East Road Quest

Chapter 35: The Dark Spirit

When Jade opened his eyes, he found himself once again in front of the temple of Byphel.

“Why am I… here?”

Struggling to his feet, Jade surveyed his surroundings. His head throbbed as if it would split open, and his body ached as though it had been pummeled with clubs.

His memory was intact. He remembered opening the temple wall, encountering the small and large demons, and finally, releasing the chains that pinned the red-haired boy to the ground.

As consciousness returned, so did the pain.

The bite on his neck from Byphel’s loyal little demon was particularly excruciating.

The cuts from falling and scraping against the rocks were still fresh. His mouth was gritty with red sand, and his knee joints refused to straighten properly.

The entrance to Byphel’s temple was just as it had been when he first entered.

The only difference was the time of day; it had been morning when he entered, and now the sun was setting in the west.

Dragging himself to sit up, Jade turned so that the temple entrance was directly in front of him. Without leaning against the wall, sitting was a challenge.

“The book…I”

Frantically, Jade searched his person and the ground around him.

The book was right beside him, buried naturally in the sand as if it had been a relic there for a hundred years.

Brushing off the red sand, Jade grasped the book once more. Despite the chaos, not a single corner was torn, and the leather cover was undamaged.

Before Jade could feel relieved, a group of burly men approached him.

Jade tried to rise but failed.

Even a slight movement made his head swim, and his stomach churned as if he would vomit. Trying to force himself to move only made his vision darken momentarily.

When he could see again, an indeterminate number of men had surrounded him. They wore cloth or turbans on their heads and faces, their skin tanned brown as proof of their desert dwelling.

One man removed his mask and asked,

“Who are you?”

While Jade hesitated to answer, a group of horsemen kicked up dust as they galloped closer, joining the encirclement. It was akin to a small army.

“Look me in the eye and answer! What is your name?”

The man shouted.

Jade looked up at him and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Uh, I, I am…”

“What are you looking at? Can’t you bow your head?”

The man shouted again.

Confused about what rhythm to follow, Jade bowed his head. Anyway, the backlight only showed the outline of the man’s face.

“I ask again. Your name?”

“Where is this place?”

Jade feigned confusion. He truly was disoriented, but the sense of crisis about revealing his name remained.

“This guy, he’s been provoking me from the start!”

The man grabbed Jade by the collar and asked,

“You went into the temple, didn’t you? I saw everything.”

“That’s right.”

“Where’s the treasure you brought out?”

“What treasure…?”

Before Jade could finish his answer, a knife flew towards him. The blade stopped, aimed at his forehead.

“If I stick this knife in your eye, you won’t die. But most people start talking truthfully after I do. Speak before it comes to that. Lift your face! Look me in the eye!”

He yelled.

Jade swallowed hard and asked,

“Do you want me to look at you and talk, or not look and talk?”

“Have you ever seen such a fool? Can’t you understand human speech? Did I tell you to look me in the eye or not?”

“I did.”

“Then look!”

“Didn’t you just tell me not to look?”

“This guy has been evasive from the start!”

Fearing the man would stab him in a fit of anger, Jade decided to give the answer he wanted.

“I went into the temple. But I don’t know how I got out.”

“We were curious about that too. We were guarding the entrance you used, so how did you come out?”

“I don’t know. Why am I here?”

The man furrowed his brow and released Jade’s collar. Already weak, Jade collapsed to the ground.

“The treasure?”

He asked again.

“There’s no treasure.”

“Don’t lie to me. Then why did you go into the temple?”

“I didn’t go in for treasure.”

“Then what did you do inside to end up like this?”

“I rolled on the floor, fell off cliffs, and even fell into puddles.”

Order gradually emerged from the chaos. The man with the turban and the drawn knife was one of the thugs who had chased him into the temple. His voice was familiar.

What are you hesitating for, shoot!

“And then? You have a bite mark on your shoulder. That wasn’t from falling, was it?”

He continued to ask.

To Jade, the darkness within and the demon were less frightening than the knife.

“Uh… I met a demon.” Jade replied weakly.

‘Now it’s his turn to laugh at me.’ Jade braced for the man to bark at him to stop lying. Instead, the mocking gaze disappeared, replaced by a wary look.

The man prodded Jade with the hand not holding the knife, checking the torn clothes and examining Jade’s face from side to side. Then he snatched the book from Jade’s hand and skimmed through it.

“We need to start the questioning from the beginning.”

Squatting down to Jade’s eye level, the man asked,

“You ran away as soon as you saw us, didn’t you? Why? Were you hiding something?”

He poked Jade’s chest with the corner of the book, demanding an answer.

“Why did you run? Huh?”

“Anyone in that situation would have run. Shouldn’t I have run when you started shooting arrows without warning?”

“When did I?”

Talking to this man was becoming increasingly difficult for Jade.

As Jade sighed, the man asked again,

“How did you open the temple wall?”

“I opened it with some kind of code.”

“Can you open it again?”

“I can. But I don’t want to.”

“Why? Did you leave the treasure near the entrance?”

“I’ve said it several times, I didn’t go into the temple for treasure.”

“Then why did you go in?”

Jade answered resignedly,

“To meet an angel.”

The man burst into laughter. The men around them joined in unison.

Jade waited for the laughter to subside before asking…

It was peculiar indeed. “Why do you laugh at the mention of angels but not at demons?” the man questioned.

With a book in hand, he struck Jade’s cheek.

Left cheek, right cheek, head, neck… Jade was defenseless against the onslaught, and the man did not cease his assault as he spoke.

“Let me explain. You came to the temple in search of treasure. But you were caught by us. Since it’s difficult to leave the way you came in, you used a trick to sneak out, hiding the treasure inside the door. You planned to retrieve it after we left, or to come back later to find it.”

With one final act, he hurled the book at Jade’s face. The book, hitting the bridge of her nose, fell to the ground.

“I can’t fathom how you arrived at such a conclusion, but I’ve told you the truth…”

Jade clutched his nose, attempting to speak, but was silenced as the man kicked him in the chest.

“Enough talk, let’s go inside. Open the door.”

Coughing, Jade asked, “You mean, go inside there?” The man smiled triumphantly, as if he had uncovered Jade’s secret.

“Worried about losing the treasure already? Get up. Open the door.”

“I cannot do that,” Jade refused, shaking his head.

At the man’s signal, the others hoisted Jade to his feet. With no strength in his legs, he was forced to stand and be dragged along. There was no chance to pick up the book that had fallen to the floor.

“What treasure could it be? The Holy Grail?” The man was convinced Jade had hidden the treasure and was now imagining what it could be. It was too difficult to continue the conversation.

‘Both Franco and this man, why won’t they believe me? Is my manner of speaking not persuasive enough? Now I’m truly trapped.’

Jade resigned himself to his fate.

If he opened the wall, an unknown demon might be released into the world. If he didn’t, he would be tortured or killed by this man. The looks on the faces of the men dragging him promised no quick end.

The men on horseback waited outside, while only about five men dragged Jade inside.

The temple was dark. When Jade had entered at dawn, sunlight had reached far inside, but now, in the evening, shadows were cast at the entrance.

The man who had interrogated Jade shouted into the temple.

“Poe! Who told you to put out the light?”

Then the man gripping Jade’s arm yelled.

“Poe! Can’t you hear what Boss Pendale is saying?”

As Pendale’s voice echoed, the other man’s voice overlapped, creating a long resonance.

After a moment, silence fell, and a sense of desolation pervaded the dim temple.

Pendale and his men, who had entered boldly, began to slow their pace.

‘How did I manage to come up here?’

Jade returned to his initial question, recalling the moments before he had almost fainted.

‘I had freed that red-haired boy, and he threatened to kill me. I should be dead by now. But I’m alive. If he didn’t change his mind and kill me, he must still be down there.’

Jade pushed his memory further.

‘The creature in the temple had no form. Usually, that means it’s a spirit of evil. Maybe it has taken over my body. Good heavens, am I now a demon?’

Jade panicked briefly before shaking his head.

‘Could that be? If a demon takes over a body, the person dies. At least I wouldn’t be able to maintain my own consciousness.’

Jade and the men reached the end of the temple.

The wall that should have been sealed was wide open.

Jade was startled. Although many memories had faded, he had no recollection of opening the wall.

Pendale was also taken aback.

“When did this open? Did you do this?”

Pendale turned to Jade, who shook his head.

Another thief said, “It was closed just a moment ago.”

“Where on earth is Poe?”

Pendale inquired.

One of the subordinates approached the open wall.

“Here he is. Hey, Poe!”

The thief named Poe was crouched on the ground in an odd position, with an extinguished torch beside him.

“If you’re there, answer! The boss is calling you.”

His voice echoed through the temple and into the cavern beyond the wall.

“Hey, why is the light out?” The approaching man pushed Poe’s head with his hand.

Poe’s head tilted weakly to the side, and then, as if about to fall, he rose smoothly to his feet.

Jade felt a chill just watching him rise.

Poe had stood up without using his hands or feet for support, as if someone had pulled him up with strings.

The man who had hit Poe realized something was off and stepped back a few paces, his pride preventing him from retreating further.

With his neck bent, Poe spoke.

“I can come out now. The contract is over.”

Pendale spoke angrily.

“Poe, what are you talking about?”

Poe continued, unfazed.

“My contract lasted until that noisy one was released. And he’s just been freed. It means I can leave.”

In a whisper, Jade interjected.

“We must flee. That man is the demon I encountered beneath the cavern.”

Pendale glared and retorted.

“Don’t spout nonsense! That’s not a demon, that’s Poe. I know his brother, what he eats, even his taste in women.”

“The Poe you know is likely dead by now.”

Poe staggered forward, muttering.

“But I can’t leave in the light. I need a body. Not this weak one, but a stronger one!”

Blood flowed from Poe’s nose like water.

“I need to change.”

In a low tone, Jade pleaded with Pendale.

“Please, let me go. I need my book!”

The demon, still not accustomed to Poe’s stolen body, moved slowly. If Jade could run now, he could reach the book that lay outside. But the man holding Jade wouldn’t let go, and Pendale didn’t listen to Jade’s words.

Poe, looking not at Pendale but at Jade, said.

“Strange indeed. How did you get out? Where did that noisy little one go?”

Poe advanced straight toward Jade.

Jade shouted at Pendale.

“That man is a demon. Can’t you understand from his words? We must get out.”

Poe clumsily reached for a knife.

“Ah, I see you’re without your book. That works out well for me.”

It seemed to Pendale that his subordinate was causing an uproar, but in reality, the blade was aimed precisely at Jade.

Pendale had his sword pointed at Poe.

“Whether you’re possessed by a demon or have lost your mind, daring to point your sword at me is unforgivable.”

Poe chuckled with a sneer.

“Are you the boss of this body’s owner?”

“Have you ever seen such a fool? I’m not only your boss but also the ruler of the Red Desert.”

“Since when did a nobody like you become the ruler of the Red Desert?”

In an instant, Pendale closed the distance and plunged his sword directly into Poe’s heart. Poe’s body bent forward as the blade emerged from his back.

Pendale twisted the sword still embedded in him. The sound of breaking bones was heard.

“Take a good look. This is what happens to those who defy me…”

As Pendale was about to deliver a lengthy speech, Poe grasped the hand that had stabbed him in the chest. A cracking sound of breaking bones echoed. “O «

Pendale reflexively tried to release the sword and step back, but he couldn’t shake off Poe’s grip.

Poe brought his face close to Pendale’s and opened his mouth wide. Black smoke poured out of Poe’s mouth, engulfing Pendale’s face.

“Aaagh!”

Pendale screamed.

After releasing the smoke, Poe, with the sword still in his chest, fell forward. Only then did Pendale manage to free himself from Poe’s grasp and frantically waved the smoke away from his face.

“Aaagh! What is this? Aaaagh!”

Pendale flailed wildly, but the smoke continued to follow him, refusing to dissipate, and gradually got sucked into his nose and mouth.

His attempts to dispel the smoke grew weaker. His subordinates, realizing something was amiss, quietly retreated.

The one holding Jade also let go and stepped back.

The black smoke completely entered Pendale’s body. Moments later, he lifted his head and rubbed his neck. His eyes were pitch black, devoid of any whites.

Speaking with Pendale’s voice, the entity said, “This body is much better.” Jade, seeing enough, ran out of the temple.

‘That thing didn’t kill Pendale; it just took over his body. It’s no low-level demon!’

Screams from the thieves who had moved later than Jade echoed from behind. He didn’t bother to look back to see what had happened to them; he just kept running forward.

As Jade emerged from the temple, the thieves waiting on horseback blocked the path.

“Huh? Why are you the only one coming out?” Jade shouted urgently.

“Run away!”

But the thieves didn’t listen and raised their swords toward Jade.

“Where do you think you’re running…”

Just then, Pendale burst out of the temple. Without question or answer, he slashed at the thieves on horseback.

Several heads dropped beside Jade. This time, there were no screams.

Three headless bodies, three bodies without torsos, belatedly fell under the horses. The horses, unfazed by the sudden carnage, remained in place.

In contrast, Jade was so shocked that he froze, sitting at the temple entrance. The book was about twenty steps away, but he didn’t dare to approach it.

The demon that had taken over Pendale’s body was standing midway, and considering its recent movements, it could easily catch up to Jade’s pace. And knowing the power of the book, it wouldn’t just let him read it.

‘It’s not just luck that I’m alive. It deliberately didn’t kill me.’

Swallowing hard, Jade asked, with the headless bodies before him, “Why did you spare me?”

“I have something to ask you.”

Pendale approached, tapping the bloodied sword against his palm. He wasn’t hitting the flat side or the edge, but the blade itself, causing his own palm to bleed with each tap. But he seemed utterly indifferent.

“Where did that guy inside the temple go?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t seem to be lying.”

“I’m not lying.”

Jade sighed as he responded.

‘The same face, asking the same questions in the same pattern.’

The demon with Pendale’s face asked,

“What was that guy?”

“Don’t you know? From the looks of it, you’ve been together in the same space for centuries.”

“He claimed to be an angel. But I’ve seen angels before. And they don’t look like that.”

“True, he seemed more like a human boy than an angel.”

Jade agreed and asked,

“Then I’m curious. Why were you, a demon, watching over that boy?”

“Watching? Did I ever say I was watching?”

“You were together in that cave. If not watching, then what?”

“My condition was to be there with him.”

“Not to kill, not to guard, not to watch, just to be there? …Why?”

At Jade’s question, Pendale frowned.

“Are you also unaware of it?” Jade asked.

Pendale did not reply but merely rubbed his nose. As he removed his hand, blood began to trickle down. It seemed like a slight flow at first, but soon, black blood gushed out as if poured from a kettle.

“Who ordered such a thing?” Jade inquired.

“Shut up.”

Pendale, giving up on stopping the bleeding, continued, “It’s been so long since I’ve taken a human body that I had forgotten. Now I remember. Bodies with strong mental fortitude or magical powers endure better than those with mere physical strength.”

Pendale, his face flushed with blood, lifted his head to look at Jade.

“Like you.”

Suddenly, Pendale grabbed Jade by the collar and opened his mouth. Black smoke billowed out, swiftly enveloping Jade’s face.

Jade turned his head to the side and held his breath. However, the smoke, alive like a creature, forced its way into his mouth and nostrils.

Then, a sharp ‘ping!’ sound was heard, followed by a dull ‘thud!’ and Jade fell to the ground. Pendale’s hand, now only up to the forearm, still clutched his collar.

Jade, in shock, tried to remove Pendale’s hand but it wouldn’t budge.

Pendale, spraying blood, staggered backward. The black smoke that had covered Jade’s face was now being sucked back into Pendale’s mouth.

Startled by the sudden noise, horses kicked up dust as they fled, momentarily obscuring the surroundings. Pendale, too, crouched slightly, waiting for the dust to settle.

Lying on the ground between Jade and Pendale was something resembling a chain. It wasn’t a knife that had severed Pendale’s arm, but a chain.

The chain writhed like a snake, retreating back towards the valley.

In its place stood a boy with long, red hair reaching down to his waist.