The sharp, painful sensation of being burned persisted, though it lessened somewhat. He despaired.
He had forgotten. This pill protects from the outside, but it cannot affect what is inside. At most, it will prevent the amount of cursed energy in his body from increasing, which does not solve the current problem.
He immediately thought about what he had bought and tried to imagine something that would work for him. But besides the pills to protect himself... Did he have anything else?
'Healing potion? It doesn't work against cursed energy; it only restores health.'
He frowned; for a brief moment, he felt desperate. Should he let that cursed energy do its work, burning him from the inside, and then try to solve it with the few healing potions he had?
There was a problem with that line of thinking. He had only bought four potions, and they were the cheapest ones.
It wouldn't work. According to his teacher, the damage caused by the cursed energy when it enters your body is difficult to reverse unless it's treated promptly with something powerful.
KIII
He suddenly stopped thinking about so many things when he felt someone calling him and looked at his fire caterpillar, which was desperately writhing around him, alarmed by the danger he was in.
'It didn't go.'
He realized immediately.
It was the caterpillars inside him.
He couldn't help but pull them out urgently, thinking the cursed energy was affecting them from within, but then he witnessed something amazing.
When the four appeared, although three of them felt slightly frightened by the fire outside, they worked together to emit spiritual energy from within, which was unleashed outward.
"Agh." He felt pain and clutched his chest to resist, but the pain was fleeting. The spiritual energy emitted by the four small caterpillars, combined in a single attack against the cursed energy, was truly effective.
The cursed energy left his body as a black liquid that seeped from his pores, staining his skin, until a clearer liquid emerged and cleansed him. The latter looked like sweat, but it was actually spiritual energy.
!
His eyes shone brightly as he witnessed something so amazing. Something worthy of admiration.
But it wasn't permanent.
His three level 1 caterpillars immediately fell to the ground, exhausted. He hurried to grab them and quickly stored them inside.
After checking that they were okay, he sighed with relief, but he couldn't help replaying what had just happened in his mind.
The four caterpillars joined forces to cast a... spell? A skill? Something.
They cast something inside him that ended up expelling the cursed energy that was burning him. Now, although there were remnants of burns, he didn't feel like he was burning like he had a few seconds ago.
'...'
He didn't know what to think.
He didn't understand what these caterpillars were. What had he awakened? Caterpillars? Seriously?
Not even in his wildest dreams!
These things looked like... legendary beasts in the making!
He calmed himself with a deep breath and shook his head.
'No way,' he thought.
He didn't come from a rich or powerful family; his father was a normal man, a little stronger than average because he was a prominent miner, but nothing more.
His mother was very weak. According to his father, she was a brave and impressive woman, but as far as he knows, she was very weak when she had him, which led to her death. Perhaps his father just puts it differently.
Where would he get the bloodline to obtain legendary beasts?
He slowly looked at his fire caterpillar, which was sitting on his sword, resting comfortably.
He had his doubts. But was it bad for him if he had awakened something amazing?
Of course not.
The more amazing what he had awakened, the better for him. Although the lurking danger would be deadly.
"Thank you." He thanked it sincerely and then looked ahead again.
But he hadn't even taken a step in the direction he was heading when the oppression filled him to the brim.
Instinctively, he sensed danger nearby.
The sound of branches breaking under heavy footsteps echoed in his ears.
He frowned. Now that he thought about it...
There were no trees within a radius of several dozen meters where he was standing.
Unusual places like this were often owned by a local boss...
He was in trouble.
And he didn't have time to run away and hide.
SWOSH!
The sound of a sword cutting through the wind reached his ears as several tree branches fell to the ground.
He gripped his sword and looked in the direction the sound came from.
'Fire Wights, the Fire Death Knight!
His heart raced.
He had come to hunt this guy, but seeing him face-to-face was different. He commanded respect with his height.
Two meters tall, with reflective armor. It wore protection on its wrists and forearms, covering what little flesh it had left. Its face was hideous, with dry, pale white hair that was falling out and sharp teeth.
What was peculiar about it was that both its hands emitted fire, allowing it to cover its weapons and armor with fire.
Rumor has it that it is one of the three subordinates of the boss of this dungeon, the Death Knight.
That boss is no weak monster like these low-level Death Knights; his level is 20, unlike these minor bosses, whose level is 10. He is a true Death Knight. And this one is one of his main subordinates.
The real name of these Knights of Fire Death is "Wights of Death."
Although he is not a true Knight of Death... for him and for everyone who comes here, it is as if he were.
Just seeing him makes his blood boil, especially when those red eyes stare at him.
He did not come alone.
Three Firemouth Zombies were with it, its personal guards.
As soon as they arrived here, their attention was fixed on Edward, the lone figure in the middle of this large space.
They were beasts. They did not think.
They only saw an enemy, and a command rang out in their minds: Kill him!
The three Fire Mouth Zombies ran towards him simultaneously, while the Knight stayed behind, simply watching. Like a haughty boss who looked down on his rival, he wasn't going to run to face him.
His subordinates would take care of him.