Chapter 24: The Harder Way

‘So…what are your other conditions?’?

asked Pzzt.

Lakrak replied as if the answer was obvious.

‘Explain why you are dangerous.’

‘...What?’

‘If you really have a power that’s worth making a deal for, is there any reason to hide why you’re dangerous? If there is a reason to hide, then it wouldn’t be worth making a deal for.’

Pzzt hovered in the air.

‘Okay. My power is worth taking a risk for.’

‘What kind of risk?’

Pzzt fluttered around and slowly flew over one of the Lizardman in Lakrak’s group as they went down the dark stone bridge.

‘I originated from an ancient evil.’

‘Ancient evil?’

‘The ones who ruled over this world a long, long time ago…but it was so long ago that their existence was forgotten, and even the gods don’t remember them either… I also can’t recall my origin. One day I just found myself trapped here.’

‘Well, that’s a pity. However, I grew up as an orphan. There’s no need to know who you were born to be. What’s more important is deciding what you’ll do about the days ahead of you.’

‘I-I that so..?’

Pzzt was a bit thrown off that it got comforted by Lakrak’s words, but soon continued.

‘A power of unknown origin is intoxicating to people. Because the source is unknown, this allows one to believe that the power belongs to them when in reality, they just happened to get it by chance. Once they start using such a power, they start to believe they deserve it, and once they start to think that way, they look down on the ones without power.’

Lakrak found it a bit difficult to understand, but nodded, remembering Beauer’s and Shunen’s situations.

‘The Demonic Magic also makes people become like that, right?’

‘Yes. My power spreads indiscriminately.’

Lakrak tried to predict what would happen if he obtained this power.

‘This Electrical Demonic Power seems different from something a god would give. God’s power is only given to those God chose and at God’s discretion. On the other hand, if someone is given a power like this without being deserving of it, others would become jealous and envious. And if that power grows greater and greater…there would be people who scorn God.’

Lakrak then understood the reason why Pzzt was dangerous.

‘So Pzzt, why should I take such a risk to have your power?’

‘My power is strong.’

‘Hm.’

‘It’s destructive.’

Pzzt then flashed. Lakrak thought he had seen this kind of light from somewhere, and eventually realized what it was. It was like thunder and lightning. Lakrak assumed that the strength of the power determined the intensity of the light it produced. It could be just a small spark at first, but once the power grew and became stronger, it could become thunder and lightning. Lakrak also understood that it would be advantageous in battle if he could produce electricity from his body like the Monster Rats did.

‘It’s an appealing power.’

‘So will you set me free?’

‘I have a condition.’

‘Condition? Oh, okay.’

Pzzt flew towards Lakrak as if it expected Lakrak to say so and continued to talk.

‘You want to have the power for yourself, don’t you? I understand. It’ll probably be difficult, but I think it’s possible. There are a few things you’ll need though. In order for one person to have my power, a ritual of the same level as the Magic will need to be prepared…’

Lakrak shook his head.

‘No, I have no intention of keeping the power only to myself.’

‘Then?’

‘You initially said that the power of Electric Demonic Magic is distributed indiscriminately, but if needed, one person could have the power to themself through a ritual. If both of these are true, wouldn’t it also be possible not to distribute the power indiscriminately, but rather to distribute it to certain chosen individuals?’

Pzzt seemed puzzled.

‘Yes. I haven’t tried it, but I think it would be possible. A small ritual should do, but…why do you want to do that? Unless you take all the power for yourself, the results will be similar to just leaving things to chance.’

‘No, it’s different.’

Lakrak explained,

‘If the power is only given to certain people, it’ll seem like it were God’s choice.’

‘What?’

‘In other words, it won’t be a power from an ancient evil that has no source, but instead a power with a clear source of origin.’

‘No. It’s not God’s choice though. This power isn’t granted by a god.’

Lakrak slightly smiled.

‘That’s not the important part. If people think it’s God’s gift, then it will be from that point on. What difference does that make? The chosen ones will think that God has given them the powers, and their faith and devotion will reach God.’

‘What kind of…’

Pzzt tried to argue against Lakrak, but couldn’t think of anything to say. What Lakrak was saying was also true of the system of the Lost World. If those who had Demonic Magic believed it was given to them by chance, there would be penalties in gaining Faith points. On the contrary, however, if those who had Demonic Magic mistook it as a power given to them by a god, it would actually result in more Faith points.

‘Then to my second condition.’

‘There’s more? …And if you include yourself naming me however you wish, this next one would actually be the third condition.’

‘...Then to my third condition.’

‘...Just tell me already.’

Lakrak cast his gaze towards Pzzt.

‘You need to believe in God too.’

‘...Believe in God?’

‘Not just any god. Trust and believe in our Blue Insect God.’

Pzzt flashed in refusal.

‘The other conditions are fine, but that will be hard. I am a spirit of Demonic Magic. I was created from an existence that has been around longer than gods.’

Lakrak lightly hit his tail on the ground. The group who was with Lakrak noticed his discomfort and checked up on him. Zaol asked if there was something wrong and if the pain in his hand was okay, and Lakrak simply said he was fine.

Lakrak focused on Pzzt.

‘It doesn’t matter who gave birth to you, nor how or why. What’s important is what you’re gonna do going forward. Why do you wanna be set free?’

‘I’m…I was just made that way. Spirits of Demonic Magic want to widely spread their Demonic Magic to as many beings as possible. That’s the purpose of my life.’

‘You seem useful enough to me. And our Blue Insect Bug happens to be generous towards useful beings. Our God may listen to and fulfill your desires. The reason why you were made is not important. The reason for one's own existence is determined by themself, not by the one who created them.’

Pzzt steadily slowed its fluttering.

‘Gods do not like spirits of Demonic Magic.’

‘Don’t judge our God through the lens you look at the world with.’

‘Would your God really accept me?’

‘If you accept all the conditions I offer. I don’t know all of God’s wishes, but I am the one who understands his wishes best among everyone who knows of him.’

Pzzt made up his mind.

‘Black scaled Lizardman…I have actually lied to you about a few things.’

‘About what?’

‘I’m not just simply trapped in this Ancient Ruin. It is true that a challenger of the ruin must defeat the ruin’s guard, but that guard is under my rule. I control everything in this ruin. I am also the one who sent the Demonic Magic Enchanted Nutria’s to you Lizardmen.’

‘Really.’

Lakrak was not surprised.

Pzzt continued to say,

‘But the reason I told you that you needed to defeat the guard…’

‘I think I know why. Isn’t it because the power shouldn’t be given to those who are weak? Because they wouldn’t be able to widely spread your powers.’

‘That is right. Recently, the Frogmen tribe had come to attempt the challenge. However, they didn’t deserve it.’

Lakrak thought that was obvious.

‘I have deceived you. Aren’t you upset?’?

asked Pzzt.

Lakrak shook his head. He had already expected it, and he was not the type of Lizardman to become upset just because he was deceived without even losing anything.

‘I can always forgive when I wish to. Forgiveness isn’t a virtue of a warrior, but I am also the tribal chief. And forgiveness and reconciliation are indeed virtues of a tribal chief.’

‘...Oh.’

‘And I understand where you’re coming from, not as a warrior, tribal chief, or High Priest, but as a Lizardman, as an individual.’

‘Understand?’

‘Getting twisted isn’t strange after living in a wet, dark place like this, always looking at Monster Rats. It seems like you could use some fresh air outside and look at beautiful things.’

Pzzt flashed. Lakrak stopped walking and watched it.

Then Pzzt said,

‘I still don’t know your name. What is your name?’

‘Lakrak.’

‘Lakrak, the test is over. I will accept all the conditions you have offered. Do you also agree to the deal?’

‘Of course.’

[A Demonic Magic spirit wishes to be subjugated to you. If you accept, you will receive Demonic Magic Area: Electricity. Would you like to accept?]

[Yes/No]

Sung-Woon clicked Yes.

‘It’s done.’

The only way to overcome the Demonic Magic penalties was to transfer Demonic Magic to the Divinity Area. Otherwise, each individual that had the Demonic Magic would be marked as Demonic Magic Enchanted, and would not be controllable. However, Demonic Magic in the Divinity Area was controllable.

Just as Pzzt accepted Lakrak’s conditions, it became possible to give Demonic Magic to certain individuals.

‘Transferring it to the Divinity Area doesn’t mean it becomes Divinity. It’s not even possible to level it up like other abilities in the Divinity Area. There are restrictions. But not getting penalties is a win of itself, isn’t it?’

If breaking through the Ancient Ruin was all that was needed to be done to obtain Demonic Power, that would be too easy.

Lakrak’s group would win even if hundreds of those Monster Rats came attacking them, and if needed, Sung-Woon could always support them by using Faith points. However, subjugating a spirit of Demonic Magic was much more difficult to do. Sung-Woon didn’t even know if it would be possible.

The only way to find out was to wait and see what would happen depending on each character’s abilities, and Sung-Woon seemed to have gotten lucky again and succeeded in doing so.

~

[Demonic Magic Area: Electricity has been acquired!]

~

However, Sung-Woon didn’t think this was mere coincidence.

‘Meeting you seems to have been good luck for the both of us, Lakrak.’

***

Nine years later.

***

“...And that’s how the Blue Insect God gave Lakrak the power of Thunder and Lightning.”

“Wooow.”

“This is the end of the story of how the ‘Chosen Ones’ came to be among our Black Scaled Lizrdmen Tribe.”

There were two figures standing at the top of a hill. They were in front of a tower made from tombstones and water buffalo bones, stacked and assembled with plaster to build a structure tall enough to be seen from far away in the wilderness. This bone tower was built on top of the old one that Lakrak had first created, and was not only used as a way to show faith in the Blue Insect God, but also used as a milestone now.

Finishing telling the long story, the black scaled Lizardman among the pair gently dust one of the stone monuments. This Lizardman wore expensive layers of a fabric called silk, which indicated he belonged to a high social class.

“That was an interesting story. But I have a question.”

The man asking the question, on the other hand, looked shabby. On his head was a questionable piece of leather that didn’t seem properly tanned, and he had a bushy beard.

“The God you believe in is an Insect God, so what does that have to do with thunder and lightning?”

The Lizardman tilted his head. He didn’t seem thrown off by the question though. It was more of a tilt that questioned why this man would be asking about such a thing.

“What color is lightning?”

“Blue?”

“And what do we call our God?”

“...Blue Insect God?”

“That’s exactly it.”

Then the Lizardman patted the human on the shoulder. The human did not understand what the Lizardman meant by that.

‘Lizardmen are always convinced and swayed by the strangest things. They’re so odd.’

This man didn’t think being odd was necessarily a bad thing though.

‘I might be able to take advantage of the fact that they’re odd.’

Hiding his innermost thoughts, he then asked the Lizardman, “Come to think of it, I haven’t even gotten your name while listening to this long story. What is your name?”

“Me? My name is Owen.”

The man was surprised.

“Oh no. I didn’t even recognize an important figure.”

“Important figure? You must be kidding. What is your name?”

“I’m…wait. I think there's some uninvited guests coming over from there.”

Where the human was pointing at, a group of armed Gnolls were climbing the hill.