Ch.41The Temptation of the Demon Sword (1)

A corpse, an intermediate corpse. The body of someone who must have been at least 150cm tall, a massive build by goblin standards.

As I stared at the creature I had killed with my own hands, the hunger and craving that suddenly began to rise within me… honestly, it was a temptation with enough allure to momentarily seduce me.

Not only was I starting to get hungry after the prolonged battle, but something deep inside me was spontaneously urging me to devour it, whispering of the benefits I would gain.

‘….(gulp).’

Saliva welled up from my tongue and throat, and my instincts focused all my nerves solely on the goblin’s corpse.

—Eat it, eat it, eat it. Chew it up. Drink it.

“Shut up…!!”

Even as a seductive voice with irresistible charm whispered in my ear… a somewhat bizarre sound, I firmly rejected it and circulated aura through my mind.

This was originally the most common method to resist mental interference from magical means like spells, and it seemed to be working just as effectively in the current situation.

‘….Phew.’

The auditory hallucinations and temptations gradually diminished until they finally vanished, and the sudden surge of appetite rapidly decreased before disappearing altogether.

Thanks to this, I was barely able to maintain my composure in this chaotic situation. I was about to sigh deeply and slowly examine my surroundings when….

‘….Sigh, what a mess.’

After surveying the state of the forest where these cultist goblins’ village was located, I couldn’t hide my complicated feelings.

The reasons why cultists are treated as virtually absolute evil in society are numerous and varied, but if I had to pick one, it would be the “contamination” caused by cultist mysteries.

Environments and organisms exposed long-term to the mysteries of the demon realm—the homeland of demons—or to their distinctive mana saturated with it, gradually undergo mutations, collectively referred to as “contamination.”

To summarize these “contaminations” simply, they are part of a process that gradually overlays and erodes reality with aspects of the demon realm. Perhaps because of this, such “contamination” ultimately results in the formation of otherworldly spaces with demonic properties in reality….

And now, this village and its surroundings, where these goblin cultists had stayed for an extended period and where their blood had been spilled, was already in a state of significant “contamination” spread.

The air was beginning to be infused with the demon realm’s toxic gases and high-density mana, and the soil had discolored, changing from its original state to bizarre colors like purple or red.

And when the environment changes, the living beings that must survive in it must also change.

The ground vegetation like grass had developed blade-like leaves. Flowers grew mouths filled with sharp teeth, and vines sprouted hook-like thorns, displaying their distinctive grotesqueness.

Additionally, there were carnivorous plants from the demon realm newly sprouting everywhere, and regardless of whether they were original or newly emerged, they bled red when cut.

‘Is it… becoming the demon realm…?’

Feeling the chilling toxic air filling my lungs, I clutched the holy water pouch I had been saving, inwardly gripped by anxiety.

Holy water, created by priests infusing clean water (or salt water) with sacred power through divine magic, is essentially this world’s staple remedy, treated like a mass-produced divine attribute potion.

It amplifies natural healing abilities, making it highly effective for mild symptoms like colds, purifies or detoxifies poisonous substances, and can even cleanse contaminated water or restore slightly spoiled food to its previous state.

When sprinkled on weapons, it allows even warriors who can’t handle mana or aura to fight against ghosts and similar entities.

Moreover, temples sell this holy water cheaply, not for profit but as a welfare measure aimed at improving the standard of living for the general public.

Therefore, unless it’s a high-grade product made by bishops or cardinals, it’s sold even more cheaply than modern bottled water (container cost separate, with a service to fill your own container if you bring one).

Of course, it sells so well that it could be called the epitome of high-volume, low-margin business, bringing in over 30% of the pantheon’s budget despite its low price.

Anyway, as I held the pouch full of holy water in my hand and observed the situation, I soon frowned at the current state of affairs, which could not be described as anything but dire.

No matter how sacred and purifying holy water might be, how could a single pouch of mass-produced holy water possibly purify such a vast contaminated area?

Even priests, who could be considered experts in purifying such “contamination,” couldn’t guarantee they could navigate through such a chaotic and disorderly situation. Naturally, I frowned as I tried to figure out how to deal with this overwhelming situation when….

—….KUGUGUGUGUGU!!

‘….What’s that?’

At this most inopportune moment, the surroundings began to shake as if an earthquake had struck…. and then a strange spectacle began to unfold before my startled eyes.

As my intuition fiercely warned me, the “contaminations” were being extracted from the surrounding vibrating materials and condensing into a single point.

“This is insane…!!”

Only then did I realize that the entire village was functioning as a magic circle for a ritual. Gritting my teeth, I prepared to face this black magic ritual that had already fulfilled all its conditions and could no longer be stopped.

I spread aura throughout my body more intensely than before to enhance my physical abilities even further, while once again clearing away all trivial thoughts to use that power that embodies “principle.”

Having thus ensured I could offer at least minimal resistance to whatever obstacle might stand in my way, I now moved toward the point where the “contamination” was condensing—

—Come.

The wave resonating in my mind disturbed my thoughts, but that gave me no reason to hesitate now.

Gritting my teeth and tightly gripping my sword, I slowly moved toward that point where the “contaminations” were condensing—the point that was calling me.

‘….Oh.’

And there, I could observe the intermediate goblin warrior from earlier and his spear fusing together, transforming into something where flesh and metal intermingled.

A bizarre greatsword with a blade made of green flesh glowing with an ominous purple light, a hand guard maintaining its metallic luster, and tooth-like protrusions along the edge.

An eyeball in the center of the hand guard emitted a strange light, and the handle wrapped in writhing flesh continuously changed its form, but….

‘D-damn it….’

The moment I laid eyes on that grotesque demon sword, I could only writhe in pain from the cruel and merciless visions seeping into my mind and the resulting spiritual agony.

—Take the sword, take it, take it….

“Shut… up!!”

What the demon sword showed me was the image of a “demon”—perhaps my future self.

A hideous and grotesque “demon” riding a six-headed Maggot Dragon with two pairs of fly wings, slashing countless sacred yet bizarre angels descending from the sky.

Armor that had fused with the skin, impossible to remove—constantly emitting purple-tinged green flashes and radiance. From the pulsating, living armor grew four arms, four bizarre arms.

These arms, covered in what might appear to be arthropod-like chitinous exoskeletons, ended in sharp claws capable of tearing even dragon flesh, but they soon held four swords that looked just like the demon sword now before “me.”

And sprouting from the back were a pair of massive, tattered, rotting wings—moth-like wings that bizarrely glittered, sprinkling “terrible” human excrement.

Finally, the helmet, fused with the head, had compound eyes growing densely where the visor should be, shark-like pointed teeth growing from the face guard, and a bull’s horn growing from each side of the hooded head.

This terrible demon, who would appear monstrous to anyone, was paradoxically displaying skills beyond my comprehension, mowing down angels who were barely within the realm of cognition as a farmer would harvest wheat.

And showing me this possible future, the demon sword was preaching to me.

That if I accepted its power and became “liberated,” I could metamorphose and “ascend” into such a being.

That I could act freely without restriction from anyone and rampage as much as I desired.

This impulse, seemingly stimulating the “sword demon” dormant in my heart, was enough to shake my resolve, but nevertheless, within it I glimpsed fragments of “myself” becoming something other than me—

—FWOOOOSH….!!

[KYAAAAA■AAA■■A■A■■■AGH■■■—!!!]

Gritting my teeth and shaking off the demon sword’s temptation, I sprinkled the holy water from my pouch over the sword while firmly declaring:

“Begone, demon! Back to the sewer where you belong—!!”

There was only one treatment for a demon that appeared in this world: expulsion from the material world through the destruction of its physical form.