3.
A curious incident occurred. The boy who introduced himself as my fan was, surprisingly, not a hunter but a Constellation.
"Huh. Can a Constellation get lost or starve?"
"Of course, Death King-nim."
The boy smiled broadly.
"Constellations are very diverse, you see!"
Since we were headed in the same direction, we decided to travel together for a while. Walking along the quiet forest path, we chatted with rabbits and deer peeking out of the bushes as our audience.
"I really don't have a single follower…. There was one 600 years ago, but since then, not a single one has worshipped me. Well, in conclusion, I'm living like a complete pauper."
"Eh? Then…"
I looked at the boy anew, from head to toe. Dressed in ragged clothes, he looked just like a poor kid from a neighborhood, no matter how you looked at him.
"At least 600 years old…?"
"Maybe even ten times that. Constellations have a very different sense of time from hunters! Usually, they count their age up to a thousand years, but after that, they just give up. It's meaningless, unfulfilling, and not fun!"
Terrifying, indeed.
"As a Constellation, you must have an alias. What is your name?"
"Eek. Of course, I have both an alias and a real name. It's a bit embarrassing to tell my respected Death King-nim… But I'll gather my courage and tell you! Yes! My name is...."
[■■■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
"Heh."
I nodded.
Somehow, it felt like a good name.
It seemed like a name that was made just for this boy, who was smiling brightly in front of me, fitting him really well.
"That's nice. Why be embarrassed? It's a wonderful name."
"R-Really? Ahaha. If Death King-nim says so, then it must be true. Hmm! I'm embarrassed...."
The boy laughed softly. His action of scratching his cheek with his index finger seemed very innocent. I looked around with a warm smile.
"But where was that place in this direction?"
"Do you have a specific place you want to go?"
"I was thinking of stopping by a city or town to get some supplies. Preferably a large town…."
I thought of buying at least one set of clothes for this Constellation-like boy. As I was thinking this, suddenly, the boy raised his hand.
"Ah!"
[■■■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
"If it's that place, just leave this path and you'll find it!"
I turned my head in the direction the boy pointed. Enhancing my vision with aura, I looked far off and indeed, just as the boy said, there was a city.
"Oh. You're right."
We moved on. Upon arriving, it was a settlement of the perfect size, not too big, nor too small, just as I had hoped for in my mind.
I entered a clothing store on the street. Clang. The wind chime on the door jingled. The middle-aged store owner, who was reading a book inside, lifted his head.
"Welcome."
"Hello. I'm looking to buy some clothes."
I pointed outside the window.
In the middle of the street, a small boy stood staring blankly this way.
"I'd like to buy clothes that would suit that child. Something comfortable for moving around. Do you have anything nice?"
"A child?"
The owner looked out the window, puzzled.
"Where's the child you're talking about?"
"Right there. The boy dressed almost in rags."
"Hmm? Sorry, but I don't see anyone. I don't understand what you're talking about...."
[■■■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
"...Ah, that child."
The elderly man adjusted his glasses. Was it due to presbyopia from aging? He seemed slightly embarrassed by his mistake due to his age and gave an awkward smile.
"Sorry about that. So, the frail child didn't work out. Did you say you wanted clothes good for activity? Just wait a bit, I'll bring them out right away."
"Ah. Thank you, elder."
"It's all part of doing business."
I paid and handed the clothes to the boy.
Blink.
The boy looked up at me, bewildered.
"Um, Death King-nim. This is…?"
"A gift."
A wide, white robe.
It might seem prone to getting dirty due to its white color, but it was actually a magic item. It was enchanted to resist stains, including gravy. It also had warming and cooling magic and could be used as a sleeping bag if needed, plus it had plenty of pockets for storage.
"I thought this kind of clothing might come in handy more than just fancy clothes. Do you want to try it on?"
"...."
Hesitatingly, the boy put on the robe.
"Oh. It looks good."
The innocent-looking boy matched well with the white robe. I felt a sense of pride as I looked him over from all angles.
"But isn't it a bit big?"
Everything was fine except that the robe seemed too baggy for the boy's frame, almost 1.5 times his size.
"That's strange. I thought it would fit perfectly…?"
"…No, it's fine."
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"This size is actually quite good for me."
The boy extended his hand from the sleeve of the robe. Just moments ago, his hands were buried in the sleeves, but now they slightly overlapped his wrists. It didn't feel excessively ill-fitting.
"That's a relief. It must have been my mistake."
I smiled warmly at the boy.
"Though it was brief, it was a pleasure traveling with you."
"...."
"Be careful not to get lost in the forest next time. You can't always expect someone like me to be around. I'll be on my way now."
Just as I was about to say goodbye and turn around,
"De-Death King-nim! Wait a moment!"
The boy grabbed my sleeve.
"Yes?"
"It's just…"
The boy hesitated, his lips parted but his tongue seemed to lose direction, aimlessly moving inside his mouth. Once, he looked up at me and bit his teeth hard.
In the boy's eyes, I caught a glimpse of numerous thoughts crossing fleetingly.
"So, it's…"
[■■■■ ■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■.]
What could it be?
Just as I was about to ask, someone's muttering interrupted.
"—-I found you here."
It wasn't the boy's or my voice.
"I've been looking for you for a while."
"...!"
I swiftly turned my head in the direction of the voice, gripping the hilt of my holy sword. The voice came from precisely twelve steps away, and I hadn't noticed any sign of them coming within twelve steps.
That meant something very clear.
The person was an extremely skilled master.
– Zombie.
'Yes.'
Bae Hu-ryeong also warned me in a low voice. Knowing what he was warning about, I nodded.
'…Among the hunters I met on the 60th floor, this one is the strongest, overwhelmingly.'
It was a man dressed in a dark-colored (墨色) robe.
"To think you were just hiding in a village, I wondered where you had fled. I'm not sure if you were trying to hide in the forest, but you weren't the only one who had that thought."
The man was wearing a conical hat. The hat was so worn out that it had holes all over, not only failing to shield from rain and snow but also clearly revealing the man's face beneath.
Through the holes in the hat, the man's eyes were glaring at me.
"You're hanging around with some strange fellows."
"...."
"Follow me. You wouldn't want to see blood flowing in the marketplace, would you?"
Squeeze.
The grip on my sleeve tightened.
The boy was clinging to me with a face completely stricken with fear.
"...Hmm."
I subtly shifted my steps to shield the boy from the man's gaze. The man with the conical hat frowned.
"What is it?"
"I don't know who you are, nor why you want to take this child. However, the moment you ask [What is it?] instead of [Who are you?] upon first meeting someone, it already shows your character."
"That's an interesting thing to say."
The man in the conical hat scoffed.
"You can judge a person's character but not their ability. Usually, such people are the first to die. It's surprising you made it to the 60th floor."
"Maybe it means I'm not just an ordinary person?"
"If you can survive without your head, I'll acknowledge it."
Chaaang!
What followed in the next instant was as follows.
First, the man drew his sword and swung it. A black aura swirled, cutting through the space between us in an instant. However, when the distance of twelve steps reduced to six, my sword stroke intercepted the man's strike.
"...."
The man's eyes widened in surprise.
Then, swoosh! Throwing knives came flying from three directions – southeast, behind, and west – all relative to my position. The man wasn't alone. He had brought a group and set up an ambush. But I had already sensed the hostility of three people, and with a clang! intercepted the three knives before they could even reach within twenty steps.
"Huh."
The man's eyes widened a bit more.
A passerby, who had been walking along the street, suddenly pulled out a dagger and charged at me. He too was part of the man's group. I strengthened my right hand with aura and firmly grasped the dagger. Twisting his wrist, "Kurk?!" I shattered his arm from the shoulder and flung him backward.
That was the full story of what happened in a flash.
"...Not bad."
"Eeeek!"
Only then, as if time, which had briefly stopped, began to flow again, screams erupted in the street. People belatedly realized the fight and quickly moved out of the way.
Only I and the boy.
The man with the conical hat and his group remained on the street.
"You have the skills to back up your audacious words."
"Well. I do have the skills to deal with audacious people."
"You knew who we were when you resisted, didn't you?"
"Hmm. Not really sure about that."
I stroked my chin.
"Maybe just a bunch of scumbags trying to kidnap a powerless Constellation…?"
"...."
The expression on the man in the conical hat became increasingly interesting. Still, it was somewhat lacking in entertainment. A man's life is in his face. Let's make it a bit more fun.
"Ah. It seems like your organization is so broke that you can't afford a new hat, having to wear the same one all the time. Shall I sponsor you? I have enough money that it's practically overflowing. I can help out beggars like you, at least up to four people. Five is a bit too much. Why don't you draw straws and drop one?"
"Fine. I've decided."
The man with the conical hat adjusted his long sword.
"I'll cut off your tongue and feed it to the dogs."
A blade filled with ominous energy.
It was clear at a glance that he was not someone who had cultivated aura by ordinary means.
"De-Death King-nim...."
From behind, I heard the boy's anxious voice. Whether it was okay to seek help in this situation, or if he was being a burden. Torn between these two emotions, I gently winked at him to reassure him.
"It's okay."
"...."
The boy hung his head low.
Meanwhile, the man with the conical hat assumed a stance.
"I am the leader of the Blood Demon Religion, the Blood Demon."
"...Huh?"
I blinked in surprise.
"Blood Demon?"
"That's right."
"The Blood Demon Religion? So, like a demonic cult? But with the character for 'blood' added in front?"
"Precisely."
The man with the conical hat smiled bitterly.
It seemed he was satisfied with my reaction.
"It's too late for regrets now. Of course, if you cut off your own tongue as penance, I might forgive you. Live the rest of your life tongueless, repenting your arrogance. I am magnanimous towards those who can criticize themselves..."
"What? It's like a complete pseudo-religious cult?"
"...."
Abruptly.
The man with the conical hat stopped speaking.
I was dumbfounded.
"Since when do pseudo-cult leaders go around calling themselves grand masters? Blood Demon? Religion? If it's a demonic cult, then call it that; if it's a devil cult, then say so. What's with this 'Blood Demon' nonsense?"
"What..."
"Hey. Who gave you permission to attach 'demonic cult' to your group's name? Now I see you're not just beggars. I misspoke. Even the Dog Faction has more dignity than you. You know? Even if the Dog Faction picks a fight with you for being nobodies, the officials will side with them."
"...."
"And Blood Demon is a title for horses. One of the horses I own is called Blood Demon. It's not even a title for a leader, but a mere moniker used under subordinates. Tsk. How dare you arrogantly call yourself a grand master? Want to be punished? Want to get hit?"
"You, you...."
"Anyway, those who come up from the martial arts world often lack manners. Please act according to your level, really. Now, let's start the appraisal. Listen carefully. First, remove 'demon' from your signboard. And remove 'Religion' too. I'll acknowledge you up to 'Blood Sect'."
"I will kill you."
The man's face twisted like a malevolent spirit.
"I will surely kill you!"
No.
Why is the leader of a pseudo-cult getting angry?
The one who farted is the one throwing a tantrum. (ED: Idiom – Just as there are people who fart and then get angry as if someone else farted in order to hide it, this refers to people who deny the mistakes they have committed and make excuses.)