Corruption in the dungeon

EP.20 Chapter 20 At Least Try to Resist

Jackal's eyes blazed as he drew his sword.

The aura felt from an A-rank adventurer was different.

It was on a completely different level from ordinary B-ranks.

Even though the mage Floa behind him was already dazed from the aphrodisiac gas, Jackal's eyes still held their sharpness.

'He's strong.'

Not only expelling the aphrodisiac gas with mana, but his speed in instantly gripping his weapon and taking a stance was quite fast.

'I can't let my guard down.'

He was on a different level from the adventurers who first invaded the dungeon.

Those guys were C, D-rank right?

They died so quickly it didn't even feel like a fight.

"You'll be fun to fight."

Arubis whined in my hand.

Having absorbed my demonic energy as soon as I drew it, it was eager to unleash its power.

If it wants to show off its skills so badly, I should let it.

"Hyah!"

Jackal approached rapidly.

A speed so fast he disappeared from sight for a moment.

Clang!

A flash of light was seen from outside my field of vision.

I instinctively raised my sword.

Sparks flew as Arubis and Jackal's sword clashed.

"Huh!"

If my reaction had been a little slower, it would have left a deep cut on my face.

"Damn!"

It was a strike infused with plenty of mana.

"You're quite good."

"..."

He didn't seem to be the talkative type, not showing much reaction to my words.

And once again, Jackal moved outside my attack range and disappeared from sight.

And again a strike aimed at my vital points from outside my vision.

Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions once more.

Clang!

Before even exchanging 3 blows, he disappeared from sight again.

This time he hid in the darkness.

"An assassin type?"

No.

This looked like a plan to divert attention from that woman as much as possible.

Jackal's desperate struggle to draw attention away from Floa, who couldn't even fight properly.

Is this affection for a party member?

It's not a good way to show it though.

I picked up a stone fragment from the floor and threw it at Floa.

Whoosh!

The stone fragment imbued with demonic energy flew towards her head.

Clang!

Jackal emerged from the darkness and glared at me with a chilling gaze.

"The fight was getting too long with you hiding, so..."

I have a time limit of sorts, you know.

Because of this Arubis.

"You son of a bitch."

His gaze fixed on me was filled with murderous intent.

"From now on I won't target the woman. You should stop messing around too."

That woman was going to be mine anyway.

There was no need to kill her.

Not knowing this, Jackal nodded as if accepting my proposal.

"Well then, shall we start again?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Jackal stretched out his sword aiming for my neck again.

I parried his attack.

Clang!

This time I aimed for his heart.

Clang!

Sparks flew.

A silver arc curved, and a black arc curved.

Jackal followed the demon's movements with his eyes.

He used all the techniques he possessed.

He rolled on the ground, kicked off walls, and even utilized hidden weapons from his bosom. He used every technique he could.

But nothing worked.

The demon seemed to ignore any damage below a certain level, not even paying attention.

Strikes were impossible unless infused with mana.

After realizing this, it was all about frontal assault.

Fatigue accumulated in both beings' bodies each time their swords clashed.

Muscles trembled, bones ached.

There were times he wanted to let go each time he clashed with the demon's sword due to convulsions.

"Kuh!"

The demon's demonic energy was slowly eating away at his body with each clash.

Now he felt muscle pain even from just the wind brushing against him.

But the same must be true for his opponent.

Just as humans are vulnerable to demons' demonic energy, demons are known to gain nothing good from exposure to human mana.

A fight lasting over 30 minutes.

He wondered if he had ever fought this long with a single opponent.

'Floa.'

She still couldn't control her body.

Though aware there was an enemy before her, her body wouldn't listen, still sitting down.

Concentration is essential for a mage to use magic.

She wouldn't be able to use magic right away, intoxicated by aphrodisiac gas.

'I have to protect her until the end.'

If not, both he and she would meet a tragic end.

'I need to end this before those demons in the back join in.'

Jackal's body had already reached its limit.

'This is the final strike.'

I'll finish him with this and kill those remaining female demons.

Jackal prepared for the final strike, gathering his momentum.

And.

He swung his sword with the resolve that this was the last.

A strike aimed at the demon's upper body.

"Not a chance..."

As expected, I raised my sword to block the head.

But this was just a feint.

Jackal twisted the path of his sword while pretending to aim for the head.

He had faced many enemies, but those who made him use this technique were truly rare.

A simple but deadly strike that mixes in an irregular move as the final blow, after making the opponent recognize only orthodox frontal attacks.

Those who believed in their own strength always fell for this technique.

The reason Jackal survived even against opponents a level above him.

'Got it!'

The demon missed the path of his sword.

For an instant, wavering appeared in its eyes.

It was just a fleeting moment, but he saw it.

I can win.

If I win.

If I really win.

'I should confess to Floa.'

He realized today.

That he felt unusual emotions towards her.

Was that what induced carelessness?

"Kuk!"

Jackal's right hand swinging the sword.

'A curse?'

It was rotting black.

Thud!

"Kuk!"

Shallow.

Due to his right hand suddenly rotting, he couldn't put proper strength into it.

Jackal looked at the female demon wearing a priestess hat behind him.

She had her hand stretched out towards him, her black eyes shining.

It was that demon's curse.

'I overlooked it too much.'

He can't put strength in his hand.

It was strength he had already poured out to the last with the resolve to kill the demon.

"Not enough."

The demon twisted his lips looking at him.

"Damn it."

Those were Jackal's last words.

Slash!

The Demon King beheaded Jackal.

"..."

His body collapsed.

Thud.

'If he had been a little stronger, it would have been dangerous.'

I wouldn't have died.

But it's clear I would have suffered a critical wound and had quite a hard time.

"I was careless."

I failed to realize that real combat is different from games.

I didn't realize that you can't always win just because your stats are higher.

I'm weak.

Even though I was determined to grow this dungeon and clear quests somehow, I was complacent.

"Damn it."

I can win even if ten A-rank mercenaries come if I fight with this demon sword?

That's arrogance and delusion.

I almost lost to one person, what nonsense.

Simply raising stats by having sex with women isn't enough to clear this.

Just strengthening the dungeon isn't enough to win either.

I needed to make myself even stronger.

Anger welled up.

For feeling stupid about my insufficient self.

I almost embarrassed myself in front of my subordinates.

I looked down at Jackal's corpse.

One arm had turned black from the curse.

It must be Amy's devastation curse.

I could tell without asking.

Because her energy rose at the last moment.

I turned my head to look at her.

I approached Amy, who was waiting with her lips twitching as if asking for praise.

"Demon King, I helped you. I did well, right?"

She's like a dog.

A very small puppy.

A puppy that only looks at its owner, only follows its owner, and craves affection from its owner.

I slapped Amy's cheek as she looked up at me smiling.

Slap!

"Kyaa!"

Amy's head whipped to the side from my slap.

Her cheek swelled red.

"De-Demon King?"

Tears welled up in Amy's eyes.

She looked up at me with an expression not understanding why she was hit for helping me.

It's true I survived thanks to her. If it wasn't for Amy, I clearly would have had a very hard time.

Temporally, her help was indeed helpful to me.

But I clearly "ordered" her.

To absolutely not interfere with my fight.

"Didn't I order you to just watch?"

"Hic."

Amy hiccupped and swallowed.

"But you moved on your own, disobeying my order. Isn't that right?"

"Y-Yes."

"Was I that unreliable to you?"

Amy shook her head.

"I believed in you."

"Then why did you interfere?"

"I-I wanted to be helpful."

I understand her feelings.

Seeing me seemingly in trouble, her body probably reacted first.

Still, I had to clearly establish the standard here.

"Amy."

"Yes, Demon King."

"You are a body subordinate to me. A body that must do as I say and even pretend to die if I tell you to die. The only time you can act on your own is when I order you to do as you please."

I said, staring into her eyes.

"Do you understand?"

Amy nodded.

"Yes."

The punishment ends here.

Now it's time for praise.

"Still, you did well. Your skills are good. The attack targeting the right arm was excellent."

I stroked her cheek.

Rewards and punishments should be clear.

Demonic energy seeped into her cheek that had been red until just now.

Helping the wound heal a little faster was all I could do.

Her expression relaxed a bit.

"From now on, only move when I order you to."

"Yes, I understand."

After teaching Amy the importance of orders, I approached Floa, who couldn't escape the shock from Jackal's death.

"No, no. Nooo!!! Because of me, because I said we should come here..."

She was crying and wailing while hugging Jackal's corpse.

"Hey."

The interesting thing is, even as Floa wails, her body is already completely pickled in aphrodisiac gas and immersed in pleasure.

"At least try to resist."