Salvos (A Monster Evolution LitRPG) - Chapter 608

608. Worldwalker

Samuel could hardly comprehend Trico’s words. Even though the voice echoed in his head, waiting expectantly for his response, he couldn’t understand it in the slightest. He was… being asked to kill a Worldwalker?

“No, no, no.”

Trico continued, reading the Lesser Demon’s thoughts. Samuel jerked back in surprise.

“That’s not what I was asking— I was asking if you ever wondered what it’s like to kill a Worldwalker.”

He stared at the empty space that was Trico’s face. Even as Via held the other Worldwalker up, slowly crushing his neck, there was no change in that expansive darkness. Like a deep void, it drew Samuel in.

Weakly, he nodded where he lay.

“Of course you do! Seeing us Worldwalkers come and go, flying across the sky and doing whatever we want must get irritating, right? So do me a favor, will you?”

Trico spoke without a hint of pain in his voice, even as his skin started to crack. A tear ripped its way through his body, starting from his neck where Via was strangling him. While her mouth was covered, it was evident from the way her many eyes thinned that she was grinning, enjoying crushing the other Worldwalker.

Samuel tilted his head, waiting for his next directives. And it came with a surge of strength.

“S t a n d.”

It was like the dying Lesser Demon was suddenly healed. His wounds still remained, but he was compelled to move. He rose to his feet, empowered by the simple word.

Trico continued.

“P i c k u p t h e w e a p o n.”

Samuel’s gaze snapped to the weapon poking out of the ground. He marched up to it slowly, engulfed in an agonizing pain. The hole in his chest only worsened, opening up and spilling more blood. He grimaced, but he bit back the pain, doing as he was told.

He picked up the three-pronged spear, holding onto it with both his hands. It almost seemed to burn him— reject him. But for whatever reason, after a moment, it accepted his grasps. Trico nodded approvingly, even as the cracks continued to spread across his body.

“Good… good…”

The Worldwalker turned his head to Via as she laughed. Her grip only tightened.

“What’s wrong, Trickster? Are you out of quips? Not going to make another joke? Or are you actually terrified, knowing that you’re going to die here!”

She snarled at him as he continued to squirm. But he didn’t look at her. His gaze was focused only on Samuel.

The Lesser Demon took a step forward, then another, and another. He trudged down the crater on wobbly feet, nearly tripping on his own legs. Somehow, he managed to remain upright, even as he stumbled up to the two Worldwalkers. He approached Via from behind as she unknowingly continued to strangle her opponent.

Trico was close to death, Samuel ascertained. It was almost like the Worldwalker’s entire body was going to burst open. He kicked his legs at her, each strike to her abdomen sending ripples in space. But she didn’t budge. She continued to laugh sadistically.

And he finally responded to her question.

“Well, I don’t have anything left to say, except for one thing—”

He spoke to her— his voice no longer just echoing in Samuel’s mind. Trico held the other Worldwalker’s gaze as he nodded simply.

“K I L L H E R!”

And Samuel lunged forward as Via’s many eyes blinked.

“What…?”

She spun around, dropping Trico in surprise as her eyes narrowed. She should have been able to catch the Lesser Demon. Even with the element of surprise, he should not have been able to reach her before she could react.

But somehow, Samuel was overcome by an invisible force. He moved faster than he could ever imagine moving. Like time itself slowed around him, and he thrust the weapon into her chest. He put everything he could into the attack.

And— Samuel paused.

He stopped moving. But it wasn’t out of surprise. Well, he was certainly caught off-guard. However, the reason why he stopped his attack was because of the simple fact that his attack was stopped. Not out of any defensive barrier Via had erected. Rather, she just stood there, staring at the Lesser Demon as the weapon was pressed against her chest.

It didn’t penetrate her skin. It didn’t draw blood. Even though Samuel was empowered by the words of a Worldwalker— even though he used a weapon that was more powerful than anything he had ever seen before— he failed to even hurt Via.

She stared at him for a moment, her many eyes focused on him in bewilderment. Hidden beneath the metal mask on her face, her mouth moved, and she asked a question.

“Why are you helping— urk!”

Via sank into the three prongs of the weapon, her many eyes rolling back. Samuel’s eyes widened at the sudden movement. At first, he thought she had impaled herself for no reason. But he realized what happened a moment later as a shadowed figure leapt off her back.

Trico had tackled the other Worldwalker from behind, pushing her into his weapon.

A pulse shot out from Via’s body— like a shockwave, but glowing gold. It didn’t knock Samuel back, but it caused the Netherworld to tremble. Even the clouds in the sky shifted for just a moment, before the light vanished.

It happened so suddenly, it took Samuel a full moment to process. He stumbled back, barely able to hold up the three-pronged spear. He lost his grip and dropped the weapon, letting Via’s lifeless body slump over at the bottom of the crater.

She was dead. Just like that, a Worldwalker was gone.

Samuel collapsed to the ground before her, his breath caught in his throat. He stared at her corpse, before raising a shaking finger. He pointed as he whispered, still bleeding from his chest.

“W-what did I just do?”

He could barely get the words out of his mouth. And a shadow loomed over him. Trico walked past Via’s corpse, shaking his head.

“You, my good friend, just slew a Worldwalker.”

He looked down at her body, before turning back to the Lesser Demon.

“And unfortunately, you aren’t going to be rewarded for this massive accomplishment. No level ups, no Title. All you’re brought upon yourself is…”

Trico tilted his head back as Samuel looked on.

“Well, all you’ve brought upon yourself is a lot of trouble.”

“Trouble?”

I frowned as the vision came to an end. It was my dad’s memories. But I had experienced it— lived through it like I was going through the event myself. I didn’t know how he did it. As far as I knew, he wasn’t one for illusion magic or the like.

“What do you mean by trouble?”

I continued as I leant forward. Behind me, Haec exchanged a glance with his friends. The four Archdemons seemed to be utterly confused— which was expected. They had only just learned what a Worldwalker was a few minutes ago.

Sal nodded at me as he crossed his arms.

“Trouble is trouble. C’mon, my daughter, do you not know what trouble means?”

“I know what trouble means!”

I protested as I scowled.

“I just don’t know what it means in this context.”

“Well, frankly-speaking, but Worldwalkers tend to get a little bit unhappy when you kill one of their own. So they tend to… retaliate.”

The Devil’s eyes glinted as he spoke. I blinked a few times.

“Wait, I thought you said there was no cabal of Worldwalkers? Why do they care?”

“There isn’t a single, unified cabal of them, as I said. However, do you not have any loyalty to your own kind? When you hear one of your own is hurt by another, would you not be upset about it?”

“Um, not really?”

I scratched my cheek, and my dad sighed.

“Well, you’re a bad example. But your companion over there understands, doesn’t he?”

Haec cocked his head as I turned to face him. He slowly nodded, looking back towards the Devil.

“I… do, I think.”

“Exactly.”

Sal grinned as he snapped his fingers. He strode back away from us, facing the crimson sky.

“Of course, they weren’t going to outright reduce our world to dust. They can’t just do that— other Worldwalkers would stop them. Or even the Arcaem Itself would intervene.”

My eyes flickered when he mentioned that name. I had heard it before. Belphegor had mentioned it too. I wanted to question my dad about it, but he continued.

“So we readied ourselves. I raised an army, and Trico traversed to the other planes. He prepared us for war. He was our leader, even though he was a Worldwalker. He told us that he would help save us from our world’s demise.”

I narrowed my eyes, raising a hand.

“Belphegor told me the Worldwalkers simply left the Nexeus— before the corruption even arrived. He never mentioned anything about a war.”

“Because Belphegor didn’t know anything about the war.”

Sal replied simply. He lowered his gaze, and a shadow was cast over his face.

“I lied to Belphegor. And it was not just him. I lied to everyone in my kingdom. I told them I sought to create a better world for their future. Perhaps, in a sense, I was telling the truth. But they knew nothing about Trico. Nothing until it was too late.”

I furrowed my brows, still confused. I was trying to piece together what that meant. But I didn’t get it.

“What do you mean by that? That makes no sense! Weren’t you preparing for a war? How could Belphegor miss the fact that you fought off the Worldwalkers from the Nexeus?”

I pointed at my dad, and he raised his head. He laughed wildly as I stared at him with a frown.

“Because, you see, my dear daughter, we did prepare ourselves for war. But… no Worldwalkers ever showed up to the Nexeus ever again.”

He spread his arms wide, shaking his head.

“The battle between the gods of our world— the highest-leveled amongst the planes— against those who could traverse the multiverse… it never happened. And it was all thanks to Trico.”