Chapter 95: Because It Depends on the Other Person

From the massive frame, a black liquid poured and sprayed from the gaps in its body, as if it were blood erupting from outside the skin.

‘Why is a subordinate here?!’

Bargo’s eyes widened repeatedly.

There are the Five Great Calamities in the Demon Realm.

The Demonic World Tree is one of them.

It is an entity and a domain called the mother of all calamities, a concept and a foundation.

And that thing was a living creature formed from mere fragments separated from the body of the Demonic World Tree.

No, was it even appropriate to define that thing as a living creature?

If the World Tree of the Middle Realm bore the alias of the Life Tree, then this thing in the Demon Realm, named the Demonic World Tree, is often called the Extinction Tree or the Death Tree.

As if to prove this, not a single remnant of life could be felt from it.

Would a rotting corpse look like that?

Even the raw flesh, which could hardly be called scales, was oozing like the bark of a decayed old tree.

Even the muscles looked as if the skin of a living creature had been peeled away and the raw flesh beneath had rotted; look at that blackened, oozing form.

Upon closer inspection, its shape had an indescribable quality, as if thick tree trunks and old wood were tangled together.

Nevertheless, it possessed facial features, and its four limbs were distinguishable.

As if to prove its front and back, the tail positioned at the rear was utterly hideous.

Branches and vines were tangled in numbers too great to count, as if replacing a beast’s fur, but even those were somewhat misaligned, as if they were parasitizing the creature.

There were tentacles piercing through the belly, dark red moss growing around the eyes, and clusters of ashen mushrooms.

The overall color palette was black, red, dark, and murky.

However, when it opened its mouth to roar, a reddish vitality resided within.

Something in the shape of black teeth, and countless tentacles, vines, and branches extending out to replace a tongue.

Grrr!

Rrrr-ick!

Then, it lowered its head and scanned the surroundings as if searching for something.

Its gaze stopped in one corner.

“What?!”

It was looking at him.

Bargo felt a clear sense of hostility and animosity from it.

Feeling hostility and animosity from such a being? It might sound strange, but his intuition was ringing an alarm with absolute certainty.

This is dangerous.

No, he was fine, but!

“Get out of here immediately!”

Bargo shouted to his subordinates.

As if taking that as a declaration of war, the rotting Earth Wyrm let out another bizarre roar.

Soon, it threw its body forward.

Kwooooom!

As the massive frame lunged, the entire area shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Those who failed to dodge or escape were swept away by the aftermath, buried and killed before they could even let out a single scream.

“What kind of trick is this?”

Bargo, who had somehow soared into the air and found himself looking down at the scene, instinctively cast his gaze to one side.

‘Is there a connection?’

A person watching this scene in utter despair, slumped on the ground.

A black-haired boy.

However, in the glimpse of his face, there was a sense of resolve, as if he had prepared for this to some extent.

“Oh dear.”

The Earth Wyrm lifted its head.

It was certain.

That thing treated him as its target and prey.

Why had it become so?

‘Is it trying to protect him?’

Was a subordinate torn from the Demonic World Tree trying to protect that boy now?

Or was it expressing rage toward him for trying to harm it?

He didn’t know the details, but at least the reason seemed clear.

‘If so.’

He could simply test it.

No matter how threatening that thing was.

…This is not the Demon Realm.

Though it applied to him as well, Bargo himself had long since finished adapting to this place.

The air is different.

The energy permeating the world is different, and that requires a long period of adaptation.

To them, this world itself is like poison.

No.

Originally, the environment of the Demon Realm itself was a space made of poison and malice.

But we were born and raised in exactly such a place.

Naturally consuming and accepting the air, sunlight, and food that would be treated as deadly poison here.

Why did the Demon King’s Army prioritize the Demonization Work, including domain erosion, during the invasion?

It is based on the same principle as setting up a kind of nest and establishing a territory in a remote place.

Those who cannot adapt find it agonizing just to endure here.

Emotions are not controlled, and consciousness, spirit, and soul are not governed by the Principle of Order.

Breathing, seeing, and hearing—everything is free.

Uncontrollable emotions and desires.

It is like a rampage.

The absence of restrictions means a lack of control.

Which means there is nothing to hold one back.

For example, that is confusion and chaos.

Everything that must have been a blessing acts as evil and poison to them.

…Though it is nothing once you adapt.

Also, the mana overflowing here is different from magical power.

Similar, yet different.

And those who cannot adapt to it.

They become intoxicated by it, weaken, and collapse.

“That should be the same for you.”

That thing, which is rotting even in the Demon Realm, cannot possibly adapt to this world.

For instance, the time it can remain active will not be very long.

However.

…Even in a short amount of time, that thing could do more than just stir up the area; it could force catastrophic damage.

This is troublesome.

If he isn’t careful, it might look as if they were the ones who started this, making them the scapegoats.

If that happened, even the nations that had responded passively would likely do everything in their power to eliminate them, including the Empire.

‘If this was intentional, it is a truly cunning trick.’

But that couldn’t be.

That’s impossible.

Even the Demon King has to risk his own life to cross worlds.

To bring that thing here? To summon it?

Without a contract? A ritual? Any procedure?

Or did they make the appropriate preparations without our knowledge?

There shouldn’t have been any such signs.

‘No.’

Now is not the time to think.

Perhaps because he had risen to a position where he had to lead others.

He had developed a very bad habit.

‘For now.’

Bargo’s figure plummeted.

The sight was like a gliding hawk spotting its prey and diving down.

The target was precisely the spot where Kariel was slumped.

And.

As if noticing this, the Earth Wyrm threw its body forward.

If that looked like a desperate attempt to protect him… was it merely an illusion?

Despite its massive size, it reacted with surprising agility.

However, as a response, it was one step too late.

The best it could do was forcibly throw its body to react to Bargo’s descent.

Rotten flesh surged, and black bodily fluid painted the sky like blood.

Grrrr!

The Earth Wyrm twisted its body once, accompanied by a cry like a boiling swamp.

Bargo’s body, which had pierced through it and emerged into the air, was surprisingly unscathed.

It was likely because the red electricity enveloping his entire body was swirling around him like a full set of plate armor.

Kwoom!

The Earth Wyrm crashed onto the ground a step later.

As its tail swept the area, most of the people nearby recoiled in terror.

It was fortunate that the top of the Fourth Layer was relatively wide; otherwise, it would have fallen below long ago, turning the entire village into a shambles.

Its size was such that even rolling a few times would easily devastate the area where the villagers resided.

And the fact that he had managed to wound such a thing meant that this Legion Commander was indeed a formidable figure.

“I don’t think we should just be standing here?!”

The moment that thing appeared, Leo’s party, including Luirin, had been about to rush toward Kariel.

However, the pressure emitted by the Earth Wyrm was an absurd threat and violence for a tiny human to handle.

But it seemed the target of that rotting dragon—or whatever it was, whether modeled after a dragon or a lizard—was that monster-like Legion Commander.

Even so, they couldn’t ignore it, as even the fluids, vines, and pieces of bark it shed were not to be taken lightly.

In fact, some of the fallen pieces wriggled as if they were living creatures, suddenly extending stems to form the shape of beasts or human-like figures.

Since the number of these large and small monsters—or magic beasts—increased exponentially in an instant, advancing while dealing with them was quite an ordeal.

“Why did something like that suddenly appear?!”

Luciri shouted, creating a gust of wind as if in desperation.

From her Black Hand, covered in gauntlets, a deep green wind leaked out.

It soon spread across her entire body, enveloping and sweeping the surroundings.

Naturally, the thick fur attached to the hem of her dress fluttered like the mane of a living beast.

“We can figure that out later!”

Leo also swung his sword with surprising agility.

Although he didn’t seem to have learned much, he appeared accustomed to combat itself, slicing through the lunging monsters without hesitation or mercy.

“Ugh! My hands feel gross!”

Monsters exploded and burst apart under Luirin’s strikes.

However, because they sprayed a black liquid—perhaps sap or bodily fluid—Luirin himself became a mess, as did the surroundings.

“The divination was unstable! Was it because of that thing! What kind of calamity is this?!”

Deike was also intercepting the charging enemies one by one with a small crossbow he had produced from somewhere.

Kieek!

Perhaps a special effect had been applied to the arrows, as the monsters’ bodies emitted smoke and burned up as soon as they were hit.

Then.

Luciri’s wind spread the embers, suddenly shooting flames into the air.

As the radiated fire turned into a storm riding the wind and swept the area, most of the monsters caught in it were suddenly seized by flames and let out screams.

“This is why I say magic, magic!”

“Move instead of talking!”

Luciri snapped back, dismissing Deike’s exclamation.

When a monster moved too aggressively, Luciri would create a wind to delay its movement.

Conversely, she assisted by pushing the backs of allies leaping forward or adding acceleration to their weapons, easily solving the lack of strength and response.

Defense? It’s fine as long as you don’t get hit.

Even if the wind couldn’t block an attack, it could deflect it or delay it.

Luciri was demonstrating a very skillful application of wind in that regard.

And Leo and Deike, moving with such support in mind, swept and eliminated the surrounding enemies as if they were flying.

While the Earth Wyrm continued to check and press Bargo, the four of them—Luirin, Leo, and the others—somehow managed to reach Kariel.

“Are you alright?”

“Master? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…….”

Kariel, sitting and continuing to breathe, only gave a slight nod.

He looked so critical that it seemed he might die at any moment even if left alone.

His complexion was completely bloodless and pale, and he seemed to lack even the strength to lift his body.

He somehow… fought that person in this state.

That small giant, who had driven back the hideous Earth Wyrm, was relentlessly sweeping away the Earth Wyrm’s Created Ones.

Even farmers during harvest could not have collected crops so readily.

He looked less like a wolf among sheep and more like a wolf among ants.

“Do you know why that thing suddenly appeared?”

Luciri asked just in case, but Kariel was in no condition to respond.

No, even if he had been in a condition to respond, it was doubtful whether he would have given an answer.

“We can figure that out later, first let’s get out of here….”

The moment Leo said that and tried to grab Kariel’s body.

Kariel suddenly grabbed Leo’s forearm.

“…….”

As if only then regaining consciousness.

His two eyes, dyed in gold, were staring straight at Leo with an intense will.