Chapter 5…..
Judging by the fact that they dared to enter my dungeon armed with weapons, those people were one hundred percent Hunters from Korea.
The way they moved toward me resembled beasts waiting for the right moment to pounce.
Fortunately, the ones who dared step into my dungeon were so sloppy they couldn’t even hide their presence properly.
At best… they were probably an average D-rank guild?
Even for someone like me, who knew nothing about Hunters, D-rank was far too easy an opponent.
But what about Han Hyun-jin, that so-called S-rank?
The protagonist of this novel.
Thinking about how insignificant this guild’s existence was, idle thoughts trailed endlessly through my mind.
Meanwhile, those bastards kept inching closer.
Alright, I’d decided.
I’d capture them, torture them, and squeeze out all the information about Earth and Han Hyun-jin.
And by torture… I didn’t mean death. I meant tickling them until they begged for death, clipping all but one fingernail so the uneven sensation would drive them mad, leaving strawberry seeds stuck between their gums, making them stub only their pinky toes on door frames, getting their hair caught in umbrella hinges… that kind of torture.
Feigning ignorance, I simply waited for them to get close.
And then—
“Die, Demon King!”
Through the opening in his mask, I saw what looked like the guild master, a middle-aged man, charging straight at me.
A spear? Please. Deflecting that with my shadows would be child’s play.
I could see its trajectory clear as day.
The moment I flicked my hand to move my shadows—
A green body suddenly leapt in front of me.
“!”
I shot to my feet as that green body collapsed at my feet.
Caught off guard, I instinctively caught the orc as it fell onto the grass.
“Orc?”
“Ughh… Demon King, sir…”
I turned it over and saw its left arm skewered by the spear.
Blood.
Thick, green blood gushed out.
In its right hand, the orc still clutched a rag tightly, as if it had rushed here straight from wiping the windows of the Demon King’s castle.
While I was holding the wounded orc, two more orcs and Gyu came running frantically from the castle.
Across from us, the shabby guild stood frozen, staring in confusion.
“W-what the hell? Why did a low-level monster suddenly interfere?”
“It’s weird, but… who cares? Let’s just kill everything and go back.”
Suddenly, a blazing heat surged through my chest, spreading to my head until it felt like it was boiling.
The guild members, overwhelmed by the black aura I released, dropped like flies onto the grass.
“U-ugh… what is this…?”
Their faces turned pale as they gasped for breath.
Watching them, I slowly rose to my feet.
The shadows rippled behind me, twisting into sharp, spear-like points.
With every step I took toward them, the Hunters scrambled backward on hands and knees, barely managing to crawl away.
One of them clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.
Boiling rage swallowed me whole.
I was living peacefully, and they tried to skewer me with a spear?
They dared step foot onto my land?
They attacked someone who hadn’t done a single thing wrong?
The orc’s pained groans behind me grated on my ears.
So irritating that the only way I’d feel any relief was to repay them in kind.
I couldn’t think rationally anymore.
It felt like I was being consumed by an unseen darkness.
I reached toward the man lying on the grass, dazed and staring up at me.
Just as I was about to crush his head in my grip—
“Kyuu.”
Gyu climbed onto the guild master’s knee, blocking my way.
Through my mask, I looked at him.
“Kyuu.”
He was telling me no.
That I mustn’t kill them.
…Why?
I’m the Demon King.
I froze mid-motion, staring at Gyu.
His eyes.
I hadn’t noticed before, but his pupils were yellow.
And strangely… they carried a familiar warmth.
Seeing those bright lemon-yellow eyes filled me with an odd sense of joy.
My burning anger gradually subsided.
Ignoring the terrified guild master, I lifted Gyu into my arms.
“Fine. I won’t kill them.”
There must be a reason you’re stopping me.
Sunlight shone through his translucent blue slime body.
“Kurururu.”
Gyu let out a happy little sound.
Instead of killing the Hunters, I bound their bodies with shadows and knocked them unconscious one by one, tossing them out through the gate.
Even though I didn’t kill them, just roughing them up was enough to snuff out my rage completely.
When I returned, I found the two orcs circling around the one who’d been speared.
Gyu came back carrying some herbs in his mouth.
“He says to apply this to the wound.”
“Th-that’s such a precious herb!”
The orcs exclaimed in shock.
…Precious?
I had no idea.
Gyu had just picked it and brought it back in his mouth.
To me, it looked like a random weed.
“You don’t have to do this, Demon King. Just leave it, or we’ll take him back to the village and…”
“And what? You think that chief of yours, who doesn’t even give you food, will give you medicine?”
At my sharp question, the speared orc finally broke into tears.
Salty drops ran down its green temple.
Honestly, it wasn’t a pretty sight.
“Hey, come on. You’re a grown man, crying over this?!”
“Actually… I’m female-bodied…”
“Ahem! Ahem!”
Regardless of their teary eyes, I carefully removed the spear and stopped the bleeding.
According to Gyu, the herb he brought back was an ingredient used to make healing potions.
That must have been what the Hunters were after.
They probably intended to wipe out me, the boss, and the orcs, and claim this dungeon as their own.
…Would every day from now on be like this?
The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Still, just pressing the herbs onto the wound already had an effect.
The orc’s complexion gradually improved.
“Th-thank you, Demon King.”
“It’s fine.”
You got hurt in my place, so this much I can do.
Of course, I could’ve blocked that spear with my eyes closed, but still!
“What you did was foolish.”
“Yes… we know.”
“I won’t give you any reward.”
“We’re not expecting one.”
“What?!”
“Y-yes?”
“Why aren’t you? Why wouldn’t you expect anything?! Unbelievable! You threw yourself in the way, and now you act like you don’t want anything? What are you, saints?! Why don’t you want anything?!”
“…”
“You look like you don’t even know how to answer.”
“N-no, not at all.”
Our awkward conversation ended, and the two orcs helped their injured comrade to his feet before bowing to me.
“Um, sorry… we’ll come back later to finish cleaning, Demon King.”
“Fine.”
I wasn’t cruel enough to demand cleaning when one of them had a hole in their arm.
What did they take me for?
“Wait.”
Hesitating, I stopped them one last time.
“…Do you really not want anything?”
At my question, the three orcs’ eyes flickered.
Honestly, I already knew what they wanted.
I was just pretending not to.
Surely, rather than return to that tyrant of a chief who gave them neither food nor medicine, they would want to stay here instead.
They’re going to ask me to let them live here, aren’t they?
After all, everyone longs for a comfortable home, abundant food, and clean water.
It’s natural to want to live like a proper being.
I looked at the orcs, already knowing the answer.
To be honest, I hated hassle. I’d lived alone for so long, I had no interest in adding mouths to feed.
But they saved me, didn’t they?
Even if I could’ve handled that pathetic guild effortlessly, I couldn’t stop picturing that orc throwing itself in front of me.
Fine. If they ask, I’ll just pretend I can’t refuse. It’s not because I’m soft-hearted or anything…
“Yes, we want nothing.”
“…? What did you say?”
Did I hear wrong?
Eyes wide, I looked at the orcs, but they only smiled awkwardly.
“Truly, we ask for nothing, Demon King.”
…Even without looking, I could feel the cracks forming across my face.
Their answer was clean. Too clean.
So clean it almost felt cold.
Cold enough to leave me… a little disappointed.
I stared at them in disbelief, but they only bowed shyly in thanks before heading back to the orc dungeon.
With nothing more than a bit of herb treatment.
Back to the den of their so-called chief who starved, beat, and denied them medicine.
“…This isn’t how it was supposed to go.”
A desolate wind blew through the dungeon I’d been left alone in.
Trembling, I scooped Gyu up from the ground and hugged him tight against my chest.
“Damn it…”
I felt awful.
The sight of the orcs trudging back, shoulders slumped, kept replaying in my mind.
