Chapter 70
‘The Demon King….’
A dark night.
The dust that had filled the air had finally settled.
Eric, with Gregorius’s help, had defeated Squalor alongside Leona.
He had already achieved enough glory with this single act and was about to leave the battlefield with his legs shattered and broken from the fragments.
But suddenly, a hunched old man appeared right in front of him. Eric swallowed hard at the unpleasantly damp, repulsive aura emanating from the familiar figure.
‘I hoped I wouldn’t have to face him. And now this damn rat, who had been secretly helping a Named from behind the scenes, is stepping in personally.’
One of the Twelve Demon Kings, rulers of the treacherous lands beyond the border where powerful monsters roamed.
A creature that in the game could only be seen in the late stages, now appearing when the great war had yet to even begin.
‘Did he come to take revenge because I just defeated his most cherished Named? …No. Even if the Demon King favors Squalor, he’s never revealed himself just because someone under him was taken down. Unless he had been on the battlefield from the start…’
Caught off guard, Eric’s mind grew uneasy, and his lips went dry.
Whatever reason the great Demon King had for coming personally, the feeling was far from comforting.
‘Damn… I should have anticipated the possibility of this happening once the unprecedented battle began.’
<King of All Filth, Deformitas>
Level: 70
Strength [60]
Agility [170]
Stamina [80]
Mana [400]
Traits: <Demon King’s Child>, , ,
An opponent impossible to resist.
Eric cautiously checked the Demon King’s stats and, finding them much as he expected, pressed his lips together.
Overwhelmingly powerful, far beyond what he, Leona, or even the Duke from the previous great war could handle alone.
Fortunately, the Demon King hadn’t come to kill him—at least, he seemed interested in something else.
Had he come solely to avenge Squalor, Eric’s head would have been gone before he even realized it.
“Child, come with me. I will give you strength.”
For a moment, Eric was stunned as the Demon King spoke calmly.
Was this what Ratenfinger meant when he said some Demon Kings were watching him?
“What did that detestable goddess give you? A hero of the order, you say? Ridiculous! When everyone around you treated you harshly as an incompetent, that was fine, but now you call yourself a hero?”
Despite being the leader of a terrifying monster army, the Demon King’s face was gentle, almost human. He extended his hand with a sincerity that could easily deceive someone long disregarded as powerless.
Of course, Eric was no ordinary powerless person.
“Come to me. I will fill your empty vessel with water.”
Smiling faintly, arms spread wide, the Demon King waited. Eric glanced to the side and replied quietly:
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
He had heard stories of some Demon Kings sharing their power with incompetents to raise them to Named status. Though he had never seen it, heroes from the previous great war occasionally mentioned it. Ratenfinger himself had reportedly been an incompetent servant under Gregorius before being raised.
“But I wasn’t mistreated for being incompetent.”
Still, he had no intention of becoming a Named. To clear the quest ‘Protect Humanity,’ he had to defeat all the Demon Kings first.
And talking about injustices he had suffered as a powerless person didn’t resonate, since this body had never truly been his. Given its past, he likely would have been ignored regardless of competence.
“…I see.”
The Demon King nodded bitterly at his firm refusal.
“That’s fine. You’ll like it anyway.”
Then, as if he hadn’t considered Eric’s wishes at all, the Demon King reached toward him.
Whoosh—
Thunk—
“Ugh!”
Eric was pulled back by someone grabbing his collar, pain shooting up his legs.
“Are you okay? Any injuries?”
Gregorius’s familiar voice came from beside him. Eric turned to see him examining his battered legs with a concerned look. He smiled wryly.
“Do I look okay? I’m dying here. Please, treat this quickly.”
“…Judging by your words, you seem fine.”
Feigning agony, Eric pointed to his ruined legs. Gregorius, muttering as if his concern had been unnecessary, channeled his holy power to heal the wounds.
“Ah, so that foul smell is from a rat sneaking onto the battlefield.”
While Gregorius tended to his injuries, Austin, the Duke, who had grabbed Eric’s collar, glared at the Demon King with an annoyed expression.
“Tsk, there are rats all around. Why make a fuss?”
The Demon King replied casually, then turned his gaze to Austin.
“It’s been a while. That reckless boy has grown quite sensible.”
Though time had left its mark, the young man’s sharp features were once familiar and endearing.
Austin Ather. During the last great war, he had repeatedly thwarted the ambitions of the Twelve Demon Kings.
The Demon King, locking eyes briefly with the Duke, then surveyed the human heroes surrounding him and spoke in a regretful tone.
“…It seems today is not my day. I’ve seen the faces I wished to see, so I shall leave.”
“Who said you could leave freely?”
Austin frowned at the arrogant remark and raised a hand.
“Young hero of the order, if you ever change your mind, whisper to any rat, and I shall come to meet you.”
Ignoring the other heroes aiming weapons at him, the Demon King addressed Eric.
“Even in death, do not let those rats come near me.”
“Tsk, tsk, bold one.”
With a clear refusal, the Demon King chuckled and turned away.
Rumble—
Crash—
Bubbles formed around him, and then he collapsed into a heap of filth on the ground.
“Eric.”
“Yes, Father.”
Austin, who had been inspecting the spot where the Demon King had stood, turned to Eric.
“Well done.”
He patted Eric gently on the shoulder, then led the knights back toward the fortress. Eric slowly surveyed the area.
The rat horde had withdrawn and vanished. The battle with the Demon King’s forces had ended.
“So, Father, did you defeat another Named?”
“It was thanks to Lady Leona and everyone else helping. I only finished it off.”
After the battle, Eric headed to the Northern Diocese with Gregorius. He parted from the old man, still awaiting trial due to potential Demon King attacks, and then proceeded with the rest to the Duke’s estate.
“Well, at least it’s done! Right, Lady Leona?”
“That’s correct. If Father hadn’t restrained the Named, I couldn’t have approached, nor held out until Lillian recovered to prepare magic.”
In the spacious carriage, Eric smiled sheepishly as Lillian inquired about his actions while he had been unconscious.
“Restrained it? Did you… use it?”
“Use it? What are you talking about?”
“…Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I mean.”
Malefica quietly addressed him, likely referring to the skill he had displayed in the Moonlit Forest.
“Don’t worry. No one will know.”
Eric replied confidently. The battlefield was chaotic with countless rats and blinding snow and dust. No one could have seen him use . Even Leona, who fought alongside him against Squalor, seemed unaware.
‘Some might question a powerless person fighting a Named, but no one would dare voice it. After all, I’m the hero of this battle.’
Ding—
[Named Monster, <Ferocious Rat, Squalor> defeated.]
[Body adapts to torn muscles.]
[Strength increased by 4.]
[Body adapts to explosive movement.]
[Agility increased by 2.]
[Body adapts to ongoing limits.]
[Stamina increased by 5.]
[Body adapts to intense mysticism.]
[Mana increased by 4.]
Eric, proud, reviewed the rewards from defeating Squalor.
The stat increases were higher than when he had defeated Ratenfinger in the old diocese—a total increase of 15 points. His efforts had clearly paid off.
[Giant Killing!]
[Reward granted to the hero achieving an unfathomable feat.]
[Choose one of the following traits.]
,
Seeing the ‘Giant Killing’ option, he decisively chose the right-hand option:
. Given that Squalor had been restrained during the fight due to this, it might seem similar, but it was a valuable trait. Not feeling pain in life-or-death situations was a huge advantage.
‘Unlike , which can be hidden, can’t be concealed once injured.’
Level: -99
Strength [11] → [15]
Agility [11] → [13]
Stamina [15] → [20]
Mana [8] → [12]
Traits: , , , , ,
After confirming the rewards, Eric rested briefly. Upon arriving at the mansion and stepping down from the carriage, he was greeted by the steward at the front gate.
“Welcome, Father. I heard you performed exceptionally on the battlefield.”
The knights lined up inside the gate. Some still looked skeptical, but most bowed respectfully to welcome the house’s heir.
Eric had gained recognition for his role in the war. Even if he had once been seen as a useless scoundrel, they had witnessed him confronting a Named.
‘It’s convenient that the North values skill above all else.’
“Where are Allen and Ivan?”
“Prince Allen hasn’t returned yet. Prince Ivan arrived a moment ago and went to his room.”
Eric nodded quietly at the answer. Allen probably had his own matters. Ivan was likely venting in his room, still resentful that Eric had gained merit while he hadn’t.
“And Father?”
The answer brought a satisfied smile. Though he didn’t come personally to the gate,
“He’s waiting for you in his office.”
The fact that his father was specifically waiting for him showed that Eric was beginning to earn real recognition.
