34. A friend comes from afar (2)
Can it really be cured?
Zeke’s first thought was scary, but now was not the time.
Ironically, the being he was thinking of was Deus.
His eyes were still like a source of courage to Zeke.
Now I know that it is like an anti-mana power against the devil.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but think of his eyes as a psychological calming agent.
“Hya!”
Kicking the horse’s side again, Zeke turned the reins to the north.
The target is Neuekan.
The place had become a mess with the mugwort monster.
The mountain road leading to Neuekan was filled with numerous monsters.
Although it was only a few kilometers of mountain road, I fell into the night before I could climb even half of it.
Building a bonfire to ward off the cold of the night, Zeke cleared out an animal that looked similar to a wild boar that he had killed in the evening.
Sadimus sat in front of the bonfire and looked after Signy.
In fact, there was nothing much that could be done.
Although it was a little weaker than before, Signi’s surroundings were still protected by a dark force field.
Since not a single insect could approach her, Sadimus could only watch her from across the campfire
.
Nezar assisted Zeke.
“Master, think about it. Now it’s just the three of us. “I am entering that harsh land of monsters… and the only weapon I have is a primitive hammer.”
Nezar, a giant nearly two meters tall, grumbled and placed a piece of boar flesh in front of Zeke.
Zeke dug through the boar’s back meat and found the tenderloin.
This mugwort monster was very strong and smelly. I didn’t even think about using
the meat or bone parts of the hind legs .
I thought it would be edible only if the blood was removed and it was aged to a certain degree.
“If I can make the Almighty Bracelet, then the Wormwood Monster is my food. “Wouldn’t it be much more comfortable for you, Master, to have a strong servant by your side?”
Zeke shook his head.
“Nezar, I have been told several times that you are a dangerous person. “You’re strong enough now, so don’t be greedy anymore.” “Then,
please let me make at least the Thunder God’s Hammer instead of the Almighty Bracelet .
“I’m dying of frustration.”
Zeke looked at Nezar.
He and himself were bound by a contract of slavery.
As I found out later, it was the devil who guaranteed the contract.
Nezar could not have broken the contract.
After spending the last few months together, I have found that Nezar is not a good person at all.
From what I heard, it seems like he was a being with a status similar to that of the god of giants. Zeke
saw with his own eyes that
he sent countless giants away with just a few words.
If such a being were to come up with a trick and break free, it would be quite a headache.
But Zeke nodded at his words.
I felt like my current strength would not be enough to stay at Neuekan.
“Nezar, you know that you are bound to me by a contract of slavery, right?”
“Of course, master. “That damn devil bastard used a shallow trick.”
“You don’t like that?”
“Who would like to be a slave? But don’t worry. “I will not abandon the mission given to me.”
“good. I will allow you to make weapons. But not the Almighty Bracelet. Even if you try to make it secretly, it’s no use. “The contract is still valid at this moment.”
“What are you saying that makes me so upset? I will always be your faithful servant. “Then we will start production right away.”
Nezar chanted a magic spell.
The only magic he knew was Shrink, which grows and shrinks the body.
After growing to a height of nearly 10 meters, he stomped into the forest, leaving behind his toothpick-like hammer.
Sadimus looked at Zeke with a wry smile.
“I don’t think it was a good thing.”
“I was just starting to regret it too.”
“Well, I have no choice but to believe in the devil’s contract.
“Anyway, what are you really planning?”
“We must lift the curse of Signi.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple, but… I don’t even know what it is.”
A sword that grew from Signi’s back.
It’s called that because it looks similar to a sword, but I actually don’t know what it is.
Something pointed, about a span wide and a meter long.
There was no information beyond that.
“It would be nice to have at least Scatul by my side.”
He was an angel. They probably know a lot more than
humans .
“If you think about it, you’re a very strange guy too.”
” Me?”
“Yes you. “How could there not be a single human being around?”
Zeke ended up laughing.
It wasn’t the situation, but it seemed like it was human instinct to see laughter bursting out.
“It’s funny.”
“really. There may be some strange things mixed in one by one. I later found out that even in our time, there was a short charcoal
guy. “Everyone thought he was just really short, but he turned out to be a dwarf.”
“You mean the warrior party from a thousand years ago?”
“okay.”
After a long sigh, Sadimus opened his mouth again
tJ 三± = 人/’、 I
“You too are going down a very difficult path.”
“I became stained by sin.”
“That… is definitely true. “I ended up making a contract with the devil to revive someone who was already dead.”
“The Zodiac Knights were telling me to cover up the fact
and live in moderation, but I didn’t feel at ease. The reason why SIGNI ended up like that… maybe it’s God’s punishment for me. “I accepted the position of Zodiac Knight without reflecting.”
“I don’t know about that. “I wonder if God would intervene in such trivial matters.”
Sadimus rummaged around the campfire.
The spark rose high towards God.
But before they could reach the height of the tree, they all scattered into black ash.
“For now,
I guess I have no choice but to stay in those mountains.”
Zeke nodded at Sadimus’ words.
Fortunately, despite the misfortune, all the equipment was carried on horseback.
Since these were precious equipment made from dragon scales, it was difficult to feel safe no matter where they were placed, so the servants had them personally guard them.
“If you want to survive, you have no choice but to become stronger. “The mugwort monster is huge.”
Zeke put the cleaned pork on skewers and placed them side by side next to the campfire.
Large chunks of flesh were dried in a well-ventilated place for storage. I was planning on smoking tomorrow morning.
Finally, I started boiling tenderloin for Signi.
I wasn’t sure if I would be able to eat it because my body was weak, but I thought I might be able to swallow it if I boiled it well.
The smell of food brought out a monster.
Zeke took out his sword and put up a shield.
The opponent was moving quickly along the forest. At first glance, the tail was growing with
black and silver fur patterns.
I slowly walked into the forest, hiding my body behind my shield.
The reaction was quick. The moment Zeke entered the forest, the forest about 30 meters away shook.
Zeke ran.
Knights who use auras are outside the category of ordinary humans. With the magic of the shoes added, I ran through the forest like a mountain animal.
In an instant, the distance to the enemy narrowed.
The forest shook nervously. A gray shadow suddenly appeared between
the bushes .
Bang
Something hit the shield.
Only then was Zeke able to see the enemy.
It was a huge tiger whose head was twice the size of an adult’s body.
There were no tigers on the Joseon continent, but records remained. An animal that became extinct a long time ago.
But it was no ordinary tiger. Like a mugwort monster,
it was a special species with blade-like fangs that were well over 50 centimeters long.
It bit into the shield, making a crunching sound.
It swung its two head-sized front feet in succession, attempting to hit Zeke’s side.
But Zeke was already far beyond the level of one or two monsters.
While fighting the Demon King, Zeke faced death once.
It was like a rite of passage that often happened to a warrior.
And it was the saint who existed for that moment.
The warrior who is resurrected by the saint’s sacrifice inherits the saint’s divine power.
The power that suddenly grew was like a disaster for the Demon King’s army.
Zeke grabbed the gauntlet and slashed the bridge of the tiger’s nose.
The sharp protrusions of the gloves made dents in the flesh and spit out blood.
After hitting it a few more times, the tiger couldn’t stand it and retreated.
But it was a handshake.
Zeke rushed forward and hit the tiger’s head with his shield.
I heard a gong ringing. The tiger
stumbled as if dizzy.
“I am not so arrogant as to define you as evil, but die. “I still have something to protect!”
Zeke shouted and slashed with his sword.
Doomsrhino’s aura emitted a brilliant cross and split the tiger’s head in two.
After watching the screaming, dying tiger for a moment, Zeke turned and returned to the campfire.
At that time, SIGNI sitting by the bonfire came into Zeke’s eyes.
“You’re awake!”
“Brother…
“Are you okay? “Does it hurt anywhere?”
“are you okay. “It’s just… this is a bit inconvenient.”
Signi stretched her hand behind her back and touched the horn.
“Brother, let’s go back to Seonghwangcheong.”
“no.”
“Are you thinking of committing a bigger sin? If they perform an exorcism and I die… that means I have become a devil.”
“I’m going to look for it. “There must be a way to get
that horn off your body .”
“It will definitely be in vain.”
“Signi, I swore to my mother and father that I would live for you.”
“It’s no place for you to be stubborn, brother. “Come to Seonghwangcheong with me.”
“no.”
“Brother!”
“I’m not going there until it gets back to normal.”
At that time, Sadimus joined the brother and sister’s conversation while slowly turning over the meat on the campfire.
“I also agree with Zeke’s idea.”
“Sadimus!”
“It’s not something to just think about. You guys are irregular. Generation Zero hasn’t started yet. When the fourth generation gives birth to their first child, the government declares the zero generation, but I have not heard of such a thing yet. If you count the date, it will be soon, but in any case, he is a hero who is close to generation zero. Of these two, Seonghwangcheong will definitely choose the Zero Three. “Because it’s an old tradition.”
Signi said.
“The choice is made by God.
“We just follow his words.”
“I don’t think Seonghwangcheong would think so. Because they think they are God’s representatives. Zeke should have been a good obedient child. “The moment I ran away with my sister, who might be a devil, I made a mistake in getting along with Seonghwangcheong.”
Signi sighed.
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing. “If you try to act as a figurehead of the Seonghwangcheong government, the only thing left in the future is death.”
“Please don’t speak ill of Seonghwangcheong. The bad one is me. “I am a bad person for coveting life
and joining hands with the devil.”
“I died once too. Strictly speaking, he is still dead. “The one who killed me was Seonghwangcheong.”
Zeke briefly told his sister about Sadimus.
In order to defeat the Demon King, he learned dark magic handed down from the Silver Age and ended up becoming a lich because of that.
“I don’t intend to blame anyone in particular, but Seonghwangcheong is not such a pure organization. Because there are also humans there.
“In groups, they covet power and try to trample on the weak and keep them under them. If you want to survive in that organization, you need to learn more ‘etiquette.’”
