episode_0038

Marcel’s mouth split open with a schhhhk— sound. An unreal sight. It was as if someone had torn his lips apart with their fingers.

‘……!’

And then—

Simultaneously, a dark, violet energy began oozing sluggishly from Marcel’s body.

A power that looked nothing short of ominous. Marcel’s eyes had turned purple.

Thud, thud.

He cracked his neck and looked at me.

[How peculiar.]

His voice echoed in all directions. The peculiar one here was me.

‘What the hell is this thing?’

I’d never seen this kind of power before. Was it some monster that had slipped in from the labyrinth?

Countless thoughts raced through my mind.

That thing we saw right before escaping the labyrinth—the Green Bone Demon.

Had that bastard done something to take over Marcel’s body?

—……No, that’s not it.

Lysiel frowned as she spoke. It seemed she at least had a rough idea of what this thing was.

—That’s a dangerous entity. But it’s strange. How is something like that here?

‘What are you talking about?’

—It’s…….

Before Lysiel could finish—

“I don’t know who you are.”

Ermé swung the Champion’s Sword with full force.

“Die.”

[With that pitiful strength?]

A mocking voice.

As Ermé swung his sword with all his might, Marcel flicked the staff in his hand.

BOOM!

The sword clashed against the staff. Ermé shouted urgently—

“Teresa! Rosenta!”

I calmly observed Marcel.

Had he really died?

‘…Doesn’t seem like it.’

A strange sensation whispered to me—the same one that had told me this wasn’t Marcel.

I didn’t know how this worked.

But right now, I had to trust that feeling.

I gripped my sword and charged at him.

[You really are strange. I can’t believe you’re only Level 2.]

“What happened to Marcel?”

[How odd. Your vessel is disgustingly large. How can you accumulate so many shackles?]

As I swung my sword, Marcel whipped his staff in a wide arc.

SCREEEECH—!

The unpleasant sound of metal grinding against metal. The one being pushed back was me.

‘…What the hell is this feeling?’

In terms of raw strength, I was superior.

Yet, for some reason, I kept getting overpowered.

‘Is it… technique?’

A difference in swordsmanship level? But had the Green Bone Demon even used swordsmanship before? It was baffling.

[I just can’t figure you out. You feel completely different from the others…]

The thing kept observing me with its eyes.

‘Disgusting.’

That arrogant gaze, as if it held absolute superiority. And despite being in the Adventurer’s Guild, its stance suggested it had the upper hand.

I hated all of it.

“What happened to Marcel?”

[He’s alive.]

“……”

If Glasses was alive, that was enough.

‘Good.’

There were a few things to be relieved about.

This thing had taken over Marcel’s body.

And it hadn’t fully claimed Marcel’s flesh yet.

Which meant—

‘There’s a way.’

I glared at it.

But there were too many people around. The moment we started fighting, I could feel eyes watching us from all directions.

“Something’s off. It’s like it only has a vague understanding of the outside world.”

“…A little terrifying, honestly.”

The adventurers slowly closed in.

The thing possessing Marcel’s body just laughed, as if amused.

“Haah, you’re all insane. Rookies are fighting, and you’re not even helping.”

THUD.

A man clad head-to-toe in armor stepped forward.

“Sorry, sorry. Your friend was holding his own just fine.”

A man winked at me. It was Alex.

So he was alive.

“That guy over there seems a little… off.”

“Someone’s taken over his body.”

“Terrorists or something?”

“Maybe… it’s the Green Bone Demon.”

Ermé’s voice trembled as he spoke.

“Ah, now that you mention it, that Green Bone Demon you saw at the entrance disappeared at some point… So it’s a special variant that steals bodies?”

“We should capture it first. The Magic Tower pays well for things like this.”

“Cold-hearted as always. Don’t worry too much. We won’t kill him.”

But they didn’t guarantee Marcel’s return.

[Is that your whole plan?]

“A monster bastard talking like a human. The world’s gone mad.”

[Hmm… From our perspective, you’re the strange ones.]

“Capture it alive. We might uncover the labyrinth’s secrets.”

“Everyone, attack!”

At Alex’s command, countless beams of light shot toward Marcel.

Most were spells, but they seemed more like debuffs meant to weaken the enemy.

“Strong magic resistance. That’s one of the Green Bone Demon’s traits.”

“Guess we’ll have to beat it down the old-fashioned way.”

I focused calmly.

Marcel was alive. That meant I could save him.

…With Soul Theft (S).

‘How should I do this?’

Stealing Marcel’s soul outright was a bad idea. Who knew what would happen to his body?

And if the Green Bone Demon fully took over, things could get ugly.

‘The best option is to steal its soul.’

But that was difficult.

It didn’t seem like the conditions for Soul Theft were met—the skill itself rejected the idea.

The 15th-floor boss.

Not just any boss, but an intelligent one that steals bodies.

‘Meaning it’s at least Level 6 or higher.’

Even in the Adventurer’s Guild, Level 6s were rare.

No matter how skilled I was, there was no way to beat it as I was now.

To overcome the level difference—

‘…It’s impossible right now.’

So what could I do?

[Main Quest—Chapter 2.]

You have encountered an entity of the abyss.

He is a being worthy of the title White-Handed. You must either kill him or reclaim Marcel.

Reward: Marcel’s body + ???

Failure: No penalty.

A quest notification chimed at the perfect time.

I bared my teeth.

‘You bastard.’

I’d noticed this before, but the “no penalty on failure” line pissed me off.

‘Whatever.’

Failure wasn’t an option.

I had to succeed. Judging by this thing’s behavior, failing would probably result in something that’d get me killed.

Not that it mattered.

I’d get Glasses back no matter what.

I sprinted toward it.

“Kid, this isn’t your battlefield yet. You’re too green.”

Suddenly—

Volcan blocked my path.

“Can you capture it alive?”

“No guarantees. No idea what tricks it has. Its traits are a bit different from the usual Green Bone Demon.”

[Kehah! Hahahaha! You lot aren’t half bad!]

The thing rampaging in Marcel’s body.

It was pushing back the adventurers.

Did it know they were trying to capture it alive? It weaved through the battlefield, aiming to cripple the Guild’s forces.

“…Do you have any skills that can block sound?”

“Got an interesting idea, huh?”

Volcan raised his hand, and the surrounding noise vanished.

He’d created some kind of mana barrier.

‘If I watch closely, I might be able to replicate it.’

But first, I had to say what needed to be said.

“I can steal its soul.”

“Steal? A soul?”

Volcan’s eyes widened. He sounded like he couldn’t believe it.

—Steal a soul…? Now that I think about it, your power is… No, that can’t be. Does something like a demonic secret technique really exist?

Lysiel’s pupils trembled.

A demonic secret technique? It was just stealing.

“I can’t even begin to guess what kind of ability you have. Stealing a soul… Even that thing shouldn’t be able to do that.”

“Who’s that thing? Just weaken it for me.”

“You ask for a lot.”

Volcan’s gaze was strange.

He looked at me like he was wondering where the hell someone like me had come from—

‘And… a faint trace of fear?’

Nah, no way.

That kind of premonition—as if he sensed something—over me? At my current level?

‘I’ll have to surpass it eventually.’

But right now, I was only Level 2.

“So, are you doing it or not?”

“Of course. No question.”

Old Man Volcan smirked and stepped forward.

“Hey, you.”

[Oh? A human this strong exists?]

“To recognize my strength—not bad for a monster.”

[Pfft. Arrogant for your level.]

“What are you?”

[Think I’d tell you? Well, maybe a hint.]

Marcel—no, the thing—chuckled.

[If you want answers, come to the 25th floor. I’ll be waiting.]

“The 25th floor? That’s coming up soon.”

[Ah, so you’re the ones who recently reached our domain.]

Marcel’s eyes curved into crescents, as if delighted.

[Thanks to you, I’m grateful. One of my shackles loosened, so I could come out.]

“……”

Wait, that’s why it got free?

But something about its words felt off.

Like it was hiding lies by only speaking partial truths.

“In other words, the others like you can’t come out yet.”

[…….]

Marcel stared at me.

Its gaze was unsettling.

[Now that I think about it, you’re sharp. The most annoying one here isn’t this old man—it’s you.]

Marcel’s eyes changed.

A look of resolve.

‘Perfect. That’s what I wanted.’

Volcan lunged. The thing possessing Marcel did the same.

BOOOOM!

A deafening explosion of sound. Volcan’s fist slammed into Marcel’s stomach.

[Guh—!]

The thing crashed into the ground.

At the same time, Marcel’s body trembled violently before going limp.

“Huh? Already done?”

Volcan sounded incredulous.

But what I saw was different.

Something pitch-black, like the abyss itself, was seeping out of Glasses’ body.

‘…What the hell?’

Yet the sensation was oddly familiar. I’d felt something like this before.

‘…Lysiel.’

It was similar to when I first saw her soul.

Now it was coming for me.

[I’ll slip into your soul and break you apart, piece by piece.]

A chilling voice.

And at the same time—

I reached out.

My hand plunged into something intangible, and I grabbed.

[…You—how do you know a demonic secret technique?!]

Demonic secret technique my ass.

I scoffed and pulled back. In my grip was a black, stone-like object.

[Soulstone of the Green Bone Demon.]

And the spectral form of the Green Bone Demon itself.

Crack.

I clenched my fist with all my strength. The soulstone began to crumble.

[GAAAH! AAAAAAAH—!]

The demon’s scream echoed.

And then—

[How… How can a mere human wield that power…?!]

A dying wail.

And then—

A white, powdery light gathered around me.

The sign of a level-up.

But something else mattered more.

‘…Glasses.’

Was he alive?

I rushed to his side.

Glasses slowly opened his eyes.

“…I owe you one.”

“Do you remember anything?”

“Bits and pieces. Feels like my soul’s been tainted.”

Glasses grabbed my hand as he spoke.

“Thank you, my friend. Because of you, I could break free from the confusion and finally sleep…”

His voice trembled. Unlike before—like a man facing his end.

“The backlash from it forcing its way into my body… It’s a little cold. But I’m glad the last thing I saw was you. Was I… any help?”

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

“That’s good.”

Glasses smiled and closed his eyes.

“M-Marcel!”

“Marcel!”

Ermé and Teresa looked like they were about to cry, but I stopped them.

The reason was simple.

‘This bastard just passed out.’

He’d genuinely fallen asleep.