“It’s over just like that? The demon army is dead?”
The scene unfolding before them was beyond the comprehension of the Knights. Moments ago, thousands upon thousands of demonic creatures had been relentlessly charging, yet in a mere blink, they were all annihilated. It was truly unbelievable.
“You all stay here. I’m going to explore the crypt alone.”
Yue Wu discreetly put away the ring he held. He had no desire for anyone to discover it and invite unnecessary trouble or misunderstanding.
“Lord Merlin, please wait!”
Scheffiel approached Yue Wu, her gaze unwavering. Her intensity made Yue Wu quite uncomfortable; he felt particularly awkward at that moment.
“My dear Princess Scheffiel, how may I help you?”
“What magic did you use just now?”
“That was… this…”
“I sensed the aura of a dragon, and one of the highest caliber, at that.”
“You must be mistaken. There are no dragons here at all. Besides, why would dragons ever help us humans?”
“Indeed, but I truly did sense it. The magic you used just now bore a striking resemblance to dragon magic.”
“Hahaha~ All right, I admit you’re not entirely wrong, though not entirely right either. What I used was a scroll given to me by a friend.”
“A scroll!?”
“Yes, and my friend gave me other scrolls too. Would you like to see them?”
“C-could I?”
“Of course, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Thank you for your generosity.”
Yue Wu raised his hand and rested it on Scheffiel’s shoulder. For a fleeting moment, her face flushed crimson. Though she quickly regained her composure, her curiosity about the scrolls Yue Wu mentioned was immense, and she eagerly anticipated what he would produce.
“This is Angel’s Wing.”
“Fire Rain Meteor.”
“Sigh of the Ice Goddess.”
“Summoning of the Elf King.”
“Holy Sword Art.”
“Will of the War God.”
“Resurrection of the Dead.”
“Protection of the God of Light.”
“Meteorite Fall.”
One after another, Yue Wu retrieved scrolls from within his robe, placing them into Scheffiel’s outstretched hands. She was momentarily lost in awe, only recovering after a short while.
“Lord Merlin! May I ask you a question?”
Scheffiel suddenly became agitated.
“Ah! Y-yes, ask away.”
Yue Wu was startled by her outburst.
“Were all these given to you by your friend?”
Scheffiel asked, holding up the scrolls.
“That’s right. Do you want them? You can have them then.”
“Eh!!!”
“What’s wrong? You don’t want them?”
“N-no, it’s not that! Are you truly willing to give these to me? These are all ultra-grade spells and ancient, supreme magic!”
“It’s fine, I still have more.”
“What!? You have more?”
“Y-you misheard. My friend has more.”
Yue Wu could honestly say that Scheffiel was the person who had startled him the most since his transmigration. Conversely, Yue Wu was the one who had caused Scheffiel to lose her composure more times than anyone else in her life. Both of their previously reserved demeanors had been shattered since they met.
“Then, could I meet your friend?”
Scheffiel suddenly blushed, turning her head slightly, trying her best to avoid looking at Yue Wu.
“Uh, he won’t appear.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s like a divine dragon, appearing only when he wishes. He always seeks me out, but I can never find him.”
“What a pity.”
“Indeed, hahaha.”
Yue Wu chuckled awkwardly. Scheffiel lowered her head, a hint of regret in her expression. Not being able to meet the mysterious person who created such ultra-grade magic scrolls was her greatest regret in life.
“I’ll leave the cleanup of this battlefield to all of you. You can keep these, and I’ll continue my adventure.”
After giving his instructions, Yue Wu immediately ran towards the crypt.
“Wait for me! I’ll come with you.”
Scheffiel quickly called out to Yue Wu, accelerating her pace to catch up with him.
The Knights, understanding the unspoken cue, began to clear the battlefield. Helen Keston watched Scheffiel and Yue Wu until they disappeared into the crypt.
****
Inside the gloomy crypt, Yue Wu and Scheffiel used the items Yue Wu produced to illuminate their path. This crypt was vastly different from the dungeon he had previously inhabited after his transmigration; it was damp and permeated with a strong, foul stench.
It lacked the spaciousness and comfort of the other place, where Yue Wu could have settled down if he wished, and where someone still cared deeply for him.
“I can’t believe you possess such a unique spatial attribute.”
Upon entering the crypt, Scheffiel had inadvertently witnessed Yue Wu conjure a floating lamp out of thin air, a sight that had even startled him.
“Think what you will. I’m beyond explaining anything.”
Yue Wu felt a wave of self-pity for his own foolishness. He had deactivated his ‘Perception’ passive skill, intending to immerse himself in a ‘haunted house’ atmosphere within the crypt, only to be scared by Scheffiel, who had caught up to him.
However, the solo adventure had now become a two-player game, forcing Yue Wu to reactivate some of his passive skills. The crypts in this world were numerous, and while their quantity matched those in the game, Yue Wu hadn’t explored all of them in his past life.
Dungeons, in general, posed an extremely high level of danger. If Yue Wu were alone, he wouldn’t fear, as he still had some of his Priest passive skills active even with Perception off. The issue now was Scheffiel’s presence; Yue Wu couldn’t trust that she possessed abilities similar to his Priest passive skills.
Perception: Activated.
Reconnaissance: Activated.
Eagle Eye: Activated.
Environmental Resistance: Activated.
Night Vision Enhancement: Activated.
Five Senses Enhancement: Activated.
Weapon Master: Activated.
Light Mastery: Activated.
Throwing: Activated.
Magic Tricks: Activated.
‘This should be enough.’
Yue Wu activated ten passive skills from his skill bar. In the original game’s settings, a single class couldn’t master all passive skills. However, after Yue Wu’s transmigration and system activation, all passive skills from the game automatically appeared in his passive skill tab.
This included exclusive passive skills like the Berserker’s ‘Bloodlust’ and ‘Rampage,’ the Mage’s ‘Elemental Communion’ and ‘Elemental Spirit,’ and the Magic Swordsman’s ‘Sword Mastery’ and ‘Magic Sword Mastery,’ among many others from various classes.
“Lord Merlin.”
“I told you, just call me Merlin, my dear Scheffiel.”
“Eh, eh, eh! Lord Merlin, you, I…”
“Hahaha~ How about you call me Merlin, and I call you Scheffiel?”
“Mm, mm.”
“What were you going to ask me just now?”
“Merlin, have you always lived alone?”
“I used to, but not anymore.”
“Then, do you have someone you… like?”
“Hm? What did you say? Too soft, I didn’t hear you clearly.”
“N-nothing.”
“Don’t walk so fast. The ground here is damp, be careful not to fall.”
“Ah!”
“I told you the ground was damp and to be careful. See? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”
Scheffiel, her face crimson with embarrassment, had walked too quickly and hadn’t noticed a damp patch on the ground ahead, nearly tripping. Fortunately, Yue Wu was quick enough to grab her hand, pulling her back.
She found herself leaning against Yue Wu’s chest, and in that instant, she caught a glimpse of his face hidden beneath his hood. Her cheeks flared an even deeper red.
“N-nothing, I’m fine. It’s just getting hot in here.”
Scheffiel quickly pulled away from Yue Wu, turning her back to him as she tried to compose herself.
“Hot? I don’t feel it.”
Yue Wu was a complete idiot when it came to romance. Before he started playing games, he had been an utter bookworm, his mind filled solely with knowledge. It was only after the loss of his family that his personality drastically shifted, making him incredibly oblivious to emotions outside of familial affection.
“I can’t believe so much time has passed. It seems humanity’s fear of us demons has diminished, Maile.”
“Then let’s remind these two humans of the might of the demon race, Qiluwo.”
Perhaps to alleviate the awkwardness between Scheffiel and Yue Wu, two high-ranking demons materialized before them—a pair of twins.
“You or me?”
Yue Wu glanced at Scheffiel, asking languidly.
“I’m enough on my own.”
The moment the demons appeared, Scheffiel instantly entered battle mode, drawing her one-handed sword and releasing her magic power.
“Then I’ll support you. You can do it!”
Yue Wu drew his magic staff, taking on the role of a Sage.
“Mere humans! What’s happening!”
Maile, the demon, clearly underestimated Scheffiel. But just as he was about to attack, he felt an immense heaviness in his body. Not just him, but Qiluwo too experienced the same sensation, resulting in both of them taking several slashes from Scheffiel.
“Qiluwo, are you alright!”
While Scheffiel’s attacks were not weak, Maile and Qiluwo, as high-ranking demons, didn’t suffer significant damage. At most, they gained a few superficial wounds that were painless to them, and the demons’ healing speed was remarkably fast.
“I’m fine.”
Qiluwo touched the rapidly healing wound on his chest, noting that the heavy sensation that had afflicted their bodies earlier was gone.
“It’s our turn now.”
Maile and Qiluwo moved with incredible speed, far too fast for the naked eye to track.
Even facing such speed, Scheffiel remained composed. Her gaze swept left and right across the front, then golden-red flames ignited along her sword blade, and she swiftly turned sideways, slashing down.
“You wretched human! You hurt me!”
“Maile!”
Clearly, Scheffiel’s sword had struck Maile. The demon was sent flying from the impact, golden-red flames burning on his body, refusing to be extinguished, and his wounds unable to heal.
“That’s some nice prediction!”
Yue Wu applauded from the side, like a mere spectator, utterly oblivious to the danger.
“Die, human!”
Qiluwo charged at Yue Wu, intending to tear him to shreds. But his wish was not granted; he was intercepted by Scheffiel. Like Maile, he took a sword strike from her, and golden-red flames erupted on his body as well.