The legend of the Crimson Demon clan started from Suqing.

Chapter 583 Taking an Oath to His Legacy

The dark, thick clouds pressed down on the sky, obscuring the previous blue-gray expanse, heavy as if about to fall, so oppressive that the whole world seemed to be silent.

A cold, indifferent wind swept across the vast, boundless land. In the distance, deafening thunder and blinding lightning occasionally echoed, creating a sense of dread.

However, all of this...

None of that can compare to the rage in Zun Zun's heart at this moment.

"The final push... We were about to defeat the Demon King, but then this had to happen at this crucial moment... What the hell...! Why did it turn out like this? This isn't some kind of challenge! You bastard!"

His suppressed growl turned into a loud roar, which was enough to show just how angry he was.

His loud voice carried far and wide.

After finally venting his anger with his roar, Zun Zun squatted down again, covering his forehead and sighing repeatedly. He never expected that his words would come true.

Before defeating the Demon King, Kazuma Sato said he had such a premonition. Should we say that guy is a jinx, or that his intuition is very strong?

Anyway, all I can do is go back and complain.

The most urgent thing is to get back as soon as possible.

but……

"Speaking of which," Zun Zun muttered, looking at the cracked, broken, and lifeless black earth, "where...where exactly am I?"

He was on a small hillside at the time.

Looking down at this desolate land, nothing could be found; the black earth and scorched black soil covered the mountains and plains, as if a great battle had taken place.

especially--

"This thing is so annoying."

Zun Zun looked at the 'snow' flying all over the sky, and an impatient expression appeared on his face.

In fact, this is not white snow.

It is blue and contains a high level of poison.

Although Zun Zun is purified within a few centimeters of its body due to its own constitution, it is undoubtedly a deadly poison to ordinary people. And such things are everywhere, covering the ground with a thick layer.

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder it lacks any sign of life; its deadly poison can kill ordinary people, let alone common plants and animals.

An unknown world?

After calming herself down, Zun Zun wandered through the desolate wilderness, searching for a way home.

……

"—Wang? Ivan? Hey, Ivan! What are you spacing out for! Has some kind of black ash invaded your brain?"

“…Are, I’m just taking a break. After all, I’m getting old.”

Hearing his companion's soft exclamation, Ivan snapped out of his daze, blinked a few times, and looked at his two companions beside him.

The younger man said with a wry smile, "If you consider yourself old, then we're about the same age, aren't we? You should be prepared! One day your body will suddenly not be as strong as it used to be—Rick, the same goes for you."

After saying that, the two looked ahead.

The youngest of the three, a boy, had his face covered by a mask and goggles, making it impossible to discern any mask. Through the goggles… only his eyes, as dark as darkness, reflected no image whatsoever, could be seen.

"Thank you for your advice. Well then—if you've rested enough… it's time to go."

They crawled on all fours, clad in the raw hides of wild animals, along the shadows of the rocks. Their limbs were numb, and they were starving; all of this was to avoid being discovered by the enemy, to survive.

And that's why we came here.

Without saying a word, Ivan looked down the hill and, as expected, there was a huge crater... and a pile of steel that had crashed in the center.

Those were the wreckage of steel ships—airships—built by goblins that could sail in the sky.

Several weeks ago, a celestial anomaly known as the Minor Conflict occurred in this area, and this is a remnant of that anomaly. Rick and his group's goal is to find usable resources there.

There was a crack in the armor of the wreckage that seemed accessible, and they hid in the shadows of the crack.

"Rick... how is the acupuncture disc reacting?"

"No. There's too much black ash. The Spirit Needle Disc is just spinning because it's affected by the black ash spirits."

Ivan clicked his tongue inwardly.

The black ash isn't actually black, but rather blue. As for why humans, who don't have the elven corridor connecting their nerves, can see it... it's said to be the last glimmer emitted by an elf destroyed after colliding with the ash, before its death.

—Spiritual remains.

It is a deadly poison to most living things, including humans. If it comes into contact with an exposed body, the skin will be charred; if it gets into the eyes, it will cause blindness; and if ingested, it will cause the internal organs to dissolve.

It shone with a blue light, yet it was called black ash because that thing was synonymous with death.

Perhaps this thing is actually a form of compassion...

"Ivan? Ivan, are you feeling unwell?"

"...Maybe so, I just feel a bit uneasy."

Ivan clutched his heart.

However, instead of receiving comfort from his companions, he was even—

“If you want to die, don’t take us with you.” Rick’s face was obscured by huge glasses, his pupils seemingly filled with a chilling chaos. “We must proceed cautiously, like ghosts, making absolutely no sound. We don’t exist, nor can we exist, because only by not existing will we remain undetected…”

"Swearing an oath to his legacy." X2
The Spirit Needle Plate is a tool made by combining a sapphire stone that can sense the reactions of large spirits with ordinary obsidian. It can sense the gods and their retinues.

Simply put, it's a detector.

They used to be able to detect those ridiculously powerful beings and avoid them. But now, that doesn't work. So now they have to rely solely on their five senses to search for enemies.

It's no laughing matter to deal with monsters who possess superhuman sensory abilities that humans can only dream of.

Concentrate! Concentrate!
With steps lighter than a cat's, I calmly became as insignificant as a speck of dust, even suppressing my breath and heartbeat. Even so, my five senses remained sharp, and I began to investigate the ship.

Relatively speaking, this place is less dangerous because it is far from the front lines, and they are in an abandoned garbage dump.

However, it is far from safe.

Because there might be monsters that have escaped the battlefield, or other races unrelated to the war lurking nearby, or even if the goblins aboard this warship are still alive… Even a dying goblin, by simply holding a medium and uttering a single word, could turn hundreds of humans to dust, so silence is absolutely necessary—

"—Hey! Ivan, what a bumper harvest!!!"

The sudden shout caused his heart to stop.

He turned his head silently and found that Yare was excitedly waving his right hand at him.

"Come quick, this guy's dangerous!"

Evan stared coldly at Aray for a moment, then looked at Rick beside him. Rick silently raised one hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Just that caused the previously excited Alejandro to tremble and let out a small groan.

"I'm sorry... Anyway, please come and take a look at this."

Even so, he couldn't suppress his excitement.

The two people, urged on, came to his side and saw something that looked like a small box. It was made up of several squares that were intricately combined together, like a jigsaw puzzle.

However, when Yare took it in his hand and twisted it forcefully, the box immediately emitted a seven-colored light.

"This is... the latest version of the world map!?"

Upon seeing the large map projected into the void, even Ivan couldn't hide his surprise and exclaimed.

After examining it carefully, Rick said, "It's not just a map, but also a strategic map and a map of the current power distribution. Although it uses coded language, I can understand it even in goblin language."

It's easy to understand why Ale was so excited.

With this intelligence, we can deduce the current situation, identify locations where future conflicts may occur, and then select alternative residences with relatively low risk.

The three nodded to each other and quickly began copying without further explanation.

Let's save the excitement for later.

Just as they finished copying the entire map, a faint, heavy tremor came from the ground. As if by prior arrangement, the three of them simultaneously lowered their posture and rushed into the shadows to hide.

Holding their breath and concentrating, they did not reveal a trace of their presence.

They quickly realized what kind of creature the enemy was—a slow-moving demon with a body more than three times the size of a human, created by a mutated demon king of the fantasy species.

Although they lack intelligence and are the lowest-ranking demon species, humans can be turned into pieces with the slightest touch from them, so there is only one course of action to take.

escape.

There is no other way.

Humans are not allowed to resist; they can only be prey to be hunted.

Ivan had a vague premonition and looked at the boy beside him, who also 'looked' at him, his mouth slightly open—

"Ivan, this is an order."

Rick told him.

"—I command you to die here."

“Swear to the legacy, leave it to me.”

With a wry smile, Ivan agreed without hesitation. He then handed the luggage on his back to Alejandro González and walked forward as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

All three of them knew very well.

At this point, someone absolutely has to die.

That's right, one person acts as bait, while the other two escape during the lure; there's no other way. Because humanity doesn't allow resistance. And isn't dying for one's family the best reason?
"Well then... I'll go first."

Ignoring Yare's trembling body as he tried to hold back his tears, Ivanziran ran in the opposite direction from the two of them, deliberately making a loud noise.

"Aaaaaaaahh ...

Ivan felt that he was very shallow. Even at this point, he was still unwilling to choose that kind of happiness. He felt that his thoughts were shallow from the bottom of his heart.

Because he hates that.

He absolutely did not want to die like that, without any reason or meaning.

In this broken, insane, and tragic world, one is born meaninglessly, lives in fear and trembling, finds a little happiness only to have it taken away, and is then murdered.

What is the point of living in such a cyclical world?
The person who answered this question was the boy.

Rick.

To live to protect one's comrades and family, and to die to welcome someone who will bring an end to the war.

That's fantastic, that's a perfect answer.

There is no stronger evidence that my life was meaningful, and this is the best way to die!

That's right—

Try shouting it out loud!

"—I died to protect my comrades and family!"

Maggots, three times the height of a human, reeked of decay. A tremendous stench and the monster's hiss came from behind, accompanied by the scythe of death.

Is this my end?
"Light of Saber!"

A clear voice suddenly rang out, a violent bolt of lightning struck from the sky, and the smell of burning filled the nostrils.

Ivan was completely stunned.

He stared blankly at the person standing on top of the demon, looking down at him—red eyes, black hair, wearing a magnificent robe, and looking exactly like a human.

"Should I... not stop you?"

The boy was a little embarrassed.

Ivan seemed to have just come to his senses, but instead of feeling relieved to have survived, or excitedly thanking everyone, he pulled a dagger from his waist and made as if to plunge it into his own chest.

"Leave people under the knife!"

The boy's panicked shouts reached my ears.

(End of this chapter)