Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 49

“Ingkaaan!!!”

I slammed a massive sword into the head of the imp that burst out from the bushes.

With that one attack, its head became concave as it collapsed to the ground.

I withdrew my sword and glanced at Helena, who was standing next to me.

It seemed she was heartbroken after I dashed out of the classroom earlier, claiming I had no time.

Helena kept her mouth shut and was wildly swinging her staff, wiping out the demon clan monsters in the contaminated forest.

“Um… So, Helena…”

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

I gaped at Helena, who was openly expressing her feelings.

The woman clad in a red robe with stunning gold patterns had a distinctly different face from Sohee.

Yet, as I watched her casually smile at me, I couldn’t help but think of reality’s Sohee.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t explain in detail earlier due to the hidden quest… and the lack of time.”

It seemed I hadn’t accounted for Helena’s delicate feelings, as she always acted more mature than her age.

Crossing her arms, she turned her head away to show she was sulking, but she was still using magic to help hunt the demons.

Watching her antics made her look really cute.

Had I really spent too much time gaming? I had no clue how middle school girls my age typically spent their time, so it felt difficult to talk to Helena.

Not that my taste was just a bit… very unique.

“Is it because I’ve only been gaming?”

“Yeah.”

Sohee was usually busy, with even a chauffeur to take her around.

I heard rumors that she hardly showed up at school until last year.

“Well, then! After we clear this quest, wanna hang out with me?”

“Where?”

“U-Um… anywhere…”

In that moment, Helena’s previously stiff demeanor melted away to her usual self.

She flashed a soft smile and sent a huge fireball to obliterate the spot where demon clan monsters had just respawned.

Boom!

“Alright.”

Looks like she was finally cool with it.

I strolled through the forest together with Helena.

It seemed like she was genuinely pleased even in this unpleasant, smelly place, as she cheerfully thwacked the imp’s head with her staff.

After casting spells all over, it looked like her mana had run dry.

“Yap!”

With a cute sound, Helena’s staff made the imp’s head flatten out.

That little imp was done for.

Helena couldn’t see the quest drop items, the demon’s heart and blood, that belonged to party member Helena.

She approached me, looking at the demon corpses scattered around.

“How many have you gathered?”

“I’ve got quite a bit. With about another hour, I think we’ll be done.”

Farming together with a party was indeed faster than doing it solo.

I grinned as I looked at the pile of demon hearts and blood in my inventory.

“Is it that good?”

“Yeah, it’s exciting.”

“I can make your heart race too.”

What does she mean by making my heart race?

As I stood there in a daze at Helena’s words, monsters began to respawn behind her.

I immediately swung my sword and dashed forward.

“Hyahhhh!”

Slash! Slash! Boom!

I shouted as I slashed through the bodies of the monsters.

Demon clan monster corpses scattered everywhere, mixing with the crimson blood on the floor.

8:40 PM.

There was still time left before the shutdown.

I finally gazed at the quest window that had completed with a satisfied expression.

“Are we done gathering?”

“Yeah, thanks to you, we gathered quickly.”

“Good. Is that it?”

“No! There’s still more!”

At the mention of more, Helena’s eyebrows twitched, but she nodded.

She was also a player of Deron, so she must have understood how important this quest was.

I headed back with Helena to the capital city to meet in the spot where I had met Nerim.

Nerim was diligently performing her role as a class change NPC, as always.

Just as I got closer, Nerim stood up from her chair.

“Did you gather everything I asked for? No need to say it; I already know. The smell of demon blood reaches here…”

Hehehe.

With her characteristic witch’s eerie laugh, Nerim turned her body and said,

“Follow me; I’ve prepared a altar for you.”

Inside the workshop Nerim entered, a unique portal marking a dungeon was forming.

It seemed like I had to go in there.

“Go ahead. I can’t.”

Helena frowned as she approached the dungeon entrance.

I nodded, leaped into the dungeon entrance.

The interior of the workshop was generally dark.

It looked like a typical witch’s house, often seen in various subcultures.

“Now, come here.”

Following Nerim’s words, I discovered a massive six-pointed star magical formation drawn on the floor.

It seemed drawn with the blood of demon clan members; the formation gave off a faint yet foul sulfur smell.

“Hand over the orb and the offerings.”

As requested by Nerim, I pulled out the quest items and orb to hand them over.

She moved slowly, placing the orb at the center of the formation.

Then she slowly moved to the edge of the formation and began tearing the demon heart she held, letting the blood spill onto the ground.

At that moment, the orb in the center of the formation began to react.

It began to emit an evil energy and absorb the heart pieces and blood.

“Oh, ohhh!”

Having absorbed everything prepared, the orb began to unleash an even more vivid aura.

You could tell without getting close how much stronger the energy within had become.

“How you use it is up to you. But don’t forget your promise to give me what’s left after using that orb.”

Nerim picked up the orb off the ground and handed it to me.

[Awakened Orb of Corruption]

An orb imbued with evil energy.

It can corrupt objects with powerful divine power.

Even the Sun God Sol had succumbed to this power.

Available item [Holy Sword of Sun God Sol]

As expected, this quest was a hidden quest to upgrade Sol’s Holy Sword.

There were no upgrade quests like this one in Deron from another world.

They must not have wanted the first world item to be discarded.

Was there any need to hesitate?

I took out the Holy Sword stored in my inventory and used the orb.

[※Warning: Once corrupted, items cannot be reverted.※]

YES/NO

As the warning message popped up before my eyes, I fell into thought.

If I didn’t have this Holy Sword, I wouldn’t be able to breeze through Crow’s patterns in raids.

But I couldn’t resist. This was an upgrade of a world item.

An item I couldn’t even have in my original world was now in my hands.

Just as I was about to lightly touch the YES button, the orb floated into the air on its own, flying towards the crossguard of the sword and starting to spread evil energy.

Boom boom boom!

The divine power of the Holy Sword clashed with the orb’s corrupt energy.

Yet it was the divine power of the Holy Sword that emitted the stronger force.

At this rate, it seemed like the orb’s energy would dissipate.

But Nerim, who was watching the scene, reached out a hand toward the Holy Sword.

Whoosh!

Infernal mana erupted from Nerim’s hand, enveloping the Holy Sword and starting to assist the corrupt energy.

I raised the Holy Sword high, watching the scene unfold.

The sword made one last desperate attempt at resistance.

The immense divine power within it thrashed out as if it were trying to break free, but it couldn’t overcome Nerim’s infernal mana and the corrupt energy.

[Crack!!!]

It was as if the sword was screaming in agony.

In that moment, a massive light burst silently and scattered in all directions.

“Looks like it’s completed…”

Just as Nerim said, the upgrade of the Holy Sword was finished.

The sword, which had been shedding a soft sunlight divine power, now unleashed corrupt energy, taking on a murky color with the infernal mana infused within it.

The sword didn’t just change in color. It had grown longer, gaining both one-handed and two-handed classifications.

Although the overall image hadn’t changed much, the effects emanating from the sword had intensified, occasionally crackling with lightning sparks that spread around.

In short, it had become incredibly cool.

[The Great Divine Power has Corrupted.]

[The Power of Hell is advancing a step closer.]

World messages circulated once again, just as when I had obtained the Holy Sword of Sun God Sol.

In contrast to before, the messages that appeared twice contained cryptic hints.

[Corrupted Demon Sword – Black Sun]

Strength +170 Health +100 World

Increases max health by 15%.

Increases attack speed by 20%.

Attack power +1250

Bound item.

Increases max damage by 20%.

Level restriction 45

Can activate [Fallen Sun God’s Domain Declaration] once per day.

Can use [Execution] skill.

30% chance to disrupt the target’s health recovery effect on attack with [Black Lightning].

20% chance to reduce the target’s defense on attack.

When equipped, the favorability of NPCs serving the Sun God decreases by 2 stages.

When equipped, the favorability of corrupted beings reaches maximum.

[Fallen Sun God’s Domain Declaration]

Proclaims a wide area as a corrupted domain based on the wearer.

Increases all stats by 25% during the duration and decreases the defense of all enemies within the range.

Duration: 60 seconds.

[Execution]

Executes a target in a low health state, regardless of their remaining health.

Executed targets cannot be revived by priests, and if resurrected by normal means, their stats drop by 10% for 120 seconds.

Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Cannot be used on boss monsters

[Black Lightning]

Drops black lightning upon all targets within a narrow range based on the wearer.

Targets hit by black lightning receive the debuff [Curse of Corruption].

Cooldown: 10 seconds.

[Curse of Corruption]

Decreases health recovery effects by 30% for 5 seconds.

“Wowww…”

The message wasn’t important. The guild chat had started to blow up, but I ignored it all.

Right now, I just wanted to relish this new item.

The demon sword’s options were genuinely incredible.

All I could do was marvel.

I swung the demon sword back and forth, feeling how perfectly it fit in my hands.

Swoosh— swoosh— shaaak.

It felt absolutely great.

There happened to be a large mirror in the workshop, so I made my way over there.

Besides me, there was only an NPC spouting predetermined lines.

Nerim had no understanding of what my behavior signified.

No need to be shy. I took several screenshots, striking poses I hadn’t been able to do while worrying about others’ gazes.

“Looking great…”

The small girl vibe was slightly flawed, but even that looked magnificent.

The crimson vitality flowing from my body blended with the black energy emanating from the sword, creating a truly sinister appearance.

Didn’t I look like a lord of darkness?

Coincidentally, the cloak I wore on my back was also black.

Had I donned a horn-like costume, it would’ve been absolutely perfect.

“Hehehe.”

I wickedly laughed while fluttering the cloak.

“Seems you’re quite satisfied.”

At that moment, a voice pulled me out of my own world.

It was Nerim.

Approaching me, she extended her hand.

She seemed to be asking for the promised reward.

“Hmm, ahem…”

There was no reason to feel embarrassed, yet somehow my cheeks flushed.

Clearing my throat, I handed the now worn-out orb to Nerim.

[Depleted Orb]

An orb that contained powerful corrupt energy.

Now it had lost all of its power.

“That was a satisfying trade.”

Nerim waved at me, holding the orb in her hand.

It was a signal for me to leave.

I nodded. Having nothing else to do, I slipped out of the workshop.

The instant I stepped outside the dungeon, I bumped into Helena, who looked flustered.

She was gazing up at the sky.

I followed her gaze. The blue sky now had a murky green tint, different from before.

But that wasn’t all. In the center of the sky, which looked as though it was covered in hellish mana, a massive magical formation was rising.