264 – Dungeon and Nymph: Nymph’s Journey #7
Demon.
In some ways, they were more well-known beings than fairies like elves or nymphs.
They were wicked beings that delighted in causing pain to others, making life a nightmare for people.
That was a demon.
“A room from which you cannot exit unless you are an odd number.”
As I observed the rules of the new room, I realized once again that this Demon King’s castle was a place akin to the hell where those demons lurked.
It was a truly terrible rule.
“Is it really that you can only exit if you are an odd number? What a dreadful rule.”
Yu Ara and I.
Two people.
We were an even number.
This meant that for one of us to become odd, one person had to disappear.
“It seems that it means only one person can escape from this room by fighting each other to survive.”
The room was equipped with swords, maces, shields, and so on.
They were stained with blood and looked like they had been used by someone.
Many people must have become ‘odd’ in this room.
Did the demons toy with the hostages we had captured from the Pilgrim Village in this way?
“Those cowardly demons.”
I trembled with an uncontrollable fury. Unlike elves or nymphs, it seemed impossible for demons and humans to coexist.
Yu Ara spoke.
“It seems we have no choice but to decide.”
Suddenly—
I felt the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
It was an intense tension that can be said to have sharpened my nerves.
The “decision” that Ari was talking about must have multiple meanings.
Only an odd number can survive.
In that moment, I envisioned a scene where Ari and I would fight.
Without Kkungkkungi, Ahn Ahn, or Bang Bang around, 100 out of 100, I would lose.
However—
Ari calmly spoke.
“Be sure to get outside. Try to become an S-ranker as well.”
“……!”
I realized Ari was trying to send me out.
And this was a huge shock for me.
“Why? You want to let me go?”
“I promised, didn’t I? No matter what happens, I will make sure to return you home safely, Ildo. The world needs more brilliant heroes like you than someone like me.”
Ari’s determination felt genuine.
To go so far as to risk her life to send me out.
It reminded me of Kang Cheol-Min, who reached out to the control device of a reactor that was collapsing, betting his life.
And it was the moment I recalled where, without hesitation, I had jumped toward the ‘Superconductor Dragon’ to save people at the cost of my own life.
“Someone once said that the duty of the Awakened is to protect good and innocent people. And that even the good deeds that no one recognizes can eventually be rewarded.”
“But…”
“In exchange, please remember me. Forever.”
Saying these words, Ari drew a sword and held it out to me.
I shut my eyes tightly.
Could I fall into the demon’s trap like this?
According to Kira’s MTube, demon-type monsters are skilled in deception!
Deception.
Perhaps even if I became odd, there was no guarantee that the door would open. It could be that the next room is another “room that can only be exited if it’s an even number.”
Could I really be led around like this?
Being led around—.
Like Kkungkkungi, who was being tossed around and tormented by females….
Kkungkkungi….
Females and males…!?
“Ah!”
A crackle—!
At that moment, something brushed through my mind.
Right.
There was more than one way to become odd!
“From now on, listen carefully to what I say. We’re unlucky, but I don’t necessarily think we can only say we’re unlucky. There is not just one way to become odd.”
“Yes?”
“I’m male, and you’re female. I really regret having to say this, and you might misunderstand or be disappointed, but… well… males and females can… be counted… right?”
I spoke with a hint of pride, but my face was flushed, and my heart was racing.
I couldn’t even understand what I was saying.
Ari said.
“Are you suggesting we should increase the number with addition instead of subtraction?”
“That’s correct. I’m not sure if it would work, but we should at least try something rather than lose our lives, right? Of course, it might turn out to be more shameful than dying….”
I said, but it was a moment that made everything in front of me dizzy in various ways.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the news reported, “Famous Awakened Haildo commits a terrible act against his female junior!”
Fwhoosh—.
At that moment, steam spewed from the purification cartridge of the helmet Ari was wearing.
“Hah, wah, wah…!”
Ari, sounding very flustered.
“I-I never thought of that…! If Ildo thinks we have to do it that way, then I think there’s enough value in trying it…! I-I don’t know…!”
Whoosh—.
Yu Ara, holding her mask with both hands, was hiding her face.
“But, that’s my first time…! And you must… take responsibility…! Absolutely…!”
“I’m also… a first-timer…. And I will surely take responsibility….”
I also wanted to hide my face for various reasons.
If there was a mouse hole, I would want to crawl inside.
Was there no hidden clue like in the last room?
“No, wait a minute.”
Mouse hole.
I felt like lightning was striking in my head.
There was a mouse hole in the last room.
There was a clue inside it.
These walls were largely very solid, and even if Ari and I struck them with our fists, they would still be strong enough to remain intact.
But why was there a mouse hole in the last room?
“Oh.”
I looked over the walls again, realizing something!
Yu Ara felt dizzy.
Her heartbeat was so loud she worried it might echo outside.
Whew—.
The suit’s temperature control function was puffing steam to cool down Yu Ara’s heated body.
“Becoming odd with the senior! Increasing with addition instead of subtraction! No, to be precise, we will add and then subtract…!”
Yu Ara was grateful for the mask she was wearing.
She didn’t need to show her expression to the other person.
However, Haildo stood up, pressed his nose against the wall, and sniffed—.
“What are you doing? We should hurry and do the addition…! To become odd…!”
“No. I might not need to do that. I believe there are some spots among these walls that are soft enough for us to break through.”
“Really?”
Ari was slightly flustered.
What on earth was that man saying?
“There are soft spots in the wall. I’ve looked around based on intuition, but there weren’t any such spots.”
“No. There definitely are. I can smell something from this area. The scent here is distinctly different from the other spots.”
Whoosh—.
When Haildo hit one wall with his fist, it crumbled parched—.
“See? It’s real, right?”
Yu Ara was taken aback.
“That’s something I couldn’t even sense myself? Could it be that Ildo-senpai’s sense has developed to surpass my extrasensory perception? That’s amazing. Truly amazing, but….”
Yu Ara felt a mix of happiness for Haildo’s growth and achievements, along with disappointment and anger. She felt like pouting.
Puffing her cheeks, Yu Ara was sulking, but Haildo, unable to read her expression hidden by the mask, was smiling brightly and shouting.
“It seems we can escape without needing to become odd! If we break this part a little more! If we break here, it seems it will collapse…. Whoa!”
Rumble-! Crash-!
The collapsing wall.
Haildo admired the fact.
“It really is true, as the doctor said, that there are ‘weaknesses’ in all things under heaven! Seeing the wind blowing through, it seems certain this is a path to go outside!”
“…….”
Haildo continued to break the walls with his hands and feet to widen the hole.
The exposed corridor.
In front of it were iron bars filled with people who were locked inside.
There was also one owl among the imprisoned.
It was a notably large Great Horned Owl named Bong Bong Kalilnoi.
“Kalilnoi! And next to him—it’s that little one, Lee Ji-Hoo! There are a lot of other people locked up! Are these the hostages captured from the Pilgrim Village?”
“Ah, uncle…!”
Haildo ran towards the iron bars.
Yu Ara, peeking through the mask, drew the sword she held in her hand and went outside to slash the bars.
Shashak-.
The iron door split easily, and the imprisoned owl and the little one escaped.
“Kalilnoi, Lee Ji-Hoo! Do you know how much trouble we’ve gone through to find you?”
Haildo hugged the owl and the little one tightly.
Seeing this, Yu Ara had a lot of words she wanted to say, but she soon burst out with a smirk—
As expected, she thought that such things suited the man Haildo.
Suddenly—
Yu Ara’s nape vibrated.
Kwaaaaaang-!
With a loud explosion, the prison shook.
Through the melting walls, someone appeared.
“Haildo, were you here doing this?”
It was Seo Ye-rim, holding a peculiar stick. It looked sharp and black, resembling a spear and seemed to be infused with intense magical power.
Yu Ara determined that it was at least a “national treasure-grade artifact” as the nymphs raised their hands and rushed toward Haildo.
“We have found the master of the house…!”
“Nice to meet you…!”
In the suddenly lively atmosphere, Yu Ara let out a small sigh.
Soon, Seo Ye-rim came up to Yu Ara and asked.
“Everything’s alright, right? Well, there wouldn’t be anything major? Rather, have you seen the Demon King that ran off to this place? It’s the one that left just its tail behind. I think it’s better to catch it quickly, no matter where it is or what it’s doing.”
Swish—.
Seo Ye-rim pointed the Demon King’s tail around like a needle on a compass.
“This tail points to where Demon King Barbatos is.”
Before long, the rowdy group had roamed around the Demon King’s castle.
And finally, Imp Buruburu appeared and blocked their path.
“You shall not pass even one step for Lord Juin…! I, Imp Buruburu, shall protect Lord Juin…! Imp Technique, Spewing Fire…!”
Whoosh-.
Imp Buruburu blew fire.
Of course, the nymphs used “Nymph Technique, Double Tidal Water”…! to wash away Imp Buruburu.
Imp Buruburu got completely drenched and fell to the ground.
“Yikes…! It’s so cold…!”
“Is it a nymph with a tail…! Even when looking again, it’s extremely disgusting indeed…! This is something that violates the rules of the world…! We shall beat it senseless…!”
“We should pull out its tail…! If we yank on it, it will surely come out…! If the tail comes out, we might become nymph sisters…!”
The nymphs pounced on Imp Buruburu and grabbed the tail attached to its backside.
Soon Imp Buruburu cried out, showing a pained expression.
“Yikes…! Buruburu’s tail is a precious gift from Lord Juin…! You must not pull it off…! Otherwise, I’ll become no different from a nymph without a tail…!”
Although Imp Buruburu struggled, it could not withstand the two enraged nymphs.
Would the tail really be pulled off like this?
As everyone watched with bated breath, someone emerged from the end of the corridor.
“Hey, stop! Your opponent is not that little imp but me!”
It was a woman with horns on her head.
She was very small, similar in size to the nymph Illinois or Inoi.
Her face looked like that of a young girl.
Seo Ye-rim frowned at the sight.
“Demon King? But you’re much smaller than before, right? Is it because this tail has been pulled?”
Demon King Barbatos.
She appeared shrunk, resembling small nymphs.
Except for the horns on her head, she looked similar to a nymph, and Inoi raised both hands as if feeling something.
“Ahh—! It feels very similar to the nymph sisters…!”
“Of course. Our imps were originally nature fairies or elementals. We have been called demons for quite some time now… May I tell you a story?”
Demon King Barbatos’s expression was serious.
She looked somewhat pitiful.
“We were originally small fairies. But as the faith of light came in, they started to drive us out and discriminate against us, and we became tailed demons. We were originally good….”
“Lord Juin…! You must hurry and escape…!”
Demon King Barbatos and little Imp Buruburu embraced each other.
“Could this be what it means to be a victim who becomes a perpetrator?”
As I watched the imps embrace affectionately, Haildo felt a pang in his nose when Illinois spoke.
“Why on earth are you trying to suddenly switch to melodrama…? I, Illinois, cannot tolerate villains trying to evoke sympathy through melodrama…!”
“This Inoi, being a hero, does not talk or compromise with evil…! In that sense, let’s beat that bad Demon King to a pulp…!”
“Of course…! America and I, Illinois, will not negotiate with terrorists in any situation…! May the vengeance of the Twin Towers fall upon you…!”
Tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat—.
“Ahhh~”
“Yikes…!”
The Demon King and that Imp Buruburu were thus bound.
We headed back to the Pilgrim Village with the captured hostages and bound Demon King, and the villagers who were waiting for us couldn’t help but be astonished.
“We’ve captured the Demon King!”
“We’re free…! We can finally escape…!”
