(EP-187.2) Own place #3
187 – Each in their own place #3
Clanking, chwareureu-.
It was only then that I realized there were massive chains coiled around the strange creature’s body. The chains looked extremely thick and robust.
Confined by such restraints, its hands couldn’t quite reach my body, narrowly avoiding contact.
“Great!”
But just as I breathed a sigh of relief, I heard sounds of joints cracking, and the creature’s hands extended a bit further.
‘No, I’m caught!’
With that thought in mind, I shut my eyes.
Plop, plop.
My body flailed like a carp pulled out of the water.
At the same time, something bluntly struck my head.
Thud-!
“Hieeek-!”
A gruesome scream escaped my lips, but oddly enough, it seemed to clear my mind. I woke up to a throbbing pain in my head and found myself sprawled out on the dorm floor.
Sweat covered my entire body, and my forehead felt like it was boiling from a fever.
I probably hit the corner of the bed.
But for now, I endured the throbbing on my head.
Was it a dream?
What was that just now?
It felt like I had a terribly horrifying dream, but as with dreams and nightmares, once I regained consciousness, only a vague sense of having had “such a dream” lingered.
… What on earth was it?
Just a nightmare?
It was not uncommon for high fevers to cause nightmares. But it was eerily ominous to simply dismiss it as a dream.
If the exceptional mages, Hynax or Kasim, were to see what I witnessed, would they be able to understand? I thought it would be wise to jot down what I saw in my dream while it was still fresh.
The bizarre murmurs that flowed from the numerous mouths—
The only words I could comprehend were negative fragments like fear, chaos, and despair. Somehow, writing them down calmed me quite a bit.
“Hu-.”
As a sigh of worry and anxiety escaped my body, a realization struck me.
Was the job advancement successful?
“Status Window.”
Diling-.
Name: Theo Gospel Angmar lv. 43
Job: Half-Fairy lv. 8
Casanova lv. 7
Actor lv. 9
Tutor lv. 9
Little Demon King lv. 1
Talents: 《Farsight》 《Calm Thinking》 《Abyssal Eyes》《Perk: Demon King》
Inclination: Chaotic-Neutral.
You are the only survivor of a fallen family.
You must revive the family while avoiding those who want to destroy it.
Fortunately, you are motivated to rebuild your family.
The newly appeared characters caught my eye.
‘Little Demon King.’
How amusing. If it was Demon King, then it should just be Demon King. Why put ‘Little’ in front of it?
“It’s subtle.”
How ambiguous.
Still, if I were to point out one positive aspect, it was that a new talent had blossomed.
From the name 《Perk: Demon King》, it seemed to exude a certain presence, so it was worth checking out.
Gguk.
I pressed the floating characters in the air and a popup window appeared.
「Talent 《Perk: Demon King》: A reward skill given when a specific job is unlocked. The possessor of this skill experiences a significant boost in the total amount of mana, and the activation and power of spells also increase dramatically.」
A skill that greatly increased the amount and efficacy of magic power. The hot blood boiling over my body seemed to prove it.
Finally, I’d gained an excellent combat-oriented job. Jobs like Actor, Half-Fairy, Tutor, or Casanova weren’t really for battles, to be honest.
However, the reason I didn’t jump around in excitement was that the text didn’t end there.
「The probability of a tragic fate is corrected by the negative karma of a specific job.」
This.
This seemed similar to Aira’s 《Genius》 talent. Impressive abilities and effects always came at the cost of corresponding penalties.
Though I expected it and even prepared, seeing it in person made a chill run down my spine.
I was now the Half-Nymph Little Demon King.
I was probably the only remaining Demon King in this world.
* * *
“Sir Theo, it looks like you have reached Rank 5.”
The next day, I went to see my mentor Hynax.
Hynax was cultivating bonsai in his private office. The thin scissored off branches on the floor looked a little messy.
“If you’re busy, I can come back later.”
“No, it’s all done.”
Meanwhile, the neatly cut bonsai, though small, looked majestic like deer antlers.
I couldn’t help but admire this piece of work, knowing how hard it must have been to grow it like that.
“Looks impressive.”
“Oh, you found its charm? Quite remarkable for a young one like you. It took quite some time to grow it this far.”
The old mage stroked his beard with satisfaction.
“Now that I’ve pruned the excess branches, it should grow well. Yes, anyway. Sir Theo, it seems that you’ve broken through to Rank 5 and became an Archmage.”
“It seems so. I actually came to speak with you about that.”
Hynax nodded with a hum in response.
“Very good. To break through to the 5th Rank in such a short time. Truly remarkable. Our foresight was not wrong.”
Hynax rejoiced at my achievement as if it was his own.
“The curriculum devised by the Sages and dungeon explorations must have done wonders.”
“I can’t deny that.”
“Yes, yes. Nevertheless, it’s an unprecedented speed. I thought it would take at least a few years. So, what is it that you’re curious about, young mage?”
In response to Hynax’s question, I recounted what happened last night, including the existence of a lone door amidst a shallow sea where in black sun had risen.
As I tried to explain further, the Sage, who had been showing a kind face until now, suddenly sank into a chilling expression.
“…Have you, by any chance, opened that door?”
Edited by: faker
