Surviving as a Knight in a Trash Game

Chapter 169

Having entered this trashy game, I had overcome countless crises, but there had never been an opponent as threatening as the demon before me, who exuded streams of an unpleasant black aura.

Even for him, who had endured solely with the will to survive, the existence of a demon was not an easy mountain to climb.

‘What if I die here?’

It was a question Karl, who had only ever thought about how to survive, had considered for the first time in a long while.

‘A meaningless question.’

Karl chuckled and raised his sword.

The black lightning he had just been hit by had damaged even his body, which had been strengthened once more a short while ago.

It was the most serious situation among all the battles he had experienced so far.

Nevertheless, Karl’s expression remained unchanged from the beginning.

“…What kind of damn creature are you?”

“It’s not Patrick, is it. Are you the demon who contracted with him?”

Although the words came from his mouth, it was clear that the one speaking now was not him.

“You’re quick on the uptake.”

The demon occupying the creature’s body looked at him with a peculiar glint in its eyes.

The demon wore an expression like a child who had found a coveted toy.

“Human, I can give you power you cannot imagine. This idiot’s body won’t be able to withstand it, but you could endure all of my complete power. How about it? Contracting with me?”

“The words of a parasite living in someone else’s body don’t inspire much trust.”

“Hahahahahaha, what an amusing human. A parasite, you say. Yes, perhaps that’s true. But, human.”

Suddenly, the black energy from Patrick’s body became a single bolt of lightning and shot towards Karl.

With an effect like lightning striking from the sky, Karl’s golden aura, created in that brief instant, collided with the lightning.

Kwaaaaaang!

With a tremendous explosion, Karl stumbled back several steps.

In contrast, Patrick had merely made a very light gesture.

“I am Decarabia, one of the great lords of the demon world. If you accept me, you can possess power incomparable to what I just displayed. Still not interested?”

The demon continued its advances towards Karl.

Its gaze was filled with the determination not to let go of a delicious prey.

“I decline.”

“…”

Decarabia was a demon who had lived for a very long time.

As much as the years had accumulated, he was not easily shaken by trivial matters.

Nevertheless, the insignificant provocation uttered by that human strangely grated on his nerves.

“Human… think carefully… It’s true that you are strong among humans, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that a human like you can never have.”

“You talk a lot.”

Every word Karl uttered, devoid of inflection, was irritating.

“Judging by your expression, you seem to be in a bad mood.”

“Do you think I would be in a bad mood because of a mere human?”

“Then I guess not.”

Pajik.

Black lightning sparked from Patrick’s body as he continued to speak.

Simultaneously, 10 streaks of lightning shot up into the sky, then merged into a single, massive bolt of lightning that struck down towards Karl.

[Karl Meyer Style. 3rd Form. Lightning]

Karl struck down with a brilliant golden aura of lightning towards the incoming black thunderbolt.

The moment the two thunderbolts, originating from two humans, collided in the sky, dozens of lightning bolts rained down to the ground.

Kwakwakwakwang!

The places where the fragmented lightning bolts fell exploded with a roar, and those nearby were struck by lightning and turned black.

Among them, several monsters caught in a large lightning strike were cooked, and the smell of cooked meat spread everywhere.

“For all your grand talk, you can’t even handle me alone.”

Udeudeuk.

Whether it was due to Karl’s continued provocations or because Decarabia had decided to move in earnest, Patrick’s body twisted grotesquely, and the aura emanating from him also increased sharply.

And after a few blinks of an eye, the black aura lingering on Patrick’s body transformed into the shape of a hammer.

Kwaang! Kwaang!

The black aura hammer and the wave of golden aura collided repeatedly.

Then, at some point, the collision sounds stopped as if by a lie.

“…”

Just as the dust obscuring the view made it impossible to see what had happened, the wind blew the dust away, revealing a terrain completely devastated, without a single blade of grass remaining.

In that place, which had become a wasteland, stood Patrick, looking exactly the same as before, in stark contrast to Karl, who was covered in blood and barely standing.

“Too bad.”

Although, judging by appearances alone, Karl’s defeat was certain, Patrick’s voice was not very bright.

“It would have been better if this fellow’s body had held out a little longer.”

Just as the incomprehensible murmur of Decarabia, who occupied Patrick’s body, ended, his body suddenly began to crumble like sand from the tips of his toes.

His now completely blackened body dried up and scattered in the wind.

“Don’t be disappointed, we’ll meet again soon enough.”

As Patrick’s body dispersed, Decarabia spoke ominously, and Patrick’s body completely scattered and vanished.

At that moment, Karl also collapsed to the ground.

“My Lord…!”

“Commander!”

Rogério and the other Lighthouse Knights quickly surrounded Karl.

Similarly, Rakshasa and the other remnants of Postasia also gathered around Patrick, whose remains were scattering in the wind.

“Kuuuuuooooooo!”

Just as a tense standoff ensued, with no one knowing how the situation would unfold, the monsters, having suddenly lost control, began to rampage indiscriminately against friend and foe alike.

Kuung! Kuung!

“Who are these damn monsters attacking!”

The Postasia soldiers began to fight frantically against the monsters that suddenly charged at them.

“These damn monster bastards!”

Rakshasa, having lost her reason, impaled the charging monsters with her short spear and frantically fended off the attacking monsters.

The fury of the monsters, whose control had vanished, poured down on Postasia, which had forcibly controlled them until now.

“Uwaaaaah!”

The moment Rogério witnessed the Postasia army suddenly becoming entangled with the monsters and self-destructing, he quickly pulled his forces back.

Since monsters were not inherently creatures that acted in an organized manner, they naturally dispersed as time passed.

Of course, the damage incurred in that process was entirely borne by the Postasia army.

“Ha….”

After that brief battle, the Postasia army had been reduced to less than half its original size.

Even among the survivors, there were hardly any who were unscathed.

“Wouldn’t it be better to avoid a meaningless fight?”

By the time Rakshasa, having barely finished the battle with the monsters, lifted her head, the Arthur Domain army had already taken positions all around her.

The Postasia soldiers had already lost a significant portion of their will to fight, and no hope could be seen in their eyes.

Tuk.

Her short spear fell to the ground.

Along with it, the weapons of the surviving Postasia soldiers also fell to the ground.

***

A space of deep darkness.

Karl stood in that darkness for quite a long time.

That this was not reality, but some dream or inner world, was something he, who had long since transcended the Master realm, already felt.

[What are you looking around for so much?]

It was a voice that sounded like telepathy, but it felt like he had heard it somewhere before.

“Was it Decarabia, you said.”

As Karl’s indifferent voice echoed in the space, the form of the space changed from what it was moments before.

A few stars appeared in the darkness, brightening the surroundings, and among them, a single blood-soaked star twinkled.

[I did say that, didn’t I? That we would see each other soon.]

Why was this being here?

Was it an illusion created by Karl in a dream?

Or had Karl entered this being’s consciousness?

His mind raced.

Clearly, that thing had retreated from their world along with Patrick’s body.

Karl knew he hadn’t died, but had fainted.

He couldn’t control his fainting body, but his injuries weren’t fatal.

“This is my mental world, then. So, what are you?”

Once he reached a conclusion, the situation quickly sorted itself out.

However, the thing called Decarabia, flitting about before his eyes, was still undefined.

[It’s exactly as you think. I am not a being you created. I went to some lengths because I wanted to talk to you a bit more. That’s also why that fellow’s body broke down sooner than expected.]

He couldn’t guess why the demon had gone to such trouble to enter Karl’s body.

“Speak. I’ll listen.”

If this was his world of consciousness, there was no need for it to be dangerous.

Come to think of it, that demon called Decarabia was in a dangerous situation.

[What’s your reason for becoming Essus’ agent? The you I see doesn’t seem like the type of human to be a mere lackey of a god.]

The creature saw right through Karl.

It must have been an insight gained from meeting many humans and resolving their fundamental desires.

“I am not a person of this world.”

It was the first time.

The first time Karl had comfortably spoken of himself as an outsider.

Perhaps, amusingly, it was possible because this was the demon that stood most directly opposed to him.

[That’s quite a surprising story. Are you saying Essus summoned a human living in another dimension?]

“I don’t know that. I’ve never seen this god called Essus.”

Karl felt no need to lie.

Decarabia also sensed the truth in his words.

[Divine intervention is felt in everything you do. An unpleasant aura, that is. But you yourself know nothing….]

Karl thought that the divine intervention and unpleasantness might be the various systems Karl was currently seeing.

Missions were also a kind of such thing.

[What do you think of Essus?]

“If the Essus you speak of is a god, the reason I came here, and the one who intervenes in my actions here. Then he is a target I want to kill.”

[….]

For a moment, Decarabia fell silent.

The star-shaped being had no expression, but somehow, the moving star seemed to be smiling.

[You want to kill him? That’s right. You want to kill him. Too accurate.]

The creature muttered something to itself and then, as if lost in thought for a long time, spun its body and mumbled incomprehensible things.

[Human, I’ve had a good idea. Are you interested in hearing it?]

“No.”

At Karl’s resolute refusal, which cut him off so sharply, Decarabia fell silent again.

[No, I’m saying I’ll make a good offer….]

“I don’t want it.”

[….]

A human who rejected a demon’s offer without even hearing it… Decarabia had only ever met humans who summoned him out of necessity; he had never had to persuade a human who didn’t need him.

[There will be no loss for you.]

“How can I trust a contract proposed by a demon? After seeing that spectacle just now?”

Come to think of it, contracts with demons for humans involved giving up their souls or were otherwise harmful to humans.

[No, I’m saying I’ll make a contract without such conditions attached.]

“How can I trust that either.”

At Karl’s unexpectedly deep-rooted distrust, Decarabia was momentarily at a loss for words again.

[I will swear on my name, and I will even include a declaration that if I break that oath, I will become your servant.]

“A demon who would become a human’s servant, are you insane?”

[….]

Decarabia considered giving up on everything, but barely suppressed his anger and showed Karl a single thread.

[I will gift you a part of my power. There is no price I desire. However, if you truly meet Essus, I would like you to land just one solid punch on him. It would be even better if you could kill him. That is all the price for my power.]

Karl hadn’t lived for a very long time, but he could tell whether the demon before him was sincere or not.

And he could also tell that the thread created before him was a kind of tool that proved his sincerity.

“I don’t want to receive power obtained in exchange for the numerous sacrifices you received.”

[What a frustrating human. However, this is inevitable. And human, you have no right to refuse.]

“Bullshit.”

Then, from Decarabia’s star, which emitted a red light, a single ray of light poured down towards Karl.

It was, somehow, qualitatively different from the black light that had headed towards Patrick.

Rather than malevolence, it felt more like a pure crystal of power.

Wuuuuuung!

With a strange vibrating sound, a peculiar sensation awakened Karl’s entire body.

Karl had been determined to drive out the malevolent energy, but the energy that entered his body very naturally began to circulate throughout his entire being and merge with Karl’s own energy.

“Why is this…?”

Malevolent or dark energy was supposed to be contrary to the energy Karl had cultivated.

So Karl had thought that the energy offered by Decarabia and his own energy would clash.

However, the result was a perfect fusion, achieved before he could do anything about it.

[Energy biased to one side can ultimately never reach the pinnacle. Where there is light, there is also darkness, and where there is cold, there is also warmth. The pure darkness I offered makes you more perfect.]

The words Decarabia casually tossed out pierced Karl’s mind like a thunderbolt.

And at that moment, Karl’s eyes closed, and his mental world became a vast universe, swirling around.

It was an enlightenment gained through unwanted power, but Karl was already in a state of absorption.

[Although there’s an unpleasant aspect, he’s clearly an extraordinary human.]

Decarabia watched Karl for a very short time longer, then naturally disappeared at some point.

[Well then, until we meet again.]