NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 22
Chapter 22
“Hey, did you hear the rumor this time?”
In towns near places with portals leading to the Demon World, adventurers always tended to gather in large numbers. This was also the case in Soter City, located on the outskirts of the Holy Kingdom.
Here, there was the largest adventurer guild in the south. Within the guild, one adventurer brought up a recent piece of news.
“What rumor?”
“In the Demon World. I heard from an adventurer who recently returned through a portal that there are hardly any Guardians there.”
“What?”
Guardians referred to the demon soldiers protecting the borders of the Demon World. Another adventurer sitting across from the blonde male adventurer, Luke, asked him about the news.
“Is that true, Luke?”
“It is. Dein, can’t we go and catch some Massu or demons and bring back their loot to sell?”
“I’ve heard that ram horns have become quite popular and expensive recently…”
At that moment, a female adventurer sitting next to Luke spoke up.
“Oh, I know a dungeon where rams gather!”
“Eri, how do you know that?”
“I heard about it from the receptionist sister during my last visit~.”
“Is that true?”
“Yeah, you just have to go a little north from the portal in Soter City. There are a lot of young rams there, and it seems like a good place to get horns.”
Upon hearing Eri’s information, Luke and Dein nodded slightly. They extended their hands toward each other in agreement.
“Then let’s head to the Demon World right away!”
“Yeah, let’s go make some money~!”
“Sounds good.”
However, they didn’t realize that there was another group eavesdropping on their conversation.
After exiting the guild, Luke’s party headed toward the nearest portal in Soter City. The portal leading to the Demon World was bustling as always. Adventurers were looking to hunt Massu and demons for loot, which sold for quite a high price in the human realm.
For example, the hides of Lizardmen were used to make high-quality leather products, and ram horns were highly valued as medicinal ingredients. Hunting powerful and rare species like Drakes, Amphyters, and Basilisks meant there was hardly anything left to waste.
Thus, living as an adventurer meant that exploring the Demon World was practically an obligation, not a choice. The risks were undeniably high, but overcoming them was the thrill of adventure.
Luke observed the crowd of people and remarked, “There seem to be more people today.”
“The rumor you mentioned must have spread. It seems that the Guardians really have disappeared.”
“Then we can hunt rams much more easily, right?”
Just then, someone grabbed Luke’s shoulder.
“I heard earlier that you know about a dungeon with rams.”
“Excuse me?”
Turning around, Luke saw a large man with a massive build and a female adventurer who appeared to be a priest.
Their adventurer rank was A, two levels higher than Luke’s party. It was clear that they would be no match for these two in any confrontation.
“Can we join you?”
Though the request was made politely, refusing it would obviously lead to an unpleasant change in their attitude. Adventurers were not known for their kindness.
Luke, Dein, and Eri looked at each other and nodded together. While they wouldn’t be able to monopolize the ram horns, it was better than causing trouble and potentially getting killed without warning.
The man smiled widely and extended his hand.
“I’m Riku Valbar.”
Given his considerable size and the unique name, Valbar indicated he was likely from a barbarian tribe. As he introduced himself, the priest-looking woman also smiled and introduced herself.
“I’m Melissa.”
“…Nice to meet you.”
“It’s us who are tagging along, so we should be the ones saying that. Are we heading out right away?”
Luke glanced back at Dein and Eri. They nodded as if to say they didn’t mind.
“Yes, we plan to.”
“Then let’s not waste any time. The value of ram horns is high, and if someone else finds them first, we’ll lose out.”
“…Alright.”
Though slightly disappointing, Luke’s party joined Riku and Melissa. Not long after they stepped through the portal to the Demon World, an adventurer nearby spoke to his companion.
“Hey, you know there have been a lot of newcomers to the Demon World lately, right?”
“There have.”
“I heard that… no one has come back among those who entered?”
—
Humans referred to regions in the Demon World as “dungeons.” The zones in the Demon World were essentially administrative districts established by the demons for easier management, but humans perceived them as habitats for specific monsters.
This was evident by referring to the soldiers guarding the Demon World as “Guardians,” treating them as special monsters. They thought of the Demon World as an unusual place for adventure and hunting.
“Miss Mage, where to now?”
“Just a little further ahead.”
Riku nodded at Eri’s words. Knowing the exact location, Eri guided them along. Luke’s party was making their way without any hindrance. Just as the rumors suggested, upon entering the Demon World, not a single Guardian was visible.
“By the way, Guardians really seemed to have vanished without a trace.”
“That’s intriguing.”
“We shouldn’t let our guard down. Keep vigilant as we go.”
Comforted by Riku’s words, Dein and Luke nodded. However, even as they walked toward the ram-filled dungeon, they faced no interruptions. Riku and Melissa, who had been relatively tense, could start to relax by this point.
“Did they abandon this level?”
“This level?”
In response to Luke’s question, Riku explained.
“There’s talk that the Demon World consists of multiple layers. It’s quite a famous story; you didn’t know?”
“Sounds like a tower.”
“Sure, you could think of it that way.”
At that moment, Eri shushed them, placing a finger to her lips. Then she beckoned Luke to come closer. As Luke and Riku approached, Eri pointed ahead. Their gaze fell upon a group of rams.
They seemed unaware of their situation, enjoying their everyday life.
“Well, this is quite the sight.”
“Alright, let’s start hunting right away.”
Taking out his sword, Luke prepared to engage. However, Riku interjected.
“Luke, I have a suggestion at this point.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll take the horns from those rams, and you all can gather the rest.”
Riku’s suggestion startled not just Luke, but Eri and Dein as well. The value of hunting rams was predominantly in their horns; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the horns were all that mattered. The horns’ value was so significant that any other parts were viewed as mere junk.
“T-That’s not acceptable…”
“Listen, Luke.”
Riku drew out his massive battle axe as he spoke.
“I think you’d do well to listen to me if you want to stay alive.”
Luke, along with Dein and Eri, tensed up immediately. Riku was openly revealing his intent to threaten them.
Luke gulped nervously.
“…F-Fine, I understand.”
“Luke!?”
Eri looked at him, questioning if he really intended to comply, and Luke spoke as if he had no choice left.
“…Do as Riku says.”
“Hmm, you’re wise.”
As Riku stood, wielding his colossal battle axe, Melissa came forward and placed a hand on him. The powerful holy aura of an A-rank adventurer enveloped Riku completely.
Luke felt frustrated, but he believed that his decision was correct.
‘There’s no way the three of us can overpower an A-rank adventurer blessed by divine grace.’
This was the best option. Who knows, maybe by cooperating, they could still get at least a little of the ram’s horns. Luke added with a replacement thought.
“You’ll handle the combat, Riku.”
“Oh, of course. I never intended to rely on you.”
Even though he was treated like an inexperienced novice, Luke showed no signs of emotion. For C-rank adventurers, calling them a novice was an outdated notion, but in the eyes of an A-rank, it seemed that they all appeared the same.
“Then…”
At that moment.
Boom!!
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if something immensely heavy had just landed on it. Luke’s party lost their balance and fell, while Riku and Melissa managed to stay on their feet.
“W-What?!”
As Eri cried out in surprise, Riku glared, saying, “Quiet! What if the rams run away…!”
However, the rams were already feeling the tremors and were fleeing to safety. Seeing the rams escape, Riku panicked, cursing as he sprinted after them.
“Damn, they’re getting away!”
Bursting out from the bushes, Riku aimed to pounce on the nearest ram. But his goal was thwarted.
Boom!
“Found you.”
A gigantic stone figure blocked Riku’s path. The enormous statue, larger than most tall buildings, glared at Riku with its glowing red eyes.
“The last little rat.”
“W-What is this…?”
Crash!!
In an instant, the massive stone figure stomped down, shattering Riku’s battle axe. Riku stared in shock at his destroyed weapon, unable to comprehend.
Hidden in the brush, Melissa, who had prepared to assist Riku, gasped in surprise.
“…A-A Gargoyle?”
“A Gargoyle!?”
Gargoyles were even rarer and more powerful than monsters like Drakes, Amphyters, and Basilisks, which were hard to see. They had been assumed extinct for several decades after completely disappearing.
However, that was not the issue. For most adventurers, Gargoyles were like an insurmountable wall. Their rock-solid bodies nullified blades and ordinary magic, and they even had resistance to divine powers. Most adventurers had to flee when encountering a Gargoyle since they couldn’t penetrate its defenses.
It was common knowledge that only S-rank adventurers could hope to break through the defenses of a long-lived Gargoyle. The current party, composed of only A and C-rank adventurers, was facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy they couldn’t withstand.
As the leader of the group, Luke quickly assessed the situation.
“If that’s a Gargoyle, we need to escape quickly! There’s no way we can deal with it!”
“But, Riku!”
“Riku…”
There was no chance of escaping. Gargoyles were immense but incredibly agile. For some reason, it wasn’t trying to kill Riku yet, but just by looking at how fast it had shattered his weapon, it was clear that the Gargoyle was much swifter than Riku.
“We have no choice, Melissa! We need to survive…!”
“Luke, just leave him! Let’s run for it!”
Dein urged.
“Those people were the ones who tried to swindle us. Why help them? If you don’t want to die, let’s get out of here!”
“Right, Luke! Hurry up!”
Luke slightly hesitated at Dein’s words, but Melissa showed no intention of leaving Riku behind. After a brief moment, he lowered his head and began to flee along with Dein and Eri.
“Uh?”
However, they barely managed to take a few steps. Although there had been nothing behind them when they came, now numerous Guardians had appeared.
One of the Guardians spoke up.
“What shall we do?”
“There’s only one command.”
The cat ears perked up. Her hair, shimmering like flowing water, was beautifully radiant.
However, in comparison to such beauty, her gaze was chillingly cold. It felt like a chill ran down their spines as she looked at Luke’s party as if they were mere insects.
“Disarm them and capture them all.”
“Yes.”
At the command to capture them, Luke felt severe shock. Why would demons capture humans instead of killing them?
As his mind filled with such questions, he caught sight of a familiar figure just moments ago—Riku, having lost his weapon to the Gargoyle, was now trapped alive in a massive iron cage.
Inside that cage, alongside Riku, there were numerous humans trapped in only their underwear. Luke, being forcibly disarmed by the approaching Guardians and having his armor ripped off, could only stare blankly at the scene.
“Humans… have been captured…?”