Chapter 13 – Demon (2)

An old castle locked in the night. A woman’s scream echoed in the middle of the night.

Someone would say it was quite classic.

But if they faced the situation themselves, they would not be able to utter such words.

The place where Veronica’s scream was heard from was the top floor of the castle.

Feeling an ominous sensation, the two grabbed their armaments and headed upstairs.

It was strange. Not a single servant or maid walking around could be seen. Even the torches that should have been hung on the wall to light the darkness were all extinguished, only smoldering smoke trailing from them.

Perhaps because of that, the narrow stone steps were gloomier than usual, and the passage was like the maw of hell.

The two suppressed the uneasiness that slowly welled up and kept running.

At some point, a foul stench of blood wafted over. It was a smell they had smelled all day, but it was consistently terrible and fishy.

Something also began to catch on their toes. When they lightly kicked it, a squishy object flew far away.

Just then, moonlight shone through the stained glass. Only then were the two able to inspect their surroundings closely.

At the same time, they let out a low groan at the shocking sight.

“My God… what on earth is this.”

“Hmm…”

It was a field of corpses.

Dead bodies were piled up in disorder, without distinction between the stairs and the hallway.

Veloc lowered his posture. And with the moonlight as his companion, he examined the marks left on the corpses.

There was a soldier whose upper body was missing as if bitten off by a beast, and a servant whose body was bent in an abnormal posture, perhaps hit by something.

All of them had died in a gruesome manner.

There was one thing in common: they had all died with their eyes wide open as if they had seen a ghost.

Having looked around, Veloc drew a conclusion.

‘This was not done by a human.’

There were no marks of blades. All of them, without exception, bore traces of being struck or torn by massive force.

A monstrous strength that only beasts could possess.

Did monsters invade the castle? Without a sound or rumor, all the way to the Lord’s castle in the center of the city?

It made no sense. If so, then what…

Veloc rolled his head again.

Was it because of the bizarre atmosphere?

While thinking deeply, for some reason, the bizarre ritual and the cultist woman’s curse came to mind.

Veloc muttered her last words.

“Did she say the Apostle of the Black Goat would come for me…”

At that moment, a chilly wind blew and brushed against Veloc’s face.

A demon… a demon. Yes, if it was that guy, he would be a being that perfectly fit the traces of this massacre.

“Lord Veloc?”

Adel called out to Veloc, who was lost in thought. Veloc told her the conclusion he had reached.

“It is a demon, Adel.”

“A demon…”

A monster that crawled up from the underground to tempt and corrupt humans, and to bring pain to this land.

Adel looked confused. The castle that had become a mess in an instant, and the appearance of a supernatural being.

Although it was a situation that did not feel real, the smell of blood filling the air and the screams heard from time to time woke them up to reality.

Was this what Hellfire difficulty meant? A demon appearing from the very beginning? Veloc shuddered at the difficulty of the game.

He said to Adel,

“Adel. Go to the church right now.”

“Do you mean the church?”

“No one is better at dealing with demons than them.”

Just as it was a world where demons existed, it was also a world where God existed.

The church was an organization that had dealt with all kinds of wicked things since ancient times. Surely, they would also know how to deal with demons.

Moreover, he was already acquainted with Priest Anton due to the cultists’ business. They would not refuse their request.

Adel hesitated, unlike her usual self.

She was no fool. A being like a demon. It must be a terrible monster. One could tell just by looking at how it tore people apart.

No matter how strong her master was, could he handle it alone?

“Do you not trust me?”

At Veloc’s voice, Adel turned her head.

She saw his black eyes, which remained calm even in a situation like this.

Eyes filled with an unshakeable will without the slightest tremor. Facing them, Adel smirked.

Who was she to worry about, in her position? She always had to worry about taking care of herself first.

“I will return as quickly as possible.”

“Be careful.”

“You too, Lord Veloc.”

Adel turned back the way she came and left the castle. Veloc watched her back briefly, then avoided the corpses beneath his feet and made his way upstairs again.

There was no special reason for separating Adel under the pretext of the church. He simply did not want her to die. The enemy he had to face next was that strong.

‘The opponent is a demon. It must be an out-of-scale monster. How effective will my swordsmanship be?’

At this point, it would be normal to feel nervous. On the contrary, Veloc’s heart throbbed with excitement.

He wondered if he had truly gone crazy. Reaching the top floor of the castle, Veloc opened the door.

Creak—

The old hinges shrieked, and the distinct gamey stench of a beast wafted over.

Inside the chaotic hall, the corpse of Lord Roben, hanging on the wall like a stuffed animal trophy, was the first thing that came into view.

“Haah, haah.”

“Heeeuuu, heeeuuu.”

Seen below him were panting, naked women. Voices dripping with pleasure, loose eyes, and dripping saliva.

The women residing in the castle were sprawling like prostitutes. A space filled only with heat.

In the center of them was a monster with a goat’s head. The towering, curved horns were unpleasant just to look at,

and its burly upper body, horse-hoofed legs, and brown hair covering its body made it look like nothing but a beast.

“Ride… woman. Ride.”

The demon Baphomet.

The goat-headed sentinel who only seeks pleasure.

He was mindlessly coveting the bodies of the women while brandishing a penis with a snake’s head.

Veloc did not know that Baphomet, who had revealed himself by borrowing a human shell, was not yet complete,

nor did he know that he was absorbing the negative energy of the women to fill up his lost power and abilities.

He merely frowned at the guy’s ugly appearance.

A monster of carnal lust summoned through a bizarre ritual.

That horrific appearance and behavior was truly the hotbed of corruption itself, wasn’t it?

Without a word, Veloc drew his sword.

Clang—

The moonlight streaming through the window shone sharply on his blade.

There was no fear on the face of the black-haired knight facing the monster.

Having noticed the presence of the intruder, Baphomet turned his head. Then he tossed the woman who had been pinned beneath him like a piece of luggage.

“Ahhh.”

Lord Roben’s daughter, Veronica, lay sprawled on the floor with a ruined face.

Veloc did not even turn his gaze. He moved his wrist, flicking his sword.

Baaaah!

The creature roared harshly.

Its vertically slit pupils stared intently at Veloc. A gaze looking only at prey.

That abyss-like pupil was instantly enough to cause a ripple in Veloc’s heart.

Snort! Baphomet huffed and placed both arms on the floor.

And he crouched down like a frog.

Squeeze—

His hair-covered legs bent like springs. The two hideous horns attached to his head soon set their target.

Boom!

The stone floor he had stepped on shattered, and the massive body charged forward like an arrow. The speed was indeed like an arrow.

However, Veloc, who was prepared, quickly rolled to the side. The guy, who shattered the innocent stone wall, shook his head wildly.

Veloc struck down with his sword before the guy could regain his senses.

However, the thick hair and tough hide reduced the sharpness of the blade.

‘Shallow.’

Even with his swordsmanship skill, he had only made a small scratch. Veloc frowned and quickly lowered his upper body.

Whoosh—

The creature’s massive arm swept through the air. In the fierce wind pressure, a few strands of Veloc’s hair fluttered. He pulled his body back.

Dusting off the stone fragments stuck to his shoulders as the smoke cleared, Baphomet flicked his long tongue.

Then, intending to hit the target that had moved away, he threw a stone falling on the floor.

A destructive sound echoed, unbelievable for a simple stone-throwing.

Veloc calmly swung his sword, deflecting the stone block.

The sword vibrated, transmitting the impact all the way to his palm. It was like the power of a bullet.

The massive body, rapid acceleration, and even physical strength.

Veloc realized once again that the goat-headed monster before his eyes was indeed a demon.

Literally, he was a guy who escaped human common sense.

But did that mean he couldn’t catch it? That was not the case either.

‘Let’s just think about how to kill it.’

Glaring at Baphomet, Veloc slowly took a deep breath. Soon, to shake off the trace emotions existing inside him—

the faint anxiety, fear, and hesitation—he let out a loud shout.

———!

The hall vibrated loudly and the windows shook. Baphomet even flinched for a moment at that powerful voice.

“Grrrr.”

Did he think he was pushed back in spirit by mere prey? Baphomet became even more ferocious.

He also looked up at the sky and let out a scream from his long mouth.

Baaaah!

A muddy, horrific animal sound that seemed as if it would deafen one’s ears. But Veloc did not care.

Along with his intensely rising fighting spirit, all hesitation vanished, and he instead rushed at the guy first.

The plate armor he wore flashed noisily.

His appearance as he fought the monster face-to-face was like a knight in mythology.

Veloc tightly gripped the longsword in his hand.

With his strength enhanced by stats added, the sword fell like lightning.

Although he was a hairy fellow, there was not much hair on his chest. Naturally, its defense would be lower.

Whether his prediction was correct, the creature blocked Veloc’s sword with both arms. Sizzle.

The outer skin was cut slightly and the creature bled. But the guy smiled.

He had intended to trade flesh for bone.

Baphomet kicked his hind leg’s hoof at Veloc.

However, Veloc, who was keeping a close eye on the creature’s every move, avoided it with superhuman movements.

Boom. It was a power that could even shatter stone.

The moment it hit properly, whether plate armor or whatever, it was clear that it would dent and his internal organs would burst.

Although Veloc’s momentum was grand, dealing with a monster that was not human was harder than he thought.

First of all, the difference in physical ability starting from weight class was simply too great.

Even if he couldn’t land an effective hit on the opponent, every single attack of the opponent was a critical hit.

Nevertheless, Veloc’s genius talent shone at this opportunity.

The creature’s movements, which had seemed only random and violent, gradually came into view.

In his eyes, the demon’s movements appeared as if they had slowed down, and his own attacks began to grow sharp.

Veloc avoided the log-like arms and legs and gradually wounded the creature.

Snap!

In the midst of the fierce battle, the longsword screamed and snapped,

but he did not care and pulled out the short spear at his waist. And he began to stab like a dagger.

Swoosh, swoosh, flash!

Along with the increasing wounds, the struggle of a mouse-like human.

Did he think the situation was turning strange?

To overturn the situation, Baphomet raised both arms.

Then he slammed the floor.

Thud!

The stone slab cracked wide and crumbled. In an instant, instead of the stability of supporting ground, a floating sensation was felt.

Veloc fell to the lower floor without having time to do anything.

“You ignorant bastard!”

A massive impact struck his body, but fortunately, he survived thanks to the plate armor he was wearing.

The rough texture of stone was felt between his palms.

Veloc immediately rolled on the floor.

For the fellow upstairs was slamming down with his giant horns leading the way.

With a roaring sound, thick dust rose. The dust touching his lungs naturally made him cough and stung his eyes.

The shining armor was also in a mess.

But this was not the time to care about such things.

Veloc leaped to his feet. Baphomet also pulled his head out from where it had been rammed into the floor, exhaling rough breaths.

The guy’s snake-like pupils slit sharply. Veloc also bared his teeth like a beast.

A moment later, without anyone needing to say anything, the human and the monster rushed at each other.