A blood-red fog rising above the building.
As I watched it cover the entire sky of Rondan, I could only feel a sense of foreboding.
Of course, it was no surprise.
I had heard from a ‘dead’ cultist in front of me who was the cause of that crimson fog.
A notorious presence even the elite outsiders shied away from.
The fragment summoned by Asti had overwhelming power – enough to erase the Record Keeper’s words.
And according to the Saint, it was a power strengthened by absorbing countless pains that had occurred until now.
That interrogator had manifested in this land.
And that interrogator would be inside that building, having already killed one of his followers.
Slowly, a figure began to emerge from the space where the red fog was seeping out.
A woman with skin so pale it sent chills just by looking at her.
In a revealing bright red dress, as if she wanted to flaunt everything she had.
Contrary to that, she wore a relaxed and comfortable smile.
I could tell.
That woman was the ‘Interrogator.’
“What the….”
The Deputy Director let out a low whisper.
It must have been a horrific sight that was invisible to me.
If the Deputy Director was that flustered, I understood the gravity of the situation.
“Ahh, aahh!”
It happened then.
Suddenly, one of our knights screamed and collapsed.
“My head, my head, ahhhh!”
“Hey! Get a grip!”
White Mask approached the man to assess his condition.
However, this phenomenon wasn’t limited to just him.
“My head feels like it’s going to explode… Ugh!”
“Please save me, I won’t live like this again, please save me.”
“Oh, this fleeting life…”
All the knights, who should have been intoxicated with victory, began to crumble, no different from the one lamenting in pain.
“Deputy Director! The headache…!”
“Muyun! Hold on tightly!”
Even Muyun wasn’t spared from this phenomenon.
Yeah.
Except for the two high-ranking members with overwhelming mental strength from their experiences in battle against the elite outsiders, the hunter, and me, who had immunity to mental interference thanks to my mode, everyone else was crying out in pain.
What in the world is happening?
“That…!”
At that moment, the Deputy Director pointed at something.
A red symbol emerging from the knights’ heads.
Shapes resembling the kanji for suffering (苦) were being violently torn away from the knights who were crying out in pain.
It wasn’t just limited to the knights; it became apparent they were being ripped away throughout all of Rondan.
Is the interrogator tormenting humans even now, absorbing their pain to grow stronger?
“Hunter! Master! We need to stop that thing!”
“…Damn it!”
The hunter cursed and raised his shotgun, as White Mask struck with her sword and I unleashed a slash attack with the wings of the dragon.
We unleashed our most potent attacks all at once.
But it didn’t reach.
The force was sufficient.
The kind of deafening roar that would accompany a giant rock falling from a high waterfall echoed throughout Rondan.
Yet, the interrogator, casually holding a fan, effortlessly blocked our attack with an expression of utter ease.
‘Did she just block it?’
As I muttered under my breath, a sense of urgency began to show in the eyes of White Mask and the hunter.
“Ahhaha, hahaha!”
In stark contrast to our sense of impending doom, the interrogator began to laugh heartily as if she were watching a delightful play.
Since the voice of the elite outsider causes mental contamination in humans, the Deputy Director, White Mask, and the hunter simultaneously covered their ears in agony.
“Ugh!”
“…!”
Excluding the Deputy Director, who possessed a power equivalent to a knight commander, White Mask and the hunter seemed to be struggling against their pain, wrinkling their brows in distress.
Was she satisfied with that sight?
The interrogator stopped laughing and looked down at those in anguish.
“Pitiful humans.”
Finally, the interrogator began to speak.
“Everything has its top and bottom. Yes, it suits you just like that.”
Once she finished speaking, the interrogator abruptly leapt into the air, descending slowly as if defying the law of gravity.
The Deputy Director assumed a ready stance, while the hunter and White Mask forced themselves to rise.
But when the interrogator stretched out her palm towards them…
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh…!”
They couldn’t resist at all.
Even the Deputy Director was kneeling on one knee.
Gritting my teeth at the sight of the interrogator smirking with satisfaction, I wondered.
What kind of arrogance is this?
As if sensing my glare, the interrogator suddenly turned her head toward me with a peculiar expression.
Did my still being upright while glaring at her seem strange to her?
“Well, are you really a human? Not only do you casually use our powers, but you’re also standing steady in front of me.”
“Shut up!”
Anger surged as I created a chain blade wind with my wings, wanting to unleash it upon the interrogator.
But the interrogator merely scoffed, dramatically feigning disappointment.
Shick, boom, thud!
As expected, the attack was easily blocked.
Just like what she had done to White Mask and the hunter, she stretched out her palm toward me.
But I didn’t feel a thing.
My super coward mode was strong enough to endure even upon seeing the Record Keeper’s ‘red letters.’
“Hmm, strange.”
The interrogator felt the oddity too.
I judged that her power was the ability to control the pain of her targets.
If that’s all she had, then perhaps we still had a chance.
While I thought that, suddenly, I felt a powerful pulling force on my body.
“Uh?!”
By the time I realized it, my body was being drawn toward the interrogator’s palm.
I had no chance to respond.
Thud!
“Ugh…!”
The interrogator’s fist struck my solar plexus.
The force was so strong; I thought my body might fold in half from the impact as I was launched backward, crashing into the wall.
Was it thanks to the power I inherited from the dragon?
Combined with the strength I gained from the cook’s food, I was fortunate not to be killed.
But I realized this was merely the interrogator adjusting her strength to ‘subdue’ me.
“Hehe, as expected, my guess was right. When it comes to physical power, you’re utterly helpless.”
The interrogator approached me, sneering.
“What are you trying to do…!”
The interrogator didn’t answer.
“I kind of like you.”
Saying that, the interrogator suddenly grabbed my chin and pulled my face close to hers.
She turned my face as she pleased to inspect it, breaking into an inappropriate bright smile.
“Your face is decent, and it looks like you can understand what I’m saying?”
“….”
“Not going to respond, huh? How coy.”
Madness.
She was currently reveling in this insane atmosphere.
“So, how long are you going to hide?”
While saying that, the interrogator suddenly reached towards my chest with her palm.
What was she trying to do?
She was trying to drag out Lia from my pocket.
I had to ensure Lia never connected with the interrogator.
I grabbed her with both hands and completely concealed her.
Instantly, my arms were stretched, pulling me toward the interrogator.
But I resisted with all my might.
I squeezed every muscle in my body to endure.
I didn’t want to let that thing take Lia.
“Oh my, do you think resisting like that is going to work?”
Maybe it wouldn’t.
But I would do anything I could.
This time, I didn’t want to lose anything precious.
Did my willpower become a factor?
Suddenly, the red fog surrounding us rushed to a specific location in an instant.
The hearth.
The hearth, burning with fiercer flames than ever, drew in the red fog and incinerated it all.
Thanks to that, Rondan was gradually being purified.
The interrogator wore a disappointed expression upon witnessing this.
“Ah, such a pity. I guess my preliminary research must end here.”
Preliminary research?
These crazy antics were just preliminary research?
As I was in shock, the interrogator withdrew her hand.
Consequently, the force pulling me back vanished, making me stumble backward.
“Puhaha, such a cute sight until the end.”
Emotions even more loathsome than when Nutricha treated me rushed in.
Unlike Nutricha, I could feel pure ‘evil’ emanating from her.
“I’ll let you go this time. How about thinking of it as a pet distribution? It’s quite despicable, considering how you leaned toward humans, but if you think we share similar tastes, then it can’t be helped.”
Saying that, the interrogator began staring intently at the hearth.
An ominous feeling crept in.
“Exactly 14 days from now, at this very hour, I’ll come back to annihilate you. I want to get rid of your colony as soon as possible.”
Using ‘colony’ to describe humankind?
To the elite outsider, humanity was reduced to mere specimens of a living organism.
Red smoke began to billow around the interrogator.
Was she intending to retreat as she had mentioned earlier?
However, the interrogator’s gaze remained fixated on the hearth.
“Hmm.”
And my unease wasn’t misplaced.
“That female is indeed displeasing.”
The interrogator’s palm was directed at the hearth, and the roof of the hearth shattered as something was drawn out.
It was the princess.
“Ugh…!”
“A being that is neither blessed by humans nor elite outsiders due to being a half-blood. How pitiful.”
The interrogator feigned a sorrowful expression, curling her lips down before breaking into a smile filled with delight.
“I will eliminate you here. Then, you won’t have to endure that pain.”
“No!”
The princess was still quite far away.
But the interrogator had already let the princess fall from a high place.
“Well then, bye-bye.”
There was no time to mind the interrogator’s fading words.
I placed Lia on the ground and spread my dragon’s wings, charging towards the princess with all my might.
“Princess!!!”
Fortunately, I was closing the distance at a remarkable speed.
I managed to snag her just in time.
Panting heavily, I looked at the princess, who was still tightly closing her eyes in my arms.
Realizing she was safe, she cautiously opened her eyes.
“Tanton…?”
“Princess, I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Um, um! For now, could you let me go?”
The princess spoke in a flustered manner, but upon examining my face, she seemed struck mute.
Tears were flowing from her eyes for some reason.
#
Thankfully, the princess was uninjured.
At first, her cheeks turned red as she couldn’t meet my gaze, and I wondered what was wrong. But upon saying, “I’m okay, just check on Tanton first!” she darted off, leaving me with no choice but to let go.
After the situation was resolved, the Deputy Director quickly regained consciousness and began searching throughout Rondan with White Mask.
Fortunately, no fatalities were discovered.
The problem was that several people had suffered extreme mental damage, rendering them in a state worse than death.
I ran to the building through which the interrogator had emerged.
All the cultists presumably responsible for summoning the interrogator were collapsed.
If even the hunter, who had walked alongside me, sighed deeply, it must have been an even more brutal scene.
Among them, the only one unharmed, Asti, was lying unconscious with her eyes closed, so I hurriedly brought her to bed.
Thankfully, it seemed she hadn’t suffered any significant problems, but this fact registered as a significant shock to me.
I had been intoxicated by my continuous growth and accomplishments.
But when had I ever felt this helpless?
Looking at Asti lying in bed, all I felt was guilt.
What if I had been a little stronger? Perhaps then Asti and Lia would not have to see such horrors.
“Tanton.”
I heard Lia’s voice.
It was Lia, who had gained the ability to speak after I obtained the outcast gods.
“Are you sad?”
“I’m not sad. I’m just… feeling powerless.”
“Mother, I’m scared of her….”
I tried to soothe Lia by petting her head.
But today, she trembled, rather than melting under my touch like she usually did.
….
I felt the presence of elite outsiders.
Had they shown up after tormenting the gardener?
She seemed to have words she wanted to say, but perhaps sensing my mood, she chose to remain silent.
Was there no way out of this?
Would this be the end?
As I pondered this, suddenly, I heard the sound of stone scraping from somewhere.
Moving my neck as best as I could, I turned toward the sound, and despite my weakened state, I couldn’t help but be startled.
There, words were being inscribed.
The content was shocking.
– I’ll be waiting at the entrance of Rondan.
It was a message from the Record Keeper, saying she was waiting for me.
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Ohhhh so this is why the record keeper made contact just now
Also how will mc exactly explain about what asti was doing there? He didn’t even question her himself. For all intents everyone, especially hunter will think she’s a medium to summon the interrogator