Chapter 86

Crawling out of the pit he had opened by forcefully knocking the man away, the monster poked its head out of the hole in the ballroom floor of the cathedral, gazing at the small beings who shrank back in terror and screamed. It was lost in a moment of reflection.

──Ah, finally, I can emerge to the surface.

How many years had it been since it last crawled out from the dark depths of the earth? At least twenty thousand years, it had been sealed there.

It had been a long journey.

After being sealed in that small blue stone by the cunning ones, a long time had passed. During that time, it had been bound to the 'Labyrinth' and its power drained by the stone. Each time its power was drained, its body decayed, leaving it with only a skeletal form.

Ah──I want food, right now.

After enduring hunger for twenty thousand years, it craved delicious blood, and it sized up the small beings who were fleeing in terror.

"……Gaa……Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa, Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa"

The joyous cry it let out made the cathedral tremble, and cracks appeared in the building, which it found amusing. The monster slowly looked around the room.

──Ah, everything looks delicious.

The monster, which had not yet fully developed its tongue, licked its lips in its mind. Indeed, the important figures from various countries were all gathered here, and they were all prime specimens. Although the purpose had changed, gathering them here was the right decision. …But, the 'Demon' is not here.

Noticing this, the monster felt a bit disappointed.

Did it escape? Did it hide?

It had made this its goal and had crawled up from the depths for this. The moment it decided to come out, it had truly wanted to eat it first. It had wanted to eat it before consuming the stones it had stored underground.

──Why is it not here?

"Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa, Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa, Gaa Gaa"

Feeling frustrated, it looked around again.

It was not there.

The half-elf's body and blood it had saved were delicious. But──it should have been even more delicious. There were many of its remains stored underground, the 'Heart of the Demon,' a stone with supreme magic power. It was truly an excellent thing. It could store the best 'blood' even after death. The stone would also be delicious if consumed.

But──a living being is better first.

Fresh meat and blood are incomparable. It had waited for a very long time, suppressing its desires and enduring.

So, at least for the first time, it wanted to eat the best thing, not just a stone.

But……as it looked at the high-quality small beings packed in the ballroom, the monster laughed. It quickly reconsidered and thought that it would be fine even without it. It would eat everything anyway. It intended to feed on all the beings gathered in this 'Holy City.' After all, this 'Holy City' was built for that purpose.

In the end, it would gain even more power thanks to the excellent food, the 'Heart of the Demon.' So, it could keep it as the final pleasure, like a treasure hunt. Even if it couldn't find it immediately, it could search for it until it had devoured the last of the houses. As a celebration of its rebirth, a bit of entertainment would be nice.

Thinking this, the monster let out another joyful cry.

"……Gaa. Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa, Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa Gaa 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