Chapter 633: Gluttony・Unlocked
Author's Preface
No, I swear it existed! It really did!
There was a plotline where they had a hostile encounter with Orcelott-kun, but due to the appearance of the Demon of Slaughter, they were forced to form a reluctant united front!!
But before I knew it, it turned into this. How mysterious.
I killed him!? No, wait, I wasn't the one who killed him, right? Alright, no count, I haven't gotten a red name!!
"What are we gonna do, big sis? Your little brother just got eaten."
"Well, I wonder... he's squirming around in there, so maybe he's still alive inside..."
Gubushhht!!!
Whoops? The Demon of Slaughter, which had swelled up by exactly one human's worth of volume, its pigeon-like chest just went... how do I put it, like it crushed whatever was stuffed inside and reverted to its original size... Ah, yeah, he's definitely dead now. I checked just in case, but my player name was still its normal color.
"Ah, thank goodness. I would've been so depressed if I became a PKer over something like this."
"A lucky break from a blunder, huh."
"Someone just died right in front of them, yet they're way too calm..."
Four-Character-Idiom-kun (Zanryu Engetsu) is saying something, but I'm ignoring it. Me, Pencilgon, and OiKatzo all share an ecology where inconvenient facts just slip right in one ear and out the other.
But as expected of the Demon of Slaughter, I can't just pretend I didn't see this guy. There's no way it's just going to go, "Okay, I killed a player, I'm fully satisfied now"... It looks like its entire body is writhing, on the verge of entering a second phase, but since the transformation has already begun, there's no way to stop it.
"Slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh...!!"
The bulging meat on its shoulders changed shape, transforming into a texture completely different from flesh, much like hardening clay.
Its body, which had been nothing more than a massive hunk of meat, tightened up, taking on a certain functional beauty. Then, a substance looking like a mix of bone and iron tore through the flesh of its right arm, taking the shape of a sword... When the demon's convulsions ceased, standing there was a single knight... No, a demon in the shape of a knight.
"Hey Pencilgon, if you had to dub a voiceover for that guy, what line would you give him? I'd go with 'Analysis complete...'"
"I think I'd go with something like, 'Not enough... More, more...!'"
"Slaaaaaaauuuuughteeeeeeeeeeeeerr!!!"
I see, either way, it doesn't seem like the type to be a picky eater...!!
Pencilgon and I split off to the left and right to dodge the charge of the demon, which came rushing at us with a bizarre screech. Gagon! The demon slammed headfirst into the Great Gate, but for a hunk of meat that probably didn't even have internal organs, it didn't seem to take much damage.
Though it flinched slightly, the demon didn't look the least bit weakened as it raised its bone sword towards us... No wait! Its target is the Princess!!
"Like hell I'll let you, dumbass!!"
The unparalleled secret art, "War-Shattering Amber Display"! Get blown away by a jab, you shitty kebab!!
I wedged myself into the space between the Princess and the demon, thrusting a skill-loaded jab straight into the demon's solar plexus at the precise moment my fist was just barely about to touch it. Normally, there's no way I could halt the demon's sheer mass and I'd be the one getting sent flying, but this fist housed the power of Warphan.
"Slllllllloooooo...!?"
"Knockback!!"
Zugoooon!! The air pressure exploded, forcing the demon's body backward. But it was shallow! Compared to when I clocked that marbled meat back in the Leviathan, I thought a body this size would easily get blown all the way back to the Great Gate... No, wait, look at these ruts carved into the ground. Don't tell me it didn't use a special ability or anything, but simply endured it by planting its feet...?
"Just how high is your VIT, you monster...!?"
What do I do? This guy is more of a monster than I thought. The high VIT is one thing, but its movements are far too human for a beast... Is it because it ate Orcelott-kun? The Devouring Great Crimson Clad increased its resources additively, but this thing is multiplying its performance!
"Her Highness the Princess, it is dangerous here, so please evacuate. Use the West Gate, not the South Gate."
"Oh my~... Will you all be alright?"
"Please rest assured, that one over there is the most ferocious pawn in my possession."
"Hey, you! Hurry up and get Princess-sama out of here! Once she's gone, I'm using you as a meat shield!!"
"Oh, Princess-sama, would you like to chat a little longer?"
This bastard...!! However, the one who objected to such a leisurely notion was none other than Demon-kun. Raising a scream, its berserk rampage was no longer anything resembling ordinary.
Even though we were away from the main hustle and bustle, it wasn't as if there was no one around. This entire area had fallen into a state of panic, and players who had succumbed to their curiosity were showing up one after another... No, no, no, wait!!
"This is bad, Pencilgon! The food is swarming over here in droves!!"
"Ah, geez! You there! My foolish brother's friends! You guys help out too!!"
"Eh, uh, um..."
"Answer me!!"
""Yes ma'am!!""
"Saina! Emul! Brace yourselves! This guy is probably comparable in strength to Lycaon...!!"
"Yes sir!"
"Acknowledged:"
Wait, are they an idiot!? Why is a magic-class newbie leading the charge!? No, there's no way you can win with that magic blade thing... Ah, seconds...
"Slaughteeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!!"
Oh crap, three people just got eaten.
"If you're joining the fight, be careful! If you get eaten, it's an instant kill!!"
Against the demon, which was squelching and attempting to change its form even further, I had no choice but to push through, readying the Final Blade of Aspiration's End With the Hero and the Aspiring Blades of the Hero as I stepped forward.
"It's tough... but I can push through!!"
"Sunraku-kun, move! Bypassing armor is this thing's specialty!!"
Switch. Trading places with me, Pencilgon aimed her holy spear Caledfwlch and thrust it directly into the Demon of Slaughter's flank. Complete defense penetration; the tip of the holy spear pierces through any and all walls.
She must have activated some kind of skill, as a flash of light burst from the planted holy spear, gouging a massive chunk out of the demon's side... However, the damage effect only spewed out for a few seconds. The demon instantly filled the wound with flesh, and with a sweeping backhand, it struck Pencilgon's body and sent her flying.
More importantly—
"It grew more arms!?"
Is it because it ate them!? Did it get a performance boost because it scarfed down an extra three people!?
This is bad, what's worse is that a part of me is actually getting curious about what would happen if we fed it a hundred people!!
"U-Uwoaaah..."
"Eh, what now?"
"Wait, it just turned into my brother's face...!?"
I honestly think bursting out laughing at a moment like this makes you the absolute worst kind of fiend.
"Wha-at is haaaap-pening... My body is mov-ving on iiits ooown..."
"Pfft!!!"
"Pfft, ahahahaha!! Eh, no way, seriously? It's loaded with the consciousness of the assimilated players?"
Ah, it just changed from the Orcelott-face to the face of the hero-type mage who led the charge earlier.
"Woooow, I caaaan speeaaak noooow..."
Wait, hold on, wait. This is way too funny, hold on a second, Demon-kun! That kind of horror is only effective when you eat an NPC! Doing it with players just turns it into a comedy routine!!
"Whew! I'll put you out of your misery right now, Orcelooottt!!"
"Yoooou stuuupid siiiisteeer...!!"
The Orcelott-face contorting with what looked more like anger than sorrow made me feel like he wasn't crying out from the agonizing pain of being assimilated, but rather out of genuine, unadulterated rage... Let's play target practice! Hitting him right between the eyes is 500 points!!
Author's Afterword
If an NPC had been eaten, it would have turned out like that turtle from Devilman with faces floating on its shell [*1], but unfortunately, since only players were eaten, it ended up becoming a rather hilarious spectacle.
Translator's Notes
- [1] Jinmen, one of the most iconic, disturbing, and purely sadistic villains in the entire series.
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