My Demons

On the smartphone screen, a man spoke with exaggerated enthusiasm.

[Alright, many of you have been inquiring, so let me review the regulations once more! First, with the exception of healing potions, no consumables are permitted! For archers and swordsmen, only basic arrows and basic rain are permissible—no explosives, talismans, and the like. Oh, and mana potions are also prohibited, along with troublesome items such as silver bracelets…]

While only half-engaged in the ongoing explanation of the rules, I discreetly warmed up my hands.

[Well, that concludes the regulations… Now, we move on to the inaugural match in the Dark World Hardcore All-Time Great PK Top 8! Blood Warrior versus Master Ssamsara, a one-round, hardcore PK!]

-A single round? A genuine one-on-one duel, isn’t it?

-How much time did he invest in preparation?

-Are they conducting a Time-Space competition?

-These individuals must possess remarkable confidence.

[Before we begin, please make sure to hit the like button and subscribe on YouTube while turning on notifications! I genuinely appreciate it!]

-Why not go for the Time-Space competition?

-Someone needs to take down that Blood Warrior jerk.

I powered off the smartphone screen and shifted my focus to the computer monitor.

[Master Ssamsara: We’ll have a 3-second grace period, alright?]

[BJ StoneDeath: Just a moment.]

[BJ StoneDeath: Is Blood Warrior ready?]

“Annoying,” I grumbled but then typed.

[PK ApplyMemo: Do as you wish.]

The PvP match finally commenced. Despite the lengthy buildup, the battle ended swiftly.

A level 90 Paladin, buffed for 3 seconds, found his head and body separated by a level 90 Blood Warrior.

[BJ StoneDeath: Wow, that’s incredible.]

[PK ApplyMemo: Please pause the server for a moment.]

[BJ StoneDeath: ?? Why?]

[PK ApplyMemo: Be right back, gold incoming.]

Swiftly, I reactivated my smartphone.

-Wow, that was a quick ending!

-How do you even defeat him?

-Blood Warrior is seriously insane.

While chuckling at the rapidly growing chat, I selected my sub-character and logged into the server where I had stored some items.

[A new hero has entered. You can either form an alliance with them through a handshake or engage in combat.]

Then, loud commotion broke out.

[What’s this? What does ‘Corpse Manners’ mean?]

-Is that Blood Warrior’s secondary character?

I approached the now-lifeless Paladin with a snickering laugh.

“Corpse manners,” the man with a bronze crown and a staff made of bones, suddenly left me feeling bewildered, and I muttered with a foolish voice.

“Um, Luke?”

***

Once again, I leveled up.

This level-up provided me with a lot to contemplate.

I had reached level 11 the day after arriving in South Harbor.

I reached level 12 right after the inn was attacked, and the next level-up occurred just a day ago at Prince Ulkar’s garrison.

And today, I attained level 14.

If you track the pace since level 11, it has dramatically accelerated in the sequence of two weeks, four days, and one day.

“Hmm.”

My mind was cluttered with calculations involving experience points.

Even though I had listed all the creatures I’ve slain on a small piece of paper, this level-up still baffled me.

“Could it be from completing quests?”

The required experience for reaching level 14 was 5500.

Considering that I had just leveled up, I needed more than 4000 experience points at the very least.

What was a monster worth 4000 experience points again… Ah, yes, the Hippogryph was worth 3800, and the Forest Troll was worth 4200.

Clearly, at my current level, they were nearly impossible to defeat.

I hadn’t undertaken any extraordinary training, so where could such a massive amount of experience have come from?

The likelihood of me miscalculating was very low.

I believe the significant experience gain came as a reward for completing the ‘Message Delivery and Return’ mission.

In my view, this is rather crucial information.

The reality I directly experience and the game I access through a monitor are fundamentally different.

Predicting the future has become far more challenging.

In gaming terms, the scenario can always take unexpected turns, and the levels of freedom are infinite. Unforeseen incidents like minor battles at the inn, the untimely death of Ubar’s confidant Poison, and the unexpected responses from traitors are secondary. The fact that Prince Ulkar broke through the encirclement to reach South Harbor was an unimaginable development.

Amidst all this, experience rewards came in line with the scenario.

Could I use this quest completion experience as my ‘milestone’?

Eh, who knows. At least, leveling up is good news.

With this level-up, I invested 2 points into agility, bringing strength, agility, and health all to 20 points. This physical condition goes beyond human limitations.

My magic is now at 5 points. For the next level-up, I’ll concentrate my points to reach a magic level of 10, then learn three level 15 skills at once.

Ah, Ellen also leveled up.

Considering how much experience she needed, she probably received quest completion experience like me.

Her level increased only by 1, but with the stats and skill bonuses she couldn’t previously digest, Ellen showed substantial growth.

In terms of stats, her strength, agility, and magic each increased by 2, and health by 1.

Her strength, agility, and health have reached 8, 10, and 14, respectively—far better conditions than an average person. Her magic, at 24, is obviously peerless.

I evenly distributed her skill points, and she also learned a new wind magic, ‘Dance of the Spirit.’

Judging from her previous awakening… aside from Wind Fist and Flame Arrow, all the spells were self-realized. So, it’s likely the same this time.

We’ll know when we observe.

But, why is Ellen still sleeping? It’s already evening. I understand she came in at dawn, so she’s sleeping in, but she’s been asleep for more than 12 hours.

As I was thinking this while looking down the stairs,

“Why, waiting for someone?”

“Huh? No, not really.”

Appearing with the question was red-haired Daria.

She put down a large wooden bowl, round barley bread, duck eggs, figs, and sour beer on my table.

It’s enough food for at least five people, but this is my one meal. My Phoenix body has an excellent appetite.

The wooden bowl contains a thick lentil and vegetable porridge with well-prepared fish and crocodile meat. It may look like gruel, but it tasted quite good.

The flat barley bread is thick on the outside and chewy inside, making it a bit difficult to eat on its own. But it’s decent when eaten with the porridge?

I tore the barley bread into small pieces and soaked it in the porridge. As the bread softened, I spooned the porridge and peeled a duck egg.

I felt a warm gaze. It was Daria, sitting across the table and spinning around.

“What?”

“Just, you look good when you eat.”

…A straightforward statement, followed by a grin that revealed her white teeth.

Her emerald eyes were full of rosy affection, making my face flush inexplicably.

Daria and I had become somewhat close, but my heart really started fluttering after Ubar’s minions attacked the inn.

The innkeeper had been considering closing the place down.

The young serving boy he used to dote on had died, and nearly half the inn had burned, so he had lost his will. Or rather, he had become scared.

However, thanks to my negotiations with the captain of the guard, a dozen soldiers now stayed in the inn throughout the day.

Normally, it wouldn’t have been pleasing to have the guards occupying two tables.

But the current situation was extremely unique.

In the city’s foreboding atmosphere, being under the protection of the guards was a significant privilege.

Thanks to this, the number of customers increased slightly, and merchants who sought protection also contributed to the inn’s repair efforts.

The innkeeper didn’t say anything despite observing Daria and me goofing off together, probably for that very reason. He practically considered me a benefactor.

Daria felt the same way, even more strongly.

It might seem somewhat unusual for a foreign drifter like me to go to the extent of requesting protection from a nobleman for the inn.

Well, by the world’s standards, I admit that my actions might appear a bit excessive.

But Daria seemed to be under the impression that everything I did—requesting protection from the guards, accepting perilous missions from the lord—was all for her sake. I was almost certain of it.

I protected the Inn—perhaps out of a sense of conscience or responsibility. Anyway, that was the reason.

The attack on the inn by Ubar’s henchmen happened because of me.

Even though the captain of the guard dismissed it as nonsense, the fact that Poison recognized me at first sight was proof. They were targeting me.

So, naturally, I shared the blame for the inn burning down. That’s why I did my best within my capabilities.

With my hand on my chest, I could confidently say I didn’t do it to impress Daria.

“Have you finished your meal?”

“No, not yet.”

As I met Daria’s affectionate gaze, I felt a different kind of embarrassment, not shyness.

“What do you plan to do after eating?”

“I intend to rest a bit more. My body still feels somewhat stiff.”

In response to my answer, Daria’s forehead creased with regret.

There’s no need for her to feel that way…

Before I could add anything, Daria interjected.

“So—should I give you a massage before you go to bed?”

“A massage?”

“Yes. I’ve never done it before, but I’ll give it my best shot.”

Well, that’s a rather alluring proposition.

Considering her looks, she could easily be the queen bee in an American private high school, and here she was, making such an offer.

I couldn’t dismiss it entirely, but I gave a wry smile and shook my head.

“That might be risky.”

“Why?”

“Ellen is sleeping. If she wakes up and sees your face, she probably won’t be pleased.”

“Oh, right. Ellen…”

Daria let out a deep sigh, pouting her lips.

“Why does Ellen hate me so much? What did I do wrong?”

“It’s not about doing something wrong. She generally dislikes everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes, everyone.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

Daria gave me a significant look. I casually looked away and took a sip of beer.

“If Ellen notices…”

“…?”

“Do you want to come to my room?”

“Uh, what?”

Our eyes met, and I stumbled over my words.

Daria turned her head naturally and played with the flower ring on her left hand.

It had been ten days since I gave it to her, yet the white cherry blossom still looked as fresh as ever. Was it truly enchanted?

Although Daria was acting boldly, the flush on her neck and ears clearly indicated that she understood the implications of her offer.

‘…That might be even riskier.’

Suppressing those thoughts, I nodded.

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