TEOCH 21

My breathing was rapid. The world spun before my eyes. My trembling legs had long lost the strength to take another step. Yet, we continued to move forward, as if possessed by something. The buzzing sound of ground wasps’ wings clung to our ears like a hallucination, refusing to fade.

Though no wasps were chasing us anymore, the echoing buzz from outside the passage was enough to stain our hearts with fear. We had no strength left to fight. If we encountered more ground wasps in this state, I felt we’d die without even a chance to resist. We walked and walked through the endless passage. It was the only choice we had.

After what felt like an eternal march, we arrived at a vast plaza, similar in structure to the place where we had first fallen. The ceiling was sealed, leaving the area shrouded in darkness without a single ray of sunlight, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that there wasn’t a single ground wasp in this plaza.

Relieved to have finally reached a safe place, we collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. Of course, even that moment of respite didn’t last long.

“Cough, cough…!”

Watching my companions cough violently whenever the purifying aura weakened even slightly, I stood up. In this damned demon realm, even resting was a luxury. If I could level up a bit more and improve the efficiency of my ‘Purification’ skill, the air around us would purify itself without my conscious effort. But in the early stages, with the skill’s low efficiency, things were always this troublesome.

As I prepared to infuse Rikiel with purifying aura, I noticed the ladybug shell still strapped to his back. Stunned, I stared at Rikiel, and he looked back at me, puzzled.

“You carried that load all the way here, didn’t you, mister?”

“I was so frantic… I didn’t even think to abandon it.”

Rikiel mumbled an excuse, lowering his gaze. I glared at him in disbelief before letting out a sigh.

So, this man had not only fled from hornets while carrying over twenty kilograms of gear but also fought a fierce battle against ground wasps. He was truly an absurd man, in both the worst and best ways.

Well, with abilities as exceptional as his, it’s no wonder he’s so confident. Without the stamina and swordsmanship he’d honed over a lifetime, he wouldn’t have any reason to trust his abilities so blindly. Feeling a bitter pang, I spoke up.

“No, actually, it’s a good thing. Hand me that shell.”

“…?”

“I’m too exhausted to keep infusing purifying aura one by one. Since it’s come to this, we might as well set up a temporary shelter.”

I placed the shell Rikiel handed me in the center of the plaza. Just as I had demonstrated in front of Rehas yesterday, I tapped the shell with my foot, and it instantly expanded back to its original size. I gestured for Rikiel and Tristan to follow, and we crouched to crawl inside the shell.

Once both of them were inside, I drew my sword from my waist and began carving a magic circle into the floor. I couldn’t draw the ‘Return’ magic circle—my mana was too depleted from the battle with the ground wasps.

But I still had enough mana to use another skill. After completing the ‘Fortification’ magic circle, I poured all my remaining mana into it. Light radiated from the circle, illuminating the temporary shelter.

[Fortification using ‘Ladybug Shell’ as a catalyst has been completed. The fort’s physical and magical defense increase by 50% each.]

[Due to the Fortification skill’s effect, the current location has been designated as a temporary safe zone. The toxic atmosphere of the demon realm is neutralized.]

[All allies’ health recovery speed is increased by 100%. This effect dissipates upon leaving the fort.]

Seeing the messages appear, I gave a satisfied smile. This would keep us safe for now. A few ground wasp stings couldn’t penetrate the ladybug shell, and inside the fort, toxins would be automatically neutralized, so I wouldn’t need to manually infuse purifying aura into my companions.

Having exhausted all my energy using the skill, I collapsed onto the ground. Tristan, startled, supported my body. Too weak to stand, I leaned against him silently.

“Are you okay, Rohan?!”

“I’m fine. Just a bit tired. Let’s rest here for a while.”

“You’re burning up, Rohan. Could you be sick…?”

“It’s from the ground wasp stings. It’s not a fever. Your Majesty must be feeling the same, no?”

I whispered through the throbbing pain, and Tristan, staring at me blankly, let out a small chuckle. He was pretending to be fine, but he was likely in as much pain as I was. He’d been stung dozens of times too, after all.

I cautiously reached out and rubbed Tristan’s lower back. His skin was hot with fever. Letting out a faint groan of pain, Tristan lowered his head.

“Come on, lie down. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Is that really okay? In the middle of a ground wasp nest…?”

“By now, the ground wasps are probably too busy fending off the hornets invading their nest. Sure, a few scouts might snoop around, but we don’t need to worry about them. Recovering our strength is the priority.”

Tristan nodded silently, gently laying me down on the ground before lying beside me. The stung areas burned painfully, but there was no immediate solution. Taking comfort in the fact that the Fortification skill boosted our health recovery speed, I could only hope the fever would subside by the time we woke.

Exhausted, I closed my eyes. Even with my head spinning from the fever, thoughts of how to handle the situation swirled chaotically in my mind.

Though we’d escaped immediate danger, the situation remained dire. We were in the heart of a ground wasp nest. Without acquiring the ‘Flight’ parasite to sprout wings, there was no way to escape this nest on our own.

The most realistic option was to wait in this temporary shelter for my mana to recover and then use the Return spell to teleport back to the safe zone. My mana was completely drained now, but if we could hold out for three days, I could manage to return us to safety. It was a reasonably feasible plan.

“But can we really hold out here for three days?”

Even if the ground wasps and hornets were locked in fierce combat, that battle wouldn’t last three days. At most, it would end in two, and a victor would emerge.

Whether the ground wasps or hornets won, it wouldn’t bode well for us. Either way, if they attacked us in full force, we’d have no chance of winning. Even if their stings were weak, hundreds of them attacking relentlessly would overwhelm the ladybug shell.

“I can’t block their attacks without using skills. But if I use skills, I won’t have enough mana for the Return spell.”

It was a complete dilemma. Worse still, if we couldn’t escape within three days, Damian and Rehas, waiting in the safe zone, would be in mortal danger. The safe zone’s duration would also expire in three days.

If we couldn’t escape this nest within that time, Damian and Rehas, without purification, would succumb to the toxic atmosphere and die instantly. Half our party would perish without a chance to fight back.

“I can’t think of a way out. I just can’t figure out how to navigate this situation…”

Resentment and frustration surged in my throat, anger boiled in my chest, yet my body felt heavy and fatigued, as if sinking into the ground. My mind was dizzy, on the verge of losing consciousness, but the stinging heat radiating from my back kept sleep at bay.

I panted weakly. Everything felt burdensome and sorrowful. My anger toward Rikiel for bringing us to this point, the burning pain from the swollen wounds on my back, and…

“Rohan, you don’t look well… Rohan?!”

Even my irritation toward Tristan, the root cause of this mess, now felt merely tiresome and heavy. Unconsciously, I reached out and hugged Tristan’s body in front of me. Normally, I wouldn’t have dared, but in my current state, at my lowest, maintaining even minimal self-control was impossible.

With my mind teetering on the edge, filled with frustration and anger, I needed something—anything—to lean on, or I’d collapse entirely.

“Rohan? What are you…?”

“Be quiet for a bit. My head hurts…”

A trembling breath brushed against my neck. Though he squirmed, bewildered, he didn’t resist too strongly, and I liked that. I tightened my grip, holding him closer.

I didn’t know what Tristan, a married man, thought of this, but honestly, I deserved at least this much. Who was I suffering for? After being chased by hornets and stung by ground wasps, wasn’t I entitled to a pillow as compensation?

Savoring the warm, damp sensation with my whole body, I drifted into sleep.

For now, I just wanted to forget everything.

*

A cold liquid splashed onto my burning back. Feeling the stinging heat from the ground wasp stings cool down, I woke up. As I groggily opened my eyes, I saw Tristan’s face, fast asleep. Falling asleep in the arms of a sweaty man couldn’t have been easy, but thankfully, Tristan was sleeping so deeply he wouldn’t notice if someone carried him off.

“Wait, if Tristan’s asleep…”

That meant someone else was pouring holy water on my back. Letting out a bitter sigh, I realized Rikiel, who was treating me, flinched and stepped back. He tried to pour more holy water on my wounds, but I shook my head silently and sat up.

Yawning softly, I checked my condition. Thanks to Rikiel’s holy water, the wounds from the stings had healed significantly. They were still a bit itchy, but not unbearable.

Best of all, the whirlwind of emotions that had been burning in my head before I slept had calmed considerably. After a good sleep, my mind was much clearer, and the overwhelming sorrow and frustration had subsided. With fatigue and pain eased, I could now think rationally.

I opened my status window to check my mana recovery. My maximum mana was 72, but only 5 had recovered. Considering mana recovers at a rate of 1 per hour, I must have slept for about five hours.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting much anyway… This isn’t enough to use even the Dissection skill properly.”

With that thought, I closed the status window. The Dissection skill required 10 mana, so with my current single-digit mana, I couldn’t even use a simple skill. For reference, the Return spell required 70 mana. I’d need to hold out for 65 more hours to cast it once.

Sighing deeply and looking up, I met Rikiel’s eyes. He had been watching me nervously with a gloomy expression. Hesitantly, he spoke.

“Are you okay to be up? Does it hurt?”

“Thanks to you, I’m much better. I’m fine now.”

“…”

“How about you? Are you okay? Need any treatment?”

“…I’m fine. I’m not particularly injured.”

Perhaps because of the situation, Rikiel seemed utterly deflated. Too exhausted to even get angry, I let out a heavy sigh. Seeing such a big man in this state was not just pathetic but almost pitiable.

If I pushed him harder here, he’d probably apologize readily. I could even make him promise never to do something like this again.

“But that’s not enough.”

I stared quietly at Rikiel’s face. If a few apologies could solve this, I wouldn’t dislike him this much. His real problem was that, despite regretting and apologizing for his actions, he never actually changed his behavior.

What good would a hundred or a thousand apologies do? If he kept insisting on his own way in critical moments, all his apologies would be meaningless.

“At the very least, his attitude toward Tristan needs to change. I can’t let his stubbornness put that man in danger.”

Of course, I’m not oblivious. Rikiel cares for Tristan more than anyone, and this whole mess stemmed from that affection. The problem is that his way of showing it is misguided.

If Rikiel hadn’t been so overprotective of Tristan under the guise of affection, today’s events wouldn’t have happened. If we’d returned immediately instead of resting, Tristan might have been more exhausted, but we wouldn’t be trapped in this hive.

I wished this incident could be an opportunity to curb Rikiel’s stubbornness. Though I’d never succeeded before, maybe threatening him with Tristan’s safety could work?

Misinterpreting my silence as blame, Rikiel hung his head, staring at the ground. I decided to test him. Noticing my gaze, he cautiously spoke.

“I’m sorry… Truly, I’m sorry. This happened because of me…”

I deliberately looked away from Rikiel and checked Tristan’s condition. It seemed Rikiel had treated Tristan’s wounds before mine, as his lower back was already soaked with holy water.

I lifted Tristan’s clothes to check his wounds. Though still red and swollen in places, his condition had clearly improved.

“If I hadn’t been so stubborn, this wouldn’t have happened. I’m truly ashamed. I was too arrogant…”

Pausing briefly at Tristan’s slender waistline, I started and quickly covered him again. Using him as a pillow or checking his wounds was one thing, but ogling him was out of the question.

Unaware of my thoughts, Rikiel continued his clumsy apologies, while I tried my best to ignore him.

“I’ll make sure this never happens again. At least in this place, I should have listened to your judgment, but I…”

“…”

“…Rohan?”

While pretending to check on Tristan, I glanced at Rikiel’s expression. He seemed quite flustered by my lack of response. Well, anyone would feel bad being ignored after a sincere apology.

But that wasn’t enough. Feigning an annoyed expression, I sighed. As Rikiel, visibly shaken, fell silent, I finally spoke.

“Enough.”

“…!”

“My attitude might seem rude to you. I know that. But right now, I don’t see the point in listening to your apologies.”

“Rohan? What do you mean…?”

“Whether you’re truly sorry or sincerely apologizing isn’t important to me. What matters to me is something else entirely.”

I turned my gaze back to Tristan. Oh, right. I should check how much his health has recovered. Thanks to the Fortification skill, his health should be recovering faster than usual.

I opened Tristan’s status window, checked his health and mana, and then looked at Rikiel again. He wore a deeply anxious expression, but I continued as if I hadn’t noticed.

“I don’t particularly like people who promise the impossible.”

Rikiel’s eyes wavered noticeably. Thankfully, Tristan’s health was nearly fully restored. Another thirty minutes of sleep, and he’d probably be fine.

“I’m not trying to blame you. I don’t misunderstand your actions either. But… I don’t have much hope that you’ll change your behavior.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve met people like you plenty of times. You’ve always believed that protecting and cherishing someone precious is the right thing to do, and you’ve never lived a life outside that belief. …And it’s not easy for someone who’s lived their entire life with one belief to change.”

Rikiel hesitated, searching for words. I could guess how he’d respond. He’d desperately promise to follow my opinions from now on, swearing never to dismiss them like before. But that wouldn’t happen. I’d dealt with him enough times to know. Momentary sincerity can’t overcome a lifetime of habits.

Since I had the chance, I needed to push harder. Otherwise, he’d never change.

“No, I…!”

“Then let me ask you. If I insisted right now that we stab His Majesty with a sword, would you follow that order?”

“…!”

Of course, that would never actually happen. Feeling a twinge of guilt toward the sleeping Tristan, I asked the question. Rikiel, looking as if he’d been struck in the back of the head, hesitated. See that? While he struggled to respond, I quickly pressed him.

“Look at that. You’re apologizing now because things went wrong, but if a similar situation arises, you’ll surely overprotect him again.”

“I, I…!”

“So don’t apologize to me out of fleeting emotions. Understood? Those apologies mean nothing to me if your actions don’t change.”

Rikiel’s face was steeped in dismay. While still pretending to check on Tristan, I noticed something odd. A ‘New’ marker had appeared on Tristan’s skill window.

Strange. Could his hidden second skill have awakened? That shouldn’t be possible. Puzzled, I opened his skill window. Meanwhile, Rikiel, having gathered his thoughts, cautiously spoke.

“I understand what you’re trying to say. Yes, apologizing while failing to change my actions would be laughable. But…”

“…”

“There’s one thing I want you to understand. I wasn’t trying to overprotect His Majesty. I, too, want him to grow stronger. My reasons for protecting him were different.”

I half-listened to Rikiel, focusing on checking Tristan’s second skill. But nothing had changed. It still displayed the message: ‘You are not qualified to view this skill.’

Then what had changed? Perplexed, I tilted my head, wondering if Tristan had gained a new skill. I hurriedly checked his other skills.

That’s when I realized what Rikiel was talking about.

“His Majesty is already trying hard enough. Just in a slightly different way…”

[Passive Skill – Practical Swordsmanship: Originally, Tristan was not skilled in swordsmanship. He is a king, not a knight, and a king’s role is to command from the rear, not fight on the front lines. Tristan never felt discouraged by his lack of swordsmanship skills. After all, his younger brother is the greatest knight, so there was no need for him to master the sword.

But that was in the human world. In the demon realm, things were different. Not long after arriving here, Tristan felt despair over his own inadequacy for the first time. On the day you were critically injured in a battle with a praying mantis, Tristan realized he could do nothing to help his companions. The swordsmanship he’d lightly practiced for fitness was useless in saving you, no matter how hard he tried.

After that day, aware of his shortcomings, Tristan trained relentlessly in swordsmanship with his brother Rikiel’s help while you were absent. For the first time in his life, he learned swordsmanship not as a refined art but as a means to kill. Feeling responsible for you and his companions, he trained so diligently that even Rikiel was astonished.

Now, Tristan has learned how to effectively use swordsmanship in real combat. The more he practices and gains experience, the more his skills will improve. Of course, the more he trains, the more exhausted he’ll become, and he might occasionally get blisters on his hands, but that’s unavoidable. Practice is like that.]

Speechless, I stared blankly at Tristan’s new skill description. Meanwhile, Tristan himself slept peacefully, like an angel, unaware of it all.