62. Defeating the Great Demon
Somewhere in the Labyrinth Forest.
In front of the mansion where the Great Demon of Gluttony stayed, in a place without the mist that usually filled the Labyrinth Forest, In-gwang's group appeared once again.
"Guide, let's try to get here a little faster next time."
"C-cough!
Well, you see, the Labyrinth Forest is originally a mysterious place where even paths you've walked before can change when you come back another day."
"I know.
That's why I'm not angry and am simply saying let's try harder next time."
"I'm sorry, Boss!"
Because they had gotten a little lost on the way and had to fight several groups of monsters, everyone was already exhausted before the real battle had even begun.
They had already checked the Great Demon's attack range once before, so the group sat down outside the attack range and took a short rest to recover their tired bodies.
"Ah!
I brought a blanket!
Sit on this!"
"No.
It's fine, so please just leave me alone."
"No!
There might be terrifying insects living in this grass!
How can I just sit here and watch you take such a risk?"
"Please just leave me alone...
Please..."
Since Leviinge kept clinging to In-gwang and bothering him during every battle, his mental fatigue had already gone far beyond its limit, regardless of how tired his body was.
"This battle is going to be quite difficult."
Malang, who spent almost all of her time outside of battle being carried by In-gwang, was relatively relaxed.
So she spoke with concern on behalf of the exhausted people who had fallen silent.
Unlike the battles against Corruption or Jamani, there were currently no players in Haiyang Gwe who could help them.
Even if they asked players to come, there probably weren't many who would spend money and travel all the way here just to help.
In-gwang had also asked Kim In-bang, whom he had become acquainted with after the battle against Corruption, for help.
Unfortunately, Kim In-bang said the distance was simply too great for him to come.
In the end, they had to challenge the Great Demon purely with their current party.
There was at least one fortunate thing.
The spirit possessing Leviinge's body had considerable power.
Although Leviinge herself wasn't in very good condition and probably couldn't use that power many times, they could still expect several powerful attacks from her.
Compared to other games, this was like a dungeon where they only needed to survive for a certain amount of time before a predetermined event occurred, either defeating the boss or weakening it.
With that kind of setup, it wasn't impossible to clear.
"Well.
Shouldn't it be fine?"
"In-gwang doesn't seem motivated at all either."
"...No, but obviously!"
In-gwang's feelings were complicated.
After escaping reality for a while to avoid Leviinge, he had returned to the game and continued the meeting.
The things he heard during that meeting made him not want to fight the boss at all.
"You said that place is a space where time repeats, right?
Huh?
And some elf named Epi-whatever entered that place because he didn't want to die, right?
You said that even if we kill him, he'll return as a Great Demon after some time!
Then what's the point?!"
Of course, this was a setting created by the game developers so they wouldn't have to use a useful boss only once.
Since the Labyrinth Forest was already established as a place where absurd things could happen without explanation, they could push through even with somewhat forced settings.
"Still, can't we get the Indomitable Chain, which is our objective?"
"Who knows?!
The boss that appears next time might have my chain too!
Then!
The players who come here later will all get the Indomitable power just like that!
Do you know how much suffering I went through to obtain that power?!"
Modak had also carried the chain around his body for a long time and eventually became a spirit creature, allowing him to summon the chain like In-gwang.
But that was a slightly different matter.
If someone rolled around the dungeon floor, desperately farming while barely holding their sanity together and wasting countless hours, while someone else obtained what they wanted with a single click, who would be happy about that?
And whether this strategy succeeds or fails, that elf is going to follow me...!
The only unusual preference In-gwang could tolerate was Dorfin.
If that number increased any further, In-gwang's heart would break.
It was true that Dorfin liked and found In-gwang cute.
But even now, whenever she saw an opening, she would sometimes try to tease him.
After all, the very reason she had attached herself to In-gwang was to bother him.
So In-gwang had already reached the stage where he had given up to some extent and simply accepted it.
But if Leviinge, who had exactly the opposite personality from Dorfin, attached herself to him as well, he didn't even want to imagine what would happen after that.
I can't just kill her...
[Modak: Can't we just kill her?
I think we could burn her and eat her deliciously.]
My karma will increase...
Stop, please.
Some people might think:
Why does he avoid someone who simply wants to stay by his side and help him because she feels sorry for him and thinks he's having a hard time?
In-gwang had wondered the same thing himself.
She didn't have any bad intentions and genuinely wanted to take care of him.
Was there really a reason to dislike her?
The foundation of that care was a little twisted, but if she was willing to handle troublesome things for him, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"In-gwang!
Would you like a drink?"
"No."
"Are you not hungry?
Should I make you some soup right now?"
"I'm fine.
Please."
"You're not fine!
L-look at these thin arms!
Are you eating your meals properly?!
No!
There's no way you are!"
Leviinge fussed over In-gwang's arms, which could lift a combined 400 kilograms, calling them thin.
If he left her alone, she would clearly treat him like a baby in a cradle.
In his mid-twenties, he would have to be treated like a baby and nagged all day long.
Would In-gwang, who had become accustomed to living alone, really accept such treatment easily?
If it continued for too long, he might actually go crazy and try to kill Leviinge.
"L-let's stop resting.
Everyone has rested enough, right?"
Afraid that resting any longer would mean being trapped with Leviinge for even longer, In-gwang hurriedly asked for everyone's agreement.
The others nodded and stood up, preparing for battle again.
"Iyen, you're ready, right?"
"Yes.
I've rested enough."
"Don't forget that your role is important this time, okay?
If you think you're about to die, run away first!
Understand?"
"I've already heard that five times."
Iyen's role was normally important as the main damage dealer of the party.
But in today's battle, it was even more important than usual.
The skill Iyen had learned while hunting together with In-gwang after becoming the Knight of Diligence was called 'Pilcham.'
And it was quite an incredible skill.
It was a terrifying skill that completely ignored the opponent's defense and cut them in half.
However, because she still hadn't perfectly controlled its power, sometimes it could only inflict a scratch.
It was an unreliable skill despite completely ignoring defense.
A defense-ignoring skill whose attack power occurred randomly according to proficiency.
Whoever designed that thing must really love randomness.
I bet they would also enjoy receiving a random salary every month.
"I'll explain it again.
There are two ways to defeat this boss.
The first is to keep destroying its outer layers, like peeling an onion, until we reach the core.
That's probably the standard strategy."
"And I'm the one peeling that onion."
"That's right.
We'll focus on supporting Iyen as much as possible so she can attack.
And the second method."
"While Miss Iyen draws its attention, In-gwang will pull the demon's true body out!"
"Ah, yes.
That's right.
I'll use my chain to pull its true body out.
The principle should be similar to attaching the chain to a soul.
It'll probably fail, so we'll just try it."
"You really tell us not to expect anything when we're in a situation where you should be saying that you'll definitely succeed...!"
Leviinge smiled as if there was nothing she could do about him.
In-gwang shuddered and quietly took another step away from her.
Then he spoke again to make everyone's roles clear.
"Malang, focus on buffing us rather than debuffing the boss.
I doubt a Great Demon will easily fall for debuffs.
And pay more attention to Iyen's condition than mine.
Never come forward!
If you think you need to come forward to get within healing range, just give up and come back to the rear for healing.
Tell me that you'll do that."
"Yes!"
"Chief, this is basically your first debut battle, so don't get too nervous.
Your attacks probably won't be very effective against it, but you said you found a decent weapon, right?
Use that to keep it in check."
"Hehehe.
I've prepared quite a lot as well, so there's no need to worry so much.
Just leave it to me."
"That's reassuring.
And Miss Leviinge.
You."
"Yes!"
"...Shut up and listen to me.
Don't do anything on your own.
Understood?
If you do, I'll split your head in two.
Don't come running to help me just because I look like I'm in danger.
Leave all attacks to the spirit and stay somewhere safe.
I'm not joking, so take me seriously."
"...Yes!"
In-gwang had spoken seriously and angrily.
But perhaps Leviinge saw a glimpse of a bad man in that attitude.
She became even more excited.
In-gwang simply couldn't understand Leviinge at all.
...Strange.
During the test, whenever I did something, everyone used to get scared.
Come to think of it, I haven't received any title-related messages since the official service began.
The others all seem to be working on their titles...
[Modak: Dad was split into two with Whitey.
Maybe the title went to Whitey's side!]
Oh!
Thinking about it that way makes me feel a little better.
Taking a small amount of comfort from Modak's words, In-gwang asked Modak to appear in wolf form when things became dangerous and draw the boss's attention.
Then, after taking a deep breath and clearing his mind, In-gwang approached the fence of the Great Demon of Gluttony, Epishurean.
To prepare for a sudden attack, he wrapped a thin chain around his body and rang the bell that had sounded on the first day once again.
This time, too, the sound of the bell echoed like a distant cry.
But unlike before, the door suddenly burst open violently, and a grotesque-looking Great Demon crawled out.
"Ugh!
What the hell is that thing's appearance?!"
It had a long body that looked as though it had been burned, and a huge mouth covered in countless teeth where its face should have been.
From its long body, burned trees extended like the legs of a centipede.
It quickly crawled into the front yard of the mansion, proudly displaying its overwhelming appearance.
[The Burning Degenerate Epishurean has appeared!
It is not an unbeatable enemy, but it is definitely a powerful enemy!
Be careful!]
Until now, In-gwang had only seen messages telling him that he should run away.
Compared to those, this was an extremely hopeful message.
"Hu... hungry!
I'm hungry!"
"Though it's my karma...
Still...!"
Clink!
In-gwang attached chains to both the upper and lower lips of the giant centipede-like demon with its enormous mouth.
He fixed the chain attached to the lower lip to the ground, preventing the demon from moving.
Then he pulled the chain attached to the upper lip with all his strength and rose high into the sky.
"Huung!
Hungryyyy!
I'm sooo huuuungryyyy!"
"Keep your mouth shut!"
The demon tried to raise its head to follow In-gwang's movement.
But its lower lip was fixed in place, causing its body to stop for a moment.
In-gwang pulled the chain once more and drove his knee into the demon's head—or what could be called its head.
As soon as In-gwang's downward strike slammed the giant mouth shut, he immediately moved again.
He wrapped the chain around the mouth to keep it closed and pulled with all his strength.
"Grrk!"
"I'm coming!"
