Chapter 100

100. Unexpected Ambush (1)

"Zero!"

As soon as I emerged from the portal, someone greeted me.

It was Luna.

"Hehe, it feels so different seeing you like this. You didn't cry, did you?"

"I didn't cry! If anyone cried, it would be you!"

Luna, who was running towards me, flinched.

"You... did it, didn't you?"

She meant, did I kill someone.

It's a mystery why she, who usually has no perception, can be so perceptive in such situations.

I nodded slightly. Then Luna hugged me tightly.

Well, since I'm so tall, it looked like I was hugging her.

"You've worked hard. Come here and rest a bit."

Luna led me to a large tree stump and made me sit down.

My bottom felt warm. It seemed Luna had been sitting there.

"What? Are you hurt?"

Luna's eyes widened.

Ah, right, I got cut on my right arm.

But it was just a graze. Proof of that was the scab that had already formed.

"You idiot! You're going to get hurt like that?"

Crack!

Luna tore my shirt and poured a potion on my arm.

She even wrapped it tightly with a bandage.

...using up an entire roll.

This is going to burst, Luna.

My arm was also damp. The potion that hadn't been absorbed dripped down my arm.

Hmm, it's expensive, so it's a waste to throw it away.

I should drink a little to absorb it.

Slurp.

Hmm, it has a strange salty taste. Is it the salt from my body?

"What? Are you hungry?"

"Hehe, now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry."

"Is that so? Then eat this."

Rustle.

Luna handed me a small bag of snacks.

Let's see... carrot-flavored potato chips?

Is there really someone who eats this?

"Hmm, I guess it's just my imagination that it looks like something left over, right?"

"Y-Yeah, yeah! I was eating it and it was so delicious that I saved it specially for you. So don't leave any and eat it all."

It's suspicious, but since I'm hungry, I'll eat it gratefully.

Hmm, the carrots pop in my mouth, showing their presence.

It means it only tastes like carrots.

Shouldn't this be called carrot chips instead of potato chips?

"Th-This..."

Rustle.

Regis handed something to Luna.

It was a snack. On top, it said, "Carrot-flavored potato chips, Double Carrot Version!"

"Y-You like it, right? I-I'm glad to have a comrade."

"Comrade?"

"C-Carrot comrade. Hehe."

Regis smiled brightly, while Luna's face was trembling.

Hmm, our Luna really hates carrots.

She always picks out the carrots in her curry with a fork and throws them at me.

There seems to be some misunderstanding between them, but it's entertaining, so I'll let it be.

"Is Senior Rodelin still fighting?"

"U-Uh! Yes. It seems they are still fighting. You can hear loud noises occasionally."

Luna, who had taken a bite of the carrot-flavored snack, shivered.

Regis, who was in the box next to her, was looking at her with bright eyes, making it impossible for her not to eat.

'There's even a forest version of the box? That's impressive.'

If there's a quest to infiltrate somewhere in the future, Regis's help could easily clear it.

"U-Uh... D-Delicious... "

How delicious could it be to make her body tremble like that?

It's an entertaining situation, but I decided to save her.

I have somewhere to go now.

"Let's go to where Senior Rodelin is."

"R-Really!? Of course! The important thing now isn't the snack!"

Luna quickly tied the bag and put it in my shirt pocket.

"G-Give it back later! I'm going to eat it all, so you have to give it back! Got it?"

Yes, yes, I'll eat it all. So don't worry.

The reason for heading to Rodelin is simple.

Leang is the boss of Chapter 1, rated as an S-class boss.

'Maybe I can steal a little experience by helping out as a bonus?'

The building where Leang's training ground is located. Just as we were about to enter.

"Huh?"

Regis's tiny voice. At the same time.

Boom!! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!

An explosion occurred behind us.

The ground was overturned, trees were uprooted and flew away, and a thick cloud of dust formed.

"What, what is this!"

We were all blown away by the shockwave, but we were safe because we were facing away from the building.

"Luna! Are you okay?"

"A-Ah, I'm fine. Regis... seems to have fainted. How about you?"

"I'm fine too."

Except for some bruises from hitting the stone floor, there was nothing wrong with my body.

Even if something was broken, it wouldn't be a problem.

Why?

'What is this? I've never seen such a development before!'

That's right. The problem now is the sudden massive explosion.

That's the issue.

The greatest strength of a veteran.

S-class skill? Overpowered hidden piece? Harem route?

None of these. The greatest strength of a veteran is 'information.'

I've been able to do well so far mainly because of my information.

'A new event I don't know about, and it's happening before Chapter 1 is even over?'

I was anxious. Seriously anxious. Why?

In such cases, the event with the highest probability of occurring is.

'The appearance of a demon.'

And that anxiety was confirmed.

The faint green glow of eyes visible through the dust cloud.

The ominous eyes were watching us.

It's definitely not human. The eyes are about 3 meters high.

Considering human anatomy, it's an impossible height.

'It's okay. It's before Chapter 1 ends. It can't be a high-level demon...'

My thoughts stopped.

The faint patterns visible through the dust cloud.

That's right. This is.

"Reverse Omen Star...!!"

And that means only one thing.

A high-level demon.

I felt dizzy.

'Information window! Information window! Information window!'

Get closer? Are you crazy?

A system that's overly kind and makes you want to swear.

I really wanted to tear it apart.

'Maybe it's because of the dust cloud.'

First, I need to find out what this thing is.

Only then can I find a glimmer of hope.

Boom!

At that moment, the high-level demon took a step forward.

At the same time, Luna darted out.

"Zero! I'll handle it! Run away during this time!"

"Luna! No!"

The first secret technique of the Lester family.

One Flash (一閃).

Crack! Ting!

Ting? Is that a sound that can come from skin?

Did she feel the same? Luna shouted at me.

"Zero! Run! Get out of here immediately...!"

Crack!!

Luna couldn't finish her sentence.

She was sent flying by a sudden punch from the demon.

"L-Luna!"

There was no response. I didn't even know where she flew to.

I didn't even realize the demon was punching.

The stat difference is enormous.

A speed so fast that I couldn't even recognize the attack.

Indeed, a high-level demon is a different class of being.

And this destructive stat demon attacked Luna.

So Luna is already...

'Calm down, calm down!'

Luna must be alive. She has the [Breath of the Spirit] given by Charon.

An artifact that can block a fatal attack once.

With that, she couldn't have died.

It's actually a good thing. She's out of the demon's attention.

'I'll wait for now.'

Soon, the dust cloud settled.

As soon as my vision cleared, I used the [Information Window] skill.

...It's really long. It looks like about 5 pages.

There's no time to read it all.

I calmly scrolled through and extracted the necessary information.

'Name, affiliated legion, and... rank.'

What rank is it? That's the most important.

And finally, I could confirm the information I wanted.

4, 444...

4th rank!?

Instantly, the demon hierarchy formula flashed through my mind.

123456789.

987654321.

In terms of a mage, it's a 6th circle. In terms of a knight, it's a 6-star knight.

It's not a being we can defeat with our current stats.

'What kind of ridiculous hidden piece is this...!'

I don't even know what conditions triggered this.

The only fortunate thing is that it's a demon I know how to deal with. And...

"Hmm, this human smells good."

The fact that I have the opportunity to talk is a big plus.

It seems to have a high basic affinity for me, like a 'Demon Shard.'

The synergy effect of squinting and [Ominous Aura].

Great.

"Hmm, what should I do? I was told to kill all humans I meet..."

The demon fell into deep thought. But I was in the same boat.

I don't even know why this hidden piece was triggered.

The one thing I can't understand right now.

'How did a 4th rank demon descend?'

Not possession or manipulation, but a full descent.

No restrictions on activity, and the same power as in the demon world.

According to the settings I know, this is impossible.

'The midterm exam hasn't even started yet. There shouldn't have been a large-scale summoning ritual at this time?'

Then it's one of two things.

A demon that descended from a distant place and flew here, or a summoning ritual near the academy that I don't know about.

The information is too lacking. But what I need to do is always clear.

'Think.'

That's my strength. The weapon of a veteran.

After a moment of thought, I could draw a small conclusion.

'This is definitely not it.'

It doesn't mean giving up. The difficulty is too high.

A 4th rank demon in Chapter 1!

'This is a fight we can't win.'

That means there must be a way to overcome this situation without fighting.

And that way is likely to be 'conversation.'

"Hehe, your scales are very beautiful."

"Hmm? You can recognize this? For a human, you have a good eye."

"Even a human like me can recognize it, so your maintenance must be excellent. Impressive."

"No, it's not that impressive. These days, even demons take basic care of their skin."

Universal, human-demon common (meaning common to humans and demons).

Compliments are the first step to getting closer.

Since the affection boost seems to have worked, let's start extracting information little by little.

"Why did you come here, Demon?"

"Hmm, I came by my mother's order."

"...Your mother?"

One word. But it's enough to complete the puzzle.

Half of the puzzle was solved instantly.

The 'Mother of Servitude' who raises demons in her body with special techniques.

One of the Four Kings, Lizbert.

It was definitely a demon sent by her.

"Rodelin, right? She told me to kill that human. It's a bit far, but what can I do? It's my mother's order, so I must follow it happily."

She told you to kill Rodelin?

'It's because of the Demon Shard.'

The incident of the Demon Shard found under the tomb of the holy sword.

There are media and journalists in this continent, and they put Rodelin's name at the top.

Because she was the youngest daughter of the Lucid family.

'A good target to draw attention.'

So it's natural for Lizbert to target Rodelin.

The child who killed her own child.

'Originally, killing the Demon Shard wouldn't trigger an event to send a demon.'

Killing it too quickly backfired.

After Chapter 3, Lizbert reveals herself and starts a fierce battle with the southern kingdom.

With so much going on, it would be impossible to send a demon out of revenge.

But now is the time to build up strength.

Sending a demon might not be too much of a stretch.

I have a rough idea of how things are going.

I also know what I need to do.

'Protect Rodelin.'

That's what I need to do.

"Hehe, Rodelin is not here."

"Hmm? Is that so?"

"Yes. Do you see that big building over there? That's Rodelin's dormitory."

Rodelin, who is very cute.

It's the building where Elesster and Charon are staying.