My Demons

As I struck down one of the raiding thieves, I propelled myself up the staircase ablaze with fire, struggling to breathe.

“Cough,”

Agonizing pain gripped me as the flames licked my body. I had taken the leap into the inferno, relying on the flame resistance feature of my dragon-slayer ring, but the intense heat remained unbearably scorching.

Uncertainty loomed within me. Was the option ineffective, or was it solely due to the ring that I could endure the fire? I couldn’t draw a comparison unless I had encountered such a situation before. But when would I ever have willingly jumped into a fire?

The fire had spread throughout the stairs, devouring half of the communal room already. Thankfully, the three-bed rooms appeared undamaged, likely due to the building’s wooden structure and its saturation with humidity from the nearby sea breeze.

“Ellen-!”

I cried out in a scream-like shout.

To my relief, a familiar voice promptly responded.

“Phoenix? Is that you?”

The voice emerged from the three-bed room where Ellen had been staying alone. I hurriedly rushed towards it, forcefully shouldering the door open.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted, scattering around.

Amidst the spreading fire, Ellen emerged, stunned, with a crossbow pointed in my direction.

Ah, a wave of relief washed over me so intensely that it felt as though my heart might cease beating.

“Phoenix, you…?”

Before she could utter another word, I lunged towards her.

“Heh?”

I embraced a startled Ellen and kicked open the wooden window. In a matter of moments, Ellen and I found ourselves suspended in mid-air.

A brief gliding moment, followed by a descent. While airborne, I contorted my body desperately to shield Ellen.

Thud!

“Kuh.”

The impact struck my back, causing me to gasp for breath. As I sat up, coughing several times, I was grateful to find that nothing seemed broken.

Well, it was just the second floor I had fallen from, but to be relatively unharmed? Is this within the realm of normalcy? Suddenly, it dawned on me that this body possessed an extraordinary resilience.

Feeling relieved, I gazed down at Ellen nestled in my arms.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine…”

“Any injuries? Did you inhale any smoke?”

With a worried expression, I inspected her closely. After a moment of blankness, Ellen blushed deeply.

And then, she abruptly stood up.

“You madman! What were you thinking?”

“What?”

This ungrateful wretch! I saved her, and yet she calls me a madman?

Before I could retort, Ellen, her face, nape, and ears all crimson, retorted furiously.

“What if you had gotten hurt, rushing out like that?”

“Well, I—”

“And how did you even reach the second floor?”

“I took the stairs. How else would I have gotten up there?”

“But with the fire…”

It was then that she noticed the burns scarring my armor.

“You didn’t actually run through that, did you? The fire soaked with flame flower oil?”

“It was scorching, but bearable.”

Wait, what? Flame flower oil?

“You started the fire?”

“Yes! It’s a dangerous fire because it sticks, and you just ran through it.”

“Are you insane? Starting a fire? What if something catastrophic had occurred?”

“Well, what else was I supposed to do? Those random thugs suddenly appeared!”

“You should have thought of escaping, not subjecting to a burning death. Have you lost your mind?”

“Who said anything about death? I told you, I have a robe artifact, you fool!”

Ah, right. One of the features of the brown robe was flame resistance.

Observing her now—aside from some soot and blood from being cradled in my arms—Ellen appeared completely unharmed.

“Goblins possess greater intellect than you! Not to mention your memory. Running headlong into a fire without a plan?”

Just as I was about to retort, several men abruptly entered the scene.

Four grim-looking individuals clad in leather armor adorned with iron plating, wielding sharp swords, axes, and hefty iron clubs.

For reference, Ellen and I had landed near the barn behind the inn, in a dimly lit space surrounded by a small hut and a wooden fence.

In other words… This was no ordinary situation.

And amidst those men, a figure emerged, draped in a deep red cape, revealing only his face. A sense of familiarity stirred within me as I instinctively raised my weapon.

“Phoenix?”

“Step back.”

Using my body to shield a bewildered Ellen, I stepped forward.

The man in the red cape fixed a penetrating gaze upon me, and I, too, scrutinized him carefully.

His disheveled black hair, impassive countenance, and piercing gaze brought to mind one of the henchmen in Ubar’s gang—the notorious “Hitman Poison.” Cloaked in mystery, he was an assassin known for his lethal skills.

“Are you the Blood-soaked swordsman?” Poison queried, but I paid no attention to his question. Instead, I rekindled my waning thirst for battle and stained my blade with fresh blood.

Upon catching sight of the bloodied weapon, Poison seemed to find his answer and curved his lips ever so slightly.

“Good of you to come. Kill him,” he commanded, and without delay, the men—Ubar’s operatives—charged forward.

Engaging them head-on and swiftly subduing them to protect Ellen might have been the prudent choice. However, aware of Poison’s fighting style, I had no other option but to hold my ground.

“Gugh.”

Suddenly, one of the charging operatives crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Ellen had struck him in the knee with a bolt from her crossbow!

“Nice one, Ellen!”

Thanks to Ellen’s unexpected assistance, only three thugs were left rushing towards me.

Still, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Their footwork and the way they wielded their weapons indicated their proficiency in combat. In the game, Ubar’s operatives were worth 50 experience points—the same as the iron-masked soldiers—so they posed a formidable challenge.

The first two assailants swung their swords and axes with fierce momentum. Blocking their attacks with my shield wasn’t too difficult, but their strikes were surprisingly forceful.

While fending off their assaults, the remaining thug on the right swung his iron club. It appeared rather brutal, but I believed I could endure it.

That split-second judgment guided me.

Bang!

I absorbed the blow of the iron club with my shoulder.

“Cough.”

These guys were stronger than I anticipated.

Fortunately, my mobility remained unaffected.

Enduring the impact of the iron club granted me an opening to strike. I thrust my sword at the thug wielding the axe among the two on the left.

Smack!

The tip of my sword shattered his front teeth as it impaled him, then I withdrew it, slicing through the back of his head.

Next, I swung my sword sideways, aiming for the thug with the iron club.

Clang!

“Kugh.”

The thug quickly defended, but my blood-soaked heavy sword forcefully pushed his iron club backward.

As my crimson blade began to tilt, ready to sever his throat…

Swish.

Even while dealing with the thugs, I remained vigilant about Poison. This allowed me to notice his cape rustling out of the corner of my eye.

“Huff.”

I relinquished my intention to dispatch the thug and swiftly retreated.

Blocking in front of Ellen and raising my shield, a heavy thud echoed through the air.

Looking down, I saw a small awl-shaped dagger embedded in my shield.

It was the same technique as in the game.

“You blocked it?” Poison murmured in surprise, his brow furrowing at my successful defense against the dagger.

“Good.”

He licked his lips once, drew a curved sword from his waist, and charged.

Damn it, I had hoped to eliminate these thugs before he closed in. It could prove perilous. But for now…

“Ellen, run!”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Ellen shouted, firing a crossbow bolt at Poison.

However, Poison evaded the projectile with a slight shift of his shoulder, as if he had anticipated it.

“We agreed not to use that, you idiot!”

“Damn it, now’s not the time…”

I halted mid-sentence and swung my shield-blade, aiming to strike the thug attempting to attack Ellen from the left.

Thump!

The shield-blade slammed forcefully into the thug’s chest, prompting another thug to swing his iron cudgel at me.

In order to dodge the attack, I twisted my waist, but the thug persisted and struck my breastplate.

Clang!

A jarring impact.

Gritting my teeth, I half-severed the neck of the retreating man with a swing of my falchion.

“Ugh.”

Ignoring the thug clutching his neck and collapsing, I swiftly readjusted my stance, only to find a curved blade hurtling towards me in an astonishing speed.

Clank!

Poison’s curved blade clashed against the iron rim of my shield, producing sparks. Then, like a snake, his blade leaped over my shield and aimed for my neck.

Ugh, he’s fast.

With haste, I swung my falchion to intercept the movement of his curved blade, all the while the thug whom I had previously incapacitated with my shield-blade lunged at me from the side.

I couldn’t ignore the impending strike aimed at my neck, and with a swift motion, I swung my shield to block Poison’s curved blade. However, the tip of his blade managed to find its mark, piercing deep into my armpit.

Thud.

“Argh!”

Damn it. I should have held on until the end.

My lack of swordsmanship and a momentary lapse in focus caused me to lose my grip on Poison’s blade. I attempted to retaliate by lifting my foot, but Poison had already evaded with his agile movements.

“Huh.”

My left arm weakened as the wound in my armpit grew deeper. Just as I was about to retreat, the sound of a crossbow being fired and a metallic clang resonated almost simultaneously.

It was the thug with the sword who had been struck by a specialized bolt from Ellen’s crossbow.

“Ugh, my eyes, cough!” I rushed toward the groaning man and drove my blade into his neck.

Although it was a strategic move to reduce the number of enemies, Poison didn’t miss the opportunity.

Whoosh.

“Ah.”

Unbelievable. Had he aimed for it?

A dagger thrown by Poison lodged itself into my arm, where there was no armor to protect it.

The combination of being stabbed in the armpit by the curved blade and having a dagger stuck in my elbow caused my left arm to go limp involuntarily.

“Ha, shi-“

“Phoenix! Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, I’m okay… ugh.”

Ah, dizziness overwhelmed me.

My vision blurred, and a nauseating feeling made it difficult to maintain my balance.

The ample poison smeared on Poison’s weapons was living up to his name. Poison, that despicable individual. He was detestable in the game, and even more so in reality.

“How does it feel? Are you getting dizzy yet?” Poison taunted as he slowly advanced.

“Your staggering is pitiful. No matter how skilled a warrior you are, you can’t overcome poison.”

My vision wavered, and after blinking several times, I finally caught a glimpse of Poison’s face.

His tone dripped with amusement, but his expression remained chillingly cold.

As I concentrated on Poison, uncertain of when he would launch another dagger…

“Ugh, you damn woman.”

Damn it, the operative who had been struck by Ellen’s crossbow bolt staggered to his feet behind me. Poison circled deliberately, attempting to divide my attention.

My vision continued to blur, making it increasingly challenging to keep both opponents in check.

Ellen, run away.

I wanted to shout those words, but the thought of opening my mouth made me feel like I would vomit.

Squeak.

At the faint sound of a blade slicing through the air, I instinctively swung my falchion.

A metallic clang. Fortunately, the dagger rebounded off my armor.

“You’re still alive? You’re quite resilient,” Poison jeered.

Thud.

Amidst Poison’s mocking laughter, the sound of Ellen’s crossbow echoed. It was followed by the shattering of a glass bottle.

“Huh, foolish girl. Where are you aiming…”

The mocking operative collapsed with a thud.

Suddenly, darkness seemed to engulf my vision. I could barely make out my own feet; it felt as if I had been cast into a solitary abyss.

“…Is it a paralysis poison?”

“Yes. Would you like to experience it firsthand?”

Poison’s surprise was evident in his questioning tone. Ellen’s sharp retort followed.

Was it because my vision was obstructed? My inner senses sharpened. I could distinctly feel the pulsating of blood from my heart coursing through my body.

“How did you grind it into such a fine powder? It shouldn’t retain its potency.” 

“Do you think I would share such information with you, you imbecile?”

Ellen’s provocation briefly silenced Poison. Though his nerves were on edge, he refrained from throwing another dagger.

“…Is that girl your porter?”

“Porter?”

“Yes. There’s a tale of a Blood-soaked swordsman who drags a beautiful girl along as his porter.”

“Who dares to spew such nonsense? I am not a porter; I am a wizard .”

“Ha, a wizard ?”

“Yes. So, leave when you still have the chance. If you back down now, I’ll spare your life,” Ellen’s voice turned ice-cold.

Perhaps due to the times I had witnessed her weeping and trembling, I could sense the resolve in her voice.

Right.

Ellen trembled with fear.

For a moment, I focused on observing my own body. But now, I gritted my teeth and began to manipulate my blood.

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