Year Twenty-Nine Employees

Typhon confronted Edril, saying, "Your intelligence almost got my people killed."

Edril sighed, "I'm sorry, we had no idea..."

Typhon said, "If it were only the magma demon, I might be able to handle it, but Fishbone spotted a whole horde of other demons, and we are undermanned. Edril, you must send people to assist us as well!"

Edril replied, "Everyone in the village is an ordinary person. Even with guns, running into a white demon alone is a death sentence. We cannot help."

Typhon argued, "Even so, we have no certainty of success."

Edril shook his head, "This is part of the bargain. If you cannot capture the demon, forget about the sealing stone."

I wondered if stealing from Osmo might at least be easier than capturing the magma demon.

Edril glanced at me and said, "I'm warning you not to harbor other ideas. Osmo can sense anyone who enters his castle."

I raged, "How can you fabricate accusations out of thin air? Do I look like the kind of person who steals things?"

Edril said, "I saw your eyes darting around and your sly smile; I knew immediately what you were thinking."

I never expected that my facial expressions would betray—no, frame me.

Typhon said, "Perhaps we can lure it out of the cave and deal with it using the divine sword bullets."

Lamia stated, "Fishbone told me that against a physique like that, divine sword bullets are completely useless. He once emptied a whole magazine of divine sword bullets, hitting it square in the forehead every single shot, yet it emerged almost completely unharmed."

I added, "And it breathes fire. Fire is the nemesis of vampires, isn't it?"

Typhon furrowed her brow and asked me to describe in detail the scene when I first encountered it, hoping to find some pattern. When I mentioned that it had stalked me for a stretch of the road, she asked, "Wait, you mean only it followed you, and the other demons didn't notice?"

I had a looming sense of impending doom.

I asked, "It seemed that way, yet perhaps not."

Typhon said, "How did you manage that? Maybe we can use this method to lure it out alone."

Helplessly, I mentioned the thought-blade technique "Traceleass" taught by Helsin.

Typhon, much like Missouri, was a master of hypnosis. She pondered a countermeasure, a gradual smile appearing on her face, and said, "That's it. The magma demon is vigilant and proud. It noticed you, yet wasn't entirely certain. You just need to maintain this faint, intermittent connection."

She instructed me to use Traceleass on her until we established an intermittent telepathic link. She could not see me at all, yet she believed some suspicious figure existed. She said, "Just like this. Even my mental sorcery could not do any better."

Lamia resolutely said, "My Lord, this is far too dangerous for Long Ji. If it fails, he will face a siege by all the demons in the abyss."

Typhon held up four fingers and said, "If this succeeds, I will grant you forty million credits."

Lamia anxiously retorted, "It's not about the money!" But this time it was my turn to cover her lips, and I said, "Very well! Duke, I shall follow your every command."

Lamia turned back, gripped my arm tightly, and spoke urgently, "Long Ji, I generally don't interfere much with your actions, but this time is far too reckless. You haven't mastered it at all, and your Amun's Water is highly toxic; you cannot drink it repeatedly!"

I whispered, "Didn't we agree? When we go out on operations together, you trust me, and I trust you; we must never let worry cloud our judgment."

She wanted to say more, but I told her I was the hero who had once fought Abel, that I possessed unfathomable hidden depths. Her pretty face turned pale, she pressed her lips tightly together, and she stopped trying to dissuade me.

***

Typhon asked, "Are you done saying your goodbyes? If so, come listen to my plan."

Lamia was a professional warrior; she quickly shook off her unease and regained her usual composure. Typhon said, "Well done, Lamia. I will recommend you for promotion to Lieutenant General of the Rangers. Soon you won't have to go out on grueling fieldwork at all; you'll just lie back and count your money."

Lamia stood proudly and replied, "Sir, I enjoy fieldwork. I only care about my husband."

Typhon had Edril draw a topographical map of the area, recalled the route they had taken, pointed to a flat stretch of land, and said, "This is the ideal ambush spot. The mountains on both sides are high enough, and Fishbone will lure it here. The Major will fire the divine sword bullet to open a gash on its body, I will draw its attention and find a way to hold it back, and Broken Clock, you will be responsible for driving the crystal into its wound."

Edril said, "For a demon of that size, the crystal will only take effect deep within its forehead; shallow wounds may not work."

Typhon sneered, "Your demands are becoming increasingly outrageous."

Edril replied, "I harbor no intention of harming any of you, but I must consider the safety of my village. If we can bring the magma demon under our command, it will be a major turning point in the history of Castle Osmo."

I said, "I also want to rule the world. Who doesn't daydream?"

Edril said nothing further, but we had no other choice. At least the magma demon was not cunning and unpredictable, whereas Ambrossa remained completely elusive.

Typhon said, "Very well, Lamia and I will carve a deep gash in its forehead. You had better make sure this crystal doesn't disappoint."

Edril said, "I swear it will work."

I swallowed my second vial of medicine. Even though I felt unwell, it was still far better than expected.

They began to move, and so did I.

The cave remained terrifyingly, breathlessly perilous. I was facing a demon—a literal demon, symbolizing ferocity, wrath, malice, and cruelty. Perhaps I had already slain many demons, but demons had also slaughtered countless humans. Their reasons for killing were pure—such as sheer hunger or simple venting of hatred. If the Era Empire could still be considered an understandable enemy, demons remained the most horrifying nightmare for all of mankind in the twilight age.

Streams of magma flowed through small trenches on the ground, and the magma demon sat upon an inclined platform—that giant rock served exclusively as its throne.

I dared not approach too closely. I turned around, presenting my back to it, and banished it into the void within my mind. It was reduced to mere outlines, resembling a shadow.

It was searching for me, and I began advancing toward the cave exit. The other demons watched it with bewilderment, but without its command, they dared not follow.

That thought-thread was fragile and heavily fluctuating; I had to maintain a delicate balance. If I remembered too much, it would pierce through Traceleass, start roaring, and order its minions to attack me. If I remembered too little, it would lose interest in me just as it had last time.

I remembered a fairy tale about a piper who used such a method to lure away all the children of a town.

Yet what I was luring was a ten-meter-tall giant monster wreathed in fire.

Like the other demons, it was not stupid, but neither was it particularly clever—which was worse than being entirely foolish, as it made it all the easier to trick. Moreover, it was arrogant, arrogantly believing itself superior to everything else.

Panting and sweating profusely, I reached the ambush site. Gunshots rang out in the air, and the magma demon's roar rattled my eardrums until they bled. I raised my head—right in the center of the magma demon's forehead, a wound had been opened! Lamia's marksmanship never missed.

The magma demon lifted its head and spewed a torrent of roaring flames toward the rock where Lamia was positioned. Enraged at the sight, I unleashed a "God-Slayer" slash toward it. The magma demon's leg was stained red, but it was merely a minor scratch. It whirled around, its tail sweeping toward me, and I instantly vanished into the shadows. Its strike triggered a landslide, and boulders from the entire hill came crashing down like rain.

The giant monster paused slightly, as if assessing the situation. Typhon leaped into mid-air, wielding a blood sword four meters long, clad in rose-colored armor condensed from blood. She struck at the magma demon once more, the crimson light in the air flashing like thunder. She hit the wound squarely in the center of the demon's forehead, sending more blood spraying outward; the gash was now deep.

The magma demon shrieked, billowing flames engulfing its entire body. In an instant, it truly looked like a demon lord descended into the mortal world. Bloody wings sprouted from Typhon's back, and she veered away to dodge the scorching flames. Vampires possessed an innate dread of fire; even Typhon could not survive in sunlight for more than ten seconds. Fire was not sunlight, but their similarities struck a primal fear deep within the hearts of vampires.

She shouted, "The wound isn't deep enough!"

I executed the Torrent technique, leaping forward with godlike speed, shrouding myself in dark clouds, and using the Iron Lotus to block the flames. The scorching fire instantly incinerated the Iron Lotus, but I used the Thunder Blade to slash into its wound once more. The magma demon slammed its head against the mountain, and I heard my own bones crack like a crushed biscuit.

It didn't hurt much, but worse, I was completely paralyzed. It stared at me for a few seconds, then turned around to go after Typhon and the others. Because my subconscious was a complete blank, it completely forgot about my existence. Lamia rushed over, driving a healing injector into my body. I said, "It's fine, the Blood of Vasilisa will heal me."

Lamia began to weep, saying, "That's good."

I told her, "My wife, I will be fine."

Lamia kissed me and said, "I know, but it breaks my heart to watch."

Typhon used her formidable telepathic power to immobilize the magma demon for three full seconds. Seizing the opportunity, Broken Clock extended his arm by ten meters to deliver a grand gift to the demon. The demon lunged forward once more, charging even more recklessly, and Broken Clock tumbled down the mountain as well. I guessed he was not in great shape either.

I shouted, "Edril, you've been scammed! This crystal is just an IQ tax, exactly like diamonds!"

Edril asked, "What is an IQ tax? Why are diamonds an IQ tax?"

In an instant, the magma demon completely stiffened. It pitched forward headfirst, triggering a final landslide.

Now the question was, how were we supposed to transport this hundreds-ton demon back to the village? Even if we—or rather, Typhon—could drag it, there was simply no way it could fit through the street gates.

Edril ran frantically toward the magma demon and began chanting incantations at its forehead. The magma demon slowly climbed to its feet, giving me a huge scare. Yet, moving like a sleepwalker, it began marching toward Castle Osmo.

My spine was severely injured, but the Blood of Vasilisa truly was a miraculous elixir; I could move again. I wondered when its effects would wear out? Alas, I hadn't asked her for an instruction manual or an expiration date in the first place.

Typhon drifted down to the ground, kissed my forehead, and said, "Well done!"

Lamia smiled and said, "Hey! Duke! I'm still right here."

Typhon kissed Lamia as well and said, "You were equally brilliant."

Broken Clock walked over limping, his nether-flames lingering around him. Typhon had wanted to give him a reward kiss as well, but the curse of the nether-flames made her expression sour.

She merely said, "Broken Clock, you performed wonderfully, and your timing was flawless."

Broken Clock nodded, said nothing, and silently sat down off to the side.

I shouted, "Kid, come over here!"

Broken Clock asked, "What for?"

I said, "I'm not going to make it. I need to see you for the last time."

Broken Clock said, "Nonsense." Yet he still walked over to me. I cupped his head and planted a firm kiss right on his forehead. I kissed him with such utter devotion that I began to wonder if I had taken a wrong turn somewhere in life.

Broken Clock pushed me away and cursed, "Idiot!"

I raged, "Who are you calling an idiot? I'm just comforting an employee!"

Broken Clock immediately turned and walked away. I suspected he was secretly laughing, but I had no proof.

I heard this kid found a boyfriend. Ah, wait, was my behavior just now... Oh no, I had better be careful. I needed to keep a close eye on him, just in case this kid started plotting something against me in the middle of the night.