Chapter 166

Mount Demon Sealing (3)

I went up.

The speed at which the scenery was pushed back was unmistakably abnormal. I had strengthened myself countless times before, but even taking that into account, this degree of physical enhancement was absurd.

“…….”

As for the reason, I could more or less guess.

To begin with, every skill I copied had an original owner.

And whether it was Katya or Noel, who possessed those originals, both of them had recently come into frequent contact with divine beings. It would be most accurate to say that their specs had been greatly enhanced as they became entangled with that side.

It was also in line with how I had arrived at the Tribal Alliance as if dragged there by the priestess in the first place.

If I retraced my memory a little, there had once been a certain bastard who tormented me quite some time ago.

The Puppeteer. There had been that son of a bitch who sided with the Imperial Prince and interfered with me at every turn.

-System Log

▶ The Act I key figure ‘Puppeteer’ has been expelled.

▶ The target’s main body is sealed. It cannot awaken of its own will!

▶ The target ‘Puppeteer’ has been branded with an ‘Exorcism Mark’.

-Skill Info

◈ Weaver of Fate

⧾ Rad Ilja Varfon

Whenever I read a system window like this, it almost made an unexpected wave of nostalgia rise up.

‘At this point, I almost miss him.’

It had not even been that long since I had crossed paths with that so-called Storyteller who ranked among the very top of demonkind. Compared to that, a mere underling of theirs was no longer particularly frightening.

I did remember how I had easily cleared Act I thanks to the skills I had ripped from this guy back then, but that was not what truly mattered.

……Even if he was no longer frightening, being used like this was probably something that made Rad feel like he wanted to chew me up and spit me out.

[------!!!]

Someone’s scream reverberated in my ears. It was probably Rad’s scream, as he took all the Dark energy pouring in before me with his bare body.

-Skill Info

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.

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◆ Special: Exorcism Mark

This skill can only be used on demonkind you have personally sealed. Demonkind whose true names are bound to you must obey your words when they manifest again in the material world.

In other words, if someone was bound by something like this and forced to take those blows head-on just as they were, they would undoubtedly hold such emotions even more clearly.

‘……A small piece of common sense.’

Just because demonkind handled Dark energy did not mean they were completely immune to it.

It was true that they possessed enough resistance to at least move about with their sanity intact inside the Void Zone. And it was also true that they were accustomed enough to the Dark energy they themselves emitted to be effectively immune to it.

But that very nature was of no help whatsoever right now.

So.

If a being with that nature had to obey everything I said at this very moment—

Then it would not be an exaggeration to call it a blessed combination, to use him as a living shield to block the Dark energy that was fiercely pouring down at me.

[----!!!!]

Once again, Rad’s scream echoed by my ear. Among them, curses and resentful swearing continued to mix in, but honestly.

‘Not my problem.’

Right now, overcoming this situation took priority. With that resolve, I moved my legs even faster.

The Dark energy pressing in from all around was growing stronger and stronger compared to before. I could viscerally understand why Noel had called entering this place for the first time a suicidal act.

All around me, whispers filled with malice crowded in.

It felt as though the echoing shouts of ghosts mixing destruction and curses right beside my ears were burrowing into my brain.

And that was not merely a feeling—it was clearly visible even from a distant, visual perspective.

From a game-like point of view, it felt as though a debuff that amplified incoming damage was applied the entire time I climbed. The higher I went, the more that sensation stacked layer upon layer.

“……Has it started?”

It was to the extent that even Marlon, the captain of the guard watching from far away, would have muttered such words—the vicious deathly aura coiled tightly around Aiden.

At the summit of Mount Demon Sealing, malevolent spirits crowded thickly around the peak.

Should I call them malevolent spirits? They were more like sentient malicious thoughts contained within the Dark energy itself, but there would be no sense of incongruity in calling them evil spirits, considering what they did to their victims.

In that they did not hesitate to commit vicious acts to shatter the target’s body and mind, to corrode them with corruption from their very roots.

Unless one possessed a relic acknowledged by the God of Ascension who protected the Tribal Alliance, anyone exposed to such malevolent spirits would be crushed by horrifying pain that devoured their entire body, left unable to move an inch.

And the moment their speed slowed like that, it would be over. They would be exposed to that merciless environment until they went mad under the ever-strengthening Dark energy and agony.

“Stay ready. We may have to step in.”

Even if he wore a demon wrapped around his whole body like a raincoat, it was nonsense to think he could block all of that. Some Dark energy would inevitably seep through the gaps, and without a relic imbued with divine power, it would be impossible to resist it.

In that sense, perhaps the Great Chieftain’s decision to send them here had been timely…….

“…….”

But what Marlon, watching silently, and the malevolent spirits surrounding Aiden did not know—

Was that the human breaking through this mountain right now ranked at the very peak among those alive on the continent when it came to enduring pain.

“……?”

[……?]

The ones who felt that question forming were likely Marlon, watching from afar, and the malevolent spirits trying to torment Aiden—almost at the same time.

I could feel increasing confusion mixing into the whispers brushing against my ears.

And that made sense.

“……His speed isn’t dropping?”

“…….”

Hearing the vice-captain say that, Marlon struggled to control the look of stunned disbelief creeping onto his face as he stared at Aiden.

His speed.

Was not decreasing.

Surely pain at the level of having his entire body torn to shreds was assailing him. Surely even breathing must have been difficult.

Surely waves of agony intense enough to make him wish for death rather than continue running were crashing over him countless times.

Every warrior of the Tribal Alliance underwent a coming-of-age ceremony, and even during the process of reaching the lower altitude of Mount Demon Sealing as part of that rite, there were plenty who could not move properly from only a fraction of such pain.

Even those renowned as resilient warriors averaged that much.

But that bastard, right now……

“……He’s smiling?”

“…….”

“It looks like he’s saying, what’s the big deal over something like this?”

It might have been a rather malicious interpretation from the vice-captain.

But Marlon, too, could not interpret the expression on Aiden’s face any other way.

▣

“……I don’t like it.”

“Is there anything you actually like, unni?”

At Milene’s remark, Katya shot her a sharp look. Milene quickly turned her head and let out a whistle.

“…….”

“…….”

“……Hey.”

“……I’m sorry. I just wanted us to get closer.”

At Milene’s response, Katya grabbed her head and let out a sigh.

Well. It was true that she called her unni, and it was also true that she acted oddly friendly toward her.

But it was equally true that among her casually tossed remarks, there were quite a few that were difficult to respond to.

The way she seemed to care about nothing except her own goals felt uncomfortably similar to how Katya herself had been when she first met Aiden…….

‘……Was this how it felt when he first dragged me around?’

For some reason, it felt even worse because it was like looking at an embarrassing self-portrait of herself.

Fortunately, her mind was sound enough that she clearly remembered how Aiden had handled her back then.

In situations like this, the method of dealing with it was simple. No matter what the other person said, you just had to stick to your own topic.

“……I just don’t like how they’re all crowding here to watch like this.”

At the end of Katya’s gaze were the chieftains who had gathered after hearing about the commotion Aiden was causing on Mount Demon Sealing.

When they first heard about the trial the Great Chieftain had given, they had probably assumed there was some kind of political meaning behind it.

‘They probably thought he’d come asking them for help.’

To conquer the summit of Mount Demon Sealing, one of the relics held by the chieftains was absolutely necessary. That was common sense.

So they had likely planned to collar him in exchange for lending it to Aiden when he came to them, squeezing various benefits out of him in the process.

‘Don’t make me laugh.’

Who was that man? He was the man Katya herself had chosen and resolved to stay beside until the very end.

The mere thought of those people trying to assign their own value to him and shackle him as they pleased irritated her.

The fortunate thing was—

“Still, it doesn’t feel bad.”

Would you look at that.

The man who seemed to have fewer moments of sanity than moments of committing madness had simply ignored relics and everything else and gone up there on his own.

And not even a full day had passed, and he was already on the verge of conquering the summit of Mount Demon Sealing…….

“……Still, aren’t you worried?”

Milene spoke as she looked at Katya, who was twisting the corner of her mouth and sending a sneer toward the chieftains.

No matter what, if it was such an unprecedented event that even the chieftains had all come out to watch, that meant Aiden was clearly exposed to a great danger.

If he was someone that precious to her, wasn’t it only natural to worry at least a little……?

“……?”

But Katya’s gaze turned to Milene.

Her expression seemed to ask what kind of nonsense she was spouting, and it was Milene who ended up flustered instead.

“Worried? Me? About him?”

“…….”

“You must not have much experience yet, so you wouldn’t know. Let me tell you.”

“……Tell me what?”

“There are three things in this world you can’t avoid.”

Katya ran a hand down her face as she continued.

Then— 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

If Noel, who was probably watching Aiden climb Mount Demon Sealing from somewhere else, had heard it, she would have applauded in agreement with what now slipped from Katya’s lips.

“Death. Taxes. And Aiden Kellermain’s overwhelming success whenever he does something insane.”

“…….”

Before Milene could even ask what on earth that was supposed to mean—

From near Mount Demon Sealing, a brilliant radiance burst forth in a single flash, bright enough to spread throughout the surroundings.

At the same time, I could see the chieftains’ mouths falling open.

It was the signal everyone recognized—the sign that the summit had been ‘conquered.’

“Now those bastards will understand too.”

Katya, who had been watching quietly, narrowed her eyes and muttered.

“What kind of man will soon start stirring up their nests.”

……It sounded like a line that summed up the storm that was about to blow in.