Ch.226Disease(?)(3)

As I was entering beneath the surface of the sea-lake, I was actually worried that the demon realm might continue below.

The demon realm is a space extremely hostile to everything except demons, and even for demons, it’s incredibly dangerous—aside from the fact that merely existing within the space causes them to slowly die.

So even though my intuition had assured me of my safety, I still harbored some doubts. Fortunately, what lay beneath the surface wasn’t the demon realm, which could be considered this world’s hell.

Except for the fact that it wasn’t the demon realm, this was an unknown territory that made me question what kind of space it actually was. That was my greatest concern at the moment.

‘…Where exactly is this place?’

There were too many anomalous characteristics for this to be a naturally occurring otherworld. Yet it lacked the distinctive tingling, grotesque sensation that would indicate an artificial otherworld created by demonic corruption.

In particular, at first I tried to dismiss it as simply a space reflecting the territorial characteristics of “jealousy,” but no matter how I thought about it, it didn’t feel like that type of otherworld-space, which left me tilting my head in confusion.

The interior of the lake, filled not with water but with liquefied magical power, could be described in one word as an underwater cave.

The interior space and passages—composed of specific igneous rock—were completely filled with this distinctive liquefied magical power. The advantage was that one could swim through the air as if floating and even breathe without difficulty.

The walls were adorned with faintly glowing minerals, seaweed, and what appeared to be coral. The atmosphere transcended the dreamlike and ventured into the gothic.

Tentacled monsters resembling sea anemones. Dark blue eyeballs protruding from the walls. Arms, legs, and even partial torsos that, judging by their contours, appeared to be female.

Amidst these flesh-like formations that went beyond creepy to downright disgusting, those demon-seafood creatures visible from outside the lake were now approaching me with murderous intent, as if to prove they weren’t emerging from nowhere.

Of course, honestly speaking, a few low-rank demons scurrying about hardly constituted a proper threat.

They moved faster and more violently here than on land, similar to creatures in the ocean depths, but in the end, they were just low-rank demons—ones without even intelligence. How much stronger could they really be?

Rather, from my current perspective, the cave-like underwater environment posed a far greater problem.

The liquefied magical power wasn’t particularly refined, so drinking it wouldn’t produce any mystical effects like filling one’s magical reserves. Unlike ordinary liquid (especially water), its higher density and viscosity subtly restricted movement.

For mid-rank physical abilities… or even for low-ranks who could use magic, the difference was extremely subtle and minute, but such “differences” created more significant disparities than I had anticipated.

To use an analogy, movements were delayed by about 1/16 of a beat. It felt somewhat slow and dull for directly confronting technician-types with my body, so despite some concerns, I quickly pressed forward.

Gus gained momentum by paddling his legs and flapping his wings. I gripped my blade shield, combined into something resembling a surfboard, manipulating it as I flew through the air.

Despite the chaotically winding internal structure, the path itself was essentially a direct route, so I advanced forward without hesitation or delay, and…

‘…Is that it?’

After exactly three minutes of cutting down anything blocking my path, I finally encountered proper demons.

With thick tails reminiscent of sea dragons, bulky webbed hind legs, and an overall appearance that brought crocodiles to mind, their skeletal structure was actually closer to bipedal forms.

This made me wonder if they might be reptilian beastfolk, but the energy and aura they emitted was unmistakably demonic, naturally confirming their identity as demons.

Anyway, after these formidable-looking enemies with seemingly powerful, heavy strength appeared before me…

The demons, primarily armed with tridents and approaching with surprisingly swift movements despite their massive builds, were mere low-rank fodder that could never be my match.

“…Hup!”

I deflected the trajectory of harpoons and tridents riding the water currents, and easily dismembered those charging forward mounted on giant seahorses like cavalry.

“Heeheehing—!!!”

—CRUNCH!

Additionally, Gus, excited by the sight of my rampage, ran wild in all directions, biting demon groups with his teeth and kicking them with his legs. The demons, despite their size, were ultimately low-rank and clearly couldn’t handle us.

I launched my separated blade shield at the neck of a demon charging with a trident, and with a single extended slash, I instantly shattered the wedge formation of a cavalry squadron consisting of five seahorse riders.

[AAAAAAAAAHHH—!!!]

I stunned the demons with a wide-area sonic attack through my “amplified vocal cords,” which had significantly increased range underwater, then immediately activated my demon eyes to solidify their skin.

I also beheaded charging demons and used their corpses as shields against incoming spears, or caught projectiles and threw them back, creating crocodile skewers.

In the midst of this one-sided slaughter where approximately 300 low-rank demons were being swept away before my might, the seemingly endless hordes of humanoid demons finally began to dwindle.

After being immersed in carnage for quite some time, I was finally able to determine where “it” existed within and proceed toward it…

‘…What an unpleasant feeling.’

The place I arrived at was a circular cavity, wider than I had imagined.

The curved circular passage was already as wide as a decent school playground, but this cavity was truly beyond imagination in its vastness.

If dozens of multi-story apartment buildings could fit inside with room to spare, does it need further explanation?

And in the exact center of this cavity was the mid-rank demon—presumably the source of this incident.

If I had to pick one external characteristic of this massive demon, at least 6 meters tall, it would be that it possessed an upper body very similar to those crocodile-men from earlier, combined with a crocodile’s torso.

To put it simply, a crocodilian version of a centaur. A massive beast-demon capable of swimming quite smoothly.

Additionally, the fin-like pair of wings protruding from its back and the equipment it wore proved that this demon was certainly no ordinary mid-rank.

If I had to guess, it was probably a commander in the demon army.

In terms of real-world rank structure, somewhere between a company commander and battalion commander. I don’t know exactly how demon legions are structured, but it was clear that this one had command over several demons.

And—the moment I laid eyes on the considerable-sized orb in its hand, I felt as though I had seen that orb somewhere before.

A sense of familiarity, discomfort, and unmistakably… déjà vu, however faint it might be?

Anyway, I couldn’t help but focus on it now. After a moment’s consideration, I signaled to Gus and moved forward in full combat readiness.

Using the magical power emitted from multiple thrusters created on my back as propulsion, I silently advanced until I reached a point about 30 meters away from the creature.

For a mid-rank, this was essentially within striking distance.

[“…You’re not attacking, Maggot Duke.”]

“You…!!”

The demon, a crocodile centaur calling me by that disgusting title, spoke in a deep, heavy voice, then raised its arm above its head before continuing.

[“Hmm, seeing that you’re not attacking me despite your notorious ferocity, you must have noticed. Yes, this orb… contains the spirit of someone you know all too well.”]

“…You, don’t tell me—”

[“That’s right. The one who exposed a vulnerability due to jealousy toward your lover. That foolish pseudo-intellectual.”]

That statement, confirming the connection between this incident and Charlotte, provided me with certainty.

This situation was created when that mid-rank demon infiltrated using Charlotte’s relatively weak jealousy as a foundation, forming this mental space based on Charlotte’s psyche.

Then its purpose—

[“—Naturally, to recruit you, the legitimate child of ‘Gluttony.'”]

The demon declared with eyes filled with conviction reaching the level of faith.

It claimed that all of this had been done targeting me.