The devil, realizing he couldn’t swallow me, forced me into his throat, soaking me in his own stomach. The devil’s stomach was dark, dreadful, hot, and repulsive. Digestive juices sprayed from the snake-like muscles, showering me. Though I covered myself with Lamelstar, I knew I couldn’t hold out for long. I acted immediately.
“The power of the Void, Lamelstar, and Dalbi. The power of the Void, Lamelstar, Dalbi…”
First, I unleashed the power of the Void. The holy relic of the Void, which blocked the devil’s power inside him, instantly countered the digestive juices that were trying to dissolve me, forcing them out. The crimson barrier acted as a shield. However, it wasn’t enough to kill the devil. I seized the opportunity to transform Lamelstar into a thick rod-like shape, pushing aside the snake-like muscles that were constricting me, creating space to move.
This is why they say hindsight is 20/20. Damn, I should have shown restraint.
I drew out all the remaining power of Dalbi from the black snake’s belly.
Even if I couldn’t drop stars or use Reverse Meteor…
Damn it!
Just when I thought I would be consumed, Dalbi, who hadn’t been by my side until then, suddenly appeared beside me.
Dalbi was imbued with a blue light.
Venom for the devil.
No matter how strong his regenerative abilities were.
If he can’t kill the shadows.
Then burn them with light.
Damn it!
Gradually, Dalbi’s body emitted a gentle light like the moon in the night sky.
Upon touching the light, the snake instantly turned into black pus. The snake that had swallowed me melted away. This time, it didn’t even transform into shadows. As Dalbi’s light continued to pour out the black pus, it gradually evaporated, and finally, the black snake disappeared completely.
Damn…
Dalbi seemed exhausted and collapsed. I was about to embrace Dalbi but hesitated. The forest spirits, who had gathered around Dalbi anxiously, watched over her protectively. I could see Dalbi’s power returning. For a moment, I decided to entrust her to them.
The devil was dead.
“Where did he come from?”
But where did he come from?
Traces.
Faint traces continued.
Perhaps weeks ago, maybe even months.
However, I could see traces of an old devil.
Probably leading to where he came from.
I followed the trail.
“Under the pond.”
Traces left by the movement of the snake’s body.
Without hesitation, I plunged into the pond.
My mind cleared as soon as I entered the cold icy water. The pond was much deeper than it appeared from the outside.
The bottom was not visible, resembling an abyss.
This is where he came from.
The homeland of the devils, his abyss was here.
It wasn’t a distance that could be reached in one go.
As I rose to breathe, I noticed a small carp approaching me.
The spirits dislike me.
But there were exceptions.
When saving Dalbi.
When killing the devil.
As the carp stuck by my side, I could breathe even underwater. It was reminiscent of what happened in the Terrin Lake. The spirits wanted me to enter the abyss. I swam downwards. Continuously, I descended into the depths of the water. After a while, a submerged cave hidden by rocks revealed itself.
I widened my eyes.
There was no ‘threat’.
Passing through the cave passage, a space where I could breathe emerged.
It was a narrow cave.
“A snake’s den.”
Where he came, the abyss was found. In such a remote place, hidden beneath the pond, it would not have been discovered even during the great war. But… why did the devil move only now?
There was one reason for finding the abyss. I remembered what Sister Melissa had said. Among the reasons why the Kynakhan Empire sought the abyss, there was certainly treasure in the devil’s abyss.
As I explored the cave, I found something that didn’t seem difficult to find, like a ‘treasure’.
It was a stone, the size of a human head.
“It’s not a relic.”
But it seemed like ‘relic’, akin to ‘Dalbi’. The stone harbored immense power. Was it the ‘Moonstone’ that wizards dream of as treasure? I cautiously reached out to the stone.
“Is this… a charger?”
Just by touching it, a powerful energy surged through my fingertips.
Quickly, I embraced the stone and assumed a meditative posture.
As I accepted the natural energy, an unprecedented immense power began to surge through my body, penetrating deep within. It was a more powerful charger than Dalbi. Unbelievable power.
My lower abdomen tingled. My heart pounded.
This power was truly extraordinary. Afraid of spilling it, I suppressed the urge to release the power recklessly.
In an instant, the power that far surpassed the natural energy I had accumulated so far became wind within me, water filling me, fire burning, earth accumulating, and trees growing. This power was nature itself. It must have been venomous to the devil. Because of this stone placed in the abyss, the snake devil was trapped here without a chance to move.
Physical sensations were trivial.
As my body floated, I felt an unbearable drowsiness.
Like a child sleeping in its mother’s arms, I enjoyed the sleep without resistance.
After ‘4 years’,
It seemed like I was deeply asleep.
***
Please don’t protect me!
No, I can’t.
I’m not hope, please.
It’s tiring to pretend to be scared.
Changsik, you’re weird.
You bastard, why do you try to protect me…
Remember, it’s because of you. We’re dying because of you.
Don’t look at me with those eyes.
Because of you.
If it’s you.
It’s all because of you.
***
The cold water splashed on my forehead, causing my eyes to snap open.
As I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling of the cave. A drop of water, tinged with limestone, fell onto my face.
I wiped the water off my face. The cave was chilly, but the water was lukewarm. It didn’t seem to be the same water that had dripped from the limestone.
“Darn it.”
The darkness of the abyss was somewhat comforting. I had thought I fell into a deep slumber after accepting the power of the Moonstone. But it seemed I hadn’t slept as deeply as I thought. I had a disturbing nightmare after a long time. No, not a nightmare. Everything, all of it.
“Sigh.”
How much time had passed?
The stone that once held the power of nature now seemed like an ordinary rock. I felt no power emanating from it. Instead, I felt a surge of power within myself.
Channeling the power of the Moonstone to become a Nature Guardian always left me refreshed and invigorated, but I couldn’t feel such a stark difference before. But now, I could clearly understand. The nonsense that Ranista always muttered started making sense. This was being a Nature Guardian, this was my cultivation. Exhausted from the continuous battles with demons, I now felt more alive than ever.
“Darn it!”
Dalbi nudged my thigh.
“You’ve grown, haven’t you?”
He used to nuzzle my calves.
Dalbi had grown. When Dalbi grew stronger, I grew stronger too, the influence of power flowed between us.
“It’s because of you, it’s all because of you.”
Was he mocking me?
The remnants of the dream continued to linger in my mind.
I scratched my head and tousled Dalbi’s fur.
“Enough of the demon’s abyss.”
I turned back towards the underwater cave. As the chilly water touched my skin, distracting thoughts arose. I swam through the dark water, vigorously kicking my legs and arms towards the surface, not thinking about anything else.
Fish Spirit was lazy. It took him quite a while before he appeared, allowing me to breathe underwater. But by then, it was almost as bright as sunlight, nearing the surface of the water.
“Phew!”
I worried that Karacal and the hunters might be concerned, so I quickly found them, but strangely, the juniper forest was silent. There wasn’t even a trace of the battle left. It felt like more time had passed than I realized. Even so, at least they should have posted sentries.
Alone, I scratched my cheek.
“Bothersome.”
I had no choice but to head to Calbain.
It was a considerable distance to Calbain, taking over an hour to travel even by horseback.
But as I relentlessly ran and reached the outskirts of the village, the position of the sun indicated it was close to noon.
There was an open door. As I approached the village, the bustling chatter of voices became louder. It wasn’t surprising that the village was noisy. They must be busy dealing with the damage from the monsters and the tavern I destroyed. But there was something strange. Amidst the noise, I heard a familiar voice.
“Huh?”
The villagers were busy. Even as I walked through, they didn’t seem to notice me at all. They were all gathered in the square, and at the center of the hunters, there was a man wearing a deep turquoise coat, riding a blue wolf.
Mac and Father.
“What’s going on?”
No, how could Father be here? It takes over ten days to travel from Quilz Castle to Calbain. Could he have secretly followed me as soon as I left? I thought I was careful, but still, I waved at him warmly.
“Father! What are you doing here?”
“The search operation will commence tomorrow at dawn when the knights arrive… Huh?”
As I shouted, in an instant, the heads of the villagers and my father turned towards me, all staring. Feeling self-conscious, I waved again. The villagers seemed greatly surprised. Well, it’s been about a day, so it’s understandable. Did they think I was dead? Karacal, who was beside Father, twitched and seemed to rush towards me, but stopped as he glanced at Father. His eagle-like eyes gleamed. Could he be crying?
“Ah, Cantavia!”
Father’s eyes looking at me were so poignant. He even disregarded the dignity of an imperial duke and rushed towards me, embracing me tightly. This nobleman, worrying about me while everyone was watching. He scrutinized me like a dentist, even examining my mouth.
“Goodness, you’ve lost your molars!”
“It was Ranista who pulled them out.”
“Ah… Anyway, I’m relieved that you’re safe. Thank goodness! From the moment I heard your news, my heart had been frozen until now. Oh, Artemis! Thank you.”
“What news did you hear? How many days has it been?”
“It’s been ten days since you went missing.”
Father departed from Quilz Castle and has just arrived in Calbain.
Goodness, did I sleep long enough to dream?
Falling asleep for such a long time on a mossy dungeon floor?
Indeed!
Dalbi was a friend, a savior, a charger, and a lifeline.
If he hadn’t bolstered me, I might have succumbed to malnutrition, even if I didn’t die.
“I heard you fought a demon. But… you don’t look too worse for wear. Thank goodness. What happened, son?”
I explained to Father what I had experienced while sipping tea at the village chief’s house. The shadow serpent demon, beasts turned monsters by its influence, the undiscovered dungeon. Listening intently with a grave expression, Father sighed mixed with lament.
“A demon like we’ve never encountered before. Damn, turning beasts into monsters and being invisible. Is such a terrible demon still lurking?”
Father wondered about the sudden appearance of demons that had been quiet for decades. I thought I knew the reason. But I couldn’t tell Father. It’s no coincidence. Ever since ‘we’ remembered our past lives, demons have suddenly become active. There’s some correlation. Borrowing Melisa’s sister’s words, there must be a reason why we were born as twins.
* * *
While conversing with Karacal, Kazuwea arrived in the village. Without a glance, she immediately embraced me upon seeing me. Kazuwea said she had searched the forest diligently every day since my disappearance. As promised, I praised Kazuwea’s bravery and agility to Father. Father urged Kazuwea to stay at Quilz Castle, and Kazuwea, a ambitious Calbainian, readily agreed to become a guest of the castle.
We stayed two more days until the knights arrived, then set out from Calbain Village in the morning.
As we departed, the hunters sang songs calling me a hero. It was a song unheard of in the empire, reminiscent of Indian songs. From the village chief, I received an ivory necklace that only Calbainians who had undergone initiation rites could wear. I wore the necklace and bid them farewell. Father also took an ivory necklace out of his pocket and wore it around his neck. The old necklace seemed to have a mellow ivory hue.
“Hiya!”
Kazuwea shouted excitedly. Unfortunately, Karacal and the soldiers decided to stay in Calbain Village until the tavern was completed.
* * *
For nearly a month, I hadn’t eaten anything delicious, including the time spent just sleeping.
It was a time when I ordered dozens of dishes excessively and enjoyed them alone.
“Lord Cantavia, it’s an honor to serve you.”
Kazuwea came to visit.
“To serve me?”
Father needed a court magician. Kazuwea is a guest of Father’s castle. However, Kazuwea spoke as if he were a knight escorting me. Kazuwea boldly declared to me.
“To be honest, I want to advance.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“So, I have to climb the ‘rope’ well. A sturdy rope that can climb higher than anyone else.”
“Yeah. But why are you serving me?”
“We’re starting the job now.”
Kazuwea, although he was still inexperienced in etiquette as a Calbainian, I liked him even more because he was honest and confident.
“You’re an ambitious friend. But I’m not sure I’m the rope you’re looking for.”
“If the quadruplets are the steel chains carrying anchors, then I am merely the straw tying fermented soybeans.
Kazuwea knelt before me, extending one hand, solemnly swearing allegiance.
“The Calbain people judge solely by what they see, hear, and feel. I, Kazuwea, under the future great blue pillar…”
“Enough, stop.”
Tsk, must be because I haven’t met the others yet.
I didn’t know how deep Kazuwea’s loyalty ran. But her exploits shown to me riding on a flying squirrel were remarkably agile and brave. She was still young. Whether she would grow further, it was uncertain, but she would undoubtedly become an exceptional ranger. I set down my knife and fork, wiped my mouth, then approached Kazuwea, solemnly grasping her hand. She smiled widely, taking my hand and rising.
“If you assist Father, it won’t be long before you receive the honor of being a loyal retainer in the Quilz territory.”
“…I aspire for higher positions.”
I shrugged. Kazuwea’s ambition seemed greater than I had thought. I let go of her hand, but she held onto it firmly. It was when I wondered what she was up to that it happened.
“Eek!”
It was the serving girl carrying the food.
Suddenly, she screamed and hurriedly approached, striking Kazuwea’s wrist, who was holding my hand, with a knife hand strike. Then she pushed Kazuwea away. It was a bizarre action.
“What are you doing?”
The serving girl shouted with an angry face.
“Prevent any suspicious women from approaching! It’s the task of a personal maid! I’m performing my duties, sir.”
“Who gave you that authority?”
“By the orders of the butler… no, by the lord’s orders. Until the coming of age ceremony next year…”
“Enough. Stop. Please.”
