Demon King

Monster Heart (3)

Occasionally, the rule I set felt frustrating. It feels as if I was wrapped in a few layers of thick chains.

It was the rule that I would never kill and eat humans who were not hostile to me.

Even though these people in front of me were obviously wicked, I could not kill them out of spite.

I can’t take action until I see how they would behave against me.

How stupid, pathetic, and even hypocritical.

Nevertheless, it had to be followed. To protect what little humanity I have left.

To prove that I was once human.

The thick shackles that bind me are the same armor that protects me.

I moved as aggressively as I could, without breaking the rules.

“What is this?” a man asked upon seeing a trap form right before his eyes.

The man was in his late 30s. Based on their conversations, he appears to be the guild master of the Phoenix Hunters, who were leading the men inside the dungeon.

The trap made of wolf-skin, bones, and mane hair formed on the wall.

“’ Go back. I am protecting the Fallen’… huh?” He read the sentence allowed.

The trap I made was a board made of leather, supported by bones; mane hair formed the words on it.

It was a warning letter.

I was able to perform this feat with the Lunatic Trickster, which can create traps out of desired material in the desired place.

“Seems like he found himself a partner,” the man laughed gruesomely.

“Yeah, it’s all thanks to his accomplice that he had been able to escape us so far. Probably one who has explored this dungeon. Someone who knows the location of the stairs.”

The guild master decided on it quickly, faster than I thought.

“Now, they are hiding near us.”

A greedy smile came to his face.

“When I came to find a fish I missed, I find another fish waiting with it. Go back? Why would I? There are two monster necks on the line! Everyone, raise your senses to the maximum, without any gaps! Find them! Speed is life, so move fast!”

At his words, two things have been released.

First, the chain that binds me.

Second, the trap that was disguised as a warning letter.

The effect of the trap was extremely simple because the time spent on it was minimal, and the material was insignificant. Still, it exploded in all directions when I activated it, making the guild members jump in terror.

“It’s dangerous!”

“No, there must be more! Prepare yourselves!”

Guild members surrounded the guild master to protect him from the explosion. The guild master also raised a large shield in front of him.

The next moment, I threw two daggers with the power of Martial Arts and Black Lightning.

The Grudge Fang I threw bounced off the shield, but the impact was too strong that it struck the shield off the man’s hands. At the same time, the guild master raised his sword to block the Poison Fang.

However, I threw those daggers with all my strength. The power they contained is enormous.

He dropped his sword, and the Poison Fang bit his throat deep.

“Look out! He’s close!” the guild members panicked.

I appeared behind the guild master’s back and cut off his neck.

It was a neat finish.

The guild members responded too late. It wasn’t until they were sprayed by their leader’s blood that they turned around and realized that their guild master’s head wasn’t attached to his neck anymore.

Then, they noticed the giant monster casting a shadow over them.

“Ugh!”

“That guy, that guy!”

“Oh my God, a bugbear!”

I grabbed the head of the guild master and lifted it in the air.

He had a stupid expression on. It was as if he didn’t notice that his head was cut off.

I placed his head and body in the inventory.

[You gained 140,500 experience.]

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[You acquired 380 gold 14 silver 55 bronze.]

[Randomly acquired three items from the target’s inventory.]

As I evolved to Bugbear, my inventory was 5X5, or 25 squares.

Except for various material items that overlap in one space, it is almost empty.

Even after placing the body of the man along with the items obtained from him, there are a lot more spaces left open.

Everyone in the space tried to stab me with their swords, knives, and spears, but with Surprise and Fairy Tale, I disappeared in front of them.

The weapons and magic attacks they used caught air.

“Shit!”

“He’s still here! Protect each other! Damn it, what are these sensing abilities doing?!”

“All guild members must convene here! He’s stronger than the Fallen we’re chasing!”

Their leader is dead, but the next man grabbed his baton.

Is this the difference between humans and monsters?

It was admirable, but not enough to change my actions.

Why have I observed them these past few days?

To understand them thoroughly.

To see what factors could harm me and how to avoid them.

How I would move against them if I’ll have to kill them all.

In the midst of training Surprise and Fairy Tale, I was creating a solid plan for several days.

I considered all the variables that I can think of with my ignorant head.

In fact, I thought I wasn’t so ignorant anymore.

It was favorable for me that the hundred members weren’t all in one place.

It seemed so easy. It’s because they were weak.

They won’t be able to catch intermediate monsters on their own.

Nerds who don’t even know how to hide themselves, because they think they are safe in their groups.

Sensing and detection are not options that should be operated at will.

It should be a priority. A habit.

It’s certainly a great idea to create a division of labor if one can’t do everything alone, but their unorganized operation only puts their group in ruins.

The result of combining the abilities of all the units could not exceed my individual abilities.

“Okay, did anyone get him?”

“No, his stealth powers are surpassing our senses!”

“Go on; we have to catch him!”

I did not move.

Moving now would be foolish.

It was like approaching a hedgehog with its spikes raised.

No matter how much they searched through the second floor, they would not be able to find me.

After a few moments, I moved away from the members gathered and into the safe passage.

They still have a chance… I whispered to myself.

Because only their guild master turned hostile to me.

With their leader dead, the group could go two ways.

One is to leave the dungeon. The other is to form a new group and continue hunting.

The first option would be giving up two monsters. The second option will get them all killed.

I didn’t intend to kill all of them.

It may be because I pity them a little, but also because the Fallen they killed were friends of Lee Chan-yoo, not mine.

I won’t touch them if they retreat. There is no need.

Only the guild master’s will made them try to kill me.

If Lee Chan-yoo wants to take revenge, I will let him do whatever he wants.

But…

“This is good. We can put a bugbear’s body on auction.”

“Exactly. It’s not an ordinary intermediate monster. What’s more, the corpses of the Fallen are of superior quality, so necromancers will definitely try to buy his organs.”

“Ha, you assholes! Our opponents are Fallen. We have to kill them first.”

The members of the group were no different from their leader.

“Oh my God, I should have bought a Whisper artifact…”

“Call all the guild members.”

“Be careful. He’s still around!”

Even if the head of the herd changed, there is no change in their behavior.

Then, what I have to do remains the same.

The Ebon Heart is throbbing and beating violently.

It took me long enough to make a decision, but it found the decision welcome.

It vigorously pumped blood through my body, raising my magical power and strengthening my muscles.

It was foolish to think that not all members of their group were evil.

They were rotten from the roots.

It was foolish to think that the rest would change once their leader is dead.

Their weak minds were denied reason and emotion.

Or, perhaps, they are moving in a very logical way in this new world.

They may be doing the right thing, and I was the one in the wrong.

Then, it meant that the world has gone crazy.

If so, wouldn’t I have to act on them?

I’m sorry, Lee Chan-yoo.

There would be no one left for him to take revenge on.

I assimilated in the darkness of the dungeon, marking the location of all living creatures that are moving on the second floor, and cutting their heads off whenever possible.

[You gained 120,079 experience]

[You acquired 43 gold and 29 silver.]

[Randomly acquired three items from the target’s inventory.]

[You gained 109,580 experience.]

[You acquired 29 gold 10 silver 90 bronze.]

[Randomly acquired three items from the target’s inventory.]

[Intermediate Fairy Tale has become Lv9.]

I first dealt with the ones who have strayed from the group.

The disappearance of three or fewer members at a time would not be noticed immediately.

Although the passages on the second floor are wide, a hundred people could not gather in one spot at once.

They would have to separate to different teams.

Moreover, their enemies were not only me but also wolves and spiders guarding the second floor.

The small skirmishes caused the group to split further apart.

Soon, I was able to pick off about thirty of the guild members who were moving to merge with the main group.

My level has risen twice. I am stronger. And I made a lot of money.

I also had items that were randomly acquired.

They also have a lot of equipment, which I stripped off and set aside.

If I couldn’t use them on myself, they would be consumed as materials for Lunatic Trickster.

Soon, the guild members have all convened, and they noticed that they were a lot fewer than before.

“Unbelievable… Are we the only ones left?”

“Fuck it; he killed all of them?!”

“We were wrong… Sir, we need to contact another guild…”

“Don’t be stupid. That’s just going to increase the casualties. Even if we die, we have to finish it ourselves. Conquer this dungeon to make up for the casualties!”

The few members who were clearly higher in authority than the others gathered in a huddle.

They spoke in whispers, but I could hear them all.

It was so pitiful that I had to stop myself from laughing.

“Everybody, stay alert!”

In the past, when I was still a Goblin, I managed to clear a Goblin Warrior mass appearance, then defeat the Goblin Knight that appeared. That’s how I got the key to 1F boss room.

So, what could have happened if I didn’t kill the Goblin Knight?

Or if I lost the key?

The boss room key was connected to the secret of the dungeon.

I tested my theory a while ago.

Before I practiced in the dark passage.

A mass outbreak occurred in 2F, but I killed them all on the spot and got the key.

I thought the key would not appear after just one mass outbreak, but it did.

I got the key once more to the 2F boss room.

Killing the Werewolf King again would be no problem.

But I decided to study how the key works further.

I tried throwing it away, but I couldn’t. It wouldn’t disappear.

I tried to place it inside the inventory, but it popped out after some time.

Then, I wondered, what if I melt the key with Flame Magic to get rid of it?

What would happen?

But right after that thought, my Ebon Heart started beating like crazy.

That’s when I knew it was dangerous to mess with the key.

I found a Werewolf and threw the key at it, which it took and ran away with.

That was it.

Now, I have the key to the boss room again, from killing the guild master.

With the power of Advanced Detection, I can now read the information on objects with a lower level than my skill level.

[Black Palace District 7 2F Boss Room Key – A key that allows you to meet the gatekeeper of 2F.]

[Destroying this will bring anger to all residents of 2F.]

It’s a simple explanation, but not everyone can read this information.

I laughed.

Then I reached my hand out of the darkness.

“It’s the monster!”

Arrows, daggers, and magic flew toward me at once.

However, there was something more powerful, more threatening than the deluge of their attacks.

I threw the key against the weapons and energy that were approaching me.

Then, it got destroyed, exploding violently.

They didn’t understand what happened.

However, the next moment, the dungeon shook with violent vibrations, and monster screams could be heard from all directions.

“Oh no, this is crazy!”

Only

“We’re all going to die!”

The vibration of the dungeon was getting worse.

“Unfortunately…”

I spoke in front of them.

“You are the only ones who will die.”

The wolves’ howling and the sound of spider legs scratching the ceilings filled the space, getting louder and louder each second.

It made me smile.

The dungeon’s fury began.