episode_0053

As soon as he realized that Lian was missing, Jess tried to rush out of Mia’s mansion to find Lian. Noah thwarted Jess’s actions. However, Jess did not give up and continued to look for an opportunity.

An opportunity soon presented itself. When he was driven out of the mansion and left in the Forest of Death, Jess seized the moment when Noah could not hide his confusion and ran to find his master.

“Master, Master…!”

From the moment Jess acknowledged Lian as his master, the two were bound by an unseen relationship. Lian was unaware, but Jess felt it instinctively.

Instinctively, Jess could sense which direction Lian needed to go to meet. However, he could only know the direction, not the distance.

With a keen sense, Jess avoided demons, drank from clear streams, and continued to run while catching insects and weak demons to eat.

After repeating running and resting, Jess exited the Forest of Death before Noah. Nevertheless, Jess did not stop.

“Master!”

In Jess’s mind, there was only thought of Lian. How far and how long had he run? At least a day or two, perhaps.

After blisters appeared and disappeared on his hands and feet, Jess could finally enter the territory of Jisoo.

It was a result born of a frightening determination.

“Ah… I’m almost there…”

Feeling the distance that had seemed so far away shrinking, Jess moved forward even faster.

That was as far as her luck would take her.

“I got you!”

“Hahaha, you put up quite a fight.”

“Let me go!”

Jess was captured by those who hunted giants and was locked in a cell. Due to running with only enough food to sustain him and drinking from streams, Jess’s body could only muster the strength of a child.

The hunters immediately sold Jess to a slave trader. Jess attempted to escape several times, but to no avail.

“Creak…”

Even though she was caught trying to escape, Jess growled defiantly when the slave trader showed her off and chuckled.

“This one seems quite useful, doesn’t she?”

The next day, the slave trader sold Jess to a fighting arena for brutes. While Lian’s arena featured battles between monsters and humans, the place Jess was sold to showcased fights between brutes.

Monsters against monsters, or brutes against brutes.

The arena, treating brutes as beasts, was notorious for forcibly administering stimulants to incite brutal matches.

That’s where Jess ended up being sold.

“In this match, it’s the young beast with red hair versus Tuo!”

Drugged, Jess faced the drooling beast, baring its fangs.

I have to survive. I have to survive and… meet my master.

In the moment she staked her life on the battle, her noble bloodline awakened. The fierce cries of the beasts resounded, and the thick smell of blood permeated the air.

***

It had been a while since I stood in the training ground, holding a magic sword.

“Now, give it a light throw.”

“Do I really have to do this?”

“Of course! It’s necessary for tactical suppression!”

Sighing at the murmuring voice of the magic sword, I looked down at my hand. A slender body and a sharp blade glistened in my grip.

“Now, throw it!”

Following the sword’s command, I threw the spear upward. Despite the light toss, the spear rose 3 meters high.

Swoosh!

The spear floated in the air as if it were from a comic, then gently fell into my hand.

“Oh! When catching it, you should catch it without looking!”

“Is this guy for real?”

A surge of adolescent fury, feeling like everyone was watching, like being the center of the world.

If I had wielded the magic sword, it would have caused quite a ruckus, but having learned how to control my thoughts when communicating with it, I wasn’t worried.

“Now, throw it again!”

I threw the spear into the air, listening to the excited voice of Magem. The spear spun in the air as if performing a trick, leaving a brilliant trail of crimson energy on its blade.

“Haek… Hup…”

As Yonmujang wasn’t a space for my use alone, there were others present. They swallowed their breaths while watching Magem’s playful antics.

“It certainly is quite a spectacle.”

Twisting in midair, the spinning sword was indeed a rare sight to behold.

“This time, try spinning it with your hand, pussy!”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Huhu, I have a plan, so just follow without complaining!”

The flashy movements of Magem made me feel annoyed by the spectacle. Wondering what trick it would display this time, I lightly spun the spear. As I did, Magem slightly left my hand and spun in the air.

As Magem spun, the wind blew.

“You’re just floating and spinning, aren’t you?”

“But from the outside, it looks like you’re spinning with tremendous force! Now, catch it!”

Being intimately connected with Magem, I knew when to catch it. When I caught it midway, Magem seemed to hum happily.

“You’re the best partner!”

Magem seemed extremely delighted. Hearing the praise, I felt a bit uplifted.

“But I don’t know how to handle spear techniques, is that okay?”

“Oh… I didn’t think about that.”

Seeming to miss something crucial, Magem spoke seriously.

“Well, try swinging it lightly once.”

“Like this?”

As I tried to swing the spear in the air, Magem abruptly stopped. I ended up hanging onto the spear, feeling like a person attached to Magem.

“No, this isn’t it! It’s not cool at all!”

With a voice reminiscent of a child’s tantrum, I sighed and said, “Of course, I’ve never properly wielded a spear or a sword.”

“Ugh… In that case… Ah!”

The Demon Sword exclaimed in admiration, then suddenly began to shrink. The creature, which had transformed into a round, crimson gem-like object in an instant, rose onto the back of the hand and spoke.

“If I enter, summon me immediately. Got it?”

The excited voice of the god seemed to have come up with a good idea. Curious about what would happen next, I absorbed the Demon Sword into my hand and, after a short wait, silently called out “Gargandoa.” Then…

Woong.

The imprint on my hand shone like a neon sign, and blood surged from the pattern. The slowly rising blood began to flow up my wrist and arm at a speed akin to a rushing wave, causing my body to tremble as if being swept away.

In an instant, my body was engulfed by the crimson blood, and my clothes changed as if I were a magical girl transforming. It was a splendid noble attire suitable for someone of high status.

As the form of the clothes took shape, the blood that had been surging from my hand began to flow downward as if regaining gravity. Droplets of blood fell from my fingertips and coalesced beneath my palm, soon transforming into the shape of the Demon Sword.

“Hehe, how’s my amazing entrance?”

Despite complaining about wanting to change my clothes since last time, it seemed like I had finally succeeded. As I looked down at my clothes, I thought to myself, “Isn’t this too flashy? It’s so ornate.”

Seeing the splendid attire, I murmured in disbelief, but the Demon Sword retorted.

“It has to be this way for you to confidently introduce me as your partner wherever you go!”

It seemed to be the Demon Sword’s taste after all.

“Now, try wielding the spear again.”

Thinking there might be a difference from before, as I attempted to wield the spear, my body began to take on a posture of its own accord.

“Hehe, it works!”

“W-what?”

“The clothes worn by my partner are created using a part of my power, so I can control them as much as I want!”

“What?”

It couldn’t help but be both bewildering and chilling. Just when I had finally gained the ability to freely use the Demon Sword, now I was being controlled?

“Aren’t you going to undo this?”

Huh? Is something uncomfortable? It should fit well, though.

I sighed inwardly at the bewildered voice of Mageum, as if not understanding what the problem was, and said,

“It’s just like with the contractors you’ve had so far.”

“What are you talking about! Partners are beings of a different caliber from those contractors!”

“Controlling is the same. It’s extremely unpleasant.”

“Ugh, but this method is quick and it’s a cool way to wield the sword…”

Mageum muttered for a moment, then spoke in a bright voice.

“Then let’s do it like this! I, Mageum Gargando, will only control when my partner Lian wants me to, and I’ll hand over control of the body whenever Lian wants! Well, how about that!?”

Upon hearing the excited voice, my tension eased. Mageum seemed absorbed in using the sword skillfully.

“Tsk tsk, if this guy were human, he would have lost everything from his family register to his parents and friends in an instant.”

In the world of comedy, if you become a sucker, it’s not just your chess pieces that get taken, but also your girlfriend, parents, friends, clothes, wallet, and such. In serious cases, even your underwear gets taken.

I think Mageum probably wouldn’t even lose the blade part if he went to the world of comedy.

“Alright, go ahead and do as you please.”

“Hehe, that’s a good judgment!”

Honestly, it was a thoughtless remark, but the result was not light.

Kugugugung!

With just one swing, the wall of the Enmu Chamber collapsed.