Chapter 42 The Children of Velgraths and Their Goal （2）
As I stood outside the massive metal door, I couldn't help but hesitate for a moment. My gaze remained fixed on it as I weighed my options.
"Damn... there are five of them now." I let out a slow breath. "Should I go get some backup?"
For a brief moment, the thought seemed reasonable. Charging headfirst into what was obviously a trap wasn't exactly the smartest decision.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Then a grin slowly spread across my face.
"Nah."
The Nonstop Cultivation skill constantly increasing my mana every second of every day, I had been storing up an absurd amount of magical energy. I hadn't had a proper chance to unleash it in a long time.
"I've been building up too much mana lately," I muttered. "I need to let loose."
Without another moment of hesitation, I pushed the heavy metal door open.
Creeeak...
The sound of rusted hinges echoed through the underground passage.
I stepped inside.
The room beyond was enormous.
It was easily three times the size of an ordinary basement.
Thick stone pillars supported the ceiling, while countless magic lanterns embedded along the walls cast a dim yellow glow throughout the room.
Broken tables, shattered chairs, and splintered wooden crates were scattered everywhere, as though a fierce battle had once taken place here.
I slowly scanned my surroundings, refusing to lower my guard.
Then a familiar voice broke the silence.
"We've been waiting, human."
I lifted my gaze toward the center of the hall.
There he was.
The demonoid sat casually atop a pile of broken furniture, one leg crossed over the other as though he had been expecting my arrival from the very beginning.
To his left stood two male demonoids, one was carrying swords and the other one was holding a mace. Their crimson eyes never left me, and the oppressive aura surrounding them was enough to make an ordinary adventurer freeze in place.
To his right stood two female demonoids. Unlike the others, they wore calm expressions, but the cold look in their eyes made them no less dangerous. Their hands rested on the hilts of their weapons, ready to draw them at a moment's notice.
Five demonoids...
Just as my Advanced Search had shown.
I met the gaze of the demonoid at the center without the slightest hint of fear.
"I knew this was a trap," I said calmly. "But I came anyway."
"Now, mind telling me what you're doing in this kingdom, Demonoid?"
For a few silent seconds, he simply stared at me.
Then a wide grin slowly spread across his face.
"So this is the human you were talking about?"
One of the female demonoids tilted her head as she looked me up and down, her crimson eyes filled with curiosity.
"He doesn't look that strong to me," one of the male demonoids scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.
The others chuckled.
Before long, all four of them burst into laughter, their mocking voices echoing throughout the underground chamber.
"...That's enough."
My voice cut through their laughter like a blade.
"Why did you bring me here?"
The laughter died instantly.
An eerie silence filled the room as all five demonoids fixed their blood-red eyes on me.
The one seated atop the pile of broken furniture slowly stood.
His grin never left his face.
"You really want to know?"
He stepped forward, his boots crunching against the shattered wood beneath his feet.
"I brought you here..."
A wave of suffocating demonic mana erupted from his body, flooding the chamber with terrifying pressure.
"...to kill you, human."
"You've been getting in my way for far too long," the demonoid continued, pointing his sword toward me. "You've ruined our plans, slaughtered our subordinates, and chased me across this kingdom."
His smile widened into something almost insane.
"So I've decided..."
"It's time to get rid of you."
The room fell silent once more.
"So... you want to kill me, huh?" I said with a curious expression. My gaze shifted toward the four demonoids standing behind him.
"Is that why you brought some help along? Just to do that?"
The demonoid let out a low chuckle and shook his head.
"Oh, them?" He glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment. "They're here for something else."
His crimson eyes returned to mine as a confident grin spread across his face.
"As for you..."
He slowly rose from the pile of shattered furniture that had served as his seat.
"I'm going to kill you myself."
A cold silence settled over the chamber.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Something else?" I asked, my curiosity growing. "And what exactly would that be?"
As the words left my mouth, I casually waved my right hand.
A ripple of light flashed beside me.
My Han Jian materialized in my grasp, its polished blade gleaming beneath the glow of the magic lanterns.
The demonoid watched the sword appear, but his expression didn't change.
Instead, he laughed.
"Well..." he began, "...since you're going to die here anyway, I suppose there's no harm in telling you."
As he spoke, he reached up and unclasped the hood of his dark cloak.
The heavy fabric slipped from his shoulders before he tossed it carelessly onto the stone floor behind him.
Without the cloak hiding his appearance, the scar stretching across his face became even more noticeable-the very scar I had left during our last encounter.
One of the female demonoids frowned.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked cautiously.
The demonoid glanced back at her, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
"Don't worry."
His voice was calm, almost amused.
"He won't be leaving this place alive."
He slowly turned back toward me, his blood-red eyes locking onto mine once again.
The grin on his face only grew wider.
"Let me ask you something, human."
The demonoid folded his arms, his crimson eyes fixed on me.
"Do you know the real reason why we demonoids exist?"
I didn't hesitate.
"You're planning to bring back the Demon Lord," I answered calmly. "By slaughtering innocent people and collecting their souls as fuel, just like the Molgurath."
I tightened my grip on my sword.
"Am I right?"
The demonoid's grin widened.
"Not bad."
He gave a slow clap, his applause echoing throughout the chamber.
"It seems you've done your homework."
His smile suddenly faded.
"But..."
"...your information is still lacking."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
He chuckled.
"It's true that we gather the souls of those who die in despair and agony. Those souls strengthen our power and serve as part of the ritual."
He took another step toward me.
"But resurrecting our lord requires one crucial item."
I lowered my sword slightly, listening carefully.
"And what's that?"
The demonoid's crimson eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Nine hundred years ago, during the Great War, the Hero who defeated our lord didn't simply seal him away."
"He used a sacred key."
"The very same key that was use to defeat the Demon Lord... is also the only thing capable of breaking that seal."
He spread his arms as if presenting the answer to a grand riddle.
"I'm sure someone as clever as you already knows what that key is."
I searched through every fantasy story I had ever read.
A weapon entrusted to the Hero.
A blade blessed by the gods.
The only weapon capable of defeating the Demon Lord...
There was only one answer.
I met his gaze without flinching.
"It's the Holy Sword."
"That's right."
The demonoid spread his arms wide, almost as if he were proudly announcing a glorious truth.
"The Holy Sword is the key to releasing our lord."
A grin crept across his face as his crimson eyes gleamed with fanatic devotion.
"For nine hundred years, the seal has remained unbroken. But once the Holy Sword falls into our hands..."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"...our lord will return, and this world will finally belong to us."
I remained silent for a moment before lowering my sword ever so slightly.
"Then let me ask you something."
The demonoid raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Go ahead."
He shrugged casually.
"It won't do you any good now."
I looked him straight in the eyes.
"The first time I heard about your kind, you were called the Children of Velgrath."
"My next encounter was in Altheria, where everyone referred to your organization as the Maleficarum."
I paused.
"Why are there two different names?"
The demonoid stared at me for a brief moment.
Then he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"It's actually quite simple."
He folded his arms across his chest.
"Because we aren't one single organization."
"We're divided into different factions, each with its own purpose."
He pointed to himself.
"The Maleficarum exists to spread chaos, gather tortured souls, recruit followers, and strengthen our army."
His smile slowly widened.
"The Maleficarum is the backbone of our forces."
He then spread his arms open.
"As for the Children of Velgrath..."
"...their purpose is entirely different."
His voice grew colder.
"They search for the ancient relics left behind after the Great War."
"Artifacts blessed by gods, weapons used by the former heroes, forgotten weapons, lost treasures..."
"Anything that can increase our chances of conquering this world."
He slowly extended a finger toward me.
"And above all else..."
"...they seek the Holy Sword."
"I see now."
I slowly raised my Han Jian and pointed its tip directly at the five demonoids.
"So the five of you standing before me... are members of the Maleficarum."
"That's right," the demonoid in the center replied without hesitation.
A sinister smile spread across his face.
"And do you know why we chose this kingdom?"
He slowly spread his arms, as if embracing the thought.
"Look around you."
"Outside these walls is a city overflowing with joy, laughter, and celebration."
"The festival has gathered countless people into one place."
His smile widened.
"And once we slaughter them..."
"...their fear, despair, and suffering will produce an unimaginable number of tortured souls."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"What better place could there be?"
I tightened my grip on my sword.
"And just how do you plan on doing that?"
I took a step forward.
"I already killed every Gloomcroak you sent."
"My last battle ended with the death of the Molgurath."
The room fell silent.
The four demonoids standing behind him exchanged shocked glances.
"He... he killed the Molgurath?"
"That's impossible."
"An S-Rank monster shouldn't have been defeated by a single human."
One of the male demonoids frowned, clearly unable to believe what he had just heard.
The leader, however...
...simply laughed.
"Hahahaha!"
His laughter echoed throughout the chamber.
"You really think those oversized toads were our only trump card?"
He shook his head, amusement dancing in his crimson eyes.
"You're a fool."
He slowly lifted one finger.
"Did you honestly believe the Abyssal Well existed only inside the Gloomcroaks?"
The grin on his face grew even wider.
"If that's what you thought..."
"...then you've already lost."
The demonoid's laughter slowly faded until the chamber fell silent once again.
Then...
His smile disappeared.
For the first time since we met, his expression became serious.
He stared directly into my eyes, as if trying to see through every lie I had ever told.
Neither of us spoke.
The only sound was the faint crackling of the magic lanterns illuminating the underground chamber.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"So tell me this, human..."
His voice was calm, yet it carried an unsettling weight.
"Who are you... really?"
He took a slow step forward, never once breaking eye contact.
"Are you truly nothing more than an ordinary adventurer..."
He paused, a faint grin returning to his face.
"...or are you one of the summoned Heroes from another world!"
The moment those words left his mouth, my expression turned serious.
I tightened my grip on my Han Jian as the atmosphere in the chamber grew even heavier.