Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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Puhhhing-

“Wait.”

Puhhiing-

The Nightmare blinked its sorrowful eyes in response to my firm voice. It seemed to be pleading to be taken along by using its cuteness, but that was wishful thinking.

This mission requires us to move without being detected by demons. There was no way I could take a Nightmare that couldn’t perfectly conceal its presence.

“Can you wait quietly?”

Tears began to flow down from the Nightmare’s eyes in response to my gentle voice. Is it really that sad to be apart for just a few hours, maybe a day or two at most?

As I smiled lightly and wiped away the Nightmare’s tears, it turned away, ambling off with such a dejected demeanor that its drooping tail hung limply behind it.

“Then I’m off.”

Taking one last look at me, the Nightmare leaped onto the bed and burrowed into the blankets. Sniff sniff, it seemed to find comfort in my scent.

[Your lover?]

I glared at Simon’s cocky voice. The moment he spoke, he scampered to the corner in fright. But I mean, where could he escape in such a small artifact?

I shook him vigorously, clutching onto him.

[Kawwak!]

As I shook my hand, I drew upon my mana. My head heated up as the necessary magic formula for the spell I needed began to emerge.

Simon’s own power wasn’t that strong; it was about the same as a small animal. Thus, if I suppressed the mana and sounds flowing from him, no one would detect us.

Since it was relatively simple magic, it didn’t take long to complete the spell.

Puhyat-!

In an instant, the completed magic emitted light and enveloped the artifact. The bluish flow of mana perfectly vanished, and Simon’s screaming voice that had been echoing inside was also blocked out.

If only I had enough time, I could remodel the magic I was using to block presence from a ‘use’ format to a ‘bestow’ format. Such is my talent.

However, there was no time for that now. I must not forget that finding Skasha’s territory and quickly eliminating her is the top priority before countless demons arrive for a battle.

It is still not yet lunchtime. The shining sunlight in the sky was so warm that it seemed hard to believe this was the Land of Death.

The landscape spread out was likewise lovely. Aside from the heap of bones covering part of the forest, it was beautiful enough to be mistaken for an elf’s dwelling.

“Start lightly. And quietly.”

As I infused my small wish into the incantation, it combined with my mana, completing a primitive form of a spell. Also, the words of the dragon imbued with will became magic in itself.

No sound at all remained behind my tiny footsteps. I moved onward toward the expanse of the forest path.

[Unbelievable… Are you really human?]

I sensed the vibrations of mana generated from the artifact in my hand. Thanks to the conversations I had with demons a few times, I could understand what Simon was saying despite blocking the sounds.

I didn’t particularly respond to Simon’s question. It seemed he hadn’t thrown the question expecting an answer, as he soon fell silent.

My light steps glided silently. The wind spirit, which always lingered by my side, also used its power to prevent any sounds from leaking out.

From the sound of my clothes brushing against each other to the soft sound created by my tiny feet treading upon the grass, all of it vanished. It was just as I was moving quite swiftly along the forest path.

Suddenly, I detected a strange presence with a sharp sensation. It wasn’t the unpleasant presence unique to the undead. Also, it didn’t smell like a corpse; it was highly likely a demon.

I hid in the thick grass and looked ahead.

[Kiew…]

What emerged from the forest was a demon that looked similar to a goblin. Its skin was black instead of green, and small horns sprouted from its head, resembling a subspecies of goblin.

[A demon born from the death of a goblin. Its soul’s rank isn’t high, prioritizing instincts over reasoning.]

“Rank of the soul?”

I posed a question to Simon’s explanation. The goblin-like demon couldn’t hear my voice, as the wind spirit beside me was blocking any sounds from leaking out.

[The number of corrupted souls determines a demon’s rank. The reason demons desperately create magic books and expose their powers to the outside is because of this.]

I looked down at him with a strange gaze at Simon’s answer. Although he currently writhed in my palm, he maintained a higher intelligence level compared to a goblin.

[Is it okay to be so relaxed? I heard you don’t have time…]

Simon was right. If I could, I would want to deal with the goblin demon lurking around the base camp, but if a fight broke out, the magic blocking my presence would be undone. I nodded and continued on, ignoring the goblin demon.

As I moved further away from the base camp, I encountered various demons. For each one met, Simon explained which death they came from.

[That one is born from the death of an ogre…]

[That one is from a wolf…]

Most of the demons I encountered didn’t seem to possess enough intelligence to converse. Occasionally, there was one that repeatedly murmured meaningless words, but most were simply creatures resembling beasts.

At this point, a small curiosity arose. What kind of death would a demon have to be born from to possess enough intelligence to converse with humans?

“Simon.”

[Speak.]

“What kind of demon are you born from?”

[I am…]

He frowned at my question. The small ears of Simon flopped as he quickly opened his mouth to respond.

[My first memory is the desert. The hot sand and sunlight. In contrast to the hot blood pooling on the ground, the body is going cold.]

“First memory?”

[Demon beings know their origin from the moment they are born. It’s from the memory of their dying moment.]

“So what kind of demon are you?”

[I suspect I’m a higher species of dire wolf.]

Simon answered while scratching his neck with his hind leg. I had thought he oddly resembled a dog from the moment I first saw him; my assumption turned out to be correct.

“A canine demon, huh.”

[… You have an exceptional talent for scratching.]

Simon frowned as if my words displeased him. I continued walking and tossed him another question.

“Can demons be born from human deaths?”

[They can. Most born this way tend to be of high rank and quickly create their own magic books. But not everyone…]

“What about from a dragon’s death?”

[I don’t know everything. However, I have never heard of demons being born from a dragon’s death.]

This was quite helpful information. Given that he was oddly cooperative compared to yesterday, it seemed spending the night with the Nightmare had influenced him.

“Where should we go next?”

[If you continue in this direction, you will see a large lake. Going around it to the right, you will find a mountain made of white bones. That mountain is Skasha’s territory.]

“How long do you think it will take if we keep this pace?”

[Too slow. It would take at least a week.]

“You said we’d get there in two days…”

[You didn’t explain you would be moving this slowly.]

I frowned at Simon’s response. If it takes a week to get there, it means it will take at least that long to return. It seemed I needed to pick up the pace.

In that unavoidable situation, just as I sighed and began to draw upon my mana, I sensed an unfamiliar presence in one part of the peaceful forest.

Suddenly, the brilliant sunlit sky began to darken.

Swallowing dryly, I flattened myself against the ground. It wasn’t due to the use of climate control magic. I had simply blocked out the light with my own pure mana.

Saaah—

The first to emerge were the transparent specters. Bound souls infused with mana who had gained forms that were not quite corporeal.

The spectral movements flying between the trees were unnatural. They wailed in despair, as if bound by invisible chains, unable to escape beyond a certain range.

At that moment, a woman clad in a crimson robe appeared amidst the multitude of specters.

With corpse-like pale skin and glowing red eyes, she resembled a vampire. Thin, skeletal wings unfurled from her back, adorned with what appeared to be human skulls, and she held a thick magic book in her hands.

I squinted, concentrating my mana in my eyes. I quickly discerned the transparent chains flowing from the magic book.

The chains coiled around the bodies of countless specters.

“What is that…?”

[Jenis. A demon born from the death of a wizard.]

As soon as Simon finished explaining, a sound resembling a rattling came forth, and a transparent chain erupted from the magic book that Jenis was holding.

[How strange…]

Jenis, wrapping the transparent chain around her hand, cocked her head in confusion. It seemed she had vaguely sensed my presence.

The problem lay in my movement of mana to act quickly. I took a slow breath and calmed the seething mana within me.

How long had I held my breath? Jenis, scattering the blood-red light from her eyes, let out a huffy sigh and disappeared into the woods.