Remember the variety of storms that I mentioned before? Well, most of them are from this continent. If you're unlucky, you'll be bracing the death-storms till you melt down to your bones. Upon arriving at the Northern continent's shores, we were immediately embraced by a burning rainstorm. Our guide advised us to stay inside the cabin area till it passes. Peeking out of the cabin, we could literally see steam rising where the droplets landed. We would be charred alive if we were to step out of here.
The cabin was getting extremely hot as the temperature outside was literally cooking us inside here. The guide had prepared some ice, which he took out of his cooler box and passed them to us. Probably gotten them from the City Of Lilies Dahlee before we travelled here. The ice was extremely useful in cooling ourselves as much as we could. Felt like I was about to die of overheating or heatstroke without the help of the ice.
The guys have it easier as they can strip their shirts and expose their top half. As for Rose, it was just not possible for her. Maybe if it had only been me, then she might have stripped her top, but seeing as there were three other males in the cabin, she had every reason to hesitate. I thought of ways to help her and gestured her to come over. I told her to sit behind me and face the corner. That way, she could at least strip partially, and I would be blocking the others from seeing her. She agreed and proceeded to do so. This extreme situation turns your mind impervious to embarrassment. I'm sure everyone is praying for the storm to end rather than thinking about lust.
It took about an hour before the storm finally subsided. All I can think about is our survival rate when we head out there. On this continent, not only will you be embracing the elements, we'll also be exposed to danger from the demons. This'll be the hardest mission assigned to me thus far. As though I'm stuck in some optional quest that I foolishly insist on completing despite not being my main. Thankfully, we have a pretty reliable guide with us. I can safely say, without him, we would have been dead before stepping our foot on this continent. All of you would be pressing F to pay respect to my coffin right about now.
We disembarked from the boat after making sure it was no longer raining. It was still relatively hot, but thankfully the cooling winds from the sea helped to bring down the surrounding temperature. Our guide gestured us to hurry towards the closest town. Storms usually occur twice in a row on this continent. Following his advice, we grabbed our bags and ran as quickly as we could. Thankfully, the closest town was not too far from the port that we disembarked from. Or should I say, some wooden planks that somehow got turned into a jetty. A small town was in sight after we rushed up the stairs of a small cliff. As it turns out, the guide was telling the truth. Dark clouds were approaching us and a storm is certain to occur soon. We definitely have to leg it before we get cooked alive since the clouds were approaching at such a fast rate!
We ran as fast as our legs could carry us towards the small town. Our guide in particular ran the fastest. Like a basilisk lizard running atop the water surface, he glided his way atop the sandy terrain. He's definitely a local here, seeing that he's so knowledgeable about the Northern continent.
We arrived at the small town and thought that everything was safe. All of us were panting and rubbing our legs as they were starting to cramp. I'm not used to running on soft sands. But our guide shouted at us to seek shelter immediately. Once again, we had to high-tail it and followed after him, where he led us into what looked like a mud house. We rushed our way in and found ourselves inside a tavern. All of us sat on the floor, panting and too tired to move. None of us cared that people were watching us. Uhh—people? I glanced around and noticed that all of them were lizard people. Oh, so reptilians are native to the Northern continent? I should have studied more about the Northern continent before making this trip.
Not a moment too soon, loud thuds could be heard outside. I peeked out a window and realised that it was raining hailstones now. A hailstorm right after a burning rainstorm? Geez, what's with this continent?! But surprisingly, the interior was warm despite having no fireplace around. Seems like mud is a good insulator, which is probably the reason why they used mud to cover the buildings.
But... the burning rainstorm earlier would have made the interior unbearable. How did they survive the heat?
"Welcome to Sliddy's bar. Been a while since humans visited my bar, sss," spoke a female reptilian who I suspect is the owner.
Now I know what you're thinking, so don't you dare start with all that Rule 34 stuff! Reptilians are essentially lizard-like creatures that walk on two legs. While that is technically true, they resemble humans way more than I imagined. While some have long, protruding mouths, some have mouths that are closely similar to humans. Even the way they walk is similar to us. One thing that stands out is their signature scaly skin that spreads across their body and their tails.
"Sliddy! How are you sss?" asked Kronk.
"Oh, you old goat sss. We just met a few months back. I see you brought these sss humans with you. Isss something going on?" she asked him.
"They're here to investigate the disturbances by the demonsss," he said.
"Oh, now that'sss good to hear. We are used to fending off a couple of demonsss on our own, but lately, more and more of them have been coming into town, causing problems for usss," spoke Sliddy as she wiped a glass cup.
"Any idea what would have provoked the demons into attacking here?" asked Pietro.
"We have one idea sss... A new demon has gotten powerful enough to rally the other demonsss together," she explained.
"Demonsss are always fighting among themselvesss for power. It is within their nature to be the strongest sss. However, every once in a while, some demons that inherit the demon king's influence are born sss," said Kronk.
"So, we're to determine whether there are any demons that are strong enough to rally their brethren. Is that correct?" asked Pietro.
"Perhapsss... we shall see," he answered.
I asked Kronk whether we should settle in with this tavern or elsewhere. He informed me that we don't have much of a choice since there are only two towns available on this entire continent, and the other town is located far to the east.
If we were to travel from the Eastern continent, then we would have to settle in that other town instead, which is also run by reptilians. There are no other sentient and friendly races that are willing to inhabit this continent. And he also recommended Sliddy's bar as she is used to meeting humans. He couldn't promise us that the other taverns might have reptilians hunting us for meat in our room. I couldn't tell if he was joking or being serious.
Alright then, hopefully there are enough rooms for all of us here, or we'll have to share a room with someone. Rose will definitely stay with me as there's no way I'm letting anyone else share a room with her. We know our boundaries and personal space being siblings, so that's the only option that I'm willing to compromise. No offence to John, but I ain't trusting him in the same room with Rose either.
Thankfully, there were more than enough rooms for us since barely anyone visits this continent. However, there's a problem. This continent uses a different currency that we used in the West. While there's a bank in town where we can change them, it was still raining hailstones outside. And those stones aren't small either!
Kronk decided to book for us in advance, informing us that we can repay him later when we get the chance to visit the bank. Kronk—ma man. I will always remember you, brother.
We visited our room after we had gotten our keys. It wasn't exactly the best, but it's way better than sleeping outside, exposed to the elements assaulting you. Sliddy assured us that she'll make things comfortable for us depending on the weather change. Reptilians had adapted to the weather here, but it will be a huge challenge for humans. This mudhouse can only provide so much protection from the cold or heat, which we'll struggle with.
I've heard stories that the Demon Continent was an inhospitable place, but to think there were actually some form of civilisation here. These reptilians make do with what they have, living on this continent while facing constant assaults from the demons. Well, you can technically say that reptilians are some sort of demon race themselves, but at the very least, they're civilised enough to create their own society rather than constantly fighting each other. And they seemed friendly to humans, based on initial impressions. Hopefully, they don't betray us after gaining our trust.
I sat on the edge of my bed and gazed out the window. We need to be prepared for what's to come. I am not eager to be caught off guard by the weather if I can help it. The sooner we figure out what's going on, the faster we can leave this continent. Easier said than done since we literally got zero idea where to start? A knock on my door brought me back to reality, and I announced to whoever it was to come in. Turns out, it was Rose.
"Onii-chan, how are you feeling, you okay?" she asked me with concern in her tone.
Hm? Did I do something that made her worried about me?
"Yeah, I'm fine. What made you think I'm not?" I asked.
"Your eyes were bloodshot earlier. Let me see them," she sat in front of me and began inspecting them.
What? My eyes were bloodshot? Is it due to all the running? Or perhaps it was from the hot vapour rising from the ground? The thing is, I didn't feel any pain in my eyes at all.
I got a good look at Rose while she was staring into my eyes. She is definitely getting more mature now. Her hair is a little longer than usual, but I believe she maintains it at shoulder length. Short hair definitely suits her more than long ones. And she's getting taller. I think I can see what the others are saying that she'll be a beauty when she matures. She will be, and I'll be shortest among the group. Damn it!
"Hmm, it looks better now. You might want to rest up before we head out. According to Kronk, this hailstorm might last for a couple of hours," she told me.
"Let's get some rest, then. Who knows when we'll be able to sleep peacefully once we head outside? Better take this opportunity while we still can," I told her.
She nodded and headed back to her room while I rested on my bed. I thought of sleeping, but I'm still bothered about Pietro. Was I mistaken that he has some sort of hidden agenda in coming here, or am I just being paranoid? Either way, we will know once we head out. Here's hoping there won't be any more surprises for the day. We'll probably do a bit of searching and information gathering before officially heading out of town.
***
A couple of hours passed, and we could finally visit the bank to get our coins changed. The currency here is smaller in value than the Western counterpart. One copper coin is worth five stone coins, while a bronze coin is worth five copper coins. According to Kronk, some stores do accept Western currency, but it is better to get it changed so as not to get ripped off.
We tried to gather information from the reptilians around town, but none were able to provide us with anything. Our only option left is to head out of town to search for clues or something.
It was evening now when all of us stood at the edge of town. Where are we supposed to go? Where do we even begin searching when there are practically no recognisable landmarks, a portal in the sky, or a giant arrow pointing the way? Nevertheless, we still need to figure out something.
We asked Kronk, and he just shrugged, saying that since there are no demons around, then they could be anywhere in this continent. Ahh, geez, without any form of waypoint, we might end up spending an entire month or even longer on this continent. I shuddered at the thought of staying here that long. Come to think of it, time to update my quest log before heading out.
Secret Quest Unlocked: Investigate the disturbance in the Northern continen—
*Crash!
Something huge crash-landed behind us as we were walking out of the town's entrance. All of us turned our attention to what caused the commotion. A menacing creature, standing tall with two legs, two wings, and a long tail. It had a single horn at the top middle of its head, small wings that seemed to defy all logic, and long, elongated arms. And those nails—wait, those are claws, and mean-looking ones too.
"D—d—d... demonsss!" shouted Kronk as he ran away to hide.
The four of us unsheathed our weapons and readied ourselves. The demon was glancing around as though it was smelling for something. It eventually turned its head towards the four of us but decided to ignore us and walked ahead.
Is it going to walk away? Should we just ignore it and proceed with our mission? But the town will be in trouble if we leave this demon to roam freely. Who knows what destruction it'll wreak.
Without warning, it stopped moving and turned its gaze towards us once again. Its eyes turned red, and it leapt towards all of us. No, wait, it's heading straight for me!
I stopped its claws sinking into my flesh with Inazuma. I'm being pushed out of the town's entrance from the ridiculous strength of this demon. How is it even flying with such small wings in the first place?!
A large spear pierced the demon's back, which startled it. Pietro had thrown his spear, and it hit home. I can see John chasing after us with his giant two-headed axe, ready to swing. Rose was all the way at the back, chanting a spell to support us. The demon turned its head backwards, either to look at the spear or who threw it. Now's my chance.
"Shadow Strike!" I slashed at the demon's torso.
Nice, Inazuma was able to slice through its thick hide with ease, guess it's not so tough after all. We can do this, we can kill this demon. It flew upwards with the spear still attached to its back. Seriously, how is it flying with those ridiculously tiny wings?
Red blood spilled from its torso, but it made no concern over it. Is it just me, or is the wound healing? The demon pulled out the spear and threw it at Pietro, who dodged it. Seemingly understanding who his foes are, it returned to ground level and adjusted its neck. Is it underestimating us? Are we just some fun amusement to you?
It released a roar that triggered us to attack it. All three of us charged towards the demon while Rose finished her chant for the Accelerate spell, boosting all of our speed. Thinking that we'll be able to finish off this demon, it swung its arm, throwing all three of us back. Wait, what the hell just happened? Why were we even charging blindly at it in the first place?
The demon roared again, and this time, it readied its claws. I was thrown far back and by some miracle, I was not affected by the demon's spell. I saw John and Pietro charging in once again, even Rose was seemingly affected when she thought of helping us. Shit, how do I stop them?! They're gonna be torn apart by those claws!
I quickly glanced around for something, anything at all that could help me, and I realised that I had my dagger behind my back. With one smooth motion, I unsheathed my dagger, took a quick aim, and threw it at the demon. It noticed too late, and my dagger somehow pierced through its mouth. Thankfully, this somehow broke the spell, and the three of them came back to their senses. They quickly leapt away as they realised how close they were to the demon. However, it seemed that they were still in a daze as they kept shaking their heads to regain their bearings. That spell must have messed with their minds.
The demon turned its gaze towards me and glared angrily. After ripping my dagger from its mouth, it tossed the weapon aside and approached slowly towards me, seemingly aura farming through sheer rage.
I prepared myself for the inevitable close combat with this demon. Even though evening was approaching, it was still too bright for me to use Conceal. I only had Fear and Shadow Strike at my disposal, while the rest would purely be dependent on my combat abilities. I've heard stories of demons being tough creatures, but not like this. Feels like this one is on a whole other level.
I cast Fear on the demon as it approached me, but it seemed unfazed by my spell and just tilted its head as though to mock me.
It stood opposite me and grinned, letting out a roar before rushing at me with its claws. It took a swipe with its right claws and I dodged it by jumping, taking a swing to slice off its hand but I couldn't get through the thick radius bone even with Inazuma. It swung its left claw, to which I swerved myself back to ground level to avoid it. I was prepared to rush in to stab the demon when I was caught off guard by its left leg. This demon is moving much faster than usual that I couldn't block its kick in time. It predicted that I would dodge its attack by swerving myself back to the ground, and it took the opportunity to counter me. My right arm was burning with pain before I flew some distance away due to the strength of that kick.
Fuck, that was sloppy of me to not notice and block that incoming kick. I tried to pull myself up, but the jolt and pain were getting to me. Am I down for the count this quickly?
***
*Rose's Perspective*
My mind feels muddled. What did the demon do to all of us? I need... to focus. Need… to... focus...
"Argh!" I heard someone shout loudly, which snapped me out of my daze. Wait—isn't that... Onii-chan?!
After smacking my head a couple of times, I quickly regained my senses and saw him flying some distance away as the demon had kicked him on his right arm. Oh gosh, is his arm broken?! That's gonna take months to heal!
I rushed to check on Onii-chan. He is hurt, very hurt. His right arm is bruised rather badly, but upon closer inspection, it would seem that his arm is still intact. Thank the above that it's not broken or fractured. Perhaps his chained cloak helped in mitigating some of the damage.
This demon... is gonna pay for what it did to him. How dare you hurt my beloved brother? I noticed that both Pietro and John had regained their consciousness and rushed over to protect Onii-chan. John took point and rushed in to face the demon while Pietro covered him from the back.
I should help these two. As much as I want to help Onii-chan in patching his wound, I should quickly end the pathetic life of this demon first. John was fighting the demon from the front while any attack the demon attempted was blocked or countered by Pietro from behind. The two of them seem to be experienced with each other's guild strengths and weaknesses. I should bless them before joining the fray.
"Light Blessing!" I cast.
This spell increases your defence and attack power. Despite the fact that I will always be the one that receives the highest benefits from the spell, all three of them will still receive a good percentage of the spell's buff. I wished there was a spell that could heal wounds though. Onii-chan was groaning in pain, and there's nothing much I can do for him. I need to stay focused. This demon is in the way, and it must be eliminated.
John's nose was smashed by the demon's horn as he wasn't expecting a headbutt from the demon. This demon fights with tricks of a human; is this the one that is causing all the commotion here?
I rushed in quickly to help both of them. My rapier is light, so my attacks are usually fast but lack in attack power. With 'Light Blessing', it should enhance my attacks strong enough to pierce through its hide. The demon was pushing back John and Pietro's assault as it had gotten the hang of both of their strategies. John's nose was bleeding, but that only made him grin. His bulky body made him the perfect role of being a tank. Pietro, on the other hand, was unharmed.
I got in close and stabbed the demon with a couple of my swings. The demon backhanded me with its left arm, which I dodged low to avoid. I placed all my strength on my left foot and lunged at the demon. My rapier pierced through the demon's side torso, which caused it to roar in pain. Pietro took the opportunity and lunged at the demon, piercing his spear into the demon's torso from the front, pinning it in place. John finished off the demon by swinging his massive axe, decapitating the demon's head from its neck. It is finished now. Thank God!
I rushed back to check on Onii-chan, leaving Pietro or John to recover my rapier. Both of them were panting when the demon's body finally slumped to the ground with a loud thud. Pietro approached the body to recover his spear when he suddenly shouted "Shit".
It was then I heard clanks of weapons being tossed to the ground. The demon—is it still alive? I glanced behind, and the demon had removed our weapons from its body, picked up its head, and stuck it back on its neck. It then adjusted itself and gave us an evil smile.
Shit, I'm unarmed now while Pietro only has his short spears with him. Are we able to reach our weapons in time to help John in this fight? How do we even kill this thing?
***
*Zen's Perspective*
Ouch—damn demon! That freaking hurts! Can I... still move my arm? Yes, I can move it, but there's a prickling pain whenever I move it even a little. I was fading in and out of consciousness when a familiar voice woke me; a voice that I've not heard in a long time.
"Aim for the brain, boy!" shouted Kirin.
My eyes flung open and I immediately noticed Rose crouching next to me. The three of them were staring at the demon, seemingly adjusting itself for some reason. Is that Rose and Pietro's weapons at the side of the demon? Did the demon somehow disarm them or something?
I pushed myself up and Rose quickly helped me. This fight has been going on for too long, we need to end this. It sucks that I need to use my trump card so soon, but I guess we don't have a choice. I took out two potions and a pill from my hip pouch. The pill is to numb the pain, while each respective potion increases my agility and strength. Sadly though, I had not found the recipe to create the perfect potion that increases all stats. Still, better than nothing.
I whispered to Rose, telling her to use all her spell buffs. She told me that "Light Blessing" is still on cooldown, but "Accelerate" is ready now. I informed her to use it when the time is right.
I gripped Inazuma tightly with my right hand. Even though the pain was numbed, it wasn't responding how it usually is. No matter, this will only fuel my rage further. I'm angry that this demon had caused me so much pain. Just one and we're already struggling this much. How much stronger are the other demons on this continent? And how stupidly strong is the Demon King to be able to unite all of them?
I exhaled and placed full attention on this demon, a little surprised when I saw some steam forming as I exhaled. A rather strange phenomenon but it's not something I should be focusing on now.
I performed my usual breathing routine to calm myself before a fight. After calming myself, I unleashed Fear on the demon. Perhaps it was due to night approaching that made my Fear spell stronger but it finally had some effect on the demon this time around. Both of its hands started to shake, and I knew it was now or never. John followed suit upon seeing me charging ahead but was unable to match my speed. I reached the demon first and swung Inazuma into an uppercut. The demon leapt back, but it reacted too slowly. I sliced across its front chest, causing it to bleed rather extensively.
I continued my assault and performed a downward strike. The demon attempted to block with its arm, expecting its tough bone to stop my blade again, but with the strength boosted from my potion, it wouldn't have that luxury any longer. I sliced through the arm and it dropped off, spilling more red blood across the ground. The demon roared in pain and retaliated with a swing of its right claw. Rose timed her spell properly and cast "Accelerate," giving me more speed to dodge the incoming attack. With the speed boost from Rose, John finally made it to the demon and spun his body to swing his giant axe with more force.
"Aim for the brain!" I shouted.
John immediately changed his trajectory into a downward strike while I went in for a stab. Both of our weapons hit the mark as the demon was caught off guard by our strikes from opposite directions. John's axe had pierced through the demon's skull from above while I pierced it from behind. The demon's eyes rolled, slumped to its knees, and fell flat to the ground. Pietro, having finally gotten back his spear, came to stab the demon's head a few more times for good measure. After a couple of minutes in making sure that it's dead, we all dropped to our knees in exhaustion.
Geez, what a tough fight. It took a single demon to give us this much trouble. How are we supposed to fight them when we're out in the open? We'll be overrun almost immediately if that's the case.
Kronk rushed over to us, shouting in admiration while helping us to stand.
"You guysss! I can't believe you all managed to beat a Great Demon sss!" shouted Kronk.
"Great—demon? What do you mean? Explain yourself," asked Pietro.
"What you all defeated was no ordinary demon sss. It was a Great Demon sss," he explained.
"Whatever it was, it's dead now. Can we focus on mending our wounds and getting Onii-chan some treatment, please? Kronk, can you find someone to help with his wounds?" asked Rose.
"Let's head back to the tavern sss," he led the way after lifting Onii-chan by the shoulder.
***
Upon reaching the tavern, Sliddy was surprised to see us back so soon, being wounded at that, when we were supposed to be heading out of town. Kronk informed her that we had defeated a Great Demon, to which she was genuinely amazed. She quickly brought over some bandages and ointments for us. For normal scratch wounds, the ointment worked wonders. Seemingly closing the wound with a searing effect. Small steams arise when you apply it to your wounds. But for my arm's case, it required some cooling gel and sticks wrapped with bandages. I won't lie, it felt like my wound was getting better by the minute. I need to know the recipes for these healing items! Why don't we have anything similar in the West?!
Rose, seemingly realising my amazement, went to talk with Sliddy about it. Hopefully, some little girl talk can persuade her into lending us the recipes. I headed back into my room to rest since I can barely move my right arm after it was bandaged up.
I was careless. I thought I was ready, but what a fucking joke. To be injured without even stepping a foot out of town. I need to take things more seriously and prepare even more than what I already have right now. Perhaps I should visit a medicine or alchemical shop to do the necessary preparations.
Rose entered my room to show me what ingredients were needed to make those healing items. Sliddy told her that it was not a closed secret, as reptilians used this on a common basis. Reptilians generally have better healing factors than humans, but only the legendary Sladar Slitherman is capable of healing almost anything at an insane rate. Let's see what it says.
Healing Ointment (suitable for minor wounds)
Dragon's blood + Fire snail or Fire slug's slime + Purkette fat. Boil them for around 15 minutes until they coagulate.
Cooling Gel (suitable for internal bleeding)
Dragon's blood + Ice plant's seed + Boofette fat. Boil them for around 15 minutes until they coagulate.
D— dragon's blood?! Are they seriously using such premium ingredients to make these? I clarified with Rose that what they were using was indeed using real dragon's blood, as in those flying mythical beings. As it turned out, I was deeply mistaken. It was actually from a native tree that they call it Dragon's Blood tree. It is the sap that is being used as the ingredient. Even the fire snails and ice plants are all native here.
Phew, now that is good news. And here I thought I would have to go on a dragon hunt just to create these healing items. If these ingredients are native, perhaps I can purchase them from a merchant or medicine shop here instead of hunting for them. Sliddy did say that they use these on a regular basis, so hopefully there are ready-made ones that I can purchase.
No wonder I had no luck in getting any sort of breakthrough trying to create healing items no matter how many combinations I tried. Who knew all you needed was ingredients from other continents to make them. I will probably buy a couple of the ingredients before heading back to the West. Any healing item is better than plain old bandages.
Since the currency here is of lower value and I've brought along my alchemy equipment, I will make more potions and healing items for everyone before leaving this town. I won't take any chances with this continent any longer. The alchemy shop and its secrets await me.