Ch.139Chapter 139. Night Stalker Demon (3)

Chapter 139. Night Stalker Demon (3)

“I heard a high-ranking demon lives in this area. Do you know anything about it?”

I asked the monkey and his family.

“Ah, you must mean the Night Stalker Demon. We only know its name. We’re not sure if it still lives here.”

“We’ve never seen it while living here. That’s fortunate.”

“I know that monster! It’s the evil creature that annihilated the Rhino Knights!”

“…”

The family doesn’t seem to know much. What about the monkey?

“That creature only moves at night, so you can’t find it in the morning.”

No, man. I’m asking if you know where it sleeps during the day.

It’s literally called the Night Stalker Demon—would it be active during the day? Damn it.

“Paladin, are you trying to joke with us? Who wouldn’t know that?”

Lakye’s face contorted, apparently thinking the same thing.

“Um, maybe you should try going toward the city? It might be acting as a lord with subordinate demons under its command.”

The terrified monkey scratched his head as he spoke. He’s the biggest coward among all the paladins I’ve seen so far.

I already checked the city in this region and the demon ruling it. But that was only a mid-rank demon, not the Night Stalker Demon.

High-ranking demons rarely stay inside cities. It seems they leave strategic points like cities to their mid-rank demon subordinates while they themselves stay wherever they please.

That’s how it works with real high-ranking positions—they dump everything on middle management and slack off. Just like how CEOs spend their time playing golf, high-ranking demons probably do whatever they feel like.

“Or it could be staying with a mid-rank demon.”

Hey, just stick to the facts, will you? Who asked you to make deductions?

“Enough. Your speculation isn’t helpful. Stay quiet until Malak calls for you again.”

“Yes, sir…”

The monkey was thoroughly intimidated after being verbally smacked down by Lakye.

It’s problematic if the Night Stalker is with a mid-rank demon.

When hunting mid-rank demons, we need to use a Totem of Confusion. That’s the only means we have right now to cut off coordinate transmission.

Fighting the Night Stalker Demon immediately after using the Totem of Confusion on the mid-rank demon won’t be easy.

What should I do? I need more information.

…Maybe I should get help from MeleeSpy. That guy might know something.

Since he’s mistaking me for Lakye right now, he’ll probably answer well if I ask.

Let me send him a private message. It’s okay to swallow my pride in situations like this.

[Awwww~! Thank you, amazing MeleeSpy oppa~!]

I replied to the message he sent earlier.

This is purely for the greater good. It’s a strategic deception, definitely not catfishing.

[MeleeSpy: Finally using a feminine speech pattern, I see]

What’s with the “feminine” crap, you lunatic.

Anyway, this is my chance. Let me ask right away.

[Do you know about the Night Stalker Demon?]

[MeleeSpy: Ah, the Night Stalker Demon]

[MeleeSpy: That one appeared as a field boss in the game too. I’ve killed it hundreds of times, so I know everything about it]

Acting all tough just because you killed it in a game.

[Is there a way to find it? How should I defeat it?]

[MeleeSpy: I see the Tribal Alliance or whatever is trying to hunt the Night Stalker Demon]

[MeleeSpy: It’s difficult to find or defeat using conventional methods. You need a strategy pattern to take it down without expending too much effort]

I had a feeling that the raid boss concept might be implemented to some extent in reality.

“Surviving as Paladin” is almost certainly a game created by the goddess, or rather, the Goddess of Play. She wouldn’t have created boss patterns without any thought.

While the Goddess of Play pursues fun, she probably doesn’t want her followers to lose.

The fact that she only possessed people who had played the game, rather than just anyone, might be because they have a slightly higher chance of clearing it.

[MeleeSpy: Asking for my help was a wise choice, woman]

Cut the crap and just tell me the method.

[MeleeSpy: The Night Stalker Demon must be hunted in the morning. At night, its abilities receive a buff, making it twice as strong]

MeleeSpy, who had been spouting nonsense, finally explained the hunting pattern.

[So, we need to kill the mid-rank demon living in the city in the morning and enter the dungeon beneath the city? The Night Stalker Demon is sleeping there?]

[MeleeSpy: That’s right. If you don’t kill it before sunset, you’ll bleed]

Ugh, this guy. Taking several minutes to say something that could be summarized in three lines.

Still, I’m grateful. Without MeleeSpy, I might have been doing something stupid and gotten counterattacked.

Since I’m thankful, I should probably reveal the truth now?

[By the way]

[I’m actually a man]

[(Photo of the paladin user Monkey’s body)]

I just took a picture of the monkey. Community photos can’t be shared or saved. They only exist in the messages or posts where they’re uploaded.

Plus, his face isn’t visible, and only a bit of his armor is showing, so no one can identify who it is.

Sorry, Monkey. You also used Lakye’s photo without permission, so let’s call it even.

[MeleeSpy: WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!]

[The person you saw was a Tribal Alliance warrior. I passed the information I got from you to her lol]

[Still, thanks. I’ll repay you later]

[Bye]

[MeleeSpy: KISAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Now that’s satisfying.

I closed the message window with a sense of fulfillment.

I meant it when I said I’d repay him. The true repayment would be saving the surface and making it safe for possessed people to live.

Well, shall we sleep today and start preparing for the hunt in earnest tomorrow?

I have an idea forming in my mind.

***

Morning came.

Before summoning the family to the Tribal Alliance headquarters, I asked the monkey:

“We’re going to hunt the Night Stalker Demon now. Will you join us?”

I was going to take him regardless, but I pretended to ask for his opinion.

“A-a high-ranking demon hunt. I…”

After seeing the boy’s sparkling eyes, the monkey hesitated briefly before nodding with a solemn expression.

“Since it’s for the salvation of the surface, I’ll definitely go. That’s a paladin’s duty.”

Want to act cool in front of a kid, huh? I’ll give you that. You actually seemed like a proper paladin just now.

Well, I’m not bringing the monkey to use as a meat shield. I’m bringing him because we’re going to win without anyone getting hurt.

I thought of a good strategy before going to bed last night.

After moving all the family members using “Summon Follower,” I summoned Paya, Kanto, Isaac, Noah, Luna, Siwoo, and Chosun in order.

“Lord Malak! It’s been a while!”

Paya, who seemed happy to be summoned first.

“I heard the details from Rachel. Are we starting right now?”

“I’m ready.”

Kanto and Isaac, smiling aggressively.

“It’s time to show the results of my training.”

“I’ve gotten much stronger too!”

“Huff. I thought I was going to die moving those stones. Fighting is better.”

“I’ll do the Pope’s share too.”

Luna, Noah, Siwoo, and Chosun each said a word.

These are friends who will help catch the Night Stalker Demon.

Good. I think I’ve brought almost all the powerful fighters from tiers 1-3 on the Tribal Alliance Combat Tier List.

What’s the Tribal Alliance Combat Tier List, you ask?

It’s a chart I’ve been compiling whenever I had time. I’ve listed all the forces I can currently deploy. It’s like a unit check.

[Tribal Alliance Combat Tier List

Tier 1: Guardian Lakye, Golem Controller Harry

Tier 2: Zombie Asha, Great Chief Kanto, Spirit User Paya, Black Knight Isaac

Tier 3: Totem Golem, Mage Luna, Paladin Siwoo, Paladin Chosun

Tier 4: Denzo, Una, Dodo, Mage Harry, other chiefs]

I wrote it in “Messages to Myself,” which functions as both a notepad and a way to communicate with True Malak.

Look. Isn’t it neatly organized? I have my own criteria too.

Tier 1 is based on whether they can fight evenly against or overwhelm high-ranking demons, Tier 2 is for mid-rank demons, and Tier 3 is for low-rank demons.

Tier 4 consists of people who are strong among humans but would struggle to hunt low-rank demons alone without my buffs.

Coincidentally, this was a rest period after both the Avengers’ adventure and Kanto’s auto-hunting had ended. I didn’t bring Harry since he’s basically a corpse (plus he’s old), but Luna is here to replace him.

Luna can now use magic to block coordinate transmission. This is the result of her diligently reading and training with the books Beatrice left behind, as well as farming various items.

She’ll handle the mid-rank demon and do the job that the Totem of Confusion would have done.

I couldn’t bring the Totem Golem and Asha because there’s no altar, but this level of force should be sufficient.

If something happens at the alliance headquarters, Asha will buy time. Then I can summon my followers back to the headquarters.

“Who is that paladin?”

Paya asked, looking at the monkey. The monkey, being pointed at, was startled.

“I-I’m… Monkey Unc…”

“You can call him Monkey.”

Why are you revealing your nickname? Is it more embarrassing than your real name?

Since I didn’t particularly want to hear this guy’s real name, I just confirmed “Monkey.”

“…I trusted Uncle Monkey? ‘That user’?”

Noah, Chosun, and Siwoo’s faces contorted simultaneously.

Hey, Monkey. That’s what you get for being too active in the community.