Main Character Hides His Strength

a few dexterous movements.
Bertelgia flapped her pages to follow after as Marakia wrapped his one remaining wing around his body and followed them with his two feet.

The Despair of the Abyss, who was now left alone within the tomb, looked toward the departing party and disappeared into the darkness.

The second underground floor was filled with countless Cave Elves.
Their purpose was a mystery, but it was clear that they were upset.
Sungchul pulled out Cassandra, the demonic weapon, from his Soul Storage.
Marakia saw this scene, stepped forward, and let out a clear sound.
The long and crystal clear call that sounded like the cry of a Black Kite rang out throughout the dungeon causing all the Cave Elves residing within to respond simultaneously.
It was out of pure terror.

“Ki….Kiiiiiii!”

The Cave Elves that simply fled from Cassandra’s noise began to scatter chaotically upon hearing Marakia’s call.
It was not a rational fear.
It was an instinctual terror that was residing deep in their blood.
It was the call of the cold hearted avian that was their master and their predator.

“How’s that?”

Marakia who was watching the Cave Elves scatter like rats in panic asked in a relatively cheerful voice.

“Not bad.”

Sungchul moved forward as he put away Cassandra which had been made redundant.
The party eventually made it through the dark and long corridors of the Underground Kingdom and reached the entrance.
They waited for the pulley operated lift to arrive.
However, an unwelcome guest awaited them.
It was the Despair of the Abyss.

“…”

The strange being stood in the center of the passageway as though it had something to say to Sungchul’s party.

“Why does that thing exist within my kingdom?”

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Marakia spoke in annoyance.
Sungchul held Fal Garaz and walked toward the Despair of the Abyss.

“Begone, creature of oblivion.”

It was a troublesome enemy, but if it stood in his way, Sungchul wouldn’t hesitate to fight.
However, the Despair of the Abyss began to move past Sungchul in an unsteadily and grotesque manner.
It looked as though it was going to leave as before, but it stood in front of a person.
It stood in front of Marakia.

“Hey, can’t you do something about this monster?”

Marakia took a step back as he asked Sungchul.
As Sungchul walked toward him with Fal Garaz in hand, Marakia saw it.
He saw the beak of the oozing Despair of the Abyss slowly open.

“D…n’t lea…”

It was speech.
The Despair of the Abyss was speaking.
Both Marakia and Sungchul immediately froze at this unexpected situation.
While everyone was stunned, the Despair of the Abyss with an avian head continued to speak, this time more coherently.

“D…Don’t…L…leave…”

In the next moment, Fal Garaz struck the creature’s head.
It flew off into the distance crumbling into a formless shape before it regained its original appearance again.

“Just what is that thing?”

Marakia spoke in anger, but Sungchul didn’t respond.
It was also the first time he had witnessed this situation.

‘A Despair of the Abyss spoke.
I can’t believe it.
It should have had its body, mind, and soul taken away as it became the Ancient God’s servant.
This one managed to hold onto its consciousness?’

It was not something that could be figured out.
It was not something that should be figured out.
Sungchul thought these words in his mind as he got onto the lift.
Marakia followed after.

“How long has it been since I came up to the surface?”

Marakia spoke in a relatively cheerful voice as though he had forgotten about the incident just moments ago.
The mechanism of the lift activated, and the lift rose.
When they climbed out of the hole, the sun in the sky began to blind them.
A sharp scream rang out the moment they arrived at the entrance.

“Kyaaa!”

It was Marakia’s scream.
He fell to his knees as he screamed in agony until it grew hoarse like the bellow of a cow.

Sungchul immediately stopped the pulley and inspected Marakia’s state.

“What’s wrong?”

He became covered in spots.
Black spots blossomed all across Marakia’s body like a flower of death as Sungchul watched.

‘Isn’t… isn’t this the Curse of Extinction?’

The scene that he had never wished to see again reappeared before him in a flash.

“Kyaaaaaak!!”

Marakia continued to scream and thrash about in agony.
Rotting discharge poured out like a fountain from the stump of his severed wing, and a disgusting stench began to spread.

Sungchul immediately lowered the lift.
Once they reached the Underground Kingdom, Marakia’s condition stabilized.
The spots that had spread on his body receded and the discharge from his wound no longer flowed.
However, Marakia did not speak as he remained hunched over with his arms and wing wrapped around himself as though the memory of the pain still haunted him.

Sungchul spoke to him after a considerable time had passed.

“Were you afflicted with the Curse of Extinction?”

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He nodded at Sungchul’s question as his body lightly trembled.

“That’s right.
The curse cast down by god afflicted my people without warning.
It was the reason that the Nahaks that once roamed the skies was forced into the ground like moles.”

“You must be younger than you appear?”

Bertelgia offered a question toward Marakia in a soft voice.
Marakia didn’t deny it.

“One year.
I was cursed by a matter of a single year.
My older brothers were fine, but my younger brothers and I were at the risk of death.
However, my father the king wished to hand the crown to me, who had the black feathers.
That is why the ritual was performed, and I continued to live but…”

Deep concern filled Marakia’s violet eyes.

“Why does the curse still remain?”

“…Because god is cruel.”

Sungchul responded.
Marakia snorted in amusement, but the fact that his body was cursed remained.

“It appears as though I am fated to die anyways.

The spots that covered his body had faded, but it didn’t disappear.
Marakia laughed sadly as he looked toward the sky.

“Tens of thousands of years had passed, but my fate remains unchanged.”

Soon, fearsome anger began to burn in his eyes.

“Since this are the way things are, it wouldn’t be bad to go out with a bang and just do whatever I want until I die.”

“…”

“Burning the humans and crumbling their kingdoms.
Who knows? Maybe, after I’m done, they’ll remember me… and remember the Nahaks?”

Had Sungchul not been there next to him, Marakia might have done exactly as he had said.
But Sungchul was, indeed, there.

“I won’t leave you to do this.”

He glared at Marakia and spoke clearly.
Marakia laughed out loud.

“I am to die anyways.
What does it matter to me if I die in one way or another?”

“I will stop the Calamity.
Help me.
If so, it will also free you from the curse on your body.”

“That’s nonsense.
Mortals cannot overcome the Trial of God.
Also, Calamities are not to be overcome.
It is meant to be endured like the passing seasons.”

“There are those that have managed to overcome it.”

“What?”

Marakia didn’t look convinced.
Sungchul was thinking of Bertelgia’s laughter as he replied.

“They are the humans that you have looked down on.”