DEB 101

“Huh? This quest feels a bit off.”

“Hmm… It seems that way to me too.”

Another ruler of the Black Swamp?

Does that mean a being similar to the one I encountered in the deepest part of the swamp has appeared?

It’s both surprising and ominous.

“No wonder the energy around the swamp and the power of the tainted mana feel stronger than before… It seems like a new swamp is forming near the original one.”

For some unknown reason, the number of deaths, which fuels the swamp’s energy, must have spiked recently. 

The existing swamp likely can’t contain all the tainted mana, and thus a new swamp is being formed.

There could be other reasons, but this seems to be the primary one.

[Oh, that’s correct! We came to the same conclusion!]

…It appears again like a ghost.

Even after a long time, the golden system window shimmered before me, just as irritating as ever, as if it were greeting me.

[Thanks to someone, I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had time to visit! Please feel sorry for your poor system!]

[If you awaken now, the system will be 100% happier!]

You’re always the same.

Any small feeling of affection I had for its persistence quickly evaporated.

At that moment—

“They’re coming.”

The enemies began rushing toward them. Huiyun took a step back to assess the situation. 

It was only one step, but it gave him a much clearer view of the battlefield.

“We’ll probably have to win this fight to gain more information about the new ruler of the swamp.”

The weapons of his disciples began to glow with the power they resembled. 

Their individual mana took on visible colors and radiated out as tangible power.

“Let’s end this quickly.”

Huiyun’s quiet command fell, and the six disciples disappeared, only to reappear in the distance in an instant.

Boom!

A thunderous sound echoed as the flames Ash had prepared in advance surged violently, pushing back the darkness. 

Hidden in the shadows, the enemies were revealed.

– Screeech!

They resembled ghouls, like something straight out of the Demon Realm.

No—could they even be called monsters?

They looked human. 

Swoosh!

With one slash, their heads fell off as if their flesh was weak. 

But what happened next scoffed at the suspicion.

The severed necks bubbled and boiled, and soon a new head began to grow. The discarded heads on the ground chattered for a moment before exploding.

Boom!

The ground shook as black energy spread in all directions. 

This repeated several times at various points, and within seconds, the battlefield turned into utter chaos.

“Let’s pull back. Don’t attack recklessly.”

These weren’t ordinary ghouls. 

Moot used skeletal hands to pull the group back.

“What are these things? Are they immortals?”

Ash, who had cut off several ghouls’ heads alongside Vita, was shocked. All the decapitated ghouls regenerated and charged again, making it feel like they were fighting an endless horde of zombies. 

As Ash marveled at the novelty of it, Huiyun peered through the black mist created by the exploding heads.

“There’s something there.”

Something powerful, hiding within the mist. It had to be the one controlling these undying ghouls.

“Verita, dispel the mist.”

“As you command.”

The man clasped his hands together and began to pray. 

As if performing a miracle, the pitch-black sky parted, and a holy golden light descended.

When the light hit the mist, it evaporated as if it had been burned away.

– Screeeech!

– Grurk! Grugrugrug!

The impure creatures exposed to the light screamed and twisted in agony.

In response, Verita’s prayer grew louder. 

As he uttered the final words, the golden light spread across the area, revealing a clean, empty space devoid of any monsters.

Vina looked around in disbelief, the astonishment clear on his face.

“…Did we defeat them with just that?”

“Unfortunately, no, Vina. I’ve only illuminated the darkness; the darkness itself hasn’t disappeared.”

“Yes. It seems they’ve just hidden themselves from the light.”

Huiyun could still sense the pulse of the enemies beneath the ground. 

It appeared that the powerful entity he had sensed earlier had also fled underground.

To force them back to the surface, Verita would need to retract the holy light. But if he did, the mist would return. The mist seemed to amplify the ghouls’ power and enhance the abilities of their master, meaning that fighting within it would be a challenge for the disciples.

Therefore, the best strategy would be to fight in this space illuminated by Verita’s light and Ash’s flames.

“If they won’t come out, we’ll have to force them out.”

“Yasha, there’s no need.”

“Exactly, Yasha! There’s no need to go that far. They’re tricky, but they’re not unbeatable!”

“But dragging out the fight is foolish. With the swamp acting strange, we shouldn’t prolong the battle.”

Moot was alarmed and tried to stop him, and Vita raised his voice in agreement, but Huiyun was determined. 

This was the forbidden zone of the Demon Realm, feared even by the demons. 

It was the perfect time to use more power without drawing their attention.

He loosened the restraints on his power, releasing the force of his Domination. 

Thump, thump! 

The sound of his heartbeat grew louder, and his blood coursed through his veins.

“…Come up.”

At his chilling command, the ground trembled. 

Huiyun clenched his fist, controlling the resisting force, and gave another quiet command.

“Reveal yourself.”

As he spoke, his blue eyes briefly flashed a chilling silver.

Rumble!

The ground shook violently, like the crest of a rising wave.

Drip.

Blood trickled from his nose, falling onto his lips. 

Wiping it away nonchalantly, Huiyun looked at the quaking earth and opened his fist.

Crack, crackle.

Cracks formed in the ground, and black energy surged up between them.

“Yasha!”

Vina caught Huiyun as he staggered, his balance momentarily lost. 

Leaning on Vina, Huiyun caught his breath and looked at his final disciple.

“Verita, don’t stop praying.”

“Yes, Yasha.”

Without hesitation, Verita knelt and continued his prayer, offering his faith. 

As the black energy surged up, revealing the ghouls they had fought earlier, Zenith supported Huiyun’s shoulder.

“Vina, I’ll protect Yasha. Go.”

“…Alright.”

After Vina responded, Verita’s voice filled the air, the light of his prayer struggling against the black energy. 

As the balance shifted, the disciples gained the upper hand. 

Even when the swamp was entirely the enemy’s domain, they hadn’t been pushed back.

Ash’s flames flared brightly, helping Verita push back the darkness as they engulfed the ghouls. 

Vita swung his sword, the green aura filled with vitality cutting down the creatures close to death.

– Screeech!

The ghouls howled in agony as they were sliced by Vita’s aura.

“They’ve shown their hand. They won’t fall for the same trick again.”

Moot whispered something to Vina. 

Vina nodded and froze the ground. 

The freezing cold spread through the ghouls, freezing their wounds as Ash and Vita shattered them into pieces.

“Don’t worry about the explosions; just keep moving.”

Moot used his skeletons and darkness to hold the scattered pieces in place.

Boom!

As the ghouls exploded, the skeletons absorbed the shock, preventing the explosion from affecting the group.

“Not bad.”

With the ghouls’ regeneration and explosions neutralized, Ash excitedly dominated the battlefield. 

His flames incinerated dozens of ghouls in one blow, and Vita finished off the stragglers.

Moot expertly controlled his skeletons and shadows, acting like an assassin from behind, reducing the number of enemies bit by bit. 

Vina supported everyone, and Zenith kept everyone healed. 

With such an efficient combination, the tide of the battle quickly shifted in their favor.

“It’ll come soon.”

Still exerting his Domination to prevent the ghouls from retreating into the shadows, Huiyun sensed movement beneath them and pushed his Domination further. 

The entity controlling the ghouls finally began to move, unable to resist the pull of his Domination any longer.

“Their master is coming. Stay sharp and be ready to strike as soon as it appears.”

From Huiyun’s assessment, the ghouls’ master wasn’t stronger than the disciples. 

If they unleashed their full power simultaneously, they could defeat it with minimal energy.

As Huiyun dismissed Zenith’s support, the disciples’ eyes glinted with focus. 

Just as the last ghoul was defeated, the master emerged.

A thick shadow swirled between the cracks in the ground, and the creature controlling the ghouls appeared. Without giving it a chance, the disciples unleashed their maximum firepower.

Boom!

Massive energy blasts struck the enemy, causing an explosion. Though it was hard to see through the resulting dust cloud, Huiyun could sense the enemy’s presence rapidly diminishing.

 Victory seemed certain.

Suddenly—

Flash!

“…!”

Out of nowhere, a streak of black energy pierced through the dust cloud, heading straight for Huiyun, who had exhausted his power.

“Yasha!”

At the same time, someone quickly reacted and grabbed Huiyun before the ground collapsed, swallowing the two of them. 

Soon after, the ground filled itself back up, leaving no chance for the others to enter.

The restored ground became silent as if nothing had ever happened. 

As the silence filled the area, making it hard to believe that a battle had taken place, the five remaining disciples hesitated to speak.

“…M-Master Yasha?”

Their eyes trembled uncontrollably.