My job is mainly to keep watch at night.
Inside the small tent included in the ‘Newcomer Set’ purchased in Irz Village, Lily and Fiona are sleeping side by side like sisters.
This is certainly not because they are cute and I want to give them special treatment.
Unlike my nearly tireless and exceptionally tough body, Fiona is purely human.
From the adventurer’s theory, it is only natural for members of classes that primarily use magic to require more rest.
Moreover, since Lily has the body of a child, she needs even more rest.
While Lily possesses the strongest power among the Element Masters, it is restricted by a time limit that only applies when she returns to her original form, meaning her strength can be unstable.
Lily usually exists at quite a high level from an adventurer’s perspective, but in case of emergencies, we must ensure she is always ready to transform into Girl Lily, as the ‘Red Crystal Ball’ is not a universal item with zero burden on the body.
That’s why, tonight, I am all alone keeping watch.
Having set up camp in a slightly cleared area of the forest, I quietly gaze at the dimly flickering campfire, allowing tranquil time to pass slowly.
At times like this, although it is not simply to kill time, I am working on developing improvements for black magic.
Particularly, given the unexpectedly convenient ‘Black Hair Curse “Coffin,” I am devising a more powerful and efficient spell for ‘Shadow’.
As my mind generates various images, I wonder if it is due to my sharp thinking or the assistance of the black-haired maid residing in my glove.
By the time the night breaks, I feel I might be able to solidify my thoughts, but just then, I suddenly sensed a presence.
It was not something clear, but rather an intuitive feeling that could be dismissed as just my imagination. I lifted my gaze to the dark and deep forest spread out before me.
“What is this feeling…”
I pride myself on being more sensitive than the average person when it comes to sensing presences and magical power.
If there is hostility or murderous intent, I can sense it from both monsters and humans, and I have been accustomed to that sensation since the Mobile Experiment days.
However, the ‘something like a presence’ I felt at this moment was strange and did not belong to any sensation I had ever encountered before.
To ascertain what it was, I carefully turned my consciousness to the surroundings.
The change occurred immediately afterward.
“…Did it light up?”
In the depths of the forest, beyond the reach of my keen night vision, a faint red light illuminated.
Although small, it was definitely there and not an illusion.
When I recognized it as a mysterious red light, a single hypothesis crossed my mind.
When I tried closing my right eye, the red light remained floating beyond the darkness.
But when I closed my left eye, the one with the ‘Divine Eye’ granted to me by Mia, the light vanished like a candle’s flame being snuffed out.
“Is there a trial there?”
I murmured, but the elusive self-proclaimed God did not appear to respond to my inquiry.
However, even without receiving a clear answer from her, I felt a certain conviction that indeed, beyond that red light, the ‘trial’ awaited to obtain a blessing.
Now, what should I do in this case? There is no need to think; the answer is already set.
“Fiona.”
“Y-yes, what is it, Chrono-san?”
When I called toward the tent, Fiona responded almost immediately, albeit with a sleepy voice.
“We need to hurry and—”
Just as I was about to say “get out,”
GaaaaooooOOOOOON!!
A fierce, ominous roar shattered the silence of the night.
With just that one distant howl, I understood.
The owner of this roar is stronger than any monster I have fought thus far.
And defeating this monster is the trial that has been imposed on me.
From the moment I heard that roar, which seemed to echo throughout the entire Galahad Mountain Range, our actions became swift.
Without needing explanation, both Fiona and Lily realized that a powerful monster had appeared in the vicinity.
After extinguishing the campfire, I sank the tent into ‘Shadow Space’ and completed our departure preparations.
I briefly explained to the two that we were going to defeat a yet unseen monster for the trial.
“Originally, we were aiming to rank up to fight strong monsters, so it’s lucky for it to appear before us, right?”
“I’ll do my best!” Lily exclaimed, and I received her enthusiastic reply.
For a moment, I wondered if it was alright to enlist help in defeating the monster, but then I realized there was no point in pondering it.
In any case, acquiring the blessing is uncertain, and rather than overthinking it, the experience for the whole party should be prioritized.
“So, do you know where that monster is?”
Normally, I wouldn’t know.
Tracking the presence of an invisible monster requires specialized spellcasting, which neither I, Fiona, nor Lily have mastered.
However, this time, the ‘God will guide us’.
“Ah, just follow me.”
The small red light shining deep in the forest was still reflected in my left eye.
As we followed the light,
“…It’s not here.”
The monster was nowhere to be seen.
Hiding in the shadows of trees, I carefully observed the spot where the red light had vanished, but there was only a strangely cleared patch of tall grass.
Just then, I wondered if it was a terribly embarrassing misunderstanding, and that’s when it appeared.
It would be more accurate to say it fell from the sky, as suddenly an enormous monster, towering well over 5 meters, landed in the center of the clearing.
“Whoa, that one is something else…”
I was not intimidated by its two-toned black and red fur appearance.
What struck me intuitively was that such a massive creature had emerged with almost no presence or sound.
At a glance, it was clear that it surpassed the power of Minotaur Zombies, yet its quiet movements were as refined as an assassin dancing in the night.
Just from that alone, I understood that this monster possessed power quite different from a Rank 3 monster that could be easily slain by Lily.
“I’ve never seen a monster like this.”
Fiona, standing beside me, quietly remarked.
“I haven’t either. How about you, Lily?”
Lily shook her head at my feet, indicating she had never seen it before.
It appeared to be a completely new type of monster.
Just then, as I pondered on how to approach it, two figures leapt into the open space where the monster lay in wait.
“Adventurers, are they?”
“They must have been pursued.”
The two figures, bearing small ‘lights’, were clearly visible to Fiona and Lily.
One was a tall and slender man, unmistakably dressed in the black blazer and red cloak that Simon had described as an executive candidate.
The monocle over his nervous-looking narrow face was striking.
The other was a woman impeccably dressed in an apron dress, who looked every bit the perfect maid, and she seemed somewhat out of place in this situation.
However, seeing her lead the male student dressed as an executive candidate while wielding daggers, she was certainly more than just a mere maid—just like the one hidden within the ‘Black Hair Curse “Coffin,” she was likely a guardian.
In addition, her well-formed features suggested more of an older sister than a young girl.
“Is that what the nobles do for fun, venturing as adventurers?”
Such a carefree notion escaped Fiona’s honest mouth, unable to hide her disdain.
Typically, such figures do not leave a pleasant impression on proper adventurers.
“But abandoning them would be cruel.”
Before I knew it, the maid activated further ‘lights’, illuminating the surrounding area.
Noticing the monster’s presence, the maid stepped forward valiantly, daggers at the ready, seemingly intent on protecting her master.
Her stance was more than just for show; even from here, I could sense a solid posture and determination—the guardian maid was not to be taken lightly.
“It doesn’t seem like we have the time to think too long about our strategy.”
No matter how competent she might be, I couldn’t see her surviving against such a huge monster with ears like a Pum Pum all on her own.
She likely wouldn’t be defeated in one hit, but she also wouldn’t last long.
“Well then, shall we strike from here?”
“No, since we have a chance for a surprise attack, we should aim for a sure hit.”
I recalled my halfway successful combo attack with ‘Golden Sun’ from my battle with the Eighth Apostle Ai, enhanced by the binding of ‘Shadow’.
I decided to go with that again, considering I didn’t know the monster’s strength being a first encounter, delivering maximum firepower at once seemed best.
“But since there’s no way to defend against ‘Golden Sun’, Lily will have to make the final call.”
After briefly conveying my thoughts, both understood immediately.
Well, it would be great if we could take it down with this one strike, but…
Before long, we were already at 200 chapters. Please continue to support ‘The Black Demon King’ from here on out.