I was in the mood to blink in disbelief at this sudden development.
Sure, I knew from the original story that the Draugr incident tied into demon contractors or worshippers, and I generally enjoyed these events rather than hating them.
But out of nowhere, Grechen? That came from left field. And it wasn't even the thread-spinning Grechen.
"If you've been captured by a heretic, I will help you. Shall we go enjoy the rite of slaughter?"
The event itself didn't surprise me much. Early-game events were mostly like this, so I was used to it.
But the name 'Grechen' felt off. I couldn't quite grasp why they'd chosen it, and it didn't sound cool at all.
"Grechen, you say?"
Still, since the game devs were the ones assigning names, not me, it was best to shelve my personal opinion for now. Who knew, maybe it had some deeper meaning.
More importantly, there was something else to note in the demon contractor's words. An NPC mentioning the right arm of the Demon King wouldn't appear without reason.
So the highest possibility was a personal story for a Demon Knight? Ah, if I accepted that offer, could I betray humanity and side with the demons?
"You've got a big mouth, blabbering away like that."
I was curious what would happen if I accepted the offer. But given my concept, it was impossible in this run.
Well, since I'd be doing multiple runs anyway, it didn't matter if I skipped it now. I gripped my two-hander tightly.
"...I've spoken out of turn. My apologies. There's no way Grechen would be captured by some heretic."
Regardless of my inner thoughts, I glared at him with veins bulging like I was about to flip out, and he immediately backed down. My concept's anger point was elsewhere, but he hadn't noticed yet.
"But... Grechen, that is no ordinary heretic. It's the hero, the most dangerous being. Enough with the fun—cut off his head. If you bring it back, the King will be pleased."
Hm, good. I'd given him plenty of leeway already.
If my concept had been more rational, I'd have played along as an ally and pried more info out of him. But not with this one.
My personality and setup wouldn't allow sly tricks like capturing and torturing him.
"I'll help you—?"
"Breaker."
So all I could do was strike first.
Kwaang!
"Grechen?!"
Ebi. No chit-chat.
When the Inquisitor misunderstood and attacked me, at least the opponent was a priest, the antithesis of demons. But now I'd been mistaken for a 'demon comrade' by a 'demon contractor'—why should I bother talking?
Even if there'd been no misunderstanding, I doubted I'd chat with a stranger. Lucky if they didn't swing first.
"Wh-what...?"
Unlike the Inquisitor, you don't get forgiveness from me. Right on target.
"Hiiik!"
Maybe because it was such a wide-swinging skill, the skill hit failed. But I managed to smack the Draugr that jumped in front to protect the robed figure.
Hwooooouuu.
The fog split in half as the wraith let out a grotesque sound. It was close to a scream.
"I, I was wrong. Please forgive me!"
At the Draugr's wail, the robed figure paled visibly—even with his face hidden by the robe—and flattened himself on the ground.
It was a slightly odd reaction.
"Forgiveness?"
Come to think of it, the Draugr hadn't attacked me once, somehow. There had been at least two attack timings.
Just because it was an event? Thinking of the Inquisitor case, that didn't make sense. The game wasn't lenient enough to baby players during events.
"Not even death will save you."
It was puzzling, but I'd beat answers out of it first.
I focused on the most threatening Draugr. Logically, I should take out the support-role demon contractor first, but the Draugr wouldn't go down easy.
"I didn't mean to touch the Mabel Trading Company! If I'd known Grechen had his eye on it, I never would have!"
What the hell was that? Why bring up the Mabel Trading Company here?
I furrowed my brow while activating a skill to strike the Draugr. The random mention of 'Mabel Trading Company' carried weight.
Kwaang!
"P-please, forgive me!"
As I slammed my sword down, I racked my brains.
Why mention the trading company for this whole city right now? And of all things, the group I'd resolved three quests for.
I'd suspected as much already, but yeah, it was you guys?
"Draugr!"
The demon contractor finally used the Draugr as a shield, and the Draugr bared its teeth at last. It molded the smoke into limbs, raising a blade and shield.
On top of that, the demon contractor had buffed it—the Draugr's eyes glowed fiercer, red light pulsing through its body.
"Such a pathetic trick...!"
But I had no reason to fear it. I didn't know its exact level, but since I'd come prepared for the quest's recommended level, I wouldn't be pushed back!
Kkaang!
Breaker. My diagonal swing clashed with the Draugr's shield, veering off course. Instead of hitting the ground, the blade scraped it, and I flipped the hand gripping the ricasso.
The blade, between an upward slash and a thrust, deflected the Draugr's sword. Peuk! My foot shoved the Draugr's shield like stepping on it.
"...Sss."
Breathing out in the gap I'd created, I recalled the skill effect that had coated my sword moments ago.
It had activated as Breaker during the diagonal downward strike, so black energy streaming out wasn't odd.
But it persisting during the upward strike? That was weird. I'd gained something new to test.
Hwooooouuu.
While that thought processed, my body faithfully advanced. I freely switched hand grips and swung the sword.
Following the target mark floating above its head—since it was amorphous—the black-energy-coated blade shot forward.
Seogeok!
Kkiaaaak!
The Draugr's body split in half, retreating rapidly before reforming. This was why amorphous foes were tricky.
"N-no! Recover it."
"You vermin, still struggling...!"
No recovery for you. I retracted my sword hand, slipping it toward my chest. My fingers snagged the dagger hung inside my coat.
Peuk.
"Ugh!"
Aim's all you need for a dagger to be useful. I confirmed it embedded in the robed figure's shoulder—nearly chest height—then readjusted my grip on the sword.
My aim wasn't bad, but not pinpoint headshots every throw, so I was satisfied with that.
Hwooooouuu!
Before I could focus on the demon contractor, the charging Draugr demanded attention.
I dodged the smoke lunging for my ankle, raising my two-hander like a guard. Of course, gripping just the handle wouldn't hold, so I supported the blade with my gauntleted hand.
Kkaang!
The Draugr's blade halted against the sword stretched between my hands, and I shoved it back. Even amorphous, it materialized for attacks, making this feasible.
Peuk!
In the moment the repelled Draugr gave me distance, I tested my earlier doubt.
If the effect lingered seconds after a downward strike, would it chain with quick follow-ups? If the effect chained, would the skill effect too?
No, to begin with, how far did 'downward strike' forms extend?
I'd always used Breaker as a full-power downward smash before. That's what felt right for activation.
But earlier, when the Draugr's shield half-foiled the downward strike, the skill effect dragged on instead.
So maybe it didn't need full power?
Inspired, I swung downward with less force. It wasn't hard—my right hand gripped the blade, not the handle, so even full force wouldn't reach the ground.
Seogeok!
My blade sliced the Draugr, and the skill effect held afterward.
Kkiiik. Even as I thrust the blade forward like a stab, withdrawing my gauntleted hand along the blade to avoid interference, it persisted.
Kwajik!
Kkiaaaak!!!
「❖ Village Hidden Evil
∎ Draugr eliminated 1 / 1
∎ Demon Contractor captured 0 / 1」
The Draugr, pierced through the target mark's center, melted and collapsed like sludge. The surrounding fog noticeably thinned.
Not just the skill effect, but the effect chained too, dealing this damage—so the experiment was a huge success.
"What?!"
Just then, the demon contractor screamed. If he'd supported with attack magic, it wouldn't have been this one-sided. Why hadn't he? A mystery.
"Hoo."
He must have had his reasons. Or game force.
Thinking that, I readjusted my sword. Tak tak tak. Rough breathing and footsteps approached from afar.
"...!"
Had someone heard the commotion? I glanced that way, and the demon contractor, clutching his bleeding chest, turned too.
"Demon Knight!"
"...Damn heretic!"
Ah, right, those two were here.
"...! Have you sold body and soul to demons, you filthy wretch? I shall join you, Demon Knight!"
"Already fighting, are they."
The Inquisitor, spotting the demon contractor, bared his fangs and raised his mace. The arc mage lifted his staff too.
Suddenly, I had his back, those two his front—we'd surrounded the demon contractor.
"Damn it, how can you betray us, Grechen!"
"...!"
The demon contractor finally yelled in resignation. The Inquisitor's face hardened—would he misunderstand again?
"Why—!"
"A betrayer of humanity dares speak of betrayal!"
Luckily, no misunderstanding. He wasn't aiming at me, so that line hadn't made him hostile.
"Why?"
Either way, standing idle after hearing that didn't fit my concept, so I wrinkled my nose bridge and swung the two-hander. No thought of him possibly dying.
"You dare ask me for reasons, you vermin!"
With a capture quest out, the target wouldn't die. You'd probably need to drain his HP fully for the subduing cutscene.
Ah, of course, this game had no cutscenes after the opener, so who knew.
Kwaang!
But my attack failed. A flying mana bolt smacked my two-hander, deflecting it off course.
The blade whipped the ground right beside the demon contractor instead, splitting earth as he screamed.
"You're interfering...!"
I didn't know why, but I got mad first.
Hell, I'd taken all kinds of crap from this loathsome demon (contractor) bastard, ending with betrayal talk. How could I not be pissed? Especially with my stress relief blocked.
"Calm yourself. Capturing him alive will yield more than killing him."
"We can't let a demon spawn live!"
"There might be other demons in the city besides him!"
The arc mage slammed his staff down, casting binding. It shackled my arm and the demon contractor.
"Draugr aren't ordinary demons. Summoning one alone in a city like this is especially tough. High chance of backers."
Breaking the binding chains was easy. But that brief moment was likely what the arc mage wanted.
"So calm down and be patient. Killing him now quenches momentary rage, but saves no potential future victims. Don't let anger cloud your vision."
"..."
No, I, I knew that. I was trying to subdue him. Really wasn't going to kill...
Was this capture quest one where you fail if HP hits zero?
「Capture│Capture must be attempted with some HP remaining.
If the target dies during capture, live capture fails.」
"...Goddamn it!"
Thud!
"Kuhk!"
Telling me now. Game legend.
My head throbbed as I kicked the demon contractor, sheathing my two-hander. Luckily, no one blocked the kick.
"...He mentioned the Mabel Trading Company."
"Hm?"
Ah, right. Better say this too. No idea if it'd get a reaction or affect the story, but I was curious.
"That's... extremely valuable information."
As expected of a god-game, different league. Whether it truly branched the story, who knew—but responding at all was something.
"We'll escort him."
Meanwhile, the Inquisitor, who'd slyly rolled his eyes, bound the demon contractor again with a holy incantation.
Time to head back to the temple.
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