CH 12

This is the time to turn back if you are not comfortable with compulsion.

“…I… Ichiko… Ichiko!”

“Argh, ugh… where is this?”

As I slowly open my eyes, rubbing the back of my head, which is registering a dull ache with the voice calling out to me, I wake up with a jarring noise.

Hmm? Jarring?

“Thank goodness. You’re awake, Ichiko.”

“! Lady Ryo!”

When I awaken, I find Lady Ryo before me. However, both her hands and feet are bound with iron shackles, from where the chains extend towards the wall, forcing her to be confined to a cubic space of about five meters on each side, thus rendering her powerless to escape.

And I am in the same boat as well.

“W-what in the world…”

“I don’t know. After you suddenly collapsed, I was blindfolded and gagged with my hands and feet restrained, and hauled up here.”

I abruptly collapsed…? Yes, I now recalled. At that time, I was called by Lady Ryo and as I approached… someone suddenly struck me dozens of times!

Damn, I was knocked out. Who was the perpetrator? What kind of skill do they own! No, first of all, I have to free Lady Ryo…!

“Lady Ryo. Have a little patience! Activate ≪Short-range Teleportation≫!”

For the sake of escaping from the constraints of the iron shackles, I utilize my skill and relocate before my very eyes… as that is how it should turn out to be. And yet, my position has not shifted at all. What the hell is this!?

“It’s futile.”

And just as my skill ends in failure, a man’s voice breaks out of nowhere.

Before my eyes are two teenage girls. In terms of beauty, they are both stunning.

The one who was referred to as the “Lady Ryo” has light pigmented ash-colored hair, white skin, and rather reddish eyes. The other bodyguard is a stereotypical Japanese with dark hair, dark eyes, and slightly shorter than average height. Hmmm? The size of her chest? I suppose it can be termed the size of a hill… Not that I have the proclivity to obsess over that though.

Apparently, the dark-haired girl employed her skill to escape but it failed to activate. The reason why it didn’t activate lies in those shackles.

・The Iron Shackles of the Sealing Art Ⅰ

It is a restraint that disables the user’s ability to employ skills for humans and demons of level 10 or below while simultaneously allowing the user to view the status of the victim.

The person affixed to the shackles will be regarded in captivity.

Creation Cost: 1000 each HP, MP, SP for a set of 4

Wow, it was worth the effort to produce… Although the cost is exorbitant, it was well worth it since it negates the ability of transportation.

“It’s futile.”

Both of them are looking around, uncertain of my location. Oh, speaking of which, I’m still in the foggy state, aren’t I? Then, I suppose I should be in human form at least.

“Here I am, humans.”

“Who are… you?”

“Me? My name is Kurokiri, the ruler of this dungeon, ‘White Fog and Black Swamp Forest.’”

“In other words, you are the Demon King?”

“Well, sort of.”

Both of them are glaring at me. Oh, what a horrendous dilemma they’ve landed themselves in. Well, they probably don’t buy my story. Well, I guess it’s understandable since I am dressed in ordinary clothes, all in black like a college student. Should I come up with some more dignified clothes for the human form later?

“What are you intending to do with us?”

“If you release me immediately, I will spare you the agony of a torturous death.”

“Ha-ha-ha. My bad, but my body is immune to physical attacks. And the purpose of kidnapping the two of you is to turn you into my kin.”

“…?”

“!?”

A kin. That is a fairly unique type of demonic nature among the ones that can be created through ≪Monster Creation≫ which involves modifying a captured human being’s body and then implanting some of the characteristics of the Demon King who serves as their master.

While the specific race varies from one Demon King to another, the following are the basic characteristics of the kinship.

・The skills that they possessed when they were human are inherited as they are.

・The status other than luck is doubled from the time when they were human beings.

・HP, MP, and SP are tripled from the original value.

・Acquisition of skills that reflect the characteristics of the master.

・The weakening effect outside the dungeon is less severe than that of pure demons (or rather, it only reverts to the status when they were human).

・If they continue to rank up, they will eventually attain the rank of Demon King.

And that’s all of it. Yeah. That’s phenomenal. Incidentally, when one ascends to the rank of Demon King, he or she ceases to be part of my kin and is independent of my rulership, thus there is a potential that the former kin of mine may kill me if I am not alert.

Well, even if it happens, it is a tale for the distant future.

“Anyway, I am in a safe position for now. For your own peace of mind, I’m going to convert you into my kin straight away. Activate ≪Monster Creation≫!”

At precisely the same time as the declaration of my skill being invoked, a vast amount of HP, MP, and SP is released. A magic circle materializes at their feet with light surging forth.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh..!”

“Lady Ryooooo…!”

Then, after the light subsided, the two girls, cloaked in a wisp of fog, collapsed.

Yeah. That’s rather erotic.

First of all, let’s check the status.

Name: Nasu Ryo

Class：Student

Race：Kirijin[i]

Level: 1

HP: 186/186

MP: 234/234

SP: 210/210

Status

Strength 16

Dexterity 18

Agility 18

Sensing 16

Intellectual 26

Spirit 26

Luck 10

Skill

≪Heal≫, ≪Fog Cloak≫

Title

≪The King of the Black Fog’s kin≫

Name: Kuno Ichiko

Class: Student

Race: Kirijin

Level: 1

HP: 258/258

MP: 204/204

SP: 222/222

Status

Strength 20

Dexterity 28

Agility 28

Sensing 28

Intellect 14

Spirit 16

Luck 9

Skill

≪Short-range Transportation≫, ≪Fog Cloak≫

Title

≪The King of the Black Fog’s kin≫

…

You two are so strong…. I underestimated the kinship’s compensations.

Let’s see, it seems that the Kirijin are my kin race. The characteristic of this race is that they are cloaked in a fog-like magical power that humidifies their surroundings. And ≪The King of the Black Fog’s kin≫ signifies that they are my kin.

The ≪Fog Cloak≫ is a skill that comes with the conversion to a kin and is used to enhance and manipulate the characteristics of fog people, making it easier for them to disguise themselves as humans by dispelling the fog they are clad in, and further improving their evasion ability and fire attribute resistance by densifying the fog.

“Gu…”

“Argh…”

Hmm. You’re awake already. Well, since this is the right time…

“Now, let’s try to have you two familiarize yourselves with your predicament.”

T/N:

[i] Literally fog people but personally, it sounds so lame to me so I’ll use romaji for this