Chapter 042.5 [BU]

"Another human, huh? Wow, looks like I'm in for a tasty dinner tonight!" the demon chuckled menacingly, sending chills down their spines.

Kazuki stepped up beside Karin and murmured, "This guy's odd. He's talking like we're his next meal."

Karin shot back, "If you fight like you did before I got here, you might just end up on his plate."

Without a moment's notice, the demon raised its hand, and out of nowhere, thick vines started shooting up from all sides, trapping them in. Kazuki quickly asked, "Got any plan here?" as they watched the vines closing in fast.

Karin, focused and calm, replied, "I've got something in motion. Just steer clear of those vines and wait for my plan to kick in." She positioned herself confidently, slicing through the advancing vines with ease using her sword.

Kazuki mirrored her movements, cutting through the vines just as skillfully. But as they prepared to confront the demon itself, thinking they'd stopped the vine onslaught, a sudden cracking noise came from beneath them. More vines burst from the ground, forcing them to leap out of the way just in time.

"How long till your plan works?" Kazuki called out, noticing the vines closing in again, leaving them with nowhere left to run.

"Any moment now!" Karin assured him. "Until then, we've got no choice but to keep fighting."

"Yeah, seems like fighting's always been the only way," Kazuki agreed, bracing himself for the next wave.

Meanwhile, Ishida found himself deep in the forest, almost at the mountain's peak. He was focused and determined to explore as much of the forest as he could while climbing. He stayed alert, ready for any surprise attacks from any direction. So far, he could still feel the presence of demons in the area. However, after the encounter with the demon he had faced earlier, he hadn't run into any others yet. This made him more confident in his initial thought: that the demon he fought was likely just a guard for the others living there. It made sense that it was stationed far from where the main group was. He hoped he'd get more answers once he came face to face with the other demons.

As he wandered further into the forest, the spooky vibe began to intensify. The darkness, already thick with the night, seemed to grow even darker with each step he took deeper inside. A creepy, unsettling feeling started to creep up on him, making him feel more uneasy with every move he made.

"This feeling..." Ishida thought as he ventured deeper into the forest, his eyes scanning and analyzing everything around him. "It's unlike anything I've ever felt before."

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from a distance. It didn't stop but kept growing louder. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out where it was coming from. As soon as he pinpointed the direction, he turned quickly and sprinted toward it at full speed. He had heard this sound a few times before but couldn't find anyone when he got there. Determined not to miss it this time, he pushed himself to move as fast as he could toward the source.

The sound grew louder as Ishida got closer to its source. It felt like he was chasing the noise, but then, just as abruptly, it stopped, and so did he. Confused, he wondered if it was just like before—another trick, leading him to nothing.

"So, you finally made it!" a voice suddenly echoed. It was deep and creepy, sending shivers down Ishida's spine, spreading through his entire body.

The presence he felt was far more powerful and intimidating than anything he had sensed before.

Ishida spun around to find the source of the voice, and to his shock, he was met by a demon resembling a snake. This one was much larger and taller than the demon he had previously fought and defeated.

"Stop trying to scare the kid, will you?" another voice chimed in from behind him. This one sounded a bit more feminine. Ishida turned to see another demon approaching, adding to the unsettling atmosphere around him.

[Level - Unknown]

[Level - 19]

Above the heads of the two demons, Ishida noticed level tags from the system. One was marked as "unknown," while the other showed a level of 19, which was lower than the female demon he had faced last time. He wondered why the level of the previous demon wasn't displayed and why one of these demons had an "unknown" level. Did that mean its level was higher than his own? These questions swirled in his mind as he stood between the two demons, deep in the forest.

Meanwhile, Karin and Kazuki were facing their own enemy, struggling against the relentless attacks of vines. Karin was agile, dodging most of the vine attacks and countering swiftly. However, Kazuki's slower pace was causing her some trouble, and the demon they faced was faster than both of them.

What would they do in this tough situation? And what secret plan did Karin have up her sleeve?