My Demons

Chapter 37

Deep within the pitch-black confines of an underground waterway, eerie sounds filled the air water droplets splashed onto the stone floor, insects clung to the damp walls, and distant howls reverberated meaninglessly. Amidst this haunting atmosphere, an intense tension hung in the air.

Arnal, the archer, felt suffocated by the silence and couldnt help but whisper, Why did we suddenly stop?

Shush! Grania warned, prompting Arnal to obediently fall silent.

Observing Arnals impatience, I couldnt help but wonder why she, being trained by her renowned hunter grandfather, lacked the patience that was crucial for a hunter.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I heightened my alertness and focused my senses, picking up on a faint noise.

Kiiikiii, Kiiikiii!

The unmistakable sound of a large rodent and a moving horde became apparent, indicating an imminent ambush.

Its Ratmen theyre coming this way!

Ratmen? How many?

Seems like a lot! A whole lot!

Damn, again?

Grania, positioned at the rear, grumbled as she stepped closer to my right, raising her shield. Ellen, without hesitation, fired her crossbow.

Bang, whoosh!

Flames erupted just seven steps away from me, thanks to Ellens molotov cocktail.

Watch it! That was too close!

Oh, sorry.

Ellens casual apology seemed out of place, and I wondered if she was still upset about the incident from earlier.

Suppressing my frustration, I refrained from saying anything since the others were watching us closely.

Nonetheless, the flames Ellen conjured helped Grania and me block one side of the underground waterway effectively.

Ratatat.

Suddenly, small figures began pouring out from the corner ahead.

As the dim lantern light reflected off their brown fur, Arnal swiftly released her arrow.

Kiiikiii!

The leading Ratman was struck by an arrow and fell, but was immediately trampled over by its companions, disappearing in the swarm.

Keep shooting! I urged, injecting blood into a tiny hole on my glove. The blood from the blades tip enveloped the weapon entirely, giving it an eerie red glow.

As the blood dyed the blade, the horde of Ratmen continued their relentless advance from the corner.

Ratmen, though small, were dangerous when they attacked in swarms, especially considering their crude spears. With their numbers, wed be at risk of being overwhelmed if we couldnt avoid at least one in ten.

This wont work. There are just too many!

Luke, the spell!

Everyone, hold your symbols!

Upon hearing this, I quickly grabbed the small straw ball I had attached inside my shield.

Simultaneously, Luke shouted in a strange, low voice:

Krik-iz bezdny, yaaal!

Whoom!

His long, drawn-out shout of yaal- echoed, and a momentary dark whirlwind burst along the waterway.

Kiiikiii!

Kiiikiii, Kiiikiii!

A mysterious magic washed over the faces of the Ratmen.

Most of them were writhing on the floor, glowing, while some turned and ran in the opposite direction. The most affected among them shivered helplessly, their heads slammed onto the floor.

The black magic spell, Scream of the Abyss, unleashed an unknown fear from another dimension, incapacitating the Ratmen.

Fortunately, thanks to the symbols provided by Luke, my teammates and I were shielded from the effects of the magic.

I watched with a hint of worry as Luke cast the spell, but luckily, everyone managed to hold their symbols. It was only our second day, yet it seemed like we were getting along well as a team.

Feeling confident in our abilities, I shouted, Grania, take them down!

In perfect sync, Grania and I lunged into the paralyzed Ratmen.

Dealing with these large rat-like creatures, who were showing their vulnerable bellies and backs, proved to be a simple task.

Poof!

Kiiikiii!

As we moved swiftly, stabbing at the Ratmen, I couldnt help but admire the potent effects of the Scream of the Abyss.

This magic induced terror was ineffective against inanimate objects or entities with strong mental fortitude. However, for beings like the Ratmen, who relied solely on their numbers and rushed headlong into battle, it worked like a charm.

The admiration was brief, as the Ratmen, who were frantically twitching, eventually shook off the magic and regained consciousness.

Chiik!

Chijik, Jijijik!

As the Ratmen prepared to retaliate, Grania held her ground, cautiously retreating, and I followed suit, swinging my Falchion defensively.

While Grania and I regrouped at the edge of the flames, Arnals arrows and Ellens wind fists continued to bombard the Ratmen relentlessly.

Amidst the chaos of fallen and scattering Ratmen, a sudden intense shockwave erupted.

Ventus, Ictum!

A chiming voice accompanied the wind fists release, generating a powerful sound wave that shattered the skull of a Ratman.

Crack!

I sighed inwardly, knowing that Ellen tended to lose herself in the thrill of using magic, and quickly cautioned her, Hey! Conserve your mana!

This is fine, right?

Ellen!

I kept a watchful eye on her since she acquired magic, and although her mana score was high, she needed to be mindful of her usage.

Soon, weakened wind fists began to rain down due to my reminder.

Whoosh.

A heavy wind sound accompanied a Ratman charging towards me, but the creature tumbled to the ground before reaching me.

As it struggled to regain its senses, the other Ratmen that had charged alongside it were all wiped out.

Swiftly, I severed the latecomers neck and surveyed the scene. Most of the forty-plus Ratmen were dead, and the remaining seventeen or so were fleeing.

Grania, standing beside me, shook off the flesh stuck to her blade and asked, Are we going after them?

Hmm, Im not sure.

I strained my ears to hear their fleeing footsteps.

Ratmen in the game were quite a nuisance. If even one or two managed to escape during a hunt, they would return with reinforcements.

The horde that attacked us was undoubtedly led here by a Ratman that escaped a few hours ago.

Surely they wont bring another horde?

Luke responded to my mumble, I dont think so.

Why do you think that?

Even for Ratmen, forming a large group exceeding fifty is extremely rare. Especially in sewers, where theres not much to feed on, this is probably the end.

I see.

It was a bit disappointing, as capturing and bringing their tails to the guards would have earned us a bounty of one coin per tail.

Shaking off the regret, I sheathed my Falchion. The Ratmens footsteps were no longer audible.

Alright, lets start the clean-up here.

Upon my declaration, the party got to work promptly.

Reflecting on my experience playing Dark World, I knew that party hunting wasnt always better than solo hunting.

In the game, as the number of heroes in a server increased, enemies stats significantly scaled up as well. However, in reality, the enemies strength remained constant regardless of the party size.

Our party, now consisting of five members, was able to advance to the fourth floor of the sewer quickly. With myself and Grania as warriors, Arnal as an archer, and Ellen and Luke as spellcasters, our composition was quite effective.

My physical prowess and Granias skill with a blade formed a formidable front line, and the advantages of having more people extended beyond combat situations. We could carry a greater variety and amount of supplies and effectively guard multiple directions while on the move. Additionally, tasks like cleaning up the battlefield became more efficient with more hands at work.

As I poured water onto the blood-stained ground, creating a barrier to prevent the Ratmens approach, I noticed Luke approaching the sewer entrance and gestured for him to stay back.

Luke, Ill take care of the bodies over there.

Sure, are you sure about that? The water is dirty.

Its fine. Ill use my sword to retrieve them.

Luke understood my intention and moved to join Grania.

Grania was busy collecting the severed tails of the Ratmen, with Arnal, who had finished retrieving her arrows, assisting her.

As I gathered the Ratmens bodies I had fished out of the sewer, I noticed Ellen standing idly by.

She wasnt particularly useful in these situations, so I had assigned her the task of keeping watch over our surroundings while we cleaned up the battlefield. The flame arrow hovering above her palm served this purpose.

But for some reason, her idleness irritated me.

Hey.

Startled by the intensity in my voice, Ellen furrowed her brows in response.

Whats wrong?

Forget it, well talk about it later.

Whether my stern tone had an impact or not, Ellens eyes betrayed a hint of anxiety.

Leaving her be, I continued dragging the tail-less Ratmen, and as I glanced back, I noticed Luke standing in front of a pile of dirt with a sardonic smile on his face.

Youre quite good at being mean too.

Mean? What are you talking about?

Your unknown words can cause pain, as you can see. Its evident that Ellen is troubled by them.

I looked back at Ellen, who was now rolling her eyes in agitation, feeling somewhat guilty for my earlier outburst.

Did I go too far? Well, it served its purpose.

Suppressing my urge to laugh, I tried to maintain a serious demeanor.

I did it on purpose. You should reflect on your actions and consider their consequences.

What actions are you talking about?

I frowned, adding more dirt to the pile.

Its okay if you act impulsively outside of combat, but not during a battle. Im worried it might lead to an accident.

And that made you angry?

Well, not exactly angry

As my words trailed off, Luke started speaking while scraping away some coarse tree barks with his foot.

But be gentle with her. Ellen might seem tough, but shes been through a lot in her life. Someone needs to help her heal.

Really? You figured that out in just two days? I asked, a mix of amusement and curiosity in my tone.

Yes. Its quite obvious.

True, Ellen isnt a complex character, but you shouldnt worry too much. Shes capable of being strong when needed.

Im not worried about her abilities, of course. I would never underestimate a sorceress of the La-Palais Palace. But I do feel sorry for her, always trying to gauge her masters mood, almost like a kitten. Shes not as she appears.

Masters kitten? Hes got it all wrong.

While I pondered, Lukes gaze settled on Ellen. There was a faint glow in his eyes.

With admiration in his voice, he muttered, I dont know how to describe her. A shining gem? A young sprout from a majestic tree? Perhaps a budding flower would be more fitting. Shes had a rough life, but her radiance hasnt dimmed.

If someone takes good care of her, shell quickly shed her vulnerabilities. Then shell have a soul purer and more powerful than anyone elses.

You keep saying that.

He talks about souls.

If I had heard this on Earth, I would have dismissed it as pseudoscience, but coming from Luke, I couldnt simply ignore it. After all, hes an unofficial necromancer, able to control the dead.

Every time I see her, Im amazed. Ellen undoubtedly comes from a special bloodline.

I recalled the unique scenario of the elemental wizard, where one regains the power of their ancestors. Considering the adventure in the dragons nest, its safe to assume that Ellens ancestors were remarkable.

But he only says such things when he looks at Ellen. What about me? Im a Phoenix, a hero too.

But Luke, dont you sense anything about me?

Huh? What do you mean? Luke, who had been lost in thought, finally turned his gaze towards me.

I mean my soul.

Ah, your soul?

Whats with that distant look in his eyes? Its bothering me.

Well, I dont sense anything particularly unique.

Is that so?

Yes, but you seem to have experienced some difficult times. I see quite a few scars.

Scars. Its not a negative thing, but it does make me feel uneasy.

But whose soul did Luke see? The Phoenixs? Or Kim Seung-soos?

Im not sure. I want to ask if its a soul from this world, but I guess I cant, right?

Perhaps interpreting my puzzled expression as disappointment, Luke quickly added,

Oh, dont get me wrong. Phoenix is undoubtedly from a noble bloodline. You possess the most exceptional physique Ive ever seen among blood manipulators. You might even be a descendant of Jahak, the hero from the myths.

Im not a dog to be praised for my lineage. Its awkward, even though I know theres no hidden intent in his words.

As Luke lifted a tail-less Ratman, he suddenly chuckled.

Hehe. Now that I think about it, its quite intriguing.

What is?

You and Ellen. An unprecedented soul and a body resembling a hero. Two individuals like you becoming companions isnt it a curious fate?

Saying this, Luke glanced between me and Ellen.

Then, he burst into chuckles, wearing an expression of pride, as though admiring a masterpiece of art.

This old man seems a little eccentric too.