CH 33

(Lucia’s POV)

In the secret warehouse, about a dozen Mahone stones were being displayed like mere treasure.

[It’s clear that all of these things aren’t ordinary Mahone stones. Even more so because the Demon King kept them locked up in the basement like this and never mentioned it to anyone.]

“I don’t feel any energy coming from them.”

I tried to tap the Mahone stones on the wall with my finger.

Each stone was large and brightly colored, and it didn’t look like the Mahone stone that typically came from ordinary demons.

But, oddly enough, none of them were emitting any energy. They were all simply shining like ordinary jewels on the wall.

Sagna approached the Mahone stones on display, while looking around carefully, and nodded with a knowing face.

[These things were sealed by the Demon King herself. To prevent the energy of the Mahone stones from spreading out.]

“How come? They’re not even alive, they’re just stones.”

Mahone stones are gems from dead demons.

To be precise, they are jewels that are made up of the souls from demons.

Ordinary demons lose their power as soon as they become a Mahone stone.

Often, there were people who needed or wanted to study the strength that remained feeble in every stone. Mainly the Wizards.

I know because I’ve managed to gather a lot of Mahone stones in the game. The energy left in the stones is less than 1 % of the original energy.

I’m afraid that the Demon King has gone through all that trouble of sealing these Mahone stones only because of that 1%?

I nodded with that thought in mind.

[Some say that even that 1% of their energy is too menacing. And besides….]

“Besides?”

[If it falls into the hands of those foolish humans, it will take over their body…]

Sagna paused for a moment. I waited until he spoke again.

Then he turned around and looked me in the eyes.

[Do you know what their ultimate goal is?]

“Well, revenge on those demons who sealed them.”

[No.]

He looked more serious and firm, as he looked directly into my eyes.

A low, playful tone suddenly echoed.

[To gain a body that can withstand their own strength and to be resurrected.]

“…”

[And the body with the best conditions is you, the body of the Demon King.]

At the moment, silence flowed into the dark cellar.

Was that a lie? I was about to ask that playful question, but I just shut my mouth at Sagna’s serious declaration.

“…I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that while I was still playing the game.”

[What?]

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Our gazes collided with each other. Neither side could detect any feelings in the other’s eyes.

We were just facing one another to see through each other’s thoughts.

After a long silence, it was Sagna who opened his mouth first.

[So, please be careful. Well, that doesn’t mean you have to be scared of them, Fake. Because our wonderful Demon King sealed all of those guys herself!]

Since our talk became a little serious, Sagna started talking about his former Demon King playfully.

But my eyes were focused somewhere else other than Sagna.

“You know what, Sagna. I’m sorry to break the ice all of a sudden.”

[Huh? What is it, Fake?]

“There.”

I pointed my finger at an empty wall.

In the middle, an empty wall that looks like a place where something should be placed.

As anyone can see, it shows an empty seat of a Mahone stone that had escaped after the seal was broken.

[…]

“Um, you know, I don’t think that’s the only place that was ever left empty.”

[…]

“Well, it looks like the seal has been lifted.”

After that, Sagna didn’t talk anymore.

~*~

‘I’m sorry that I lied to you. ‘

Thinking of those words, Haron felt like he was suffocating and suddenly opened his eyes.

Lucia always told him not to say sorry to her. He finally realized why.

“Sigh…”

He exhaled deeply, and looked to his side for the cup of water that he always placed on a small table beside him. But somehow he couldn’t find it.

Only then did Haron properly recognize the place he was in.

Currently, he’s imprisoned in a cell in the basement of the Lord’s castle.

He was being charged for murdering a nobleman.

Haron staggered and slowly got up. Then he picked up a stone that was lying next to him and threw it up lightly.

It was a stone smaller than a fist, but because of its power, he was now locked up in a confinement room.

If he threw the stone a little harder, he would definitely be able to break down the iron door.

When there was a loud noise, a soldier standing guard opened up the upper door and asked him.

“Hey, what’s the matter?”

“Water.”

“…What?”

“Bring it.”

The soldier looked at Haron for a moment with a sick face, immediately saluted him, and then went out to grab the water.

A man who, despite being locked up for murder, is called Duke Blake’s Young Master and the Warrior.

Even in the confinement room, they couldn’t treat him like a real criminal. In fact, the confinement room was just a facade, and it was clear that there would be an order to get him out soon.

Haron was aware of that, too.

That the Duke would not be able to throw away an important card of his.

Haron grabbed the hair from his head tightly.

From the day that he absorbed the spirit from the stone named Richelios. His head felt like it was going to explode.

“My head is about to break, so stop running around, you son of a bitch.”

[Be quiet! You fuck**g bastard!]

“Why are you so annoyed, is it because you tried to manipulate my body and it didn’t work out the way you wanted it to? Richelios, I’m sorry that the contract didn’t work out as you thought.”

[This dirty little brat.]

At Haron’s words, Riggs began to run amok even more.

(t/n: Shortcut for Richelios was Riggs)

[Give me some control over your body! And then I will give you my power when you need it.]

The content of the contract was as follows.

Instead of giving strength, it takes away the initiative of the body, but Haron added another detail, which completely reversed the contract’s purpose.

[We can always switch back and forth. I’ll lend you my strength when you need it. But in exchange, please give me some control over your body.]

Riggs had some strange thoughts, but he just accepted it.

The order was changed anyways, but the content was still the same. Besides, he pretended to be relaxed now, but Riggs was in a more disadvantageous situation.

He would only be able to use 1% of his original strength in the form of a Mahone stone, and if he happened to meet humans from the temple, he could be sealed again.

Most of all, only a few people could make a contract with him.

He threatened to attack the Devil by signing a contract with another human, but in fact, it was nothing more than empty words because it was hard to find a body as perfect as Haron’s.

Although it was successful, it was still a fraudulent contract.

“I have already told you. If you lend me your strength first, when I need it, then I’ll let you control my body from time to time.”

[Well then…]

“But, when I don’t borrow your powers, you can’t use my body as you please.”

[You swindler!]

“Well, that was your fault.”

Upon hearing that, Riggs went berserk in his head.

Haron felt a sudden headache because it was just a form of communication in which he shared thoughts in his head, not just the body’s initiative.

However, even though it was unfair, since he’s the one who proposed the contract to Haron, he couldn’t break the contract.

Until now, Riggs had never taken the initiative over Haron, and they were confined together in an underground cage.

The only time Riggs could control a part of Haron’s body was when he borrowed Riggs’ power.

[I can’t even control a mere human being…! Give me your body, you son of a bitch! Then, I’ll lend you my strength!]

“If I give you my body, the first thing you’ll do is kill her, so do you think that I would willingly hand over my body to you, are you crazy?”

He’d rather go crazy from the headache.

He smiled self-deprecatingly.

At first glance, it looked like a sloppy looking Mahone stone, but Haron knew of its capabilities.

Riggs, or Richelios, is definitely a dangerous guy.

He didn’t want to put Lucia at risk because of him.

Ever since he absorbed the Mahone stone, he always felt hazy like he almost lost his mind, but that thought barely fazed him.

[You can just smash that door and get out! Go out and meet the Demon King!]

“…No matter how much you make a fuss, I have no intention of doing what you want.”

Haron kept his mouth shut for a moment, and then added the latter words a bit late.

“…Right now.”

He scraped the wall next to him with his hand.

There was a crackling sound, leaving scratches on the wall. Of course, there was a lot of blood on every one of his fingers.

However, if he didn’t do this, he felt like he would immediately leave his seat to go see her, according to his deepest desires.

[Why are you enduring like this?! It’s like you’re a crazy human being…]

“Don’t keep encouraging me.”

[Until you go and kill the Demon King, this body…!]

“Shut up, shut up!”

With a whining headache, Haron eventually hit the back of his head hard against the wall that he was leaning against.

It was so hard that the blood flowed down his head.

He felt it too, but he didn’t care about it much. He knew that he would recover on his own shortly.

His thoughts were going elsewhere.

“…Later.”

When he is able to completely absorb the Mahone stone, then he would no longer be fooled by its tricks.

He didn’t know when that will be.

“I’ll go see you later.”

His voice faded into thin air.