Chapter 29 – The Undying Demon
Devon was reasonably athletic in his last life, having played on the basketball team for a short stint during freshman year of highschool with his friend Mike in the point guard position. He quit the team during the middle of sophomore year after Mike died from overdose, but he stayed fit and was still physically able to perform at a high level compared to the average high schooler.
That physical aptitude carried over to college, and he was still in quite good shape all things considered.
However, just being in good physical shape did not make one a good swordsman. It was a prerequisite to a certain extent, yes, but the ancient skill of killing with swords had a bit more finesse to it than simply giving a chimpanzee a sharp metal stick.
Splashing into the water uselessly, Devon's downwards sword swing completely missed, landing at least a foot to the side of the bandit's body, as even the bandit himself was shocked at how this naked undying hooligan with a dagger wound right in his chest managed to miss such an easy killing blow.
"Ha!" the bandit shouted in triumph at managing to live for now. Dagger in hand, he shanked Devon in the thigh, sinking the blade deep into the naked man's thigh.
[You have received crippling damage.]
Devon fell back from shock, wincing in pain as the bandit tried to stand up. But Devon knew that he couldn't let that happen, since letting the bandit recover would give him the upper hand positionally. He shot forward with the last of his strength, tackling the bandit into the water. All he needed to do was to hold this bearded bandit underwater for long enough to drown him.
Submerged underwater with the bandit, air bubbles left both of their mouths as they wrestled for control. The bandit nearly gained the upper hand in the underwater tussle, but Devon was too strong for him. All he needed to do was keep them both underwater, since his passive would protect him.
[You are drowning.]
[You cannot die.]
As Devon suspected, [Dead Man Walking]'s passive activated, allowing him to live through several instances of nearly fainting from oxygen deprivation. But Devon realized that if he kept this up, he would actually pass out, since the passive only prevented his death. It did not prevent abnormal statuses such as fainting.
The bandit was not so lucky. Emerging from the water victorious, Devon took deep gulps of breath as the freshly drowned corpse of the bandit floated up to the surface.
Another bandit stuck his shortsword into Cissy's chest, and her body began to turn back to normal out of sprite form, since she already exhausted a large portion of her sprite form energy earlier with Devon.
"Cissy!" a nymph shouted with a worried look on her face.
"Don't touch my girl!" Devon yelled, diving straight at the bandit with the shortsword. With the moonlight greatsword clutched in his armpit, Devon simply tackled the bandit, sending him falling into the water. He couldn't just drown him again, since Devon wasn't sure whether or not he would actually fall unconscious if he tried the same tactic again.
Instead, he attempted to wrestle the shortsword out of the bandit's hand. The bandit was too quick, though, and stabbed the entirety of the shortsword into Devon's stomach, the blade entering through his front and exiting from his back.
[You have been mortally wounded.]
[You cannot die.]
Dead Man Walking's passive kicked in once more, not affording Devon the luxury of death. It worked in his favor this time though, and Devon grabbed the bandit's neck and began to choke him to death.
"How the hell is he still alive?" one of the other bandits shouted, seeing Devon move perfectly fine with a shortsword lodged completely in his stomach.
"He's a demon! I told you not to screw with the water nymphs!" a skittish bandit cried in fear.
Devon decided to embrace his new image as an undying demon, and walked in as menacing of a fashion towards the remaining bandits.
"You have angered the gods," Devon said in a booming voice, trying to sound as wrathful godly messenger-like as possible. "By attacking this water nymph tribe. But I will give you one last chance. Leave, and tell your comrades to never return. Spread the story of the unkillable demon you encountered in the river."
"I will give you ten seconds to run before you face the wrath of Eos."
"Ten…"
"Nine…"
All of the bandits began running in unison, away from the demonic imagery of a half dead man walking through the brook towards them, with a shortsword lodged in his stomach.
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