Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Otherworld Demon King Survival Guide.

Episode 67: Big-Hearted Pixies (1)

“Fall in!”

With a robust shout, my dungeon monsters scattered outside.

“Keurek!”

“Gyusah!”

One by one, my adorable dungeon buddies headed out. Once they had all exited, I was the last to leave the dungeon.

ㅡChureok!

The well-trained monsters were practically an army now. I ascended the podium as they gathered according to their races and lined up.

“Did everyone sleep well last night, kids!”

“Keurek!”

“Gyusah!”

They seemed to have slept soundly.

“Well then, we’re obviously skipping the morning pledge! And all other bullshit! Let’s start the morning roll call!”

We didn’t need any chants, national anthems, or oaths!

“Demon Army’s Morning Exercise! Starting with leg exercises!”

But we did need our morning exercises!

“One! Two! Three! Four! Das! Yeoseu! Ilgo! Imsoong, where are you flying off to?”

“Kkeureok!”

It felt rewarding to see that the training had paid off. Except for Imsoong, who seemed like he wanted to fly off, everyone else followed the count. That alone put them in the top tier.

But Imsoong really looked like he wanted to fly.

After a quick workout, I relayed the tasks for the day.

“Gyuil!”

Upon my call, Gyuil, the most experienced among the Kobolds, stepped forward.

“Gyusahsah.”

The size of the Kobold platoon had grown quite large. Gyuil, Gyui, and Gyusam were the original members, and there were six more Kobolds now in the group, bringing the total to nine.

It was heartwarming to see them stand in three rows.

“Gyuil, you guys will continue the dungeon expansion work today. Just like you did yesterday. Dig deep, okay? Gyuil, you need to supervise them well, understood?”

“Gyusahsah!”

Gyuil confidently responded.

Good, he was reliable.

Thanks to receiving my mana several times, Gyuil had grown larger than an average adult Kobold. He seemed smarter now, understanding my words better.

“You cute rat-like creature. I trust you.”

“Gyusah!”

When I patted his head, Gyuil, with his rat-like face, joyfully wagged his snout.

“Okay, off you go. Imsoong! Come here!”

“Kkeureok!”

Immediately, Imsoong bounced over.

“Imsoong, you good?”

“Kkeureok!”

“Yeah, I like you too.”

There were currently seven Imps. Imsoong was the leader, with six others below him. There was a noticeable size difference. Imsoong, having received my mana for an extended period, was the largest.

“I heard you’ve been bullying the others a lot, Imsoong.”

“Kkeureok?!”

“Is that not true? Really? You little… All would be revealed with some investigation.”

“Kkeureok! Kkeureureok!”

Imsoong fervently waved both hands, denying the allegations.

“You… Alright, I tend to believe Imsoong. Just don’t be too hard on them. Be moderate.”

“Kkeureok.”

“Then, Imsoong, you guys will train in scouting with me today. After training, you can pick up shovels and join Gyuil for the construction. When you guys are done eating, gather everyone and come to me.”

“Kkeureureok!”

ㅡCheureok!

Imsoong saluted like a soldier. He then excitedly bounded back to his spot.

“That ADHD little creature…”

Next up was Buril.

“Buril!”

“Keurek!”

“Ah, damn, this cute little guy.”

Currently, the goblin squad consists of twelve members in total. Originally, there were eight in the phalanx, and four newcomers had since joined. Nowadays, they just abducted new goblins from the outside.

Wasn’t this what the Marines called ‘reconnaissance by force’ or something?

Anyway.

“Anyway, Buril. This morning is free training. You take the goblins and conduct combat training. Can you handle it?”

“Keurek!”

“As expected! That’s why you’re the best, Buril! Give me your hand!”

ㅡCheureok!

“Keurek!”

When I reached out my hand, Buril firmly grabbed my wrist. I, in return, firmly grabbed his and—

ㅡBinggeul!

Twirled him around three times!

“Hahaha!”

“Kerururung!”

After that, I set Buril down. Buril was smart; he knew how to handle things without much guidance. I trusted him to lead the goblin combat training.

While I was in this thought,

“Master, what about me?”

Sharan, who was sitting below the podium, approached me and asked.

“Hehe, Sharan, you were making a bed in the main room, right? Continue with that.”

“Yes, Master.”

Good.

Who was left now?

Ah.

“Muturi.”

“Geurak.”

“Muturi, today you’ll continue making leather. Understand?”

“Geurak.”

Muturi silently nodded. To be honest, it was still a bit awkward with him. He worked without complaints, so it was not problematic, but it was just a bit strange. It might sound weird, but Muturi was like a special concern.

“That’s it for the morning roll-call! Let’s eat and get to work!”

And so began another day in the dungeon.

“Alright! Gyul, start the construction!”

“Gyusat!”

As Gyul responded with a lively voice, the Kobolds under his command grabbed wooden shovels and entered the dungeon in order. Seeing them like this, they were really quite adorable.

“They’re like cute little rat critters. Buril! Start the training! Allocate the break times yourself!”

“Keurek!”

Buril knew how to manage on his own.

“Master, I will go to make the bed.”

“Alright, alright. Our Sharan is so pretty.”

“Master is also handsome.”

“Hehehe, yes!”

I gave Sharan a quick peck on the forehead. She then entered the dungeon.

“And then,”

Looking over, I noticed Muturi had already started working. With a wooden barrel full of water, he was preparing different tools and scraping off the fat attached to the leather on a wooden rack.

He was a man of few words, but he was efficient in his work.

“Kkeureuk!”

Soon, Imsoong arrived, leading his subordinates.

“Ah, now follow me.”

Now, we’ll start the flare training. Gathering all these imps specifically for this purpose wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Their fire-throwing ability might seem weak individually, but in a group, it was definitely threatening.

ㅡJuljuljul.

Imsoong and his little ones followed me, making all sorts of commotions. The training ground was just the yard next to the dungeon. A perfect place for fire play.

“Here. Now, guys! Line up next to Imsoong!”

“Kkeureuk!”

Imsoong assisted with my commands.

“Kkeureureuk!”

“Kkeureuk?!”

While inspecting the surroundings, Imsoong gave a sharp slap to the head of one causing mischief. The imp clutched his head and moved quickly after getting scolded.

“This one’s starting to get seasoned.”

Though when compared to Buril, he was ridiculously green, he did his job well.

Eventually, they formed a proper line.

“Good. Can you guys throw fire?”

“Kkeureuk!”

“You understood, Imsoong?”

“Kkeureureuk!”

Their fire could only be thrown twice, so two tries, and we were done. They needed to do it right.

“Alright! Everyone, prepare to throw!”

“Kkeureureuk!”

ㅡHwareureuk!

ㅡHwareureuk!

ㅡHwareureuk!

Immediately, flames erupted from the imps’ hands.

“Good.”

They were all able to charge at once.

Then,

“Throw!”

“Kkeureuk!”

ㅡHwaek!

ㅡHwaek!

ㅡHwaek!

At my command, the imps simultaneously hurled their fireballs.

“Yes! That’s it!”

Synchronizing was the most crucial part. The first phase could be considered a success.

However…

ㅡPululpulul.

The speed of the fireballs was equivalent to a distant moth. Imsoong’s was a bit faster but still lacking.

ㅡHwareuk.

The fireballs that traveled a few meters naturally dissipated and vanished.

“Indeed, this needs to be used in close quarters.”

It was purely a defensive skill.

“Kkeureuk?”

As I was thinking, Imsoong approached and tilted his head.

“Ah, you did well. Prepare once more!”

“Kkeuruk!”

Training began once more. Well, it was somewhat satisfactory. The concept of casting simultaneously seemed to be understood. However, the speed of the fireball remained an issue.

— Ppal ppal ppal.

Imsoong’s fireball was the fastest.

I must strengthen the imps with my magic to resolve this. To put it into perspective, Imsoong was currently a tier 2 imp. I should at least raise all the imps to tier 3 to use their fireball attacks more aggressively.

“We’re running out of resources!”

My magic, which recharged daily, was limited.

This made every day quite tight.

Whether practicing black magic or fostering the growth of these creatures, magic was essential.

Was there no way to procure more magic?

“We’ve already finished twice. Anyway, that’s good enough for now. Imsoong, take a short rest. Then, grab a shovel and help Kyuil.”

“Kkeurureuk.”

Training thus concluded, and we returned to the front of the dungeon.

And then.

— Sreung.

I drew the longsword set at the entrance.

“What a cheat-like equipment.”

Armor, trousers, belt, gauntlet, shoes. Nothing was missing. Every item was overpowered. On top of that, this sword was made of good metal.

Gear luck.

With these items, combat in the future would be smoother. If a Neolithic man were to wield an iron weapon, he’d undoubtedly become more powerful.

“But the emblem is the problem.”

Emblem.

If that strange human warrior turned out to be from a noble family or a rich household, as I suspected… Humans might send an exploration team into this jungle.

What if those human bastards saw me in this equipment? They’d immediately assume that I killed their scion and rush towards me. Fleeing would be pointless, as the evidence was right there. In such a scenario, not just an exploration team but an entire army might come.

To avoid such situations, I must either avoid humans entirely or, if I encounter them, kill them all.

“Sigh.”

It was a troublesome affair.

Perhaps because of this incident, I might come into contact with humans. If human bastards invaded the dungeon, it wouldn’t end as it did with the hobgoblins or the Barghest.

“Should I paint the sword?”

Maybe it’d be all right if I painted the hilt and the cross-guard a dark color? Anyway, I took a stance with the sword drawn.

Now that I had acquired a new weapon, I needed to practice handling it. Though it might feel like neglecting black magic training, this new weapon would be more helpful for now.

“…”

More than anything,

I was excited.

No man could resist the thrill of wielding an iron sword.

“Let’s go! Haap!”

With that, I swung the sword!

— Boong!

The sound of the blade slicing through the air was no joke! This was the sensation of wielding an iron sword!

“Haap! Tsap! Chaap! Chap! Red tag! All chops!”

— Boong!

— Cchaek!

Honestly, I didn’t know any swordsmanship, nor had I ever practiced with a blade, but randomly swinging around like this was fun. It reminded me of my childhood when I’d play around swinging sticks or brooms.

It was nostalgic and fun.

“Whoa.”

But this.

“It’s harder than I thought.”

Swinging so recklessly, I quickly became out of breath. The sword seemed to weigh only about 1.5 kilograms, but swinging it this way consumed a lot of energy.

“It’s a bit challenging to handle.”

How should I put it?

Swinging a wooden stick felt different. And since it was a double-edged sword, there was a real concern that if I was not careful, I might cut my leg or shoulder.

“Haap!”

Regardless, I continued swinging the sword. For now, I was merely swinging it around without any knowledge of swordsmanship, but with more practice, I might begin to understand its intricacies.

While I was practicing my sword swings,

“Master!”

“Huff, huff… Huh? Sharan.”

“It’s lunchtime! Let’s eat!”

“Already? Okay! Let’s eat together!”

After lunch, I could resume practice.

I quickly packed up and announced it was mealtime. These creatures always eagerly anticipate meals. In no time, they all prepared to eat.

Today’s menu included smoked meat and fruit.

Let’s enjoy it.

“Guys, you all worked hard this morning. Eat well, and let’s be energetic in the afternoon!”

“Kereuk!”

“Kkeurureuk!”

With my first spoonful, lunch began. The creatures, grouped by their species, began to eat on their own.

“Kerurong!”

“Ah, Buril! You little one!”

Buril offered me meat with the bone. Quite thoughtful.

“Kkeuruk!”

“Kyusatsat!”

But perhaps, seeing that, Imsoong and Kyuil peeled some fruit and offered it to me. Wait, fruit?

“Hey, kiddos. Why? Can’t you give me meat? Hehehe.”

“Kkeuruk?”

“Kyusat?”

Seemingly caught off-guard, they scratched the backs of their heads and acted innocently. Adorable little things.

“Master, do you think Lumica will be okay?”

“Indeed.”

She hadn’t fully harnessed the power of the lake yet. Despite recent events, she needed to stay alone by the lake for a few more days.

“There’s nothing we can do. After lunch, shall we visit?”

“We should. Lumica must be feeling lonely on her own.”

“We should visit every day.”

Well, we should go after lunch.

One day, while leading my daily life and building up combat strength, an unexpected event occurred.

“Sharan? Master!”

“What is it!”

“Something’s approaching!”

“Damn!”

— Sreung!

I immediately drew my sword and moved in the direction Sharan indicated, assessing the situation! Goblins armed to the teeth quickly followed me.

“Master, over there!”

“Wait! That is…”

But the identity of the intruder was none other than…

— Ppal ppal ppal!

A fairy!

“Just one fairy shouldn’t be a problem! Guys! Get ready to throw stones!”

Just as I was preparing for battle,

“Sharan? Master? Hold on. The fairy is saying something.”

“What?”

The fairy was speaking?

Was it trying to communicate?

“Sharan, what’s it saying?”

“Sharan… should I go and talk?”

I looked around for a moment.

“Alright. Go, but be very cautious.”

“Yes, Master.”

— Sreus.

Sharan then approached the fairy.

Why would a fairy go out of its way to talk to me? A thought flashed across my mind. The pixies from the time when the satyrs and lizardmen were at war had sent me a message.

“Master.”

Soon, Sharan returned.

“Sharan? What did it say?”

“Sharan… Sharasha? Master? The fairy says the Sharashas want to meet.”

“The Sharashas?”

“From that time. When the satyrs and lizardmen were fighting. Those larger female creatures.”

“Ah, the pixies.”

It was indeed the pixies.

“Did they send a messenger to meet?”

Though they were small… they were the royal females of their race who wanted to meet me.

This.

Perhaps, like Lumica, I could make them mine.