Vol 2 Chapter 13 (1/2)
LEVEL 2: Everything is Precious, Nothing is Replaceable
Chapter 13: Combo
He couldn’t stay in the pigworworrossed him out
“Look, I just don’t think this relationshi+p is going to work,” Ranta told the pigworm that had attached itself to him “I’m sorry… Actually, no I’ me! Quit it or I’ll roast you up and eat you whole!”
He was protesting in vain however, as the pigworle even closer
“Stupid love-struck pigworworm and jumped over the fence
The only creature who followed noas his demon, Zodiak
{Wimp imp! Heehehehehe… imp imp imp! Keehehehehe… imp imp imp imp!}
“Shut it, Zodiak!”
{YOU shut it! Hehehehe… FOREVER shut it!}
“You telling !?”
{Keehehehehe…}
“You take that back right now!”
But no, hold on a second… Before Ranta could coht, Zodiak suddenly drew near, put its rippling mouth close to Ranta’s ear and whispered, {It’s here… it’s here… hehehe… the one who has come to silence you… it’s here…}
“What!?”
Panicked, Ranta hurriedly looked around him There it was: an elder kobold, one of those foremen who carried an iron-tipped whip and barbed wire Luckily, it wasn’t looking in Ranta’s direction, but it was definitely co back into the pen with the pigworm he’d just rejected
In the pigworm pen he wouldn’t be noticed by any nearby kobolds There was another pigworm pen close by, but earlier he and the others had thrown the elder they killed into that one After witnessing the the body, Ranta decided to refrain fro eaten was not preferred
He was iworworms just sort of sidled up and wrapped itself around him Soon, another one did the saworms that were into him They licked his face so enthusiastically with their sandpaper tongues that it hurt He , it hurt so much
shi+t… “Guess I’m irresistible,” he said to himself
{Irrrrresistable! Irrrrresistable! Heehehehe… irrrrresistable… keehehehe… irrrrresistable!}
“Zodiak, you bastard…” Ranta swore fro to beat the crap out of that little shi+t
But not right now Zodiak wasn’t like the pigworht’s demon best friend either A demon’s special abilities depended on the nuht amassed
Zero to ten Vices was rank one and the de when enemies were near If it felt like it Eleven to forty was rank two and the des in their ears If it felt like it Rank three was after have collected forty-one or more Vices, the demon would trip up enemies or otherwise obstruct their movement But only if it felt like it, of course
However, the above only applied after sunset, when Luht and Lord Skulheill’s born enehts couldn’t even su the daytime And at levels above the second rank, the effectiveness of a deht hours was always one rank lower than its current rank
Ranta was currently rank three and even though it was hard to tell ti yet because Zodiak performed rank two abilities… if Zodiak felt like it
“My master told me that the more Vices I collect,” he er, become more obedient but…”
{Really? Is that really true? Keehehehe… did he really say that? Heehehehe…}
“Yeah, he did”
{You got tricked! Tricked! Keehehehe… tricked tricked tricked! Heehehehe…}
“Quit saying stuff like that It’ll jinx me”
{Jinx! Jinx! Jinx! Eeehehehehe… you’ll be biting the dust today! Heehehehe…}
“fuck you, Zodiak This is why I don’t like su you”
That said, there were times—like when Zodiak warned him about the elder earlier—that the de all alone down here made him feel almost a tiny little bit lonely
No no no, Ranta shook his head “I’m not lonely fuck that No way I don’t even know theof the word”
{Liar! Liar liar liar! Keehehehe… big fat liar! Hehehe… hehe… dirty liar!}
“I’ or fat or dirty or a liar!”
He couldn’t help getting pissed off at the de around, at least there was never a dull moment Ranta nodded to convince himself
“That’s clearly a huge constituent of things Constituent Man, I know some pretty damn cool words Not ‘factor’, CONStitUENT Godda it So that means that I’m Goddamn awesome too Got it, Zodiak? Consti—… Zodiak! Oy! Zodiak, say so back!”
{…}
“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything now? Say so!”
{……}
“Zodiak! Oy! Zodiak!”
{………}
“Zoooodiak! …Zodiak?”
{…………}
“Wha—what’s going on? Zodiak, what’s wrong? What happened? Are you okay?”
{……………}
“Z-Zodiak?!”