I was half-convinced, half-doubting.
'Do demons appear in this manner in reality too?'
...Somehow, even though 10 years had passed, there was no development?
Because the current situation was similar to the Demon Hunter's quest.
However, the moment the message appeared, I became certain.
A demon had taken possession of Nam Cheol-min's body.
Instantly, information from the community floated up in my mind.
-The demon race is really the problem
-Their base level is high but what's more troublesome is the status abnormalities ffs
-Mage or priest classes at least have high mental power so they can endure, but us warriors are literally just punching bags without buffs or potions
Indeed, demons in reality were troublesome monsters.
Over 10 years ago.
There was no law saying they would be exactly the same as the demons I had encountered in quests.
However, I knew.
I knew that I couldn't afford to fall into such trivial calculations before a demon.
『Granfel Claudie Arpheus Romeo's pride paradoxically reaches its zenith before demons.』
Right, what kind of demon had possessed Nam Cheol-min.
What level it was.
What status abnormalities it induced—I couldn't know any of it.
Tap─
But my vision was clearer than ever.
There wasn't the slightest hesitation in my straight-extending steps.
At this moment of encountering the demon, I spoke in a cold voice.
"As expected, you are indeed a demon."
At my declaration, everyone present was wrapped in shock.
Choi Jeong-hoonstammered.
He looked back and forth between me and Nam Cheol-min, then stepped backward.
"Wh-what do you mean? A, a demon?"
"Demon race...!! I knew I had an ominous feeling."
"Wait, if it's a demon race, then we absolutely can't handle...?!"
Amidst that shock, Nam Cheol-min.
No, the demon burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! You noticed quickly, you fucking idiots!!"
The demon seemed to be enjoying this situation.
Of course it would be enjoyable.
Humans' negative emotions become demons' power.
"You humans, you see. You're sooooo~ hypocritical."
However, I had no intention of listening to that blabbering.
"How undignified."
Before I knew it, a silver dagger was gripped in my hand.
"Though I don't even know if dignity exists among such inferior races as demons in the first place."
Of course, clear hierarchy existed even among demons.
That was precisely what I heard ad nauseam while performing the class change quest in Arkshan.
Lower rank, middle rank, upper rank.
Above that were the 'True Name Demons,' and ascending even more distantly were the 'Demon Lords' who claimed to be kings of demons...
However, as I said.
『No demon's temptation, deception, or trial could scratch even a bit of Granfel's lofty pride.』
Granfel.
In other words, to me, they were all just the same demons.
Therefore, there was no hesitation in my actions.
『Skill: 'Natural Enemy Relationship' has been activated.』
[Natural Enemy Relationship: Combat power dramatically increases when fighting demon race.]
Now that Natural Enemy Relationship had been activated.
My physical abilities were in a dramatically enhanced state.
Swoosh─!
Concise and swift.
I thrust the dagger toward Nam Cheol-min's nape.
Ting─!
Indeed, plate armor.
I didn't know it would even defend the gap in the nape.
A voice clearly flustered could be heard.
"...Hahaha! You're a crazy bastard, aren't you? Aren't you an even worse bastard than me? You were getting along so nicely until just now, then suddenly you swing a knife? Fuck, what kind of bastard is...?!"
However, I didn't permit it.
"Do not attempt to converse with me."
"...Wh-what?!"
"I do not mix words with prey."
Swoosh─!
Piercing plate armor with a silver dagger was impossible.
'Then targeting those seams would be correct.'
Before the demon, I was moving according to instinct.
I could feel that both my physical abilities and mental processing were clearly on a different dimension from when facing the gnolls.
Thud─!
I thrust the silver dagger into the inner elbow.
[Skill, 'Exorcism Ritual' has been activated.]
'I don't know how far the effect of Exorcism Ritual will be valid, but it doesn't matter.'
The meaning of that message was simple.
It meant I had landed an effective hit on the demon.
The demon startled and was pushed back several steps.
"Crazy!! It's silver!!! Fuck, what the hell are you?!"
Instead of answering, I swung the dagger again.
The seam at the side.
The seam at the knee.
And even the small gap at the nape.
Gush─
Black blood poured from those wounds.
The demon said.
"Crazy bastard... Don't you see the blood?! At this rate, this bastard's really going to die. If you kill me, this guy dies too!! No, I'll use any means to die together with this bastard. You think I'll die alone?!"
I inwardly smiled with delight.
'How is even the dialogue exactly the same as 10 years ago?'
Yeah, I'm not falling for it.
When the skill [Exorcism Ritual] was active, the Demon Hunter's attacks dealt damage only to demons.
No matter how old it was, I hadn't forgotten even that basic common knowledge.
I hadn't.
However, on my face.
That inner truth was never reflected.
"Prey need only be hunted."
Thud─!
"Hyung, don't overdo it. Avoid dangerous rifts as much as possible."
"I got it, you bastard."
"I'm not joking. The atmosphere has been ominous lately, you know. That's why I'm saying this... Why don't you just join our guild? There's so much players can do without going through rifts. You know, like being an analyst."
He had only wanted not to live pathetically.
"Even though you're brothers, you're quite different, aren't you?"
"I'll have to work harder not to disgrace my brother's face, won't I?"
"Tae-min succeeded in another boss raid, right? Tell him I said congratulations."
He had only wanted not to be a burden to his younger brother who was better than him.
Nam Cheol-min thought as he watched himself move arbitrarily.
'...Where did it go wrong?'
His memory had been hazy from the moment he entered the rift.
However, he clearly remembered only the message that had appeared.
[Lower rank demon, Imp is watching you.]
[Your mental power is too low.]
[Status abnormality: Possession occurs.]
'...An imp?'
A level 200 demon race monster, imp.
Nam Cheol-min knew well the danger of the demon race.
It was because of the things he had seen and heard from his younger brother, Nam Tae-min.
Nam Cheol-min gritted his teeth.
'We can't go in! It'll be a total wipe!'
But no voice came out.
'...Right, another party. If we get help from another party!'
Words unrelated to his will burst out.
"But, well, no need to worry. Maybe because this is a transfer station, it's quite large? If we choose our route well, we should be able to hunt without overlapping with other parties."
Literally, he was driving his party members into a deathtrap.
"Cheol-min hyung! No, hyung!!"
Continued unexpected actions.
Eventually, Choi Jeong-hoonand the party members were surrounded by a pack of gnolls.
'It's because of me. Because of me...!!'
Move.
Please move.
I have to help them.
However, Nam Cheol-min couldn't move even a single step.
He could only stand there blankly and watch.
"No, fuck. Why are you doing this!! Hey, Nam Cheol-min!!"
It was all his fault.
His own lack of ability.
Nam Cheol-min's heart began to crumble in helplessness.
'...Tae-min, I really should have done as you said.'
And that was exactly what the imp had hoped for.
Nam Cheol-min let go of the thread of consciousness he had barely been holding onto.
All he could hear was only a faint voice.
"Hey, Nam Cheol-min! Did you really think you were something just because I called you hyung, hyung and followed you around? Fuck, you're nothing without your brother..."
Right, everything Choi Jeong-hoonsaid was correct.
He was only worth that much.
"Hahaha. Kuhahahaha."
After that, all he heard was only laughter.
The imp's laughter that seemed to be mocking his own weakness.
But that mockery that seemed like it would never cease stopped.
"As expected, you are indeed a demon."
...He noticed the demon's existence? How?
At those words, Nam Cheol-min grasped the thread of consciousness again.
Then an unbelievable scene came into view.
'...He's overwhelming the imp?'
It was an impossible situation.
The reason the demon race was troublesome wasn't only because of their high level.
It was because demons constantly induced status abnormalities.
[Fear], [Despair], [Devastation]...
To counter those vicious status abnormalities, one needed high mental power stats.
Or an overwhelmingly large level gap that could even ignore that.
'...But what the hell is this man?'
Even while watching, he couldn't believe it.
This wasn't a fight.
Right, it was as the man had said.
It was a one-sided 'hunt.'
The sound of the imp wailing rang in Nam Cheol-min's ears.
Nam Cheol-min thought.
'...If the imp dies, I die too?'
Then I will die.
Nam Cheol-min resolved.
His party members had fallen into a deathtrap because of him.
Even if his body had been taken by the imp, it couldn't be an excuse.
He had heard that demons target weak humans.
Even that was his fault.
'Shouldn't I at least earn my keep by dying?'
Isn't that right, Jeong-hun? Tae-min?
Fortunately, the man seemed to have not even the slightest hesitation.
'Regrettably, I won't have a way to repay you.'
It was the moment Nam Cheol-min thought that.
Thud─!
The moment the man's dagger lodged in his nape.
He felt something like it was leaving his body.
Blink─
...For some reason, his eyes opened.
"...?"
Soon he saw the subway ceiling.
The flickering light bulb was shining.
So brightly it was dazzling enough to make him squint.
In the midst of that, a voice was heard.
"Did I not say?"
It was an endlessly leisurely,
voice oozing with dignity.
"Since I am here, you all need not worry."
[You have defeated lower rank demon, 'Imp.']
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]...
My level had increased.
Counting the number of those messages, there were a total of 12.
Having caught just one imp, I had risen by a whopping 12 levels.
What the hell, is this for real?
I recalled the battle with the imp.
It was to gauge the level of the imp that had literally poured out experience points.
But no matter how much I thought about it, it didn't make sense.
'Rather, the gnolls were more troublesome opponents than the imp.'
The gnolls' level was only around the 30s.
Then the meaning was simple.
'...I said expectations lead to disappointment.'
But this already far exceeded my expectations, didn't it?
It seemed the 'Natural Enemy Relationship' between Demon Hunter and demon race was much more solid than I had expected.
'Maybe it's because it was a lower rank demon.'
To the point where it couldn't be overcome with a mediocre gap.
The messages didn't stop there.
[The proficiency of skill, 'Silver Mastery' increases.]
[Silver Mastery (24%): Grants additional attack power and special effects to silver weapons.]
Thanks to defeating the imp with the silver dagger, the skill's proficiency had greatly increased.
The proficiency that had been 19 percent had jumped to 24 percent at once.
Regrettably, the imp didn't drop any items.
However, I didn't feel disappointed.
Perhaps it was because I had gained enormous experience points instead.
Or perhaps it was due to Granfel's setting of not being attached to wealth and glory.
I couldn't tell.
'Rather than that.'
In any case, what was more important was that I had kept the words I had spoken.
"Did I not say? Since I am here, you all need not worry."
...If I hadn't kept it, I really would have died of embarrassment.
Through experience, I had clearly realized.
That I couldn't correct my actions overlaid with the dark history called Granfel.
Even in a life-threatening crisis.
My upright head proved that.
So that meant I had no choice but to adapt.
Fortunately, it seemed my adaptability was quite decent.
"Sob. Thank you. Really. This favor, I will definitely..."
"Hyung, are you okay? Goodness, what on earth happened..."
"Whew. That's a relief. Really."
"Wow. Incredible...!!"
The burdensome gazes pouring toward me.
Those eyes that seemed to look up to me.
I was accepting them as if nothing.
As if such reactions were natural.
I just thought.
'Talk about manners.'
The saying that young people these days have no manners, didn't come out for no reason, I tell you?
*****
Title: Today's Line 4 rift clear review!! ><
Author: Jeong Yeonie
Content: Today's clear almost became a disaster…
The party leader got possessed by an imp…I really thought our whole party would be wiped out… But there was an incredibly strong person among the party members who just beat down the imp and we survived!! The party leader was crying and apologizing and thanking.
****
Comments:
─Military service completed high school girl concept troll Jeong Yeonie is here again lol Now you're not satisfied with the concept act, so you're making stuff up too?
─If you're going to make stuff up, at least put some effort into it Jeong-yeon. Even so, isn't the story of catching an imp in a gnoll party too lacking in plausibility?
─At least give them a name or something, you just say party member lol
─Excuse me, it's really not made up okay ㅡㅡ? And I wanted to ask for their name too... Really you guys would know if you saw them, I couldn't easily approach to talk... How should I say it? Like they had this aura?! It felt like their eye level itself was different from ours???
-??? What bullshit is this
Level 368.
Player Ranking 11th.
Nam Tae-min let out a hollow
laugh while reading the post.
"So hyung. You want me to believe this? Really?"
In front of him was his real older brother, Nam Cheol-min.
"Yeah. It's real."
Nam Cheol-min's face was completely serious.
"I'm that party leader who got possessed by the imp."
"Wh-what?"
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