DxD 19 – Becoming a Mercenary (2)

"I am fine, I am fond of all kinds of food… know I think about it, I don't have food that I hate, strange, isn't it?" Gunnar told.

"Maybe? But also, a good thing, seeing you not a picky eater. But will you be fine? You just thrown up little warrior, will you be fine with some food and water, right? It has been a whole day since we brought you here." Cantina went.

"Whole… day?" Gunnar was somewhat shocked upon hearing that. But he soon understood right away why he slept that long.

After all, Gunnar didn't just slowly devoured the Fallen Angel in his Devourer's Subspace. But he actually directly devoured him whole. Just like the time, when Gunnar devoured for the first time. Gunnar overdid it, when he devoured three whole trees for the first time awakening his Abyssal Power. And even almost fallen asleep himself, just from eating too much.

There is a vast difference between the plants and trees he has been devouring the last 3 years, compared to a Low-Class Fallen Angel, that not only they're materially stronger, but also their lifeforce is countless times higher than a simple tree.

But there is merits and demerits, when it comes to the two methods of devouring, one is directly devouring. Which does have the fastest growth rate. But the downside, it makes Gunnar fallen into a weaken or sleeping state. Making it easy for others to dispose of him.

That is why Gunnar always go for the second way of devouring his prey. That is to capture them (Trees and plants) into the Devourer's Subspace, and slowly snacked away at his prey. Even if it takes 2~4 times slower compared to direct devouring. Least he doesn't have the weakness of overeating him, and falling into a coma, so others can attack him.

"Fufu, yes it been that long. Well, I am in the middle of making some broth with beef that my husband, whose name is Jan Lewy by the way, has brought this morning in the market. That should be easy on your tummy, right?" Cantina said.

"That's fine… thank you Miss." Gunnar went.

"There is no need for the formality little warrior. Just call me either Cantina or Tina. Okay, I will be back shortly afterwards, just give me call when you done." Cantina went, and glance at the trash laying on the wooden ground.

"Sorry! I will clean it up!" Gunnar said that and was about to deal with the trash laying on the ground. But before he could, he was stopped by Cantina herself.

"There is no need to clean up, I will do it later, so don't worry." Cantina told.

"But…" Gunnar tried to protest.

"No buts little warrior, you not well at the moment, right? Rest a little, after the broth is done, I will tell you, just relax a little, trust me, it gets better over time." Cantina said that, and Gunnar knew what she on about. After all, the misunderstanding of Gunnar throwing up was his first kill again.

Watching the blonde-haired beauty leaving the room, that seems to be the guest room. Gunnar pointed his hand towards his own vomit, and then at the trash laying on the ground. He knew he was told not to do it. But that doesn't mean, Gunnar felt no guilt of making such a mess.

That is why, Gunnar cast his Abyssal Power in its physical form, the black mist itself, poured out his hand, and begun to consume the mess he has done. Even if Gunnar felt his Abyss devoured the material mess he has done, he cannot help to show a bitter smile. Feeling his physical strength hasn't even increased even in the slightly amount.

"More I devour… stronger I get in both Abyssal Power, and my physical body. However… the more I become stronger… more it needs. Plants and trees barely enough now… maybe I should began devouring ores and metals for my physical body… as for my Abyssal Power itself… looks like I have no choice, to begin devouring people, or living creatures, even if I like it or not."

Gunnar said that thought out loud. And looked at the black mist entering back into his body. He felt devouring trees and plants cannot be enough anymore. And that is the truth, he can still become stronger just by devouring trees. But the amount he needs to reach the next level is going higher and higher, and there be no way he wouldn't be notice, the amount he needs.

It is like, if Gunnar's Abyssal Powers and Abyss were a system. Those trees will be Experience Points to Gunnar. Even if at the beginning he only need 3 trees to reach the next level. But the moment he reached level 2, he needs 6 trees, then at level 3 that will be 12 trees, then 24 trees, and then 48, 96, and so on.

In the end, Gunnar who is about to reached Middle-Class as whatever kind of monster he is. Cannot rely on the pitiful amounts of lifeforce that dwelled in trees and plants anymore. Even a human being has many times more lifeforce than a tree will have.

And Gunnar, if he wanted to survive and explore this world, has no choice to face the truth.

However, even if he knew he has to kill people onwards. Strangely enough, Gunnar felt he is okay with it. Which such a thought frighten Gunnar a little, seeing he is alright with killing. And yet, it doesn't change the fact, he still felt nothing ending the life of that crazy Fallen Angel.

Unknowingly to Gunnar himself, he didn't know there was someone listening into that thought he just spoken out loud. After all, Gunnar has no clue there is a spell formation in the room he is in. And Jan Lewy, that has been working as an information broker. Happened to overhear what Gunnar just said.

And when he did overheard that Gunnar making up his mind, to comes to terms to devour to become stronger. The bias part of Jan took over him.

"Don't tell me… he's going to eat us… no, that just my fear taking over me… but from the sound of it… he wants ores and people or creatures to devour… but dislike the thought?" Jan said that, as he recalled the moment Gunnar brought back to life. Those black and red eyes didn't have any humanity dwelling inside them, just pure desire to devour all before his sight.

But as he watched the boy, Jan also sees how he thrown up in the bin, and even heard his words when he did throw up.

'What the fuck… is this… what are these memories… what had I done… no… these not mine memories… are they…?'

From those words, Jan could tell that Gunnar has the memories of the Fallen Angel, and Jan felt Gunnar did something to those memories, after he thrown up, he closed his eyes.

There is a side, that makes Jan fear Gunnar. But there also the side, that he sees now, cannot help seeing an innocent kid forced to do things against his will, if he wants to survive in this dangerous world. That this monstrous kid has no choice to become part of.

"Abyssal Power huh… so that what that black misty thingy called? Fitting name… Gunnar huh, bold or brave warrior… being brave is nothing in the Supernatural, but being bold can also get you killed, unless you have the strength to back you up…" Jan said with a bitter smile, and felt be need a smoke, but also afraid his wife will kill him if he did.

'Either way, I still have to repay this kid… cash is one thing… but I feel this kid need more than just cash… he needs information of this world you about to step into, don't he?' Jan thought, as he disconnected that spell that been spying on Gunnar.

But the moment when Jan did disconnect the spell, he didn't see that Gunnar stared towards spell formation itself. Otherwise, Jan might even become shitless scared, when their eyes meet.

And the person himself, Gunnar thought someone was watching him. He didn't notice that his Abyssal Observation kicked in, feeling a gaze on him. Due to the sole fact, Gunnar was overwhelmed by those memories and emotions of that crazy Fallen Angel.

Not to mention, he also was distracted by Cantina as well.

'Was it in my head?' Gunnar thought so that his Abyssal Observation must be working wrong, since he cannot sense anything over there. But has no idea, with his current level of power, he cannot feel the masked magical power in the spell's formation array that has been watching him. And thought it must be his imagination.

Gunnar closed his eyes, and rest on the bed. And begun to scan the memories that he hasn't deleted from the Fallen Angel that he devoured unknowingly. As Gunnar read the information about Grigori, the faction of Fallen Angels, and information he known from the other two factions, the Underworld and the Church/Heaven.

What Gunnar learnt was the unstable state between the Devils, Fallen Angels, and the Angels themselves. Each faction are watching each other's backs, and waiting for the moment then the other faction attacks them first. But Gunnar knows what this means.

From what Gunnar can recall from the canon of the anime of DxD itself. Each factions are in the state of weakening, and each one actually doesn't want another war happened between them anymore. The Devils has lost many of their kind, when the foolish Old Satan Faction want to carry on the Great War right after it ended, and because of the number of loses, and the fact it will be nothing but suicidal for the whole of the Devil Race to attack either the Grigori or Heaven again.

So, the Devils themselves begun a war among themselves, and started the first Devil Civil War, which they won, and stopped their race ending for good. However, that doesn't change the fact, there was heavy damages during the civil war. Reducing the numbers of pure blood Devils about half, or even less.

If it wasn't for Ajuka Beelzebub, one of the two first Super-Class Devils among the Devil Race. Who has created a way for humans to become Devils themselves, they will die out for sure, sooner or later.

As for Grigori themselves, they have the least among the Three Factions. But still have most of their high-ranking officers from the Great War, when their leader, Azazel ordered the Fallen Angels to redraw from the war before they die out themselves.

Not to mention, the current state of Grigori has no desire for war. In fact, due to the fact they cannot increased the numbers of Fallen Angels, unless they make other Angels to fall from grace of God himself. They have no choice to coexist among other races. And even begun to recruit and train humans with Sacred Gears to their faction.

If one look into Grigori right now, they are no different to a school than anything else. And not to mention Azazel himself has no desires for war, besides Sacred Gears themselves, as he is now more like a researcher than a leader of the Fallen Angels. Which does make many Fallen Angels dislike both Grigori and their leader, for not carrying on the war between the Angels and the Devils.

And for the Angels Faction, the Church or Heaven themselves, they don't want any other faction, or people to know about the truth that their God, the God of the Bible, the God that started it all. The one that created the Angels, and the humans, and even Lucifer, who was his most beloved son, before he rebelled, and casted him down from Heaven, and into the Underworld, which from there, he created the race known as the Devils.

One can say, between the Three Factions, the God of the Bible hold an important position to all three Factions. Their father, the father that casted them away, and the person that wanted them to be eased from the world itself.

It was only in the second series of the canon, that God of the Bible was discovered to be dead. And the Church or the Heaven Faction has no choice to make peace between the two other factions, which both the Devils and the Fallen Angels agree on an alliance between the three of them, as well alongside the Norse Gods also joined that alliance, when they find out the God of the Bible is dead.

That is why, when Gunnar learnt the Three Factions are still watching each other movements. Only meant two things, either one, the canon of DxD has just begun in the first series of the anime. Or it hasn't begun yet. Making it, a high possibility, that Gunnar might be of the same age or near the same age as the main cast of this anime world.