Ch.98Instinct

# 1.

Shortly after Peter took charge of Silas.

Nahan immediately headed to the Black Wolf’s new hideout, as reported.

The first to greet him were Luna and Hanryang, who were standing guard hidden in the darkness.

“Huh? Commander?”

“Already back—sir?”

Nahan stopped the two approaching with puzzled expressions and spoke.

“We’ll talk later. Call Lactea.”

“Okay! Commander!”

“…Yes, sir.”

Unlike Luna who turned around immediately, Hanryang seemed uncomfortable as he turned away.

After hesitating briefly, he blurted out to Reina who was being carried on Nahan’s back.

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding—sir.”

“…? What do you mean by that?”

“…I’ll call the Vice Commander—sir.”

A few seconds after Hanryang turned his back on the confused Reina, Lactea came out and bowed her head.

“You called for me, Commander.”

Despite her beautiful, languid smile, Nahan deliberately looked away as he answered.

“The plan has changed. We need to move to Count Gardner’s territory right now.”

The instantaneous movement he had witnessed before.

Among the members, only Lactea and Casler were capable of such transportation, which is why he sought out Lactea, but she asked curiously.

“Why me instead of Casler…?”

To her question filled with genuine curiosity, Nahan answered without hesitation.

“I just thought of you first.”

“…!”

Though it was actually groundwork to clear up the misunderstanding with Reina, Lactea, unaware of this, took Nahan’s hand with a shy smile.

“…That makes me happy.”

Seeing the woman genuinely happy, with no trace of her usual quiet intimidation, Nahan unconsciously changed the subject and made his request.

“Well, anyway… Peter is in combat with Ilshik, so we’re in a bit of a hurry.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Lactea very gently released Nahan’s hand and asked as she activated her spell.

“Where shall I set the destination?”

“The destination is…”

Nahan brought his lips to Lactea’s ear and whispered in a small voice.

“…Are you serious?”

“No matter how I think about it, that’s the only best place to entrust the Emperor.”

“…I don’t know what to make of the Commander these days… but I’ll follow your lead.”

Lactea immediately input the destination while Luna and Hanryang waved cheerfully.

‘I’ll quickly explain the situation, leave the Emperor in their care, then return to help Peter.’

With the members thinking Peter had betrayed the Black Wolf, he was the only one who could help him now.

“…Commander, we’re departing.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Wrapped in a platinum magic circle, Nahan waved to the members who had come to see them off.

.

.

.

“Come to think of it, I don’t see Yuria?”

“About that… I put her to sleep.”

“Put her to sleep?”

“She should wake up. …Probably.”

“…Lactea?”

After this bit of small talk(?), Nahan’s group arrived at their destination.

“…Who are you?”

“Black Wolf.”

“…You’re not going to leave even if I ask you to, are you?”

“You know me well?”

It was the villa where Hestia Vulcanus, the flower of the Gardner family, was staying.

“Sigh… Let me ask first, you’re not planning to kidnap me again, are you?”

“Of course not. This time I brought someone.”

“…What?”

Only then did Nahan lower Reina from his shoulder and introduced them to each other.

“Say hello, Reina. This is Hestia.”

“It’s been a while, capable strategist of the 1st Legion.”

“Say hello, Hestia. This is Reina.”

“Wh-what? Wh-wh-what? What?”

It was a joyful reunion.

# 2.

An abandoned factory in a deserted back alley.

Dim moonlight filtered through the rusted, collapsing roof, illuminating two men.

The first to speak was Ilshik’s 3rd Elder – Silas, the Calamity of Silent Stillness.

Fluttering a cloak with markings similar yet different from the imperial emblem, he muttered in a low voice.

“Ria…… that was her name.”

“…What?”

“The terrible woman… like the demons… who was looking for the demon called… Peter.”

Peter’s brow instantly furrowed at the disparaging remark about her.

Whether aware of this or not, Silas gripped a stake in his hand and declared.

“I’ve come… to end our ill-fated connection.”

Someone who cared nothing for others’ feelings, focused only on his own goal.

In short, the eradication of demons was Silas’s most important life purpose.

But the same was true for Peter.

“So it was you. That man from five years ago.”

“You’re not… blind after all.”

“Shut up.”

Having realized through the similar yet different emblem that he was the source of everything, Peter approached Silas with a low warning.

“Explain that emblem.”

Eradication of demons,

Revenge for Ria.

Realizing that killing each other was the fastest way to achieve their goals, the two men glared at each other as they walked toward the center.

“Demons… the only explanation for your kind is death.”

“…Fine. As I tear you apart slowly, there will come a moment when you’ll answer my questions.”

Finally, the battle began.

Having consumed most of his magic in the earlier battle with Nahan, Peter lowered his stance to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

The rank increase from Skill – <Faith Harvest(SSS+)> would last for about 5 more minutes.

‘I’ll end this within that time.’

Crack!

Peter drew the dagger he had picked up at the imperial palace and charged without hesitation.

But an iron stake flew at him immediately.

It was so thick that he avoided it without much movement, but something felt strange.

‘…He wasn’t aiming for me?’

By the time he realized, it was too late.

Thwack!

The moment the iron stake pierced Peter’s shadow after grazing his collar.

**[<Fixation(SS+)> activates.]**

**[Using <Iron Stake of Eons(S+)> as a medium to absolutely bind evil.]**

He stopped abruptly as if shackled, and using that opening, Silas quickly approached and placed a stake under Peter’s chin.

“…Die.”

Clang!

The hammer struck simultaneously.

“Ugh!!”

As Peter barely avoided it by lifting his chin, memories of the past flashed through his mind.

A similar situation.

But the one caught by the stake was not himself but the woman who had taken him in.

Ria, who had saved Peter from Silas, said with a faint smile.

-It’s not your fault.

So Peter had always wondered.

“Then whose fault is it?”

Clang!

“Do you have… the luxury to think of other things?”

At the second strike aimed at his heart, the essence of evil that had been unleashed spread as if writhing.

**[Warning.]**

**[Peter’s seal is being released.]**

Someone once said.

Humans are born evil.

Others said they are born good, and still others said they are born without good or evil and it is determined as they live, causing debate, but Peter knew the answer for himself.

Humans are…

No, beings like himself.

**[The awakened essence – <Evil> returns to its original place.]**

Were born inherently evil.

Peter’s expression, which had been distorted by emotion, instantly returned to nothingness.

Because of memories with Ria,

Because of the sorrow of losing her,

Because of the pressure from Silas.

The power he had been unconsciously wasting due to emotions now moved toward a single goal.

That goal was,

The evil he had been born with.

The demon who takes others’ lives without reason finally opened his eyes and muttered.

“You’re annoying.”

It was a split second.

“……!!”

Silas, recognizing Peter’s transformation, pulled his neck away from the reaching hand, but his posture collapsed and his arm was caught.

Crack!

Peter broke it with sheer grip strength without any special technique, then pulled him in and swung his left hand toward Silas’s chin.

“Urgh!!”

Barely avoiding it like Peter had done earlier, Silas threw himself beyond the attack range of Peter who was fixed to the stake.

Crash!

Covered in dust, he sprinkled an elixir from his pocket onto his arm, and while waiting for it to heal, he muttered.

“Finally… showing your true colors.”

“True colors?”

Peter wondered.

Was the rationality he had maintained until just now his true color, or was the reawakened evil his true color?

This was merely a passing question, as nothing mattered anymore.

“Think what you will.”

Peter fell silent again to find the best way to kill his opponent.

Was it because the sealed essence had just awakened?

-It’s okay, Peter. It’s not your fault.

Ria’s voice kept echoing in his ears, but it wasn’t particularly important.

‘I wonder what would happen if I ripped out his heart and poured elixir on it. If I just remove the stake, I could subdue him alive. Should I try?’

He sought a way to capture him to satisfy the pure curiosity that was welling up.

This is what makes a demon.

Like those who had faced Peter before, beings who move only according to instinct without a shred of emotion, like the current Peter.

Since their instincts were curiosity or survival, demons with excessive survival instincts and those with excessive curiosity became calamities that harmed others.

The current Peter was someone who had been called the leader of demons, full of survival instinct and curiosity, even by the order Silas belonged to.

“I will… definitely kill you.”

“Do as you please.”

As Silas, who had completed his recovery, and Peter, who had regained his evil, faced each other.

**[The essence – <Evil> has settled.]**

**[Condition fulfilled.]**

**[<The Girl’s Last Words> begins.]**

**[<Ria(???)>’s last words manifest.]**

Before he could understand what was happening.

A girl appeared at the edge of Peter’s vision, walking gracefully toward him and greeting him.

“[Have you been well?]”

A girl with the same faint smile Peter always wore, with the same black hair and black eyes as him.

She was Ria, the nun who had taken him in.

After a moment’s consideration, Peter finally spoke to her.

“Get lost.”