Chapter 2: The Demon King
“Nelly, I only love you.”
Nelly was so startled she trembled, almost doubting if she had heard him correctly.
The young man’s black bangs hung over his brow bones, and the soft shadows made his eyes seem even deeper, the color of rubies. It was the first time Nelly had truly met his gaze, and she felt as if she were looking into an abyss of rolling lava, where a moment’s lapse would cause her to melt into the crimson heat.
After the shock came an even greater disbelief. This has to be a joke, right?
Nelly prided herself on being self-aware. Although she was a system spirit, Nelly looked like an ordinary human girl: she had chestnut hair that fell to her ankles, large blue eyes, and wore a nondescript blue and white dress. Girls of her caliber could be found by the handful on the Wildia continent, which was teeming with beauties.
Nor did she believe Kal could have fallen for her personality. All she ever did was make futile attempts to liven up the atmosphere, blandly point out quest directions, and occasionally offer some encouragement. But this one was clearly a lone wolf who needed neither guidance nor encouragement.
The truth was, he didn’t need her.
But the way Kal was gazing at her was far too serious, without a single trace of a joke. Besides, he didn’t seem like the type to make jokes at all.
Nelly gave an awkward laugh and drily managed two words: “Thank you.” But her face couldn’t help but turn red.
“Mhm.” Kal, as usual, showed no emotion and stepped aside to continue toward the quest destination.
Nelly deliberately fell a step behind him, thinking silently: What did that “mhm” of his even mean? He didn’t react to her polite refusal, which led her to conclude that Kal’s confession was merely an excuse to get her to stop her tiresome matchmaking.
With that thought, she felt much more at ease and no longer had any intention of encouraging him to start a romance side quest—it was her own meddling in the first place. All she had to do was wait quietly for Kal to take down the Demon King.
Despite her thoughts, Nelly couldn’t stop herself from stealing a glance at Kal. The young man was perceptive and immediately turned to look at her. Although he said nothing, his eyes clearly asked, “What is it now?”
“Nothing, just thinking about the steps for the next quest.” Nelly turned her face away in embarrassment, feeling a pang of guilt.
Kal didn’t answer.
Nelly awkwardly looked around and was startled by what she saw. They weren’t even at the final battle part of the story, so how had they unconsciously walked to the Demon’s Forest, the stage for the prelude to the final showdown?
“Kal? Did we take a wrong turn? The quest is at the spring on the outskirts…”
Nelly’s sentence was once again cut off by the young man’s cool voice. “We’re not lost.”
The dense woods surrounding the Demon’s Lair were known as the Demon’s Forest. The trees within blotted out the sky, plunging the surroundings into a darkness devoid of any light. Eerie glows emanated from the caves formed by the tangled, gnarled tree roots, like pairs of eyes staring intently at any intruders.
It was dead silent, save for the soft rustle of their footsteps on the withered leaves.
Nelly felt that something was very wrong. Normally, upon entering the Demon’s Forest, tree monsters and goblins would immediately swarm them. After the hero dealt with those troublesome enemies, they could use the stone tablets on their bodies to find the underground ruins of the Sacred Spring. Only after navigating the monster-infested labyrinth in the center of the ruins and retrieving the King’s Sword could they ascend the mountain to face the Demon King.
But the Demon’s Forest today was as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.
Forget goblins; she hadn’t even seen a single crawling insect.
Nelly looked at Kal uneasily. The young man met her gaze quietly, then suddenly reached out and took her hand. He lowered his head and said, “Don’t be afraid.”
For someone as sparing with his words as him to suddenly offer comfort, Nelly couldn’t help but feel a little touched. But having just rejected his perfunctory confession, Nelly didn’t want to get any more entangled in that regard. So, she struggled a little, trying to pull her hand free as she said, “I’m not afraid.”
But Kal stubbornly held onto her hand, quickening his pace and striding swiftly toward the mountain.
Nelly had no choice but to keep up. For a moment, she was too preoccupied to feel awkward and simply let him continue holding her hand.
The young man’s fingers were long, slender, and a little cool. The warmth where their palms met was calming, and the deathly silent Demon’s Forest seemed less terrifying. The moment the thought surfaced, Nelly was startled by it and quickly shook her head, cursing herself for being crazy.
Kal glanced at her from the side, still expressionless. But as she hastily averted her gaze, his eyes finally softened slightly, revealing a glimmer of something that was either amusement or resignation, as gentle as moonlight on water.
Soon, the two of them arrived before a deep, wide river that blocked their path. Kal stopped, glanced at Nelly, and his deep red eyes flashed before he let go of her hand.
Just as Nelly breathed a sigh of relief, Kal suddenly swept her up into his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Wait!” Nelly’s cheek was pressed against the young man’s chest. An unfamiliar scent enveloped her, and the closeness of his warm body sent her into a panic. Her voice trembled slightly.
“Don’t be afraid.” It was the same three-word mantra. Kal looked at her intently, his red eyes shimmering in the shadows of the trees, reflecting a tiny version of her. There was an indescribable tenderness in them.
Nelly’s heart beat faster because of that gaze, yet an unknown chill slowly crept up her spine. She lowered her eyes and took a breath. “Kal, what exactly are you doing?”
The arm around her tightened slightly. Kal lifted his head to look at the hill on the other side of the river, giving his answer without a word.
It wasn’t the answer she was looking for; Nelly obviously wasn’t asking about their direction, but Kal clearly had no intention of saying more. Before she could speak again, he pushed off lightly from the ground and leaped to the other side.
As she was carried through the light breeze, Nelly looked back, too shocked to speak. The river was wide enough for three sailboats to pass side-by-side, yet Kal had crossed it with ease while carrying her. Just who in the world was he?
Stepping onto the rocky shore, Kal carefully set Nelly down. His supporting hand lingered on her waist for a moment before pulling away. But that fleeting touch remained, vivid and clear. With the cool temperature of his palm, the young man had branded an invisible scar through her clothing—scorching and aching, impossible to ignore.
Nelly felt that deep, bone-chilling cold creep over her again, and she couldn’t help but shrink her shoulders.
Kal quietly took it all in, his lips turning down in a barely perceptible frown. Then, with the same casual air as before, he took her hand again, leading her forward through the gnarled forest with a grip that brooked no refusal.
Rather than Nelly guiding the hero, it was clearly the hero guiding a completely bewildered Nelly.
Nelly felt that things were getting stranger and stranger. But having come this far, she couldn’t possibly return to the city alone. All she could do was see what Kal was planning and take things one step at a time.
Even though they were holding hands in such an intimate way, Nelly couldn’t suppress the suspicion growing in her heart. The warmth in her palm and the abnormal vigilance in her mind were like fire and ice, a stark contrast that only made her feel strange and bitter.
Just then, the view ahead opened up. The sky was bleak and overcast, with flocks of ravens circling overhead. A sinister tower loomed, and the wind howled coldly.
Just like that, Kal had led her straight through the Demon’s Forest and arrived at the stone steps before the main entrance of the Demon’s Lair.
Nelly was already numb from the day’s successive shocks. She twitched the corner of her mouth and asked a pointless question in a dry voice, “Are you planning to just go up like this, Kal?”
The black-haired young man swept his bangs back with his free hand and casually drew his greatsword. He postured as if to climb the towering steps, answering her question with his actions.
Nelly stared at the novice sword in his hand and felt that the wind at the Demon’s Lair was particularly blustery today. She wondered what expression the Demon King would make upon seeing a hero challenge him with such a shabby sword.
No, wait, the Demon King always wears a mask, so you can’t see his expression anyway.
In the time it took her to grumble internally, Kal had already pulled Nelly up the steps. The massive, rust-red doors of the Demon’s Lair loomed before them.
With a creak, the gates of hell swung open.
Nelly’s heart pounded. She almost wanted to cry out in joy: Finally, I’m here for the hundredth time! I can finally break free from this goddamn game and go home! But it was as if another part of herself began to tremble uncontrollably as the giant doors slowly opened. She felt that bone-deep chill once more.
Kal’s expression was indifferent. With his sword in one hand and Nelly’s hand in the other, he walked inside without hesitation.
The doors slammed shut behind them with a heavy, muffled thud.
One by one, the torches on the stone walls lit up. The flickering flames reflected on the black floor tiles, like sprites trapped dancing beneath black crystal, possessing a bewitching beauty. Before them was a circular hall. In the center stood the Demon King’s throne, high and imposing, the obsidian on its back gleaming.
Nelly squinted to get a better look at the throne and gasped in shock: The Demon King wasn’t on it! This wasn’t in the game’s script!
At that moment, a bat-shaped torch next to the throne burst into flame with a crackle. Sparks flew, casting the room in shifting light and shadow.
Kal’s footsteps were as light as ever. Nelly didn’t even realize when he had let go of her hand and walked away.
He strolled to the front of the throne and looked at it thoughtfully for a moment before slowly turning around. His eyes seemed to be filled with a blood-red wine, or perhaps like priceless gems.
He stared at Nelly without blinking and said nonchalantly, “My name is Karsus.”
There was only one Karsus—the master of the Demon’s Lair, the infamous Demon King of the Wildia continent.