episode_0047

[ Oh, there are some pretty tasty guys this time! ]

With a leisurely step like someone taking a walk nearby, Tugijang entered with a frightening voice.

I looked at the heavy iron bars, thinking there might be strong demons inside.

Chwarruk, chulkeng!

Chwarruk!

Countless iron bars all opened, and dozens, hundreds of demons started coming out. The arena was engulfed in excitement.

“Whoa!”

“Kkiyaaaak!”

Almost screaming, I asked Tugijang, “Is it okay with so many?”

[ Ha, what do you take me for? This is simple! ]

Tugijang demanded the same posture as last time. I obediently took the posture.

[ ‘Blood Wave’ ]

The rushing demons were instantly standing on a sea of blood. The blood sea mercilessly surged and swallowed the demons in an instant.

Chyaak!

However, there was one difference from before.

“Kieeeek!”

“Kkrrreung..”

Even though the wave swept through, several demons survived. Of course, they didn’t look unharmed, but they weren’t dying either.

[ Kkuh, as expected, only the tasty ones are left! ]

I heard Tugijang swallowing saliva. How does he make a swallowing sound without a mouth?

Thinking that, I looked at the monster running towards me. It looked like an elephant walking on two legs, with eight arms. Each arm held a curved sword, and the size of the sword was only mine.

Huwung, huwuung -.

The trembling blade made a faint growl to show how threatening it was.

“Can you win against that?”

If there’s no way, it might be good to get eaten and then come out through the stomach. Or maybe when getting eaten, stab its throat and block its airway.

[ Ha, of course! ]

Fortunately, it seemed there was a solution without the need to enter the unpleasant monster’s mouth. The demon sword instructed to drive the sword into the ground. As instructed, the sword was driven straight into the ground.

Chyaahhh!

A long line began to be drawn on the ground. This time, perhaps he didn’t think of a separate skill name, as the demon sword remained quiet.

The line made of blood almost reached the elephant-like monster’s nose. The moment the blood touched the monster’s toes.

Chyaahh-.

The blood rose widely in the air and swallowed the monster. It looked as if it was being swallowed by darkness.

“Kraaah! Kuek!”

The monster writhed and screamed, but it couldn’t stop the blood that had engulfed its entire body. In the place where the monster stood, there was now a blood mass the size of the monster.

As the silence settled in the arena, the monsters that were rushing with their eyes wide open stopped in their tracks and stared at the blood mass.

Kugugung, chyaahhh!

The blood mass that emerged in the air began to be pressed as if pressure was being applied to it. At the same time, bright red blood poured out from underneath the mass.

Just like squeezing a lemon, the monster was being crushed by the blood mass, pouring out blood.

The blood spilled on the ground and returned to the demon sword.

[ Huaat, haa -.. Delicious. ]

Curious about the moaning-like meal of the demon sword, he asked, “Is my blood delicious, or is the monster’s blood delicious?”

[Huh? Of course, the blood of the contractor is much more delicious.]

He felt a strange feeling at those words. Should he be proud of this or not? While thinking such thoughts, the blood mass shrank to the size of a child’s fist.

Crack!

With a fierce sound, the monster disappeared without a trace.

[Now, for the next meal!]

A divine voice was heard, and the blood from the demon sword split into ten streams, heading towards the frozen monsters. In an instant, ten pools of blood formed. What would happen next was clear without any need for hesitation.

Squelch, squelch, thud!

Cruel sounds echoed one after another as various colors of blood poured onto the ground—green, blue, red. The demon sword greedily sought out the blood.

“Even after consuming so much, there’s hardly any change?”

When the demon sword absorbed my blood, it grew in size and became more vigorous. In contrast, there seemed to be little change when it absorbed the monster’s blood.

[Well, the quantities are different. If the amount I absorbed from you is like the size of a lake, then these creatures’ blood wouldn’t even fill a spoon.]

As we exchanged pointless conversation, only the demon sword and I remained in the arena. After retrieving the sword stuck in the ground, I looked at the silent audience seats in the arena.

“Oh, I forgot about this.”

“Huh? About what?”

“I got too excited and habitually loosened my grip.”

“But I don’t feel anything?”

“Well, that’s because you’re my contractor.”

The ability to sense life force is quite helpful when hunting. It makes the opponent’s body sluggish and prevents them from escaping. In that gap, like harvesting the demon sword, I hunt down prey… the demon sword explained.

“Well, then I should take advantage of this opening.”

After each match, the lingering announcer warned not to retract the life force until leaving, as he didn’t want to hear uncomfortable and painfully loud noises.

“Grr… Grrr…”

Surprisingly, the life force of the demon sword was strong. A large slave guarding the passage was foaming at the mouth and collapsing while making gurgling sounds. Seeing him convulsing with his eyes rolled back, I felt good.

“This guy must have been the one who insulted Iris last time.”

Unintentionally seeking revenge, but feeling extremely satisfied, I instructed the demon sword to retract the life force and moved inside the passage.

Boiling, bubbling.

As life disappeared, confusion settled in the once silent arena. Before long, the murmurs turned into a tremendous roar.

***

“Woahhh!”

The resounding shout echoed faintly within the soundproofed room of Totojen’s residence. He sat in his chair, wearing a bewildered expression.

It resembled the face of someone who had invested everything in one room and failed.

‘How… could this happen?’

To Totojen, Lian was an enigma itself. Her purity was like a pristine white sheet easily tarnished.

However, Lian was quite the opposite. Even if impurities were poured onto a blank sheet, it remained untainted as if coated.

This appearance seemed both arrogant and infuriatingly revealing of his own filth.

Totojen had forgotten his goal to corrupt pure souls. All that remained for him was a thirst for victory and vengeance.

“If hundreds won’t do, then prepare thousands!”

He glared at the empty arena with fiery eyes.

“Then the next match is… right away…!”

Regardless of his mood, the events in the arena continued. The next match was a fight between gladiators.

‘…!’

Totojen strode into the arena and chuckled as he watched two slaves wielding swords.

“This is it!”

If something is so powerful that even dozens or hundreds of monsters feel insignificant, all it takes is to deliver a mental blow!

“The next match for those slaves will be a gladiator fight!”

“Yes, understood.”

Totojen wickedly chuckled and buried himself deep into the sofa.

‘This time…!’

Once again, Totojen harbored futile hope today.

***

“Hey.”

“…?”

As I got off the elevator to return to my room, the man who had visited my room last time blocked my path. This time, he wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by about three slaves.

“Your boy was abandoned by Lady Bianca?”

“Yes?”

What’s that supposed to mean?

“Huh, it’s no use denying it. It’s already a story heard by Lady Bianca.”

“Oh, is it a disciple’s matter?”

Rumors tend to get exaggerated as they spread. The story of rejecting a disciple seemed to have been distorted strangely. I was about to deny it, but the man spoke with a confident expression.

“Your skills are nothing, yet you seem to have obtained a decent item from somewhere and are thriving—”

“Gasp, how did he know?”

Inwardly embarrassed, I found myself unconsciously looking at my own hand.

“That can’t really be your skill, right?”

Even if the proportion of my blood used to strengthen the Dark Sword is not 100%, 98% of the power he uses is thanks to me. So, 98% is my skill… but explaining that would seem too pathetic, so I kept quiet.

…”

As I remained silent, the guy became even more confident.

“We’re suffering because of trash like you. You should know your place.”

He jabbed my shoulder with his index finger.

“What? You look like you don’t understand?”

“Huh?”

I was listening with one ear as if I were hearing the headmaster’s lecture, but what was he saying? Where was all this dissatisfaction coming from in my calm expression?

Unintentionally surprised, I answered with a coquettish “Huh?” They stiffened their expressions, thinking I was being insincere.

“I’ll show you your level, so come with me!”

I was dragged to the rooftop for a confrontation about my level. I was about to refuse, as I had to go see Iris, but suddenly, other slaves surrounded me, preventing me from escaping elsewhere.

“Sigh, looks like they’ll keep bothering me.”

It was better to resolve the issue at once and avoid further annoyance. Instead of resisting, I followed them. We arrived at the training ground.

Clang.

As soon as I arrived, he threw a sword at me. It was an ordinary iron sword.

“If you don’t have that peculiar sword, you’re just an ordinary ruffian.”

He pointed to the fallen sword on the ground with a confident smile.

“Come on in. Let me show you what the difference in level is!”