Novel Bin Chapter 299: Adaptation (2)
In his hazy mind, he put his hand on his forehead as he got up, and he felt it when he looked out the window and the reddish sky.
“It was no nightmare.”
He applied for a ranked duel against Jamie and got defeated in a close battle.
Why did he lose?
Jamie Welton was skilled, but he was definitely stronger than the human.
Wasn’t the opponent also aware of it and avoided a head-on confrontation?
But that rush was a problem.
He thought that dragging the battle out would put him at a disadvantage, and began to turn impatient. Even the words of Himera had an impact on his mind.
‘I made a big mistake,’
Jamie Welton waited for Beiros to turn into the dragon form.
It wasn’t something he was certain of, but seeing how Jamie reacted, it felt like he was someone hoping for it to happen.
He gave him what he wanted.
The huge body made it tough to avoid the attack of the opponent and impossible to revert back before the darkness fell.
The state where he had the upper hand vanished, and he fell down.
“Damn it!!”
Kwang!!
Beiros, unable to contain his anger, punched the wall.
As he watched the crumbling wall fall, he thought of his future.
‘What will happen?’
Naturally, he thought he would win, so he didn’t think of this. Now that he had failed, all that he had left was his body.
He was no longer the 6th ranking demon nor a Count.
If he had died, he wouldn’t have felt this miserable, but the Demon King forbade death in the match.
It was when Beiros was feeling troubled.
“What is the former Count doing with that gloomy look on his face?”
Himera entered through the door. He smiled broadly, unlike the fake smile he usually plastered on his face.
This looked like a real one.
“… Himera.”
“Yes.”
When Beiros glared at it, Himera spoke with a cheeky expression.
“Cheeky, how dare a lower being call me by my name?
“What?”
“You are below me!”
Himera pulled out a whip and struck Beiro. Naturally, Beiros tried to stop, but an unknown force stopped him from moving.
Slash!
The whip touched his cheek, and blood dripped down, it didn’t hurt much, but it was pretty bad.
And Himera continued to speak.
“According to the laws of Devildom, I no longer have to help you. Well, you are no longer a high-ranking demon, you lowly being!”
And he swung the whip again and again.
Beiros face shook with anger.
Himera spoke with an arrogant face and then slapped Beiros.
“How does it feel? To have lost everything?”
“You, I will tear you apart.”
“Huhuhu. In what way? According to the laws of the Devildom, you cannot touch me now. Or would you like a rank duel with me? Hahahah! You cannot. You will have to live like that for the result of your life!”
“This was your plan from the start!”
At Beiros’ words, Himera stroked his chin.
“Plan… I don’t really have to plan it; you are someone who moves on anger. What do I even have to plan?”
“You knew I was going to fight Jamie Welton?”
“Ask any demon going around. Who wouldn’t know your attitude? I just scratched you a little more to make it happen.”
“… scratched?”
“Right. So you can take the path of defeat.”
It was then that the words of Himera kept going around his head.
-There is one way.
-Isn’t it enough if he doesn’t die?
-Well, the choice is yours.
All simple words, but they stimulated Beiros.
Right.
All the words of Himera made it look like Jamie Welton was weak. Naturally, Beiros felt stronger, as if Jamie couldn’t even be called his opponent.
And to lead the situation like this meant Himera knew Jamie would win.
“You knew he would win?”
“I had a glimpse of his power.”
Himera didn’t hide it.
“A brief one, but it wasn’t too difficult to check his strength. Because I am a dream incubus.”
And dreams can intervene in the emotions of any creature. Therefore he was able to know a little about the opponent.
Jamie Welton was a man with a strong desire to win, and Beiros fell into the plan of Himera.
Of course, it was difficult to gauge Jamie’s true power, but because he looked at it, he could guess how much was hidden inside.
‘I wasn’t sure the human would win, but…’
Jamie Welton and Beiros.
Even if he spoke like this, Himera only stood to benefit regardless of who won.
Jamie Welton, who was favored by the Demon King, would die, or Beiros, whom he hated, would die.
Neither of them died in the end, but Beiros at least got humiliated again.
“Why?”
Beiros asked Himera.
“Why betray me?”
“What kind of betrayal? Aren’t we all under the same king and subordinates to the same one?”
“That isn’t what I am asking! Why did you take the side of a human?”
“Eh. Are you going to ask something this obvious?”
Himera asked with a cold expression.
“Because you bastard killed my lover. I am just expressing my rightful anger!”
Slash! Slash!
Himera clenched the whip and hit Beiros without mercy.
Large wounds began to form on his body, but the difference in strength was too great, so significant damage couldn’t be done.
Exhausted, Himera panted, and Beiros asked.
“Lover?”
“Malivion, who was in the 6th rank. You killed Mavilion. That is something I can not forgive!”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Beiros chucked and began to whip again.
“How dare you take revenge on me in the Devildom where the strong rule. You are disqualified as a demon.”
“Shut it! You are nothing now! Nothing at all! Kuahahaha!”
The whipping continued for hours.
Beiros was now drenched in his blood, and Himera had left the body, which was mutilated.
“Damn it.”
With a curse, he could only think about the bad times.
A week has passed since the duel.
Fully recovered, Jamie came out early.
“I haven’t moved for a week, and my body already feels stiff.”
It was unavoidable that the body was stiff because it was right after recovering from severe injuries.
Jamie pulled out Balisada and checked its condition. At times like this, he thought learning the sword was right.
If he hadn’t learned it, he would still be in bed meditating in boredom.
In that regard, sweating was better than meditating.
When he reaches the trance state during training, isn’t it the same as meditating?
He was sweating when someone approached him.
“Jamie Welton”
When he turned around, there was a small red-skinned demon which was someone he had met when he came into the castle.
“Uh. You. What is it?”
“Is… your body alright?”
“As you can see. Are you here to check for that?”
They had only met each other twice, so he didn’t think one would ask about the well-being of the other.
Again, the little demon shook its head and said,
“Ah, no. Their Majesty, the Demon King of Lust, has called for you, so I am here.”
As a courtesy, he asked for the well-being of Jamie, but this showed that the demon was the straight-speaking kind.
“Usually, one wouldn’t say it out loud, but you seem fine with it,”
“Uh? N-No, it wasn’t that.”
At Jamie’s words, the demon was shocked and tried to make excuses, but Jamie didn’t care.
“The demon king of lust is calling for me? Well, I need to wash up and go now.”
“Uh, yes!”
The little demon bowed its head and ran back.
“Such a funny one.”
It was funny that the demon had such a shy and timid personality and was a little cute too.
Maybe like a cute doll?
He thought that this was a cute demon to mess around with.
Jamie wiped the sweat off and headed for Trika’s place.
“How is your body?”
“Well. It is fine.”
Jamie sat down on the luxurious sofa and sipped the tea made by the maid.
“Ugh,”
But it tasted disgusting.
How could such a thing be offered to drink?
If this was the Welton mansion, the one who made it would be yelled at.
“Is this spoiled?”
“It is a tea made by the decoction of the rarest herbs in Devildom. It is a rare tea to even obtain.”
“Damn it. I forgot this is the Devildom.”
“Seems like it doesn’t taste good.”
“Don’t you have a tongue? Ah, you don’t.”
“I don’t. But I remember you making the same joke before too.”
Jamie grinned at the joke.
“So, how is he?”
“Let’s go together.”
Jamie nodded, and Trika took him to the room Beiros was staying in.
After the defeat, he went through quite a bit of suffering.
One could tell from the words written on the door that not a single soul was good to him.
Although Beiros was feared, there were many who he had insulted during his time in power.
“Beiros. I am coming in.”
Trika didn’t bother listening to the permission and went in. Jamie frowned at the musty iron smell from the room.
“W-why does this smell…”
He covered the nose and entered only to find a tragic scene. Blood splashed everywhere with rotten flesh around.
Beiros was sitting like a prisoner in the middle of his bed, looking fine thanks to his regenerative powers. However, looking at him was enough to say he wasn’t in good condition.
“You seem to be in bad spirits?”
Jamie, who was trying to mess with him, decided not to and Trika sighed as he said.
“This is what happens to a loser.”
Those who usually lose, die, and if they do manage to live, it will be disgraceful.
In a world where strength is everything, being humiliated by those weaker than one because of a loss in a duel was the worst punishment.
Jamie walked over to Beiros.
The half-dead eyes didn’t seem to care who came.
“Hey.”
“…”
“Hey!”
When he was didn’t respond. Jamie looked at Trika, who nodded, and then Jamie slapped him.
“Brat!”
“Kual! Who else…!”
Beiros, like he was woken up, looked around to find Jamie, and then he felt enraged.
“How dare you come in front of me!”
“Beiros!”
At Trika’s call, Beiros went stiff and then knelt down as he slammed the head to the ground.
“I-I greet the Majesty!”
“You bastard, you look like a fucking shit.”
Jamie frowned.
And as he stepped back, Trika spoke to the bowing subordinate.
“How was this week?”
“… it was hell.”
“For a week, you have become the weakest being here. Your actions are what caused this.”
“I am sorry, your Majesty. Sorry to disappoint you. Just one chance… Please give me one more chance!!”
“Things are out of my hand.”
“Ahhh…. My lord… please…!”
“But there is someone who will give you a chance.”
“Uh?”
At the words of the Demon King, Beiros raised his head.
No.
And he looked at the smiling human.
Jamie Welton had a smile so eerie it made demons look like angels.
“Y-Your majesty!”
“I will let the two of you talk it out. If you want to get back up again, that is.”
Trika disappeared after saying that.
Beiros looked at the human.
‘Just kill me already!’
There was no end to this humiliation.