How a Mythic Paladin Lives as a Villain - Chapter 8

Regeneration and recovery were powers not granted to most players. They were rare abilities allowed to only a very few.

Crunch!

It was different for demons. For them, regeneration and recovery were such natural abilities. The wings, distorted by Goyo-han, quickly regained their original form.

“You again! It’s you!”

Drous shouted.

Boom!

Another wing struck Goyo-han’s body. At a speed too fast to react, Goyo-han’s body was momentarily flung away.

“……!”

Only then did Jae-kyung Lee come to his senses and charge forward, swinging his sword, but it was useless.

[Skill is sealed.]

A skill that didn’t activate when facing demons. Jae-kyung swung his sword, as if his arm was cut off, in a pathetic manner.

Bang!

Meanwhile, Drous’ wings descended to tear Jae-kyung apart. It was a monster. Having gone through numerous gate strategies, Jae-kyung could estimate Drous’ level, albeit roughly. Level 200, the benchmark for top-ranked players. But that monster was.

‘Estimated level 300.’

At this time, it was a true monster that no player could rival, no matter who you brought. Descending wings, fallen stats, and sealed skills couldn’t even block it. But as Jae-kyung declared.

“Run away!”

He intended to sacrifice himself as Goyo-han’s meat shield. As the wing of Drous that surpassed the speed of his sluggish sword swung to attack Jae-kyung’s head.

Grip.

A small hand was holding the wing.

“……!”

It was Goyo-han.

“…Am I still lacking?”

Pushing back the wing, Goyo-han said self-deprecatingly. Since the day he was born, he had never been lazy in training. Every moment, every second, he constrained himself to regain his past strength. It was an agonizing time that couldn’t even compare to Jae-kyung’s claimed hard work, like forcibly shredding and regenerating his body at the cellular level.

“How do you…!”

Meanwhile, Drous shouted.

“Demon Killer!”

Among the demons, it seemed Goyo-han was known by that name. Fear of himself could be felt from the wings of Drous that were held captive. But simultaneously.

“……?”

The fear was being conveyed as curiosity. Demon Killer, an existence akin to a fearsome figure for demons.

“A knight of illusion….”

A knight of illusion. However.

Squeak!
Drous’ lips ripped long, and drool ran down between those nasty teeth.

“Weakened! You’ve weakened!”

It cawed like a crow that could speak human language.

“Weakened!”

It wasn’t unreasonable for Drous to think so. No matter how terrifying some demons were, to Goyo-han, or rather Michael, they were akin to Hellhounds. But the thought that such an illusionary knight, a Demon Killer, couldn’t handle a mere Drous.

“Kiheheheehee!”

Drous burst into mad laughter. Drous was right. The body of an eight-year-old boy couldn’t compare to his prime body. But that was a story about the body alone. What hadn’t changed then or now was one thing.

[Title ‘Fanatic’ is activated.]

Faith in the Goddess.

Crunch!

[A portion of the Faith stat is converted to Strength.]

Drous’ wings were crumpling.

[A portion of the Faith stat is converted to Magic.]
[…]

Rip!

Drous’ wings were torn apart.

[Current Faith stat….]

The body was merely an eight-year-old boy. In comparison to peers, it was not much different, rather it could be called skinny. But what was contained within was.

[1012]

Something that a mere demon like Drous couldn’t withstand.

“Go back and convey.”

Goyo-han, who appeared in front of Drous, reached out his hand. A large black bundle of threads was visible before his eyes. Those that had never been severed by a small hand.

“The Goddess’ knight has returned to rip you all apart.”

Boom!

For a moment, everything about Drous exploded.

*
*
*

“Grr, grrk…. How…! How!”

Drous, whose body mostly exploded, crawled on the ground, wailing.

“How are you here… grrrk!”

And behind such Drous, Goyo-han was standing.

Crunch.

A small foot stepped on Drous, who was reduced to rags, and crushed him.

“There is nowhere for you to escape.”
“Keeek!”

Not feeling pain because they couldn’t die was not true.

“When you return and awaken, convey.”

For entities that don’t die, the emotion of fear was unfamiliar. Hence, Goyo-han, Michael researched and researched ways to engrave fear into them.

Boom!

“The Goddess’ knight is here.”

Flickering energy made Goyo-han appear like a knight that couldn’t be resisted.

“This time, I’ll tear you all to death.”

Crunch!

“Spare me….”

Boom!

Even the remaining fragments of Drous exploded away. Regrettably, Drous wasn’t annihilated. It would be revived somewhere in the demon world, spreading its wings in the future….

[Karma linkage is activated.]

Then the voice of the Goddess was heard.

[You’ve killed the demon, Drous.]

Surely the Goddess declared.

[You’ve succeeded in hunting a demon for the first time.]
[You’ve obtained the unique achievement, Opponent of the End.]
[All stats slightly increase when facing demons.]
[You’ve obtained a large amount of Karma Points.]

It was declared that the demon was killed.

“……?”

Goyo-han, with a dumbfounded expression, looked at Drous’ corpse. The unraveling black threads composing him were being connected to him.

“Goddess?”

Without the voice of the Goddess, it could be felt.

[You’ve obtained the legendary item, Drous’ Staff.]

That the demon was truly annihilated.

“I… I was not wrong.”

The resolve he made when he threw himself into the Gate of the Demon World. The resolve that if he could hunt demons, he would even become one.

“The Goddess wasn’t wrong….!”

It was the moment that bore fruit.

Thud.

Finally, Jae-kyung Lee, as well, having his tension released, sat down. Having concluded the situation was something he, also as a player, knew well.

[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level….]

The leveling-up messages that came pouring in and the given rewards were evidence enough.

“When we return… you really have to tell us.”

It was now safe to raise the flag.

*
*
*

As with all gates, so it was with a black gate. You must defeat the boss and break the core of the space sleeping behind it. There, you could obtain numerous items, as well as gate destruction rewards, which players called the reward room. However.

“…….”
“…….”

There was no dazzling treasure, jewels, or items present there. Though Goyo-han wouldn’t be interested in such things, there was something far too unexpected present.

“Kie…. Kie….”

A being crying like a beast. Feathers from Drous’ wings were stuck all over its body, and it seemed to be crouching down, as if small horns were sprouting on its head. Yet, it could be clearly stated.

“That… is it not a human?”

A human. The clothes visible through the black wing feathers looked like a school uniform from a middle school. It was, in fact, a girl. One who would just have entered middle school, slightly older than Goyo-han.

Step.

Goyo-han approached the girl.

“Kie…. Kie…!”

It seemed the girl was afraid of Goyo-han, only letting out inexplicable cries. Goyo-han, having approached her, grabbed the girl.

“Kieee!”

Though the girl screamed as if to escape, it was impossible to escape from the grip of a boy with still weak strength.

“…….”

Goyo-han’s eyes dimmed.

‘I thought I opened the Gate of the End.’

But it wasn’t so. Somehow, the demons had already extended their grasp to Earth.

“……Vessel.”

And as with Travania, it was certain they were spreading tumors meant to engulf Earth. The girl was a vessel.

“Vessel?”
“A possessed individual.”

Demons contained within it could freely move on Earth, and eventually, it would act to manifest its true form.

‘The demonization is already progressing.’

In the past, Goyo-han had encountered such vessels several times. Each time there was only one thing that could be done.

Grip.

To give peace and rest to prevent further corruption.

“Kieee! Kiee!”

It was when he was about to make the same choice now.

“Wait…!”

Even if it wasn’t for Jae-kyung Lee’s intervention, Goyo-han released the hand that held the girl.

“…It is not your sin.”

The girl was merely a victim. Still bound to the demon world, she likely hadn’t harmed anyone. Demons, they were beings never to be coexisted with.

“…I.”

He himself had resolved. To hunt demons, he would become a demon.

“I will bear your sin.”
“…Kie?”

Goyo-han extended his hand. The girl, who was trembling in fear, looked at Goyo-han and then.

“Kiee!”

With a hand turning into a wing, she reached out to embrace him.

“Kie! Kie!”

[You possess sufficient Karma Points.]
[You possess sufficient Faith Stat.]
[You possess the job of Black Knight.]
[You possess the title of Fanatic.]

And the Goddess spoke.

[Atonement for sins is possible.]

Jae-kyung, not knowing what Goyo-han was doing, couldn’t intervene.

“So I shall. Oh Goddess.”

Shine.

Bright light shone from the girl’s body. The body, which was changing due to the corruption process, returned to that of a human. Yet the tiny horn marks on her temples couldn’t be undone.

[Atonement completed.]
[You’ve obtained a large amount of Karma Points.]
[Status ailment, Curse of Sloth, is triggered.]