Act Like a Boss, Mr. Swallow

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[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Demon God]

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“Ah, so the humans have made it all the way up here. Well, quite impressive. Welcome. I shall bestow upon you the honorable death you deserve.”

The top floor was filled with the arrogant voice of the demon king. The throne was situated several steps above the grand red-carpeted path. Seated arrogantly on the throne, the demon king’s sharp fangs glinted ominously as they looked down upon the humans. The staff held in the right hand emitted a sinister mana, staining the air around with an ominous aura.

“So, that’s how you present yourselves to me. Quite delightful.”

Eight members of the expedition force, each grouped in sets of four, slowly advanced towards the demon king. At a distance of barely 30 meters, the bold-looking man at the forefront of the group stabbed his sword into the ground. The demon king remained unperturbed, maintaining a relaxed expression. Only the corners of their mouth curled slightly.

“Ho? Weapon to the ground? What mischief is this?”

“No matter your demon status, you’re the boss of a dungeon. It’s a sign of respect. By the way, I never thought the demon king would be a woman. Naturally assumed you were a man.”

“Quite an amusing fellow. Showing off, are you?”

“Unfortunately, taunting won’t work here. I am Kelumit, a proud Inspector of the capital of our esteemed empire, Riaze. And behind me are the elite warriors of the 32nd-ranked expeditionary unit, the ‘Daybreak’s Yellow Tiger Mercenary Squad’ of the empire! Remember, we’ll be the ones to kill you and make a name for ourselves on this continent.”

“…I am Melje De Lymph Agrea, the 17th descendant of Asmodeus. I’ll make you remember my name and── perish!”

With those words, the demon king introduced themselves as Melje and rose from their seat. The staff in their hand levitated in the air, emanating a presence akin to a living being.

In a moment of opportunity, Kelumit, swiftly drew his sword from the ground. The sharp blade sliced through the air with a piercing sound. The members of the Daybreak’s Yellow Tiger Mercenary Squad behind him immediately began weaving their magic, as they had practiced thousands of times. Those wielding bows aimed directly at the demon king’s heart.

“Burn!”

Black mana scattered in all directions, and countless mana particles formed a massive flame.

Kelumit brandished a large alloy shield strapped to his back and charged through the fire, piercing flames causing several members of the Daybreak’s Yellow Tiger Mercenary Squad supporting from behind to fall. Amidst the cacophony, a nearly ear-splitting scream echoed from behind Kelumit. However, he did not flinch an inch, confidently advancing with his shield, unyielding to the flames that dissipated futilely against it.

Though the pattern was simple, Kelumit’s movements left no room for error, rendering the flames useless against the sturdy shield.

Assessing the situation, Melje prepared a second spell of physical destruction. At the moment Kelumit hurled his shield, he leaped forward. The sharp edge of the sword, heavily stained with demon blood, was aimed directly at Melje. Simultaneously, as Melje was about to finish casting the spell, he stretched out both hands.

In that instant of collision between close-range magic and a retaliatory strike…

*Kwa-ang!*

A deafening noise rang out as something crashed between them. Simultaneously, a massive shockwave. A vast amount of dust and thick smoke filled the air.

In the blink of an eye, something plummeted down. The aftermath was overwhelming, causing Melje and Kelumit to tumble several times on the ground.

The sword and staff made a loud noise as they hit the ground simultaneously. Kelumit’s head was grazed by flying stone shards, and red blood trickled down. Similarly, Melje, who rolled nearly, was slammed into the walls of the demon king’s stronghold.

However, true to their status as a demon king, Melje, with one hand, touched the ground and barely managed to rise. A faint groan escaped between Melje’s lips, and drops of blood fell one by one. Struggling to stand, Kelumit was in a similar state.

“W-what?”

Both expressed their confusion simultaneously. A breeze swept in through the shattered ceiling, allowing yellow sunlight to flood in. Illuminating the dark interior of the stronghold, the light shone solely upon the hole in the ceiling.

The dust and smoke dispersed as the wind blew, revealing a faint silhouette.

As the curtain of smoke cleared, the silhouette became distinct.

It took on the form of a human, slowly becoming more apparent amidst the dispersing dust and smoke. Watching the human-like silhouette gradually take shape, a faint smile appeared on the lips of the expeditionary force members. If this unknown being took the form of a human, it certainly wasn’t an ally of humans, at least not by appearances alone.

────In the spot where the dust cleared, stood a tall man in his mid-twenties.

“Ah.”

It was the first word spoken by the man.

“I see.”

Damn it.

From the moment I fell from the sky, I knew something was off, but this is a whole new level of messed up.

This is the third time I’ve ended up in the wrong place. I thought I only lacked polymorph skills, but it seems my spatial teleportation magic is just as chaotic. Now, Patrick’s words about ‘don’t use magic because the mana inside you is chaotic’ are starting to make sense.

Initially, I thought it might be a coordinate error, but now it’s clear that the coordinates aren’t the issue. It’s simply a complete disaster.

Ah, this is a disaster. I should have just walked. I would have reached the village by now if I had just walked.

“Seriously… I can’t even do polymorph properly, why would I attempt teleportation magic?”

Devourer, a tall and lean man, brushed his hair in frustration. His already messy black hair was annoyingly obstructing his view.

Glancing around nonchalantly, he noticed a monster-looking creature on one side, while on the other side, a group of humans stared intently at him.

The intense gazes felt overwhelming, so he intentionally averted his eyes, but it didn’t alleviate the feeling of being watched.

Judging from the traces of magic visible here and there and the arrows stuck in the ground, it seemed like they were somehow interfering with each other in a heated battle.

What should I say in this situation? Should I apologize for intruding while they’re in the middle of a heated battle? Or should I tell them to continue fighting without bothering about me?

As he pondered over an appropriate response, a question, filled with the vibes of a third-rate actor, echoed from the humans.

“Who are you?”

‘Must they ask so unconfidently…’

Me? Devourer pointed at himself, and the group of humans collectively nodded in affirmation.

When asked who he was, Devourer considered what he should answer. But before he could decide, another question came:

“Not who you are, but whose side are you on? You seem human… Yes! Are you reinforcements? Sent by the Guild Union? The Imperial Family? And how did you fall from the sky? No, wait! For now, quickly attack that demon in this gap!”

Despite speaking, the human was trembling. It seemed like the question was more of a demand. Devourer, maintaining a nonchalant expression, turned his head. Facing a fierce gaze mixed with tension and enmity from a demon, he locked eyes with it. According to the human, that demon must be the Demon king.

‘Quite different from the Demon king I’ve seen before.’

Sure, many years have passed, but the demon Devourer knows used to be massive, close to monstrous in form. However, the demon staggering before Devourer seemed rather different.

For a demon, she seemed scarce in numbers. A slightly reddish hue tinted her waist-length purple hair. Sharp eyes and fangs. Tinted wings and two horns on her head were definitely symbolic of a demon, yet she didn’t appear particularly threatening. Her clothes weren’t suitable for battle either.

Renee used to be like that too. Is this the trend these days?

Well, most of those thoughts might be Devourer’s alone. However, one objective fact was clear: this Demon king was young.

In human standards, she looked like someone in her late teens. For a demon of that stature, she might be around 200 years old.

‘Not really a significant issue.’

Sighing deeply in frustration, Devourer, feeling his stomach grumble, realized he hadn’t eaten properly while worrying about Renee for the past few days.

“Hey, guys?”

“Die! Although an unknown intruder might have barged in, you all will die in our hands!”

“You lower beings, taste the agony slowly!”

…It seems dialogue isn’t an option. Well, besides those guys, there doesn’t seem to be anyone else around.

Thinking that, Devourer slowly released his power.

And then, he opened his mouth.

It was enough time for a moment.

His lean body transformed into a sleek physique, and black masses surged from him. Like things being forcibly squeezed out of a small pouch, giant black shapes repeatedly expanded and contracted. Those unstable black masses were indistinct whether they were liquid or solid. And when the process regained stability, a huge black form, enough to Devourer shadows, faced the Dawn Tiger Mercenary Squad and Kelumet.

Crunch.

With a grinding sound, the movement of the black mouth ceased. The enormous mouth, big enough to Devourer them all, dripped saliva from the ceiling over the heads of the squad. No one thought it would be the last word.

The huge black mouth encompassing the squad remained closed.

It didn’t chew. Hence, there was no blood. It Devourered them whole.

Because it’s Devourer.

The only surviving Demon king blinked. Looking dumbfoundedly at where the humans were, the Demon king blinked again. During that moment, the mysterious entity had returned to its original form. It was almost like seeing an illusion, as if it was in a trance, sporting a lazy expression while grooming itself.

“Ah…”

The Demon king, ‘Melje De Lymph Agrea’, uttered a sound that might be amazement or doubt.

This sight, either cunningly taking advantage of human vulnerabilities and successfully ambushing them or truly overwhelming.

───Something truly overwhelming.

“Just now…”

“Huh?”

“What… did you just do? Your… no. Who are you really? Truly… impressive… strong. If what I saw was accurate, you might be… stronger than me. Doesn’t my statement make sense?”

“Ugh,” Devourer uttered, repeatedly shaking off the residue. Devourer glanced at Melje. The young Demon king wasn’t filled with exuberance or reverence, but rather displayed the typical demeanor of a naive creature. It wasn’t particularly surprising. When individuals confident in their strength witness such a spectacle, more often than not, they exhibit such an attitude.

That incredulous expression was all too familiar to Devourer, shaped by countless ages.

“You could be strong, or maybe not.”

“What kind of strange response is that? Well, never mind. I’ve taken quite an interest in you. I’d like to know a lot! First, what’s your name? Oh, pardon me. Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Melje de Lymph Agreia, the great Demon king, the 17th descendant of the mighty Asmodeus.”

“I am Dev—”

Instantly, Devourer halted. Revealing their true identity would undeniably make it easy to subdue this amateurish Demon king. But disclosing it in any way could ultimately spread rumors.

There’s no need to voluntarily proclaim, ‘I’m Devourer!’ and go about promoting it. Most importantly, it had to be remembered: the reason for all this was to find Renee.

“Devde Rounie.”

“Terrible naming sense…,” Devourer regretted inwardly, unable to conjure a more fitting name.

“Devde Rounie… Fine. Would it be alright to call you Sir Devde?”

“Suit yourself. It’s not bad.”

“Great, Sir Devde. First, I express my gratitude for your assistance. If it wasn’t for your aid, I might have suffered at the hands of those humans.”

“I wasn’t particularly eager to help.”

Devourer had simply eaten up the louder side, either the demon or the human. If the demon had been noisier—

“Um…”

In imagining that scenario, Devourer’s expression became rather complex.

Yet, not paying attention to Devourer’s awkward expression, Melje approached.

Their purplish hair, reminiscent of an orchid, swayed naturally. Despite the recent encounter with the wall, their attire still carried an air of sophistication.

“While not a direct descendant, I carry the blood of the mighty Asmodeus. Having received your kindness, I wish to help Sir Devde too. Do you have any requests?”

With that statement and a slight shake of their arms, Melje’s chest, quite demon-lordly for their age, caught Devourer’s attention.

“Something? It’s just that… it’s fascinating to look at.”

“Just curious. If anyone flaunts themselves like that, wouldn’t anyone look?”

“Is that so? It was an area I was confident in.”

The dejected tone returned. Asmodeus had been known to preside over carnal desires, but perhaps it was due to that lineage. Or maybe—not due to lineage, but if it wasn’t because of that, the problem could escalate.

“Given the urgency, I don’t particularly need any help. Ah, right. I need to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Trying to reach Hastin. Do you happen to know the way?”

“Oh, Hastin!”

“Yes! Hastin! You know it!”

“But what is Hastin?”

“You pretend to know and then claim ignorance!”

Suddenly, a question arose in Devourer’s mind.

Even if they were monsters or demons, if they possessed intelligence, it was normal to know the location of the nearby human village. Especially for this Melje, a Demon king in humanoid form, it was unthinkable not to know.

Yet not knowing Hastin? Not just not knowing the way, but not knowing Hastin itself?

“Hey, you. You mentioned Melje, right? Melje, do you know where the nearest human village is around here?”

“From what I know, Riaze would be the closest.”

The more ominous feeling returned—

“Why are you doing that, Sir Devde? Why the bewildered expression? Huh? Why? Sir Devde!”

A sense of disappointment and self-blame engulfed Devourer simultaneously, as Melje, grinning, kept asking questions.

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[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Demon God]

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