Chapter 30: Ambush

“Surely you're not joking about something like this?

I can't feel anything at all……”

A low voice, spoken with a smiling expression, as if ventriloquizing.

“I’m very sensitive to demonic energy.

You must have heard?”

When Muno answered immediately, Klarm nodded a moment later with an expression that said 'ah'.

A being that harbors demonic energy , the power of demons that disrupts the balance of the world, is bound to instill a sense of unfamiliarity, disgust, or fear even in ordinary people.

This would be felt even more clearly by Corporeal Arts users who had broken through their limits and evolved, but when a magician infiltrated Drasen, the knights of the territory strangely did not sense such an aura at all.

‘Only I could feel it.’

- It’s dangerous to reveal all of your traits, but it’s necessary to let them know that you’re sensitive to demonic energy.

Since they use a method to hide demonic energy, revealing the fact that you can detect it will give your words credibility.

His father had said so, and Muno had agreed.

However, the Count seemed to have just taken that story as a reference.

- A trait sensitive to demonic energy?

That's a peculiar one among tertiary traits. Hmm.

Could it be that you had an aptitude for being a spirit master or a priest?

Hoho.

- Well, even so, after that incident, the priests of the territory and our territory's spirit master who is now in Kannel, Rasmia, conducted a large-scale inspection of Trian.

- No matter what tricks a magician plays, it’s just magic, so it can't escape the eyes of a spirit master or a priest.

There's no need for you to look further.

There's also the matter of Trian's pride…….

Although he had not yet actually met a spirit master or a priest, he had seen and heard countless related stories, so Muno had no choice but to follow those words.

However, he felt a little skeptical now.

‘I can feel demonic energy better since dealing with that 4-Circle bastard.

Do spirit masters and priests also judge magicians with this kind of sense?’

His senses were now perfectly grasping the presence of the magicians inside the forest to the right of the main road.

More precisely, the Demon Devourer was.

- Krrrrr.

‘Just wait a little longer. I have to catch them anyway.’

After calming his other self and glancing over, all he could see were the forest and trees.

He couldn't feel the presence of any other animals, but only the presence of the unpleasant things that harbored demonic energy was clearly felt.

“About 20-30 meters inside the forest, three magicians, presumed to be 3-Circle, are positioned at similar intervals.

In a triangular shape……. they are waiting with their demonic energy gathered in the center.”

“You can tell in that much detail?”

He could tell just by Klarm's reaction, who had his arm around his shoulder in a natural motion.

That his ability was by no means just a little sensitive.

“I'm certain.”

“Hah……. We leaked our route in three different ways, how could they have already……”

From a distance, it looked as if they were having a pleasant conversation.

But the content of the conversation the two were having in low voices was completely different from their expressions or actions.

The fact that they had leaked the route in three different ways meant that there were three people suspected of being involved with the Demon Cult.

And if the Count's intention was correct, it meant that the cultists had also deployed similar forces on other routes, not just this one.

It was just as Klarm had said.

‘How could they have already……?’

It had only been half a day since he had left Trian.

The decision to head to the Kannel territory with Klarm had been made just yesterday, so in light of the usual way noble families handled things, it was truly insane execution speed.

But the enemy had already completed all preparations in the meantime.

From relaying information, to preparing and dispatching the forces to respond.

In other words, it meant that they had enough forces to immediately dispatch a total of nine 3-Circle magicians, three to each of the three locations.

He was once again convinced that they were not a force to be considered mere remnants.

‘It means they are at least at the level of the Trian County…….’

Should he consider it fortunate that there wasn't a 4-class mage like that bastard from before?

But this was also a formidable force.

“The magicians are maintaining their distance and gathering demonic energy in the center……. A magic circle . If I hadn't known, I would have definitely been caught.

Damn it.”

Even if three 3-Star knights gathered, they were just three 3-Star knights.

But if three 3-Circle magicians gathered, they could, depending on the situation, exert the power of a 4-class mage or even more.

“As promised, I will be the bait.”

“……Are you really sure you'll be alright?”

“The attackers I've met so far have tried to capture me…….”

As he said that, there was something that bothered him a little.

Because that 4-Circle bastard had really tried to kill him at the end.

Well, it was probably because he was cornered and got excited.

……Probably.

“It should be more than possible.

Even if not, you won't let me die, right?”

“Hah. You really have some nerve.”

Instead of answering the compliment, Muno looked down at the ground and frowned slightly.

“Let's move.

The demonic energy is already secretly spreading in this clearing.”

An unpleasant aura that only his senses could read was spreading in the clearing leading to the forest around the well-maintained main road.

“I still can't feel it at all. Hmm, but I'll trust you……”

Klarm, whose eyebrows twitched silently, finally raised his voice with a forced bright expression.

“Young Master, you should prepare to pitch the tent.

I'll go get some firewood from over there.”

Klarm, who casually walked towards the forest on the left side of the main road, not the right where Muno had said the magicians were.

At that, the demonic energy that had been spreading on the ground and growing denser suddenly wavered and began to fade.

‘Right. It would be troublesome…….’

Klarm was a 4-Star knight.

If they couldn't deal with him with magic first, the ones who would die would be those magicians.

But Muno had no intention of just waiting for Klarm to circle around the forest and strike the enemies from behind.

“I'll gather firewood from this side! It'll be faster if we do it together!”

Klarm, who was heading towards the opposite forest, seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he started walking again and melted into the forest like the setting sun.

‘Good.’

If it was purely for safety, it would be better for Muno to move after Klarm had struck the magicians from behind.

But.

‘They're my prey. I'll eat them if possible.’

Even without the voice of the Demon Devourer screaming in his head, he intended to deal with them himself.

It wasn't just because of revenge.

Because he had a wish.

‘I want to live like a human.’

Fortunately, he had grown up in a much better environment than his previous life, but that alone did not fulfill that simple wish.

Because wanting to live like a human didn't just mean wanting to simply live that way.

‘My life, I'll live it my way. Without being swayed.’

That was what Muno considered a human life.

But to live like that in this inconvenient and barbaric world, he needed strength.

Because in this world, strength was the ultimate value.

A world with a class system, but where one could become a noble or even a king depending on their ability, especially their military power.

To do that, he needed constant effort, but he was confident in that as well.

Because the life of Han Munho, who had lived his whole life striving, and the life of Muno Drasen, who had lived his whole life struggling, were both within him.

And now, he even had a shortcut.

A talent that both his father and the Count had admired.

The talent he had gained by devouring the demon that his enemies, who were waiting in that forest, had planted.

As Muno walked towards the forest, he recalled the words he had heard from the Count just before leaving.

- I won't ask what your trait is exactly, but the more non-intuitive and complex it becomes, the harder it will be to evolve to the next stage.

- That is the biggest drawback of multiple traits or special traits.

- It's no big deal? As far as I know, among those who have reached the Seven-Star realm in the last hundred years, there was not a single one with a tertiary trait.

‘I will be different, old man.’

He had already devoured Amos and hunted monsters, and his physical abilities alone had increased by more than 50%.

‘The more I devour those with demonic energy, especially magicians, the stronger I become.’

It wasn't for nothing that he had regretted not being able to devour that 4-Circle bastard.

Of course, he didn't have the skills to begin with, and in a way, he had survived with Karina's help, so he might not even have the right to regret it.

“……This time has to be different.”

And it will be different.

It must be different.

‘This might be the easiest chance.’

It was publicly announced that his father had dealt with Amos, and it was known to the outside world that Karina and other knights had caught that 4-Circle bastard by striking from behind.

But if their attack this time also ends in failure, the cultists might start paying attention to him, not just those around him.

‘No, they definitely will. So before that…….’

Muno unknowingly smiled a grim smile, licked his lips, and quickly walked into the forest.

Jiiiiiing.

While forcibly calming the black protectors on his limbs that had begun to vibrate.

* * *

[The 4-Star knight?]

[He's out of detection range.]

[The target is approaching.]

[We need to deal with the 4-Star knight first. If the magic circle is disrupted, we could be taken down instead.]

[So we just let the approaching guy go?]

The message magic connecting the three magicians rang in their ears one after another.

[……We’ll take him first.]

[But!]

[Magic transformation, create a barrier in the area and subdue the target first. We'll deal with the 4-Star knight inside the barrier.]

[But there will be casualties.]

[The order is the priority.]

[Understood.]

[Damn it. I agree.]

Immediately after the death of Alten Run, a 4-class mage who was one of the organization's elite, an emergency was declared in the northern branch.

Putting aside the magician Amos, who was only 2-Circle, the sudden death of a high-ranking magician who had even mobilized a Magic Knight in a rural territory could not be hidden.

While trying to capture the mysterious experiment who had been 'offered' and survived 10 years ago, the tail of the organization, which had been lying low, was caught.

Nevertheless, the organization chose to retrieve that experiment and cut the tail that had been cast over Trian.

In other words, retrieving the experiment was still the top priority.

Even if it meant cutting off all the lines of the organization that had been spread throughout the northern part of the Iron Kingdom.

‘I just don't understand why they're going that far.’

Rohan, the leader of the three magicians, couldn't help but have his doubts.

The Outer Gods .

The supreme beings whom the ignorant called by the derogatory term 'demons'.

The offerings made to them sometimes survived intact.

If they were of such low quality that they were ignored by the Outer Gods, the offerings would be disposed of.

But occasionally, a high-ranking Outer God would not accept an offering at all.

‘Or……. does the upper echelon believe that the Outer Gods definitely accepted that experiment? Why?’

He wracked his brain, but there was no answer.

So, for now, he would follow the orders.

[The moment the target approaches within five steps, activate the barrier. The attribute is cold. Capture him.]

[Ready.]

[Awaiting instructions.]

‘First, freeze the bastard alive, and then capture the 4-Star knight who will charge at the barrier.

The organization will see it as a success even if the two of you are sacrificed.’

Rohan swallowed the thought he could never say out loud and watched the experiment approach from within the stealth magic.

And, just before he took the final step he had predicted.

[Activate……!]

The experiment, who suddenly smiled with a ‘smirk’, leaped towards them like lightning.

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