Chapter 231

"Um, Your Highness, something feels off... Did I do something wrong?"

At Damien's question, I grinned teasingly. 

"Did you do something wrong?"

Well, there was a great sin, indeed. 

The sin of being too awesome, you cheat character!

I wanted to make a silly joke like that, but seeing Damien's genuinely concerned expression, I just shook my head reassuringly.

"You've done nothing wrong. You're doing really well."

[Damien(EX)]

- Level: 48

- Title: None

- Class: Advanced Magibullet Magician

- Strength 12, Agility 48, Intelligence 24, Stamina 12, Magic Power 36

Damien had changed from N-rank to EX-rank.

EX stands for 'Extraordinary,' a ranking outside the traditional hierarchy of N-R-SR-SSR.

Strictly speaking, it's not a higher rank than those but rather an unpredictable one that exists outside the vertical hierarchy.

'I'm also EX-rank.'

My class was unique, something none of the other characters had—'Commander.'

Damien had also become a one-of-a-kind character, distinct from others.

'Magibullet Magician?'

I groaned, scrutinizing this entirely new class name. What does this even do?

[Skills]

> Passive: Magibullet Refinement

> Skill 1: Healing Magibullet

> Skill 2: Ruin Magibullet

> Ultimate: ??? (Unlocks after third job promotion)

'Ah, I see.'

After taking a look, I roughly understood.

The passive [Magibullet Refinement] allowed Damien to create magic bullets using his magic power and load them into his magic gun. It solved one of the magic guns' main weaknesses, ammunition capacity.

He could also enhance already-loaded bullets with his magic power. Versatile passive, all things considered.

The first skill was [Healing Magibullet].

Damien's natural abilities as a healer had all been consolidated into this one skill.

Originally, as an N-rank healer, his skill set had a passive heal, a first skill for detoxification, and a second skill for health regeneration buffs.

[Healing Magibullet] had all three of these functions. 

If you shot it at an ally, it would provide a combination of heal, detoxification, and health regeneration buffs.

'Although the total healing output might be low since he started as an N-rank healer...'

Still, considering Damien's role, it was pretty overpowered.

Damien was fundamentally a long-range sniper.

Now, he could snipe enemies while overseeing the entire battlefield, and support allies when needed.

He could produce up to five [Healing Magibullets] in a single battle, given his magic power.

'And then the second skill...'

[Ruin Magibullet].

He could create up to two of these per battle.

Hitting an enemy would inflict a 'Ruin' debuff, amplifying all subsequent damage the enemy received.

Not just the debuff; the bullet itself was also incredibly potent.

Clap, clap, clap.

After going through all of his skills, I silently applauded.

"Excellent, Damien! Well done!"

"Uh...?"

"Clap for yourself too! Hurry!"

"Yes, um, okay..."

Confused, Damien followed my lead and clapped like a seal.

All this time, Damien had been a formidable sniper, but he had been executing battles solely based on his 'Far-Sight' trait, which had nothing to do with his healer skill set. 

His skills, his job, and his combat style had always been at odds.

But now, everything was unified, working together in harmony.

As I watched, I also checked the status of Damien's weapon, the 'Black Queen.' The once dark gun had turned white, something that had secretly been bothering me.

[Purified Black Queen (SSR) Lv.70]

- Type: Magic Gun

- Attack Power: 250-300

- Durability: 7/7

- Magazine: 7/7

<This equipment has been purified! Bonus added to level and attack power>

- Fires cursed bullets that have a chance of instant death to the enemy. The chance increases with weapon proficiency.

- Orlop's Fury: As the magazine empties, the bullets become increasingly powerful. The seventh and last bullet deals double damage and is guaranteed to be a critical hit.

<Victory over Nightmare grants access to 'Nightmare Slayer' mode>

- Merges all remaining bullets into one magic bullet and fires it.

- As the number of merged bullets increases, bonus damage increases, but accuracy decreases.

※ Warning! Using this will cause feedback damage to the shooter.

That's a lot to take in.

Anyway, I had won the internal battle against the Nightmare, which seemed to unlock the awesome railgun (?) mode that helped defeat Jormungandr.

"Heh heh heh."

I walked up to Damien with an ominous laugh and patted him on both shoulders.

"You did really well this time, Damien. I'm counting on you in the future, too."

I had praised him during last night's feast, but I hadn't singled him out for commendation.

I once again assured Damien he had done a great job in the previous defense, rubbing the shoulders of this cheat-level sniper. 

The once fragile guy had grown so much. I didn't really help, but I can't help but feel proud. 

Damien still looked like he didn't understand why.

However, seeing me continually smile seemed to bring a faint smile to his lips as well.

As I quietly observed Damien's typical, shy smile, I tilted my head.

"You don't laugh like 'heh heh' anymore?"

That 'chuunibyou' concept was weird, but kind of fun.

Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Damien replied, "...I've realized that bravado doesn't really suit me."

"Is that so? Still, it's nice when you laugh out loud."

Kids should grow up smiling.

I grinned broadly.

"Smile often, Damien."

"Yes. I'll try, Your Highness."

"Good, you've worked hard. Go and rest."

"You've also had a hard time commanding this defense, Your Highness."

Exchanging warm smiles, Damien naturally reached out his hand and—

Pat Pat!

He lightly patted my back.

"Huh?"

What?

"See you later, son!"

...And he suddenly switched to informal speech.

"...?"

What?

I was too startled to react immediately and just blinked.

Huh? Um? Eh?

What's he doing? No, what did he just call me?

"Gasp."

A moment too late, Damien realized the gravity of what he had just said, his face draining of color. In a hurried flurry of hand movements, he began to explain himself.

"Ah, no, Your Highness! This might sound strange, but..."

What he said next did indeed sound strange.

"In my dream, you appeared as my son."

"?"

"Ever since I had that dream, I can't help but feel that you're like my son..."

"...?"

"So, uh, I, without thinking, haha...?"

"...Son?"

Son?

Me? Your? Son?

What the hell is he talking about?!

"What are you yammering about, saying I'm your son when you're still wet behind the ears, huh?!"

As I yelled, Damien covered his face with both hands, spat out something that sounded like 'I'm sorry!' and dashed out of the room.

So I was Damien's son?

Does that mean Damien was my father?

I yelled at Damien, who was running away, encapsulating all my incredulity in my voice.

"What kind of screwed-up dream did you have, you idiot?!"

***

At the same time.

Deep within the Lake Kingdom.

A towering skyscraper enveloped by perpetual fog stood here.

King's Castle.

The last dungeon of the Lake Kingdom, where the Demon King resides.

Thud. Thud.

A massive werewolf with silvery-red fur approached the entrance, where sticky darkness oozed like mud.

Ranked 9th among the Nightmare Legion commanders.

The commander of the Werewolf Legion, Lunared.

"Commander Lunared."

"What brings you here?"

The demon guards posted on both sides of the entrance inquired in a solemn tone.

Heh.

Lunared's wide mouth flashed his fangs in a sinister grin.

"The Demon King has summoned me for punishment."

Lunared spoke calmly.

"He said I broke the rules he established and will mete out a severe punishment. So, I ran all the way here in joy."

"..."

"Now, open the gate, guards. I must pay my respects to my king."

"But, Lunared. Why are you..."

The demon guards slowly advanced their spears.

"...not retracting your claws?"

At the end of Lunared's thick and long fingers, blood-red claws glinted menacingly.

In any way one looked at it, Lunared was in a combative stance.

"You damn idiots, do you need to ask?"

The werewolf's silvery-red mane bristled like spikes.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

His massive, muscular frame swelled even more, magnifying the already gigantic werewolf's size twofold.

A savage light exploded from his crimson eyes. With a ferocious roar, Lunared shot forward like a cannonball.

"I came here for a good fight, after all!"

***

Bang! Bang! Boom!

Lunared charged without hesitation.

"Stop him!"

"We must hold him back here...!"

The demon guards, personal guards of the Demon King, gathered in dozens and hundreds to block his path. Yet, they were no more than paper dolls before the Werewolf King's claws.

Slash! Rip! Tear!

Their weapons were sliced, and their armor shredded. From the entrance to the long corridor of the King's Castle, blood splattered in torrents.

Bathing in the blood and flesh of his Nightmare Legion brethren, Lunared couldn't stop laughing.

"Come at me more viciously! Show me more brutality! Are you even worthy of being called the elite guards of the King of Kings?" 

As he broke through the final line of defense in a hallway littered with corpses, a spacious hall unfolded before him. 

The Royal Audience Chamber.

This was where the subjects paid their respects to the king. 

On the elevated platform, there were three jade thrones. Two on the sides were completely destroyed and empty. 

And on the untouched throne in the center sat a figure, indistinct like a shadow. 

Wearing a radiant golden crown, he stared intently at a chessboard beside his throne. He was the one who had resurrected the monsters of Lake Kingdom, the leader of all the nightmarish legions, the King of Kings as hailed by monstrous lords.

The Demon King.

Blood-spattered Lunared stepped into the Royal Audience Chamber, and only then did the king turn his head to look at the werewolf. 

"Lunared, my loyal hound."

Even though one of his commanders had committed what could only be called treason, the king looked down at the werewolf without showing a shred of disturbance. 

"What delightful mischief brings you here?" 

"It seemed that Your Majesty was bored lately, so I took the liberty of rushing here to provide some entertainment."

Swoosh-!

Claws grew longer at the tips of Lunared's fingers, extending like curved blades.

With ten blade-like claws pointed forward, Lunared grinned.

"Let us not question whether this is right or wrong, and just have a match."

The king's jaw shifted sideways. Observing the shadowy king's neck, Lunared licked his lips.

"I've always wanted to take a bite out of that illusory neck of yours."

"You always pick the cutest things to say, Lunared."

The king shook his head from side to side.

"'Last time' you were the same. Ah, the nature of werewolves; they only know strife."

Last time?

Lunared's brows furrowed. Last time? This was the first time he had directly challenged the Demon King.

"Well, fine. It's true that I've been bored. Let's have some fun."

Slowly, the king rose from his jade throne.

"You'll be reduced to dust, of course..."

Then, with fingers made of shadows touching tips, 

Snap!

They flicked apart.

"After all, reviving you is no big deal."

And the next moment, a mud-like darkness spewed from the king, enveloping the Royal Audience Chamber.