Chapter 209
“Cough...”
Bright red blood stained the ground. The Sword Strike, drawn long and diagonally, sliced deep into his chest. It wasn't immediately fatal. But it was definitely a critical wound.
I cheered inwardly.
Got him.
Landing a decisive blow on him was on a completely different level than just stabbing someone with good Regeneration like me.
The guy who had effortlessly blocked every Strike until now had finally taken a hit.
This meant the tug-of-war of the battle had significantly tilted in our favor.
“We did it!” “Whoa, did you guys just see that?!” “As expected of Yor! I love you!”
Perhaps because it was the first successful strike since the Boss battle began, cheers erupted from all over.
Most of them were the voices of the Otherworlders. They probably thought they'd just gotten a good meme to post on the Community.
But the Knights who had witnessed that Strike firsthand were silent, as if they were in deep shock. Well, their reaction was understandable.
After all, it was *Sword Qi*..., the supreme realm that all Knights dreamed of reaching and another indicator that distinguished a Powerful Individual.
This was a Hegemonic Technique that everyone yearned for. Anyway, I had just cast such an amazing Technique so casually. It was understandable that they froze for a moment.
After a brief pause, Odelia, with a surprised expression, shot a question at me.
“Wait, Yor...? What in the world was that...?”
“Ah, this? It’s called *Sword Qi*...”
“No, damn it. I’m not asking because I don’t know what it is. Who did you learn it from, and when?!”
“From Jurgen, by Learning by Observation.”
“What...?”
She stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.
I wanted to brag a bit more, but unfortunately, I didn't have that much leeway.
Soon enough, dizziness washed over me.
“Tsk, huff...”
I almost stumbled for a moment, but perhaps because I had mentally prepared, I was able to stand upright this time. Its power was indeed outstanding, but it consumed an immense amount of momentary strength.
I probably wouldn't be able to exert proper strength for a while. That was a bit disappointing, but fortunately, it didn't matter much right now. As I said before, the tide of victory had already turned in our favor.
“Remarkable...”
At that moment, Paimon murmured. Even as blood flowed from his mouth, his languid expression didn't falter. It was as if that expression was permanently etched onto his face. The deep fatigue visible on his face didn't seem to have accumulated in a short time.
Yet, his eyes remained sharp, showing no intention of giving up the fight even in this situation.
“But I cannot give up just because a line has been drawn on my body. Capable Humans, show me more of your spirit.”
The wound on his chest was slow to regenerate. It seemed that despite having abilities akin to *Omnipotence*, his regeneration itself wasn't particularly outstanding.
Indeed, if he had that too, I might just wallow in despair and cry my eyes out.
It's one of the few advantages I have...
However, instead of Regeneration, he had another useful method of emergency treatment.
“Sew it.”
Swoosh—
At that single command, thin Mana Threads shot out and stitched Paimon's wound.
The gushing blood stopped as if by magic. In that state, his Regeneration would probably speed up. Seeing that, I almost cried. *Physical Command* really can do anything...
Anyway, the battle continued after that. I stepped back to rest for a moment and observe the battle. Fortunately, my absence didn't seem to significantly hinder the fight.
Clang! Clang! CRASH! Although many in the Extermination Squad were injured and exhausted, Paimon's condition was far from normal as well. The Power of Command had significantly weakened, and the Barrier he now put up was extremely thin. If we continued this war of attrition, he would probably collapse on his own.
While resting, I glanced at the others.
*The Knights are, of course, fighting well on their own.*
Livia and Nikki were also working together quite well. Since they all had extensive experience fighting alone, I expected them to charge forward recklessly. But with so many people around, they seemed to have shifted their focus to supporting others.
“Exterminate the Companion next to you.”
“D-dodge...!”
“Watch out.”
CRACK—!
Thanks to that, they were definitely *Favorability Farming*.
Just now, Nikki stepped in to block a Knight who was about to stab a Companion.
“Th-thank you...”
“Mm, right.”
That wasn't all.
Neria's doing well too.
Neria, whom I brought along, was also fighting quite well. She was even incredibly aggressive. If one Attack was blocked, she immediately squeezed out more mana to create the next command.
If she continued attacking relentlessly like that, there would definitely be a huge backlash later, but she showed no concern at all. At a glance, she even looked a little angry.
*Well...*
It looked precarious, but her actions weren't incomprehensible. Even I would charge without hesitation if my *Blood Origin* were right in front of me. Neria's anger was justified.
Of course, thanks to that, she wouldn't be able to hide being a Manifestor anymore.
Her ability was already conspicuous, and too many people around had seen her use it.
It was a battle, so no one spoke, but many gazes demanding an explanation were directed at me. Still, *Manifestor Perception* has improved quite a bit recently... so if I explain it well, it should be fine.
As for other peculiar observations.
“...”
Perhaps it was just my imagination, but Paimon's gaze seemed to be particularly fixed on Neria, even amidst the relentless onslaught of people.
Of course, it wasn't certain, and it was too minor a detail, so I quickly averted my gaze. Next, my eyes turned to the Otherworlders.
*The Otherworlders' Skill has improved a lot too.*
If the Knights were swords aiming for the Demon's neck, the Otherworlders could be called Debuffers and Tankers. The more aggressively they charged, the more Paimon's movements were restricted. This, in turn, increased the survival rate of the Gaians.
Of course, this also exposed the Otherworlders to danger... but Otherworlders who had come this far could now be considered Veteran Adventurers.
“Spike Attack.”
“Spike Attack?! Which way this time?!”
“Damn it, it’s overhead! Everyone duck!”
“My Buff ran out! Reapply it!”
It was a bit precarious and slightly unsightly, but they all managed to survive well. Not to mention Yu Chae-rin, who had become a Ranker, or Shin Hanbyeol, the number one Ranker.
That made it even more puzzling. For the Demons, the Otherworlders were clearly an obstacle. They were not just mere Blood Tendrils, but thick, tough Vines that entangled their feet. There was no reason for them to summon the Otherworlders.
However, when I went to the Temple last time, our Goddess said that the Demons had summoned the Otherworlders. Even Gaia hadn't wanted these visitors, but had welcomed them by giving them “quests” and a system.
In other words, the Otherworlders weren't originally on our side, but were made to be on our side. So what exactly are the Otherworlders? Such a question suddenly occurred to me, engaged in this Boss battle.
If left alone, would the Otherworlders have all sided with the Demons? Or did they intend to use the chaos of the Otherworlders' Summoning to more easily conquer this World? Or perhaps the Demons hadn't anticipated the Otherworlders becoming so strong in such a short time?
Indeed, it was said that if there hadn't been a swift response when the Otherworlders first appeared, great chaos would have ensued. Gaia and the various Countries merely stepped in to quickly establish order. The conflict between the Otherworlders and the Gaians might have been deeper.
Either hypothesis was plausible. But without someone to provide an answer, it would ultimately remain just a question.
Who knows, just as the Otherworlders think of *This Place* as a “game”. Even what Gaia explained to me might just be “lore”. As the Otherworlders say, this battle might just be part of a game.
Of course, it was an unhealthy thought, so I quickly erased it from my mind.
And then it happened.
Thwack—!
Paimon's body was stabbed once more.
One of Shin Hanbyeol's sharp swords had pierced Paimon's side. A flush of excitement spread across her face after landing a decisive blow.
The battle was truly nearing its end. No matter how powerful Demon Paimon was, he clearly wouldn't last much longer before collapsing.
He must have known that... yet his face remained expressionless.
Paimon, bleeding red from his mouth, spoke in a low voice.
“Otherworlders... tell me, is this Boss battle entertaining?”
“?”
For a moment, I couldn't help but be slightly surprised. Aside from his calm tone even in a dying state, that kind of remark was quite unfamiliar coming from a “Boss”.
The Otherworlders seemed to feel the same, as confusion instantly flickered across their faces.
Regardless, Paimon continued speaking.
“Even at this very moment, We, the Demons, are surely being deeply imprinted in your minds, aren’t we?”
“How much do you speak of us in your World? How deeply has our game, [Demon's Saga], permeated your lives?”
“Become deeply immersed in the stories of this place, and in turn, we Demons will become familiar to you, won't we?”
Cough.
Paimon coughed up blood. A clear limit.
He was clearly struggling to issue commands and even to speak like this.
He was undoubtedly weakened, but this time, it was the Otherworlders who froze.
“Uh... what?”
“Demon's Saga...? No, can a Boss monster even mention that?”
“Wait a minute, I just got goosebumps.”
Paimon's words were enough to send a chill down the Otherworlders' spines for a moment. Coughing, Paimon continued speaking, bleeding, even amidst that.
“Then... the “medium” has accumulated sufficiently. You have recognized us so much, become so familiar with us. The Dimensional Distance has clearly grown closer. —Isn't that right, Basin?”
“—Yes, that is correct, Lord Paimon.”
And then it happened.
Whoosh—
The Void suddenly split open, and a Man emerged.
He was a neatly dressed Man in a suit. His hair was slicked back, as if heavily pomaded, revealing his forehead.
He looked like a senior executive from a successful company. His clothes and hairstyle were excessively modern in appearance. That appearance was, in fact, utterly alien in *This Place*.
Though he looked like an ordinary Human, the thick demonic energy emanating from him meant one could never let one's guard down.
──A Demon.
Judging by his opening of Space, he was likely the Blood Origin of Isolde, who had died and become a Demon-person.
I had expected him to appear someday, but the one I had been optimistic about finally showed up.
*Of all times...*
A sense of dismay washed over me. I glanced at the people around me; everyone had momentarily frozen at the sudden situation. The two demons calmly conversed in that situation.
“You certainly arrived quickly... even as the annihilation was already underway.”
“Hehe, my apologies. I had just descended. It seemed urgent, so I rushed over... but the timing wasn't ideal, was it?”
“It's fine. Your descent alone completes half of our plan... There are many eyes watching, I see.”
“Ah, then, since I'm here, shall I introduce myself first?”
“As you wish.”
Immediately after, the Demon in the suit looked at the frozen Extermination Squad. It was an unsettling smile. In a way, it felt similar to Dantalion, whom we had caught before. That guy was almost always smiling too.
However, if Dantalion's smile had a darker feel, this handsome Demon's smile was impeccably clear. Like a businessman offering a professional smile.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
Then, he bowed to the Extermination Squad, offering his greeting.
“I am Basin, the 18th Rank Demon of *Space*. My other titles include *Cutter of Space*, *Gazer of Dimensions*, *Walker of Boundaries*, and so on... there are many, but I suppose the Otherworlders would find this name more familiar, wouldn't you?”
His smile deepened further.
“Hello. I am GM Basin of the Server Team.”
A shock spread instantly among the Otherworlders.