Chapter – 04
“This is a bit of a problem…”
Tay thought to himself.
He had only come into the sewers today to casually test the imp’s abilities.
He wanted to see just how remarkable the Imp Butler really was.
But the magic had turned out to be much stronger than he’d expected.
According to what he’d learned beforehand, an imp could normally use three kinds of magic:
Flame. Flame Enchantment. Minor Curse.
Flame was exactly what it sounded like—a spell that hurled a small flame at the target, burning them for roughly three seconds.
It inflicted burns and that was it. It didn’t explode or cling to the target to deal damage over time.
Even so, it was considered to have respectable offensive power.
Then there was Flame Enchantment.
It coated a weapon in flames.
It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was still useful.
The same went for Minor Curse.
It supposedly caused mild pain throughout the victim’s body, making it effective in combat.
Even those three spells alone made an imp extremely valuable.
Normally, aspiring dark mages all started as swordsmen before changing classes, so the dark mage himself fought with a sword and shield—adding armor if he had enough money—while his imp sat on his shoulder casting support magic.
That effectively made him fight with the strength of one and a half people.
But the Imp Butler was supposed to be even more impressive.
And now that Tay had seen it firsthand…
Just as expected.
It possessed an incredible spell called Clinging Flame.
So far, that was the only spell he’d actually used.
However, the imp clearly knew several more.
Tay intended to have it cast every spell it knew so he could steal and learn them himself.
But…
He hadn’t had the chance yet.
And of all times, they had to run into another mercenary group.
“Master, hide behind me.”
Summoned demons could communicate with their contractors through telepathy.
Without hesitation, Tay moved behind Glashalavolias.
Moments later…
The other group spotted them as well.
There were three of them.
A standard mercenary party.
One carried a shield and a hand axe.
Another held a shield and a mace.
The last one wielded a bow.
All three wore helmets fitted with lanterns.
Lantern helmets.
They kept both hands free while illuminating the surroundings.
Cheap mercenaries commonly wore them when clearing monsters out of the sewers.
“Huh? What’s this? You’re alone?”
“I figured I’d make a little money by myself.”
“Ha! You’ve got a death wish. Don’t wander around alone. You’ll end up dead.”
“That’s why I’m only staying near the entrance. So, making good money?”
“Money? Not really. It’s been pretty lousy.”
As they chatted, the distance between them gradually closed.
Then…
The moment they were close enough to clearly see one another…
Tay noticed the archer swiftly nocking an arrow.
Whoosh!
Crunch!
Tay instantly raised his shield, blocking the arrow.
At the same time, he sprinted deeper into the tunnel.
“Hey! Jenson! You couldn’t even hit him?”
“That bastard’s running! Stop talking and get—”
“Clinging Flame.”
“AAAAAAAGH!”
The mercenaries had failed to notice the imp clinging to Tay’s back.
They were caught completely off guard.
A ball of flame struck the archer square in the face and stuck there, burning relentlessly.
He screamed in agony, clutching his face as he rolled across the ground.
But the fire refused to go out.
Instead, it spread to his hands as he desperately tried to smother it.
His screams became even more horrifying.
Your ally has been attacked!
Agonized screams echo through the area!
You have witnessed a Lesser Demon!
You have been exposed to the aura of Minor Mental Corrosion!
Mental Resistance Check: Failed!
Confusion has been inflicted!
If this had been a game, those messages would have appeared on the screen.
When the archer died…
The two mercenaries in the front line simply stood there for a moment.
“Huh?”
“Uh…”
“Uh…”
Then…
“AAAAAAAH!”
Their minds snapped.
“GET AWAY! A DEMON! IT’S A DEMON!!”
One of them fled in blind panic before diving straight into the sewer canal.
Filled with filthy wastewater, it guaranteed disease even if he somehow avoided drowning.
Whether he’d survive at all was doubtful.
“DIE! DIEEE!”
The other mercenary flew into a berserk rage and charged after Tay.
But Tay had already turned around and assumed a combat stance.
His next spell was ready.
“Clinging Flame.”
Fwoosh!
The blazing fire shot toward the mercenary’s face.
However…
Perhaps because of his berserk state, he instinctively blocked it with his shield while continuing his charge.
At that moment—
“Darkness That Veils the Eyes.”
Imp Glashalavolias cast a new spell.
A Measure of Madness has activated.
You have learned the spell: Darkness That Veils the Eyes.
“Jackpot! Another spell!”
Overjoyed, Tay rushed forward.
The berserk mercenary suddenly lost his sight and instinctively hesitated.
That single moment was enough.
Tay closed the distance…
…and thrust his sword.
Thrust!
The blade pierced straight through the man’s throat.
“Ghk…!”
The mercenary collapsed.
As Tay pulled his sword free, the body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
“Whew… I almost died.”
“Hmm. Humans truly are treacherous.”
“Coming from a demon?”
“Contractor, do you harbor prejudice against demons?”
What kind of thing is that for a demon to say?
“Aren’t demons supposed to be evil?”
Tay couldn’t help replying.
Seriously.
A demon accusing humans of being underhanded?
“If you insist on telling the truth so shamelessly, I can’t even argue.”
“Then don’t.”
Still exchanging pointless banter, Tay walked over to the corpses.
It was time to collect the loot.
One of the mercenaries had been swept away by the sewer current, his fate unknown.
That left only the two corpses.
Tay stripped the bodies clean, taking anything that looked valuable before tossing the rest into the sewer.
Surprisingly, the city’s sewer system was sustained by the magical power of ancient ruins, which purified every bit of wastewater flowing through it.
It even disposed of corpses.
That made body disposal all the more convenient.
By the time Tay emerged from the sewers, he was carrying a bundle of salvaged equipment all over his body.
The guard stationed at the sewer entrance—guards were necessary since monsters inhabited the place—gave him a brief glance before looking away.
People killing each other inside the sewers was nothing unusual.
It was an unspoken rule that the authorities didn’t interfere.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the human world… To find it this corrupt… how the ages have changed.”
“You even know sayings like that?”
Is this a fantasy world or a martial arts novel?
The thought crossed Tay’s mind briefly before he dismissed it.
As, who had used a demon-exclusive spell called Shadow Merge, was currently hiding inside Tay’s shadow.
Just as As had claimed, Tay couldn’t steal that spell.
You cannot learn this spell due to racial restrictions.
What a shame.
Still, he’d managed to steal two new spells today.
That alone made this expedition a huge success.
Normally, dark mage mercenaries had to pay large sums of money to purchase magic spells from instructors.
Everything came down to money.
In any case…
Carrying his loot, Tay headed toward the blacksmith shop he frequented.
“Welcome.”
“Hey.”
“Whoa, Big Brother Tay! Did you kill somebody or something? Where’d you get all this stuff?”
“Yep. Killed a few people.”
“Eek!”
Harundel was a massive commercial city.
With monsters infesting its sewers, it naturally supported a large population of mercenaries.
And where there were mercenaries…
There were blacksmiths.
Tay had become a regular customer at a small forge he’d stumbled upon years ago.
The shop was run by only two people.
A stubborn blacksmith in his fifties.
And his apprentice, a twenty-year-old orphan.
That was it.
“So these are…”
“They tried to kill me. I killed them instead. Figure out what you’ll pay.”
“W-Wait a second!”
The muscular apprentice hurried into the workshop.
Moments later…
A broad-shouldered middle-aged man walked out.
After giving Tay a quick glance, he spoke.
“So, you made it back alive.”
“I’m not weak enough to die just yet.”
“I see. Let’s have a look…”
He examined each item one by one.
“This mace is still usable. A little repair and I can sell it.”
“This sword’s worthless. I’ll only get scrap iron prices for it.”
“Whatever you think is fair. We’ve done business more than once.”
“What about this helmet? Keeping it?”
“No. Buy it.”
“And this…”
The blacksmith frowned.
“Why is it so badly scorched? This one’s only worth scrap as well.”
“I already said—price it however you think is right.”
The conversation flowed casually.
Tay didn’t even try to haggle.
He trusted the blacksmith completely.
The older man clicked his tongue.
“Tsk. You’re going to regret being so trusting one day.”
“You’ve helped me before. If you skim a little off the top, I won’t complain.”
“What a shameless brat…”
Grumbling under his breath, the blacksmith disappeared inside.
A short while later, he returned carrying a pouch of coins.
“There. I told you countless times to become a blacksmith…”
Tay grinned.
“I told you already. I was a blacksmith in my previous life.”
“…Though I was more of a fake one.”
That was true.
In his previous life, he’d been a production-type Hunter.
Not a traditional blacksmith.
That was the problem.
The blacksmith snorted.
“There you go again with that nonsense. A previous life? Give me a break.”
“I’m serious.”
Accepting the money pouch, Tay stood.
“Take care.”
“You worry about yourself.”
“Will do.”
With a wave, he left the forge.
“I’ve come to make my repayment.”
“Thank you for your business.”
Tay stepped out of the Black Spear Guild office.
Selling the equipment taken from the mercenaries who had ambushed him had earned him a respectable sum.
Even after making this month’s debt payment, he still had plenty left over.
Which meant…
It was finally time to buy magical equipment.
Now that he was a dark mage, he needed gear worthy of one.
Harundel had several shops that specialized in magical items.
But as a poor mercenary, Tay had never once been able to afford entering one.
Following the guild’s recommendation, he eventually found himself standing before a respectable three-story building.
“It seems this shop has ties to the Black Spear Guild.”
“Of course it does.”
“Hmm… Wouldn’t it be better to go somewhere else instead?”
“Maybe. But I have a feeling I’d get ripped off elsewhere. This place’s probably the safest bet.”
