My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon-Chapter 77: Demon in the Flames

The world of consciousness and the mind is a magical place.

Even the mightiest Warrior, once their mental defenses fall, can be reduced to a mere tool for others to exploit.

Conversely, strength of mind is different from physical prowess. Even a frail or disabled person can possess the heart of a lion.

At this moment, Fang Zhen's will was roaring within his mind.

He had never experienced anything like it—feeling his own will so tangibly. It was like a furious thunderstorm, destroying the demonic whispers that had bewitched him.

The bewitching voice that echoed in Fang Zhen's ears and in the depths of his mind originally held a powerful Magic Power, to the point that it had begun to unconsciously control his physical actions.

But now, under the thunderstorm of his will, the voice was scattered like wisps of smoke, vanishing without a trace.

Fang Zhen could feel his body again, and everything seemed to return to reality.

He was still holding the parchment scroll and had regained control of his body.

Before him, the evil Sacrificial Summoning Array seemed to lose its strange allure in an instant. Though still mysterious and sinister, it no longer held any great attraction for Fang Zhen.

Clarity returned to Fang Zhen's eyes, a sharp light glinting within them.

'Was I just charmed?'

Fang Zhen eyed the parchment scroll in his hand warily.

He recalled what he knew about demons.

According to most accounts, demons reside in the bottomless abyss and represent chaos and evil.

They pursue chaos and destruction, creating mayhem by any means necessary.

These demons are terrifying and barbaric in appearance, with clearly destructive traits. They rely on pure destructive power, devastating Magic, and combat skills in battle.

As Fang Zhen recalled this, he grew confused.

It was obvious he had just been tempted by some unknown entity, enticed to obtain demonic power through a sacrifice.

'But the demons I remember don't influence the mortal realm through temptation, deals, and contracts, do they?'

Fang Zhen searched his memory for what he knew about demons. He felt these chaotic beings were more like muscle-bound brutes who happened to know Magic.

A moment later, Fang Zhen shook his head forcefully.

'Whatever it is, I can't keep this parchment scroll!' Fang Zhen decided resolutely.

He didn't know what the parchment scroll was, but judging by what had just happened, it was likely a Magic Trap.

If he got greedy and kept the scroll for its Sacrificial Array, he might be tempted again at any time and make a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

Locking it away wasn't an option. Who knew if it would continue to influence people's minds? And he definitely couldn't take it back to the real world. A single misstep there could release a demon, or an innocent person could find it. The consequences would be severe and disastrous.

Fang Zhen made a snap decision.

"Quade, the Molotov Cocktail!"

Fang Zhen shouted.

Quade didn't know what was happening, but obedience had become a habit. He immediately took out a Molotov Cocktail from the backpack he had set down.

Fang Zhen took the Molotov Cocktail from Quade's hand and lit it on the torch Quade was holding in his left hand.

After the fuse was lit, Fang Zhen forcefully threw it forward with his right hand, smashing the Molotov Cocktail into the Sacrificial Array ahead, which was made of piled-up Kobold corpses and flesh.

BOOM!

The Molotov Cocktail shattered, and flames sprayed out, engulfing the entire Sacrificial Array.

The Kobold corpses and flesh burned fiercely in the flames, turning into a large bonfire.

Fang Zhen glanced at the parchment scroll in his left hand.

Although he knew it was a Magic Item, Fang Zhen was very resolute and threw the parchment scroll into the bonfire in front of him without any hesitation.

'Hmph. I'm a proud son of Xia Country with a bright future ahead of me. Why would I throw all that away to get mixed up in some shady cult with some entity of unknown origin and power?'

'So you can just get lost!'

The parchment scroll fell into the bonfire and was quickly engulfed by the flames, beginning to burn.

Fang Zhen felt a weight lift from his heart.

Just as the parchment scroll was about to burn to ashes, Fang Zhen's gaze suddenly froze.

Something strange happened.

A wisp of black smoke rose from the remains of the nearly incinerated parchment scroll.

The black smoke was dense, its concentration and volume far too great to have been produced by something as small as a parchment scroll.

The black smoke coalesced, finally forming a shape half the size of a man.

Fang Zhen looked closer. The cloud of black smoke had taken the form of a demon! It looked incredibly cunning and treacherous, with horns, a tail, and bat-like wings.

Fang Zhen's heart skipped a beat.

However, the demon formed by the black smoke only existed for a brief moment.

From within the flames, it silently stared at Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen felt his heart clench, and he couldn't help but look into the eyes of the demon in the black smoke.

Fang Zhen felt as if those eyes were an endless abyss, and his consciousness was involuntarily sinking into them.

A sudden chill ran down his spine, goosebumps breaking out all over his skin. A phrase suddenly surfaced in his mind.

'When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.'

Fang Zhen abruptly turned his head away, refusing to look at the demon's pitch-black eyes.

The demon in the black smoke, however, stared intently at Fang Zhen, as if to commit his face to memory.

A moment later, the cloud of black smoke dissipated.

The parchment scroll was completely incinerated, not even ashes remained.

The flames continued to burn.

The heat wave from the fire felt scorching, making Fang Zhen's skin feel dry.

He turned back; the demon in the flames had disappeared.

'Damn... what is all this weird crap?' Fang Zhen shook his head.

Whatever it was, it seemed to be gone now.

Fang Zhen took a deep breath, pulling his attention back to the present.

He turned his head and looked at the last remaining item in the Kobold's treasure chest: a letter.

Fang Zhen found it a bit strange.

A letter wasn't a rare thing. In an era without telephones, telegraphs, and the internet, this was the primary means of communication.

'But who would write a letter to Kobolds?'

'What would they even talk about? "Have you eaten today? Was it human flesh or something else? How'd it taste?"'

Curiosity piqued, Fang Zhen took the letter out of the chest.

The incident with the scroll made him extra cautious. He carefully inspected the letter first, checking for any Magic Traps.

After a thorough inspection, Fang Zhen confirmed it was just an ordinary letter and finally opened it.

The letter was written in a script different from that of Redstone Town.

Fang Zhen discovered he could understand it. He was also certain that it was a different writing system from the one used in Redstone Town. He vaguely recalled the shape of the letters on the sign of the 'Redstone Home' tavern, and these were different.

The letter was written on papyrus. The content was simple, containing no complex vocabulary—just numbers and facts.

"Seven days ago, the following supplies were delivered via a Mercenary from Redstone Town:

70 portions of goat meat,

150 portions of coarse bread,

10 whetstones,

5 bundles of Crossbow Arrows,

1 bag of salt,

50 candles,

As per our agreement, three more deliveries will follow."

Fang Zhen understood the letter's contents, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.

'You've got to be kidding me.'

'These Kobolds didn't just migrate to the Redstone Town Mine on their own?'

'Someone is backing them?'