Chapter 379: The Demon Realm’s Miracle Doctor (1)

Mine 7, which had just recently been filled with over a thousand active miners, was silent. Only three demons were currently wandering around the site.

Kazura briefly scanned the mine and said, "Where are the miners?"

"They all reached Elision safely with the help of the human."

"Right, the human helped us."

Kazura's gaze shifted toward the mine’s entrance. His mind was filled with thoughts of the man who had called himself a human.

I did hear a rumor like that recently.

A human who could defeat demons. That was the hottest rumor currently stirring up the Demon Realm. Of course, Kazura had dismissed it as nonsense. He simply couldn’t understand how a human could roam around freely in the Demon Realm to begin with.

"Kazura, what now?"

"We just need to head there now. We brought as many magic stones as we could."

"

Oh

, I honestly wish we could take more... but Kinessa will return soon."

Kazura knew that too. Even if the human was as strong as the rumors claimed, facing Kinessa was impossible as he was one of the archdukes of the Demon Realm.

Human, I won’t forget your sacrifice.

After a moment of silence, Kazura slowly nodded. "Let’s go."

"I’m opening the gate."

An upper-ranked demon with a teleportation ability slashed the air with sharp nails.

Then at that moment...

"

Hmm?

"

All three demons turned their heads upward in unison. They felt something was rapidly approaching.

"Damn it, reinforcements already?"

The demon who had opened the gate shouted urgently, "Kazura, we don’t have time. Get into the gate now!"

"Wait."

Despite his companion’s urging, Kazura looked up into the sky. Something was flying in fast through the gray sky and black clouds.

He squinted and muttered as he looked at the object getting closer to the mine, "...It’s not Kinessa. Not even a demon."

"What?"

Just as his companions asked in confused voices, a creature never seen in the Demon Realm landed on the ground with flapping wings.

"Human!" Kazura shouted with a voice mixed with delight and surprise.

His companions looked around in disbelief.

"How is he here?"

"There’s no way Kinessa let him go so easily..."

Kai climbed down from the back of the wyvern, Mimic, and politely helped Yoo Ha-Rin down.

"Good work, Mimic."

"

Kruroong!

"

Kai patted Mimic’s head and unsummoned it, then turned his head to face the demons.

"You’re with the Liberation Army, right?"

Kazura stepped forward as the representative and answered, "That’s right."

"As I said earlier, I’m human, and so is my companion. But..." Kai looked around. "Where did the miners here go?"

"They already went to Elision—"

As one demon began to speak carelessly about a critical secret, his companion quickly stopped him. "Hey."

Kai shrugged. "That’s kind of disappointing. I’m pretty sure I saved your lives not long ago."

"We are grateful for that." Kazura slightly bowed his head. "But the Elision he was about to mention is the only safe place for our Liberation Army. It’s not something we can reveal to just anyone. Besides..."

This human had left with Kinessa, and now he appeared with a strange woman.

"Sorry for the suspicion, but that woman wasn’t here before. She could be Kinessa in disguise."

They had been tricked with the same tactic before, which made them especially wary.

Kai glanced at Yoo Ha-Rin and let out a soft laugh, "

Hmm

. That’s a fair concern."

The girl Kinessa had transformed into, Ira, had also been cute and pretty. However, Yoo Ha-Rin was far more beautiful. Even her silver hair was somewhat similar to Kinessa’s white hair.

"I’m not asking you to blindly trust me, but..."

Kai rummaged through his inventory and pulled something out. It was a violently pulsing, rugged heart.

"Would this be enough proof?"

"That’s...?"

"Wait."

The gazes of the demons shook intensely. They didn’t know whose heart it was since Kai hadn’t told them. But with every beat of the heart, the surrounding demonic magic stirred, and the pure, intense magic contained within it felt familiar. With those two reasons, they were able to guess whose heart it was.

One demon screamed, "Impossible!"

"That’s Kinessa’s heart?"

"Bingo."

When Kai admitted it with a pleasant smile, the demons fell into deeper panic.

"A human killed Kinessa... an archduke?"

"Why not? We're all just living beings. Stab us and we bleed. Cut us and we fall apart."

When Kai put the heart back into his inventory, the demons let out a sigh of relief. The beating heart alone had been enough to intimidate them even though Kinessa was already dead.

"Kazura."

"What... do we do now?"

Kazura briefly contemplated his comrades' question, then said, "Human."

"What is it?"

"I don’t know the customs of humans, so I’ll greet you as a demon would."

Kazura bent deeply and bowed.

From Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin’s view, they could clearly see the horns on his head.

"Kinessa was a demon who slaughtered countless comrades of ours and innocent demons. He was the most demonic demon... that was how he was known."

"I also thank you."

"As do I."

His companions also bowed deeply.

When Kazura stood back up again, his eyes shined more than before. "Human who defeated an archduke, may I ask your name?"

"It’s Kai."

"Kai... Kai..."

Kazura and his companions exchanged faint smiles as if they understood something.

Curious, Kai asked, "Why are you smiling like that?"

Kazura replied, "Sorry if it offended you. I just thought the name suited you too well."

"What do you mean?"

"In the language of demons, Kai means ‘one cloaked in light.’"

One cloaked in light. As Kai couldn’t say anything at that cringeworthy description, Kazura took a step aside and cleared the way.

"If you're not busy, I would like to invite you."

A gate shimmered at the end of the open path.

"To Elision, the village of the liberated."

***

"Emergency in Sector B2!"

"Damn it, just bring me a bit more magic stones!"

"I want to but we’re out of budget!"

As they crossed the gate, the quiet Demon Realm instantly turned noisy.

Yoo Ha-Rin unconsciously said in awe at the chaos, "

Wow

..."

Demons here, demons there. No matter where she looked, the place was full of demons.

"This is Elision," Kazura murmured from a hill where the whole village could be seen.

The village of Elision itself wasn’t very large.

Perhaps half the size of Glendale?

But size didn’t matter. What mattered was that this was the first village in the Demon Realm they had ever visited.

Too bad there's no special title for this.

Kai said, "It’s bigger than I thought."

"It’s home to forty thousand demons, so it’s not that big."

"Forty thousand..."

"Follow me."

As they followed Kazura down the hill, young demon children playing in the village shouted.

"It’s Kazura!"

"

Yay!

"

The children rushed over and clung to Kazura’s legs, arms, and waist, rubbing their cheeks against him.

As Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin watched with fond expressions, reminded of an orphanage, the children asked,

"Did you kill lots of bad guys again today?"

"Did you eat lots of hearts?"

"Did you save any heart pieces for us?"

As expected of demon kids, they said terrifying things with innocent faces.

"You rascals!" An old demon with a stern look came over and scolded the children, "Didn’t I tell you not to bother him when he just got back from a mission?"

"

Hmph!

Kazura’s strong, so he doesn’t get tired!"

"

Bleh!

"

Even as they said that, the children ran off again yelling joyfully not wanting to get scolded.

"Sorry. Things are a bit hectic."

The two humans shook their heads at Kazura’s apology.

"Not at all. It’s actually nice to see."

"I’m glad the children are growing up so bright."

"

Hm?

" The old demon adjusted his cracked glasses. "Kazura, who are these people?"

"Guests. Important ones, so make sure they’re treated well."

"

Hmph,

alright. I’ll let the others know too."

"How’s the village holding up?"

"Not good..." The old man sighed. "Most residents are suffering from dark magic deficiency. Their immunity is low, so they’re showing signs of poisoning from the harsh air of the Demon Realm."

"That’s why we raided a fairly large mine this time..."

"But it’s nowhere near enough. Kazura, there are forty thousand of us. Forty thousand. There’s no way one mine’s supply can restore everyone’s magic."

"What about easing the symptoms of poisoning?"

"It’s impossible. If only their immune systems were stronger, maybe we’d have a way..."

As they continued to share their serious concerns, Kai raised his hand while listening. "If there are patients, I might be able to take a look at them."

The old demon’s face lit up at those words. "

Oh?

Kazura! You said they were important guests, is this one a healer?"

"I don’t think that’s the case..." Kazura muttered quietly with a conflicted expression.

But the old demon already grabbed Kai’s hand and said, "If you’re a healer, then I beg you. I’ve lived a long life, so I’ve picked up a bit of knowledge here and there, but I lack any real expertise. Please take a look at the patients."

Kai nodded in response, "Let’s go."

***

"

Ughhh

..."

"

Bleeehh!

"

"It hurts... it hurts..."

The conditions of the place where the patients were gathered were terrible. They had only laid out thin cloth on the ground and set up makeshift tents over the patients.

"

Hm...

" As soon as he arrived, Kai scanned the patients. "Unless my eyes are deceiving me, there seem to be at least ten thousand patients here."

"This morning’s count was exactly 22,385."

More than half of the entire village population were patients. Elision’s condition was worse than expected.

Standing behind Kai, Kazura had a bitter look on his face. "Demons of the Demon Realm believe Elision is the only paradise... but this is our reality. We truly want to free all demons, but this is why we can’t."

"Let’s focus on the patients first."

Kai approached a nearby demon and placed his hand over the demon’s chest. As holy power surged from Kai’s body, the surrounding patients’ expressions began to relax.

"Sunlight’s Warmth."

However, the moment that holy power flowed from his fingertips and penetrated the demon’s body the demon suddenly screamed and convulsed.

"

Graaaagh!

"

The old demon stomped and shouted in anger, "W-what? You call yourself a healer? What kind of quack are you?"

Kai’s expression turned serious.

So holy power can calm their hearts but can’t be directly used for healing, huh.

Thinking logically, it made sense. Holy power was a force that caused fatal harm to demons and the undead. The very act of releasing it and still bringing them comfort was something only Kai could do.

"

Hm

." Kai scratched his head and looked at the old demon. "Do you normally give them medicine?"

"There is no medicine. We mix herbs and plants that grow in the Demon Realm to make poisons."

"You use poison?"

"Are you really a healer? It’s the method of fighting poison with poison. Of course, my knowledge is poor, so it probably doesn’t work very well..."

At the same time, Kai’s eyes lit up. "Can I take a look at those poisons? Actually, could you show me all the ingredients used to make them?"