Game Difficulty Is Insane
‘What… what is this, exactly?’
The moment the magic struck Glen, Penelope doubted her own eyes.
Her spell—cast after reaching the eighth demonic realm—had not worked on him at all.
“That’s impossible…”
Blocking it would have been shocking enough.
But Glen didn’t even try to stop it. He simply stared calmly at the black spear flying toward him.
Yet just before the spear could touch the boy’s face, it was stopped by an unknown transparent wall.
As if being swallowed by that wall, the black spear dissolved from its tip, scattering back into its original demonic particles.
Saaaaaah—
Demonic particles dispersed into the air.
The opponent did nothing.
Watching this unbelievable scene, Penelope sucked in a sharp breath.
What kind of being could block an 8-star witch’s attack without using any power at all?
At that moment, a memory from the past surfaced in Penelope’s mind.
‘No way…’
Such a being had existed.
Someone she had once failed to even scratch, no matter what methods she used.
But that figure from her memories was a person who stood at the very apex of all demonkind.
‘On the same level… as that being?’
As Penelope’s agitation deepened—
Glen clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. You really went through with it.”
His foot, which had been still, began to move slowly toward Penelope.
Step. Step.
“?!”
Penelope swallowed hard and hurriedly pulled back her demonic energy.
“It would be wise not to do anything foolish, Legion Commander. No matter how many times you try, with only the eighth demonic realm, you won’t be able to leave a single scratch on me.”
“Don’t come any closer! Ngh…! Wh-what are you, exactly?!”
That was when—
Fwaaaak—
The approaching Glen suddenly raised his right hand.
And formed familiar black particles.
Penelope’s violently shaking crimson pupils widened once again.
“D-demonic energy?!”
Impossible.
She was certain that earlier today, when Glen fought Meldborn, he had used holy power.
Yet now, right before her eyes, he was openly manifesting demonic energy.
“How… how is that possible…”
A being beyond standards—one who handled both holy power and demonic energy, and casually nullified the magic of an 8-star witch.
As Penelope gazed upon this unknown, overturned logic, her face turned deathly pale.
She realized she had touched something she should never have touched.
Step—
By then, Glen was already standing right in front of her.
She tried desperately to release more demonic energy, but his hand was already within reach.
“Aah…!”
As the shadow of his hand covered her face, the fear she had once felt toward that past existence seized her entire body.
Unable to run, unable to fight back, Penelope shut her eyes tightly, praying only that the pain would be brief.
And then—
Ttak—
“Ah!”
A sharp sting on her forehead.
Her legs gave out, and Penelope collapsed to the ground.
“…Huh?”
She slowly opened her eyes.
Glen was looking down at her with an expressionless face.
“Normally, death would be the proper punishment for your foolishness. But killing you would make things troublesome in many ways.”
Penelope stared blankly.
Glen crouched down to meet her eye level and asked in a low, cold voice.
“You seem to have calmed down. Shall we resume our conversation? Understood?”
“…Y-yes.”
Her voice trembled.
The honorific slipped out naturally.
At that moment, Glen smiled inwardly with certainty.
Now, to Penelope, he was an overwhelming being who easily surpassed even the 8-star realm.
Which meant—
With just a few words, he could manipulate her however he wished.
Wasn’t this what they called turning misfortune into opportunity?
A sudden crisis had transformed into a perfect chance.
After that, everything moved swiftly.
Glen asked Penelope when she began paying attention to him, and why she had sought him out.
Penelope, still dazed, answered obediently.
Her explanation matched what Glen had roughly expected.
Penelope had noticed that the annihilation of the demon skirmish unit and the legion vanguard was closely tied to a boy named Glen Wordsworth.
After watching his fight with Meldborn, she feared that leaving him alone might interfere with the legion’s plans—so she came to see him personally.
Glen clicked his tongue.
“A legion commander of the Demon King Army, personally moving over a single human… Tsk.”
“T-that is… Even if you are human, Elder, your actions were far too strange…”
At some point, Penelope’s way of addressing him had changed from brat to Elder.
It was rare for a proud, individualistic high demon to show such respect.
‘Interesting. She never used honorifics toward any legion commander except the Demon King.’
She must be truly frightened of his existence.
Suppressing a laugh, Glen looked down at her with disdain.
“The outcome of this battle was already decided. Why act so rashly?”
“I… I know, Elder.”
“If you continue handling matters like that, your life won’t last long.”
“I-I’ll remember that.”
Penelope bowed deeply.
Glen snorted.
“Well, thanks to your foolish actions, I don’t have to bother visiting your camp myself.”
“Y-you were planning to come see me…?”
“I was. I had many things to ask you.”
Penelope hesitated, lips trembling.
“What is it?”
“Ah… n-nothing…”
“Speak.”
“…Are you… a demon, Elder?”
“Hah. So that’s what you wanted to ask.”
