Mr Devourer, Please Act Like a Final Boss

Chapter 25

**

Chapter 25

Have you regained consciousness?

Ah, you don’t need to look at me with such worried eyes. You were just unconscious for a very brief moment. It was no more than ten seconds, really.

Anyway, it was quite amusing.

I forgot how immersed I was, to the point of forgetting that I was acting. Plus, I learned quite a lot. I’ve seen many humans entering with buffs, but you were the first one to cast buffs right in front of me. Buffs seem to have tremendous effects, more than I thought. Even with armor that’s nearly impenetrable, a surprise came as you effortlessly stabbed through it. Thanks to you, I’ll have to get a new set of armor. Damned bastard.

Oh, did I deviate from the main topic of the story? Well, never mind.

It seems like I won, as expected.

“Well, that’s how it turned out.”

A droplet dangled at the tip of the stalactite and fell with a soft sound. Feeling the drop on his back of the hand, Niphrim flinched reflexively. Before, it was dripping with cold, and now it felt like a tingling sensation, as if the body were paralyzed.

The dungeon fell silent. Patrick sat beside Niphrim in a crouched position. The position didn’t seem comfortable, as the constant sound of bones creaking could be heard.

Niphrim’s unfocused pupils turned towards Patrick. As if waiting for that reaction, Patrick finally gritted his teeth.

“As an apology for the prank, let me tell you a few things. First, enhancing your physical abilities using buff magic is undoubtedly impressive, but with that alone, you can’t defeat our boss. Your sword won’t reach our boss.”

Responding to Patrick’s words, Niphrim attempted to speak but ended up spitting out blood.

“Secondly, I twisted something inside your body earlier. So, I recommend not talking. It’s better if you don’t move either. I won’t tell you how I twisted it. I won’t tell because even if I did, it’s not something you could easily replicate.”

Speaking in a leisurely tone, Patrick slowly stood up.

“Thirdly, during the few seconds you were unconscious, I took care of some business. Your body might find it difficult to move, but… It would be good for you to at least be able to lift your head. It’s quicker to check for yourself.”

He lifted his head.

All the members of the expedition team were dead.

In just about ten seconds, all 30 members were gone.

“Lastly, among those who have encountered ‘Death Knight’ Patrick’ at the Primordial Core, not a single one has returned alive. Not a single one.”

The scent of blood emanated from Tanabella lying beside Patrick. As Patrick walked away, seemingly muttering to himself, saying, ‘I have something to show you,’ Niphrim, who unfortunately was still alive, just looked on helplessly.

A dragging sound echoed on the floor. What Patrick dragged with both hands were the bodies of two people. The path along which the bodies were dragged resembled a red carpet stained with blood.

The bodies were once monks and a wizard, namely Sylvia. Patrick carelessly threw the bodies in front of Niphrim. Sylvia’s body, impaled on a protruding stone on the floor, started bleeding profusely around her head.

“Dealing with these two was the most challenging. I swung my sword eight times in total to cut through them. If I say I swung four times at the monk, you might get the idea. They were strong, resilient, truly formidable opponents. Even after cutting half of their bodies, they tried to attack me, using it as an opportunity. I didn’t let them hit me, though.”

Patrick glanced at Niphrim with a sly smile. As expected, what gleamed in Niphrim’s eyes was only flesh. Just a facade of an enemy.

Patrick chuckled.

“Oh, and this wizard girl was more troublesome than the monk. She took a real beating. She could use area-of-effect holy magic. My bones still itch from that. More importantly, your name is Niphrim? …Judging by the look you’re giving me, it seems right. Even on the verge of death, this woman kept calling the name Niphrim until the end. She really searched for you desperately.”

Patrick concluded his words and maintained silence, as if observing Niphrim’s reaction. After observing Niphrim silently for almost a minute, Patrick let out a small sigh. It seemed somewhat disappointed, as if not getting the desired response.

“I hoped to see a bit more intensified emotion from you, but there’s no reaction. Mr. Niphrim, you’re completely cold-hearted. Well, saying something like this is pointless. Let’s move on to the main topic. Mr. Niphrim, do you know why I didn’t kill you? Do you happen to remember what I said at the beginning? I mentioned that after knocking you down, I would make you vomit. That’s right, that. It’s question time now.”

“No matter how much I think about it, there are too many strange things to just accept it at face value. Even if Pyimore is a fool, he wouldn’t have sent only 30 people like this. Moreover, you guys—oh, right, they’re all dead, so choosing that word was a mistake. Anyway, this punitive expedition wasn’t particularly strong or anything. Typically, the punitive expeditions that come here are all at this level or even higher. Ironically, except for you, Niphrim, the female mage, and the monk, everyone else was clearly below average. After taking a long breath,

“What are you hiding?”

If questions had a form, Patrick’s question would undoubtedly be in the shape of a sharp dagger. His chilly voice pierced Niphrim’s ears. Niphrim seemed to try to react, reaching out his arm, but his paralyzed body made it impossible.

“I’m not asking you to answer with your insides twisted. Um… First of all, I’m a completely kind and friendly skeleton, so I’ll give you some choices. I don’t plan to force an answer out of you. After all, trying to control your kind through force would be utterly fruitless. Whether you raise your right hand slightly if you’re willing to answer or your left hand if you’re not. Oh, of course, no matter which one you raise, Niphrim, you’re going to die. There may be a difference in the process of dying, but the outcome is obvious.”

‘What choice will you make?’

An optimal state.

In front of them, there were corpses, the fear of comrades, a longing for survival, and a fear of death, all mixed in a moderately balanced manner. In this situation, he proposed not only ‘survival’ but also the sweeter ‘comfortable death.’ The best choice given the lack of anything in a situation where one loses. In a state where there is no hope, it is undoubtedly the optimal state to desire ‘death.’

In the same position as when Niphrim fell, he raised his head. The motion of raising his head was still evident even in his paralyzed body. Patrick couldn’t read his expression as he kept his head down. Rather, such behavior seemed to excite Patrick, who enjoyed it. Finally, Niphrim’s raised hand was his right hand.

“A wise choice. Okay, if you spill everything, I’ll send you off with as little pain as possible… Oh, this also works.”

Immediately, Patrick chuckled.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a human in this situation offer a cease-fire. What kind of brain structure do you have to come up with such an idea in this situation? I’m starting to respect you a little.”

With a consistent smile, Patrick bent the raised hand that Niphrim clenched. Crunch, wood creaking. The fingers twisted into a mop-like tool were grotesque and unmatched in their oddity.

“I’ll respect that choice.”

But still, he didn’t like it.

Muttering to himself, Patrick, scanning the surroundings, picked up the raid force member’s sword strewn on the ground. He thrust the thin and long blade directly into Niphrim’s abdomen. He twisted it. With each turn, as flesh was carved out, Niphrim’s mouth emitted a stuttering scream and blood burst forth. After twisting the belly several times, Patrick let go of his hand. Patrick kicked Niphrim, who was no different from the sprawled raid force member, aside with his foot. The sword remained stuck in his belly.

“Please die slowly.”

With Tanabella in his arms, Patrick moved his steps deeper into the core.

* * *

Niphrim, facing death, clenched his entire body, pressing it against the ground.

Blood was vibrant on the path ahead. With great difficulty, his outstretched arm caught a corpse. One of the two corpses Patrick brought earlier, most likely. With his hand reaching out to the corpse, he hesitated ever so slightly. Hanging on the corner of Niphrim’s mouth was a smile filled with madness.

I have to live.

Strangely, the pain was gradually diminishing. He opened his mouth more easily than he expected.

Chomp!

The sound of chewing, the sound of tearing something apart hastily, the sound of tough meat not easily tearing but stretching, the sound of liquid pouring out profusely from the meat, the sound of a still limber corpse wriggling.

The sounds of filling the hungry stomach filled the cave.

* * *

“It sure takes a while. You should consider the perspective of the one waiting.”

Patrick, who had been pretending to leave, turned his steps.

“What are you hiding?”

“Well, there’s probably nothing to hide.”

Whether in the Primordial Core of the prehistoric era or before being in the Primordial Core, whenever he fought with a group of humans, there was always some kind of law.

Generally, those who exuded confidence had something to hide, about eighteen or nineteen out of twenty.

And those hiding something often wanted to boast about the hidden topic and showed it blatantly. It’s like a common phenomenon, a kind of forewarning.

For example, laughing heartily and displaying all sorts of relaxation – a laughter like ‘kahahaha’ would be like nailing a sign that says, ‘I’m hiding something amazing.’ Quite literally nailing it.

Well, he’s really nailing it.

At the sound of rustling, Patrick turned around. Niphrim, who had been devouring a corpse for a while, staggered to his feet.

Niphrim, who should have had difficulty moving a finger due to the twisted internal organs, had no constraints on his body as he staggered to rise. Even the abdomen that had been trampled just a while ago looked intact. His fingers were intact. After feasting like a starving wild animal, his body seemed full of vitality. It was evident that he had become stronger, even compared to when he had abundant buffs.

“Hah…”

As if purging what had been festering inside, Niphrim exhaled. After the warm breath, something, whether blood or saliva, trickled down.

“Indeed. Eating corpses makes you stronger. The body regenerates. But does it accumulate strength every time you eat? Is it only applicable to human flesh? What’s the origin of that ability? A demon? Alchemy? Magic? Or something else I don’t know?”

“…I didn’t want to reveal this.”

“Well, another fantastic line comes out here. Are you like a dialogue generator? Did you receive specialized training at some academy or something?”

“…Noisy. I’ll kill you for real. Just as you said, why do you think a below-average Raid Force like you came here? Below average? Haven’t you ever thought that I was dispatched because I have experience in dealing with guys like you who are saucy and sly?”

“I have.”

While Patrick sneered, a cheerful sound of kicking the ground echoed. Niphrim, who was staggering, leaped in an instant. Despite not having a proper leaping posture, the speed was tremendous. There were many unnatural movements as if he couldn’t control his body, but his focus was undoubtedly sharp.

Passing by Patrick in an instant, Niphrim whispered, “Let’s end this now.”

“Wow, it gave me chills. In this day and age, using such creepy lines…”

Turning his body toward Patrick and holding the sword in reverse as if lifting it in front of his body.

Formless Backflow Phantom Slash – Moon Break.

The level itself is different from the ordinary imperial swordsmanship. It’s a technique that has slaughtered dozens of dungeon boss monsters so far. The essence of the strongest sword strike, squeezing the muscles of the whole body and unleashing the formidable strike–

To adopt the posture, he first planted his left foot forward. Pressing his right foot, which served as a fulcrum, tightly against the ground, he took a deep breath.

He stepped forward to deliver the first blow to the bewildered Patrick. A herbivore’s stabbing attack, several times faster than usual. Although the armor almost nullified the damage, it went in smoothly. He turned the drawn sword once and corrected his posture.

Perfect movement up to this point. Now, he would take down the skeleton –

‘He disappeared?’

“Uh, so… What technique is that? It’s the worst… What was that long preparation move? It’s not like that was your ultimate technique or something, right? What kind of reaction should I show? Huh, I mean…”

Certainly, Patrick, who was just in front moments ago, is nowhere to be seen. Before he could ponder where he went, the voice came from right next to Niphrim.

For a moment, the breath caught in his throat. The aura emanating from Patrick, standing upright beside him, was unbelievably cold.

Emotions were extremely restrained. The mocking tone from earlier was gone, replaced by a low voice almost as if it could be lying on the ground. That single phrase echoed in Niphrim’s ears, scratching at him like a thousand times.

“Disappointing, aren’t you?”

A familiar sensation in a familiar area.

Once again, Niphrim’s stomach was pierced.

“I’ll kill you…”

“Your gaze is intense. You’re making a face like something big happened. Indeed, you’ve gotten stronger. About 9 to 13 points. You’ve risen by about 4 points. Although you’ve gotten significantly stronger, you’re still lacking the score to confidently say those creepy words from before. By the way, if you get stronger every time you eat a corpse… How many corpses are left here? 29? I’ll wait for you to eat them all. How about starting after consuming all of them? You might not reach 90 points, even then. If you do, maybe you can beat me. Still, you’ll be far from defeating the boss.”

Taunting loudly again, Patrick pulled out Tanabella, embedded in Niphrim’s stomach. Thick liquid oozed out.

Just like before, Patrick, who was staring at the staggering Niphrim, promptly severed both of Niphrim’s arms. He also cut off both legs. The sound of a dungeon crumbling echoed continuously. After leaving only the torso, Patrick, who was surveying the surroundings, threw the most intact corpse in front of Niphrim.

“Eat. There’s still plenty left, so you can take your time. Your colleagues have prepared a feast for you, you know? Psycho, who has dealt with guys like me several times. Although I don’t particularly pride myself on being the central point of the Primordial Core… Well, that’s true, where dare you compare the Primordial Core to other dungeons? Fortunately, I’m glad that I’m the only one who heard your slip of the tongue. Since I have kindness ingrained in me, I’ll generously offer you this meal, but if such words were heard by another boss in Primordial Core who’s sensitive to such matters… You might not even be treated like a monster and could experience all sorts of unimaginable pain. Ah, just thinking about it gives me the chills.”

Niphrim, writhing in agony, couldn’t possibly respond properly. The unscrupulous Patrick directly shoved food into Niphrim’s mouth.

A cycle of vomiting and eating repeated. Once the consumed corpse was completely cleared, the severed parts of Niphrim’s body were regenerated. Soon, after devouring one corpse, Niphrim’s limbs were perfectly restored. The wounds vanished neatly. However, Niphrim couldn’t stand up. Not because lying down was miserable, but if he were to stand up, he would die more horrifically—

Only now did he feel fear. The Skeleton, nicknamed ‘Death Knight,’ was not an exaggeration. The spreading aura was so dense that it felt like it was constricting the breath. If he were to stand up now, their eyes would surely meet. The empty eye sockets undoubtedly showed a chilling and cruel curiosity.

“…It’s the same as before. It seems you’re not getting any stronger.”

Patrick’s tone, which had been playful until now, suddenly turned serious.

Patrick got up from his seat without saying another word. Then, he scanned the blood-stained Room 2.

There were 28 corpses left.

In the Primordial Core, endless screams echoed.

Phase. 7

**