Ch.144Our Paths Crossed. (3)

Olivia sat on the edge of the ravine, silent for a long time. The situation had become complicated.

[The owner of Clue #12 is the Master of Dark.]

‘…Of all people, why did it have to be the Master of Dark.’

If the people down there had only been the Devilhunter or other Returners, Olivia would have turned away without hesitation toward the magic realm of the throat.

But with the Master of Dark present, things were different.

Unless she subdued him and obtained the clue first, she couldn’t miss this golden opportunity.

That meant she had to go down there.

The Serial Murderer, who had quietly approached her side, asked:

“Do you know someone down there?”

The Serial Murderer smiled slyly.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

His tone was probing. Olivia could tell what the Serial Murderer was trying to get at with his question.

The Serial Murderer came from the free city of Makina.

And the Master of Dark primarily operated in Makina as well.

Being archenemies, he must have recognized from the sword marks alone that the person down there was the Master of Dark.

The answer was predetermined.

She could simply say ‘I don’t know’ or change the subject.

But…

“Yes. I know them.”

“Really? Then you’re planning to go down and rescue them? But I don’t think I want to go down to that dark place…”

“That’s good. I wasn’t planning to take you anyway.”

That wasn’t the way to handle the Serial Murderer.

The Serial Murderer flinched and turned his head. He seemed not to understand Olivia’s words.

“…Really?”

“Yeah. You wait here.”

“That’s…”

“What, suddenly changed your mind?”

The Serial Murderer hadn’t been able to kill the Master of Dark in the annihilation cycle. That was because he had died at the hands of ‘Olivia’ before he could.

The Serial Murderer hesitated. At this rate, he would miss the perfect opportunity to kill the Master of Dark.

Noticing his reaction, Olivia smiled faintly.

‘It’s about time I started climbing up.’

There was a need to establish discipline.

Olivia grabbed the Serial Murderer’s chin. Surprised by the sudden action, the Serial Murderer’s eyes widened.

“You have two choices.”

The Serial Murderer didn’t push her hand away. Instead, he nodded with an entranced expression as he looked at Olivia.

“First, you stay right here and wait until I finish my business and return. Second, you come down with me, but you follow my orders. Which will you choose?”

“…”

The Serial Murderer didn’t answer. Olivia tapped his cheek, which was hanging open blankly. Only then did light return to his eyes.

“Ah, um… I think the second option would be better.”

“Good choice.”

Olivia smiled and patted the Serial Murderer’s shoulder. The Serial Murderer stared at her intently.

“Olivia. My heart is beating strangely again, is this also…”

“Arrhythmia.”

Read the room.

Olivia clicked her tongue and looked down at the bottom of the ravine. From that dark underground, vibrations and noises were intermittently echoing.

If they could be heard from this far away, quite an intense battle must be taking place.

“Are we going down right now?”

“No.”

“But you just said you were going down to rescue them.”

“I never said that.”

The Serial Murderer frowned, not understanding her meaning.

“…What?”

“Just because you know someone doesn’t mean you’re friends with them. Even enemies are acquaintances when you think about it, right?”

“…”

Olivia answered with a quiet smile.

“I’ll go down when everything’s over and quiet, so wait until then.”

*****

“…These things really keep coming endlessly.”

The Devilhunter, catching her breath while leaning against the wall, lamented as she gripped her bow again. Her armor had failed to protect her from the void creatures’ acidic fluid.

Seeing the Devilhunter in her half-tattered state, the Master of Dark slightly bent down, gesturing for her to get on his back.

“Get on.”

“…I’m sorry.”

The Devilhunter awkwardly climbed onto the Master of Dark’s back. This wasn’t the time to refuse out of embarrassment.

Tadadadadak!

As soon as the Devilhunter was on his back, the Master of Dark leaped quickly, breaking through the swarm in one breath. He left the void creatures that rushed at him to his shadow clones.

Chwajajajajak!

The Master of Dark infiltrated shadows into their carapaces, wreaking havoc inside the void creatures as large as bulls.

‘I’ll follow the demons.’

No matter how many void creatures they killed, they wouldn’t reach their destination. The Master of Dark changed course, deciding to track the faint presence of demons.

[Kwaaaark!]

‘That way.’

The Master of Dark’s body slowly transformed into shadow, starting from his toes.

“Hold your breath.”

“Suddenly that…!”

The shadow enveloped the Devilhunter’s body like it was pouncing on her. The next moment, their shadow-transformed figures were sucked somewhere.

The shadow penetrated through minute cracks carved in the wall. The Master of Dark moved toward the faintly sensed presence with maximum concentration.

Seureureuk!

Having reached a massive cavity, the Master of Dark removed the hand supporting the Devilhunter’s bottom. Simultaneously, the shadow enveloping them disappeared somewhere.

The Master of Dark surveyed the surroundings with a sharp gaze.

‘I definitely sensed a presence here…’

In the corner of the cavity, demon corpses were piled like mountains. The startled Master of Dark walked toward the demon corpses.

Their blood was still warm.

‘Who on earth…’

Did someone enter before them?

That couldn’t be. If someone had entered ahead of them, it wouldn’t explain why there had been so many border guards blocking their way.

That meant…

‘The demons killed each other.’

Just as the Master of Dark reached that conclusion.

Tak!

Sensing a presence behind him, the Master of Dark turned his head with surprised eyes.

Beneath four massive stone statues, someone leisurely walked out as if enjoying themselves. Covered in blood from head to toe, it was a face the Master of Dark knew.

[Hmm, this is an unexpected harvest. I was trying to lure out the one who annihilated Baphomet, but I caught some unexpected ones instead.]

It was Agares who had killed all the demons.

Agares looked genuinely pleased.

[Or perhaps you are actually the ones who annihilated Baphomet.]

“…”

The Master of Dark swallowed dryly.

If nothing else, he could tell who the leader of the Demon God cult was from the stone statues erected behind.

[So, how was Baphomet? Was he strong? Just in case, I hope you don’t make the mistake of equating him with me just because we’re both wolves.]

“…You’ve become quite talkative since I last saw you.”

Agares smirked at the Master of Dark’s provocation.

[I was just waiting. I don’t have a hobby of hunting wounded prey.]

The Devilhunter’s eyes filled with tension as she met the murderous gaze. Past memories were surfacing.

The Devilhunter drank a potion to heal her wounds.

[That seems about right. Then…]

Gooooo!

A massive amount of demonic energy exploded around Agares.

[Die struggling, insects.]

Agares’s muscles explosively swelled before shooting toward them.

*****

Olivia and the Serial Murderer descended to the deepest part of the ravine as soon as the noise subsided. Olivia stopped the Serial Murderer from touching a void creature’s corpse.

“Touch it wrong and your fingers will dissolve.”

“…Isn’t that a bit early to tell me?”

“Normal people don’t try to touch things like that.”

Olivia glanced around briefly. Despite their open conversation, not a single presence could be felt nearby.

True to their reputation as Returners skilled in ‘infiltration,’ they seemed to have swept away all demons and void creatures in the vicinity as they advanced.

“What will you do if we run into them?”

“We won’t.”

While the entrance to the magic realm of earth is in the direction of Moria Ravine, the exit is located on the opposite side. Even if the Returners succeeded in infiltrating the Demon God cult’s headquarters, they would escape through the exit, not return to the entrance.

There was also no possibility of the Returners clearing the magic realm of earth and obtaining the key.

Because the boss of the magic realm of earth is…

Drdrdrdrd…!

The ground shook violently. This wasn’t a natural tremor. It was the vibration that occurs when something is being destroyed.

The sound of shattering.

As the Serial Murderer noticed the anomaly and was about to say something, a sound like the sky collapsing came from somewhere.

Jjeojeojeojeojeok.

Cracks were spreading throughout the entire ravine.

‘This is…’

From underground, thick demonic energy rose up. As soon as Olivia identified the source of this energy, her pupils began to tremble.

‘…Agares.’

She didn’t know how much stronger the Master of Dark and the Devilhunter had become over the past 5 years. But Agares was dangerous.

‘The compatibility is too bad.’

Just as Olivia urgently tried to clear away the rocks blocking the entrance.

[It has been 1827 days since Preliminary Quest (2) was opened!]

…She had completely forgotten. Because she had fainted right after obtaining it, she hadn’t thought to properly check the notification window after waking up.

Olivia stopped clearing the rocks and read through the quest.

+

<Preliminary Quest (2) – I Won’t Let Anyone Die>

– Classification: Main

– Clear Condition: All 15 Returners survive until the Demon Lord’s advent.

– Reward: Partial memory imprint from a random cycle, Preliminary Quest (3) unlocked

– Failure: Death

+

A notification window appeared simultaneously.

[The death of the Returner, ‘Master of Dark,’ is imminent.]

“…Damn it.”

There was no time.