First Outer World Story Series: The Black Mist that Devours - Chapter 13
Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter
There are some forced expressions in this chapter as well, so please refrain from reading it if you are not comfortable with it.
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(Kurokiri POV)
Last night was a treat, indeed.
Eh, you want to know what happened? It was just something that took place.
All I did was instill in them the notion that a kin cannot oppose their master, the Demon King, both physically and mentally.
Though I won’t disclose the specific means involved! Nor would I describe the situation at the time, either! Since I will not elaborate, it gives you room for your fantasies!
And this was not good. The two girls were shooting venomous stares at me.
“Ahem. Now, I have an assignment for each of you.”
“One day, I swear I’ll kill you…”
“Ichiko. When that time comes, let me partake along with you…”
Phew. This is what is commonly regarded as a “Yandere” (not true).
“First, Ryo.”
“What is it?”
“Right now, you’re going to go back to your house and collect dungeon-related intelligence from all across the world.”
“Why?”
“I was utterly segregated from the outside world for a year for the creation of my dungeon. Furthermore, even now, I am still in a vain position to have access to most information. Therefore, I need to obtain information, even if it means leveraging the resources of your house. Oh, and watch out that your true identity is not exposed, for you are undoubtedly classified as a demonic entity now. If you are discovered, they will most certainly kill you.”
“! I.. understand that…”
“Well, if feasible, even if you are a demonic being, the other humans might still be amicable to you and perhaps they would strive their best to save you. Though who knows how they will regard you.”
Ryo was straining gravely in response to my remarks. It was only reasonable, given that her life and future were on the line.
I should also give her a warning.
“Ah, that’s right. Don’t you dare try to divulge any information about me or my relationship with you, not even the back door you went through, do you hear me?”
“Tch.”
Hey, young lady, don’t click your tongue. Whoever is in control of the information conquers the battle, so this much is a given.
Incidentally, I will let Ryo out through the front door. As for the set-up, that would be…
“So, Ichiko, I’m going to have you pronounced dead.”
“What!?”
This was the best track for me to pursue.
“Because if I send you back as is, you’ll be fired as a bodyguard for failing to perform your duties. And you won’t have much of a backup if it comes down to it, will you? In that case, it would be wiser for people to assume that you died protecting Ryo.”
“But I…!”
“Oh, yeah. If you wish to retaliate against me, I’ll offer you some pointers on how to do it.”
“What!?”
Now, here’s what I want Ichiko to work on.
“Are you guys aware of the conditions under which you can raise your levels?”
“I don’t know.”
“I have no idea.”
“Then let me enlighten you. For humans to gain experience, the foes can be any demons, but for us as demons, they must be humans or demons from a dungeon other than our own.”
“That’s…”
What’s with your reaction? Oh, killing a human or a demon is a horrendous prospect for you, I guess, but Ichiko probably has no problem with this since she is a bodyguard.
“In other words, there is another dungeon south of here, and if you defeat the monsters in that dungeon, you will still earn experience.”
“I see. That means you want Ichiko to combat the monsters in the dungeon.”
“Precisely what you said. While on the subject, the accumulated experience is not directly credited to you but is first collected by me, and roughly 50% of it is transferred to my side. After that, the balance will be distributed to you.”
“Hah!?”
“It’s also worth noting that this isn’t a provision that I’ve thrown into the mix; it’s a specification that’s been in place since the beginning. The other monsters are also garnering experience under these conditions. In addition, once I have collected the experience, Ichiko can pass on some of the experience to Ryo, which could be of assistance to her.”
Ichiko was distressed over this matter. To her, it seemed that the most vital matter was her Lady Ryo.
Speaking of which, if I may chime in on the experience value-related topic, apparently what was critical when it involved the drastically reduced experience points obtained by defeating an enemy outside of a dungeon was determined by whether or not the enemy was in a dungeon, irrespective of their affiliation with another dungeon.
To put it another way, if a demon of labyrinth A were to defeat a demon of labyrinth C while in labyrinth B, the experience gained would not be diminished.
“And one more thing. It is likely that as the level of Kirijin advances, they will eventually rise in rank and evolve into Demon Kings. Once that happens, you’ll be out of my kinship and you’ll be able to inflict damage on me.”
“!?”
As she picked up on my remarks, Ichiko’s eyes lit up with a blaze of resolve.
Ryo then lifted her hand silently.
“May I ask one thing?”
“Yes, Ryo? If you want me to love you, I’ll love you back again.”
“I’ll decline your offer. When you mentioned the dungeon in the south, you mean what we call X-J1, don’t you? Is there any reason to attack there?”
“There’s no solid reason. However, based on their current operations, they should be out of the picture in a few months. In such a situation, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to have as much experience as possible before the fall?”
“So you have no desire to aid another same Demon King…”
“I do not have any intention of doing so. That’s how Demon Kings are.”
That’s right. We, the Demon Kings, are willing to sacrifice anything and exploit any means to attain our goals. Everything will eventually be devoured and engulfed by the mist. And that would be me. I am the King of the Devouring Black Mist, the Demon King. Hahahaha.
Oh, yeah. I shall not act like this any further, because it sounds like what a small fry will do.
“Well, that’s why both of you have to perform your roles as best you can. Ah, yes, if I judge that you need to be disciplined for slacking off or being exposed, I’ll call you out, so take into account what that entails.”
The two of them flinched subtly after hearing these words.
Hmm. Is it possible that I went a bit too far?
?
Check out other Outer World Story series in order: Outer World Story: The Black Mist that Devours (First series), Outer World Story: Pumpkin Sorcerer (Third series), Outer World Story: Basilisk of Ice Sculpture (Fourth series)