Chapter 23. Demon’s Lair.

The Demon Krinto’s body, struck by the fireball, had a hole blown through it, only to regenerate again. The bastard screamed and charged at them.

Ji-hyuk quickly lowered his body to dodge the huge scythe flying at him with a *buung*, and immediately swung his Holy Sword upwards. The bastard’s torso and arm were severed, then reattached in a flash.

ㅡㅡ!!

Krinto slammed his scythe down again and again. Ji-hyuk dodged like a rat, nimbly avoiding each strike.

Suddenly, the demon stretched out his left arm and poured magical energy towards the team. It was to stop Ludivine’s magic.

Bruce instinctively raised his shield to protect Ludivine and himself. The magical energy that hit the shield caused a tremendous explosion. *Kwaaaang*-the sound of the explosion shook the inside of the catacombs.

“Aaaagh-!”

Everyone was caught in the explosion and thrown in all directions. The skeletons on the walls were also knocked down and scattered across the floor. The sphere of light flickered out, but thankfully, the mana sphere was still emitting light perfectly. It was a godsend that they stole it from the real castle.

Krinto swung his scythe more fiercely. Ji-hyuk dodged it and moved into the bastard’s embrace. Then he swung the Holy Sword. The bastard’s torso was cut in half horizontally, then reattached.

ㅡㅡㅡ!!!!

Krinto poured out magical energy again. Bruce, staggering to his feet, quickly raised his shield again to block the magic. Another explosion occurred. The iron shield, its durability exhausted, shattered into pieces. Scarface Bruce was caught in the explosion. The arm holding the shield was wrecked, and his body was covered in wounds. His lower jaw was completely blown off. His tongue, having lost its foundation, hung limply.

Ugh, ugh, ughhhhhhㅡㅡ!!

The bastard writhed in pain and shock. Grendal quickly regained his senses and called for Grace. Zepopo frantically searched through the pile of skeletons, trying to find his comrade’s fallen jaw.

The demon stretched out his hand again. Ji-hyuk quickly swung his sword twice, cutting off the bastard’s arm. Fortunately, no magical energy came out. Instead, the bastard retaliated with his scythe.

ㅡㅡ!!

Ji-hyuk quickly ducked his head. This time, the scythe barely grazed past him. But the Warrior didn’t lose his focus and moved like lightning, slashing the Holy Sword upwards once and downwards once, *shwiik shwiik*, twice.

Just in time, Ludivine, having finished chanting her spell, shot a fireball at the bastard. The combination was decisive.

– Woooooaaaaaaah

At the same time as the bastard’s scream, Ludivine turned around sharply. Ugh- Suddenly, it felt like needles were pricking her body.

“Captain-niiiiimㅡㅡ!!”

Ludivine shouted for the Captain-nim. Ji-hyuk noticed that a demon was approaching from behind as well.

This *ssibaal*, fucking hell…!

If the Demon of Pain, Agdalie, came here too, it would be a real disaster.

“Everyone, run forwardㅡㅡ!!”

Ludivine began chanting her spell again. The pain of being gouged was getting worse and worse. Ah- She could feel something enormous was coming.

“What the fuck is thisㅡ!”

Kobold Zepopo, who had found and reattached Bruce’s fallen jaw, rubbed his arms and scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, his whole body started to tingle and ache. Grendal realized something was wrong and quickly picked up Bruce, having only reattached his jaw for now, and carried him on his back.

“Let’s move, quicklyㅡ!”

Of course, there was no way the demon would just stand by and watch. But after being cut by the Holy Sword and hit by magic again, he staggered greatly and was pushed back against the wall. Taking advantage of the gap, the team members quickly started running forward again. Naturally, Ji-hyuk fell to the back.

Ludivine and Grace’s running speed gradually slowed down. Ugh. Ji-hyuk was jolted awake by the pain that racked his entire body. The Demon of Pain was approaching rapidly.

“Zepopo-o! Carry Ludivineㅡ!”

The Kobold quickly snatched Ludivine and carried her on his back. Ji-hyuk carried Grace and ran.

– *Kkiyaaaaaaaa*

A chilling scream erupted from right behind them.

“Run, keep running, don’t stop, keep runningㅡㅡ!!”

Ji-hyuk shouted. Grace screamed and started writhing.

“Aaaagh, aaaagh, aaaagh, aaaaghㅡ!”

She couldn’t bear the pain that felt like her body was being butchered, and she scratched the Captain-nim’s chest with her fingers.

“Agh, Cap, aaaagh, Captain-niim, agh, I, I’m, dying, aaaaaaghㅡㅡ!!”

Grace’s body started to tremble. Screams continued to erupt.

“Ssiibaalㅡㅡ!!”

Kobold Zepopo screamed and ran even harder. Everyone was suffering from the magical energy spewed out by the demon, Agdalie.

In the face of the terrible pain, Grace writhed violently. She trembled and even pissed herself. How painful it must be, she wailed and clawed at her respected Captain-nim’s chest.

“Aaaaagh, aaaaaaaaaagh, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaghㅡㅡㅡ!!!”

Ji-hyuk could clearly feel her pain on his back. He ran a little faster, moving forward. But her writhing continued. It was so painful that she couldn’t even faint.

“Kill me, just kill meeeeeee, aaaaaaaaaaghㅡㅡ!!”

Ludivine, with the blood of a witch flowing through her veins, was a little better off than the other team members, but being a little better didn’t mean she wasn’t in pain.

Zepopo gritted his teeth with bloodshot eyes, trembling. Knowing that he would really die if he stopped, he had no choice but to keep running, even though it was driving him crazy. Then his legs buckled and he fell forward.

Aaaaghㅡ.

Zepopo and Ludivine tumbled to the ground. Ji-hyuk stopped and shouted at Zepopo to get up quickly. At that moment, Grace, unable to overcome the pain, started to convulse. Her eyes rolled back and her whole body began to spasm. She pissed herself again.

“Move quickly, you *saekkiaa*ㅡㅡ!!”

The Captain-nim shouted. Zepopo displayed truly superhuman strength and picked up Ludivine again and ran. Ji-hyuk was also reaching his limit. It felt like arrows were flying and stabbing into his body. Every time that happened, he forcibly suppressed the groans that threatened to burst from his throat.

They ran again. Soon, a fork in the road appeared. Left or right.

“Turn leftㅡ!”

– *Kkiyaaaaaaaa*

The Demon of Pain was screaming and chasing after them from behind. It was closer than before. Ji-hyuk didn’t have time to look back. Everyone was breathless.

Eventually, Zepopo even threw his weapon on the ground. His life was hanging by a thread, so it wasn’t the time to worry about what was precious. He had to reduce the weight as much as possible.

They ran and ran. Ludivine also started to freak out, gnawing on Zepopo’s shoulder.

“You *ssibaalnyeonaaa*, I’m fucking hurting too, you *ssibaaaaal*ㅡㅡㅡ!!!”

– *Kkiyaaaaaaaaㅡㅡ!!*

After running for quite a while, the entrance finally came into view. Ah-! Ji-hyuk shouted for them to go up quickly.

But climbing the stairs was no easy task either. Moreover, all three of them were carrying heavy burdens on their backs.

*Haa, haa, haa, haa.*

The stairwell was filled with rough breaths and hurried footsteps. Soon, a piercing scream echoed through the stairwell. The Demon of Pain, Agdalie, had followed them all the way here.

“Run faster, run, run like you’re dyingㅡㅡㅡ!!”

Ji-hyuk shouted at the top of his lungs. There was a limit to how much he could protect himself from the magical energy with mana. He was already experiencing the pain of being butchered.

This fucking…!

Everyone climbed the stairs with all their might. And in the distance, they began to see light.

“Run, run fasterㅡㅡ!!”

Ji-hyuk could feel the demon right behind him. The thumping sound was getting closer and closer.

– *Kkiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaㅡㅡㅡ!!!*

The last part was literally suffocating with pain. Grace, suffocated by the pain, foamed at the mouth and convulsed. She scratched her own throat, which was suffocating, leaving it covered in wounds.

“Aaaaaaaaaaghㅡㅡ!!”

After running like crazy, Grendal was the first to emerge from the entrance. Then Zepopo, and finally Ji-hyuk threw himself out of the entrance with all his might.

Then Agdalie ran out of the entrance and slammed into something like a transparent barrier. The hag, whose whole body was oozing pus, pounded on the barrier with her fists and screamed.

“Fuck, fuuuuck…!”

Everyone crawled away from the entrance as much as possible. Only then did the pain subside slightly.

– *Kkiyaaaaaaaa*

The demon, having missed its prey right in front of its nose, couldn’t leave the place because of its lingering attachment. It kept pounding on the barrier with its pus-filled fists and screaming.

Ji-hyuk put his ear to Grace’s chest, which was limp. Fortunately, she wasn’t dead. But she was completely exhausted, lying still without moving, barely breathing.

Everyone lay sprawled out, unable to move, panting roughly. Their bodies were so hot that white steam rose from them.

*Haa, haa, haa.*

They lay there for a long time, not saying or doing anything, just breathing.

The demon, Agdalie, must have given up and gone back, because there were no more screams.

Everyone stared blankly at the sky. The sunset’s crimson sky was beautiful. A few birds were flying here and there. The peaceful scene didn’t immediately connect with the situation they had been in until just now, running their asses off in terrible pain, and they felt a sense of alienation. Everyone couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

“This fucking…, my whole body aches.”

Zepopo barely raised his upper body and looked at Bruce, who was lying sprawled out. The immediate danger was over, but Scarface was not yet fully recovered. Blood was still dripping from his lower jaw.

“Hey, Bruce. Is your jaw okay? …Damn, I was in such a hurry that I might have just given you anything I found on the floor. *Keuheuheu*, did you check?”

“…What, *ssibaal*?! Is my jaw someone else’s?”

Bruce was surprised and touched his jaw here and there. …Now that he thought about it, it didn’t seem to fit quite right.

“Shit, is it real? Are you kidding? Right? I’ll kill you if it’s real, you *saekkya*ㅡ!”

“Damn, I don’t know, you *saekkiya*. I was dying, how could I check everything one by one.”

“This *ssibaal*…!”

“Uh-oh? You should be grateful that I found it for you. More cursing again?”

“Damn, if you’re going to find it, you should find the right oneㅡ!”

“*Keuheuheu*, I’m just kidding, you *saekkiya*. Don’t be so serious.”

“Ssiibaal, you scared me. …Yeah, thaaaaanks for finding it, you *saekkiya*.”

Ji-hyuk and Grendal chuckled.

They also regained their senses and raised their upper bodies. Grace was still unconscious and hadn’t woken up. Ludivine crawled around with a haggard face.

“Those who are dead, raise your hands.”

“I’m about to die here. *Keuheuheu*.”

“Pack your things and let’s move.”

Everyone barely managed to raise their aching bodies. It was a demon they really didn’t want to meet again.

“Damn, this is so hard….”

Bruce kept wiping his lower jaw, which was still dripping blood, with his hand. The fishy smell of iron was strong.

It was the first time they had experienced such severe pain, and everyone’s gait was sluggish and weak. Ji-hyuk carried the unconscious Grace on his back again and walked.

“Ludivine, are you okay?”

“It hurt so much I thought I was going to die, but I’m a little better now.”

The pain, as if their whole body was being stabbed with knives, was so terrible that everything turned white before their eyes. Ludivine’s body was somewhat resistant to magical energy, but she couldn’t even imagine how much pain Grace, who had fainted, must have gone through.

The Warrior Team walked for a long time and set up camp far away from the entrance to the catacombs. The sun was about to set beyond the horizon.

Everyone groaned and lay sprawled out without even a mat.

“Damn, that demon bastard is the worst….”

Zepopo muttered. Everyone deeply agreed. The Demon of Sloth, Daropim, was a hundred times better. They could somehow endure that with mental strength, but this was beyond the level of enduring. If they had been even a little later, they would have all been struggling in pain and eaten by the demon without even being able to resist properly.

While everyone was preparing for camp, Ji-hyuk carried Grace on his back and went into the nearby bushes. He took off her pants, which were soaked with urine, and carefully wiped her lower body with a cloth soaked in water. Of course, there was no ulterior motive in his touch.

After changing her pants completely, Ji-hyuk also changed his clothes. His clothes were all wet with her urine.

When the Captain-nim came out carrying the Healer again, the other four were grilling dried meat over the campfire. They hurriedly filled their empty stomachs.

The sun soon dropped. Everyone seemed to lose energy and lay sprawled out on the mat again as soon as they had eaten.

“Let’s have only me, Grendal, and Zepopo stand guard tonight. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine, Captain-nim.”

Ji-hyuk pointed to himself, Grendal, and Zepopo with his finger and said that. They nodded, saying it was okay. It was right to be flexible with guard duty depending on the situation.

“I’ll take the middle watch.”

“Okay. Then Zepopo, you take the first watch. I’ll take the last watch.”

“Understood.”

Only then could Ji-hyuk lay his tired body on the mat. Ugh- A sigh came out involuntarily.

Countless stars were twinkling in the already dark night sky.

…Finally, it’s over.

Ji-hyuk stared at the starry night sky for a moment.

Soon, a terrible sense of fatigue washed over him.

He closed his eyes, listening to the chirping of the insects.

The Warrior quickly fell into a deep sleep.