Chapter 86: A Vacation That’s Not Really a Vacation

Deon Hart’s alcohol tolerance was five bottles, based on liquor with a 25% alcohol content. To be precise, his memories would cut off after the last sip of the fifth bottle.

He was the type whose drunkenness hit him all at once. Until that moment, he showed no signs of intoxication, and his mind remained perfectly clear.

This had never changed, not once, from the first time he ever drank.

Not even once.

So, if he wasn’t drunk, why did his personality change?

Deon chuckled, bringing the bottle to his lips.

“It’s like putting a key back into a locked door. Of course, it’ll open.”

Alcohol and drugs were a type of ‘key’.

On the battlefield, Deon Hart had developed two drastically different personalities to survive and maintain his sanity. The medium for this process was none other than alcohol and drugs.

It was only natural that the walls he built with alcohol and drugs would weaken with alcohol and drugs.

Because of this, even a small amount of alcohol caused Deon Hart to lose control as his two distinct personalities surged over the walls separating them.

In the end, the problem wasn’t the ‘amount’ but the ‘alcohol’ itself.

He hadn’t particularly tried to hide it, nor was it the kind of thing he could hide, so it was understandable that others would notice and try to exploit it…

‘But this blatant?’

It was obviously the Demon King.

He didn’t bother trying to figure out why he’d gone this far. It was obvious.

Time was precious. The Emperor was moving faster and more decisively than he’d anticipated, and the Hero’s birth was approaching. On top of that, the monsters were multiplying at an alarming rate…

However, ignoring the monsters could lead to an uncontrollable surge, leaving them tied up when they needed to act.

Even now, complaints were pouring in from other races demanding they do something about the monsters.

Sending Deon to deal with them as quickly as possible and returning him to minimize the gap in their combat strength was the only option.

So, Deon Hart was…

“Being used.”

Used by the Demon King. In a thoroughly unpleasant way.

He felt disgusted, but there was nothing he could do about the current situation. Deon skillfully pushed those thoughts aside, pointedly lowering his gaze.

‘With Develania making moves like this, there’s only one thing I can do.’

Open the door and deal with those monsters.

That was exactly what the Demon King wanted, and the stage was perfectly set.

But before that.

Crash!

He threw the empty bottle onto the carriage floor and drew his dagger. Stepping on the razor-sharp shards of glass that scattered haphazardly, he lunged forward and pinned Ben against the carriage wall.

Pressing his left forearm against Ben’s chest, Deon held the dagger to his neck, staring directly into his eyes as he growled.

“I’m cutting you slack this time because of your past service and your commendable effort. There won’t be a next time.”

“…”

“I’ll decide when I step up.”

His bloodshot eyes, filled with a madman’s fervor, gleamed with open displeasure.

He’d rather be the one wielding the whip than be the one whipped.

Being forced into this situation against his will made him feel more disgusted than he’d expected. There was even a hint of murderous intent in Deon’s eyes.

Ben instinctively felt that his life could be in danger if he pushed too far. His body, already stiff with fear from the moment the dagger was held to his neck, tensed even further.

Deon glared at him fiercely before shrugging and slowly backing away.

“Remember who your primary patient is.”

Even if the Demon King had assigned him as his physician, Ben was currently Deon’s doctor. What kind of doctor would recommend alcohol to a patient with a weak constitution?

He had just harmed the very patient he was supposed to be caring for.

Ben’s body stiffened as the realization dawned on him. Deon sneered at his expression, which was hardening with shame and humiliation, before stepping back.

“Well… I didn’t expect much anyway.”

Ben’s eyes widened in shock, but Deon didn’t even glance back as he opened the carriage door and stepped out.

A vast plain stretched before him, teeming with an overwhelming number of monsters surging forward like a tide. The 2nd Corps’ efforts had turned many into chunks of meat, but even more were still advancing.

Seeing him, Develania retracted the threads that had been crisscrossing the air and called out.

“Demon-nim, we miscalculated! There are more monsters than we thought! What should we do?”

His red eyes scanned the fallen monster carcasses before looking up again.

Then back at Develania.

“Should we retreat for now? The Second City is nearby, so maybe we should head there? Though, at this rate, even escaping might be difficult…”

“…”

He glanced at the monsters.

The corner of his mouth quirked upwards.

“So… you’re saying we should endure significant losses to break through these monsters and head to the Second City? And just leave the remaining monsters to overrun the other races’ territories, whether they follow us or not?”

“Ah, that’s not what I meant…”

Fleeing as she suggested would mean suffering losses, failing the mission, and dragging a ticking time bomb to another city. If that city were to fall into danger as well, it would be the worst-case scenario.

Develania, meeting his blood-red gaze, frantically waved her hands, her face pale.

“Th-The Second City has a Corps Commander! Ah, no. I’m sorry, Demon-nim. I wasn’t thinking clearly. It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea…”

“I heard they stationed a Corps Commander in the city.”

But one Corps Commander was responsible for two cities, so they had to split their forces. No matter how capable a Corps Commander was, how much help could a split legion be against this many enemies?

“Why are you trying to find a solution over there?”

“Huh?”

“Ben, do you have the communication stone?”

“Yes? Ah, yes, I do!”

Ben, who had been watching the situation unfold as they left the carriage, startled and nodded quickly.

He distinctly remembered Ed packing his luggage right before their departure, along with a threatening reminder to take good care of Demon-nim. So, the communication stone should be around here… Ah, found it.

“Here it is!”

“Can you use this to make a video call to the Demon King?”

“Yes, it’s possible, but this is just the medium, and I need to use magic separately…”

“So?”

“The Demon King issued a ban on magic.”

A short ‘ah’ escaped Deon’s lips before he tilted his head.

“Even in an emergency?”

“…I’ll make the call.”

“I’ll go deal with the monsters. The situation looks a bit rough…”

Develania, glancing around nervously, plunged back into the chaotic fray while Ben activated the communication stone with magic. Soon, the Demon King’s face appeared in the air.

-Ben? What’s wrong? You’re not supposed to be using magic… Demon?

“We have a problem.”

-What kind of problem?

“Ben, please show the Demon King the situation.”

Ben readily adjusted the angle. The Demon King fell silent at the sight of the endless wave of monsters.

“There are more than we anticipated.”

-Indeed… I thought two Corps Commanders and a legion would be enough.

“What should we do?”

-We can’t just leave them there… I’ll send backup. Hold out for fifteen minutes. Can you do that?

“I’ll try. The location is…”

-It’s fine, I’ll find you.

The connection was cut. Deon turned to look at the monsters.

Even looking at them again was sickening. Their numbers were so vast that surviving, let alone killing or driving them back, seemed impossible.

He had to hold out for fifteen minutes in this?

The appearance of prey had seemingly driven them into a frenzy. Even as they were cut down, they continued to surge across the wilderness, enough to make anyone lose hope and give up. But Deon merely tightened his grip on his dagger and grinned.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve been in a situation like this.’

If he were the type to lose hope and give up over something like this, he wouldn’t have survived the eight-year war.

Deon had survived even in far more desperate battles.

The only difference was that his opponents were monsters. No, monsters were actually easier to deal with than humans.

Deon was confident he would survive this time as well.

Thump.

He took a step forward, showing no hesitation.

As if to provide cover, Develania silently landed beside him, retracting her threads. But Deon didn’t immediately charge in.

‘If I recklessly jump into the middle of that, I’ll be isolated and die for sure.’

Being crazy was different from not understanding his own limits.

He was crazy to survive, not to die.

‘Think.’

Even now, the front lines were slowly but surely being pushed back.

My specialty isn’t killing, but instilling fear. If these monsters are driven by instinct, they’ll flee as soon as fear overwhelms their hunger.

‘But is it really a good thing for the monsters to run away?’

It might be good for surviving in the short term, but it’s definitely not good for the future.

His blood-red eyes rapidly scanned the battlefield. His mind raced, calculating the situation in an instant.

He had to hold the monsters here until reinforcements arrived.

Deon drew daggers in both hands and called out to Develania, his voice betraying a forced calmness.

“We’re going to set a trap. Tell your corps.”

…….

There’s something called a fish trap. The entrance is shaped like a funnel, making it easy to enter but difficult to exit. Even the current of the water helps the fish enter and suppresses those trying to leave—a literal trap.

The monsters were both the fish and the current.

“Develania.”

“Start now!”

The 2nd Corps simultaneously deployed their threads. Each thread intertwined, forming a massive structure.

Since the threads could slice anything they touched, the foolish monsters, not understanding what they were, simply followed the threads’ guidance towards the only opening, knowing only that going to certain spots meant being torn apart and killed.

It wouldn’t be long before they realized something was wrong. But by then, it would be too late. The only exit was blocked by the continuously advancing monsters.

Deon, who had been observing the situation from the innermost part of the trap, slowly walked forward. After a few steps, he turned to Develania and drew a line on the ground with his foot.

“Set up random threads around this area. The goal is to prevent the monsters from reaching where you’re standing. We need a safe space, too.”

This was a last stand. The monsters couldn’t escape this trap, but neither could they.

This place, meant to hold the monsters, could become the very place they were devoured.

So, they needed to prepare at least this much.

“I don’t think we have enough threads to completely block them from entering…”

“There’s no need to install them too densely. The gaps just need to be wide enough for us to move through.”

“What? But….”

Develania, understanding Deon’s intention to move in and out of the enclosure to deal with the monsters, expressed her concern.

“Unless you’re highly skilled, it’s not easy to spot the installed threads… Ah, I’m not doubting your abilities, Demon-nim, but in the heat of battle, it would be cumbersome to pay attention to every single thread…”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Uh….”

How?

Even someone as seemingly headstrong as her knew when to back down. Develania swallowed the question she almost asked and relayed the orders to the 2nd Corps.

In a situation like this, questioning orders carelessly could be fatal.

Develania, about to move quickly to avoid being reprimanded for her rudeness, paused at the unexpected reply.

“I’m lucky.”

“Pardon?”

It was a dumbfounded reply. Instead of answering, Deon fixed his gaze straight ahead and grinned.

As if any more reasoning was a waste, the mask of composure fell away, and his bloodshot eyes overflowed with barely contained excitement.

He dashed towards the monsters. He naturally skirted past the threads the 2nd Corps had just set up, singled out the weakest-looking one, and pounced.

Thrusting the dagger he held straight into the monster’s face, Deon stretched his lips into a wide grin. An unnatural laugh escaped his throat.

Ordinary people would need extreme focus to locate the threads. But Deon didn’t need to bother.

‘This is also a kind of luck, I suppose.’

His eyes, congenitally sensitive to light and heat, were used to darkness due to limited exposure.

What did it mean to not be used to light?

It meant being sensitive to light.

That was why he could acutely perceive the moment the 2nd Corps’ threads subtly reflected the moonlight, something ordinary people would have missed.