Ch.140Chapter 140. Night Stalker Demon (4)

Chapter 140. Night Stalker Demon (4)

“No, what did I do… Who are you people? How righteously have you all been using the community to talk like that? Tell me your usernames.”

The monkey, looking completely wronged, asked in return.

“…”

“Well, a community is a community.”

“You’ll naturally get to know if we spend time together. Let’s move on for now.”

Noah turning his eyes away, Chosun making excuses alone, and Siwoo trying to move past the situation. The Paladins couldn’t easily answer.

I couldn’t either. How could their usernames be PetitNoah, MorningTentInstallationTechnician, and RoomCornerChosun? They should be ashamed.

“See? You all can’t say it because you’ve been active in the community with weird usernames.”

The monkey, gaining momentum, snorted.

“My username isn’t that weird, you know?”

Noah, slightly offended, waved his hand. Putting “Petit” in front of his real name and saying it’s not weird.

You have no conscience either.

“Still better than that Sans guy. Compared to his username, we’re decent.”

Huh? Siwoo, you bastard?

“Right. How can someone have a username like UltraSansMadWithMoonlightMassacreMode…”

Chosun… you too.

– That’s enough chitchat.

I cut them off because the conversation was getting too long. My followers’ expressions weren’t good seeing these nerds excitedly talking.

Before officially starting the subjugation, I checked the community once.

It’s not because I’m addicted to the community. Just like office workers check the news in the morning to see what’s happening in the world, I’m just checking the community.

[DinosaurPunch: Today’s question – Can plants have infected forms too?]

[FullPlay: Having barbecue after a long time~]

[Bramanda: There are too many rats… can we handle this?]

[CowBikiniDance: We decided to have our “NickFail (Username Failed Bastards)” meeting in a week]

[MeleeSpy: killkillkillkillkillkill]

MeleeSpy doesn’t look good. Well, that’s just him joking around. If he were really angry, I think he would have reacted more seriously than that.

I got a few private messages too.

[CowBikiniDance: Sans. Want to come to our meeting? You’re definitely qualified. You can talk about the tribal federation if you want. Everyone would be interested!]

[Nah busy maybe next time if I have time]

What meeting? Are they gathering to lament their usernames? No thanks. Just come to the tribal federation instead.

[NotACatfish: What’s that so-called Guardian doing there?]

[NotACatfish: Is she with you now?]

[No demon subjugation]

This is nothing special.

[FallenPowerKnight: I think I’ll arrive in Symphonia in two days. I should go to the city, right?]

[Yeah]

This friend is almost here. If he had arrived a day or two earlier, I could have included him in this subjugation. What a shame.

He wasn’t an essential force anyway. After all, the Paladins’ mission was to subjugate mid-level demons.

Luna will also be with the Paladins to block coordinate transmission. Four level 4-5 Paladins and one well-grown mage should be able to handle mid-level demons.

To make the high-level demon subjugation points entirely mine, I decided that Lakye, Kanto, Paya, and Isaac would handle the Night Stalker demon.

Though I said that, it would be closer to a one-on-one battle between the Night Stalker demon and Lakye. The rest are just support.

– Let’s go.

Four Paladins and one priest, the chief and his aide, the mage and my guardian departed from the cave.

First, let’s eliminate the demon’s vision and nearby villages.

“I won’t need to draw my meteor sword.”

“Sturdy! Shoot!”

“Taste my axe!”

“Behold my gale thrust!”

“Holy flame!”

“Sacred shield!”

“Anyone need magic barrier?”

“Get lost!”

“Del rama, tu sana, re puka! Wrath of nature!”

Wow.

Even with everyone saying just one line each, the audio doesn’t stop. Isn’t this the best advantage of party play?

We swept through the nearby villages with unstoppable momentum, reached the city, and dispersed to carry out our assigned tasks.

“Malak, over there!”

Paya, who was circling the sky eliminating the demon’s vision, pointed in one direction. It was hard to see from far away, but when I focused my vision, I could see something that looked like a well.

– Let’s go.

Lakye, Kanto, and Isaac moved toward it simultaneously. MeleeSpy said that a sealed well was the entrance to the dungeon.

If he wasn’t lying, that should be it.

Bang!

Lakye, who arrived first, kicked away the wooden boards blocking the well with a graceful kick that would put a Taekwondo black belt to shame, and went inside.

Oh. There’s a hole in what appears to be a deep well. That must be the entrance.

“It’s quite dark.”

– Wait.

I used the ‘Healing Totem’ blessing. When using this blessing, the surroundings glow with a soft blue light. It’s like a portable LED light.

The light emanating from the totem illuminates a long corridor.

With a thud, Kanto, Isaac, and Paya also arrived. Paya was being carried by Kanto. She’s still a young girl, so she probably couldn’t jump on her own.

“Follow me.”

Lakye looked back at them once and entered. It was a corridor made of bricks.

Splash. Splash.

The floor has some water on it.

Even after walking and walking, all I see are the same bricks. Brick floor. Brick ceiling. Brick walls on both sides.

There’s a term called ‘liminal space.’

It means ‘a state where the boundary between private and public spaces of a place is broken down,’ originally used in architecture and art.

This term has been distorted into an internet meme and became famous, and now it means:

‘A place that feels familiar yet somehow gives an uneasy feeling.’

That’s exactly how it feels right now.

It’s a path made of ordinary bricks, but somehow it feels like something is off, something is wrong, there’s a slight sense of discomfort.

Is this what they call the backrooms or something? If someone like Siwoo or the monkey who knows internet memes well were here, they would probably make a big fuss.

How long have we walked? Finally, we reached the end of this corridor. We’ve infiltrated the house where the Night Stalker demon lives.

“I feel an ominous black energy.”

“The smell of death is thick.”

Paya and Lakye seem to feel the eeriness like I do.

“Is that so?”

“The smell is certainly terrible.”

Insensitive Kanto and ordinary human Isaac might not know, but this is definitely an ominous place.

Even excluding the fact that the Night Stalker demon is here, this is not an ordinary place.

This is the sanctuary of those who worship ‘Asudra,’ the god of death declared non-existent by the Empire, and make a living through murder contracts.

The name of the dungeon is the Assassin Guild Headquarters. That’s right. It’s the place where the hidden piece is said to be.

I feel a very ominous energy, like the necromancer’s tomb where Charon was sleeping. It’s not a curse. Definitely not a curse, but.

How should I explain this?

Faith?

The feeling that some people’s twisted, blind, and misguided beliefs remain here intact without ever reaching their intended target?

Sigh. I don’t even know what I’m saying. But I must trust this sensation. Because I’m feeling it not with the senses of a fan, but with the senses of the true Malak.

Could this energy be why the Night Stalker demon made this place its base?

…I have a feeling it might be stronger than what the saint or MeleeSpy knows.

– Come to me.

I should keep the healing totem on just in case. There’s a possibility that the mind of an ordinary person like Isaac could be twisted. The mental consumption is small, so this much is fine.

– It might be nearby. Stay alert.

There’s a possibility it woke up the moment Lakye broke the wooden boards and entered.

Let me recall the Night Stalker demon’s abilities.

Momentary acceleration, stealth, and internal poison generation. All troublesome abilities.

If it’s watching our party right now, it would target Paya first. It might kill Paya in the blink of an eye using momentary acceleration while in stealth.

I can’t leave Paya’s protection just to Kanto and Isaac.

– Summon Sturdy.

“Yes!”

With a flash of light, Sturdy was summoned.

I scanned the surroundings with the light created during the summoning, but there was no trace of living beings.

“…”

Seeing Lakye, who was busily moving his ears and eyes, staying still, the demon might not be watching from nearby.

Still, there’s always the possibility.

– Protect Paya.

Squeak!

As if understanding my words, Sturdy nodded and wrapped Paya with its wings. Good, Sturdy’s feathers are thick, so they can buy time until Lakye moves.

The sturdy Kanto and Isaac wearing top-grade armor should be able to hold out to some extent.

Let’s move forward slowly.

Just as I was about to say that.

A very eerie energy was suddenly felt. It’s the feeling that something unidentifiable is right in front of me.

No. This isn’t an ordinary energy. Though it felt faint, it was clear.

It was divine power, spiritual force. I reflexively looked up.

Holy shit.

Above in the air. The space tore open, and a pitch-black monster revealed itself.

The monster, the Night Stalker demon, silently fell onto Lakye’s head, stretching out its long hands like an orangutan.

Its two hands, faintly glowing green, were targeting the totem.