A drizzling rain fell at dawn.
Veteran mercenaries joining the demon extermination team gathered at the Southern Gate bus stop, each wrapped in thick hoods to maintain body heat. Yuric also appeared with a large bundle slung over his shoulder.
Including Yuric, it didn’t take long for the total of eight mercenaries to assemble. Everyone seemed to have suffered from some sleeplessness due to tension, as when one person yawned, it spread like a contagious illness to the entire group.
As Yuric was checking the headcount for the second time, six carriages approached from the city side. The lead carriage stopped, and a man and woman stepped out – two members of the Court Mage Corps. One was an unknown male, and the other was Female Mage Sarahane.
The male and Sarahane approached Yuric. She introduced the male as Mr. Bolton, who would be leading the Court Mage Corps this time.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Bolton.”
“Likewise, Mr. Yuric. I’ve heard much about your reputation.”
“It’s an honor. Please treat me well.”
“Let’s work together successfully.”
Two knights then descended from the rear carriage. They were notably large, clearly possessing physical superiority over ordinary men.
They approached the mercenary and court mage groups and introduced themselves.
“I’m Rohoman, leading the knight squad this time. This is Grownedar.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Rohoman, Mr. Grownedar.”
After brief introductions, Yuric signaled the mercenaries standing in the drizzle to board the rear carriages. Once they all boarded, filling one carriage completely,
The signal to depart was given, and the six carriages began moving powerfully down the road. Yuric quietly watched the city fade into the rain.
“It’s said to be lucky to move on rainy days.”
When Rorguild, fidgeting with an amulet, said this, the superstitious mercenaries felt somewhat reassured.
The drizzle soon ceased, the dark clouds parted, and beams of light streamed through. The scene looked incredibly sacred. Yuric quickly sketched the view onto paper without missing a moment.
After traveling for two days, the demon extermination team arrived at the first village. On the third morning, they set off toward the second village immediately after dawn. This second village was their destination where demons had been sighted.
Of course, since the demon might still be slowly advancing, the extermination team was fully prepared to fight at any moment while aboard the carriages. In fact, even if it weren’t a demon, it was a position where a monster pack could suddenly appear at any time.
And as expected, a monster pack attacked the carriages once. It was Fellowte fattening up for winter.
“Well, this is good timing. My body was feeling a bit stiff anyway.”
However, to veteran mercenaries, Fellowtes were no different from large wild dogs. There was no need for the knight squad or the court mage corps to intervene. Rorguild, Grahd, Kira, and Ainon wiped out more than ten Fellowtes in an instant. Especially Grahd displayed a furious axe swing.
Thus, spending a tense third night on the dirt ground, the extermination team welcomed the fourth morning.
Court Mage Sarahane mentioned that if they hurried a little, they might arrive at their destination by evening. And from the moment the village came into view, it would already be within the demon’s range.
“Velodin, use detection magic periodically.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Yuric also spread mana to check the surroundings from time to time.
As they approached the Demon Mine relatively closer, the air felt even more ominous than before.
The mercenaries, who had been exchanging idle jokes, fell silent at some point. Each gripping their weapons tightly, they rolled their eyes anxiously.
Though it wasn’t raining, the sky remained gloomy. Yuric thought that if it weren’t for the rain, such weather might be preferable.
At noon, the carriages stopped, and the extermination team took a long break. They nibbled on dried meat whenever they had a chance to replenish their energy.
Sarahane instructed them to prepare for battle as they would approach the village in the afternoon. Yuric relayed her words verbatim to the mercenaries and explained again how to organize the ranks so that magic could be used sequentially.
The key was to continuously bombard the demon with magic.
“If there are two demons, we’ll split into two teams led by Joe.”
Teams 1 and 2 had been predetermined.
After the noon break ended, the extermination team boarded the carriages again and moved forward.
Sometime later, they spotted a fallen corpse on the road. Judging by the insignia, it was from the reconnaissance team. Badly injured, they had continued walking until collapsing and eventually dying. Due to having been lying there for over twenty days, the corpse was significantly decomposed.
“Has it been almost a month? Is the demon still there?”
“If they’ve already left, we must begin tracking again.”
As Sarahane predicted, the extermination team reached the village before evening but found no sign of the demon.
The village was completely destroyed along with the bodies. The burnt corpses were impossible to distinguish as villagers, reconnaissance team, or extermination team members.
Fortunately, there was a skilled individual in the court mage corps in detection magic. He worked tirelessly alongside Velodin to find traces of the demon. Given the fierce battle that had occurred, it wasn’t difficult to locate the demon’s trail using magic.
“This way.”
“Where does this lead?”
The court mages unfolded a prepared map. According to the direction indicated by the two mages using detection magic, it was northeast. There was another village two days away in that direction.
“Let’s stay here tonight and set off early tomorrow.”
Thus, the extermination team camped slightly away from the ruined village. At dawn the next day, they filled their stomachs and began tracking the demon.
On the second noon after starting the pursuit, they spotted a thin column of smoke rising far away. It was coming from the direction of the village.
The extermination team confirmed that the demon was present in the village. Yuric informed the mercenaries that a battle would soon commence.
“You cannot afford to lose focus for even a moment. Concentrate solely on the battle.”
Gradually, the village came into their view. Some villagers fleeing in various directions happened to come across the extermination team’s carriages.
“Help us! Help us, sir!”
Court Mage Bolton stepped down from the carriage to calm the people and inquire about the situation.
“Suddenly, a demon appeared and started destroying the village…”
“How many demons were there?”
“It was too chaotic…I don’t know exactly…”
The villagers were half-dazed, having barely managed to save their own lives without taking care of their families. It was understandable given their state.
The extermination team, which had paused momentarily, resumed their journey. The village grew closer.
At a certain distance, the extermination team disembarked from the carriages to prepare for battle.
Yuric could immediately sense the presence of the demon upon stepping down.
‘So, there are indeed two.’
One emitted an ordinary demon aura, but the other radiated an immensely vast energy. …It was undoubtedly not a common demon. Likely, this was why the first extermination team was wiped out.
The court mage corps seemed to have noticed there were two enemies and quickly divided their group.
“We’ll split according to the plan. Mr. Grahd, please join this side.”
Following the planned division, Yuric split the mercenary squad into two groups but changed Grahd’s assignment from Team 2 to Team 1. It seemed Team 1 would face a more intense battle compared to Team 2.
Thus, the extermination team split into two and moved accordingly. Team 1 consisted of five mercenaries, two court mages, and two knights, making nine members, while Team 2 comprised three mercenaries, two court mages, and two knights, totaling seven members.
In fact, Team 2 wasn’t a major concern. All its members were veterans among veterans, capable enough to handle an ordinary demon.
However, the demon assigned to Team 1 was not someone seen frequently. Clearly, it was far superior to an average demon.
Yuric’s index finger heated up to an astonishing degree, spreading warmth throughout his body. His senses sharpened more than ever before.
“Huff… Huff…”
He even activated Fertika. At this moment, he felt the need to unleash all his skills.
Everyone around him was surprised by the immense energy. This was truly the real form of a Dragon Knight—completely opposite to the usually easygoing and gentle Yuric they knew.
“Team 1 is entering. Get ready.”
Team 1 entered the village. Horrific corpses lay scattered across the streets. The volunteer militia had tried their best to defend against the attack, but a demon assault was essentially a disaster. Still, thanks to their sacrifices, some villagers managed to escape with their lives.
Yuric was enraged.
His heart burned with fury towards the demon.
I will,
end you here.
An enormous amount of mana swirled around Yuric’s entire body. With every step he took, small cracks formed on the ground beneath him.
And finally,
the demon revealed itself.
Despite causing such horrific massacres, the demon stood calmly as if it had merely squashed insignificant insects.
The tall and robust demon stared intently at Yuric, as if recognizing him.
“…The Finger Mage…”
The demon summoned an overwhelming amount of energy. The mana was so densely concentrated that the faces of the mages turned pale.
Bolton shouted for everyone to align their formation. Within moments, Team 1 took their respective positions. The knights clad in silver armor covered with magical runes stepped forward with their long swords, representing the top-tier warriors in close combat. While court mages were the supreme experts in magic, these knights were unmatched in melee combat. After decades of refining advanced swordsmanship, the strength of just one knight rivaled that of an entire mercenary squad… though, of course, both knights and mercenaries were equally powerless against a master magician like a demon.
After forming their ranks, Team 1 immediately began casting spells. However, the demon paid them no attention, focusing solely on Yuric with both hands raised.
Right then, Fertika flying overhead fired a powerful mana beam at the demon. The demon effortlessly deflected it with a protective barrier and retaliated by launching a torrent of mana orbs akin to a waterfall.
“!”
The mages hastily erected defensive barriers. Meanwhile, Yuric avoided the attack instead of defending and cast a powerful mass magic above the demon’s head. A colossal mana pillar crashed down, but the demon casually shattered it with a wave of his arm.
Then, the demon spread his arms wide.
Dozens of mana arrows materialized in the sky.
“Oh, crap.”
Team 1 was shocked. They had to construct another defensive barrier to withstand the demon’s magic.
Simultaneously, the mana arrows rained down like hail, exploding upon impact with the ground.
As soon as the demon’s attack ended, Yuric, Grahd, Ainon’s two wooden puppets, and the knights charged forward. Meanwhile, the mages in the second line cast offensive spells.
Once again, the demon created a massive mana blade aimed at Yuric. However, Yuric simply tapped it with his finger, deflecting it aside and gathering an immense amount of mana on his index finger.
In just two leaps, Yuric was already right in front of the demon. The demon instantly erected ten layers of barriers, but Yuric’s index finger tore through them like paper.
“!”
Penetrating the barriers, Yuric’s index finger tore half of the demon’s upper body apart. But Yuric didn’t stop there; he immediately unleashed a powerful mana blast at point-blank range.
However, the demon had already fortified himself with barriers. While piercing through barriers might be difficult, blocking a mana blast was relatively easy.
Right at that moment, the second line completed their spells and bombarded the demon with magic. As Yuric swiftly dodged, a barrage of mana blasts and mana arrows exploded nearby, creating an enormous explosion. Yet, the demon emerged unscathed, looking perfectly fine. Even the damage inflicted by Yuric’s index finger had already healed.
‘The monster is indeed a monster.’
If it had been an ordinary demon, it would have suffered considerable injuries by now, but the opponent appeared largely unchanged from the start.
“Annoying.”
The demon further condensed his dense mana to cast a spell, creating an unimaginably massive mana orb hovering above the heads of the second line.
“Everyone, get out of the way—!”
There was no way a defensive barrier could withstand such an attack. Bolton judged that retreating was the best option.
The second line scattered in all directions within moments and hastily erected barriers. As the mana orb struck, it triggered a tremendous explosion. The shockwave overwhelmed the barriers, sending the mages flying backward. Some had their heads torn open, blood streaming profusely, while others had broken bones, their arms dangling limply.
But seizing this opportunity, the knights surged forward, swinging their swords. Thanks to the multiple enchanted magical runes on their armor and long swords, they could easily slice through several layers of barriers. The knights’ combined attacks were nearly flawless.
“!”
Their swords severed the demon’s arm and pierced its abdomen, yet the demon didn’t flinch.
Then, a massive chunk of mana slammed into the knights, sending them soaring through the air and crashing onto the ground. Although their magical armor protected them from the attack, the shockwave severely disrupted their internal organs, leaving them unable to rise immediately.
While Grahd and Ainon’s remaining wooden puppet tended to the second line, Yuric moved again.
He sprinted at full speed and swung his index finger. …And at that moment, something infiltrated Yuric’s mind.
It was the memory of Finger Mage Titon.
Yuric gradually understood how to better wield his index finger.
‘That’s right…like drawing a picture.’
…?!
The demon sensed that his opponent’s movements had suddenly changed.
Surprisingly, the index finger and mana moved independently, as if they were separate living entities.
In an instant, the demon lost part of its torso and limbs.
He quickly retreated from the spot, regenerated his body, and stretched his hand into the void, grabbing something and scattering it into the sky. Suddenly, a massive eye appeared. It was the highest-level magic the demon could wield: the Eye of Demon.
“!”
As the Eye of Demon locked onto Yuric, he felt a searing pain as if his body was burning. His mana began to violently fluctuate. However, he did not retreat.
At that moment, Fertika fired a powerful mana beam at the Eye of Demon, consuming nearly all the mana it possessed. The beam pierced straight through the Eye.
One of the demon’s eyes burst dramatically. This time, the demon also experienced severe pain.
“Ughh…!”
Clutching his ruptured left eye with his palm, the demon gritted his teeth.
However, the Eye of Demon did not disappear. It continued to disrupt the surrounding mana.
Returning to their positions, the second line somehow cast spells and hurled them at the demon. Mana orbs shot like arrows, colliding with his body and exploding. However, this was insufficient to break through his barriers.
Enduring the pain, Yuric poured all his strength and shouted at the Eye of Demon.
“Explode!”
The Eye of Demon swelled enormously before shrinking again. The demon resisted the verbal magic with all his might. The backlash caused one of his arms to explode. However, the regeneration speed of his arm significantly slowed down.
Right then, Red Axe Grahd charged towards the demon.
“Die, you bastard—!”
Grahd swung his axe with all his might. The axe shattered one layer of barrier and embedded itself deeply into the demon’s shoulder joint. The demon glared at him with his remaining eye. Simultaneously, his right abdomen exploded, spewing a geyser of blood as Grahd collapsed backward.
“Grahd!”
Ainon pulled Grahd by the back of his neck with his remaining wooden puppet. The demon extended his hand to finish Grahd off with a mana orb, but Yuric swiftly moved to block it.
“…You…”
The demon marveled at the Finger Mage’s mental fortitude. He had long realized that Yuric was not the true Finger Mage, but he hadn’t anticipated such resilience.
“I am Tamroel. When you reach hell and the devil asks who sent you, tell him that.”
“I am Yuric. The one falling into hell will be you.”
Yuric gathered all his mana into his index finger and fiercely shot it at the demon.
“!”
The colossal mana beam shattered the barriers and engulfed more than half of the demon’s torso.
When the magic ended, both Yuric and the demon collapsed almost simultaneously. Though the Eye of Demon disappeared, the demon’s body slowly regenerated.
The revived knights attacked the demon’s head, but knowing that losing his head meant true death, the demon protected it with an incredible barrier that was impervious to normal attacks.
Along with Court Mage Bolton and the second-line mages, they pooled all their mana for a final assault. Bolton warned the knights to retreat before bombarding the demon’s head with magic, but ultimately failed to shatter the barrier.
“You shall die now.”
The demon’s neck began regenerating its body. However, his left eye sacrificed for the Eye of Demon spell would require a long time to recover.
The knights exerted all their efforts to try and stop him, but the barrier protecting the demon’s head was beyond imagination in its solidity. That’s why, despite the rest of his body being shredded, only the head could endure.
“This magic has been engraved for five hundred years. Do you think you can possibly penetrate it?”
The demon’s upper body was almost fully regenerated.
And then, Yuric rose again.
“!”
The demon’s spine chilled at the sight of Yuric’s indomitable gaze.
He immediately launched a mana orb, but Yuric’s index finger tore it apart.
The demon attempted to quickly regenerate his body, but Yuric’s mana blade pierced straight through his torso and arms.
“Aaaagh!”
Demon Tamroel stared at Yuric in disbelief.
How could he rise after being reduced to such a state?
Surely, his body should have been completely scorched by the Eye of Demon.
“My behind carries countless heroes. Do not underestimate us, demon.”
Yuric’s index finger glowed blue.
And the index finger pierced through the barrier protecting the demon’s head.
“Bang!”
Cracks appeared on the barrier.
“Enough! Please! Stop—!”
Demon Tamroel cried out in agony.
Yuric thrust his index finger with all his might once more.
And the index finger broke through the barrier, shattering the demon’s skull.
Demon Tamroel slowly disintegrated into particles.
