ITDG 09

Chapter 9

 Trapped in a Damn Game

Finding the demon Pirobis wasn’t difficult.
It left its territory clearly marked wherever it went.

Charred trees.
Deep claw marks.
Signs of violence scattered through the forest.

Following those traces, Dermo and Tom eventually found Pirobis, resting.

‘Pirobis…’

Tom swallowed hard.
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.

The demon was less than a hundred meters away, and Tom could already feel the heat radiating from its body.
He knew just how deadly those flames were.

The memory of the day he almost died to Volgor flashed through his mind.

‘Don’t think about that now.’

Tom shook his head sharply, trying to clear his thoughts.

Then, beside him, Dermo spoke in a calm, low voice.

“Aim for the wings. We have to keep it from flying.”

Tom nodded silently.
He drew an arrow from his quiver, set it on the bowstring, and met Dermo’s eyes.

Twang—

The string tightened, sending vibrations through his fingertips.

‘Focus. Just focus.’

Tom inhaled deeply.
The sounds around him faded until the world seemed to slow.
Then, he released.

Whsshh—!

The arrow cut through the air—

Thuck!

—and buried itself deep into the middle of Pirobis’s back.

A horrific scream ripped through the forest.

“KIIAAAAAAH—!”

Pirobis twisted violently and leapt to its feet, fury igniting the air.
Flames burst toward the sky as its body trembled with rage.

Tom’s whole body tensed as if struck by lightning.

“Damn it!”

He cursed, nocking another arrow.
He had aimed for the wings—but it hit the back instead.
His archery skills still weren’t precise enough.

“Dermo!”

Tom shouted as he drew again.
The monstrous, birdlike demon—with a grotesque human face—had spotted them and was rapidly closing the distance.

* * *

Dermo dashed forward, straight toward the oncoming demon.

“Tom! Don’t panic! Just one good hit on the wings!”

Pirobis didn’t have much stamina—it compensated with devastating area attacks.
Even that arrow in its back would have caused serious internal damage.

Kieeeeh—!

Pirobis screeched, and Dermo blocked its path before it could reach Tom.

The demon’s maw glowed like molten iron.
A wave of heat exploded outward.

[Skill: “Stone Skin” activated.]

Fwoooosh!

Anything that had stood before Pirobis’s fire before was turned to ash.
But not this time.

It stopped mid-charge.

For the first time, something stood before its flames—and didn’t burn.

“Not that hot, actually.”

Dermo’s body was sheathed in gray stone.
He brushed a few embers off his shoulder and glared up at the demon.

Now all of Pirobis’s attention was locked on him.

Kieeek!

The demon folded its wings, dove sharply, and slashed downward with three massive talons.

Dermo swung his sword diagonally—

KAAANG!

Steel clashed against claw.

“Tch—!”

Dermo skidded backward.
Compared to Pirobis, his strength stat was still lacking.

The demon pressed the attack with another barrage of claws.
Dermo steadied his stance—

—and then heard the sharp hiss of an arrow.

Tom’s shot.

Pirobis jerked its head upward and tilted sideways to dodge—

“Not so fast!”

Dermo lunged forward, swinging his blade in a cross-cut.

KIEK!

Pirobis instinctively blocked with its claws.

Clang!

The sword was deflected—
but the arrow struck home.

It pierced the right wing.

Pirobis shrieked, the sound echoing through the forest.

‘Got it!’

Dermo charged at the now-plummeting demon.

Without flight, Pirobis had lost most of its combat power.
As long as he avoided the claws and flames, victory was within reach.

And with Stone Skin active, even the flames weren’t that dangerous.

Then his brows furrowed.

Pirobis landed lightly, balancing on one leg, and swung the other in a powerful kick while breathing fire.

Thud!

Dermo crossed his arms to block the blow.

‘So it learned a new move too, huh?’

A ground attack.
Just like Darnuk before, this boss had a new pattern.
Of course—it was the “Destruction” difficulty. Even one-star demons wouldn’t fall easily.

“What a pain.”

Pirobis backstepped, spewing fire in all directions.
The forest erupted into a sea of flame.

Heat. Smoke. Blinding light.

The demon’s figure grew hazy behind the inferno.

Not good.

When Stone Skin wore off, they’d have no choice but to retreat—if they even survived that long.

He had to end this now.

[Skill: “Agile Movement” activated.]

Fshh—!

He had been saving this one for emergencies.

Dermo burst through the fire straight toward Pirobis.

Startled, the demon lashed out with a long leg, claws gleaming razor-sharp.

Bang!

Dermo raised his right arm to block, and the claws gripped tight.

Crrrk—

They pierced through the stone layer, scraping his skin.
It stung, but not enough to stop him.

Then Pirobis opened its beak wide.

Flames surged out point-blank.

Fwoooosh!

Dermo clicked his tongue.

“Tch.”

Stone Skin gave resistance—not immunity.
Even now, the heat was unbearable.
His body temperature was rising rapidly.

He dropped the sword from his right hand.
It fell—

—then he snatched it with his left and swung upward.

Vwoom!

The blade slashed vertically.

Pirobis dodged backward—then lunged again, breathing fire.

Dermo moved diagonally through the flames, aiming for its flank.

He thrust forward—

Clang!

The demon deflected with a hooked claw, tilting its body on one leg.

Dermo let out a breathless laugh.

“You’ve got all kinds of tricks, huh?”

Pirobis raised that same claw toward his neck—

Thunk!

—but Dermo caught its ankle with his right hand.

Then he twisted.

[Skill: “Strange Joints” activated.]

Crack!

The demon’s leg twisted grotesquely in the same direction.
Bones snapped.

Pirobis’s body spun out of control, the claws veering away from Dermo’s face.

KIIAAA—!

Howling, it spewed more fire—but Dermo yanked its leg, pulling the body closer—

—and rammed the half-broken sword straight into its open mouth.

Thud! Boom!

The demon crashed to the ground, the blade lodged in its throat.

It wasn’t dead yet.
It convulsed, spitting black blood and sparks as the fire died out.

Dermo gripped the hilt with both hands and twisted.

Crack!

Pirobis trembled violently—then went still.

A single claw stopped mere inches from his face.

‘Close one.’

Even in death, it had gone for his eyes.
A moment slower, and he’d be half-blind for real.

He flicked the motionless claw aside and pulled the blade from its jaws.
Broken, but still sharp enough to cut.

He plunged his hand into the demon’s chest and pulled out a glowing Soul Stone.

[Absorbing soul…]

Whummm—

A message appeared.

[Skill acquired: “Blazing Breath.”]
[Blazing Breath – You can control fire through breath.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cooldown: 30 minutes.]
[Skill points gained: +4]

“As expected—another fire skill.”

So it was confirmed.
A half-demon could steal the core skill of any demon they defeated.

Dermo decided to test it immediately.

[Skill: “Blazing Breath” activated.]

He exhaled lightly.

Fwoosh—

A small flame flickered from his lips.

Not bad.

Surrounded by fire, he smiled faintly.

‘Being able to breathe fire anytime… that’s a lot of possibilities.’

Then—

Plip. Plip.

Raindrops hit the bridge of his nose.
Then more.
Within seconds, it was pouring.

‘What timing…’

He looked up at the sky as rain drowned the flames.

“Dermo!”

Tom came running through the fading fire, his armor scorched and clothes half-burned.

Dermo sighed.

“Why’s he making such a fuss…”

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