The city forged from flesh and blood—perhaps now better described as a monster—towered over the land like a grotesque titan.
A surge of holy light rained down from above, engulfing the flesh-city in a beam that felt less like divine grace and more like an explosive cannon blast. The normally gentle radiance now displayed its true destructive power, dissolving every piece of flesh it touched with terrifying speed.
Yet when the light finally faded, the flesh-city still stood. It had clearly suffered tremendous damage—its body had lost an entire layer—but it remained colossal, still sixty to seventy meters tall.
At that size, someone really should've been calling in a Gundam.
Its surface split open into hundreds of gaping mouths—some wailing, some shrieking, some whispering maddened nonsense. The overlapping cacophony slithered across the battlefield, twisting into the minds of everyone who heard it.
"Yeh—!"
All at once, every mouth unleashed a frenzied roar. Torrents of viscous, blood-colored fluid spewed into the air, falling like a rain of gore.
No one knew what the liquid did, but everyone instinctively raised their barriers.
The moment the blood-rain hit the shields, a nauseating sizzling sound echoed across the frontlines. If that hit flesh, people would be riddled with holes like swiss cheese. Soldiers silently thanked every god they knew for the protective wards.
Worse, the blood pooling on the ground began to writhe and stitch itself together, forming twisted, malformed creatures that immediately rushed the nearest soldier.
A classic giant boss fight—complete with adds.
Fortunately, when it came to exterminating monsters, the Church of Holy Light was the gold standard. Under their captain's command, a full unit of Holy Light Knights charged forward, their bodies glowing like descending angels as they cut through the newly formed abominations.
"Why don't I see that Knight?" Stella scanned the battlefield, frowning. The Holy Light Knight who had cleared the dungeon with them should have been the vice-captain.
But in his place stood some unfamiliar young aristocrat.
"He's over there," Roger said, maintaining the barrier as he pointed toward a group of knights whose faces were hidden by helmets. "A noble's son was parachuted in from the capital and took his position. He's just a regular knight now."
"What!? That's way too unfair!"
Roger shrugged. "Capital nobles are capital nobles. What can you do?"
Stella could only grit her teeth. As she stewed, she overheard a group of nearby adventurers arguing loudly:
"How the hell are we supposed to fight something that huge!? If it rolls over once, we're all dead!"
"What if we lure it to the edge of the City? It's too big to fit through the gate! Back in Sein, I killed a giant bear by kiting it behind a door and shooting arrows!"
"Are you stupid!? That thing is taller than the city walls!"
"Uh… then what if we lure it into the Sein Dungeon?"
"…Idiot."
While they bickered, new combat orders were issued.
Against a monster that size, infantry was close to useless—this was a mage's battle.
The mages needed protection, but couldn't clump together. If the flesh-city stomped the wrong patch of ground, it would be a mass grave.
Under guard, the mages formed small, mobile teams and spread across the battlefield, maximizing firepower while avoiding group wipe potential.
A barrage of mana cannons blasted into the flesh-city, white-hot explosions blooming across its surface.
Its outer shell had almost no defense. Continuous bombardment would definitely kill it.
Morale soared—until the flesh-city stirred again.
It continued wailing, but this time countless red beams erupted from its body, so blinding that half the army nearly lost their vision.
Holy crap—cool? No. That was straight-up Gandora the Dragon of Destruction.
Amid the blinding glare, some soldiers barely noticed a group of mercenaries on horseback charging straight toward the monstrosity.
But before anyone could track them, the radiance swallowed their silhouettes whole.
"I—I can't see anything! You—hey! Why are you hitting me!?"
The flash sent almost half the allied forces into a frenzy, attacking friend and foe alike.
Once the chaos was subdued, the flesh-city slumped—temporarily weakened.
"Hehehe…"
Doslepo admired his masterpiece. All the effort spent creating this abomination had been worth it. Through their connection, his Unique Talent, Madness Eye, had been amplified to an unprecedented degree.
The flesh-city wasn't a single being but a fused mass created through a demonic ritual. Its true nature was that of a demon.
Demons born through such rituals were called "newborn demons"—typically powerful. But Doslepo hadn't created this creature for combat.
He made it for—
Performance art.
A spectacle to boost his contribution score. His rank. His fame. If he could flatten multiple cities using a single monster, he'd rise to notoriety overnight—even the priests would take notice. Just imagining it made him shiver with delight.
But then he stiffened.
Something wasn't right.
Below, the army was still dealing with the aftermath of the frenzy, but the adventurers… they seemed fine. They barely reacted to Madness Eye. Only guards succumbed—and most of them could be knocked out with a firm slap.
Strange. Only people with highly trained mental fortitude should resist madness. And adventurers were—well—adventurers.
Did they do group meditation? Brain training? Yoga?
Impossible to guess.
Soon, the mages resumed their bombardment, and airborne combatants moved in—many buffed by flight magic, others using their natural wings.
Even Roger was up there, riding a wyvern.
"What the—"
The allied forces recovered far faster than Doslepo anticipated. He couldn't figure these humans out.
How was every single one this mentally tough?
Annoyance boiled in him. Fine—if the adds weren't working, then—
He'd roll.
With a titan that size, rolling once would wipe out half the army—flattening them like compressed files.
"Dodge!" someone screamed.
Every step the flesh-city took felt like an earthquake. Not even mana cannons could slow its charge.
The army scattered—mostly. A few were seconds from being flattened into ZIP files.
"BOOM!"
The ground split. Dust erupted.
But—
The flesh-city suddenly dropped to its knees.
…What?
Soldiers froze for a heartbeat, then grinned cruelly.
If you can't move—
Don't blame us for exploiting it.
"Kill it! Tear it apart!"
Up on the monster's back, Doslepo glared at the mercenary standing before him.
This man had knocked the flesh-city down.
"Move. He's mine," the horned-helmet mercenary who once fought beside Charon growled, caressing his massive greataxe.
Doslepo smirked. "Didn't think you'd interfere. I thought being a general didn't interest you."
The mercenary didn't dignify him with an answer—only swung his greataxe.
Doslepo raised an arm, blocking it effortlessly. The impact rang like clashing steel.
"Why fight me? There are so many humans here. Let's compete to see who kills more. We both get points."
The mercenary ignored him completely.
"Gather your men, Doslepo." He snorted, breath flickering with flame.
"Let's settle this. Today, I kill a rival."
Doslepo's laughter shook with rage. His fellow commander wanted a death match, surrounded by humans? Was he insane?
Didn't matter. Doslepo was stronger.
"Fine! I've hated your face for a long time! We settle it today!"
He cast a brief glance toward the city. Humans? Please. None could last a hundred rounds with him. He could kill someone like Stella instantly. Of course, the stronger one—the one who hadn't acted yet—could also instantly kill him.
"Tch. Why isn't Kejie back yet? What's taking him so long?"
Seeing the army swarming around the flesh-city like ants, Doslepo released control of the giant monster, letting it run wild.
"You wait here," he snapped and charged into the teleportation portal.
"Kejie! What are you doing!?"
He hadn't even fully materialized inside before roaring loud enough to shake the plaza.
"Where are the others?"
"A-ah…"
The demons trembled beneath his gaze, eyes darting everywhere except toward him—and especially not toward the teleportation gate.
"Speak!"
"Th-they're inside!"
Doslepo slapped them hard enough that the shockwave sent them flying, bones cracking.
Idiots.
He stormed deeper—then froze.
Something felt different.
His instincts screamed that the dungeon had changed.
He was furious—but not stupid.
Before he could react, the ominous sensation vanished—
Because Kejie came sprinting out of the bronze ruins, face contorted with terror.
He looked normal. No wounds. No deformities. Same pathetic groveling expression.
"M-Master Doslepo! Why did you come personally!?"
SMACK!
Doslepo slapped him down again, wanting to scream—but restrained himself.
"Gather everyone. Someone's picking a fight."
Scolding could wait. Winning came first.
Kejie hadn't been inside long—barely enough time to assemble anyone. The real problem was how fast things outside had deteriorated.
Doslepo turned to leave—
"That won't work, sir." Kejie's voice trembled. "Our people… there's a problem."
"What?"
Annoyed, Doslepo turned—
And realized Kejie was standing uncomfortably close, head lowered.
A cold prickle crept across his skin.
But he trusted his own subordinate far too much.
"They're very sleepy, sir. All of them fell asleep. You should, too—"
Kejie's voice twisted. He lunged.
SPLURCH—
Doslepo's hand pierced straight through Kejie's chest.
"Mind control? So something really did happen in there. Damn—"
But before he could finish, Kejie grabbed his head—
And leaned in.
From behind, it looked like a horrifyingly intimate kiss.
Nearby demons shrieked and covered their mouths instantly.
Doslepo trembled in fury.
But then—a spark of yellow fire hit the ground.
They weren't kissing.
They were locked in a maddened, searing stare.
Yellow fire burst from Kejie's eyes, burning through his superior like molten blades.
Though the act should've warranted immediate execution, Kejie only grinned wider, madness twisting his face.
[Inescapable Frenzy]
[A prayer born from Madness. Yellow flame ignites from the eyes, transmitting the Madness status through direct connection.
Eye contact—mutual staring—is one of the most common forms of connection between living beings… and the most efficient bridge for transmission.]
"AAAHHH!"
Doslepo screamed. He tore Kejie in half, but the upper torso still clung to him, flames raging.
"Get OFF!"
He crushed Kejie's head, finally ending the flames.
But a spark of yellow flickered within his own pupils.
"Damn you! Kejie! DAMN IT!!"
He shredded the corpse in humiliation and rage.
Whoever caused this—
He would make them DIE.
Ssshhhh—
A strange sound whispered behind him. His back tingled.
Doslepo turned—and froze.
A hunched old man stood there, head swollen like an overripe fruit.
The Aging Untouchable had stabbed his cane into Doslepo's spine.
"You—!"
Agony exploded within him. Far worse than Kejie's madness.
His mouth stretched in a silent scream. Shadows writhed. Madness burrowed deep.
His vision tore through the ruins… through the sky… through reality—
And beheld a pitch-black void.
In that darkness… three massive fingers awaited his kneeling.
"AH!"
When Doslepo came to, he was already outside the ruins.
How did he escape? Walk? Teleport? Crawl?
He had no idea. His limbs trembled, his body felt hollow. He couldn't muster even a tenth of his strength.
He didn't notice his eyes glowing faintly yellow.
Run.
That was all his mind could process.
His score?
His game?
His duel?
Forget all of it.
He just needed to—
"AWOOOO!"
A wolf's howl snapped him back.
Gray-black wolves snarled around him, teeth bared, cold eyes hungry for blood.
These wolves… why did they look familiar?
"There you are."
Footsteps approached. Doslepo looked up.
A young human man stood before him—someone he didn't recognize. But the hatred in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Who… are you?" Doslepo whispered.
Darrick's face was blank. Cold. Resolute.
He raised his weapon—and Doslepo recognized it instantly.
[Farron Greatsword]
The blade of the Abyss Watchers.
Impossible. This human could never have defeated those thing.
So it must've been—A gift.
Darrick began to perform the Abyss Watchers' salute on instinct—
But stopped.
Doslepo didn't deserve that honor.
"Go," Darrick said calmly, patting the largest wolf.
"Tear him apart."
"Awoo!"
Inside the lord's chamber, Wade was broadcasting the entire scene live.
He applauded slowly, smiling in satisfaction.
"Yes… this is exactly what I wanted to see."