Arc 1: Luxuria

Chapter 7: Clearing the Land Part II

 

Haruki slowly undressed the slightly prone Demon lying in front of him, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Time and again, he kept muttering about how he was such a pervert, doing this to someone without getting their consent.

Monad's muscled chest and washboard abs appeared before Haruki. The chocolate-colored skin was drizzled with sweat, giving it the illusion of a shimmering surface. Haruki gulped - how can such a person be so incredibly sexy?

However, the pain in Monad's otherwise sleeping expression tore down the atmosphere. His eyebrows were twitching, as if he was trying to wake up, yet his body was forcing him to rest. The Demon Hero's breathing was uneven; the shallow rise and fall of his chest the only indication he was holding on.

There were no bruises nor any blood on him, but Haruki knew his injuries were severe.

[Name: Monad of the Sinful Stone]

[Level: 5/???]

[Stats:]

[HP: 315/400 (Gradual degeneration due to Curse)]

[MP: 75/250]

[SP: 40]

The red text saying (Curse) was the beginning of a nightmare for Haruki.

If only he was faster, stronger, smarter, things wouldn't have come to this…

~

An hour ago, Haruki, Monad and Asmo were on their last hunt for the day. Their haul was bountiful, with dozens of Black Wolf pelts, most of which were undamaged by any blade, so Haruki was sure they would fetch a good price. There were also some great fangs and bones as well as some vials of blood that Asmo guaranteed will be useful for either Magicraft or Alchemy.

As for their combat prowess, Haruki and Monad were now up to Level 5 and earned a total of 40 SP, also known as Skill Points. Skill Points were used to upgrade their current Skills or unlock new ones in a structure known as a Training Hall. As the leader of a nation with only three citizens, Haruki of the now didn't have the need to build it, but it will definitely be a must in the near future.

"I think we're finished here," said Haruki, stretching out his arms as if he had just finished a strenuous exercise. Asmo was circling around him, his flimsy bat wings flapping up and down in perfect harmony. Monad, however, had a contemplative look on his face. "What's wrong, Monad?"

Right hand on his chin, Monad turned to Haruki and gave a low nod. "There seems to be a Mana Vein underneath us; I can sense it with my 'Mana Vein Detection' Skill."

Haruki's eyes widened in surprise while Asmo looked incredibly enthusiastic. "Master, that is great! With a Mana Vein, we can produce a lot of Mana and build structures and birth followers for our kingdom!"

"Since it's located underground, it might not have been discovered by anyone yet." Monad took a good look around him, his eyes narrowing as a keen bird's. "There should be an entrance to an underground cave system nearby."

Despite the two's enthusiasm, Haruki was a little apprehensive. "Should we check it out now? We can return here tomorrow; we spent a lot of energy fighting the Wolves just now."

Monad looked convinced, but the Familiar was another matter. "Master, Asmo thinks that we should strike the iron while it's hot! If we can claim it ahead of time, we can produce Mana quickly. Asmo thinks time is of the essence!"

Having a weird feeling about the current situation, Haruki turned to the Hero for his opinion, who just shrugged lazily. "I will defer to Lord Haruki's decision."

Frowning, Haruki was still indecisive; he was never in a leadership position, so he wasn't used to being the one to have the final say. Still, there were still some hours of daylight left and Asmo's scouting didn't reveal anything overly dangerous in the vicinity.

"Hm, I guess we should at least check it out. We can determine the quality of the Vein and we can decide from there if we want to build an Outpost here."

Asmo cheered while Monad simply nodded. "If that is the case, we should check the surroundings for an entrance heading underground. I suggest checking the cliffside over there."

Monad pointed to some eroded hills that were elevated from the ground, creating cliffs made of red rock. Haruki turned to their resident Familiar-turned-Scout. "It's all yours, Asmo. Go and check it out from the air."

"Understood, Master!"

Asmo quickly got to work while Haruki and Monad took a rest for the meantime. An awkward atmosphere permeated in the air, especially for Haruki who did not know how to act in the company of a gorgeous man. Monad, however, had no such qualms; he was content on humming a nice tune, glancing at the other guy every so often. Haruki was finding it difficult - after hiding in the shadows for so long, he had no idea how to carry himself when pushed into the limelight.

Fortunately, Asmo was quick on his feet, at least metaphorically. Upon return, the round creature donned a proud expression. "Master, Lord Monad, I have found a small tunnel leading underground!"

"I see, great work, Asmo." Haruki was really thankful for the Familiar's efficiency, though his face showed no sign of it. "Let's go take a look."

Monad gave a quick nod, and the two men followed the flying Familiar to the discovered cave entrance. It wasn't big, merely a hole large enough to fit a grown man without crouching. In fact, Haruki didn't have to stoop, but Monad who was a head taller was a different story.

Luckily for the Demon Hero, the tunnel widened as they progressed underground, making it so that the two can walk side by side, if needed. Regardless, Monad took the vanguard, with Haruki following quickly behind. Darkness surrounded them, but as Demons with an innate night vision ability, the two had no issues with visibility.

It was a novel experience for the once-human-and-glasses-wearing Haruki. There was little difference from what he could perceive from outside and inside the cavern; the details were strikingly clear wherever he set his sights into. The rough wall was the same reddish yellow hue of the ground outside, though it was sprinkled with shiny silvery minerals a few inches or so.

The three came across a few tunnel branches or so, but with Monad's Detection ability he was able to choose the correct path. So that they wouldn't get lost, Haruki had the Hero make marks on the ground, which was especially easy with the Demon's Earth Magic.

It was a smooth journey for some time, so the sudden earthquake completely caught them off guard.

"Wha?" Haruki almost fell to his butt, but Monad was quick to assist and held him to keep his balance. The Hero kept steady by holding on to the wall, wrapping the smaller man's body around him in a protective stance. Haruki was a bit flustered but had no choice but to let the Demon do as he pleased.

However, the shaking continued for more than a minute. Haruki turned to Asmo, who was floating aboveground and had no issues "standing" up. "What the heck is happening here?"

"Asmo does not know. Maybe it's a natural occurrence?"

Monad shook his, his grip on Haruki tightening. "No, this is definitely the work of something else. This isn't a force of nature, but neither is it a use of Earth Magic."

"So, it's what, something large is moving and making the earth shake?" Haruki's eyes widened, sucking up a breath. "Ah, shit, how could I forget, I must have lost my mind."

"What's wrong, Master?"

"Mana-Beasts!" exclaimed Haruki, his panic reflecting on the other two. "When there's an unclaimed Mana Vein, then there must be a Mana-Beast living on it! Fuck, this should be a powerful one…"

In Verethragna Gloria, Mana-Beasts were powerful monsters that inhabited in Territories with a plentiful Mana Vein. As an abundant source of uncontrolled Mana, the raw energy seeped into the land and sometimes made the creatures near it grow into humongous proportions. These beasts then fight against each other and as survival of the fittest proclaims, only the strongest one would remain. If a Faction wanted to claim the Territory, slaying the current landlord was a must.

And with their puny combat strength, Haruki and his crew were no match for it.

"Quick!" Haruki was in a hurry to move, though he was stumbling around while holding on to the Demon beside him.  "We should escape before it reaches us."

However, Asmo was a bearer of bad news. "Too late, Master! It's here, it's a Horned Serpent!"

Haruki cursed loudly as he turned to face a large slithering reptile that arrived from the corner they were from. Like its namesake, the Mana-Beast had a large rock-like spiral horn on the otherwise normal snake's head. The monstrous Serpent had dark scales with a bluish tint - a sign that it had absorbed a lot of Mana and became a ferocious and territorial Mana-Beast. Its large red eyes were focused on the intruders, and it opened its mouth to reveal two pairs of hideous scimitar-like fangs.

Drowned in fright, Haruki's brain turned to his usuals in an impulse. "Befuddle the mind in an unholy mirage, Confusion!"

The Horned Serpent stilled its movements for half-a-second before continuing with its attack, aiming to swallow Haruki whole.

"Emerge from the earth with a steady hand, Stone Wall!"

In the last second, a large rectangular rock barrier emerged between Haruki and the Mana-Beast, saving the young man from certain death. However, the Serpent easily crushed through the Stone Wall, prompting Monad to step up and push Haruki behind him.

With one swift and beautiful motion, Monad threw his spear towards the Mana-Beast. Aiming true, the weapon pierced through the Serpent's right eye, causing it to shriek in pain. The sound was harsh and sharp, and Haruki had to cover his ears, or it would probably bleed.

Knowing that his Summoner was still in a bind, Monad scooped up the young man in a princess carry. The Hero was strong and fast; he moved through the passage, trying to get away from the monster as far away as possible.

When the shaking and the screeching finally subsided, Haruki was finally able to calm down. His heart was still beating a mile a minute - he was just a few seconds away from certain death! Despite being calm since he arrived, the sense of danger had always been a constant creeping and nagging feeling, but he realized he was woefully unprepared when pushed into such a situation. After all, Haruki had been a man living in a peaceful society; adapting overnight was definitely a tall order.

Monad, however, acted as someone who was used to the battlefield. Never had the gap between them become so glaring. Haruki turned to thank him but was shocked at the aggrieved expression of pain on the Hero's face.

"Mo-Monad, what's wrong with you?"

Drops of sweat dripped on Monad's forehead, before he stopped and kneeled, pure exhaustion taking his consciousness away.

"L-Lord Haruki, I-I'm sorry…"