The most surprising thing was that there was a demon right in front of me.
But that didn’t mean I was fixated on it for a long time.
Recently, I had developed a habit of immediately using the ‘Player’s Eye’ when meeting unfamiliar people.
After all, I needed to determine whether they were Otherworlders or not.
Naturally, this time was no exception, and thanks to that, I was able to confirm something just as shocking as that bizarre demon creature.
[Wow, it’s Yor]
[Hey hey]
[Why is that thing coming out of the hole over there?]
[No way, run! There’s a demon here!]
[Yepyeop, you better not let that thing die, or I’ll get you banned for good!]
[You have been kicked out by the manager.]
It was a livestream. One of the guys behind Dantalion was an Otherworlder who was streaming. Honestly, the streaming part was also not that surprising.
The problem was, there was a demon right in front of me, and I had no idea what could happen.
“Hm, it seems you already know me, so I’ll skip the introduction. You seem to live here, huh?”
While I was deep in thought, the demon Dantalion opened his mouth.
It was quite fascinating to see his head changing shape in a squirmy manner.
Although I had heard about it from Chaerin, seeing it in front of me was astonishing.
‘How does he eat?’
Such trivial thoughts crossed my mind for a moment, and then I slipped away from the situation.
“… Well, it’s hard to say.”
“Hoho, judging by your reaction, I guess that’s right.”
Sadly, my attempt at deflection was caught within a second.
‘Sigh…’
I sighed internally and asked, “So, what brings you here?”
I was a bit scared, but demons were, in some way, beings that could communicate.
Even if they were a bit unhinged and prone to kill people at random.
Regardless, they were rational beings.
So maybe, if I played my cards right, I could get through this.
As I was pondering this, Dantalion spoke again.
“Oh, it’s nothing much, just looking for something.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m sorry. It’s something I can’t easily discuss with outsiders.”
As he said this, he glanced momentarily at the Otherworlder who was streaming.
Their nickname was… Yepyeop, right? It seemed they were being cautious about what they said due to the stream.
But why not just turn off the stream if that’s the case?
I felt a bit unjust about it, but there was nothing I could do.
“By the way, you’re quite interesting. Most people see me and get scared and run away. It seems you’ve met other individuals before me.”
“…”
“Well, never mind. I just need to check something at your home for a bit. Could you step aside?”
“If I show you my home… will you just leave afterward?”
“Of course~ We, after all, are beings that can communicate, as you said.”
I pondered for a moment.
Is blocking him from entering really the correct response? Or should I just let him in without a fuss?
‘But inviting a stranger in carelessly seems…’
If he goes too deep inside, there’s blood and other unsightly things.
It was a bit embarrassing, but there seemed to be no choice.
I certainly didn’t want to fight a demon while a livestream was on.
If he accepts the condition that only that streamer can’t go in, I could let him in.
I wanted to smoothly wrap this up.
“Um, Dantalion, may I say something out of place?”
If one of the guys from Lemegaton hadn’t opened his mouth in the middle, that is.
“That person is the talent Lemegaton is looking for.”
“Oh? Is that true? Why is that?”
“Well, I don’t know the exact reason… but I’ve heard from the branch leader and team leaders that they gathered for a discussion about that person. I vaguely remember them mentioning it.”
I smacked my forehead. They can’t coax me in as a human, so now they’re trying to use a demon to recruit me.
“You heard that, right? The plans have changed. Come to our side.”
“Why are you, a demon, listening to those guys?”
“Haha, to live long, you need a strong faction by your side. The world is meant to be about mutual cooperation, right?”
That made sense, but hearing it from a demon felt oddly unsettling.
I turned my eyes to check the chatroom of Yepyeop’s livestream.
[Whoa, do those cultists know Yor?]
[Don’t go over, you fool!]
[How are they dodging that?]
[It’s obvious someone from the users told them, those jerks.]
[But can they really refer to him as talent that easily?]
[If we look at the face, I can see how he can be called talent, lol.]
Thankfully, they only expressed some curiosity without delving too deep.
Of course, my response was set in stone. I looked at him and firmly rejected.
“Sorry, but no.”
Surprisingly, his smile deepened, not at all offended by the rejection.
What a peculiar reaction. After a moment, his face transformed again as he looked at the previous follower.
“Is a peaceful method the only way to bring in talent?”
“Um, well, I can’t… The branch leaders all have different thoughts about that, so I’m not sure.”
“I see!”
At that moment, Dantalion nodded enthusiastically.
And then it happened.
A strange sense of uneasiness overtook my senses. Out of nowhere, an alarm rang in my head.
I caught a faint disturbance at the edge of my hearing.
I quickly rolled to the side.
Whoosh-!
A spear shot through the spot where I had just been standing, a precise sharp spear composed of dense mana. If I had stayed put, it would have pierced my collarbone.
I frowned in annoyance.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Ooh, I thought I could inflict some injury on you. You’re quite agile.”
“I asked what kind of nonsense this is.”
“What else? I’m trying to recruit you.”
I picked up the spear.
“Do you think this will make me join you? It’s just making me more resistant to the idea.”
“Hoho, well, you never know until the end. And it’s not just for recruitment. I’ve become quite curious about you.”
“Damn it!”
I couldn’t help but curse.
Why do demons take such an interest in me? Do I have some kind of pheromone that attracts them?
“Oh, have you encountered other demons before?”
As I was lost in such thoughts, his attacks continued.
Whoosh!
A spear shot toward me again, black like his dark heart.
Its power was impressive, and its speed wasn’t any less.
So I had to make exaggerated movements just to dodge it. While grazing would be fine, the stream was still on.
[Whoa, can you see that?]
[Don’t die!]
[How is he dodging that?]
If a fight had started, there was only one thing I could do—fight back.
I rolled to the side and charged at him as the sharp spears came rushing in.
Even with a rapid strike, his expression remained unchanged.
In fact, as if expecting it, a shield appeared to block the trajectory of my spear.
Clang!
With a clear sound, I could see his interest in me rising.
“Indeed, your lack of fear is because you’re confident in your skills.”
“…”
“But even that doesn’t clear all the doubts. You seem more worried about something being exposed rather than fearing for your life. As if you have something to hide. Am I right?”
I kept my mouth shut. This guy was eerily sharp with his deductions.
Even the earlier question about whether I had met other demons or not seemed unnervingly insightful.
“Do you think I can read thoughts?”
…Yes, just like you did just now.
Wait, can he really read minds?
“Ha, do you really think I can actually read them? It’s just a trivial guess.”
His tone, denying it, was more playful than it seemed.
So I thought it was a lie. He was just playing coy.
“You’re smarter than I thought. But never mind. Let’s proceed as though I can read your thoughts and keep talking. You seem to be worried about something being uncovered, but I wonder what it is. Please enlighten me. What are you so worried about?”
I held my words and thoughts.
Of course, thoughts aren’t something I can just control at will.
But I could redirect his attention elsewhere to prevent him from thinking of anything else.
So, I swung the spear.
After securing it once, I aimed for his right side with a thrust.
“It’s your right.”
Unfortunately, it was blocked. But I expected nothing less.
I quickly followed with the next attack.
Clang!
Using the rebounded force from the barrier, I spun around and struck fiercely toward his left temple.
“Left. Predictable.”
The fight continued like that briefly.
To cut down on distractions, I pressed on him aggressively. However, I couldn’t land a single hit.
Because I figured, since he could read my thoughts.
Each time I attacked, a barrier would conveniently appear to stop my strikes. It was somewhat intriguing why he didn’t evade.
Regardless, at this point, I had no choice but to realize.
‘He’s on an entirely different level.’
He was at least a step above every other demon I had encountered.
Even my attacks were brushed off without a flinch, which was incredibly frustrating.
Adding to my annoyance, he wasn’t merely on the defensive either.
Whenever he found a moment, he would also launch an attack at me.
Even though I could detect his spells through sound.
There was a limit to how many invisible spears I could dodge.
Amidst the chaos, an accident happened.
Swish—
While I was busy dodging, a wound was finally inflicted.
It was as much my fault as it was an unavoidable mishap. My concentration and stamina aren’t infinite.
The wound was trivial. It was barely a scratch.
But the very fact that I got hurt was the real problem.
Zzzzz—
The wound began to heal rapidly. Naturally, he wouldn’t miss that scene.
His eyes widened with excitement like never before. A creepy smile formed on his face.
“Aha!”
He finally spoke cheerfully.
“Indeed, you’re an Awakened one!”
The livestream remained on, still broadcasting the entire event.
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