Master of All Sins

Chapter 3 : First Entry into Phantom world - 3

One fortunate thing was that even the mouse-tail-sized flame I could produce was able to inflict great damage on the lesser demons.

– Kuaaak! This flame…… purification……!

The moment a lesser demon, which had seen me as a single bite and charged, was struck by the feebly flying flame, the flame instantly spread to its entire body, devouring and extinguishing all of its wicked energy.

Even I, who had created the flame, was surprised by the result and opened my mouth.

To me, what was important was that my inflammation had somewhat healed; the flame was nothing more than a byproduct.

‘The image of the burning bird that came to mind the moment I held the Indulgence…… this must be the power of that bird. My guess is that part of the curse I’ve carried since birth was bestowed by it and in the process of partially healing it, the curse was returned to the creature, and as payment, I stole a part of its power?’

Then why on earth.

Why would a monster possessing power that could purify a lesser demon in a single breath with just a fragment of its strength cast a curse on a newborn baby?

Could it be that my other illnesses were also the result of curses cast by other monsters?

What sin was so deep in a child who had just been born that they would all cast curses together?

Did I truly have a past life stained with evil deeds, and its karma had carried over to this life?

– It's dangerous, it must have been a sorcerer!

– Attack all at once!

– You go first!

– No, you go!

The screams that the lesser demons scrambled to let out brought me back from my thoughts.

I reflexively drew out my spiritual power again to create a flame and checked my front.

The sight of them fighting over not being in the lead was quite a spectacle.

Why are lesser demons called lesser demons?

It is because they do not have any great ability or origin worthy of a name and although they could transform if they survived for a long time, most of them lack intelligence and act on their desires first, so they are usually exorcised quickly.

Even now, knowing that their prey had dangerous fangs, they could have cooperated to slowly corner it and pull out its teeth to subdue it.

Instead, some were rashly frightened and subtly stepped back, while others flared up in anger, telling others to take the lead; it was a total mess.

‘What use is there in looking back on a past life I can't even remember. For now, I can subjugate these things with my own power, and that's enough.’

Shaking off the remaining idle thoughts with a sigh, I calmly began to aim only at the ones at the head of the demon pack and shoot flames.

– O-it's coming!

– You block it!

– It's chasing us!

At first, it was at a level where I had to be grateful if it even hit them, let alone aiming, but once I was able to distinguish the faint demonic power they emitted and give directionality to the flame, from then on, it was a bullseye every time, hitting where I wanted.

This was, of course, partly due to my excellent talent in handling spiritual power, but more than that, it seemed as if the flame itself was endowed with the ability to find and burn away evil things.

‘How much more can I squeeze out? Ten times? Twelve times?’

The problem, as expected, was my available spiritual power.

Thanks to the Indulgence, the amount of spiritual power I could use had increased slightly, but it was like peeing on a frozen foot.

If there was someone who tried to act as a sorcerer with this much spiritual power, I would be the first to want to stop him.

For now, the lesser demons, fearing my flame, were not daring to attack rashly, but if they read my limit, then right away…….

– Meow.

“Haa, it's dangerous, don't stick your head out.”

– Myaw.

The Myodusa, which had stuck its head out from within my clothes, suddenly gestured towards the sky with its head.

When I casually raised my head, I saw raindrops, one or two at a time, falling from the darkened sky, as if there really was a sky there.

They were raindrops stained with a rusty red color.

– Myak!

As I was thinking that the rain in Phantom world had an unpleasant color, the Myodusa made another strange cry, demanding something from me.

At that moment, a thought suddenly struck me.

I drew a line in the air with my flame-wreathed finger, and heat rose along its trajectory, burning the raindrops that were just about to fall on me.

Unlike me, the lesser demons that couldn't block the raindrops, despite most of them being spiritual bodies, melted upon being hit by it and all screamed in agony.

– Kuaaaaaaak!

– I knew this would happen, I knew it!

– We have to eat that thing before our bodies melt……!

– Shaaaaaak!

The lesser demons that had avoided the rain by using other lesser demons as roofs suddenly threw themselves at me all at once.

I gripped my cane and hurriedly stepped back, creating flames in succession, but at this rate, my available spiritual power would soon run out and I would either be hit by the raindrops or be taken down by the lesser demons.

The fact that things had gone too smoothly until now for a first real battle came back to bite me, now putting pressure on my thoughts.

Blocking the falling raindrops, driving away the approaching lesser demons, my spiritual power was decreasing more and more rapidly.

It was about to hit rock bottom!

– Meow!

The Myodusa bit one of my sleeves, the one not holding the cane, and shook it wildly.

As my arm shook, the flame that had bloomed at my fingertips also swayed like a heat haze.

Beyond it, I could clearly see the meadow where I had been staying until a moment ago and surprisingly, the bonfire that was still burning in its place.

It was not raining there.

“What……?”

Barely regaining my senses as I looked at the endlessly incongruous scenery, I felt a connection between the flame burning at my fingertips and the bonfire over there.

Right after I stopped backpedaling and scattered a large flame to drive away both the rain and the lesser demons.

I entrusted my body to my intuition and threw myself with all my might, following the guidance of the fire.

“Keuk!”

A barrier-like membrane blocked me before it burned away and disappeared.

The next moment, I was face down in a meadow that smelled of earth.

A peaceful space with no rain and no lesser demons.

The space I had been in just a moment ago had probably undergone an otherworld-ization and become inaccessible.

I had heard there were many paths leading to other spaces within Phantom world, but I hadn't known it was true.

I don't know for sure, but there must be few who have experienced another world on their first task.

If it weren't for the power of the mysterious flame, I would not have dared to return alive.

– Shaa!

The Myodusa, which had rolled onto the meadow with me as it was in my arms, complained in an angry voice and slithered out of my clothes.

Because of whom did I end up stepping on otherworld land?

It may look like a monster, but its fickleness is just like a cat's.

As I grumbled inwardly and raised my head, it seemed to have hidden among the bushes again, as I couldn't see it.

“That creature…….”

A dry laugh escaped me.

My whole body ached from overworking my sick body and my head hurt too, but I still felt quite proud.

In any case, hadn't I achieved what I had aimed for?

I hoped the Myodusa hadn't gone far.

If it was a creature that knew the grace of being saved, I might be able to find it again and make it my Shikigami.

“Haa, where did my cane roll off to now.”

“It is here.”

“Is that you, Mo-a? Thank you. ……Hm?”

My body stiffened right after I received the cane that was offered with a woman's voice.

I had replied naturally since Geum Mo-a was the only one who usually took care of me, but I realized it was not her voice.

Standing up with the cane, I hurriedly scanned the other person's appearance and asked.

“You…… who are you.”

“This girl's name is Hoa, Noble one.”

She looked like an ordinary East Asian girl on the outside, but her elegant jeogori, far from modern, made her look like she had popped out of an old tale.

This was a characteristic of docile monsters who had secluded themselves without leaving Phantom world for a long time.

“I fear that a lowly lesser demon such as this girl may have disturbed your rest, noble one.”

My wariness grew even higher at her polite tone, which was quite unusual for a monster.

The girl called herself a lesser demon, but as I had just experienced a moment ago, lesser demons do not show such courtesy to humans.

“It is said that the kind do not come and those who come are not kind. For what reason have you approached me.”

“My apologies! I saw a sacred flame burning in this place and thought that if the noble one was the master of this flame, I might be able to ask for help, so I just……!”

“How amusing. If this were truly a sacred flame, a mere lesser demon would have been incinerated just by being near it.”

“Th-this girl also handles the energy of fire, that is why!”

The monster who identified herself as Hoa bowed her head as if in apology at my sharp tone and made an excuse.

The power a monster wields is directly linked to their origin, so I couldn't readily believe the girl's confession, but I didn't press further and asked something else.

“So, what is this help you speak of?”

“Actually, this girl is currently being chased by an evil monster. While fleeing in a daze, I discovered the noble one's form and knowing it is a mortal sin, I have asked for your words to save this humble life.”

Since I had just returned from saving the Myodusa from another monster, it wasn't so surprising to hear that Hoa was being chased by another monster.

But to say that she had discovered my form while fleeing and approached me, it was as good as having already dragged me into the matter without even asking for help.

‘Is this my fortune for today or is it my fate to attract pitiful monsters?’

I sighed inwardly as I faced the girl, whose face was flushed red with shame and apology, as if she knew her own sin.

So was I angry? Actually, not at all.

If Hoa had discovered my form while fleeing, the monster chasing her would also be able to find me, and I didn't have the ability to escape from it anyway.

I had just escaped from another world, only to immediately encounter another monster.

Now I understand why Phantom world was so dangerous.

“You said your name was Hoa, you were unlucky. I do not have the ability to help you.”

“But, if even the noble one I have barely met abandons me, what am I to do…….”

“You have misunderstood my words. I mean that I do not have the ability to escape from this place either.”

After speaking, I checked my physical condition and let out a deep sigh, haa.

Spiritual power grows in proportion to the strength of the soul, and the greater the spiritual power, the faster the recovery of consumed spiritual power.

I had little available spiritual power, but a large total spiritual power, so—a silver lining—the spiritual power I had consumed earlier had already recovered by more than half.

“Then, I have no choice but to fight.”

“Noble one!”

Hoa, who rejoiced at my words, certainly didn't seem to be a mere lesser demon as she claimed, so the monster that was chasing her would easily surpass 7th-grade.

This meant a new Shikigami candidate had appeared now that the Myodusa had hidden itself.

How fortunate that the target would come to me on its own even if I stood still.

Of course, it was a much more dangerous situation than finding and contracting with the Myodusa, but since I had no choice anyway, I should at least think about the good points.

“Lesser demon Hoa, you should hurry and run away. I don't know how long I can hold its feet.”

“But, if the noble one helps, it is like having a mighty army!”

The girl shook her head from side to side at my words and exclaimed.

But I sneered inwardly at her exaggeratedly happy appearance.

‘A mighty army, what nonsense.’

Perhaps monsters' perception was lower than humans', so they couldn't properly recognize my appearance.

Or perhaps they only perceived my vast spiritual power and mistook me for someone great.

In reality, most of this spiritual power was being used to support my body, which was on the verge of collapsing at any moment…….

“If the noble one helps, I will also fight alongside you with my humble strength!”

“Yes, I knew you would say that.”

“D-did you read this girl's mind…….”

Hoa, who had dragged a person into a crisis without hesitation, was now pretending to be shy.

I sighed at the unique shamelessness of monsters and raised my head.

A powerful demonic qi could be felt rapidly approaching them in a straight line from far away.

Ah, laughter came out again.

Now, facing the death I had been well-expecting just a step away, paradoxically, I was keenly feeling alive.

“That is it, it is a terrifying black-skinned monster covered in hair all over its body!”

“There are many such monsters. Among them, that one is…….”

I couldn't move my body and had no freely controllable spiritual power, so I had never properly learned sorcery, but as a member of The Eight Clans of the White Blood, I had not neglected my studies since childhood.

I had practically memorized the Shin clan's unique sorcery, especially regarding the art of Shikigami, through my mother's harsh education, and the Aeshin's Record of Monsters and Ghosts, which compiled all sorts of monsters and ghosts appearing throughout Aeshin Hanguk, was a substitute for fairy tale books for me in my childhood.

Conversely, my weakness was against monsters from the West, while I was well-versed in monsters from the same East Asian cultural sphere…… fortunately, the one approaching now was an Eastern monster I knew well.

No, actually, that was not such a fortunate thing.

– I have finally found you! So you did not simply run away, but found a mate!

A giant reaching a height of one gil (approximately 3 meters).

There were many monsters that were merely huge in the Aeshin's Record of Monsters and Ghosts and if you expanded the scope to the East or the whole world, there were even more.

But as far as I knew, there was only one monster whose entire body was covered in hair, whose hair was long enough to touch the ground, and whose skin was black.

– Excellent, my body and mind are both pure and I have been wandering in search of a virgin man and woman. I am truly lucky!

Looking up at the black-skinned monster speaking words that only old-fashioned elders of the family would utter, I let out a soft sigh.

Body and mind are both pure?

As expected, it was clear that monsters could not properly perceive a person's appearance.

Furthermore, I was at least a person.

The one before my eyes, Hoa, was a monster, yet this monster truly.

– The reason I chased this maiden was none other than to find a suitable groom and arrange a marriage. It is fortunate that the maiden has found her own mate, so the two of you, without further ado, shall enter the bridal chamber tonight.

“Oh my!”

While Hoa let out a cry, covering her mouth with her hand as if she had no idea, my expression, hidden by the bandages, twisted horribly.

“What should we do, noble one. It seems we must do as this monster says to survive…….”

– There is no right to refuse! If you do not listen to my words, I will beat you to death on the spot!

The monster's name was Eul.

This monster, unable to mate as its species consists only of males, has a great interest in the mating of men and women.

After forcibly gathering a man and woman and making them mate, it reproduces by intently watching them and using the collected essence to impregnate the woman and make her lay an egg.

In other words, this crazy monster was not only trying to forcibly pair me with Hoa but was also trying to act like a cuckoo.

“If, if the noble one is alright with it, this girl is…….”

“I'd rather you kill me!”

Unable to bear the humiliation any longer, I drew up my spiritual power, created a flame, and threw it with all my might at Eul, shouting.

The monster who sought to satisfy its distorted sexual and reproductive desires was less frightening than the monster before my eyes who was willing to casually pair up with me whom she had just met.

– In that case, I must kill you and find another virgin male!

“Noble one, why─!”

……Thinking that this might be my last battle, I couldn't bear the indignation.