Chapter 108: It’s Hard to Talk to Marauders...
The darkness of the forest was absolute.
Nox could barely make out the silhouettes of the enormous trees thanks to the small golden Phoenix flames floating above the palm of his hand.
The air was heavy, damp, and smelled of mud, old blood, and rotting wood.
"...What a welcoming place."
He muttered.
The flames began to weaken, as if the very humidity of the forest wanted to devour them.
Nox watched as the light gradually faded.
’How strange...’
It wasn’t the wind.
It was as if Mireveil itself rejected any source of light.
With a sigh, he extinguished the flames.
Darkness immediately swallowed him.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke loudly.
"I come in peace."
Only the distant sound of swamp water answered him.
Then...
His Danger Sense activated again.
And disappeared.
Returned.
And vanished once more.
’What the hell...’
It was as though danger kept appearing and disappearing.
As if someone couldn’t decide whether to attack him or let him live.
Then he heard something.
A foot slowly sinking into the mud.
Then another.
And another.
Something was moving around him.
Very close.
Nox didn’t open his eyes.
He simply waited.
Suddenly, he felt a cold breath against the back of his neck.
At the same time...
Another breath appeared right in front of his face.
He slowly opened his eyes.
In front of him...
Two tiny black dots stared back.
A pair of eyes, barely visible in the darkness.
Nox smiled.
"My name is Nox."
He received no reply.
Only breathing.
"You can call me the Demon Lord."
He paused briefly.
"And I’d like to speak with your king."
The creature behind him took a deep sniff, as if analyzing him by his scent.
"You smell..."
Its voice was rough.
"...like a human."
It sniffed him again.
"...and a Little One."
Another pause.
"But you’re neither."
The figure standing in front of Nox spoke as well.
Its voice was just as raspy.
"You’re wearing the skull of one of our own."
"We don’t know if we can trust you."
At that very moment...
Danger Sense exploded.
Nox smiled.
’Here it comes.’
He vanished.
Darkness swallowed him an instant before a pair of enormous claws tore through the exact spot where he had been standing.
SCHLK.
The claws didn’t find Nox.
They found the other Marauder.
The creature standing before him opened its eyes wide.
The claws had pierced completely through its chest.
"..."
The attacker froze.
"..."
"..."
Nox reappeared several meters away and let out a small chuckle.
"I told you I didn’t come here to fight, but apparently you’re idiots."
The wounded Marauder slowly collapsed to its knees, dark blood spilling into the mud.
Then...
A white light slowly emerged from its chest.
Like a small sphere.
It floated several meters upward...
Then exploded.
For a few seconds, the entire forest was illuminated.
Nox could finally see where he was.
The sight wasn’t pleasant.
The path was covered in corpses.
Massive beasts.
Feathered creatures.
Four-legged animals.
Even human skeletons.
All abandoned in the mud.
’This looks like a graveyard.’
Standing before him was the Marauder who had tried to kill him.
Now he could see it clearly.
It was a hunched humanoid.
Its skin was exactly the same color as the mud.
Its eyes were completely black.
And the white light seemed to hurt it.
The creature raised an arm to shield its face.
"Damn light!"
It growled.
Nox wasted no time.
The Chains of the Forgotten King materialized around his arm.
The chains shot forward.
In less than a second, they wrapped completely around the Marauder, pinning it against a tree.
The creature struggled.
It was useless.
Nox slowly walked toward it.
"I don’t want to kill you."
The Marauder bared its teeth.
"Then let me go."
"No."
Nox smiled.
"Take me to your king."
The creature spat mud onto the ground.
"I’d rather die."
Nox stared at it for several seconds.
’Rollo was right... these creatures really are difficult to deal with.’
He clearly remembered the village chief’s words.
"I don’t think you’ll be able to negotiate with them."
’Maybe I should’ve listened.’
His hand slowly moved toward one of his daggers.
’If I kill him...’
He glanced around.
’It’ll probably make everything even harder.’
He sighed.
"No."
He shook his head to himself.
"That would only make things worse."
At that moment...
Shadows enveloped the Marauder.
The chains were suddenly restraining nothing but empty air.
"Hm?"
Danger Sense exploded once again.
’Behind me!’
Nox instantly spun around.
The Aegis of Gluttony appeared over his left arm.
The claws slammed into the small shield.
The force of the blow was tremendous.
Yet the shield barely trembled.
A crimson glow immediately spread across Nox’s right arm.
The Aegis’s effect had activated, storing the full force of the attack within his fist.
The Marauder still didn’t understand what had happened.
Nox did.
He smiled.
"My turn."
He threw a single punch.
The impact sounded like an explosion.
The Marauder’s face twisted from the force.
Its body was launched several meters away.
It smashed through two small trees before embedding itself into a third.
Leaves slowly drifted down around them.
Nox walked toward it without the slightest hurry.
He shook his hand, as though he’d just punched a wall.
"I didn’t come here to fight."
The creature barely managed to push itself up, coughing black blood.
Nox looked down at it.
"You’ve already tried to kill me twice."
Small golden Phoenix flames appeared above the palm of his hand.
The forest was faintly illuminated once again.
"And I’m still willing to forgive you."
The Marauder breathed with difficulty.
Nox raised an eyebrow.
"On one condition."
The creature remained silent.
"Take me to your king."
The flames illuminated the demon’s red face.
His mask.
His horns.
The calm way he spoke.
He didn’t look like someone who enjoyed killing.
He didn’t look desperate.
He looked...
Simply powerful.
The Marauder finally lowered its head.
"...I’m sorry."
Nox tilted his head slightly.
"What?"
"I was wrong."
It took a deep breath.
"I thought you were another hunter."
The flames continued burning.
"I’ll take you to our group."
Nox smiled.
"Excellent."
Then he raised a finger.
"But listen carefully."
His voice became completely serious.
"If you try any tricks..."
The Demonic Dual Knives slowly appeared in his hands.
"...I’ll cut your head off."
The Marauder swallowed hard.
"...Understood."
Nox dismissed the daggers.
The chains slowly retracted, and the creature regained its freedom.
It adjusted its aching shoulder and began walking into the darkness.
Nox followed.
The small Phoenix flames reappeared above his hand.
Just enough to light the path.
As they walked...
He couldn’t help but smile.
’Looks like, after all...’
He looked at the Marauder’s back.
’...diplomacy still works better than killing everyone.’