Since the dawn of time, nothing had stoked mankind's greed quite like the allure of power. It called to them in times of hardship, seduced them with the possibility of something more: the strength to overcome any obstacle, the knowledge to solve any conundrum, and most importantly… the ecstasy of freedom, knowing there existed none left above them.

Maugris was a complicated man. Lucius did not doubt that the priest had good intentions — oh yes, he did care for others. He truly wished them well, but it was that very affection that prevented him from realizing the truth. They became his excuse. He cried their names when confronted with the zealousness of his research. His obsession with magic was to be used for the people and their prosperity, such were the tenets instilled into him by religion, and it was so that he came to fool himself that his desires were rightly justified.

But in reality? That was never his goal. Of course, with greater power also came the ability to protect those he cherished. There was no doubt about that, but such was merely a derivative of his pursuit. A convenient bonus. No, what he really desired, what his heart craved and hungered for all this time, was to reach the realm of God.

Maugris was envious of God: envious of the potential and possibility he could never hope to grasp. That envy hid in his half-hearted smiles, his spiritless voice as he recounted the Lord's scripture. Lucius saw it clearly back at the church. For all his claims of being a loyal, faithful servant, he was amongst that grand hall of believers the most apathetic. Such had led to his unfortunate fate here this day — consumed by his own wayward ambition.

Despite the gentleman's best efforts, Maugris had failed to accept the truth. A shame, but not everyone could be like Ruggiero. There was beauty in the broken as well as the good. Who was Lucius to deny them? These poor sinners, their desperate, flailing attempts to be seen… even if the whole world were to turn away, disgusted, he would be here. Loving them. Immortalizing their splendor for all of eternity.

"How do you feel, my friend?" Lucius asked Maugris now. The former priest had snatched the Demon King's Fragment, but what came next was not the triumphant enlightenment he had proclaimed for himself. Instead, a surge of shadow leapt forth, crawled onto Maugris's arm, and then spread all along his body until not a speck of his self could be seen untainted by the dark.

He remained there unresponsive for a time, but an unsettling chill began to swell with each passing second. Maugris's figure twitched and trembled. He groaned both in pain and pleasure as strange sounds of shifting, growing, squirming mass spilled forth.

When the shadows receded, and Maugris's visage was bared for the world to see, Lucius stepped back and let out a curious hum. The man before him had irrevocably changed.

The right side of his body looked no longer human. Where once was his robe and firm muscle had now fused together into a lumpy white strand of brain matter. It encompassed his arm, his leg, even the side of his face. The other half kept his former appearance, albeit sickly yellow, delirious, and with a manic smile curving wide from his still-functional lips.

It was grotesque. It was bizarre. But most of all… Lucius saw in him a pattern the gentleman had witnessed many times before.

Yes, the Maugris of now was very similar to a demon.

>[EMERGENCY QUEST!]<

To you, o' players so close to returning back home, a tragic predicament has taken place. Maugris, the Peer you have come to know on this journey, has succumbed to the Demon King's Fragment and its corrupting influence. He is no longer your ally. He will slaughter you all without remorse. There is no saving him, for the blight has already taken root in his soul. Slay him whilst he is still human, or else his demonic transformation will be completed.

Success: 500 Cosmic Coins and 5 unallocated status points.

Failure: Transition to the next Sub-Mission.

Once again, the message window had spoken. Maugris was marked for death.

>[Virtual Goddess of the Wired weeps for the poor Maugris. Such a kind child does not deserve this fate]<

>[Angel of Mercy clicks their tongue and says he brought it upon himself for lusting after what wasn't his. Mercy should only be shown to the truly repentant]<

>[Sinister Interdimensional Bureaucrat thanks Lucius for setting up an entertaining show. Their employers very much enjoy this outcome and, as a result, the Star donates 500 Cosmic Coins]<

"Lucius? Is that you?"

The crazed thing turned toward Lucius, and laughed. A spark of its former self lit up in its eye, but there was a murkiness to it: dark, cloudy, trapped in an endless state of intoxication.

"Oh? You still have your wits about you? My, now that is a surprise," Lucius mused. "Perhaps we may settle this in a more civilized manner, then. Blink twice if you can understand me."

The creature did not respond, however. It merely continued babbling about nonsense only it could possibly understand.

"Lucius… Lucius… don't you see? I've proven it, haven't I? I proved you wrong! This power swelling inside me, oh it feels amazing. With this, I can protect everyone just like I said I would. I can finally… finally reach the realm of the Stars."

The gentleman grabbed his tophat and, with a wide flourish, bowed to the remnants of the former Peer, before swiftly making his escape to the outside. "Well, I'd best be going. Good tidings to you!"

"Lucius? Where are you going? Come back, I need to keep you safe! Everyone can… can only be safe in my arms. I have to find them."

No sooner did the gentleman dash off did his former tent explode into pieces. The half-demon staggered after him, unharmed, soon after. It raised its arm of grey matter and conjured forth spells and magic just like it had before as a priest. Only, these spells were different. They were corrupted and slathered in a jarring layer of abstract nonsense.

Sharp spikes made of paper mache shot up from the ground beneath Lucius, narrowly skewering him, but he sallied forth undeterred and maneuvered through the assault with a skip, a twirl, and a most dazzling whirl. It wasn't difficult; in fact, he thought these attacks to be much more manageable compared to his brief dance with the Demon of Eyes.

The half-demon had yet to finish its transformation. If left unchecked, these simple spells would be the least of his worries.

Fortunately, the commotion didn't go unnoticed. The paladins and the other players soon rushed out into the open, and they gawked in horror as they beheld the former Peer's gruesome appearance. Here it was, a man they once respected, admired — now no different than the very enemies they swore to destroy.

"How… is this possible?"

Renaud took a step forward with his trembling cane, and he sucked in his breath, unsure what to say. How to react. All this time the Franks had thought themselves immune to the demons' corruption, but not a soul could refute the terrible sight they saw here. Man wasn't infallible. They too could become fallen.

The players already knew what had to come next. The system window left no room for compromise. Even so, they hung their heads, and then took up their weapons. They would not hesitate like before; they would not allow another like Ogier to massacre their fellows. And thus, they advanced forth solemnly, taking no pleasure in the battle soon to unfold.

Renaud swerved toward them and shouted in anger. "What is the meaning of this? I have not given the order to proceed. Maugris, he—can't you see he can still be saved? There is humanity in him yet. I am sure of it. Damn it all… answer me, you insubordinate curs!"

But his words fell on deaf ears. Not a single player chose to stop. Not one member of the paladins moved to block them. The Franks were stunned to silence, and they would remain so as their otherworldly allies formed into ranks and rushed ahead.

"Oh? There you are! Come, my friends. You do not need to worry about the demons any longer, for I am here. Let us explore the depths of magic together. We do not need God, or the clergy, or any of those restrictive fools. Progress is ours. Advancement is ours. Let me… let me show you…"

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Marco led the advance with the other close-combat classes. The thing had to be defeated quickly, lest it grow powerful enough to spread its madness and bewitch them just as the Eyes had. The players were experienced now. They attacked it in turns, rotating one after the other so as to spread their foe's attention. In-between their assault, the ranged attackers such as Mili, Cain, and Crowley would blast it from afar.

The Brain summoned forth walls of clay to protect itself; but the residual blasts pained it, nonetheless. There were just too many of them. The players spared it not a moment to recover before they pounced again, and again, and again — and all the while the half-demon held its ground, hunkering in place and protecting itself with what spells it could muster.

Even its counterattacks ended in failure. It tried to summon a tornado of confetti, but Miss Rhodes redirected the force away with a flap of a giant cape. Fire spewed from floating orbs of cerebrum, only for the flames to be absorbed by Mister Pierre's pan and summarily reflected back.

It was a one-sided massacre, and the former Peer was losing. Lucius felt pride bubble inside him upon witnessing his companions' growth. He was the only one to feel this way, though. Renaud looked upon the battle with a grim, apprehensive frown.

"What happened?" he said to him.

Lucius shook his head. "Maugris came to my tent just after midnight. I was startled by his sudden appearance, but he claimed to have visited me simply for some conversation. Of course I couldn't say no to a nice evening tea party, and so I allowed him inside. It didn't take long before I discovered his true intentions, however."

Renaud groaned and buried his face in his hands. "He was after the page, wasn't he?"

"Indeed."

"Of course he was. I've always known him to be an inflexible, magic obsessed fool, but I thought he would have at least had the prudence to know that tinkering with the dark arts would never end well."

Renaud scrunched his brow and grumbled, ready to yell a stern lecture and berate Maugris for his idiocy. But he stopped; and soon a wave of sadness washed over him. There would be no point. Unlike before, his fellow was already too far gone — Renaud's anger would reach not a soul.

"For Stars' sake, you're a senior priest of all things! Just what drove you to such madness? Did you abandon your people, your nation, even the Lord, just for something so inane as curiosity? I misjudged you, Maugris. You were a more pathetic wretch than I could have ever imagined. But even so, I…"

A conflicted look passed through him. Renaud leaned his head back, sighed, and then whispered into Lucius's ear, "Is there truly no other way?"

"I thought you disliked Sir Maugris?" Lucius replied in turn.

Renaud thought to himself for a moment, scratching at his arm, his neck, anywhere that had yet to be turned red. "Of course I do. Even now, I cannot help but remember back to our youth, to that snobbish smirk of his unknowing of the privilege he held. However… this is not how his end should be. I merely—I merely wanted him to understand. To admit his wrongdoing toward me and grovel in repentance."

"And what wrongdoing would that be, exactly?"

Renaud didn't reply, or rather he couldn't. The man wasn't sure himself what it was he wished to be righted.

"I suggest you say your goodbyes now. Maugris will never return. That, right there, is merely a demon assuming his guise. Killing him is all we can do to honor his memory."

Renaud turned his gaze toward the ground. He stayed there, unblinking. But despite the surge of emotions deafening his mind, the man was still a leader. He could not allow the players to undertake this duty alone. If Maugris had to be put down here, then let it be by the hands of his countrymen.

Such was their responsibility.

"Very well. You do not need to forgive me, old friend." Renaud raised his hand up high and bellowed to his subordinates. "How long will you stand in disgrace, warriors of Francia? The enemy is before us. It matters not what they once were. There is only one fate for a demon, and that is death. I command you now: Assist the otherworlders at once!"

The paladins looked amongst each other, conflicted, however slowly but surely they picked up their blades and then joined the others with subjugating their once treasured ally. What had already been a simple fight became even more so — the thing could not withstand it, the full might of paladin, priest, and player converging on its lone fray.

"Renaud… Renaud… whatever happened between us? Why did you stray from our group? You were always… always the one who understood me best. Yes, we were kindred souls, weren't we? Both so full of ambition. Both yearning for that which was beyond us. It is not too late. Come to my side, Renaud. Together… together… we will break free from this limiting world."

The half-demon extended its deformed arm to Renaud, pleading, begging for him to accept. But all it was met with was a quiet refusal.

"That has always been your misunderstanding, Maugris," he said. "I do not wish to leave this world, but to make it a better one. To foster a land where those with power may never abuse it again. Not the former emperor, not the current one, nor those far in the future. Such is my and uncle Ganelon's resolve."

The thing's final moments were nigh. Marco charged up his fiery gauntlet and tore a hole straight through its gnarled chest. Harper rushed in and severed its legs with a swing of her axe; and a bolt of lightning came raining down, searing both the thing's human and demon side alike until the two were indistinguishable from ash.

The paladins gathered together and stabbed what remained of it. They did not stop, not until its brittle body had long crumbled onto the dirt.

It was over. Their foe was slain, yet not a soul celebrated.

Renaud slowly walked up to his former friend's remains. He dropped to the ground and clasped his hands together in prayer, turning the blackened brain into a swirl of pure, unblemished flowers. "You do not deserve to enter our Lord's paradise, but I shall hope nonetheless. It is the least I can do for one damned as yourself. Rest now. Take comfort knowing you were an annoyance to the very end, my once cherished friend."

With that, he stood back up and turned around, dragging himself back to his quarters. He did not look at the others, nor did he give them any other commands.

Even if only for a few hours, he wished to grieve in his own way — alone.

Eventually, everyone began to disperse. It was far too late to get any more sleep, so they chose to busy themselves in other distractions. Drinking was the most popular. Elsewise, some chose to help around the camp and clean up the ruins left from their battle.

Harper, Mili, and Marco rejoined with Lucius. The gentleman saw a great fatigue in their eyes, but never to fear! A good cup of tea was always the answer for a weary mind.

"Ugh, I feel like crap," Mili muttered, sipping on her lemon chamomile. "This is the second time, huh? We were doing so well that I… I really thought we'd all get through this for once. Without any deaths, at least."

Marco huffed and reclined into his chair (summoned by Lucius). "I thought so too, kid. Can ya believe he ambushed Lucius for that scrap of junk? Didn't seem like the type. But, well, guess we didn't know him all that well in the first place. A damn shame… figured he was a good guy."

"I don't know… doesn't something seem off to you folks?" Harper said. "This is the second time a guy's gone crazy out of nowhere. Ogier? I could believe it since he wasn't doing alright to begin with, but I didn't see anything like that in Maugris when we first left. A healthy mind doesn't just deteriorate so suddenly like that."

The three of them sighed, further unsettled by this strange circumstance.

"Well, at least it's all over," Mili said, brightening up. "Just gotta go back to the castle now and get that damn page locked up—"

The musician jumped up in panic. "The page! Oh crud, we forgot about the page. It didn't get burned up while we were fighting, did it?"

To that, Lucius chuckled and pulled the aforementioned paper from his pocket. "Not to worry, my dear. I swiped it from the good Maugris whilst he was still mid-transformation."

Mili let out a puff of relief and gave the gentleman a thumb's up. "Nice, smooth moves as always. Now we really are all set."

"Well, I don't know about that."

"Huh?"

Lucius was surprised no one had realized it yet. The Frankishmen, he could understand. They did not have the same interface that the players did. But for the gentleman to be the only person? He supposed this was a distracting environment, what with all the doom and gloom about, and the players were likely too tired to think of anything else.

Lucius could have spoken up. It wouldn't have been difficult at all for his warning to be spread, but where would the fun be in that? Besides, failing didn't have any noticeable punishments. That's why he had kept silent all this time.

The fact that they hadn't received the mission rewards yet.

"Hm? Do you guys hear that?"

A faint rumbling came from below. Lucius's fellows shared a confused glance amongst each other, but soon it dawned on them.

Yes, this mission had been much too simple. For them to clash blows with a pseudo-demon and emerge without a single casualty? Especially when that very demon originated as one touted amongst the empire's elite as a Peer? The expedition was too complacent. They were too preoccupied with what was shown in plain sight, rather than what remained hidden.

The four of them quickly leapt and backed up as the ground split apart, making way for a splurge of gunk and lumpy tissue to bulge from the cracks.

All during their fight, the demonized Maugris had funneled his fleshy network deep underground. That was why it remained still. That was why it accepted its supposed end with so feeble a resistance.

It needed time to grow, and now? Now was the moment.

The moment it became a fully ascended Evil.

Lucius grabbed onto his three companions and swiftly fled the scene. The repulsive sprouts rose higher. It crashed through the center of the camp, breaking through all in its way, before detaching from its earthly roots and flying high into the sky. It was like a balloon, in a morbid sense. A great big balloon that blotted out the rising suns, but this one was very much conscious.

Any physical trace of Maugris had fully disappeared. Now, there was only a floating severed brain.

>[EMERGENCY QUEST: RISING DANGER LEVEL! THE QUEST'S CONTENTS HAVE CHANGED]<

You have failed in stopping Maugris from completing his repulsive transformation. Now, he has joined the ranks of the Evils as the newly born Brain of Ambition. Yet, not all is lost. Stay strong, o' warriors of another world. The situation is dire, but hope awaits in the horizon should you have the strength to reach it. Rise with your fellows and put an end to this scourge once and for all, or else everyone here will surely perish.

Success: 1000 Cosmic Coins, 10 unallocated status points, and a random apparel box.

Failure: Death.

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