated the expert-class skill [Blade Extension] as I drew Belial’s Blade out of my storage.
My vision shook and I felt everything was wrong. My hands clenched my sword tight and trembled. These people were committing atrocities because of fucking rumors about a 'strong demon' alone! I didn't like the idea of wanton murder, but, just as I thought so long ago when I snapped The Oni's neck, 'Some men did not deserve the gift of life.'
I swung my sword once. My mana erupted like a volcano and the priest's life vanished—alongside the entire upper half of the building. I could only imagine the spectacle to the common folks.
This time I did not let his disgusting soul join with mine. It was much easier, too, to prevent the fusion. His soul wasn’t strong like the high ranked monsters I fought in The Pass. He was just a shitty low-leveled human. No, perhaps ‘human’ was too good of a word.
I know it would have corrupted the shit out of me, but perhaps I should really have fired off those [Heaven’s Downfall] skills at this country, after all.
-
I followed RED’s advice and found the slave pens. I felt bad not offering more help to the people trapped in them, towards the first demons I had met since I came to this world other than myself, but I just didn’t have the time nor energy to care.
I cut free the cages and their bonds, alongside the two men who were guarding them.
“You’re free now,” I said as I disappeared.
I know it was fucked up to leave them like that. I know it wasn’t a true kindness, but their lives were in their own hands now. I wasn’t the one that locked them up and I refused to take the blame for it.
Immediately afterwards, in the town’s church, I found a communication tool and smashed it.
I didn’t want news of the priest’s death to travel. Not that it would matter, but you never knew with these things.
After all, I still had 16 men to kill. A lot of things could happen during that time. I looked down and found another flask of wine in my hands. I didn't remember taking it out... I took a swig and felt a smile cross my lips.